For the Catholic Miscellany.

MR. EDITOR-The gigantic arm of Cobbett, who writes for as many as read English, being now lifted up in defence of the oppressed Catholics, it is interesting to them to know how he takes the refusal of their association, to afford him the pitiful countenance of sending him a printed book, which, it was thought might be useful to him on the occasion. The following is an extract of a letter from him, dated Kensington, Dec. 8. "I cannot refrain from telling you of the progress I am making. Į said I would print 10,000 copies of the little pamphlet (The History of the Reformation,) I did; but have been obliged to make it 15,000 copies already. I have no doubt of a sale of 20,000; and then it is a book for a hundred years! And there are men, trodden down men, stupid enough to tremble at the thought of being supposed to have formed a coalition with me! Really, such people appear to be out of their senses. The effect that I am producing is prodigious." The writer then proceeds to give proofs of this assertion, and promises to redouble his exertions in our cause notwithstanding our apparent neglect of him. My opinion, Mr. Editor, is, and I believe it is that of the Catholic public throughout both the islands, that the experienced, but often mistaken counsellor of forty years standing, who offered to go down on his knees to prevent the slightest possible countenance to Mr. Cobbett from the Catholics for his heroical and and successful vindication of them, ought to go down on his knees before them, for the bad counsel he gave them on the occasion. True it is, he acknowledged that Mr. Cobbett is a man of genius and a powerful writer-just as if this were a secret to the public or to Mr. Cobbett himself. ARISTIDES

To the Editor of the Catholic Miscellany.

MR. EDITOR-In the Pope's INDICTIO UNIVERSALIS JUBILÆI, dated June 23, of the present year, is an address to all bishops, which particularly concerns the Catholic prelates and people of England. He tells all bishops that it is their duty to instruct their flocks, that "the benefit of indulgences consists

not only in the remission of canonical penance, but also of the temporal punishment due to the divine justice." Vestrarum sit partium disserere accuratè, quanta indulgentiarum vis sit, quantus habeatur earum fructus in remissione, non canonicæ solum, sed et temporalis pœnæ, pro peccatis, debitæ apud divinam justitiam. This declaration of the supreme pastor, addressed to and received by the bishops of the universal Church, must, even in the Cisalpine system, settle the question which has been so long and publicly agitated between one of the Vicars Apostolic and a certain theological lawyer, concerning the efficacy of indulgences: the latter constantly and pertinaciously maintaining, in the numerous editions of his Catholic Principles, his Faith of Catholics, his Memoirs, &c. that INDULGENCES ARE NOTHING ELSE THAN A MITIGATION, OR RELAXATION OF CANONICAL PENANCES.

Now, Sir, if it be admitted that this question is decided, (which indeed was before sufficiently decided by Pius VI. in his condemnation of the Synod of Pistoja) what according to the doctrines of all divines, is not the teacher of false doctrine obliged to? He is obliged at the certain loss of reputation, of fortune, and of life itself, publicly to retract the same.

Sir, I have received so much pleasure from a hasty perusal of "THE BOOK OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH," by C. Butler, Esq. which has just made its appearance, that I cannot refrain from offering some observations on it; which I trust you will, with your accustomed liberality, admit into the next number of your interesting publication.

Every one must allow, that had Dr. Milner extended his Strictures on Dr. Southey's Book of the Church to a greater length, and had more fully noticed the errors, prejudices, and mis-statements contained in that invidious work, no further answer from the pen of any Catholic writer would have been necessary; but as the Strictures of the Right Rev. Prelate, ex

cellent as they are, are upon a confined scale, something more was required; and I really think, "The Book of the Roman Catholic Church" has completely supplied the desideratum. It is, indeed, a most triumphant answer, and which admits of no reply. Mr. Butler treats Dr. Southey throughout his pages with the greatest urbanity, and always addresses him in the language of a gentleman and a scholar; this circumstance alone, gives him an immense advantage over his adversary. The work is divided into eighteen letters, with an introduction and short appendix; the design may be at once gathered from the author's own words: "I mean to proceed on the following plan.-The number of letters will be the same as the number of chapters in "The Book of the Church," and each letter will notice what I consider to be proper subjects of animadversion in the chapter which corresponds with it in number. As nothing of this nature occurs in the first chapter of the Book of the Church, I shall insert in my first letter some statements and remarks respecting the general diffusion of the Roman Catholic Religion over the world." These statements are contained in an extract from the writings of Dr. Milner, an author whom Mr. Butler repeatedly quotes with applause throughout the work. Extracts from the publications of Dr. Lingard are also frequently to be met with, and are always happily introduced. The various references to and citations from our more early writers, prove the extensive reading of our author in the general history of British Catholics; but a few extracts from the work itself will convey a better idea of the language and temper in which it is written, than any detailed description that I might give. Although I am well aware that the whole volume must be read throughout before a just opinion can be formed of its value and merit. In the third letter, page 48, after treating upon miracles, Mr. Butler writes: "In a sermon preached before queen Elizabeth, Doctor Jewell, the learned, venerated, and authorized organ of the Protestant church,' as he is called by the Bishop of Saint David's, represented to her majesty, that "witches and sorcerers wonderfully increased; that her majesty's subjects pined away until death; that their colours faded, their flesh rottened, their speech was removed, and their senses bereft.' In consequence

