a _more august_ assembly. You know, your address to the Magistrates for
calling a meeting, &c., was _headed_ by certain Protestant Ministers, and
you know also, that most of their fellow labourers in the vineyard, of
the Protestant Church, have been most _active_, and _zealous_ in the
_late_ crusade against the _Catholics_. Now, to pass over these reverend
gentlemen with _silent_ contempt, would be, in my humble opinion, an act
of great _incivility_, and _disrespect_ on _my_ part; and which, _they_
might perhaps consider, _a most extraordinary_, and _presumptuous
movement_, on _my_ part; I beg leave, gentlemen, therefore, to adjourn to
this _august_ assembly, and as I shall have to show these reverend
gentlemen, what "an extraordinary and presumptuous movement," _their
Protestant_ Church, has been making, _for a long time_, on the _pockets_,
and on the _intellects_ of Englishmen, I shall be very glad, if you will
accompany me, and see verified the poetical words of my two texts,
annexed to my first _little_ address to you--
"I would you had been there to see
How the light blazed up so gloriously."
"And then in naked majesty,
With brow serene, and beaming placid light,
Came truth."
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Lingard's Anglo-Saxon, vol. 1, p. 189, 190.
[B] Macaulay, tells us, that the number of Roman Catholics is not fewer
than 150,000,000, and that it would be difficult to shew that all the
other Christian sects united, amount, to 120,000,000. I quite agree with
his words, "not fewer," and "it would be difficult to shew;" for upon an
accurate calculation, it would be found that the Catholics amount nearer
to 200,000,000, than to 150,000,000, and that all the other Christian
sects, united into one body, are nearer 100,000,000, than 120,000,000.
However, Macaulay's statement is quite sufficient to prove what we have
cited it for, viz:--that the Roman Catholics are the greatest body of
Christians, and therefore have the best title to the ancient and
honourable name of Catholic.
[C] In the Apostle's Creed, _we all_ profess to believe in the _Holy
Catholic_ Church. Now, if this is not _our_ Church, I would ask, what
Church _is it_? Is it the collection of sects which have sprung from the
Reformation? But, then, it would not be _Catholic_, for as they are the
smaller number, they cannot claim universality. Is it the Theological
hodge-podge, the farrago of all the religions, which believe in the
Gospel? Then it cannot be _Holy_, for we should form the _principal_ part
of it, and you know, the immaculate Church of England tells us, our
doctrines are idolatrous. I really think, people had better leave us in
the _quiet_ possession of our old inheritance, the honourable and ancient
name of Catholic, and _then_ they would avoid the above ridiculous
consequences.
[D] I have sometimes been asked, and the question has sometimes been
slyly popped to me, and to others, by certain limbs of the law, if I was
a _Jesuit_? I answer first, that I have not the honour to belong to that
learned, and much calumniated body, the Jesuits. I answer secondly, I
perfectly understood the _sly_ drift of these _questions_, and
_inuendoes_. It was as good as to say, "Jesuitism is a strange compound
of all kinds of tricks and quirks, and of mental reservations, and
deceptions. Now this little spectacle fellow, is one of them, and
therefore, he is up to all the Jesuitical trade, and is a perfect
specimen of it. Nay, I believe, that he could slyly board us with his
Jesuitical tricks, _even_ while we were looking on." Well, one good turn
certainly deserves another. And now, I must as politely as I can, tell
these limbs of the law, that if I am to judge of the law from the little,
that I have really seen, and know about _them_, and that if Jesuitism be
_really_, what they _imagine_ it is, and if the whole of England ever
became Catholic, and then, from Catholicism jumped to Jesuitism, in this
case, I certainly think that these limbs of the law, will not have to
study, the celestial arts of Jesuitism, as pourtrayed in their own
imagination; for they will be _already_, perfectly dubbed masters of
Israel in that art, and they will certainly occupy distinguished places,
in the various departments of _mental reservations_, pious frauds, and
charitable tricks and quirks upon their neighbour's pockets. Really this
reminds me of Paddy, who had just arrived from Ireland, and was
_sneeringly_ asked by a _busy_ Englishman, what kind of a crop of
Murphies, they had had in Ireland? Pat had a shillalah in his hand, he up
with it, knocked down the Englishman, and said; "And sure your honour, we
have had a very good crop of Murphies, and you may know it by the feel,
for that is the stalk of one." Now, I hope these limbs of the law, will
not be offended at me for taking up my spectacle shillalah, and just
politely flooring them, for their _Jesuitical inuendoes_ and _mental
reservations_ in my regard. I hope they will not be offended, at my
defending myself, for their own profession will teach them, that every
one is allowed fair play, whether he be a metamorphosed calumniated
Jesuit, or a limb of the law in the body of a man's pocket. But far be it
from me to adopt their extensive, and sweeping mode of argumentation,
viz., the law of the land is a heap of deceptions, and tricks, now such a
man is a lawyer, therefore he must be a sleight-of-hand gentleman in that
art. Before I make this sweeping conclusion, I ought _first_, to examine
seriously, and carefully, if the law _really is_, this strange compound
of deceptions, and I ought then, to examine and really know, that this
lawyer has really acted according to this deception, I ought to do this,
before I condemn him personally, or open the flood-gates of condemnation
on the whole respectable body of lawyers. This is the argumentation which
reason and justice tell me I ought to adopt. Now just let these limbs of
the law, adopt this line of argumentation with regard to Jesuitism and
Jesuits, and then, they will be both limbs of the law, and limbs of fair
play.
