The London Romanist clergy selected a Bishop of Catholic as opposed to Ultramontane convictions. Rome refused, however, to accept their selection, and the English Catholics submitted. Here is an illustration of the method by which the older principles were to be suppressed.[1] Nevertheless the older principles remained. The Roman body in England continued to maintain its anti-Roman ideas. This appears incontestably in their appeal to Parliament for removal of their political disabilities, under which they had suffered terribly since the days of Elizabeth. These political disabilities were the Nemesis of the unfortunate action of the Papacy against Queen Elizabeth, and of the theories on the relation between spiritual and temporal power advocated by Roman writers of that period. The penal laws against the Roman Communion in England were the product of fear, being in design defensive against political results of Roman teaching. However, in course of time, none too soon, nobler and juster counsels began to prevail, and the time approached when all the impartial desired the removal of restrictions and penalties which were formed on principles of brutality and retaliation happily growing obsolete. But to secure the removal of penal legislation, it was necessary for the Romanists in England to reassure the public opinion that they were not bound by theories from Rome irreconcilable with English loyalty.
When accordingly in the year 1788 a Committee of English Romanists was formed to appeal to Parliament for the removal of Roman disabilities,[2] the petitioners declared that it was a duty which they owed to their country, as well as themselves, to protest in a formal and solemn manner against doctrines which
