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Catholic authorities, to whose mind, no doubt, it would be better still if the Declaration could be abolished.
Archdeacon Taylor read the Statutory Declara tion against transubstantiation as made and signed by Queen Victoria as follows :
" I, Victoria, do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, testify and declare that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper there is not any transubstantia tion of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ at or after the consecration thereof by any person what soever, and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and the sacrifice of the Mass as they are now used in the Church of Rome are superstitious and idolatrous. And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify and declare that I do make this Declaration and every part thereof in the plain and ordinary sense of the words read unto me, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, without any evasion, equivocation or mental reservation whatsoever, and with out any dispensation already granted me for this purpose by the Pope, or any other authority or person whatsoever, or without any hope of any such dispensation from any person or authority what soever, or without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope or any other person or persons or power what soever should dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning.
" That," said the Archdeacon, " was part of the Act of Settlement of W. & M., 1689, and afterwards in 12 & 13 William III., c. 2." Turning to the Statutory Coronation Oath as sworn to by Queen Victoria, he said the question put by the Archbishop was, " Will you to the utmost of your power main tain the laws of God, the true profession of the
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