The Sun. — London, England, 1802-04-17 00:00:00

THE CONCORDAT. we have promised to our Readers to lay efore them the Substance of the Report of PoarAtt's tot he Legislative Body of Prance, and his Speech to the C ounc il o f S tate, on the subject of the Concordat, and the Organization of Public Worship. They run to a prodigious length, but the following Analysis will, we think, be found sufficient- IYample and satisladory.] "The Orator first established, in a manner equally solid and eloquent, the necessity of a positive Re ligion, in order to give morality the requisite ener gY, stability, and certainty, which it could never obtain from the 'philosOphy of men. The idea of a God, in the charaaer of Legislator, is as essential to the intelligent world, as that of a Creator, and fi rst Mover of all secondary causes is to the physical world. The 'Laws Only regulate 'certain aftions, "igion embraces the whole a the Laws only re.. strain the hands, Religion regulates the heart a the t aws nly respea fellow Citizens, Religion em braces one human race. 'tile" What wou ld M ora li ty h e ,' if i t rema i ne d con _ d to the l o f ty reg i ons o f S c i ence , an d if R e li g i - ' I nstitutions did not . make it descend within the r each of the body of the People ? Morality, with.. 0 111 Positive precepts, would leave reason witho ut t rul e Morality, without religious maxims, wo u ld h e like justice (without Tribunals. The force of aa unia n laws depends less upon their goodness, than ni t .Power which supports them : their pri n cip a l aa t e r a lt i consists in their being laws ; a .matter of 1, -- I ; 4l4 tion a but - a decisive faa. -Conseque nt ly, a p l ,giou s Morality, which resolves itself into formal ereepts, has necessarily a force which no Mor a li t y, . e IY philosophical, can possess. The multitude ut Ore impressed by that (Which commands, th an b y 14 `" wbicb is proved. Men in general require to be fi • • xed ; they require rather maxims than de.. of ". A positive Religion has besides the advantage unitin g Morality to rites, to praaices which be come its own support. Good aaions are prepared a." guaranteed by good habits; it is by praaising such thing s as lead to virtue, or remind us of virtue, 4 "at we learn t o l ove an d pra ai se Vi rtue i tsel f . To i e nY the utility Of rites - and religious ceremonies, a n •a te sPea to M ora li t y, wou ld b e to d eny t h e supe, ,i ati - re r el e y f fe s 9 . of sehsible things, to those which are That Natural Religion to which iiiet.,7 4 Y. rise by the' efforts of a cultivated reason, is to ta - a l ahstratt and intelleaual, and can never be cetrimoti to the People. Would not R e ligi on not ; * uu t Worship s o on b e wea k ene d ? W ou ld i t ta a „ n iallibly l ea d b ac k t h e P eop l e to id o l atry ? I'4'7 a Religion that did not speak to the eyes and. I,a .' ma gination,along' preserVe the 'empire of the n a rt ? If those who professed the same creed, were t, teat Y aa " no - Common tie, would there not soon be tyi s oi '' n Yreligious systems as i n di v id ua l s ? Th e tl e: e ° fall age s h ave consta'itly shewn the laudable to ire of inculc a ti ng w h at i s goo d, w h at i s ac th4lin* gto reason ; but h a v e t h e y ever agree d among li: u ts elves, as to what is good and re as o na bl e ?— , a .. e s not every one his own opi n i on , rand is he not re -4d -to his individual_ suffrage ? Since th e a d m i ra bl e . e es of t h e Roman Consul,have any discoveries b een Since morals by the mtre exertions of . humanscience? t e " t ee Ale Dissertations of PLATO, have less doubts then en tertained with regard to metaphysics ? If I.l l J e . b e a-riy fixed' ideas about t h e E x i stence an d sli p it) ; of Gob, w i t h regar d to t h e nature an d de lahati"'of hp;' are, they not found among thos e •by adheie M to a certain worst . iip,' and are unit e d. c o de t he bo n d s o f some positive religion ? As a. a of law s is necessary to regulate our interests,' VVi o t de of doft r i ne i s necessar y to 'fi x our opinions. T it ou t, accor di ng to t h e express i on of Marla: c I "R , " there i s nothiitg longer certain but rin- - ePt a : '"ta itself." • pr o ' e i , t is, therefore, the interest of ,Gover nment to th at t-t religious institutions.. We, perce ive more Shall ever the necess it y o f - public .instruCtion ; and ag i w e not protea religious institutions which ar e ,. duct were, the canals through which. ideas