Thomas Esmonde and Mr. O'Conor of the deputation. The gentlemen appointed to the deputation refuse; no others are appointed in their stead; the secretary, however, stands firm, and instead, as was to be expected, of resigning his secretaryship as a matter of course, seeing the occasion did not offer for exercising it, he like a second Atlas, takes upon himself the entire burden of the business-secretaryship, deputation, every thing. He is secretary to a deputation vested in himself -he is also the deputation to which he is himself secretary."-What a ridiculous system have these men been pursuing to support the Catholic cause! What a situation have they placed themselves in the eyes of the people! How degrading must it be to the Catholics of Ireland, to see a Remonstrance, purporting to be from five millions of people, presented to his Holiness in their name by one reverend Franciscan friar! But what could induce the deputies to refuse, after such professions made of their readiness to serve their country, the appointment which they had previously accepted? And why did not the supporters of the address and remonstrance, when they found the deputies declined the honour intended them, call another aggregate meeting to choose two other gentlemen? The answer is plain.-The deputies most probably found the prelates averse to the address; and therefore, highly to their credit, they retracted their first opinion, and would have nothing further to do with a measure which was more likely to injure and retard, than promote the cause of Ireland and Emancipation; and, on the other hand, the leaders finding the public "So long (says the Editor) as the mind against them, it having had time Catholics of Ireland are allowed to to cool and reflect upon the absurdity hold spiritual communion with the See of such an address, after the decisive of Rome, so long must they be alresolutions of their immortal hierar-lowed to refer to the Pope upon subchy, dare not hazard the question at jects of spiritual concern; for it would another aggregate meeting, but rather be nothing short of persecution to prepreferred sending the address without vent their holding any communication a deputation, and by an unauthorized with their Spiritual Superior. Unless, individual. Would to God they had therefore, it be held as a principle, acted the same wise part which Sir that the Roman Catholics of Ireland ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. III. 3 C As as essential to the interests of the Ca- | interference in the spiritual rights of the church, as a set-off for the temporal privileges which it had granted to the servants of the latter? "Cardinal Wolsey enjoyed a high rank in the state, but did he ennoble the func tions of the priesthood, in the eyes of the people? The bishops of England, in the time of Henry the eighth, were supported by high rank and legal privileges; but how did they ennoble their functions, when all of them, except one, cowardly yielded to the capricious measures of a lustful tyrant, and invested him with the supremacy of their church? Had the clergy in the 16th century been filled with the same primitive ardour and zeal which the blessed apostles evinced in their preachings and exemplary lives, is it likely that the pretended refor . tholic religion, than which I think nothing can be more pernicious. The prelates, in their remonstrance, say "Experience has proved how important it is that the clergy possess a high rank in the state. The respect they enjoy extends to the religion itself, which teaches it. However great the personal merit of the servants of the church may be, yet, in our times, if it is not supported by high rank and legal privileges, which ennoble the functions of the priesthood in the eyes of the people, the clergy can oppose but a. weak bulwark to the disorders which it has continually to contend with. The interest, peace, and welfare of a state, depend chiefly on the state of morals-there are no good morals where there is no religion. As things now stand, religion is more ormation would have spread so rapidly less respected, in proportion as its servants are more or less honoured and respected according to the existing laws. It is easy to confine the good in due bounds, but the wicked dare every thing against a clergy, which does not enjoy a certain respect in the state."-That there can be no good morals where there is no religion, is an incontestible fact, and that the happiness and stability of a state essentially depend upon the cultivation of true religion, is equally true; but experience has proved, if the history of our church can be relied upon, that religion may date its decay from the time when the clergy began to possess a high rank in the state.-Look to the records of our own country, and we shall find what I have advanced to be but too true. Did religion flourish with the same degree of piety and fervour after the Norman conquest, as it did in the time of our Saxon ancestors? Did the clergy produce the same number of saints to swell the list of our calendar during the first-mentioned period, as they did in the last? On the contrary, were not the clergy frequently involved in broils and contentions injurious to religion, in consequence of the state requiring an as it did, or that the people would have so eagerly embraced the impious doctrines of the grand reformers? On the contrary, did not the possession of high rank in the state and large revenues, become the means of making the clergy remiss in the performance of their spiritual duties, and of rendering them obnoxious to the people, by reason of the ill-example which a few set, thereby confirming in some measure the abuses which Luther first preached against. I do not blame the Belgian Bishops for endeavouring to preserve the temporal privileges with which they are invested, and which may, for ought I know to the contrary, be necessary to make them respected by their flocks; but I object to their making it an essential concomitant of our holy religion, that its servants should be