the following statement of the conduct of the Irish clergy, immediately upon the breaking out of the Scotch rebellion. They will learn how easily it is, even for the grave profession of the church to commit errors, and to pollute its sacred character, by embarking in the controversy of party politics. "The bishops wrote pastoral letters to their re"spective diocesans, to excite the members of the "established church to enforce all the penal statutes, "and with equal wisdom and charity, and a ready "obedience did the clergy follow the example and "directions of their superiors, and apply the whole "power of their body to support the fanatic politics "of the day. In their inflammatory sermons they "excited religious animosity by reviving the most "shocking circumstances of the Irish rebellion of "1641, and of the gun-powder plot in England in "1605. These transactions were studiously aggra vated, and the crimes, whether real or supposed, "committed by Catholics, dead more than a century "before, were imputed to all those who survived of "the same religious persuasion."*

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If the conduct of the bishops and clergy was improper, on account of its inconsistency with those principles of universal charity that the gospel inculcated, it was still more so, from there being no grounds even of suspicion, that the Catholics were disloyal. Besides, it was indecent in the last degree for those, who were endowed by the state for the purpose only of discharging the functions of a religious profession, to degrade their sacred character by assuming the duties of partizan magistrates, and embarking in all the tumult and passion of political persecution. The conduct of

* Curry, Civil Wars, ii. 259.

the Catholic priests at this period forms a contrast, by no means creditable to those who teach the superior tolerance of the Protestant religion, and ground their animosities against the Catholics on the supposed illiberality which controuls their principles. This oppressed and indigent body of men, instead of taking offence at the proceedings of the bishops and clergy of the established church, co-operated with their protestant_brethren, to "maintain order and tranquillity. Their pastoral

letters, public discourses from the pulpit, and "private admonitions, were equally directed for "the service of the government.' Yet these clergy were the members of that church, the principles of which are stated to be of such a nature by many of the English clergy, as to render it absolutely impossible, that a Catholic can be a good subject.

On the 26th September 1757, the Duke of Bedford was sworn in Lord Lieutenant. His open declarations of liberal sentiments towards the Catholics, and some communications that were made for the first time since the passing of the ferocious act of Anne to prevent the growth of Popery, of an intention to repeal some part of the penal laws, encouraged them to hope for a change in the system of Irish government. Ten days after his arrival, the Catholic clergy of Dublin, influenced by these communications, read the following exhortation to their respective congregations. It forms the first, and a very important document in proof of the sufferings, the resignation, and the loyalty of the Catholic body. It was one peculiarly deserving of attention, as being well calculated to remove

* Chesterfield's Works, i. 150. Ir. ed.

the ignorance and prejudices of those who still persist in calumniating the Catholic clergy of Ireland, and representing them as enemies to the King and constitution.

Exhortation of the Roman Catholic Clergy of Dublin, read from their Altars on the 2d of October 1757.

It is now time, Christians, that you return your most grateful thanks to the Almighty God, who, after visiting you with a scarcity, which approached near unto a famine, has been graciously pleased, like a merciful father, to hear your prayers, and feed you with a plentiful harvest; nor ought you to forget those kind benefactors, who, in the severest times, mindful only of the public good, generously bestowed, without any distinction of persons, those large charities by which thousands were preserved, who otherwise must have perished the victims of hunger and poverty. We ought especially to be most earnest in our thanks to the chief governors and magistrates of the kingdom, and of this city in particular, who, on this occasion, proved the fathers and saviours of the nation. But as we have not a more effectual method of shewing our acknowledgment to our temporal governors, than by an humble, peaceful, and obedient behaviour; as hitherto, we earnestly exhort you to continue in the same happy and Christian disposition, and thus, by degrees, you will entirely efface in their minds those evil impressions, which have been conceived so much to our prejudice, and industriously propagated by our enemies. A series of more than sixty years spent, with a pious resignation, under the hardships of very severe penal laws, and with the greatest thankfulness for the lenity and moderation, with which they were executed, ever since the accession of the present royal family, is certainly a fact which must outweigh, in the minds of all unbiassed persons, any misconceived opinions of the doctrines and tenets of our holy church.

You know that it has always been our constant practice, as ministers of Jesus Christ, to inspire you with the greatest horror for thefts, frauds, murders, and the like abomin

able crimes; as being contrary to the laws of God and nature, destructive of civil society, condemned by our most holy church, which so far from justifying them on the score of religion, or any other pretext whatsoever, delivers the unrepenting authors of such criminal practices over to Satan.

We are no less zealous than ever in exhorting you to abstain from cursing, swearing, and blaspheming; detestable vices, to which the poorer sort of our people are most unhappily addicted, and which must, at one time or other, bring down the vengeance of Heaven upon you in some visible punishment, unless you absolutely refrain from them.

It is probable, that from hence some people have taken occasion to brand us with this infamous calumny, that we need not fear to take false oaths, and consequently to perjure ourselves; as if we believed that any power upon earth could authorize such damnable practices, or grant dispensations for this purpose. How unjust and cruel this charge is, you know by our instructions to you both in public and private, in which we have ever condemned such doctrines as false and impious. Others, likewise, may easily know it from the constant behaviour of numbers of Roman Catholics, who have given the strongest proofs of their abhorrence of those tenets, by refusing to take oaths, which, however conducive to their temporal interest, appeared to them entirely repugnant to the principles of their religion.

We must now entreat you, dear Christians, to offer up your most fervent prayers to the Almighty God, who holds in his hands the hearts of kings and princes, beseech Him to direct the counsels of our rulers, to inspire them with sentiments of moderation and compassion towards us. We ought to be more earnest at this juncture, in our supplications to Heaven; as some very honourable personages have encouraged us to hope for a mitigation of the penal laws. Pray then the Almighty to give a blessing to these their generous designs, and to aid their counsels, in such a manner that, whilst they intend to assist us, like kind benefactors, they may not, contrary to their intentions, by mistak ing the means, most irretrievably destroy us.

To conclude, be just in your dealings, sober in your conduct, religious in your practice, avoid riots, quarrels, and tumults; and thus you will approve yourselves good citizens, peaceable subjects, and pious Christians.

Instead, however, of a repeal taking place of any of the penal laws, rumours began very generally to prevail, of its being the intention of government to proceed to carry into effect a bill that had been prepared by the former administration, for altering the law respecting the registry of the clergy. The existing law, which passed in the reign of Queen Anne, had been found too penal to admit of its being carried into execution; and thus, by an excess of tyranny, was the object of it wholly defeated. In the place of this law, it had been proposed to pass one with such provisions, that it should, like the other penal laws, execute istelf, and upon this project being now revived, the Catholics, for the first time since 1704, took measures as a body, to vindicate their religious and civil principles. Mr. Charles O'Connor, the celebrated Irish scholar and antiquarian, with the assistance of Dr. Curry, the author of the Review of the Civil Wars of Ireland, and Mr. Wyse, of Waterford, exerted themselves with good effect in persuading their suffering countrymen of the necessity of coming forward to induce their rulers to admit them into a participation of the privileges of the constitution. As a ground-work of their future labour, Dr. O'Keefe, the titular Bishop of Kildare, proposed, at a meeting held at Lord Trimbleston's, a declaration of the principles of their church, as far as they could bear upon their civil duties, to be signed by the chiefs of their body, and published as an answer to the misrepresent

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