[E] But some one will perhaps inquire, does the Protestant Church
consider _your_ Catholic Ministers _really_ ordained? I reply she does,
for were any Catholic Priest to go over to the Protestant Church, she
would not ordain him. And why? Because the Protestant Church got her
ordinations (if she has any) from us, and to question _our_ ordination,
would be to strike at the foundation of _her own_.
[F] "Catholicity, which has been this night, the subject of so much
abuse, has been the belief of the most extensive, and enlightened nations
in Europe, and of the most illustrious characters, that ever did honour
to the name of man."--(Speech of Lord Hutchinson in the House of Lords,
May 10th, 1805.)
[G] The following are the words of Mr. Cobbett, a protestant, writer
respecting the introduction of the Protestant religion into these realms.
"The Queen (Elizabeth) reigned for forty five years, and these forty-five
years, were spent in deeds of such cruelty, as the world had never heard
of, or read of before; and all for the purpose of compelling her people,
to submit to this established (Protestant) Church. With regard to the
cruelties of this monster, in woman's shape, her butcherings, her
rippings up, her tearing out of the bowels of her subjects, her torments
of every description, in which she was always cordially supported, by the
lawgiving makers of the (Protestant) prayer book, I must refer the
reader, to my history of the Protestant reformation; suffice it to say
(here), that in these forty-five years, which were employed in the
establishing of this Church, there were more cruelty, more bloodshed,
more suffering, than ever were witnessed in the world, in any other
country in a like period of time." (Cobbett's Legacy to Parsons, p. 38.)
AN ADDRESS
TO THE
CLERGYMEN OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
"A marvellous project, (is) i'faith, and a merry jest withal!"
MOST REVEREND GENTLEMEN,
You cannot be _surprised_, that I have _not_ taken my text from the
_Scripture_, for many of you tell the people, that we _Catholic_
Clergymen wish to conceal from the people that sacred volume. To have,
therefore, taken my text from the _Scripture_ for the _sake_ of the
_people_, would be like falsifying your words, and to have quoted it for
your instructions, would have been most presumptuous on my part, as every
one knows you are masters of Israel, both in word and deed, in the
knowledge of that sacred volume. Had I, therefore, been so presumptuous
as to have quoted Scripture for _your_ information, you might have
perhaps addressed me in the words of the Poet--
"Ye Popish blockheads, mitred Cambridge cries,
Begone; I and my friends alone are wise,
Rich with the spoils of Babylon, 'tis fit
That _we_ should claim monopoly of wit."
Well, among the great diffusion of biblical knowledge, which has been so
_gloriously_ spread among the people by your Scriptural Church, as by Law
established, I happened one day _fortunately_ to hear, that you
Reverends often told the people, that there was a golden and heavenly
rule in the Scriptures, viz.:--_that they were never to do unto others,
what they would not wish others to do unto them_. Now we cannot for a
moment suppose, that like spiritual guide-posts, _you_ would wish to
inculcate this golden rule to _others_, and not follow it _yourselves_.
