and condescension! Words are insufficient; but your conti nued loyal and peaceable conduct will more effectually proclaim them, and in a manner equally, if not more satisfactory and pleasing to his majesty and parliament. Avoid then, we conjure you, dearest brethren, every appearance of riot; attend to your industrious pursuits for the support and comfort of your families; fly from idle assemblies; abstain from the intemperate use of spirituous and intoxicating liquors; practice the duties of our holy religion: this conduct, so pleasing to heaven, will also prove the most powerful recommendation of your present claims, to our amiable sovereign, to both houses of parliament, to the magistrates, and to all our well-meaning fellow-subjects of every description. None but the evil-minded can rejoice at your being concerned in any disturbance. We cannot but declare our utmost and conscientious detestation and abhorrence of the enormities lately committed, by seditious and misguided wretches of every religious denomination, in some counties of this kingdom: they are enemies to God and man, the outcasts of society, and a disgrace to christianity: we consider the Roman catholics amongst them, unworthy of the appellation; whether acting for themselves, or seduced to outrage by the arts of designing enemies to us, and to national prosperity, intimately connected with our emancipation. Offer your prayers, dearest brethren, to the Father of mercy, that he may inspire these deluded people with sentiments becoming christians and good subjects; supplicate the Almighty Ruler and Disposer of empires, [By whom kings reign, and law-givers decree just things, Prov. viii. 15.] to direct his majesty's councils, and forward his benevolent intention to unite all his Irish subjects in bonds of common interest, and common endeavours for the preservation of peace and good order, and for every purpose tending to increase and secure national prosperity. Beseech the Throne of Mercy, also, to assist both houses of parliament in their important deliberations; that they may be distinguished by consummate wisdom and liberality, for the advantage of the kingdom, and the relief and happiness of his majesty's subjects. Under the pleasing expectation of your chearful compliance with these, our earnest solicitations, we sincerely wish you VOL. IV. 3 R every blessing in this life, and everlasting happiness in the' next, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In order to remove the objections, however unfounded, which had been made to the oath taken by the catholic bishops at their consecration, the catholic archbishops addressed a letter to the pope, wherein they described the misrepresentations that had been recently published of their consecration oath, and great injury to the catholic body arising from them: they expressed their fullest conviction, that the oath, obliging them only to canonical obedience to his holiness, and communion with the centre of unity, was perfectly reconcileable with their loyalty as subjects, and the allegiance they had sworn to their gracious sovereign, king George III. They professed a determination to observe both oaths, and to preserve their communion with the holy see inviolate: reflecting, however, on the ignorance of most protestants respecting the oath, with which they seemed only acquainted from the calumnious publications against it, the prelates above mentioned suggested to the pope, that some declaration or explanation of the oath, and particularly of the word, Hæreticos persequor et impugnabo," from himself, or by his authority, would, probably, remove the alarms of well-meaning protestants, and confound the prejudiced; who, by their misrepresentations of the oath, endeavoured to blast the prospects and expectations of the catholics to obtain an emancipation from the penal code; which they had reason to hope for, from the clemency of his 66 majesty, and wisdom of the legislature. They concluded, with submitting these considerations to his holiness, and requesting an answer, whenever his constant solicitude for the universal church, and occupations would permit. To this letter an answer was returned from Rome by the congregation of cardinals appointed to superintend the ecclesiastical affairs of these kingdoms, intimating, amongst other things, that, by authority of his holiness, an alteration was to be made in the oath, of which alteration the following is a translation. From an audience had of his holiness on the 9th day of June, 1791. The archbishops metropolitans of the kingdom of Ireland represented to his holiness, that, from the ignorance or malice of some persons, certain expressions in the form of the oath prescribed in the Roman ritual to be taken by bishops at their consecration, and by archbishops on receiving the pall, have been misrepresented; which has added new perplexities to those which they daily experience in a kingdom, where the catholic faith is not the religion of the state: wherefore, they humbly requested, if it should appear expedient to his holiness, that he would vouchsafe to apply a remedy by some act of his apostolical vigilance. His holiness, on this report being made to him by me, the underwritten, all circumstances. of the case maturely considered, was graciously pleased to grant, that the bishops of the kingdom of Ireland at their consecration, and the archbishops on receiving the pall, may use the same form of oath which was taken by the archbishop of Mohilow, in the empire of the Moscovites, by permission of his said holiness; which is as follows: I N. N. &c. as in the Roman Pontifical to the clause, All heretics, schismatics and rebels against our said lord and his successors aforesaid, I will, to the utmost of my power, prosecute and oppose, which is entirely omitted: afterwards the words, The Cardinal Prefect of the S. Con. gregation for propagating the Faith, are substituted, instead of The Cardinal Proponent in the Congregation of the Sacred Council. The form concludes with these words, I will observe all and every one of these things the more inviolably, as I am firmly convinced, that there is nothing contained in them, which can be contrary to the fidelity I owe to the most serene king of Great Britain and Ire. land, and to his successors to the throne. So help me God and those holy Gospels of God. Thus I promise, and engage. I, N. N. archbishop, or bishop, &c. Dated at Rome, in the house of the Sacred Congregation, the 23d day of June, 1791, L. Cardinal Antonelli, Prefect. Soon after the catholic bill received the royal assent, the general committee met on the 25th of April, 1793. After expressing its thankfulness to the king for his interposition on behalf of its constituents, and voted some substantial and bonourable proofs of its gratitude to individuals, who had laboured in the catholic cause, it directed its attention towards one of the most degrading and deleterious consequences of the lately repealed popery laws; and appointed a committee to consult, communicate and correspond upon the means of procuring a system of improved education for the catholic youth of Ireland. The general committee further signalised itself by marking, in its last moments, its attachment to the entirely unaccomplished object for which the protestant reformers were so anxious. It "most earnestly exhorted the catholics of Ireland to co-operate with their protestant brethren, in all legal and constitutional means to carry into effect that great measure, recognised by the wisdom of parliament, and so essential to the freedom, happiness and prosperity of Ireland, a reform of the representation of the people in the commons house." Having done this, it dissolved itself; since, by the restoration of the elective franchise, the catholics of Ireland were enabled to speak individually the language of freemen, and that they no longer wished to be considered as a distinct body of his majesty's subjects. The persons to whom the general committee entrusted the formation of a plan for the education of the youth of their religion, had determined, that while it embraced the catholic youth, it should not exclude those of any other persuasion; that it should depend on the people for its support, and be subject to the joint controul of the clergy and laity. They had received assurances, that there would be no deficiency of ample resources to carry it into effect. Some of the catholic prelates even made very considerable offers of pecuniary aid. This system of popular education, totally unconnected with government, appears not to have been completely agreeable at the castle. Its inclinations were conveyed to the prelates; and an arrangement made for catholic education, solely conducted by the bishops, under the auspices of government, and the sanction of parliament. The gentlemen, who were preparing the popular plan, were assured they might desist from their labours, and the general system of education was, consequently, abandoned. To the hostility of the penal laws succeeded |