APPEND. were to be taken, the balance, in point of conversions, II. in this most improved of the Popish countries, would be greatly against the Reformed religion. The reader will perceive, that I might grant this, without giving up any thing that I maintained in the note which this judicious author censures. I shall, however, examine this notion, that we may see whether it is to be adopted without restriction; and perhaps it may appear, that the improvements in philosophy have had more influence on the spirit of religion in France than this author is willing to allow. And here I observe, in the first place, that it is no easy matter, either for him or for me to calculate the number of conversions that are made, on both sides, by priests armed with the secular power, and Protestant ministers discouraged by the frowns of government, and the terrors of persecution. If we judge of this matter by the external face of things, the calculation may, indeed, be favourable tohis hypothesis, since the apostate Protestant comes forth to view, and is publicly enrolled in the registers of the church, while the converted Papist is obliged to conceal his profession, and to approach the truth, like Nicodemus, secretly and by night. This evident diversity of circumstances, in the respective proselytes, shews that we are not to form our judgement by external appearances, and renders it but equitable to presume, that the progress of knowledge may have produced many examples of the progress of reformation, which do not strike the eye of the public. It is not, in effect, to be presumed, that if either a toleration, or even an indulgent connivance, were granted to French Protestants, many would appear friends of the Reformation, who, at present, have not sufficient strength of mind to become martyrs, or confessors, in its cause. History informs us of the rapid progress the Reformation made in France II. France in former times, when a legal toleration APPEND. was granted to its friends. When this toleration was withdrawn, an immense number of Protestants abandoned their country, their relations, and their fortunes, for the sake of their religion. But when that abominable system of tyranny was set up, which would neither permit the Protestants to profess their religion at home, nor to seek for the enjoyment of religious liberty abroad; and when they were thus reduced to the sad alternative of dissimulation or martyrdom, the courage of many failed, though their persuasion remained the same. In the South of France many continued, and still continue, their profession, even in the face of those booted apostles, who are sent, from time to time, to dragoon them into Popery. In other places (particularly in the metropolis, where the empire of the mode, the allurements of court-favour, the dread of persecution, unite their influence in favour of Popery,) the public profession of Protestanism lies under heavy discouragements, and would require a zeal that rises to heroism,-a thing too rare in modern times! In a word, a religion, like Popery, which forms the main spring in the political machine, which is doubly armed with allurements and terrors, must damp the fortitude of the feeble friend to truth, and attract the external respect even of libertines, freethinkers, and sceptics. But, in the second place, if it should be alleged, that men eminent for learning and genius have adhered seriously to the profession of Popery, the fact cannot be denied. But what does it prove? It proves only that, in such persons, there are circumstances that counteract the natural influence of learning and science. It cannot be expected that the influence of learning and philosophy will always obtain a complete victory over the attachment to a superstitious church, that is riveted by the E 2 early II. APPEND- early prejudices of education, by impressions formed by the examples of respectable personages who have professed and defended the doctrine of that church, by an habit of veneration for authority, and by numberless associations of ideas, whose combined influence gives a wonderful bias to the mind, and renders the impartial pursuit of truth extremely difficult. Thus knowledge is acquired with an express defign to strengthen previous impressions and prejudices. Thus many make considerable improvements in science, who have never once ventured to review their religious principles, or to examine the authority on which they have been taken up. Others observe egregious abuses in the Romish church, and are satisfied with rejecting them in secret, without thinking them sufficient to justify a separation. This class is extremely numerous; and it cannot be said that the improvements in science have had no effect upon their religious sentiments. They are neither thorough Papists nor entire Protestants; but they are manifestly verging towards the Reformation. Nearly allied to this class is another set of men, whose case is singular and worthy of attention, Even in the bosom of the Romish church, they have tolerably just notions of the sublime simplicity and genuine beauty of the Christian religion; but either from false reasonings upon human nature, or an observation of the powerful impressions that authority makes upon the credulity, and a pompous ritual upon the senses of the multitude, imagine that Chistianity, in its native form, is too pure and elevated for vulgar souls, and therefore countenance and maintain the absurdities of Popery, from a notion of their utility. Those who conversed intimately with the sublime FENELON, Archbishop of Cambray, have declared, that such was the nature of his sentiments sentiments with respect to the public religion of APPEND. his country. To all this I may add, that a notion of the necessity of a visible universal church, and of a visible centre or bond of union, has led many to adhere to the Papacy (considered in this light), who look upon some of the principal and fundamental doctrines of the Romish church to be erroneous and extravagant. Such is the case of the learned and worthy Dr. COURRAYER, whose upright fortitude in declaring his sentiments obliged him to seek an asylum in England; and who, notwithstanding his persuasion of the absurdities which abound in the church of Rome, has never totally separated himself from its communion. And such is known to be the case with many men of learning and piety in that church. Thus it happens, that particular and accidental circumstances counteract, in favour of Popery, the natural effects of improvements in learning and philosophy, which have their full and proper influence in Protestant countries, where any thing that resembles these circumstances is directly in favour of the Reformed religion. But I beg that it may be attentively observed, in the third place, that notwithstanding all these particular and accidental obstacles to the progress of the Reformation among men of knowledge and letters, the spirit of the Reformation has, in fact, gained more ground than the ingenious author of the Confessional seems to imagine. I think it must be allowed, that every branch of superstition that is retrenched from Popery, and every portion of authority that is taken from its pontiff, is a real gain to the cause of the Reformation; and though it does not render that cause absolutely triumphant, yet prepares the way for its progress and advancement: Now (in this point of view), I am persuaded it will appear that, for E 3 twenty II. APPEND. twenty or thirty years past, the Reformation, or II. at least its spirit, has rather gained than lost. ground in Roman Catholic states. In several countries, and more particularly in France, many of the gross abuses of Popery have been corrected. We have seen the saintly Legend, in many places, deprived of its fairest honours. We have seen a mortal blow given in France to the absolute power of the Pope. What is still more surprising, we have seen, even in Spain and Portugal, strong lines of a spirit of opposition to the pretended infallible Ruler of the Church. We have seen the very Order that has been always considered as the chief support of the Papacy, the Order of the Jesuits, the fundamental characteristic of whose institute is an inviolable obligation to extend, beyond all limits, the despotic authority of the Roman pontiffs; we have seen, I say, that Order suppressed, banished, covered with deserved infamy, in three powerful kingdoms [b]; and we see, at this moment, their credit declining in other Roman-Catholic states. We see, in seve ral Popish countries, and more especially in France, the Holy Scriptures more generally in the hands of the people than in former times. We have seen the senate of Venice, not many months ago, suppressing, by an express edict c, the officers of the inquisition in all the small towns, reducing their power to a shadow in the larger cities, extending the Liberty of the Press; and all this in a steady opposition to the repeated remonstrances of the court of Rome. These, and many other facts that might be collected here, facts of a recent date, shew that the essential spirit of Popery, which is a spirit of unlimited despotism in the pretended head of the Church, and a spirit of blind [b] France, Spain, and Portugal. [c] This edict was issued out in the month of February 1767. submission |