In this however Mr. Canning will find himself mistaken, and perhaps discover his ignorance of the subject on which he dilated. He, and the nation too, I trust, will soon find out, that those who know how to distinguish between the two powers, and who are strenuous in preserving the just rights of each, are more worthy to enjoy the privileges of our Constitution, than those who would turn either of them to the purposes of their own selfish and inordinate views. But let us pursue the subject, and see the respect which these docile defenders of the spiritual authority pay to it, when it comés sin contact with their temporal concerns, and the use which they would put it to, in order to accomplish their craving desires. The venerable Hierarchy having received a draft of the famous (or rather infamous) Relief Bill, met again in synod, and after invoking the light and grace of God, they unanimously declared that they could not accede to the regulations proposed by the Bill without incurring the heavy guilt of SCHISM; and further, that the clauses or securities therein contained, were utterly incompatible with the discipline of the Roman Catholic Church, and with the FREE exercise of that religion. This solemn decision of twenty-nine venerable and uncontaminated prelates of the church it might be imagined would have convinced these advocates for spiritual authority, that they had hitherto been in an error, and that they ought to submit for the future to the judgment of so illustrious a branch of the Catholic church on doctrinal matters. The laity of Ireland execrated the Bill, and thanked the prelates for "their ever vigilant and zealous atten tion to the interests of the Catholic church in Ireland." They perceived that the securities intended to be en acted by the Bill were not so much to ensure the loyalty of their future prelates, as to render them the servile tools of Ministers. They knew the benefit of a pure and disinterested Hierarchy they knew if their clergy but once became corrupted (and who could tell how soon that would happen, after they were entangled with the temporal power) their civil liberties would not be worth the struggling for; and they therefore resolved, in all future applications to the Legislature for a redress of their grievances, to petition for a TOTAL and UNQUALIFIED REPEAL of the Penal Statutes, which infringe the Sacred Rights of Religious Freedom. Here, my friends, was a straightforward path for us to pursue; and could any thing be more honourable or proper? We had seen that the obvious intention of our legislative friends was to undermine our holy religion under pretence of securing their church establishment by enslaving our clergy. To this, however, we could not conscientiously agree. We therefore say, give us our rights, which you unjustly withhold from us, uncontrouled and unrestricted: prop up your own establishment with all the guards and fences you may think proper; do not destroy the pillars of our ve nerable building in order to protect your own tottering fabric. But is such the conduct of the English Board, the docile members of Christ's Church? Certainly not, my friends; but let their acts speak for them; and let us see the situation in which they have placed themselves by their servile and unmanly conduct. Finding themselves foiled in their attempts to deceive our Irish brethren, they now turn their thoughts to trying their chance upon separate grounds, and they wish to persuade themselves that it is not a general concern to the Catholics of the united empire; but that the interests of the Irish and those of the English were widely different. Just as if the purity of our religion and the independence of its pastors was not as sacred and valuable to Englishmen, as to Catholic Ireland. Governed, however, by these views, they resolve to petition, and a petition is accordingly framed; but mark the respect and deference, my friends, which they paid to our opinion, by calling upon us to sigu this document without being indulged with a perusal of its contents. Strange as it may seem, yet it is no less strange than true, that blank sheets of parchment were handed about for us to insert our signatures, and the excuse given for not exhibiting the petition was, that circumstances rendered it necessary not to make it public previous to its presentation to the legisla ture. Well, this precious document was at last made public, and what were we called upon to sign, my friends, in order to obtain our privi leges? Nothing less than a submission to SUCH measures as the Honourable Houses of Parliament, every member of which swear that our religion is idolatrous and superstitious, should, in their great wisdom and BENIGNITY, DEEM EXPEDIENT.