of this representation, her majesty and the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, made witchcraft felony. Numbers suffered upon it in that and subsequent reigns. What would a Protestant think of a Roman Catholic who should now revile the Church of England on account of this sermon, and the act of Parliament which followed it; and should attempt to identify them with the actual doctrines of the established church? By parity of reason, may not a Roman Catholic justly complain, when a protestant brings forward the miserable story of St Duntan pinching the devil's nose, and other tales of this sort, and represents them as forming part of the faith or doctrines of the Catholic Church?"

Surely it is time that this kind of contention should cease. If there must be controversy between Catholics and Protestants, let it always be the controversy of scholars and gentlemen; such controversy as was waged between Laud and Fisher; between Chillingworth and Knott; such as we find in the elegant Letters of Father Scheffmacher, and the learned Treatise of Dr. Isaac Barrow; such, in fine, as we meet with in Dr. Milner's "Letters to a Prebendary," and in his "End of Religious Controversy." I have greatly availed of these in the letters which I now have the honour to address to you. I particularly recommend the perusal of them to you and every protestant who sincerely wishes to be informed of our religious tenets, of the arguments by which we support them, and of the history of the English Roman Catholics since the Reformation."

In Letter xiv. page 200, after relating that the old story concerning the conduct of Gardiner and the Duke of Norfolk on the day of the execution of Ridley and Latimer, is to be found in "the Book of the Church," and after proving that the whole is nothing more than a mere fiction, Mr. Butler proceeds: "The falsehood of the story was noticed by Dr. Lingard, still it found its place in the first edition of your work. Articles afterwards appeared in different newspapers, shewing the falsehood of Fox's narrative; you have, however, retained it in your second edition; and long may it there remain, as proof of the little reliance that should be placed on those writers who place their trust in Fox."

From the same letter, page 213, take the following extract : "How different is the spirit of your book from that which ani

mated our Sovereign, when he invited the Duke of Norfolk, a man who does honour to men, but a member of that religious community which it pleases you to villify, to officiate at his coronation; which led him to carry the olive branch to Ireland? which led him to sanction the act for dispensing with the Earl Marshall's obligation of taking the oath of supremacy, and the act for reversing the attainder of Lord Stafford? For these exertions of kindness, of enlarged wisdom, and of liberal policy, eight millions of his Majesty's British subjects bless his name: there is not one of them who does not read your book with every feeling of insulted integrity; and so confident are they of the universal good will of their fellow subjects to them, that they are quite assured that if you should offer the services of your pen to any of those who in either house oppose, or rather, seek to postpone Catholic emancipation, half a dozen members in both houses would not be found, who would accept your offer. The time is gone by!' would be the unanimous voice; no good subject now reads with pleasure any abuse of the Roman Catholic Church or its members. Take it to the admirers of father Fox! his mantle has descended to you! But don't wear it! you are qualified for much better things."

One more extract, and I have done. In Letter xv. upon Persecution, page 260, is the following: "But Sir, (for the subject is so serious that I cannot yet quit it)—if you are not convinced that you share the guilt of a religious persecution, at least equally with us, turn your eyes westward, and contemplate IRELAND! There you will see a people to whom nature has been profusely kind. She has blessed them with the most genial climate, the most fertile soil, the boldest coasts, the most navigable rivers; with strength, industry, energy, virtue, and talent. With all these blessings, they have, for three hundred years, been the most miserable nation in the habitable globe-and present at this moment, a scene of appalling wretchedness-a wretchedness so bitter, so deep, and so extensive, that even the enemies of their name shudder at beholding it; but at the same time a wretchedness formed by the original artificers of it with such fiendish skill and contrivance, that it seems almost beyond human ability to remove it. To what is this owing? Let Lord