The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-16 00:00:00

CARDINAL WISEBiAN'B LECTURE.

Yesterday everting a crowded congregation assem-
bled at St George's Rumen Cetbclic Ca'hadn't to hear
Cardinal Wiseman's second lecture on the constitution and
functions of the Rumbas hierarchy. At the termination
of the used evening monies, the 'ordinal wended the pulpit
and delivered a lecture of which the following is an outline.
Hs said that at the conclusion of the previous lecture lse had
exhorted his hearers to put their confidence in the protection
of the crown for the preservation of that religious liberty
which had bens constitutioaally granted to therm Nor had
he best disappointed in his hope. Nothing could give them
• better idea of the armee of the crown of these realms, or
the excellence of oar sessitution, than the event. that bed
occurred in the mane of the preceding week. Most firmly
rooted, indeed, must that throne be in the very hearts of the
nation, when its occupier need exhibit no anxiety, nor be
moved from a jest cad even course by a commotion which
was disturbing the nation from end to end. A voles
had been heard from the throne tender, yet fins
as became a CICIINI3, extending protection to those
who bad been assailed, and equal rights to all. It was his
pleasing duty thus publicly to acknowledge his sense of the
truly royal course which bad been adopted by our sovereign,
and of the equity and moderation that had suggested it.
With respeet to the functions of the catholic hierarelashe hid

endeavoured to prove in his last lecture that its establish-
ment in this country was no invasion of the rights of any
one, and it followed that ifs action lay stnctly within a'
catholic sphere. Their wish was not to inertia.. their power
bet to systematise and consolidate it. Every man had a'
right to do what he liked with his own freehold provided he
did cot 'lariats upon the ridit of his neighbour, and it was
quite lawful for hint to decide upon what was necessary and
proper for himself. They wars asked, why had they sought
for the hierarchy ? And kis answer was, hid they trans.
grassed the law, or gone beyond the limits of their um
doubted right? II they had not, it was for them alone to
judge what was necessary for their ecclesiastical government
The establishment of a cati.olle hierarchy was a pro.
teetion which they bad a right to 'nail), for the
ititticlie system wes a combination of en unity so perfect,
each branch was so connected the one with the other, that
they must all remenjoined is unalterable connexion and in
communication with the blessed see of Peter. But this
anion between the various branches of the church and its

