The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-23 00:00:00

PAPAL AGGRESSION.

ADDRESS TO HER MAJESTY FROM THE
IRISII PRELATES.
The following is the address to her Majesty from
the Prelates of the Established Church in Ireland,
with the reply of the Secretary of State:—
. " TO VIE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
And humble Address of the undersigned Archbishops,
and Bishops of the United Church of England and
Ireland.
" May it please your Majesty,—We, the Archbishops
and Bishops of the Irish provinces and bishoprics of the
United Church of England and Ireland, apporach your
Majesty at this time with the humble tender of our duty,
and the expression of our heartfelt participation in those
sentiments of devoted loyalty to the Crown, and of
unshaken attachment to the principles of the Reforms-
Akin, which the reccut proceedings of the Bishop cf
Rome have drawn forth so generally from your Ma-
jesty's subjects in England.
Ttie same laws of the realm which have made one
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have no
less established one United Church of England and Ire-
land. And the Irish branch of that United Church, as
it has always been faithful in the maintenance of the;
union of the kingdom, so has it ever been and now is
equally earnest with the English branch in denying the
pretensions of any 'foreign prince, person, prelate, state,
or potentate,' to any rightful jurisdiction, power, supe-
riority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spi-
ritual, within this realm.'
" The recent exercise of such a pretended right by the
Bishop of Rome, in constituting a territorial hierarchy in
England, subject to his supreme jurisdiction, is, happily,
in that form,
as yet a novelty in Great Britain; but, un-
happily, it is not the first exercise of such pretensions
within the bounds of the United Kingdom. For, in Ire-
land,
where the prerogative of the Crown is by law one
and the same as in England, the Bishops of Rome have
long ago pursued a course not dissimilar to that now at-
tempted in England. At the period of the Reformation,
nearly all the Irish bishops renounced the Papal autho-
rity; and of these the prelates of the Established Church
are indisputably the regular successors. It was not
until after the lapse
episcopate was gradea several years a new and rival
has become politically 3i introduced by the Popes, whieh
this
formidable to the stability of the
United Church in hi
its efforts to make
promote peace, unity, and cwonncord
knocouritry, besides obstructing
the Word of God, and
among your Majesty's
subjects.
" We have thought it accessary to advert to these
well-known facts relating to Ireland, Iseca
use they seem
to have been almost, it not altogether, lost
the indignation which has beenexcited sight of, in
attempt of the Pope to exert the like power in England.
the
recent
Uneasy apprehensions have been awakened within us
calledb
by observing that, in the addresses, and resolutions
and speeches, which that bold procedure has
forth in England, all the concern manifested has
for the distinct and special defence of what has beer
called—by a title unkaown to the law---' the Church ofn
.England.'
.‘ We are convinced, indeed, that the silence which
has been maintained in reference to the case of the Irish
brancli of the Church is, in most instances, to be re-
garded as merely the result of the peculiar solicitude
which m.n naturally feel for the part immediately as_
aailed, and which for the time banishes from their mind
all interest in or recollection ef, every other part ; and
we are persuaded that it would be wrong to understand
it as conveying any wish to divide the United Church,
or any
Opinion that, being united as it is, the interests
of its component parts may be so dissevered that
While bctn are exposed to the same hostile power, each
may be content to defend itself, and still less, that the
for its
stronger may provide
own safety by sacrificing
its
We weaker associate.trust a great majority that ft
of
those who have allowed themselves
our case in their anaiet for a time to orge
about their own, must be aware
that any p rmanent disregard of it would bo a grievous
error in point of prudence as wknowing that different viewswithe
lzl reference as But
Sia3tiCA establishment in t he + of
principle.
to the eccle-
.
tained by Dot few in England,' and
countries are enter-
that some such ill-
cousidered compromise as we have
g
contemplated by them, we cannot bntlafneeelcdalaartmis sate tual
what-
ever may tend to give effect to so short-sighted a scheme I

"We are deeply impressed with the conviction that
if the excitement now existing in England were to lead
to the adoption of any measure calculated to impair the
integrity of the United Church, or the completeness of
the union between the two portions of it, such proceed-
ing would involve more injury to the whole Church and
to the country than any acts of the Bishop of Rome, or
any encroachment from without co uld possibly effect.
The Irish branch might, and probably would, be the
first sufferer from such false policy; but the English
branch would ultimately be no less surely its victim.
And how deadly a wound its fall would inflict upon all
that constitutes the happiness and greatness of that
favoured country, we trust it may not be doomed to
know by unhappy experience.
" We, confide, under God's good providence, in your
Majesty's wisdom, guided and supported by both Houses
of Parliament, to avert all such evils, by maintaining the
union which happily exists between the countries and
between the branches of the Church in both. How the
aggressive proceedings of the Bishop of Rome ought to
be guarded against and counteracted we do not presume
to suggest. But we are anxious distinctly to state that
we have no desire that they should be met by any
restraints affecting the just rights of conscience of any
of your Majesty's subjects. It is our humble prayer that
whatever may be the defensive measures determined on
for securing the National Church against injury, the
two portions of it may not be regarded or treated as
having separate interests, but that one and the same
legislative protection may be extended to both branches
of the Church iu common.
" JOHN G. ARMAGH.
RD. DUBLIN.
THOS. S. MEATH.
J. KILMORE, ELPHIN, and ARDAGH.
R. DERRY and RAPHOE.
LUDLOW, KILLALOE, and CLONPERT.
Taos. TITAN, &c.
J. T. OSSORY and FERNS.
ROBT. CASHEL, &C.
JAMES CORK and CLOTHE.
ROB. DOWN andCONNEII.
WM. LIMERICK, ARDPERT, and AGHADOE."

" Whitehall, 17th January, 1851.
"My Lord,—l have had the honour to lay before the
Queen the address (transmitted in your Grace's letter of
the 4th instant) of the Archbishops and Bishops of the
Irish provinces and bishoprics of the United Church of
England and Ireland, on the subject of the measures
taken by the Pope to establish a Roman Catholic hi-
erarchy in this country.
" And lam to inform your Grace that this address
was graciously received by her Majesty.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Grace's
most obedient servant, _ _

" G. GREY.
" His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Armagh."

MEETING IN THE itc.TUNDA.,—A notification appears
in the Dublin papers to the effect that " a general meet-
ing of Protestants opposed to Papal usurpation," will be
held in the round-rcom of the Rotunda on Tuesday
next; Mr. Grogan, one of the city Representatives, to
preside. It is stated that " the Marquis of Downshire,
the Earl of Roden, the Earl of Enniskillen, the Earl of
Glengall, the Earl of Clsncarty, Lord Dunaway, Mr.
George Alexander Hamilton, M.P.; Mr. Joseph Napier,
M.P.; and several other influential peers and commoners
have signified their intention of being present, and tak-
ing part in the proceedings."