Of order, of Y . li onianity, and- ustice flow through all classes b„ 1 hifiztns ? Science can never be partaken .of be r ? a small number; but by religion one may : r e l i 41 ; st rnaed 'WithoUt becoming 'learned. It is saa;g;°n that points out, that reveals all 'the truths . meane are useful to men, who have neither time nor t a i s s for the lalaorious research. Who then would Nvle t l a t dry up that sacred spring of knowledge, h r i n " diffuses through all good maxims, which whiA s t hem before the eyes of every individual, •tt a , o, ' Perpetuates them by uniting them with rer rOaant and durabl e esta bli s h ments , an d which corn drasicates to them that authoritative and 'popular th e With out which they be unknown- to the multitude, and alniost to all men ? Let us hear cep vo ice of all the virtuous Citizens, who in the Wi th 'mental assemblies, have expressed their wishes . du l l re gard to what has passed before their eyes ( 1 1 the last ten years. t • sile nt l n I S time, say they, that th eor y s h ou ld be without'ef're faa, There can b e no k now l e d ge ligio e ducation, and no education without re- - de ser n t . The publi c instruttors have taught in a reli„ i ' since it was imprudently, proclaimed that InS tt . „'l ought . never to b e spoken of in schools. libiouhasfor ten years been at a stand; re tha."_yrlust be taken for the basis of education. 4411;ectlildten are . at present given rip to them oat . They rnu s idleness, to the most alarining profligacy. o ut ; n ate withou t any ideas of a Divinity, with_ arise notion of w h at i s just and unjust. Hence 14 06 u"rhAtous manners, h ence a people become Vita Whit it ought to b e, we cannot but sigh over ra t i on ' s which threatens the present and future gene.. &to n 4 ; '7lll,na: We see t h at a ll F rance callS reli the a ssistance of morality and sociatys „ , Govl er rrmen.t has not to balance the principle affairs it -must 'follow in the condua of Religious th But many thing s . are to be weighed in P l P2 l C"ti()n of that prineiple, The religious Pra nce is unfortunately too well known. iie v _ ‘ . "- t Y . in t hi s reapeCt surrounded with ruin and anon this: situa tion_ he'd raised ' in some per, t -th e - a - ta t a tin of form ing a new Religion, which 'let s an , more -adapted - to-Republican man. it_ o ne principles. 4' kit protnalg But a Religion' is trot formed aces a Lassa.- 4 11 the rived trona tl •power of Laws•i ICI; being fe a red, the power of ~. Religion dePenels entirely oti its being Belief is not to be forced in matters of •Religion ; whatever has the appearance - of novelty carries along with it the idea of- imposture and error. Antiquity is agreeable to religious Institutions, because that, with' regard to • these Institutions, belief is the more lively and strong, in proportion as the origin of its object is more remote, for we do not carry along with it any necessary ideas that might invalidate them. Moreover, a Religion is not believed, unless it is supposed to be Divine ; every thing is destroyed if we allow human agents to interfere. " Wisdom therefore prescribes to Governments to adhere to the existing Religions; which are sanc-' tioneel by Time, and the veneration of the People. " These Religions, the one known by the name of the Catholic, and the 'other by that of the Pro .testant Religion, are only branclth' of Christianity. Then what just motive coulti'determine Politicians to proscribe the Christian Worship ? The salutary, influence of the Christian Religion on the manners of Europe, and of all the Countries into which it has penetrated, has been remarked , by all Writers. If the Compass opened up the Universe, it is Christianity which has rendered it sociable. Among the Christian Nations, Letters and the Fine Arts have always formed an agreeable alliance with Re ligion ; it is the same Religion, which in, raising the Soul to the most elevated sensations, has ena bled genius to soar to a higher ,pitch of grandeur. It is Religion that has produced our firs t and most celebrated Orators,. which has furnished subjeets and models to our most illustrious Poets ; it is she Which has given rise to ,music amongst us, which has direOed the pencil of our noblest Painters, the chissel of our Sculptors, and to which we owe our choicest pieces of Architetture. Can we ldok upon a Religion as irreconcilable with our know ledge and manners, which a' DESCART2S, a NE W. 1 TON, and so many other . , great men professed ; which developed the genius of PAscat..and Bos- SUET, and formed the mind of -FE NELON ? Does not the Christian Reli g i on teach us all that is just, holy, and amiable ?