supreme head, did sot consist in direct and constant com-
munication, bat in unity and harmonious connexion, the
result of which wee that unity which they so highly prised.
Ths churches of Spain, of Italy, of France, and 01 various
other countries, stood in a relation to the great centre ot
unity somewhat similar to that in which some of our golonies
to the crown of these realms. Those colonies had been
!rowed local constitutions with the power, under certain
limits, of self government ? 011C•fttitl OCCUIOI4 of great
importance it might be necessary to refer to the government
at hem!, and there might be certain regulations according to
the Mamma of the colony from the mother country. But
could any one be surprised lithe colonies which had not been
so favoured should with to attain the same level,
and to be brought within the privileges and bene-
fit, of local elnstitutional government ? Such was pre.
ce.ly the position of the catholic, of this country.
He wished to be la •quality and communion with
the ther branches of the Christian church, and they seught
by constitutional means to carry their desire into ezectition.
It was an ••••• of • very recast date that • vicar-apostolic
in L *Mon bad iurisdiotion in Australia on the one side,
end in the West Indies on the other. At length a vicar.
apostolic was sent to Sydney, and he bed recently beau male
archbishop of that town. Was it unnatural, then, that the
catholic* of England, who had for 200 yean been under
vicarsepostolic, should wish to be placed or. a level with
these places? and was not the establi hment of • hierarchy
is America, an offshoot of the Engish vicariate, ealcula•ed
to increase the desire;' Any increase of power or preroga-
tive which might ensue from each • change were mere
trifles to the solid advantages that meet accrue. Some ot his
hearers might remember—although, indeed, recent events
were calculated to drive recollection from the minds of men—
that in the spring of the peanut year there was an aroma
attempt mode by the moat zealous member* of the church of
Englaud to promote synodical action in their church. Things
went to such length as to threaten disruption between church
and state; and the Bishop of Lsodon proposed a bill to
obtain some' Ling like tree ecclesiastical scion in the quo
Lion of login's, but his prayer was not granted in nor
Nguema of his church being so let ered and hampered
by that state upon which he was then calling to
mail the catholic*. Them were then many who said that
the church should smart its inalienable rights, and some
went so far—oh that they would now remember thrill. words!
—as to may that if the church did not reassert the doctrine el
baptismal regoomation, she would, in feet, urchnrch herself,
and he reepon.ibls for the loss of one of her most important
dogmas. And yet she was obliged to forego that duty and
to abide by the results. While all that agitation was going
on amongst us in almost every country of the continent their
catholic brethren were calmly and gravely meeting in repeated
synods passing decrees and regulating practices, so that In
future eocleaiestical histories this ear would moat probably
be termed Me period of synods. if scab synods were near
eery for continental churches, how much more Reesman
were they for the English catholic*? For SOO years their
church had boos under the ban of the state, and for nearly
200 had had death or exile banging over the heads of the
bishops awl clergy. Toe noblest and best of the religion had
bean visited with flues and confiscation ; they had no re.
bourses for the education ot their nobility and gentry but
the foreign colleges, and were without places of
worship, without schools, and without ammonite.
Surely such • state of things required some revi-
sion, Nob,y bad their little church righted itself afar
the long storm, but still all that bad been done was only
preparatory to the re establishment of the regular hierarMG
cal system. Uedrr the late system the Vicars-Apostolic ears
each as independent of the other as if he resided in a differ.
eat country, there was no connexion between theta, no heed
to all the pastors together. Bat order a hierarchy the WO
was different. The bishops were all governed by a metro
politan or primate, and their united decisions beams
universal obligation. It wee clear then that this hierarchy
was essential for catholic purposes only, and yet, strange to
say, it had been represented as bowleg quite a different
object. They had been told again aad again that this moo
sure contemplated all Ragland, as If already catholic, end
that the documents by which the hierarchy sou established
were not used for catholic but for national purposes. Re
bad looked carefully back over those documents to me
whether there were any grounds for such an &earliest, and
he could not find one lice to justify the incitement that
had sprung up on this question. Beginning with the spar
tolie latter 13,1 which the hierarchy was constitated, he found
that it was addressed entirely to catholic England, and *poke
exclusivelrof a catholic conatitutioo, and towards the socolu-
stun Motion was stated to be the Maiming of vicars apostolic
into a regular hierarchy. In like manner he had looked
over his own pastoral amounting his appointment to the me
of Westminster, and ii only increased his astoaialment at
the manner in which his words bad been wilarepreoented.
That document was directed to the clergy, secular and
regular, and to the faitblul of his diocese. No one Gould
imagine it as addressing any other than catholic*, and at its
conclusion it stated that the nisesure was a restoration ot
tern catholic hierarchirdsovernmest in communication !vitt!

