revelations, extacies, apparitions, and France, but particularly in the capital, other things as above stated, and re- a noble emulation for the embellish. garded as miraculous and special graces ment of Churches, and the re-esta of God, having been deceits, vain-boast-blishment of the altars, which Vandal ings, lies, and fictions.

"Monsieur le Prefeci.-After a long dispersion, the remains of the ancient Monks of La Treppe have assembled, from all parts of the world, amidst the ruins of their old Abbey. Their property has been sold, and the greater part of the buildings has been alienated or deFROM THE French Papers. molished. Benevolence alone has supIt is remarked that there exists in plied M. Delestranges, their respectable

Abbé, with the means of re-purchasing, provisionally by the Charter, and has

failed in respect to the King, and has even encouraged disobedienco to his authority; the tribunal therefore suppresses the work, sentences the Sieur Abbé Vinson to three months' imprisonment, without prejudice to the King's Attorney mak

some buildings, where these good fathers have re found a roof under which their old age is but badly sheltered. Their virtue has attracted to them men of various classes, even warriors, who come to share their voluntary rigours. The order of La Trappe has still about thirty mem-ing, if need be, an arrangement in that

bers.

"Hard is their life, consisting wholly of privations, they are about to want wherewith to sustain it; the roof which shelters them must fall, if Charity does not come to their succour; and it to avoid applying again to foreign hospitality, that M. Delestranges solicits the permission of making a collection in France.

"I have thought it my duty, M. le Prefect, to authorise the request of M. Delestranges. It cannot but be interesting to the Bishops; and I beg of you to afford him all the facility that may depend on your administration.

"Receive the assurances of my most distinguished sentiments. "LAINE,"

respect with the ecclesiastical superiors of the Abbé Vinson; and further condemns him to 50 francs of fine, and to remain during two years under the surveillance of the high police; fixes the amount of his bail at 300 francs, and besides, orders him to pay the expences.

At Hookham sheep shearing this year, Mr. Coke proposed the health of the Bishop of Norwich, upon which the Rev. Mr. Glover rose, and in a most eloquent and energetic address, enumerated the many virtues of this truly great and worthy man. Mr. G. then adverted to the subject of tythes, and attributed much of the discontent existing on this subject to a class of mea The Abbé Vinson, who published a called ty the-valuers, who looked more to work in France against the possessors enhancing their own profits, by increasing of national property formerly belong- their per centage, than doing justice to ing to the Church, entitled Concordat either rector or farmer. The Reverend explique au Roi, has been found guil- Gentleman concluded by proposing as ty by the tribunal of Correctional Po- a toast-"A constitutional government lice, and received the following judg-without corruption, and an ecclesiastiment of the court.-cal hierarchy without intolerance."

The Rev. Mr. Taylor, who was accused of having presented a Memarial to the Sovereign Pontiff on Catholic affairs, claiming the interven. tion of Foreign Powers, has publicly disavowed the charge.

Considering, 1. That the Sieur Abbé Vinson is, according to his own avowal, the author of the publication in question; 2, That throughout the whole course of that work, the Abbé Vinson, disregarding Article 9 of the Charter, and Article 13of the Concordat, has characterized as pillage and manifest robbery the sale of the National Domains, and their purchasers and possessors, even those of the present On the 17th of August, died at Downday, as sacrilegious robbers: that he has side, universally lamented, the Rev. W. endeavoured to alarm the consciences of B. Knapp (eldest son of J. Knapp, Esq. of the said holders, by menacing them with Bathwick) after a protracted illness of the vengeance of heaven, and by main- many months. Thursday morning was taiuing that the Pope snd Bishops could performed in the Catholic chapel of that not legalize the seizure of the domains of city, a solemn dirge and requiem, with the the Church; considering, That in another funeral obsequies of the Roman Church, passage he strongly censures the conduct for the memory of the above young diof our Holy Father the Pope, and the vine. These solemnities were impressive body of the Gallican Church, which he ly chanted to Gregorian music by the su designates under the name of Concorda- perior and community from Downside taire, and denominates schismatic; that college, to whom the use of the chapel in so doing the Abbê Vinson, whatever was obligingly surrendered. Also on the may have been his intentions, has insti- preceding day, James Knapp, Esq. aged gated the French people to violate the 77, of Langstone, Hants. grandfather of law of the realm, maintained at least the above gentleman.

