The Sun.
London, England, 1819-05-19 00:00:00

"My Lords—lf the present question were a question of' re-
ligious liberty, it should hare my cordial support. But the
petitioners who are ;he objeCts of the present Motion, enjoy
. •
already the same freedom of religions worship, the same free-
dom in the Propagation of religious opinions,- which- is en- .
joyed ky the members of the Establishment themselves. We
cannot hare a more convincing proof than in the lectures
which are given and ptibliShed by the College of Maynooth.—
.
It is the removal of Civil Disabilities, it is an extension of Ci-
vil Power, which is-now in iontemplatiOn, as appears from the
general tenor of the petitions which have been laid on your
Lordships' table. But if the religion of the petitioners is
deemed an obstacle to their-acquisition of this civil power, are
they not made to suffer on account of their religion ? And if-
men are made to suffer merely on account of their religion, is
it not an act of intolerance unworthy of the present age ?
My Lords, I should be very sorry to plead the cause of into-
lerance, which I think highly reprehensible, from whatever
quarter it proceeds. But there is really no intolerance in
opposing-the Claims which are now advanced. It is not
merely on account of any difference in abstract opinions be-
tween the petitioners and ourselves, that we think their reli-
gion a ground of exclusion ; but because opinions', abstract in,
themselves, are coupled with other opinions, which are not
so; with opinions which affect men's political conduct. Let
it he granted that men may believeln the doctrine of Tran-
substantiation, and yet bear true allegiance to his Majesty
King George, as well as they who reject such doctrine as su-
perstitious. But, if they, who believe its the doctrine of
Transubstantiation, believe' also that a foreign Potentate
bath, or ought to have, authority in this realm, then, I say,
my Lords, it is impossible rhat such men should bear the
same allegiance to his Majesty King George as they whose
whole allegiance, whose allegiance, Ecclesiastical as well as
Civil, is centered in King. George alone. Now, my Lords,
I think no one will deny, that where allegiatic to the Sore-
, reign of a country is unequal, the qualifications for admission
Intim Government of that country must be likewise unequal
And if this reasoning be just, it follows, of necessity, that the
members of the Church of Rome ought not to be admitted to
an equal participation in the Government of this country with,
the members of the Established Church. Nor can this con-
clusion he weakened by the distinction which is made be
tween allegiance to the King in things Temporal, 'and alle-
giance to the Pope in things Spiritual. Be allegiance what it
will, if that,allegiance is divided. between the King of the
Gauntry and a Foreigner, the King of the Country has nut
the share which he ought to have, and which in this countr y
he really has from the members of the Establishment.—
And-,. after all, the distinction is only in theory; for
where -Religion and Politics are so !sledded as in this
country, if -is impossible- to preserve the distinction Ili
eractice. Having considered the question'in reference to the
State, I will now- consider it, with the permission of your
Lordships, in reference to the Church. For though the boon
%%hide is asked at. present is a grant only of civil power, yet
if the acquisition of this power snail lead to consequences
injeteious to ithe Established Church, your Lordships wiii
surely contemplate those consequences, before you resolve to
grant the power whirls is now desired. I ask, then, whet her
'your 'Lordships can be sure, that when the adherents to the
Churelt of Rome are placed on a footling of equality with
sour Lordships in the civil administration of this country,
I ask whether your Lordships cats he sure. that this equality
in -power 'will be 'the ultimateim of their desires ? Does
not every re,we acquisition become the means of acquiring
wore? 'Amid is it consistent with hennas) nature to suppose.,
that tire desire to obtain should not grow with the ability tn-ob-
tain ? If the petitioners then succeed in their present attempts,
must not the acquisition of civil power at length terminate
with an increase of ecclesiastical power ? The Court of Rome
is no less anxious to extend its inflornee than it was at any
former period. The Order of Uesnits, restored by the present
Pope, wins not restored in vain. The extension of Papal Au-
thority was the original purpose for which this Order was
foonnied : and for no other purpose can this Order have been
restored. Nor ate the Runtish Cleryy in general deficient in
ardour to second the views of then-Sovereign' Pontiff. In-
deed they are led to do so, not only by inclination, but by
the oblitoation of a solemn Oath. By-a Decree of the,Coun-
cil of Trent, arid a Bull of Pope Pius IV., no Clergyman of
that Church can be admitted to a Benefice till he has taken
an oath, which contains the following words Sanctum Ca-
t hulicam. et dpostolicam. Rom anunt Erclesiam, •ancaium Ec-
elsAiarum matrem et against-a. 'They declare
therefore upon Oath, that the Church of Rome is the Mis-
tress of all Churches, consequently tlk Mistress of the Church
of England. With such principles, must they not eirlea-
Your to obtain for the Mistress what is now enjoyed'hy the
Servant ? And is it wise, mv Lords, on our,parts, to supply
them with the means of so doing ? There is indeed one por-
ti:n of time united. Church, in which the struggle for pre-
eminence must be of short duration, when the Members of
the Church of Rome have once acquired the same political
power with the Members
,of the now Established Church-
And what security can there be for a Protestant King,
with a Papal Establishment ? The constninences of smelt
a victory on the part of the 'foolish Church, conseqiicrices
which would shake the State itself to its foundation, are,
in-
deed, too painful for description. And I trust, nly Louis,
that it is unnecessary to make the attempt, as I am persuaded
that your division on this night will entirely prevent the
apprehension of them."