the see of Bone. Busily no ens could have imagined
that in that pastoral he could hone proposed to laded. all
the protestante et this country with the established churches
of England and Inland. The hierarchy of England was
originally established by St. Gregory the Great, whole
as ioosry, St. Augustin*, was mated Archbishop of Can.
Ornery, and Irons that time to the BAtormation the
Eighth emu& woe is communioe with the see of fit.
Peter. At that period the dieting:ions were lot or abut.
loud, sad the moth, front that time recognised by the
state, rejected sommoloa with the apostolic see, and la its
return was rejected by evuy other episcopal church
It the world. Catholics had never reseguised that hair-
tinny, moor recognised it as put of the embolic
shame, and for 300 jeers had suffered at the maid rather
than recognise It. The staple tact wee then that ciao the
reformation there bad not been in this seuatzy say hierarchy
selusowledged by the eatholiss or by say other thatch is
Christendom. That lately established was neognised, aad
than the salty of the English eatimile Aura with the other
chareket ef Christendom had beta restored. He did not
speak this sontesaptaously, he merely stated it as a fact,
reminding his hearers at the same time that the Anglian
abut& did not seek such oonmitoion, but es the contrary
absolutely respemiated it. There was thee so moor done
to the Chunk el Ifni and whisk stood aloes, sad wished to
remit' is the* potties. This led his to an important
document whist had lately appeared, sad whisk had ea im-
mediate bearing co the 'ablest they had been sonsidering.
Re alluded ti the address presented by M bishops of the
Chock of England le the (loth. They might natantlly
suppose that a Osumi so important had been meth Geo
fatly prepared, and yet It appeared that three tightest dohs
had been prepared from the fint sent by the MM.).
pakten to his suffragans, net for their motheratio
bet their subscription. Now if there was so point
upon which it silt be expected all the.. drafts would
agree, it would be the feadsineatal doetrine of royal
supremasy. Ate tot when addresses from bishop, to their
clergy, from clergy to their leeks, and from public men to
their occutitnents, were being thud la Modred*, and la
which they (the catholic') wimp old that they were Oaths,
the royal supremacy, they certainly h.d a right to expect
an Intelligible definition of that doctrine. Bat he would
read what those three drafts said ea the object. It No. 1,
which was seat to Butter from Lambeth, it wee stated that
" aa unparalleled lush wee offered to her Majesty's peers
prim and to lb. Omsk of whisk hrm Msjesty was the
earthly head la this kingdom." la the next, hem the ease
to the same, the words were "an unwarranted Jesuit has
bees offered m the skunk in this kingdom, ova whisk you
Majesty's authority is supreme." Is the third It was Really
set dawn, that "An owarthatable labels has bees offered

to the sisals to ;ion appestats tha
supreme goveraseat of all the estates of thb realm mob
siasical aad .'nil." If this last pusses was to b. seder-
stood as referring sorely to civil goverment, It was one to
shish ao esthdis weld shoe to stleperits nay were
awes that the Bishop of Esser hail refund to alga eves
this qualified unseat, and Sad the Class that she was
sot the hose of the Ohs* of Be/bad. nle (Oanthal
Wbosaa's) ohleat Ist slam Stsabs to thb gosaast,
w softly to show, In* the puttee differed
who as bra* abased the Pops of offend a oatissal
Walt. Bat Were was ass plat spot width sll thaw
sztraoralaary dosomisis upsook sad that was is bitter
setts[to tits sathatie Ohne* mad elliplue. They wore
et tessithig this pupas *whines iallatrere perilous
to Wee minden. htes with eeelptwi troth, sad hal
Og blasphemes Mese. Tbie desametia W MI, to be wesi

the authority of a Synodical eel, but It was the declaration
of 28 bishops, chosen, it morn be presumed, for their t►eo•
logical acquirements, and forming, in her, the ecelesiutical
cosinel of the nuke. The c►urch of 160 millions of people
throughout Christendom, and of 10 or 12 millions of her
Majesty's subjects, was stigmatised u blesphemlus, repag•
nest to God's word, and perilous to salvation. Was it
possible that so many could Ilse on such spiritual food ?
Was It not es likely that those millions might be physically
sustained by corrosive sublimate and prussic acid ? Hearing
such sentiments impressed, what then was their duty with
reseed to the establishment ? Why, simply to become part
of that old and gloriouo church which had taught the truth
for ages, to be recognised as one of the family of
Christian churches, with sees pure, episcopate, sod tell and
equal privileges, perfect instruction, although young in
growth ; and as the each rat church built all its basilica. on
the some plan, whether grand or small, whether the gor-
goons temple of the Lsteran or the wayside church, so wig
the English easholic church the same in strue:urs and in
principle as any of the churches of Ctristendom. In eon-
elusion he would congratulate his hearers that, differing
from the state of the Anglican church during what was
Galled the Gorham controversy, when to one sympatbi•ed
with it, the English catholio church had with it in its present '1
straggle the prayers of all the churches in Christendom.
Every catholic c matey in the world took the deepest interest
in their position, sad importune' h with prayers in
their behalf. From the cast multitudes assembled in msg.
nificent churches to the scattered populations of the country,
from the bishop of an ancient see to the MOUlliaill Curate,
there was &volume ...prayer ascending for them ; and eves
in the cc:oilcan of the consecrated virgins, w►e►e all worldly
ofßees might knock in vain, the state of their church was
sympathised with; and from the silent cells the spouses of
God were offering up their prayers to h for the welfare
of the catholic, of England.