REASONS

FOR

NOT TAKING THE TEST;

FOR

NOT CONFORMING TO THE ESTABLISHED
CHURCH;

AND FOR

NOT DESERTING THE ANCIENT FAITH;

WITH PRELIMINARY AND CONCLUDING

OBSERVATIONS;

TOGETHER WITH

SOME REMARKS ON THE BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH'S
LATE CHARGE,

&c. &c.

BY

JOHN, EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR JOSEPH BOOKER, NEW BOND STREET.

1828.

907.

TO HIS GRACE

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK,

EARL MARSHALL,

&c. &c. &c.

CONCEIVING myself called upon to vindicate the religion of my Catholic fellowcountrymen from the virulent calumnies so unwarrantably fixed upon it by the laws of the land, as well as to defend their conduct in their capacity of members of the state, I cannot bring the hasty result of my labours before the Public, in a manner more worthy of the subject, or more agreeable to my own feelings, than by dedicating them to your Grace.

The Catholics of this Empire may be justly proud in the reflection that, while they are fellow-sufferers in the same cause with the

first nobleman in the kingdom, they suffer with one who is more entitled to his rank and honours, by the public and private virtues which adorn him, than by the adventitious circumstance of hereditary descent,-whose patriotism is only outshone by the noble sacrifice which he offers to the dictates of his conscience, and whose chief regret in being deprived of the privileges from which he is so unjustly debarred, arises from the inability to employ them for the advantage of his country.