In the House of Lords on Tuesday Lord Herries moved
for a Joint Committee on the King's declaration, which was accepted by Lord Salisbury, with the understanding that words were to be added which would safeguard the Protestant succession. Lord Portsmouth, we are glad to note, agreed that the words of the declaration were offensive and unsuit- able, but he desired that the King should make a declaration that he did not believe in transubstantiation. "The fact that there existed within the Church of England a large section who were really in favour of the doctrine of transubstantia- tion rendered such a declaration on the part of the Sovereign necessary." We demur absolutely. Personally, we are as anxious as Lord Portsmouth can be that the acceptance of the doctrine of transubstantiation shall not spread in this country, but the spread of that doctrine can never be suc- cessfully fought by obliging the Sovereign to make a declara- tion against it. The true security against a Roman Catholic Sovereign—and such security we are most anxious to main- tain—is to be found in the forfeiture of the throne which arises under the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement should the Sovereign be a Roman Catholic, become a Roman Catholic, or marry a Roman Catholic. That security will remain if the declaration is not merely rendered inoffensive, but is swept away altogether.
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