diftrefs closing the fcene, and filling up the measure of calamities! Such are the misfortunes infeparable from war,-misfortunes which induced the great St. Paul to exhort the Chriftians in the following manner: "I exhort, therefore, "that, first of all, fupplications, prayers, inter"ceffions be made for all men, for kings, and "all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and << honefty. ." And fuch fhould be the conftant prayer of a Chriftian.

But what, my brethren, if the enemy's sword glittered in our streets, and that to the licentiousness of a foreign foe we added domeftic diffenfions! If the found of the enemy's trumpet would be drowned in the cries and fhrieks of the injured neighbour whom we ourselves would be the first to oppress! Would not war itfelf lofe its terrors, when compared to fuch outrages? And the calamities we would bring on ourselves, would not they furpass those which would pour in upon us from foreign nations? Such, nevertheless, are the fears that haunt us. Both Proteftants and Catholics declare, that in case of an invafion, the common people are the greateft caufe of their alarms; not from dread of your fuperior power; but from the fad neceflity they would be under, of

Timothy, chap. ii.

punishing

punishing those whom they are willing to protect, and the general confufion that would dif turb the peace and tranquillity of the rich, and draw down inevitable deftruction on the poor. For in fuch an unfortunate juncture, every Catholic poffeffed of a feather bed, and commodious habitation, would join his protestant neighbour in their mutual defence. The aggregate body of them would not be a match for regular forces, yet they would be an overmatch for you. They would unite in one common caufe; you would be divided amongst yourselves, exposed to each other's encroachments, and overpowered by all parties.

Such, my brethren, would be your fituation, fhould you be unhappy enough to ftrike from the path of a peaceable and Chriftian conduct. Forbid it Heaven, that it thould be ever your cafe! I conceive better hopes of you. Your unfhaken loyalty under the moft trying cicumftances the calm and quietnefs that reigned in your peaceful huts fcattered up and down the extenfive counties of Cork and Kerry, where the Catholics are poor and numerous, whilft other parts of the kingdom were infeited with Houghers, White Boys, Hearts of Oak and Steel, and alarmed at the continual fight of judges, chains and gibbets--the quiet and peaceable manner in which you behaved on a late ccca

fion, when you imagined the enemy at your doors; all thefe circumftances are pledges of your loyalty and good conduct, and happy omens of your fteady perfeverance in the same line.

Your bishops and clergy have enforced the doctrine of peace, fubordination, and loyalty from the facred altars, where the leaft lie would be a facrilege, and crime of the first magnitude. The Catholic gentlemen have set forth the example to you. Both have bound themselves to king and government, by the most facred ties. They have fouls to be faved, and would be forry to lose them by wilful perjury they who would be on a level with their Proteftant neighbours, if they took but the qualification-oath againft the conviction of their confciences.

But the doctrine and example of the learned, prudent, and better fort of your profeffion, fhould be the only rule of your conduct for in all countries, the generality of the common people are ill qualified to judge or determine for themfelves. They are cafily governed by the fenfes, hurried by their paffions; and mifled by a wild and extravagant fancy that intrudes it felf into the province of Reafon.

Far be it from me to fufpect you for any defign to avail yourfelves of the calamities of your nation,

nation, or to commit, in time of war, a robbery which you would deteft in time of peace. Is the crime less heinous, because it is committed against a neighbour, who is doubly miferable from the terrors of a foreign foe, and the outrageous affaults of a treacherous fellow-fubject?

When the foldiers aiked St. John the Baptift, what they fhould do? He defired them, "to "do violence to no man; not to accufe any "one falfely; and to be content with their (6 wages.' "Hence all divines are agreed, that the empire of justice is fo extensive, that war itself muft acknowledge its authority. Kings, in declaring war, make a folemn appeal to the tribunal of Heaven, for the juftice of their cause. The foldier cannot, in confcience, plunder or opprefs the merchant or husbandman in his enemy's country: he must strictly abide by the orders of his commander. If juftice, then, in certain circumstances, muft fheath the enemy's fword, how much more forcibly muft it not reftrain the citizen's hand from invading what he cannot enjoy without guilt here, and punishment hereafter ?-A punishment the more to be dreaded, as perhaps there would be no time for reftitution and repentance !-Indifpenfible obligations, to which every robber is liable, and without which he has no mercy to expect. But

* St. Luke, chap. v111,

if a robbery committed on a private man, deferve death and damnation, what muft not be the guilt of those who would flock to the eneiny's ftandard, to the total overthrow and deftruction of an entire kingdom? It would be vain to plead the hardships you suffer; the profpect of being reinftated in the lands of which your ancestors have been deprived in times of general confufion; a more free and unlimited exercife of your religion; in fine, the laft argument of a desperate man, "If they "come, I have nothing to lofe." Thofe reafons I have not heard from yourselves : I have read them with furprise in fpeeches and effays against the repeal of the penal laws; and I hope in God, that your conduct shall for ever contradict them.

When an enemy lands in a country, every perfon has fomething to lofe. The labourer who refreshes his weary limbs with balmy sleep, and for whofe foft flumbers the gouty rich man would exchange his bed of down, would lofe his reft from continual fears and apprehenfions. When public works would be discontinued, and tradefmen difmiffed by their employers, carpenters, mafons, flaters, &c. would lofe their hire. It would not be with a view to feed an hungry Irishman, that a number of French dragoons would make excurfions from

their