Well then, you have been _lately_ trying to arouse the indignation of the
people, by informing them in the most _dignified_ manner, that the Pope
of Rome has just made a most "extraordinary, and presumptuous movement"
on the Protestants of England. Now what shall we say, if it turn out,
that you and _your Reverend_ Protestant ancestors, have for a long time
been making a "most extraordinary, and presumptuous movement" on the
_pockets_, and on the _intellects_ of Englishmen?
Let us then proceed to examine _coolly_, and _calmly_, the above points.
I will endeavour, most Reverend Gentlemen, to discuss these points with
as much temper, and forbearance as I possibly can. But, you must
remember, that _you_ and many of _your_ Reverend body, have been
endeavouring to convict, _without ceremony_, the _numerous_ and
_respectable_ Catholic body of England, of the crimes of wishing to
extend their _popish spiritual_ and _temporal_ domination over the
Protestants of England. For this purpose, your zealous and Reverend body
have, with pious industry, raked together the filth of ancient
controversy, and poured it _without mercy_ on the heads of Catholics, and
on that Church, of which it is my pride to be a minister. Now, Reverend
Gentlemen, _you_, who deal so copiously in hard words, certainly ought
not to complain, if you should happen sometimes, to meet with them in
return. If _you_ demand respect from _others_, you ought certainly to
respect a _more numerous body_ of Christians, (I mean the Catholic
Christian world,) who have no reason to think themselves, your inferiors
in talent, learning, or judgment. Well then, let us now proceed to the
discussion of the above two points.
Most Reverend Gentlemen, in a book (but _mind_ not the _Scripture_)
called the _extraordinary_ Black Book, published in London in the year
1831, by Effingham Wilson, Royal Exchange, I find the following
statement of the income of the Church of England as by Law established.
Of course, I am aware, that certain changes have been made by Government
(since the publication of the above book) as to the amount of individual
incomes, but the _aggregate_ sum is still absorbed by the Protestant
Church, as by Law established. Well then, in the above-mentioned,
extraordinary Black Book, I find the various incomes of the Church of
England there stated, and would you believe it! they form a sum of money,
TO THE TUNE _of nine millions, four hundred and fifty-two thousands, five
hundred and sixty-five pounds per annum_.
Now let us see, how well the Bishops, and Archbishops of the Reformation,
have thriven on the above _spiritual_ food. The following is an extract
from the probate duty returns, and of course, must be _real_ testimony as
to the _worth_ of these _poor in spirit_ children, when they awoke "in
that undiscovered country, from whose bourne no traveller returns."
EXTRACT FROM PROBATE OF WILLS.
L
Stopford, Bishop of Cork, left his family 25,000
Percy, Bishop of Dromore 40,000
Cleaver, Bishop of Ferns 50,000
Bernard, Bishop of Limerick 60,000
Knox, Bishop of Killaloe 100,000
Fowler, Archbishop of Dublin 150,000
Beresford, Archbishop of Tuam 250,000
Porter, Bishop of Clogher 250,000
Hawkins, Bishop of Raphoe 250,000
Agur, Archbishop of Cashel 400,000
Bishop Warburton 500,000
Now just add up the above items, and then, you will see that these
_Protestant_ Bishops and Archbishops, _after_ maintaining themselves,
their wives and families, left _behind_ them, according to the probate
duty returns, _no less than the enormous sum of two millions and
seventy-five thousand pounds sterling_. Really, when these _mammon-godly_
souls entered the gates of heaven, with all these paraphernalia of gold,
how amazed must the celestial inmates have been! They would wonder
whence these _golden_ spirits came, but of this they would be convinced,
that they must have come from the land of the _living_, and had certainly
_piously_ reformed the words of the Scripture, "Blessed are the poor in
spirit," and really verified the words of my text, "What a _marvellous_
project is faith, and a _merry_ jest withal!"