-Was ever so degrading, so humiliating a scene as this displayed by our forefathers? Can you find such a deed recorded in the annals of English history? Is it not truly afflicting to see the representatives of our noble and ancient Catholic families, whose heroic and patriotic deeds, whether in the age of Popish superstition, or in the time of Protestant persecution, form the brightest and purest subject of the pen of the historian, cringing to the senate, and supplicating in humble and sorrowful terms to be admitted to their civil privileges, (which they ought to demand as their right,) upon such conditions as the legislature, in its wisdom and benignity, might deem proper to grant them? Would it not be more congenial to the British mind to adopt the bold and manly tone of our Irish brethren, and, in seeking for the privileges of a free Constitution, privileges which our ancestors were deprived of under the most infamous circumstances, adopt the language of freemen, and petition for an equal and unrestricted participation in the rights of a Constitution founded by the wisdom and exertions of Catholic noblemen and divines? Yet, alas! even this was not sufficient to complete the humiliating scene; a trial must therefore be made to induce those who had rejected the late. Relief Bill, to submit to their unconstitutional schemes. And how was this to be done? Why, my friends, notwithstanding we are compelled by law to swear that we "do not believe that the Pope of Rome, or any other foreign Prince or Prelate, State, or Potentate, hath, or ought to have, any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or pre-emi nence, directly, or INDIRECTLY, within this realm," an attempt was made to use the spiritual power to influence us to accede to a measure which we detested. Accordingly, taking advantage of the imprisonment of the Supreme Pontiff, by the late base and unprincipled tyrant of France, these docile supporters of the spiritual au thority procured a copy of the Bill to be laid before those divines at Rome who were entrusted with the care of the sacred missions, during the ab. sence of the Pope; and a bull or rescript was addressed to the Vicar Apostolic of the London district, and publicly announced in the English newspapers of last May, in which it was decreed, (I quote the words of the document) that "the Catholics ought to receive and embrace, with CONTENT and GRATITUDE, THE LAW WHICH WAS PROPOSED LAST YEAR FOR THEIR EMANCIPATION, AGREEABLY TO THE FORM RECEIVED BY US FROM YOUR AMPLITUDE," viz. the London Vicar's. -Now, my friends, what is this but an attempt to controul our temporal rights by means of the spiritual authority? And this too when we are compelled to swear that no foreign prelate whatever, hath, or ought to have, any civil power or superiority, directly or INDIRECTLY in this kingdom.-We, the laity, perceiving that the intention of our parliamentary friends was to assimilate our holy church to their own, by making it subservient to the state, and knowing well that we had no more authority to enter into such a measure, than our prelates had to compel us to agree to such terms as they might think proper we should adopt to accomplish our | tion of Sir J. Hippesley, were printed emancipation; and being moreover de by order of the House, and became termined to abide by that golden rule public. The purport of these instruce of our Redeemer, to "Render to Cætions it must be evident to every Ca sar the things which belong to Cæsar, tholic mind was the subjugation of our and to God the things which belong to religion and the spiritual supremacy God," the subject was reduced to a of the Pope in that province, by means mere civil question, and the clergy of the temporal power; were left entirely out of the matter. rusal of them was, I think, sufficient In consequence, it was resolved for to convince every unprejudiced man the future to petition for a TOTAL and that the late Bill was founded upon UNQUALIFIED repeal of the penal sta- the same principle, and had the same tutes, which infringe the sacred Rights object for its end. Here then, my of Religious Freedom.-This was the friends, was a favourable opportunity case, my friends, when these docile for our advocates of the Veto to come supporters of the spiritual authority forward, and declare that the private chose to involve that authority with a instructions sent out to the Canadian purely temporal question; and such Governor so completely proved the are the measures which these men enmity of our Ministers to the Cathoadopt to accomplish their self-interest lic religion, that they could not in ed schemes. But Providence, in its their conscience consent to any coninfinite wisdom, frustrated the plans of troul over the prelates of their church these intriguers; for while the vetoists by such men, but that, convinced of were rejoicing at the success which the erroneous ideas they had hitherto their plan was likely to produce in entertained, they should join the rest their favour among our parliamentary of their fellow Catholics in contending advocates, the rescript was rejected for unrestricted rights. Had they with