Printed by W. E. Andrews, Garlick_hill, Thames street, London.

ORTHODOX JOURNAL,

AND

Catholic Monthly Intelligencer,

For OCTOBER, 1816.

VOL. IV.

No. 41.

ON THE RELIGIOUS ILLIBERALITY or before was looked upon as 66
PROTESTANTS.

FROM accounts which I have re

a very

enlightened good man as can be,” is now become, on a sudden, intolerant ceived, it appears that the evi- and haughty, and the sentiments delidence given by Dr. Poynter before vered by him before the Committee are the Committee on Education has been charitably deemed to be both shameassiduously circulated all over the king-ful and damnable. Catholics have dom, by means of the provincial pa- been accustomed to hear themselves pers, and that it has created an un-accused of being illiberal and unchariusual ferment not only in the minds of table, because they believe there is the anti-papal faction, but also among but one true religion in which we can liberal and enlightened Protestants be saved, yet without presuming to That the former would embrace the condemn their dissenting neighbour to opportunity offered them to mislead eternal flames, by entertaining the the public mind on this all-important hope that invincible ignorance will subject was natural to be expected; plead an excuse for him at the bar of but that the sound and virtuous of our the omniscient Judge; but if this condissenting friends should be scanda- demnation of Dr. Poynter is not an lized at the honest and faithful decla- act of illiberality, and that too of the rations of a Catholic prelate, is a cir- most unjust nature, I know not what cumstance of deep regret, and can only is meant by the term. For what is be attributed to a faint revival of the the head and front of the learned Preprejudices implanted in their early late's offence? As a Catholic Bishop, education against the pure and unhe was summoned before the Commit bending doctrines of the Catholic tee, through the base contrivance of church. Neither the literary labours a man who had previously enjoyed of the learned Dr. Milner in defence the friendship and confidence of the of his faith, nor his indefatigable Apostolic Vicar, not to give informaexertions to expose the courtly syco- tion as to the state of Education phancy of the leading members of the among the poor of his flock, but to self-named Board of English Catho- render an account of the faith and lies, and preserve the independency discipline of the Church of which he of the spiritual interests of his Church, is an exalted member, and to draw ever caused so great a sensation in the from him how far an approximation or kingdom, as the testimony of Dr. harmony of ideas might be agreed Poynter, wrung from him by the upon to unite in an indiscriminate edutrickery of a false and dangerous mem- cation of the poor of all religions. ber of his own church, under the inqui- To the questions put to him, the Presitorial powers of a Parliamentary late replied with a dignified firmness, commission, has excited. The vene- and a conscious rectitude, which rable prelate, who but a short time ought rather to have extorted the ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. IV.

3 C

actions, than that which has been attempted to be affixed on the worthy prelate.

theme of praise from those who dissent | the poor. In making these observafrom him, as it did from the members tions, let me not be considered as an of the Committee, instead of over-enemy to the teaching the poorer classes whelming him with gross epithets and of my fellow-countrymen every useful unjust charges. It may be very well branch of literature; but I contend for those who believe in, or dissent with Dr. Poynter, and I flatter myfrom, the thirty-nine articles of the es- self I made it appear clear in my last tablished Church, one of which ex-number, by quoting a chain of inconpressly says, that it has "authority trovertible and subborn facts, that in controversies of faith," to unite education without religious instrucand form societies for the education of tion, is more conducive to the injury children, by teaching them to read the than to the happiness of the individual Scriptures for the express purpose of who receives it. For my part I have coining such modes of religious wor- read the evidence of Dr. Poynter with ship as may be most congenial to their all the attention I have been able, and own visionary imaginations; but the I am at a loss to conjecture from Catholic, who believes in an infallible whence the charge of "illiberality" guide, cannot lend a hand to such a can be deduced with any particle of system; which system, by the bye, justice. I feel confident, however, will, in a few years, inevitably cut up that before I conclude this article, I the ecclesiastical branch of the Con- shall be able to establish a stronger stitution, and render the situations of case of illiberality on the part of Prothe established clergy perfectly nuga-testants, from their own testimony and tory and useless. It will be well, therefore, for the established church men to examine a little more closely into the probable effects of the measures they are now encouraging and supporting, before they bestow any more blame upon the conduct of Dr. Poynter, or the Catholic clergy, for refusing to assist in a measure so pregnant with evil to the constituted authorities of the land. For if the idea, that all that is necessary to form the happiness of mankind, both here and hereafter, consists in being able to read a chapter of the bible, should once be generally imbibed by the people at large, how will it be possible to prevent them from entertaining another idea, arising out of the former, namely, that tythes, church-lands, glebes, bishops, deans, archdeacons, chanters, prebendaries, rectors, curates, clerks, sextons, &c. &c. &c. may be easily dispensed with? This, as I before said, is a grave and weighty matter for the serious consideration of the churchman, and it behoves all those who wish well to the stability of the present establishments, to reflect upon it before they proceed any farther in supporting the modern system of education among

