The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-11 00:00:00

IRELAND.

FURTHER EXTRACTS FROM THE EVIDENCE TAKER' REFORE
THE COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS, ON TILE
STATE CF IRELAND, MARCH 21.
The Most Rev. Dr. Murray, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Dublin, examined.
How many years bra you been Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Dublin ?—Since the decease of my predecessor, on the 11th of
May, 1823.
Were you Coadjutor to the late Dr. Troy a—l was.
How many years ?Since the year 18119.
Will you be so rend as to explain to the Committee what Is the
nature and origin of the authority of the Pope ?—The origin of the
authority of the Pope We hold to be from God, who established a
head of the Church which he wished to appoint on earth ; the na.
tore of his authority is, that he is the executive power of that
Church; his office is to Watch over and enforce the observance of
the canons ; he is, besides, the centre of Catholic unity. the great
link that holds together all the different parts of the Catholic body
so that each Catholic throughout the world, finding himself in
communion with the head of the Church, may know thereby that
he Is in communion with the *hole beide.
Is his authority confined altogether to a spiritual authority ?
Wholly confined to a spiritual authority, according to the words of
our Saviour--" 3ly kingdom is nut of this world.
Is that authority under the control of general councils?—That
authority is limited by the councils and canons of the Church ; tie
is the executive power of the church, appointed to preside over it,
and enforce its canons or laws. Those canons veal to individuals--
for instance, in Bishops—certain rights, which, of course, it is the
duty of the Pope to protect, and nut to violate ; his authority is
thus limited by those canons.
Do the Catholic Clergy admit that all the bulls of the Pope are
entitled to obedience ?—They are entitled to a certain degree of re.
verence. If not contrary to our usages, or contrary to the law of
God, of course they are entitled to obedience as coining from a su-
perior. We owe obedience to a parent, we owe obedience to the
King, we owe it to the law ; but if a parent, the King, or the law,
were to order us to do anything that is wrong, we would deem it a
duty to say, as the Apostles did on another occasion—" We ought
to obey God rather than men."
Are there circumstances under which the Catholic Clergy would
not obey a bull of the lope P—Most certainly.
What is the trite meaning of the following words, in the creed of
Pius the Fourth :—" I promise and swear true allegiance to the
Roman Bishop. the successor of St. Peter" a Canovical obedience
in the manner I have just described, within the sphere of my own
authority.
What do the principles of the Catholic religion teach, in respect
to the performance of civil duties ?—They teach that the perform-
ance of civil duties is a conscientious obligation, which the law of
God imposes on us.
Is the divine law then quite clear, as to the allegiance due by
subjects to their Prince ?—Quite clear.
In what books are to be found the most authentic exposition of
the faith of the Catholic Church ?—ln that very creed that has been
mentioned, the creed of Pius the Fourth ; in the Catechism which
was published by the direction of the Council of Trent, called
" The Roman Catechism," or " The Catechism of the Council of
Trent ;" " An Exposition of the Catholic Faith, by the Bishop of
Meaux, Baguet ;" " Verron's Rule of Faith ;" " Holdeses Ana.
lyin of Faith," and several others.
The Conentittee have before them a petition presented to the
House of Commons, of the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral
Church at Peterborough i the petitioners say they consider as utter-
ly unfounded, the allegation of the Iloinieh Church being at eresent
less ambitious and less intolerant than in former periods of its his.
tory ; what observations would you be disposed to make upon that
paragraph ?—I consider it a very unfounded charge, which those
who allege it should be bound to prove or to retract. Ido not think
that any facts can be found to substantiate that charge : I conceive
that the Catholic Church is not intolerant, that the members of it
are not marked by any peculiar degree of ambitiou; on the con-
triers,. I find in them much humility, as much as in any other de-
scnptioa of Christians. I consider the charge wholly unsupported
by fact.
In 'velvet of faith, has any change taken place P—With respect
to faith there can be no change; the faith of the Catholic Church
we consider as invariable ; its discipline is always changing accord.
ing to the local circumstances of the different kingdoms in which it
is placed.
You are disposed to deny, that at present it Is either ambitious or
intolerant ?—1 wholly deny the charge.
To what authority can you refer, to show the true doctrine of the
Catholic Church, with regard to justification?—The Council of
Trent, most distinctly.
What is the doctrine of the Catholic Church, with respect to in-
dulgeneies ?—The authorities of the Catholic Church, have, in
virtue of the power of the keys committed to them, a power to re-
mit a certain portion of the temporal punishment due to sin, after
the guilt of sin has been remitted ; but im no case can indulgences
have effect, till the person is firm justified and reconciled to God.
Is there any sense, in which it is thedoctrine of the Catholic Church,
that faith is not to be kept with heretics ?.-Only in this sense, with
regard to divine faith. Our cede of faith is not the same as that of
Protestants—so we do not bold spiritual communion, or a common
system of faith with them.
Then in the ordinary acceptance of the words, it is no part of the
doctrine of your church, that faith is not to be kept with Heretics ?
It is no part of the doctrine, nor is it among the precepts of our
church. I merely made the distinction with reg.tni to spiritual
communion, lest that distinction, with regard to religious belief,