-=-In every where recommending the love of mankind, and raising it's to the Creator, does it not fay the foundation of every good prin ciple ? Does it not disclose the true source -of Morals ? If the great body of ;he Nation, if ,the . must simple and least-instruaed minds are at pre sent more confirmed than SOCRATES 'and PLATO flit.- merly were, in the great truths of the Unity of'God, the Immortality of the Human Soul, and the exist ence of` a future state, do we not owe this to Christi anity ?—France has indeed been severely desolated, but what . should have become of her during the, storms of the Revolution, if, even unknown to herself, these habitual sentiments had not served as a counterpoise to our passions ? "Piety has founded all benevolent institutions, and also supported them. What did Ave do, when after the general devastation, we wished to re-establishs our hospitals ? We recalled those,Christian virgins, known under the name of the Sisters of Charity, who have generously devoted themselves to the service of suffering Humanity. Neither self love nor glory is able to incite unto thOse virtues which are too painful to be Undergone for the sake of human - applause. It is necessary to raise our regards 'above mankind ;. motives to encourage our benevo lent zeal, can only be found in that piety which animates benevolence, which is a stranger to the vanities of the world, and whieli :tualces us taste, in the career of public good,:those :consolations which reason alone could never bestow. eg•Christianity does not s,anaion any particular, form Of Government; it commands .the priests as . well as the:peOple to respea them all, as they a ll have for their objea the tranquillity of the present life, and as being all devoted to the glory of God' and the preserVation of social order. Is there any religion better suited to the policy of all Govern ments ?. " When we witness certain virtues, we seem' to. behold a :ray of divine light an the earth'. And shall we then' be able to preserve those virtues-when, we dry up the source from which they -A flow ?=--. Let us not deCeive ourselves ; it is religion alone: that enables•.us to piss the immense sliace that sepa rates God froth men. " 'The liberty which we have acquired, and the philosophy' which enlightens 'us . , - cannot indeed be reconciled with the idea of a reigning religion in France, and still less with that of an exclusive reli- I call that an exclusive religion, the rites of which are eXercised, while those .of every other re ligion are. prohibited ; a reigning religion, that which is conneded,more than any other with the state, and" Which enjoys in the political order, cer tain privileges which are refused to other worships, the public exercise of which may nevertheless be au ' thorised. But a religion may be protected, without being either exclusive or reigning. To protect, a religion, is to guarantee to those who profess it the, peaceable enjoyment of the spiritual benefits which they may propoSe to enjoy from it, in the same manner the . security of their persons and property is guaranteed. In that system there is nothing reign ing or exclusive ; for we may proted more thadone ; religion, we may protein them all. " The'system Of protedion differs widely from the system of. indifference • and neglth, which has been so improperly adorned with the . name of keligious toleration is a duty, a virtue of one man to another, and with regard to public right, that toleration is the respect of Government for the consciences of the citizens, and for the ob jeets of'their belief and veneration. Must we in terfere no more with modes of worship, but conti. nue that system of indifference and negleet which appear to' have been adopted as soon as The violence of the Re'vOlution was spent ? Does i)ot this plan of proceeding, though certainly preferable to persecu tion, carry along with it other inconveniences and dangers ? The Catholic religion, is that of the great majority of the French people. To abandon an engine so powerful, woukl be holding out a temptation to the first ambitious .Revolutionist to turn it against his country. ReligiouS'affairs have always been arranged by the codes of different States, in what regards the police of the State, " A State is in a precarious :sittiation; when it' contains A body of men who exercise a great infitt: enge over the minds and consciences' of men, with. - - •.! . • - out these •tileii being etintidled**ith it iihdei sour:3 form or other: The•Governtnenr, p . erceiving the necessity of ditelly interfering in niattets of reli gion by- means Of an oYerseeing proteaioni ai - id caking into consideration the scandals and schisms which desolkte the Catholic worship, professed by th, great majority of the French people, has been employed in devising the means' of extinguishing these schisms. The intervention of the Roman Pontiff was judged necessary ; and the Govern ment then resolved upon coining to a good un understanding with the Roman PontiiF., This was the wish of the great majority -of-the French people manifested in the proc4s verbaux of the General . Councils of the Departments, and'in the correspond ence of the Government with the Prefeas. . g‘ Would any one alarm us with the enterprizes of the Court of Rome But the Pope, as a Sovereign, is independent of every other_ Power ; though hi must always stand in need of the assistance of France. As the, head of a religious society, :the Pope has only an authority limited by known maxims, which have been preserved with particular care among us, but which refer to' the general rights of Nations. The Pope had formerly, in the reli gious orders, a Militia which obeyed him, which, riad rooted out the proper - Pastors,. and were always ready to propagate transmontain do&rines. Our laws have disbanded that Militia, and they had the power to do so ; for no one ever disputed the lic power to dissolve and put an end to arbitrary institutions, which .did not affect the essential. parts of religion, and which were judged to be of a sus. picious nature, and noxious to the State.!' (To be tontinued.) • The late Mrs. PJNTO, formerly the celebrated Miss BR ENT, was a memorable example of that noughtless improvidence which has often marked the eatrical charader. She was once in as high fame as any vocal Performer of the present day, and with common prudence might have realized a splendid fortune: She, however, unfortunately relied upon the continuance of her powers, and her influence Upon a capricious Public. 'Her .talents declined, and new objets attraded public notice. Hence, instead of securing herself •a. IlAdsome provisiOn, which she Might easily have: attained, she fell, into indigence and obscurity, and was,upable 'to procure the post of a Chonis Singer, after having been the first vocal Performer of her day.' STEPHEN KEMBLE, who has been some time in London, on a visit to his brother, has been raising many recruits for his SuMmer, campaign, and among these are several veterans of much renown in the theatricid field. We were'in . hOpes that. the Public would have seen this Gentleman's Falstaff before he left, town, as it haS a considerable. degree of provincial repute, and, according to the report.of very good, judges, is a performance of great merit. The Pope, it seems, permits such of 'the C.'atho-. _ lic Ecclesiastics as entered into the pale of matri nlony.since the French Revolution, to• retain their rwives. It is to .be hoped that these Ecclesiastics have reason to consider this condescension of -h4 Holiness as a blessing. A Leopard lately escaped horn the Menagerie at Schoenbrunn, near 'Vienna, and had reached the Country, to -the terror of the inhabitants. Thirty determined Cavaliers pursued him, took him, and brought him back to his prison. A few dayS ago, Ann Hudson summoned Mrs. Henderson before the Commissioners of Requests', to enforce the payment of rl. Bs. alledged to be due to her . for two Months wages. The girl said,, she had hired herself to. Mrs'. H. who was a maiden lady, residing at Somers Town, on the 6th of Feb, last, and was astonished to find that her particular ser vices were to be dire led to the care and mainte nance of six - favourite - Cats, for whom she was to 'purchase ,food, prepare it for their eating, and to give it up after their particular palates.