"by many millions of converted Indians, as well as by many Spaniards and Portuguese, may be said "to be catholic. The same may be said of the

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empire of Mexico, and the surrounding kingdoms "in North America, including California, Cuba, "Hispaniola, &c. Canada and Louisiana are chiefly

catholic; and throughout the United Provinces, "the catholic religion, with its several establishments, is completely protected and unboundedly propagated. To say nothing of the islands of "Africa inhabited by catholics, such as Malta,

Madeira, Cape Verd, the Canaries, the Azores, "Mauritius, Goree, &c. there are numerous "churches of catholics established and organized "under their pastors in Egypt, Ethiopia, Algiers,

Tunis, and the other Barbary states on the "northern coast; particularly at Angola and Congo. "Even on the eastern coast, particularly in the kingdom of Zanguebar and Monomotapa, are numerous catholic churches. There are also numerous catholic priests, and many bishops, "with numerous flocks, throughout the greater part "of Asia. All the Maronites about Mount Li"banus, with their bishops, priests and monks, are "catholics; and so are many Armenians, Persians " and other christians of the surrounding kingdoms "and provinces. In whatever island or states the Portuguese or Spanish power does prevail, or has prevailed, most of the inhabitants, and in some, "all of them, have been converted. The whole

population of the Phillippine Islands, consist

The

In

ing of two millions of souls, is all catholic. Idiocese of Goa contains 400,000 catholics. "a late parliamentary record, it is stated that in "Travancor and Cochin is a catholic archbishopric, "with two bishoprics; one of which contains 35,000 "communicants. There are numerous catholic flocks, with their priests, and even bishops, in all the kingdoms and states beyond the Ganges, par"ticularly in Siam, Cochin-china, Tonquin, and the "different provinces of the Chinese empire."

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Such is the extent of the roman-catholic religion. You describe it, in the last line of your tenth chapter, as "a prodigious structure of imposture and wicked66 ness." Is it decorous to apply this opprobious language to a religion professed in such extensive territories? Several of which are in the highest state of intellectual advancement, and abound, as you must acknowledge, with persons, from the very highest to the very lowest condition of life, of the greatest honour, endowments and worth?-If the religion of this large proportion of the christian world really be, "the prodigious structure of im"posture and wickedness" you describe it,—have not the gates of hell, contrary to the most solemn promise of the Son of God, prevailed against his church? I must also request you to inform me, when "this prodigious structure of imposture and "wickedness" was raised. You must be sensible the æras assigned for it by many of your eminent writers are very different and very numerous. But, putting this universal diffusion of the roman

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catholic religion out of consideration, and confining these observations to the roman-catholic subjects of his Britannic majesty, permit me to observe to you, that the number of these, exceeds the number of any other denomination of his majesty's christian subjects throughout his empire. Surely this entitles them to be treated with the language of decent controversy. Even confining the case to the English catholics,--the proportionate number of whom I acknowledge to be small,-even they are entitled to this decency of treatment. We are not the vilia corpora to whom the language, which modern manners has banished from conversation, should be applied. "When I speak," said the late Mr. Wyndham, on presenting the petition of the English roman-catholics in 1810, "of the ob"scurity of the English roman-catholics, I do not "mean that they are destitute of hereditary vir"tues and hereditary dignities, that they are not "a part of that class which ought to be denomi"nated Ultimi Romanorum."-(You see, Sir, that this great man thought, that a right to this appellation was honourable.)" I cannot," he continued, "contemplate a more noble and affecting "spectacle, than an antient roman-catholic gentle

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man, in the midst of his people, exercising the "virtues of beneficence, humanity and hospitality. "If they are obscure, it is because they are pro"scribed as aliens in the state; because they are "shut out from this assembly, where many of those, "who are far less worthy, are allowed to sit.

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"Have they ever exercised those vile arts, which "are exercised so successfully by many, to creep "into power and place? Have they ever attempted "to obtain their rights, either by clamour or by servility? On the contrary, their conduct has proved that no other body is more justly entitled "to respect and admiration." This was the language of one of the most able statesmen, most accomplished scholars, most perfect gentlemen, and best judges of men and things in our times.

catholic religion out of consideration, and confining these observations to the roman-catholic subjects of his Britannic majesty, permit me to observe to you, that the number of these, exceeds the number of any other denomination of his majesty's christian subjects throughout his empire. Surely this entitles them to be treated with the language of decent controversy. Even confining the case to the English catholics,--the proportionate number of whom I acknowledge to be small,—even they are entitled to this decency of treatment. We are not the vilia corpora to whom the language, which modern manners has banished from conversation, should be applied. "When I speak," said the late Mr. Wyndham, on presenting the petition of the English roman-catholics in 1810, " of the ob"scurity of the English roman-catholics, I do not "mean that they are destitute of hereditary vir"tues and hereditary dignities, that they are not a part of that class which ought to be denomi"nated Ultimi Romanorum.' (You see, Sir, that this great man thought, that a right to this appellation was honourable.)—" I cannot," he continued, "contemplate a more noble and affecting "spectacle, than an antient roman-catholic gentle

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man, in the midst of his people, exercising the "virtues of beneficence, humanity and hospitality. "If they are obscure, it is because they are pro"scribed as aliens in the state; because they are "shut out from this assembly, where many of those, "who are far less worthy, are allowed to sit.