Letter from Louis Dutens, London, to the editor of The British Critic, 1811 December 10 : autograph manuscript signed.

Refuting passages quoted in the British Critic's review of Dr. Clarke's "Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia, &c", wherein the author states that Plato, Archbishop of Moscow, complained to him that Dutens published correspondence with the Archbishop, "w̲h̲e̲r̲e̲i̲n̲ ̲h̲e̲ ̲e̲n̲d̲e̲a̲v̲o̲r̲e̲d̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲p̲r̲o̲v̲e̲ ̲t̲h̲a̲t̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲P̲o̲p̲e̲ ̲w̲a̲s̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲A̲n̲t̲i̲c̲h̲r̲i̲s̲t̲,̲ ̲̲w̲h̲i̲c̲h̲ ̲h̲a̲d̲ ̲d̲r̲a̲w̲n̲ ̲u̲p̲o̲n̲ ̲h̲i̲m̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲r̲e̲s̲e̲n̲t̲m̲e̲n̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲C̲o̲u̲r̲t̲ ̲o̲f̲ ̲R̲o̲m̲e̲."; Dutens explains that, following the publication of a "work of controversy", in which he had omitted to speak of the doctrine of the Greek Church "because I did not think myself sufficiently acquainted with it", a mutual friend had approached the Archbishop Plato, and "offered to have my doubts cleared up by that learned Prelate.", adding ,"That friend conveyed my question; he received and communicated to me the answer, in the form of a Profession of faith of the Russian Greek Church."; further explaining that he included Plato's Profession of Faith in a subsequent edition of his book, and that "in that Profession of Faith, there is not the least hint given of the Pope's being the Antichrist* [footnoted: *See my O̲e̲u̲v̲r̲e̲s̲ ̲M̲ê̲̲l̲é̲̲e̲s̲ in 4° page 162] ; so that it is extremely improbably that the candid Prelate should have made use of thr speech, which Dr. Clarke attributes to him; much less that he should have complained of his correspondence with me being published, when there was none; or that he had endeavored there to prove that the Pope is the Antichrist, when there is not a word about it."; pointing out, in conclusion, that the publication of professions of faith is "nothing more than what has been generally done", and that the "Fathers of the Church used to communicate to one another Their Profession of F̲a̲i̲t̲h̲, which were published to all the world."