and stating, that if any officer should enforce obedience to his orders relating to spiritual concerns, such officer might feel the effects of such conduct in the day of battle; that is, the Romish soldier might then turn upon, and assassinate him, or desert to the enemy.- -It is very proper to remark here, that Doctor Hussey was, within these very few years, sent over to Ireland by the British ministry, under the protection of the English secretary of state in Ireland; and was made president of a most inagnificent college, (infinitely more grand, and of more the most omnipotent God, declare the above- styled a pastoral letter, published by him mentioned covenants of the treaty of Alt' in London and Dublin in 1797, not only Radstadt, and every thing contained in it holds the same doctrine, but forbids all which are any wise obstructive of, or hurt-romanists, under pain of excommunication, ful to, or which may be said, esteemed, to permit any of their children, under any pretended, or understood to occasion or to pretence, to resort to a protestant school bring, or to have brought the least preju- in the same pamphlet he addresses the Rodice to, or any ways to hurt or to have hurt mish soldiery, and exhorts them by no the catholic faith, divine worship, the sal- means to obey their officers in any orders vation of souls, the authority, jurisdiction, relating to spiritual concerns, without partior any rites of the church whatsover, to- cularly specifying what he means by spigether with all and singular matters which ritual concerns, but reserving the interprehave followed, or may at any time here-tation to himself and the Romish priesthood; after follow from them, to be and to have been, and perpetually to remain hereafter de jure, null, vain, invalid, unjust, reprobated, and evacuated of all force from the beginning, and that no person is bound to the observation of them or any of them, although the same have been repeatedly ratified or secured by an oath; and that they neither could nor ought to have been, nor can nor ought to be observed by any person whatsoever."-The pope's legate at Brussels, in the year 1768, when an oath was in contemplation in parliament to be taken by the Roman catholics of Ireland, writes to Ire-expensive foundation, than any college in land in the following manner respecting that oath-That the abhorrence and detestation of the doctrine, that faith is not to be kept with heretics, and that princes deprived by the pope may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, as expressed in that proposed oath, are absolutely intolerable, because, as he states, those doctrines are defended and contended for by most catholic nations, and the holy see has frequently followed them in practice. On the whole he states, that as the cath is in its whole extent unlawful, so in its nature it is invalid, null, and of no effect, insomuch that it can by no means bind or oblige consciences. It is now time to come to authorities still more modern in this point, and those of men of the Romish persuasion in high credit with our ministers. Doctor Troy, the Romish archbishop of Dublin (who at this day openly assumes and uses the arms of that archbishopric, surmounted with a cardinal's cap, from whence I presume him to be a cardinal), in a treatise which he entitles a pastoral letter, published by him in London and Dublin so late as the year -1793, asserts, that all Roman catholics cousider the express decisions of their genera councils, as infallible authority in point of doctrine." And Dr. Hussey, who informs us that he is Romish bishop of Waterford, appointed by the pope, in a pamphlet his majesty's dominions) then founded and : and of such recent avowal, let the supporters | heir of his father, and entitled to his real and of the present measure inform the house, personal estate; and whether a woman was at what period, and by what public autho- entitled to dower; with several other tempority did the Romish church or its votaries ral concomitants. Excommunication is a renounce or disavow these principles, or any matter of spiritual jurisdiction; and the ty and which of them. It is notorious they ranny exercised over the property and other never did; their rejection of the oath of temporal concerns of the laity by the Romish supremacy, simply an oath of allegiance priesthood in Ireland is terrible almost beavowing the independence of the state, yond description. Auricular confession and their anxiety to have the law enjoining the absolution, by giving them the dominion taking of it repealed, amount to a full con- over the consciences of men, confer a mighty fession and avowal of the romanists, that power in temporal matters upon them; and they have not in any shape changed Buonaparté, though a fierce unprincipled ty. those principles. It has been frequently rant and usurper, was so well convinced that and confidently asserted by romanists and the supremacy in spirituals would essentially their abettors, that the doctrines held by contribute to the support and establishment them respecting the supreme jurisdiction of his temporal power, that he procured himin spiritual matters, and its residence self to be crowned by the pope as supreme in a foreign tribunal, can never affect head of the church.-In favour of the meathe temporal authority and jurisdiction in sure of investing romanists with political this, or in any other country.-What has power in the British empire, it has been been already advanced is sufficient to refute urged, that the doctrine of the supremacy of this assertion; but it is proper to add, that the pope in spirituals is not attended with the supreme jurisdiction in spiritual matters any ill consequences at present, and affords does draw into its vortex a very large share no subject of complaint to the temporal of temporal power, as inseparably annexed power, in any state in Europe, popish or proto it, and incorporated with it, even though, testant; though in all popish states, and in we exclude a vast portion of temporal juris- many protestant, romanists are admitted into diction claimed by the romanists as adhering places of power and trust.