So far, Reverend Gentlemen, I think the people will begin to conclude,
that your Reverend body has, for some time, been making a most
"extraordinary and presumptuous movement" on the _pockets_ of Englishmen,
and would to heaven! I could stop here. But I must _now_ show the people
of England, that _your Protestant_ Church as by Law established, is
receiving more money by _four hundred and fifty-three thousands, five
hundred and sixty-five pounds_, than all the other Christian churches in
the _whole_ world. The above _extraordinary_ Black Book, gives a scale of
the _comparative_ expenses of the Church of _England_, and of all the
other _Christian_ churches in the _whole_ world. Now by this scale, it is
shown that the _total_ income of all the Christian churches in the
various parts of the world, is eight millions nine hundred and
ninety-nine thousand pounds; and the above scale shows, that the income
of the Church of _England_, is nine millions, four hundred and fifty-two
thousands, five hundred and sixty-five pounds. Now, if you will just
place the _smaller_ of these under the _larger_ number, and subtract the
one from the other, you will see that the _income_ of the Protestant
Church _in England_, exceeds the total income of _all_ the other
_Christian_ churches in the whole world, by _four hundred and fifty-three
thousands, five hundred and sixty-five pounds_. Oh, mighty England! thou
boastest, _and justly_, that thy majestic fleet rides on the waves, the
triumphant mistress of the seas; and thou mayest also _as truly_, but not
_so justly_, boast, that thy _Scriptural_ Church, as by Law
_established_, rides triumphant on the _golden_ waves of _mammon_, and
that she is _really mistress_ of the world, _in point of mammon_; she is
_truly_ the _grand_ and _golden_ emporium of _clerical_ incomes. Oh, how
justly may the ministers of this Church, address her, as their golden
calf, in these words of the Scripture, "Where _thou_ goest, _I_ will go;
and where _thou_ lodgest, _I_ will lodge; and _thy_ people shall be _my_
people." (Ruth i. 16.) "Yea! and we will kill the fatted calf, and slay
the rams, and make _merry_." (Prov. v. 9.)
But you will reply, we got all this money from _you papists_. Yes,
courteous clerks, to the _honour_ of the Catholic Church be it said, that
all this money was left by our _charitable_ ancestors; and I will now
judge you from _your own_ mouths. _Mind_ and _mark it well_, that in the
_Catholic_ times of old England, the above sums of money were divided
into _three_ parts: _one_ for the maintenance of the clergy, the _second_
for the repair of the churches, and the _third_ for the support of the
_poor_. In those good old _Catholic_ times, there were no church-rates,
nor poor-rates. But your _god-like_ church as by law established, thought
it more just, or at least _convenient_, to pocket _herself_ the _whole_
of the above sum, and to leave to the _public_ the charitable office, of
providing for the other _two_ purposes. Really, Most Reverend Gentlemen,
I candidly appeal to you, if this was not "a most extraordinary and
presumptuous movement" of your clerical ancestors on the _pockets_ of the
people; and _really_, must not people of the _present_ day think it "a
most extraordinary and presumptuous movement" on the part of you Reverend
Gentlemen, to continue these _pious_ frauds, and _godly_ practices of
your ancestors? In _this_, at least, you _fully_ observe the commands of
the _Scripture_, "Remove not the landmark of thy forefathers." Oh ye
poor! (whom I sincerely love for the sake of my Saviour,) when I enter
your hovels, where sickness, misery, and want meet together, and witness
the scenes of distress that are passing there;--when I see a few handfuls
of dying embers, that are calculated rather to starve you, than afford
you the necessary comforts of warmth;--when I see the bed of
wretchedness, on which you cast your wearied limbs;--when I view the
tattered clothes, which scarcely cover you decently, much less protect
you from the inclemency of the weather;--when I behold your pale and
sickly countenances, that bespeak the poorness and scarcity of your
food;--when I view your poor little children, begging in vain, with tears
of artless innocence, a morsel of bread to satisfy the cravings of
hunger;--when I witness scenes of this heart-rending description, (scenes
which are not very uncommon now-a-days), the _charity_ of our _Catholic_
ancestors, and the _inhumanity_ of _your_ Church as by law established,
rush vividly on my mind, and call to my recollection the words of our
Saviour, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess ye the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave
me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink. I was a stranger, and
you took me in; naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I
was in prison, and you came to me. Then he shall say to them also that
shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, which was prepared for the devil, and his angels. For I was hungry,
and you gave me not to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink.
I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked, and you covered me not;
sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer
him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?
Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did
it not to one of these least," (namely the poor), "neither did you do it
to me." (St. Matt. xxv. 34 to 45.) Oh how _strikingly_ does the _first_
part of this sacred passage apply to _our charitable_ Catholic ancestors?
But shall I apply the second part to _you_, or _your_ Protestant
ancestors? Oh! heaven forbid I should! I say with the great St. Paul, I
judge no man; but charity for you, and the poor, induce me to entreat of
you, and to ask of God to give you His grace, to commence a real reform
in your _church property_, for the _sake_ of the _poor_, and to restore
to the _poor_, what your Protestant ancestors so _unjustly_ took from
them.
