"for the relief of English catholics, is not expressed in the words of the protestation, the English catholics take this occasion to repeat "their adherence to the protestation, as an explicit "declaration of their civil and social principles, and "direct the committee to use their endeavours to "have it deposited in the Museum, or some other proper place of public institution, that it may "be preserved there, as a lasting memorial of their political and moral integrity.' "In consequence of this resolution, it is, this 30th day of December 1791, delivered to Dr. Morton, the secretary of the British Museum, by, "Charles Butler,-secretary to the catholic "committee." The instrument of protestation, deposited at the Museum, is the identical instrument, which was subscribed by the gentlemen, who attended the general meeting of the catholics at the Crown and Anchor in 1789*. Dr. Milner, having discovered some variations in an impression of the protestation from the instrument deposited at the Museum, has, in many of his publications, instead of blaming the inaccuracy of this impression, questioned the authenticity of the original; but, in the most considerable of his works †, he has expressed himself upon the subject with great candour in the following terms:-" The question of its authenticity is unim"portant; neither the committee, nor the cisalpine club, nor any "other person, to my knowledge, is to blame in the affair." + Letters to a Prebendary, 4th edition, p. 455, 456. CHAP. LXXXIII. THE BLUE BOOKS-THE MEDIATION-THE IN the course of the controversy, the committee thought themselves obliged, on several occasions, to address, sometimes the vicars-apostolic and sometimes the catholic public at large, in print. The writer has mentioned the letter, which, with the express permission of bishop James Talbot, he addressed to the vicars-apostolic, on the subject of the protestation and the oath formed upon it. This was never printed, and has been seen by few; the writer has a copy of it; and he will retain it for some time, for the inspection of those, who may wish to see it.-Being bound in red, it acquired the appellation of The Red Book, LXXXIII. 1. The Blue Books. THESE acquired that appellation from their having a blue cover, The first contains a letter from the committee to the catholics of England, dated the 25th of November 1780;-and a letter from them, to the four apostolic-vicars, with the same date. The second Blue Book contains two letters from the committee,-the first to Dr. Douglas, the second to Dr. Walmesley, Dr. Gibson, and Dr. Douglas, the three vicars-apostolic who objected to the oath. The third Blue Book contains a letter from the committee to the catholics of England, dated the 21st April 1792. All were written with great care, and were most seriously and attentively perused by all the noblemen and gentlemen who signed them. Several replies to them were published." The first and second Blue Books were published in 8vo. by Stockdale, in 1812. The writer has never heard, nor has he any guess who was the editor. The committee gave particular directions that the Blue Books should not be circulated in Ireland or Scotland; and they were particularly careful to do nothing that should introduce the controversy between the prelates and them, or any thing which related to it, among the Irish or Scottish catholics. LXXXIII. 2. The Mediation. To allay the heats which the protestation and the discussions on it had raised, three romancatholic gentlemen of the highest respectability, the late Mr. Eyre of Warkworth, Mr. Webb Weston, and Mr. William Sheldon, undertook the amiable office of mediation between the prelates and the committee. They stated to the public the having a buff covering, was known among the catholics by the name of The Buff Book. They express themselves in it in the following words: "In the course of this negotiation, we had "an opportunity of seeing and laying before three "of the vicars-apostolic, the original bill prepared by order of the late committee, and also the "second bill, with the several alterations, and particularly the variations in the oath, which had "been the unfortunate cause of so much difference "of opinion: these were produced with such incon"trovertible evidence, that those alterations, and 'particularly the variations in the oath, were not framed or proposed by the gentlemen of the late "committee, that we feel ourselves called on, both by candour and impartiality to declare, that we "were perfectly convinced, that the vicars-apos"tolic appeared to us satisfied; and that we really hope no doubts will any longer be entertained "on that subject. 66 Having heard that Mr. Butler of Lincoln's"Inn, had it in contemplation to publish an his"torical account of the proceedings of the late "committee, which we feared might revive ani"mosities, that we wished to be for ever extin"guished; and being anxious to prevent any more publications on the subject of the late disagree"ment, we applied to him to be informed of his "intentions on that head; and, in consequence of "our applications, have received from him assu66 rances, ' that he had no such intention; and "that he entirely coincides with us in opinion, "that this, or any other publication that has the remotest relation to the controversies then hap pily terminated, would be exceedingly improper.' "We hope that every member of the catholic body "will therefore be distinguished by the same pru"dent and peaceful forbearance." Thus, by the interference of these respectable mediators, and the gentlemanly and christian disposition of the parties principally engaged in the discussion, the contention was happily terminated : on each side the word of peace was spoken, and silence promised. The peace thus spoken, and the silence thus promised, have been observed inviolate, both by the committee, and their adherents, and by the three objecting prelates. One observation only on the unpleasant controversy the writer begs leave to express :-It is a great error to suppose, that the contest respecting the lawfulness of the oath, turned either on the authority of the church, or the spiritual supremacy of the pope. These were fully and unequivocally acknowledged by the committee. This acknowledgment by them of the authority of the church, and of the spiritual supremacy of the pope, is not only admitted, but triumphantly insisted on by Dr. Milner, against Dr. Sturges, in the supplement to the invaluable letters addressed by the prelate to that gentleman*. There Dr. Milner cites, with evident complacency, a passage in the speech of the late Dr. Horsley, when the catholic bill was in its passage through the house of lords, |
