Remarks on the erroneous opinions entertained respecting the Catholic Religion.

Abstract

No. 1 - Civil and Religious Liberty

The Catholic religion does not in its tenets meddle with forms of Government, and it is unjust to charge it with being inimical to civil liberty. Sir Robert Filmer, in his Patriarcha, written in praise of absolute monarchy, directs all his arguments against Catholic writers, and charges them with being favourable to republican principles : it is therefore hard to be found fault with in both ways. The argument from facts will appear in favour of the Catholic. Let any one extract from our constitution what is of Catholic origin ; our common law, including the Trial by Jury, and the law of treason, the internal government of our counties, ( where the Sheriffs and the Justices of the Peace were elected till the time of Edward the Second), and our representative system, - and he will see how little remains to the Protestant's share beyond some statutes to enforce the execution of pre-existing laws ; and let him consider whether, if we had not been in possession of those rights and privileges before the Reformation, we should have had much chance of obtaining them since. Let him say what was done in favour of liberty when the Protestant religion was in the glow of its zeal, in the reign of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Elizabeth, and James I. If we look to other countries, we find that Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, which were limited monarchies in Catholic times, are now absolute; and that nothing has been done in favour of their subjects by any Sovereign in Germany who embraced the Reformation... [Excerpts]