indignation and contempt by the done this, all would now be well, and whole Prelacy, Clergy, and Laity of united in one body, our petitions Catholic Ireland, as an unwarrantable would soon have created an impression assumption of authority, and incom-favourable to our cause. But, in petent to bind them; and the almost miraculous restoration of the illustrious Head of the Church to the Papal Chair, at the very moment that the rescript was received here, rendered it necessary for the vetoists to have it sanctioned by his signature, which I trust they will never be able to obtain. The reception which the rescript experienced in Ireland, was a thunderstroke to the vetoistical party; and the restoration of the Pope placed them in such a dilemma that they knew not how to act; it was therefore determined, notwithstanding the earnest desire of the Irish Catholics to have their petition taken into consideration, that no discussion on the question should take place during the then sit-lation of our holy religion. I allude, ting of parliament.- In the mean time, the Canadian Instructions, and other official papers, laid on the table of the House of Commons, on the mo stead of seeing the vetoists alarmed at the danger which threatens our faith; instead of seeing them unite to oppose the host of foes arrayed against us in the form of Bible Societies, Hibernian Societies, Missionary Societies, &c. all of which are avowedly intended to proselyte our unwary brethren, we have had to witness a farther act of concession on their part to the tempo ral power, which cannot fail to fill the breast of every zealous and sincere Catholic with the utmost degree of apprehension, lest this system of concession to the avowed enemies of our faith, which appears to be the order of the day, should in a short period deprive us of the blessings and conso my friends, to the order issued to the Catholic Ladies living in community to lay aside their habits, and ALL OTHER MARKS OF BEING RE LIGIOUS, by the close of this year, | rather an attempt to see how far our because, (so says the order,) Govern- ecclesiastical superiors are willing to ment will have it so. For me to enter concede the discipline of their church, into any discussion on this most ex- to please the wealthy of their own traordinary and unfeeling order is ren- flocks, and flatter the intolerance of dered unnceessary by the insertion of our enemies? And if this system is the very excellent letters which I have to be continued, how are we to tell received from the Rev. Mr. Gandol- where it will end? Suppose minis phy, and a correspondent who signs ters should express an intention of himself F. T. I cannot, however, having the Mass said in English, and avoid remarking, that there is some I know there are many who profess to thing very mysterious in this business, be Catholics, who wish to see it done; which requires further explanations are our pasters to comply, and conThe friends of this intolerant mandate tent themselves with saying that go assert, that it was occasioned by the vernment will have it so?If such is interference of very high authority, to be the case, we may soon expect and that Government would have it so; to see our priests disrobed of their but Mr. G. in his note to me, contra vestments, and officiating at the altar tradicts this assertion, and says, that in the garb of Protestant clergymen, he " was positively assured, on the for fear any conversions should take very best authority, that no such or- place; and, to complete the game, der has been issued by any of his Ma- our preachers will be inhibited from jesty's Ministers. The advocates for inveighing in their sermons against the Nun-baiting, and Mr. Gandolphy are religion of the Church of England, therefore at issue; and I think it is because the danger of conversion is due to the Catholic public that they much greater from this practice, than should be put in possession of the real from a few virtuous women shutting facts which led to the promulgation of themselves up in their own houses, and the order, which reminds of the days wearing a uniform habit of dress. of Henry the VIII. But what do you And thus, in this land of religious think, my friends, is one of the rea- freedom, every sect will be at liberty sons alledged for the unclothing these to disseminate their spurious doctrines venerable women? The danger of unmolested; but those who are comconversion to the Catholic church! manded to teach all nations, and to This indeed may be some cause of af- attend to the propagation of the true fright to the "No-Popery" faction; but faith, are to be debarred this liberty, are Catholics to partake of the alarm? from the danger of conversion to the The Methodist societies publicly an- Catholic faith!