- Each cat was allowed id. a day, making.in the whole 35.6d.' a week, which money, she said, had'been given to her by her mistress,. and' which -sliehad regularly, ex- Fended ; fiat finding she could nor, give satisfac tion, and feeling herself degraded, in so strange an 'employment, she deterinined on quitting, to. which her mistress consented, insisting at the same time on stopping 6d. a week out of her wages, that sum hav ing been regulatly cribbed out of the allowance made, .to her little . fa , v,ourites. She would not consent to this stoppage, ,and, her mistress had refused to pay her.,, The Lady, in her turn made her complaint, 'and contended, that the .Maid had converted the . allowances of the Cars to other purposes. The Commissioner's decided it; favour of the Servant. Yesterday ainga Jew undertook to walk five 'miles on the Whitechapel-road•within the hour, for a wager of 20 guineas, carrying at the. same time a weight of fifty:pounds. -It became a.matter of dis pute whether • he had lost , or won ;. but .an immense number of Jews being .present, they carried the point their own way. A melancholy accident occurred at' Braintree, in Essex, ,on Sunday night last, at the ,house:of Mr.. J. Theedham, maltster, of that place; whose eldest daughter, about 23 years of age, was so much bruised by the falling in upon her of. an upper:floor, over loaded with malt, and under which -she slept; as to occasion her instant death. It 'appears that for want of room in his malting, Mr. Theedham had l a id about 30 quarters Of malt in a garret, in the room under which the deceased slept in one bed, and two children in another in the corner of the same room. —That about ten •at night the a c cid en t h a pp e n e d,. , which so alarmed Mr. Theedham, that he immedi ately rushed to 'the spot, a n d in his htirry, pecipi tared himself among the ruin s , and it was with much difficulty that he made shift , 'td . .crawl 'out, Mr. Theedham returned, and after some labour dr6v out the two children, who had providentially received but little injury. About twelve o'clock on. Saturday evening last, the Nuneaton Carrier froni COVentry, and two per, sons in his cart, were stopped and robbed of money and goods, by four villains armed ivith. about a quarter of a mile from Nu4eaton. kfortu nately happened' that a post-chaise came in 'Sight just before they - hat . time to make 'off with the whole of the booty, in consequence . of which they were compelled to leave a bag, containing a large quantity of manufactured silk, easily &c. behind, ii; . :cox the Lord Provosi and Magistida G DOUGLAS, Esq. ippOillted GEORGE Advocate; be one .or . the City'S Assessors; in the rooni of JAMES OSwALIS, Esq. deceased. Tuesday arrived at Aberdeen; tcvo. ConiPaniec> of the korfarshire Militia; 'which had been quartered At ljanff and, Peterhead, to join. th 6 1 - 16itd.quarter previously to their bcing diserribOdied: SHREWSBURY ; APRIL i 6. THe Flintshire Militiai under the 6riitiiimcl cif Capt. ItSo..Eny, arrived at Chester on Monday se'nnight, and next day marched for Holy Well; On Monday last arrived in this tOWn, after an absence of nine years, six companies of the Shrop shire Reginient of Militia. They were received by their families and friends with the most wel come gratulations; such as they have Well merited by a course of exemplary discipline, and a constant readiness to exert themselves in the service_of their Country. The whole were regaled on their march with plenty of bread and cheese, and excellent ale; at Atungham, the seat of their Worthy Colonel the: Right Hon. Lord BE w CK. The following Letter from the MAGISTRATES and MEacHANIrs of YARMOUTti, to ARCHIBALEi DICKSON, ESII, Admiral of . the - Blue and Com mander in Chief, stationed there, on the rumour df his leaving that place, and his AnsWer thereto, passed in the.beginning of this week. sl,ll, . Yoroioutb; April iti; 1802: We, the undersigned Magistrates and Merchants in the Bo.: rough and Port of Yarmouth; beg leave to express Our warn - lest acknowledgments, for the attention you have con stantly evinced in the arduous and importani duties of yOur station, as Admiral and Commander of the North Sea Fleet, to the welfare of the'Public ,in general, and in paiticular to us as Inhabitants' of this Town, who have not only expel rienced security in our Marititile;:oncerns from F ore i gn Ene mies; but also by' Your well-judged adoption of:-salutary measures for the governmentof those under your Command; have escaped the inconvenience sometimes attendant on so great an increase Of People. Assuring 'yon of the real repel telt on the rumour Of your shortly leaving tit - IS-place, and anxious to convey these our sentiments; . . We remain, verrrespectfully; SIR, - Ybur most obedient humble Servants; • (Signed.) by the - MAYOR, MAGISTRATF.,S . ;!hti MIRCHANTS of YARMOUTH. Admiral c )(sort. 