text:  4thly Supposing that in the plenary and controversial sense they _had_ been Catholics who founded our great mediaeval institutions; supposing next that they had founded them as Catholics and _because_ they were Catholics; supposing also that from them in that aerial character of "_persons holding a creed_ " any rights of inheritance could by leave of Thomas Aquinas be imagined metaphysically to descend; lastly and notwithstanding all this their establishments had passed into the hands of other trustees by due course of law--that is by legislation under the countersign of king lords and commons; that is by the same title under which any man whatever Papist or Protestant holds any property whatever