connected by high rank with the state. Our blessed Saviour thought otherwise. When he esta-, blished the Catholic religion, and sealed the covenant with his blood, he did not solicit the different powers the earth to invest his apostles with any of the dignities of the state, in order that they might be looked upon with respect in the eyes of the people. No; he declared that his kingdom of was not of this world; and he therefore chose twelve men from the lowest class of society, who were to carry his name to the utmost parts of the globe. They were to preach his doctrine unconnected with the state; they were to implant the seeds of religion into the hearts of men, and they were to confirm the precepts which they taught by the zeal and disinterestedness of their character, which alone would ensure them respect in the eyes of the people. So convinced was St. Ignatius of Loy-mand the respect of the people, but ola of the truth of this maxim; so were at length obliged to fly from certain was he that experience had their country to save their existence, proved the connexion of the church which was threatened by the lawless with the state to be detrimental to re- proceedings of an infuriated people.— ligion, by fostering ambitious passions Let us now reverse the picture; and in the hearts of those who ought to first let the Belgian Bishops take a cultivate a self-devoted sacrifice of look into the United States of Ametheir feelings, in order to execute the rica; they will there find a new important avocations of their sacred branch of the Catholic church daily duties, that when he formed the golden increasing in numbers, the servants of rules which were to govern his far- which are neither invested with high famed order of the Jesuits, he express- rank in the state, nor in the enjoyly prohibited the members from inter- ment of legal privileges; yet they fering in the concerns of the world, possess the confidence of their flocks that their minds might be less distract- in the greatest degree, and are looked ed with earthly views, and their con- upon with the highest respect and veduct more pure and spotless in the neration in the eyes of the people. eyes of the people. The successful From thence let them call at "the labours of this incomparable order, Emerald Isle," and they will there the purity of their motives, their zeal behold a venerable portion of illusfor the propagation of the gospel, the trious servants of the church, who, fruits of their missions, and the vene- despising the proffers of wealth and ration and esteem in which they were power, have rejected the allurements held by the people, notwithstanding of a pension from the state, and with they held no rank in the state, demon- the true spirit of the primitive fathers, strate to conviction the strength and neither seek nor desire any other solidity of Ignatius's judgment, and earthly consideration for their spiricompletely refutes the statement of the tual ministry to their respective flocks Belgian prelates, that the Catholic re- save what they may, from a sense of ligion stands in need of a clergy in- religion and duty, voluntarily afford rested with a high rank in the state. them. They will see these sainted But if further proof is necessary, let patriarchs unprotected by the state, us look to what has transpired in the without rank, and destitute of legal church since the abolition of that or privileges; but they will find them der of zealous and laborious mission-clothed with the odour of sanctity; aries of the faith and teachers of the rising generation. The ardour and sincerity of the Jesuits soon raised the envy and malice of the wicked; they were persecuted by the minions power, and assailed by the courtly of the clergy; and what was the consequence? In a few short years infdelity and atheism overspread the provinces in Europe, where religion had been gaining ground under the culture of men who, though living in the world, were restrained from seeking its pomps or pleasures, and the clergy who possessed a high rank in the state, and who were supported by this high rank and legal privileges, soon found themselves not only unable to com of they will perceive them indefatigable in their episcopal duties, encouraging the virtuous, and reclaiming the vicious; noble, firm, and independent, unshackled by the intrigues of the great, and alike ready to oppose the see of Rome, and that it would be nothing short of persecution to prevent the Catholics of Ireland holding such shall be debarred of the right of exercising their religion, it cannot be maintained that they violate any political duty by appealing, on the pre-communion on spiritual concerns with sent occasion, any more than upon any other, to his Holiness the Pope; for there does not exist any law which should prevent an Irish Catholic layman from appealing or applying to his spiritual Chief, more than a clergyman. their spiritual chief; one would be almost inclined to suppose that the writer had lost his memory, or that his senses were so bewildered with the bewitching ideas of his splendid embassy to Rome, that he could not recollect that there were BISHOPS appointed by his church, through whom the spiritual communion with the Apostolic see has been and now is held, and who are the only proper organs for holding such communion No objection has been raised against the ecclesiastical deputation; and con sequently no attempt has been made to debar the Irish Catholics of that part of the exercise of their religion; but surely if the whole laity (as so stated) of Ireland unnecessarily ad "The Bible Society established in dress their spiritual Chief on a subLondon, holds constant communion ject which they contend involves a with foreign Prelates, Authorities, and temporal privilege, they violate a poSocieties; they publish these com-litical duty, by addressing a foreign munications in their Annual Reports. They raise money to transmit to these foreign Prelates, Authorities, and Societies; and yet we do not hear a single complaint against them, as we must