-In short, there is no nounce in the newspapers, the annual knowing to what lengths this temincrease of their proselytes, and no fear porizing policy may lead us, and is created by it; and should some of therefore, my friends, it is essentially our misinformed countrymen become incumbent upon us to use our utmost simple enough to embrace the proscribed endeavours to put a stop to this syssuperstitions of Popery, are Catholics tem of concession, and to endeavour to lend their hands to prevent them? to bring our mislead ecclesiastical suBut is it to be supposed that the ha-periors to a right sense of understandbits of a few religious women, who are scarcely ever seen by our Protestant brethren, possess a charm to allure them to embrace the idolatries of the Scarlet Beast, and to riot in the abominations of the Romish Harlot? This is too ridiculous an idea to be entertained for a moment. Is it not ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. II. ing, that they may no longer permit the spiritual power to be perverted to the means of gaining temporal advantages. Depend upon it, the leading members of the Board care neither for religion, nor country, nor public opinion, provided they can gain the ends for which they are struggling. 3N As a proof of this, at the period of 1791, when the bill was introduced for our relief, and because the great majority of the Catholics, with the Vicars Apostolic at their head, refused to subscribe to the oath which the lay Committee had drawn up, and which the Prelates condemned as unlawful, they got the following horrid and infamous clause inserted in the Bill, in order to compel those who dissented from them to take the oath, or to be declared popish recusants, and to suffer all the pains, penalties, and forfeitures, of those sanguinary laws which the benevolence of the then Legislature was seeking to relieve us from: should be a caution to us, my friends, as to the degree of confidence we ought to put in the abettors of it. For my own part, I feel no hesitation in saying, that unless they come forward in the same open and manly manner which distinguishes the conduct of our Irish brethren, and pursue the same constitutional means, they are unworthy of our esteem. Duplicity and meanness have marked their public actions. They have shewn a willing obedience to lick the feet of those who oppress them; they have shewn themselves willing to become the servile tools of the ruling faction; and they have shewn a readiness to deliver up our spiritual guides, over whom they have no controul, to be bound in the shackles of ministerial more is necessary to shew the danger to which our clergy would be exposed, should the measure of a Veto be conceded, I shall give you the opinion of one of the brightest luminaries of his age, the late illustrious EDMUND BURKE, to whose wisdom, experience, and exertions, the Catholics were particularly indebted, for the successful issue of their struggle with the Protesting Catholic Dissenting Committee. This great Protestant statesman, in his "Letter to a Peer of Ireland on the Penal Laws against Catholics," speaking of the measure then suggested of giving to the Castle (the Court of the Lord Lieutenant) the patronage of the Prelacy of the Catholic church of that island, thus expresses himself:-" Never were the members of one religious Sect fit to appoint Pastors to another. Those who have no regard for their welfare, "And be it further enacted, that every Justice of the peace may, at any time hereafter, require any per-power and corruption. If any thing son, that goes to any place of congregation or meeting, for exercise of religion, certified and registered under this act, to take and subscribe the oath of allegiance, abjuration, and declaration, herein before prescribed; and upon refusal thereof, such justice of the peace is hereby required to commit such person to prison, without bail or mainprize, and to certify the name of such person to the next general or quarter session of the peace to be held for that county, city, town, part or division, where such person shall then reside; and if such person so committed shall, upon a second tender, at the general or quarter session, refuse to take and subscribe such oath of allegiance, abjuration, and declaration, as aforesaid, such person refusing shall be then and there recorded, and he shall be taken thenceforth, to all intents and purposes, fer a popish recusant, and suffer accord-reputation, or internal quiet, will not ingly, and incur all penalties and forfeitures, as if this act had not been made." appoint such as are proper. The Seraglio of Constantinople is as equitable as we are, whether Catholics or ProThe tyrannical illiberality displayed testants; and where their own Sect is in this clause, and the servile submis- concerned, full as religious; but the sion it was intended to enforce, did sport which they make of the misernot escape the observation of the Le-able Dignities of the Greek Church, gislature, and it was rejected with the factions of the Haram, to which merited scorn and disdain; but it they make them subservient, the con |