But you will perhaps reply, that all this church property, has been
_justly_ given to your Protestant Church, by the _law_ of the _land_; for
as the law of the land, _justly_ secures _to the landlord, his rents_, so
the law of the land, _justly_ secures to _your church, the tithes_. I
answer, in the first place, that by no law, either human, or divine, can
property be _justly_ applied to any _other_ purpose, than to _that_ for
which the _intention_ of the testator left it. Now one-third of this
church property, was left by our _Catholic_ ancestors, for the support of
the _poor_; and _as long_ as this property, was in the hands of the
_Catholic Church_, the poor always received _their just_ share. Hence,
among _all_ the calumnies against the _Catholic_ Church, even her
_basest_ enemies, could _never_ accuse her of _injustice to the poor_. I
answer secondly, the law of the land, as to _landlords_, is a _good_ law,
because the landlord gives to his tenant _value_ (viz., the use of the
land) for what he (the landlord) receives; whereas the law of tithes is a
_bad_ law, because it often exacts tithes, where the payer has never
received, _one farthing_ of value from the _parson_. Now in this case, it
does appear to me (and I am sure it must to many others) most unjust to
demand it _from persons_, who never received a _pin's-worth_ of good,
from _your_ ministry in their lives. Nay, perhaps the _only return_ they
got, for the payment of their tithes was, to hear their religion
_abused_, and to be held up before the public, as guilty of those _very_
crimes, which _these_ reverends _themselves_ were _really_ committing,
either by their robbing the poor of their just share, or by unjustly
exacting from _others_ money, for which the _payers_ had never received
one farthing of value.[H]
And now, most Reverend Gentlemen, I must just let the people see, how you
contrive to blind them, by throwing _popish_ dust into their eyes. All
the noise, which you make, _about the pope's bulls, and about popish
spiritual and temporal domination_, is a mere _ruse de guerre_ of _many_
of you, (some of you indeed, I believe, are sincere in your motives, and
actions,) to divert _public_ attention, from the _great temporalities_
of the established Church. You call, and hold your public and glorious
meetings. With upturned hands and eyes, with high-_souled_ strains of
_devotional_ eloquence, with cordial community of feeling, got up between
the _established_ Church, and _those_ whom you indeed honour _with your
lips_ by the title of reverends, but whom, _in your hearts_, you deem
_mere phantoms_ of ministers, with silvery tones, and well-turned
periods, of _rag-tag_ and _bob-tail_ inspirations; you excite the
breathless attention of your audience, and profess the _most sanctified_
attachment to your _godly_ Church, and to your glorious Constitution,
under the protection of whose wing, _you_ are _slyly_ basking in the
sunshine of _godly_ mammon, and _worldly_ wealth. Should any poor
_Catholic_, or _charitable dissenter_, (who wishes _you_ to _do_ to
_others_ as _you_ would be _done_ by,) obtrude himself on the notice of
your meeting, a thundering philippic is _instantly_ raised against
_popery_, and gaining strength and speed, and loudness in its progress,
rumbles onward, until at last, it bursts forth into a _tremendous_
elemental roar, increased by the zealous acclamations of an enraptured
and fanatical audience. Oh, most Reverend Gentlemen, this is really a
_glorious_, and _very profitable_ humbug. _As long_ as _you_ can manage,
to keep the people in _this feverish state of excitement_, the gulls will
think more of _discussing pope's_ bulls, _Guy Fawkes's, and Gunpowder
Plots_, than of _questioning_ the _moral_ basis of the law, which
entitles _you_ to take from _the poor_, their _just_ share of _Church_
property, left by _our charitable_ ancestors, and of exacting tithes and
Church-rates from _those_, who do not belong to _your_ flock, and _for
whom you do nothing in return_. Thus, you _successfully_ stave off the
_discussion of Church_ property, professing all the while, the most
_devotional_ concern for the _spiritual_ welfare of _the gulls_, on whose
_pockets_, you are making a most 'extraordinary, and presumptuous
movement.' Thus _you_ reap the _profits_, and _laugh_ at the _fools_, who
are _cajoled_ by _your grand_ displays. Really, most Reverend Gentlemen,
this extraordinary and presumptuous conduct, does, in my humble opinion,
_beat all the powers of impudence_.[I]