suppose we should, were such communications illegal. "We have a precedent to justify the Address, in the conduct of the English Catholics, who, in the last year, sent an address to his Holiness with the privity of his Majesty's Ministers, who did not interrupt its progress; 'tis true, they applied on behalf of the Veto; and it is equally true, that if the Irish Catholics were to make a similar application, we should not hear one word about this formal objection. power, under the garb of a spiritual communication, for the purpose of protesting against his exercising any influence over their temporal privileges, If this is not the case, why allude to objections of a political nature against the measure in agitation? Why protest against the interference of the Pope in the controul of their temporal conduct, or in the arrangement of their political concerns? Is not this imAnd does the Editor really and plying at least that the Pope has a gravely imagine that he has made out temporal power or influence in this a plain case in favour of his favourite country, which we are compelled to project? Does he honestly think the deny him upon oath? public will not be able to see through communication was purely of a spiri his flimsy sophisms, and condemn the tual nature, why interveave protes impotency of his reasonings? tations against temporal controul! riously I pity him. I heartily lament From this, one would be led to think that so much talent as the writer most that his Holiness, like M. Quarantotti, undoubtedly possesses, should be em- had issued a rescript enjoining us to ployed in propping up a falling cause, accept with gratitude what the latter when its energies would be better ex- and his colleagues had determined to ercised in combatting the follies of the be just, and parliament had shewn a enemies of Ireland and her religion.-- disposition to grant to us. But no; As to the first paragraph, which talks from their own statements it appear, about spiritual communion with the that his Holiness would not permit "It is plain, therefore, that the Catholics of Ireland were perfectly warranted by law and precedent in their conduct." And if the 12 his influence to be used; but whatever arrangements he might make, were to take place after emancipation was granted. With respect to the observation, that there does not exist a law which prevents a layman from appealing to his spiritual chief more than a clergyman, what analogy can the case of an individual bear to that of a nation? But who is the spiritual chief of the layman? Is it not the Bishop of the diocese in which he resides? The Pope is called the spiritual father of the whole flock, but did ever any one ever hear of a lay people addressing him, when they had twenty-nine Bishops appointed for that spiritual purpose! which might grant an influence on the part of a Protestant Government, to interfere in its spiritual concerns.Here then was the pillar on which the laity ought to have rested in perfect confidence. So long as the prelates remain firm, and who dare to suspect their courage and fidelity, the temporal privileges of the people will be safe; and addresses to the Pope from the laity, are not only unnecessary but insulting to the prelacy.-On the third paragraph little need be said the Bible Society in their foreign communications, do not interfere in matters concerning state policy; neither do they attempt to send formal deputations to sovereign courts, conAnd now for the precedent set by sequently this case has no analogy to the English Catholics.-This is brought the matter in question-And here for as a justification of the present mea- the present I shall break off with sure; but will a bad precedent justify observing, that if the leading mem a bad cause? If it does, then the bers of the Association are sincere in addressers may certainly be said to their endeavours to facilitate the cause have gained a step in their favour. of Emancipation, they have unfortuBut the two cases will not bear a nately adopted most mistaken ideas parallel. The English have not a upon the subject--To speed the cause church-the Irish are in possession of Catholic Emancipation, they must of an unbroken hierarchy. The En-be consistent, not only in words, but glish Vicars Apostolic were divided also in their measures. They should in opinion-the Irish Prelates unani- select men for their leaders, who are mous. The Pope had not decided no conspicuous for their strict adherence the rescript of Quarantotti, when the to the precepts and religious practices English addressers applied he had of their church-not those who openly declared that emancipation must take violate its unbending principles, by place before he would interfere, when daring others to commit murder and the Irish remonstrators approach him. suicide. If they are enemies to the The English did not assume to them- Veto on the part of the crown, they selves more than what they really ought also to censure the exercise of were, namely, a few individuals, it on the part of the great and affluent whose signatures were attached to the of their own body. And yet, at the on the contrary, the very moment when these men are Irish are lay remonstrators stated to sending an address to the Pope, exinclude five millions of people; two pressive of their great and ardent dethousand of whom were probably ne- sire to maintain the purity of their ver consulted. The English had no present hierarchy, one of the deputies means of making a canonical resist-appointed to present this address, has ance to an erroneous determination of his Holiness-the Irish possessed a Church competent to make such resistance. This Church met and did decide against the Pope, and the guardians of it pledged themselves to resist any innovation in its discipline documents; publicly acknowledged that he was engaged in a canvass for an episcopal seat for his brother, no farther back than the year 1810, who has since been suspended from his clerical func... tions.-The Chairman of the Association too, at the meeting when this |