The Sun.
London, England, 1828-06-28 00:00:00

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Clergy with the Government was provided for, and
secured by, the " Lois orgaiquel. ' .
This Concordat ,th '. .
il
ilq -010/4 Puliitie.te-
ferred to, not as p de to to Frk fotio,wa• i hilt as
illustrations, of the, hi* ess 4)1.,.t,V bbiereti,..,in
treating of ite -relliciatS -Of I.liii:Coaililie Church -in
Ireland,, and of the influence of the Catholic Clergy
over the Irish People !—these are, in reality, two
subjects not only distinct but . different—nay so dif-
ferent, that the influence of the Pope over the Irish
Clergy, and that of this Clergy over the Catholic
People of Ireland, might increase or decrease in an
inverse, ratio; and hetice it is that, supposing danger
to be•app'rehended from both these sources, the se-
curities. to lie provided should not only be distinct
but 'different.
Let the latter of these subjects be first examined.
The influence of the Catholic Clergy over the
laity of their communion arises partly from.the na-
ture of 'the Christian Religion, and the ministerial
duties which the Clergy in every Christian Church,
but especially in the Catholics, are called on to per-
formiand it arises in part from the state of society
produced by the past and present system of govern-
ment pursued in Ireland.
This influence, so far as it arises from the first of

these causes, cannot be removed, if, as has been con-
ceded, the Catholics are to enjoy the free profession
and exercise of their religion in all its integrity; nor
is it desirable either to remove or diminish it, as it
tends, of its own nature, to preserve order, to incul-
cate submission to the law, and obedience to every
constituted authority. But .on the other hand the
clerical influence arising from the state of the law and
the system of the Government is liable to great
abuse, and may be justly considered dangerous.
How is this danger to be remedied, and what se-
curity can be devised to provide against it? It ap-
pears to me that if the cause which produces this in-
fluence were removed, the influence itself would
cease, so far as it arises from that cause ; and if the
laws were made equal, and the Government admini-
stered impartially, that such clerical influence as is
liable to abuse would disappear altogether. At all
events, this mode of providing security should be
first tried, for if novel or suspected measures were re-
sorted to, new evils might be created, the salutary in-
fluence itself of the Clergy might be impaired, even
religie,ii might become less sacred in the eyes of the
people, than which no greater evil could happen in
Ireland.

If after this mode of proceeding were adopted, the
Catholic Clergy were found to exercise an improper
influence, or excite apprehension, t'he Government
supported by the gOod sense of the people, and as-
sisted by the Catholic Bishops could make and en-
force such regulations as would effectually confine the
Priesthood to the discharge of their own professional
duties. As this influence now exists, it is likely to
enerease and to become still more liable to abuse.—
It may be found, in some time, regardless of all re-
straint, or employed in the subversion of that which
it would be its.duty to preserve; but if the laws were
equalized, and the Government impartial, it would
be powerful only for good, or if it diverged into any
undue course, it • could be restrained by measures
which, if now adopted, would be liable to suspicion,
and . therefore should fail of their purpose.
AS to the intention perhaps generally entertained
of neutralizing this influence by the employment of
gifts; or pensions in purchasing the Irish Catholic
Priesthood kora anong the people, to whom by
blood and profession they belong, that is impossible.
Whether a legal provision could hereafter be made
for them on such terms as would be satisfactory to
all parties, is to me extremely doubtful, but I know
that if it were attempted, the attempt should be
made only when Ireland is pacified, and a new mind
and teniper infused into the people—even then, the
arrangement should proceed on the principle of afford-
ing relief to the laity, rather than of proykling com-
forts for the Clergy. •

A provision, as now spoken of, is confessedly in-
tended to attach the Clergy to the State, by detach-
ing them "from the people, and the people from them.
The consequences of it as calculated, are " to dimi-
nish the strength and purity of the Catholic Reli-
gion, and thereby prornotethe security of the Esta-
blished Church." With such impressions abroad,
no arrangement of the kind can he made—indeed no
such arrangeMent ought to be made. The Catholic
Clergy never will partake of any provision, of what-
soever description, which will render them liable to
evert a suspicion of being detached from the people,
and the Established Church never can find her se-
curity in the moral degradation of any Priesthood.
Let the question which excites all the passions,
which generates every where distrust, jealousy and
contention, be settled, and then such an arrangement
as that now mentioned may be calmly considered,
and, if found practicable, equitably adjusted. There
is no necessity for its hasty adoption, and in the pre-..
sent circumstances of the country, and of the opinions
prevailing with different parties, it cannot form any
part of the designed securities.
Raving thus briefly, but with perfect candour,
placed before your Grace my ideas as to one species
of danger, agiiirist which security is to be provided,
and having pointed out that security, whichis, in
my opinion, effectual and placed within our reach, I
shall now discuss the other apprehended danger, point
out the security sui!ed to its. nature, and which, like
the former, is of easy application, and by no means
inaccessible to your Grace.
In considering the means whereby to guard against
the encroachment of the See of Rome, it is neces-
sary to have precise ideas of the dangers to be ap-
prehereLd from it, as there can be no necessity
of guarding against that See more than against any
other, unless it be in the power of the Pope to
do some injury to the British State or Government,
or interfere with the Legal rights or privileges of its

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subjects.
One class of the oncroadiments of the See of
Rome, against which our ancestors were often called
upon to guard, was the collation to Ecclesiastical
Benefices, whether the subjects were natives or
strangers--a sec,cnd class nearly connected with thie,
were the legal privileges claimed by the Clergy, for
both their persons and property as exempt from the
civil jurisdiction, of which privileges the Pope was
the official and legally recognized guardian.
The statute of Elizabeth, abolishing the Papal
'supremacy, power, and jurisdiction within this realm,
and establishing in its place that of the Sovereign,
has'pot at end to these two classes of encroachments,
and to all the niF.;-,,ters of provision and appeal grow-
ing out of them.
The next danger or encroaehmgpt proceeding from
the See of Rome, consisted in the ancient ainl often
exercised pretension of the Popes to depose the So,
vereign of these realmS, and to absolve his subjects
front their Oaths of Allegiance to his Majesty: This
danger is removed, or sufficiently guarded against by
the universal and uniform opinion of Catholics. and
Protestants in this country, if not throughout Chris-
tendom, that the Pope has no such power of depos-
ing Sovereigns or of absolving subjects front their
Oaths of Allegiance. This danger is stiil further
1.,,,,weed by the disclaimer of the above mentioned
papal pretensioi; Dt!ing embodied in the Oath. of Al-
legiance, as taken by Ce.tholics.
• As every species of apprehended danger or en-
cioardiment of the See of Rome might •Nstly be re_
(laced to QM! or other of the above heads, and as the
Papal Supremacy and jurisdiction within these
realMs are abolished by law, and as the oaths taken
by Catholics and Protestants include a direct and
express disclaimer of the doctrine of the deposing
-and dispensiwg power of the Pope, it would seem to
follow that all the securities which could be desired
for the safety and.protection of our Constitution and
Government against the encroachments of the See
of Rome, are already in our possession—and that
whilst We profess and perhaps thing, many of us,
that we are seeking securities against papal encroach-
ments, we are only apprehensive of our own Irish
Catholic subjects, and endeavouring, at the sugges-
tion of our own fears, to provide against the growth
of the Catholic religion in Ireland. This is a re-
flection worthy. of serious consideration,, for if this
be the case, all the efforts to settle the Catholic
Question whilst it continues on its present basis must