-The plain answer to the supreme jurisdiction in spirituals, to this is, that all the popish states in Europe, which in fact does not belong to it, nor is previous to the anarchical progress of the reincorporated with it. In proof of this, let cunt French revolution, were either despotic the preambles of the several statutes hereto- monarchies, or equally despotic oligarchies, fore enacted in this kingdom, for abolishing and that the people at large had no political the pope's usurped jurisdiction in spirituals, power in them. The despot, or aristocratic be referred to; they particularise the vast rulers, insignificant in number when comportion of temporal authority inseparably pared with the population of the state, posannexed to the exercise of supreme jurisdic-sessed the whole political power; and no tion in spirituals. (See the preambles of the person, professing a different religion from acts of the 16th Richard II.; 24th Henry that of the state, was permitted to enjoy any VIII. chaps. 12, 25; 25th Henry VIII. political power. The great mass of the peochaps. 20, 21; 26th Henry VIII. chap. 1; ple, being excluded from all manner of power 32d Henry VIII. chap. 38; Irish acts of or influence in the state, were, what En28th Henry VIII. chaps. 13, 19; 2d Eliza-glishmen term, slaves: and every question beth, chap. 1.) These preambles recite the which could arise from the claim of papal great mischief done to this empire," by ap-supremacy in such states, was decided by peals made to the see of Rome in causes testamentary; causes of matrimony and divorces; right of tithes, oblations, and obventions; by intolerable exactions for bulls, delegacies, and rescripts, in causes of contention; as well as for dispensations, licenses, and faculties, in an infinite number of cases." -Matrimony is held by the Roman catholics to be a sacrament, and the cognizance of it to belong to the spiritual jurisdiction. This, in many cases, would confer a jurisdiction on the pope as surpreme head of the church, of deciding whether a man was the lawful the despots and the court of Rome.-As these despots were themselves of the Romish persuasion, no controversy could happen between the temporal and spiritual jurisdic tions, on the score of heresy or difference in religious opinions: the spiritualty could never have occasion to put in execution the tyrannical decrees of the lateran council against the despots themselves; and these despots actually became the executioners of the judgments of the spiritualty, on such of their enslaved subjects as presumed to question any tenet of the Romish superstition or they permitted the spiritualty themselves | British empire the supreme legislative power to execute them: in respect to any other rests in the king, lords, and commons; the points of temporal jurisdiction claimed by commons being the representatives of the the spiritualty, as annexed to the supreme great mass of the people, or the democra y; jurisdiction in spirituals, it became the inte- the peers the representatives of the ric est rest of the despots to acquiesce in part in and most dignified part of the people, o of them, and thereby to attach the interest of the aristocracy. In these two assemblies, the clergy to their own domination, well but particularly in the house of commons, knowing that superstition can give strong vastly the most powerful of the two, is vested support to despotic power, by inclining the the greatest and most efficient part of the people to submit to slavery; and the tempo- sovereign power of the state and to admit ral and ecclesiastical powers found it their the avowed enemies of the constitution in mutual interest to unite themselves, to en- church and state, to form a part of the sure and continue the submission of the peo- sovereignty of the state, is so manifestly an ple. In protestant despotic states it is not absurdity in politics, that it is surprising such of great moment to the despot, what religious a measure should be supported by men of opinions are held by a part of his subjects: ability professing themselves to be friends of the people have no power in the state, and the constitution.-As it has been more than it is of little consequence to the despot whe- once openly and confidently asserted by an ther the men he employs as his servants are able member (Mr. Fox) of this house, that of one religious persuasion or the other, they the exclusion of romanists from the houses being merely his creatures, and extinguish of lords and commons is an unjust invasion able at his pleasure. But in protestant states, of their natural rights, it is necessary here to in which the people, or their elective repre- repeat what has been already mentioned, that sentatives, have some share in the govern- romanists exclude themselves, by their rement, romanists were excluded, before the jection of the oath of supremacy; an oath baneful progress of the French revolution, enjoined to be taken, not by them alone, from all share of political power. The Swiss but by all members of the houses of lords confederacy, composed of a league of small and commons, not being in its own nature protestant and Romish states for their mu- an oath of exclusion, but an oath of alle tual security, is a strong instance of this: in giance to the state, abjuring all foreign ju the protestant cantons no romanists were ad-risdiction: and their rejection of this oath mitted members of the senates, or even to amounts to an avowal, that they are in prinany places of trust or confidence in the state: ciple traitors to the state, in acknowledging The argument by a similar regulation took place in the Ro- a foreign jurisdiction. mish cantons with respect to protestants. In which this able senator supports this opinion the United Provinces, so often cited as mo- is, that all members of the state are by nadels of toleration, though all sects were tole-tural right entitled to an