131etzheini, Yarmouth koadt; iSoz. • OntTt.taariv, , • ' • 1 haVe the honout to acknowledge the receipt of yhttr Lgt ter. of yesterday's date, signifying i n ' terms highly grateful to my feelings, via safisfattion and approbation of the protec • lion atforded by the Squadron under my Ctimmaia4 ,to the •Tracle...of Great Yarmouth;.. and in return thereto permit to assure you, that in the diSeharge of this 7n - Ipottani part of my duty, I derived the greatest satiSfadion from a conviC - tioh of having at all tines, consistently with the great and many services required of the 'force entrusted .to my care, been ready to attend to your reqilests; and also as far as my means permitted; to anticipate your wishes. I t ',affords me no less satisfaclion,to'be informed thai ,ou have experienced . none of those inconveniences wni c h -.;umetinies will be the consequence of Seamen 'visiting the shore, vt - ho for a long time have been obliged to submit to great deprivations; the the happy etfeCts of Good Qrder and Discipline, which,. I have ever studied to preserve, and Which. the several Cap• tains and Commanders under me have So zealously enfor c ed; have secured to this Squadron the honourable sentiments yoli -have been pleased to express. I pray for your individual welfare, and that the Trade - Of Yarmouth may flourish : beyond any former period, is the warmest wisl% Of my Heart.. Accept the esteem and regatd with which, 1 am; GenfleMen, _ _ _ Your most obedient humble Servant • • ARCHIJ3ALD DICKSOIkt. The NIAGIsTRATEsand MERCHANTS of Great Yarn). Otith. I On Tuesday se'nnight an inquest' was taken at He'jingly, 'in Sussex., by W. Wheeler; . .Gent. one of the Coroners for that County, •on a view of thit body of William Reed, a boy abotii is year s o f age; who,whilst employed in driving a plo. team, about ten.o'clock in the forenoon of Saturday the 3d inst. incautiously ate part of the root of a planti botanically named. CEnanthe-Crocata,' and common. • ly called Hemlock Dropwort, or Dead Tongue. An hour after having eaten the toot, lie was seized with dizziness; sickness, violent convulsions; and :Ho -all.the symptoms usually produced by poison, and; notwithstanding various efforts to give him medical relief; - he died about two o'clock in thet afternocin ,of the same day. Another boy who partook of the root was attacked:. at the same 'time with the like symptoms; 'but he was relieved from its deadly ef feClS by a strong emetic. This dangerous . plant was at first believed; by many, to , be the wild celery, and to the eye of a common observer; it might indeed haVe borne such ,an appearance, though it much more resembles the common garden parsley, but it grouts considerably larger. The Dropwort has also been mistaken for the Sinum Latifolium, or Water Parsnip, sci strong-, ly recommended by the Ancients-; as a powerful antiscorbutic; but from all these it may readily be distinguished by its large and sinall tuburotts; gered roots ; the roots of celery ; as well as of parsley, and the water parsnip, being composed of -fibres :only. This deceptive herb, so fatal in its .-effeds, cannot be too well known and,gnarded against, it may therefore be proper to:observe, that it grows by the sides of ponds, ditches, and rivulets: Thursday before Sir RICH. FORD, a man was committed for further examination, on suspicion of stealing 15 sheep,. the property of Thohias ES T . of Crqydon, By the evidence adduced, h ap, peared that early in the morning of the 9th inst, the' Prisoner was Met near toWn, on the kent road, by one Of the Police Patroke, who, suspefting the sheep to be stolen, stopped' the Prisoner, and ques:- tiOned him respecting" them; . when he said, he was going . to take . them to a Sattesman in Smithfield ; whose name he mentioned; and also that of the per:' son 'to -whom he pretended they belonged; the Pa, trOle, however, to be convinced, accompanied him to Smithfield, and'saw him put . thein into the pens of the Salesman he had mentioned, which satisfied him that they could not be stolen ; but on coming to Bowstreet he found mistake, intbemation having. been Just given thCie; and on returning to sMitlifield,. learned ; that the 'sheep in question had been soon after taken away by the man ky h ro ugh t •them there : the following - day they were lotthd in some sheep-peps aijslington, where they had been privately brought ; and on Monday last the Prisonet was apprehended in Surrey, by the same Patrole, • 4 . A