Dr. Poynter, as the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of London, is asked if the lower orders of Catholics in the metropolis are not, generally speaking, destitute of the means of education? To which he replied in the affirmative. He is again asked, what objection there would be to a school, which taught without catechism of any kind, or required any obligation to go to church? To this the learned prelate observed, that it would not be advisable that Catholics should send their children to such schools, and the reason he gave was, because Catholic education comprises religious instruction, or at least the means of their learning their catechism, and of preparing them for the general instructions which they receive from their clergymen.” The learned prelate further stated, "That from the small number of the Catholic clergy in London, compared with the extent of their congregations, he did not conceive that religious instruction could be conveyed to the children out of the schools, if they were taught reading only in

66

where they could learn the letter and text of their catechism, and be instructed in the grounds of the doctrine contained therein. And do not the National Committee act upon the self-same principle? Perceiving the evil tendency of giving education to the poor without religious instruction, and knowing that little dependance could be placed upon the parents of those children who required gratui tous learning, in watching over their morals, they wisely determined to place their schools under the superintendence of the clergy, and made religious knowledge the corner-stone of their foundation. Well, this is the sum and substance of Dr. Poynter's sentiments, and yet we do not hear a word against the intolerance of the National Schools; but all the outery is raised against the London Vicar Apostolie and his clergy, because they dare to dissent from and oppose an antichristian and novel system of educating children. But then, since Dr. P. admits that the paucity of his clergy prevents them from giving that religious instruction which he could wish, why not permit laymen to do it, and call in the generous aid of Protestants in this "labour of love?" When I read the question put to the bishopCould not LAYMEN give this religious instruction? I must confess I was surprized, and wondered within myself whether the propounders of it were non compos mentis, or whether they imagined the learned prelate laboured under that unhappy malady. For could it be supposed that men, in possession of their right faculties, would ever have asked a

them." This observation called forth another question from the committee, to know whether laymen could not give this religious instruction? To which Dr. P. decisively answered No; it being contrary to the discipline of the Catholic church. From the answers here given by the venerable Vicar Apostolic a serious attack has been made upon him, and much scandal has been taken by Protestants in general. But how will they sustain a charge of illiberality against Dr. P. in this instance, without affixing the same to the Prelates of the Established Church? The dignitaries of the Church of England, convinced of the necessity of implanting the principles of their creed in the infant mind as soon as it is susceptible of receiving them, have established "National Schools," the basis of which is, that a course of religious instruction shall be daily performed, taken from the book of Common Prayer, and the children are expected to attend divine service according to the rites of the established church. This society was formed in 1811, in opposition to the British and Foreign School Society, founded on the Lancasterian system, which admits children of every religious denomination, and expressly excludes religious instruction-confines the reading lessons to extracts from the authorized Protestant version of the Holy Scriptures-and leaves the parents at liberty to send their children to such place of religious worship as they may prefer. Now, I would be glad to ask, if there is more illiberality in the answers given by Dr. Poynter as above, than in the conduct of those who support the Na-person in holy orders whether an intional Plan of Education. Dr. Poynter did not forbid parents to send their children to the schools on the British system; he merely said it was not advisable, and he gave a most conclusive reason for this opinion, by pointing out the danger to which the children of his flock must be exposed, from the small number of his clergy, if they did not attend at those schools

dividual who has never studied theology was capable of expounding that science; and that individual too one who had spent the best part of his life in fitting himself for the arduous task, and was invested with the high dignity of the prelacy? Suppose, for instance, a Committee had been sitting on the state of our penal code, and Sir Samuel Romilly had been under