The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-01 00:00:00

It has always been my endeavour, my Reverend
Brethren, on the now many occasions when it has
pleased God to allow us to meet, for purposes I
trust, of metnal benefit, to direct your :attention
to such subjects as offered peculiar gronud for
gratitude, apprehension, or caution. ,Ninerotts
:are the blessisTs we are yet suffered to.enjoy—
great arc the dangers with which we arc threaten,.
ed ; and difficulties in the right performance of
the various duties of our sacred order scent to
increase. General irreligion and avowed depra-
vity, I need not again repeat, characterize the
present age ; and bitter are the fruits they pro-
duce. But may we not gratefully hope, that the
recent establishment of a system of National Edu-
cation, under the sanction of the highest authori-
ties in this kingdom, not only proVes the value of
religious principle to be rising in public estintal
tion, but also provides a remedy-for the evils uni-
versally felt front its decay. To you; lam confi-
dent, it is needless to point out the particular ad-
vantages' al this plan to the community at large,
(is diffusing knowledge under the guidance of, re-
ligious teachers, as promoting order, unanifnity,
and happiness ;or to recommend f to ffilr most
zealots care a measure so well adapted to draw
together again those bands of society Which leave
been loosened by many . lamentable causes. But
there is one point of view in which it appears to
me so strikingly important at the present moment,
that I cannot but consider inns a matter of serious
rejoicing to all who are anxiwis for the preserva-
tion of our national faith, and wlio week's! the
various modes by which it is directly and
redly assailed ---I mean the power with which
this systematic instruction may be made to ape-
rate in support of, the ProteStaut Church, by es-
tablishing genuine christianity in the minds of the
rising generation, should the legialaturesever he
induced to renuive those safeguards which have
been hitherto thought ;necessary 'for. its security;
I have never regarded the BOunau Catholic Ques-
tion solely in a political light, because in my judg-
ment, it involves in it the safety of the Prows-
-taut interest in these kingdoms ; and I am per-
suaded: that the severing this question from all
.religions considerations has greatly. Increased the
number of friends to %that is esiled CathOlicaonan-
:cipiitioes Under this persuasion, I adverted in
i(eneraL terms, at the'conclusion of my address to
-you at our last meeting, to the attempt then re-
:cently made, to procure the rerid of the laws
which render papists incapable of holding certain
iodices and situations of power and trust ; end I
sprotnised, if life shoOld be spared me, and cireum-
sstances should demand it, to enter nsorts fully-into
'the subject upon. :slitters! occasion. As the re-
hrated renewal of this attepnitsiore that time
as .excited additional' alarm and anxiety in the
..sninds of-peraons smost'sincerely attached to our
civil and ecclesiastical constitution, I shall now
I),soctsed to inquire into the groUnd sad nature of
Jilts disabilities in question, and to point out
Abe danger, which, Iscaneot hot fear,. would at-
,teotlacompliance withh the present claims of time
Papists.
ytte principles of:a Church establishment, and
sof totesation of those who dissent (rum, the Na-
Ahanal Religion, can scarcely he said to have been
4;1001%14 understood, till tha time of the revolts-
tiait and perhaps we may go farther, and.allirm,
sthat it .was impossible to ascertain what yegula-
lions would be necessary upoo these important
poiots, theconduet of Vapi,,,tt,', tinder a
.rrotestant establishment was seen nod known,a--
t
't-his was a new state of things ; aunt v‘liat would
be its precise effect, what streggies apt{ what con-
Jests might arise,famong men, whose religiotti
faith was so famialitentally ditferent, was beyond
the reach of human foresight. -\t the revolution,
more.than it century bad elapsed since the reform-
ed religion wassestahlished in these kingdoms
and.the knowledge of the dangers to tvhichsit had
been exposed during that period, front the restless
and „hostile spirit of those who still adhered: to .thea
Church of Bonte, enabled the great anddswise men ,
concerned in settling the tevolution„ to make
such provisions as would secure the Protes,.
tint establishment agaidst future attempts of
Papists. The lretes against, Papists were en-
acted not upon 'theory, but in consequence
of perils and evils actually experienced ; of
fsets and events, the object' and tendency of
which could not lie possibly Mistaken. SOtue of
the laws enacted theu and soon after, both in
Esel.ind and Ireland, have been repealed ; and
11,,:,5."ure of theta it is unnecessary..to take any,
ice. lint- others are yet in force ; and.
by cii e. laws, Papists arc riot eilowed to sit in
Parliamettt, to fill the great Ofiices of status, to
preside in our Courts of Justice or equity, or to
coinmand our army. or. navy. These are die only
di,l!hiiit ills. now, remaining , and iris imiterinl to
oh erve do not in ttie slightest degree hi-
llhese the trt,e principles. of toleration,
l'oleration aK it pmnission,-under the aiWiority
, of law, to every individual to profc%is the
ous opinions, which. he, nonce:Yes most eons();
resin to scripture, and, to wor6bin Ood in ;he ,nian
:nes most agreeable to the:: diesates of his eons
science. s Internal faith and external worship
comprehend ,the whole, its thin Clibjqet is
conceroed, of religious service ; teed whoever en-
joys unrestrained freedom t two respects,
enjoys perfe& Yeligious toleration, The queition
titetefore is, whether tint laws allow the
tants of this country to lilitilAU.lll the thictrines,
and exercise the ward-tip of the (~.bur.ttil of Rome,
'lt is well known, t.hat oar Liar's forbid neither' the
rank: avowal of the Romii, faith, uot the Lill,-
lie.xercke Of th R e obth w tuoyj:p :. Na
e y more;
the laws uot only psaaait, Jett they ~c 4 far protect
the RoMish wershifa, that. they punish every instill
or disturbance which may he offered to those' who
are engaged j.n.the performance at it. There is,
in fact, a regular Popish Hier:achy in lrel:md,
und in some degree in England, of Bishops arel
Clergy ot all their different ordctl: who are con-
secrated, Ardained, at appointed, to their, re-
hpeetive dignities and benefices, mid are all Owed
to pronoutice ecclesiastical censures and inflict

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Lfmge !.7ii!y.—There k now tife, bon9c of
Matthews, fordener, Amu.%ll, w -
tt)inl limacil ;1;,-try O'Brien, ARot 103-4‘o/tr
of hes lineal dest:end:ini;i reside with her.

LONDON: Prititml. by 1:110Zj.477;,Y4,:ticii,), cI Ng. `,24, VAP.,,k711-4:0t10, 1:1",;(1.:e'-';t1 vet, C„V4I-J! -zardcti; Pi..!,;:shetl 1)y WILLIAM AttN".' 1.:11 t 1:1PN, your