"I look upon my Roman Catholic Brethren as fe low Chriftians, believers in the fame God, and partner tion. Speculative differences in fome points of fa account: They and I have but one religion,-the Therefore, as children of the fame father, as travell and feekers of the fame falvation, why not love e It is no part of Proteftanifm to profecute Catholics; the Catholics, there can be no fecurity for the Pr as a friend, therefore, to the permanency of this profperity of the Country, and the juftice due to my hall cheerfully give my vote that the Bill be commit

f

Extract of the Bishop of Killala's Speech

13th of March 1793, on the Bill for the Roman Catholic fubjects.

Printed by Luke Hanfard & S

For Keating, Brown, & Co. Duke-Street, Grofven Faulder, Bond-Street; Ridgway, Piccadilly Mall, London-and Fitzpatrick & Coy

-1811.

I. Some account of the laws, w the Reformation, have been past a Roman catholics: ..

"

II. Some account of the effect a tion of the laws, which have been the acceffion of his Majefty's fam throne of England, for the relief catholics :

I

III. And fome account of the the effect of which is felt by Rom lics, but the effect of which is n Proteftant Diffenters.

I.

WITH RESPECT TO THE LAWS, WHICH, SINCE THE SEPARATION, OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FROM THE CHURCH OF ROME, AT THE TIME OF THE REFORMATION, HAVE BEEN PAST AGAINST THOSE, WHO REMAINED IN COMMUNION WITH

THE SEE OF ROME,-the laws against them may be reduced under five heads :

I. 1.THE first, are thofe, which fubjected them to penalties and punishments for exercising their religious worship;—under which head, may be ranked, the laws refpecting their places of education, and the minifters of their church. By thefe laws, if any English priest of the church of Rome, born in the dominions of the crown of England, came to Eng land from beyond the feas, or tarried in England three days, without conforming to the church, he was guilty of high treafon; and thofe incurred the guilt of high treafon, who were reconciled to the fee of Rome, or procured others to be reconciled to it. By thefe laws alfo, papifts were totally disabled from giving their children any education in their own religion; for, if they educated their children at home, then, for maintaining the schoolmafter, if he did not repair to church, or was not allowed by the bishop of the diocefe, they were liable to forfeit £. 10, a month, and the schoolmafter was liable to forfeit forty fhillings a day; and if they fent their children for

education

laws, which punished the Engli cants with the church of Rom forming to the established church generally called the Statutes of I fhould be observed, that, abfence alone, and unaccompanied by conftitutes recufancy, in the tru word. Till the statute of the 35 all nonconformifts were confid fants, and were all equally subj nalties of recufancy: that ftatu penal ftatute made against po by that name, and as diftin other recufants. From that fta diftinction between proteftan recufants; the former were fi ftatutes of recufancy, as preced 35th of queen Elizabeth, and to againft recufancy, made fubfec time; but they were relieved