should be supposed to have a more uncharitable meaning.
Do Roman Catholics worship Saints as God ?—fly no means.
We honour them as the friends of God--and we honour (led in them,
as they are his friends, in whom his grace has triumphed.
Will you be good enough to describe to the Committee the nature
of heresey, according to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church
—The obstinate belief of error, which has been condemned by die
Catholic Church, is called heresy. An) contumacious error in
faith, any obstinate denial of an article of the Catholic faith, is
called heresy in the ecclesiastical sense of the word. We at present
use the word heretic very sparingly ; we choose rather, as it is an
offensive word, to say, " our dissenting brethren," or our "separated
brethren," or something of that kind.- The original import of the
ward " heretic," is merely a chooser of his own religion.
Is it a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church that there is no
salvation for heretics?—The doctrine of the Catholic Church, in
that respect, is very much the doctrine of the Established Church,
and that of every other Christian society, who hold that man owes
to God the homage of his understanding as well as that of his will,
and that therefore we arc as much bound to believe the things he
has revealed, as to do the things which he has ordered, and there-
fore any one who, through his own fault, does not submit to the
faith which God has revealed, and ordered to be believed, we con-
sider as a sinner, like any other sinner, and of course to be treated
as such ; it is our belief with regard to ourselves, as is the belief of
the members of the Established Church with regard to them, that
ours is the faith revealed by Christ, and ordered to be believed ;
that faith, respecting which lie has himself said, " He who shall
not believe shall be condenenel." We s rah all mankind to be
saved, but we are not to make a religion according to our own
wishes, we must submit to the decrees of Providence that has ar-
ranged it otherwise ; and since the Gospel of Christ requires faith
as en essential requisite for salvation, we must bow with reverence
to that decree; we cannot make a Gospel through a mistaken
liberality, and lead people into error by telling them they are safe
in choosing a religion for themselves, such as may appear hest to
them, except they employ the usual means to arrive at a know-
ledge of that faith which God requires er them. With respect to
Protestants, however, I mint say this: we do not bold that all
who ate not united externally to the Catholic Church are to be
lost ; we even hope that many who are attached to other bodies of
Christians, may (not haying a sutlieient opportunity of becoming
acquainted with the true faith) be treated with mercy before the
Supreme Judge. All Protestants who are baptised, become, by
the very act of their baptism, members of the Church of Christ,
children of God, and heirs of everlasting life; and if they die at
any period before they lose that innocence which is restored to them
in baptism, and their consequent title to Heaven, they will of
course obtain that immortal kingdom. At what period they may
lose that title, or whether they lose it at all, It Is not for us to,
judge; it is the business of God, who sees into the secrets of,
hearts, and who knows the opportunities which each individual has
to arrive at a knowledge of the faith which he has led, and
who will judge his creatures with mercy. A person baptised,
growing up in ignorance of what we consider the true faith, and
without the means of arriving at it, it' he do not commit any other
grievous sin to exclude him iron, Heaven, will reach • the glory of
God's kingdom with as much certainty as any one externally
united to our body, that is our belief with regard to external unions.
We hold that faith is necessary to salvation, because God has so
declared it ; lie has declared that they who do not believe shall be
condemned. With regent to individuals we pronounce no judg-
ment, because it is he alone who can decide upon the sentiments of
• than', heart. I beg to add, with regard to Protestants in parti-
cular, that in their infancy they are tendered by baptism heirs to
everlasting life; and that nothing can deprive them of the title thus
received, to the etheritsnce of Heaven, but some actual sin ; whe-
ther that be the sin of refusing, through their own fault, to accept
the faith that God has revealed, or any other actual sin. I believe
the Protestant Church teaches something like that in its lath Ar-
ticle, which pronounces them accursed who will say " that every
man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth. so that
he be diligent to frame his life occurring to that law, and the light
of nature ;" and in the Bth Article it adopts the three creeds, one
of which is the A thanasian, in which the doctrine of exclusive sal-
vation is distinctly marked.

A Cestous FACT.—In the " Voyage d [lsle de France,
el (isle de Bourbon, and on Cape de Bonne Esperance,
pas M. de St. Pierre, en 1768, 17697 is the following
passage :—" Je cis cooper avec des ciscau.v du verri dans
duns /'eau avec tine grand..
.facilite, Id dint (ignore Li
I cause." 'this is all that is there said about it. I hare ne-
ver met with any imiition of it in any other book, but 1
have stied the t xperintent, and found it to succeed. The
process is simple—Take a common thin wine glass, or a
pane of glass:, mai held it under water (in a pail) with one
hand, and plunge the other hand likewise in the pail with
a pair of szissars, when you ma) easily cut the glass in al-
most any manner; both the glass anti stissars must be en-
tirely immersed. I knew this long before I saw the book
1 above quoted, and 1 can in nowise account for it ; but as
it is possible some of your rea,iers may. I have troubled
you with these few Ii :es.

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CROWN SIDE.
[Before Mr. Juetiee LITTLLOALE.I