equality of political rated, yet civil offices were only enjoyed by power, so far as a capability of enjoying all professors of the established religion: "It the honours, emoluments, and privileges of was not there considered as a punishment on the state, according to their respective abilimen to be excluded from public offices, and ties: that no member of the state should be to live peaceably on their own revenues and curtailed of any of these privileges for any industry." (See Hume's history, vol. viii. opinions he may entertain or promulge, be page 274.) Romanists were also excluded they ever so traitorous or hostile to the con in Holland from seats in the assembly of the stitution, unless he attempts by some overt states general. If therefore the British em- act to carry them into effect; for that opipire is to be influenced by the practice of nions are not objects of laws, but actions every popular protestant state in Europe, only. But though it be admitted that priromanists should not only be excluded from vate opinions are not properly the cbjects of all places of trust and power, but from all si- criminal or disqualifying law's without overt tuations which would invest them with any acts, are not the dissemination of opinions share of political power; and above all from traitorous and hostile to the constitution, and seats in the supreme legislative assemblies, attempts to proselytize people to such opithe houses of lords and commons. But the nions, overt acts, and the objects of pendl very constitution of Britain is such, as ren- and restrictive laws in the British empire? ders the exclusion of romunists from scats in A man may keep destructive poisons in his the legislative assemblies not only expedient, closet, without becoming obnoxions to the but of absolute imperative necessity. In the operation of any penal or restrictive law; VOL. IV. 3 L plot; the desperate Romish rebellion and horrible massacre of the protestants of Ireland in the reign of Charles I.; the obstinate and destructive rebellion of the Irish romanists in the reign of William III.; the recent atrocious rebellion in Ireland, and the unprovoked, murder of thousands of Irish protestants, men, women, and chil dren, in cold blood: in extenuation and excuse of which rebellion and massacre, all the malevolence and falsehood of the whole but if he publicly vends or administersists to seats in both houses of parliament as them, the laws restrain and punish him. It their natural right!—It is here fit to remark, is also a fact, that preventive laws in the Bri- that romanists cannot derive any support to tish empire, the wisest of all laws, do make their exertions and those of their abettors, opinions their objects, and fix disqualifica- for the repeal of the acts enjoining the tions, not only on the maintainers of opi- taking of the oath of supremacy, from this nions, but also on those who may be reason doctrine, that opinions without overt acts ably suspected of holding certain opinions. are not the objects of legislation; because For instance, revenue-officers are by act of the overt acts of our own countrymen, and parliament disablel from voting at elections others, professors of this cruel and unrelentof members of parliament; and by the place ing superstition, for the purpose of subjectbill, certain classes of placemen and pension- ing the British empire to a foreign jurisdic ers are disqualified from sitting in parlia- tion, since the commencement of the reign ment; persons, not possessed of 3001. per of queen Elizabeth, have been too frequent, annum of landed estate, are disqualified from flagrant, and notorious to be denied. Witrepresenting a borough, and those not pos-ness the bulls of Pope Pius V. and his sucsessed of 6001. per annum from representing cessors, for the dethronement and assassinaa county, in parliament: on what ground is tion of that queen and James I.; the conit that so many persons are curtailed of their spiracies of her own Romish subjects, in privileges? is it not on the suspicion, that conformity with these bulls, for her assassi their particular interests will inspire them nation, and that of her successor; the prowith opinions adverse to the interests of thejected Spanish invasion; the gunpowder state, and that they will vote in conformity with such hostile opinions, if admitted to the enjoyment of such privileges? Romanists, whos opinions are openly and avowedly hostile to the state, are in a better condition than the already mentioned respectable classes of society: by taking the oaths administered to all the members of the legislative body, they may sit in parliament: not so with the classes mentioned; they are absolutely and irrevocably excluded. This doctrine of natural rights, besides what is al-republican, jacobinical, Frenchified faction ready mentioned, may receive the following in England, have been ever since employed; full and decisive answer. Man from his in too many instances with a pernicious and very nature is a gregarious animal; there is even a fatal effect.-In justification of the no instance in nature of savage solitary man; present proposed measure, pleas of merit in society is necessary for his preservation and the modern race of Romish subjects have the continuance of the human race; there-been advanced; and first, that they have fore no right can be properly termed a na- conducted themselves peaceably and loyally tural right, which is not also a social right; ever since the revolution, though under the or, in other words, the rights of society are pressure of rigorous, impoverishing, and natural rights: if therefore any man, or disqualifying statutes; and a great minister class of men, claim privileges as natural of state, (the present chancellor of the exrights, utterly inconsistent with the well- chequer) has been so far deluded by the being, and even existence of the society, or misrepresentations and falsehoods of Romish political state, of which he is a member, advocates and emissaries, as to declare himsuch claim is to