abstract principles embodied in the creed of the Dissenters’ catechism are without doubt full as politically dangerous as those of the Romanists; but fortunately their creed is not their practice.  They are divided among themselves, they acknowledge no foreign jurisdiction, their organisation and discipline, are comparatively feeble; and in times long past, however powerful they proved themselves to overthrow, they are not likely to be able to build up.  Whatever the Presbyterian form, as in the Church of Scotland, may have to recommend it, we find that the sons of the nobility and gentry of Scotland who choose the sacred profession almost invariably enter into the Church of England; and for the same reason, viz. the want of a hierarchy (you will excuse me for connecting views so humiliating with divine truth), the rich Dissenters, in the course of a generation or two, fall into the bosom of our Church.  As holding out attractions to the upper orders, the Church of England has no advantages over that of Rome, but rather the contrary.  Papacy will join with us in preserving the form, but for the purpose and in the hope of seizing the substance for itself.  Its ambition is upon record; it is essentially at enmity with light and knowledge; its power to exclude these blessings is not so great as formerly, though its desire to do so is equally strong, and its determination to exert its power for its own exaltation by means of that exclusion is not in the least abated.  The See of Rome justly regards England as the head of Protestantism; it admires, it is jealous, it is envious of her power and greatness.  It despairs of being able to destroy them, but it is ever on the watch to regain its lost influence over that country; and it hopes to effect this through the means of Ireland.  The words of this last sentence are not my own, but those of the head of one of the first Catholic families of the county from which I write, spoken without reserve several years ago.  Surely the language of this individual must be greatly emboldened when he sees the prostrate condition in which our yet Protestant Government now lies before the Papacy of Ireland.  ‘The great Catholic interest,’ ’the old Catholic interest,’ I know to have been phrases of frequent occurrence in the mouth of a head of the first Roman Catholic family of England; and to descend far lower, ‘What would satisfy you?’ said, not long ago, a person to a very clever lady, a dependent upon another branch of that family.  ‘That church,’ replied she, pointing to the parish church of the large town where the conversation took place.  Monstrous expectation! yet not to be overlooked as an ingredient in the compound of Papacy.  This ‘great Catholic interest’ we are about to embody in a legislative form.  A Protestant Parliament is to turn itself into a canine monster with two heads, which, instead of keeping watch and ward, will be snarling at and bent on devouring each other.

[24] In this classification I anticipate matter which Mr. Southey has in the press, the substance of a conversation between us.