be utterly rejected, as not self a patron of their claims, on the score of being properly a claim of a natural right; their patience and forbearance for a century or if of a natural right in a solitary state of past. Secondly, it has been asserted, that nature (such a state being supposed to exist), the Irish romanists heartily concurred in the certainly not a claim of right to be admitted measure of union of the two nations (though by the society of which he is a member; it was opposed by the Irish protestants), and because it tends directly to the destruction by their power, influence, and interest, not of the society, and all claim of presumed only contributed to the success of that great right must yield to the paramount claim of measure, but were the chief instruments of real social right, the preservation of the it. The truth of these two pleas I will sepa state. Away then with the claim of roman-rately examine, and reply to them both. ty with their avowed principles. Whilst' these laws remained unrepealed, the romanists were more peaceable subjects than they now are, because it was not in their power to be otherwise: the maniac in a straight waistcoat, or the tiger in a cage, can do no mischief, yet deserve no commendation for their gentleness. The British ministry, influenced by active and able Romish agents (particularly the late Mr. Edmund Burke), and imposed upon by the grossest falsehoods and misrepresentations (which have had a powerful effect on them, from their own ab solute ignorance of the true state of Ireland), have, for these twenty years last past and upwards, exerted all their influence in the Irish parliament to procure the repeal of these laws, session after session, and have in a great measure succeeded, though they have not yet procured the repeal of the po The first is a plea of loyal and peaceable conduct of the romanists of the empire since the revolution. When the Romish scheme of subversion of the protestant establishment in church and state, under the conduct, patronage, and influence of the bigoted monarch who then swayed the British sceptre, was completely defeated by the spirit of the nation (raised and directed by the renowned William II.), but through the medium of a bloody civil war, from the obstinate resistance of the Irish romanists, the political power and consequence of the romanists in Great Britain were annihilated, and in Ireland reduced to a very low ebb. In Great Britain their dwarfish number, compared with the gigantic multitude of protestants, ensured the political impotence of the sect; but the case was different in Ireland: the romanists exceeded the other subjects in number in that country (though not in the mag-pery code in England in the same degree. nified ratio stated in their own inflated ac- In this respect they treated the Irish nation counts), which prevented their sinking into in the way that condemned malefactors have political impotence. Yet their decisive de- been sometimes treated, on whom dangerous feat at that period reduced them to great po- experiments in physic and surgery have litical imbecility: though fallen to the earth been tried, before their general application in both kingdoms, their reiterated conspira- is sanctioned to the public. The English cies and rebellions induced the state to guard ministry, not content, in the year 1793, against their acquisition of new strength after with procuring a bill to pass in the Irish partheir fall, Antaus-like: hence sprung the liament, for repealing all the laws which system of what are called popery laws in both disabled romanists to vote at elections of kingdoms, enacted since the revolution. members of parliament, prefaced the bill These laws, by popish writers, and the abet- with an assertion I cannot admit, to wit, tors of popery throughout the empire, are that the conduct of the romanists had been represented as most oppressive and unjust; loyal. Whoever will take the trouble of and as the causes of the notorious disaffec- turning to the Irish acts of the 19th of Geo. tion of the romanists to the state, and of II. of the 29th of Geo. II. and to all the their conspiracies, massacres, and rebellions; acts passed in Ireland for twenty years prebut this is a gross misrepresentation; for ceding the year 1793, for the suppression of that part of the code particularly complained the petty rebellions of the White Boys and of as unjust and oppressive, was enacted in Defenders, all romanists, who have from the reigns of William and Anne, after their time to time infested and desolated several conspiracies, massacres, and rebellions, had parts of Ireland, committing the most atrobeen plotted and executed, and therefore cious acts of treason, will be clearly conwas the effect, and not the cause, of their vinced that the Irish romanists have no good notorious disaffection and treasons. And claim to the character of loyal subjects, these laws could not have been the causes of from the time of the revolution to the era of the last rebellion and massacre in Ireland, their late rebellion: But supposing it were for they were all repealed prior to that re-admitted, for argument's sake, that roman-· bellion and massacre. The popery code was nearly the same in both kingdoms. These wise laws (for wise and provident they were, notwithstanding the false and clamorous declamations of romanists and their abettors against them) prohibited romanists from the acquisition of landed property, political influence, and power, in both countries; and thereby disabled them in a great measure from disturbing the state, in conformi ists have been generally peaceable subjects, from the revolution till a few years before the breaking out of the late rebellion (loyal it cannot be pretended that they were, their avowed principle of the subjection of the nation to a foreign ycke being disloyal), they can derive no merit from such peace:bie de.. meanour...the popery code rendered their submission to the laws a matter of necessity; they were peaceable because they were |