Star.
London, England, 1827-03-29 00:00:00

1111AX0-0\ N
Constitoenk *or that,` made, they would be

_
to tranquilize Ireland.
• • The Bishop HESTER would not have addressed
NI (I"*Wirlii.ordskips, ving learned a lesson in a school
other things. ere taught than the use of hard
ra orSe; s tic-N-0 *tlielktoliiirl3Ti WC hld • Mph', rtt—tr
he not felt the subject one of such paramount import-
ance as to:render 'iv-impossible for a member of the
Protestant Church to remain silent. The Noble Baron
had been pleased to treat with contempt what he (the
Bishop of Chester) had said some time since respecting
the reformation in Ireland. pn that occasion he felt
that he had uttered nothing which the most strict inter-
preter
could consider inconsistent with Christian charity.
If we believed in Revelation, we must know that there
were many occasions on which Goo would work out
his own purposes. And when Ireland should be enlight-
ened enough to receive the truth, come when that time
may,the event must be announced by symptoms like those
which at present developed themselves.. • Whether these
symptoms arose from the exertions of an untimely
zeal, they were still the same as those of the real event
Whenever it should occur ; and it was not the Pan of
Protestants to cast rebuke on the exertions of those who
endeavoured to bring their brethren within the pale of
what they conceived to be salvation. Encouragement, on
the contrary, ought to be given,and as he said on the for.;
mer occasion, the blessing of GOD would, he had no
doubt:be given, if the exertions Made were marked with
as much discretion as ;teal. He denied that he had
cried woe against those who differed with him in
opinion upon this subject. He had said woe to him
who shall lift his hand or his voice to stern the current
of religious light breaking upon Ireland. But he neither
meant to inflict temporal or spiritual woe—he meant
only, that if any man interposed a check between GOD
and his purposes, woe would be to that man, whatever
might be his profession of faith. He was bound as a
Member of the Legislature to sae, that the utmost dis-
cretion and prudence were requited to avoid the evils
which the beginning of reformations sometimes pro.
duced, and that nothing but the union of great
worldly wisdom with great spit itual piety could reader
the attempt successful.
Lord HOLLAND said, that the Right Rev. Prelate,
who was himself one of the most polished weapons of
that celestial armoury of which he had spoken some time
since, had rebuked his Noble Friend for using hard
words; but the Petition was directed against hard
words—the whole system adopted towards the Catho-
lics of Ireland was founded upon hard words, and were
not hard words to be used in return ? He remembered
.a story which he had read in a Spanish jest book, and
had once before mentioned in the Hoene. Shepherds,
•on account of the gre.t number of wolves in Spain,
. were obliged to go armed with spears, and cottages to
be provided with large dogs. It happened that a shep-
herd and a dog had an encounter, and the dog was killed.
The Alcade asked the Shepherd who wasfeought before
him,why he had kilted the dog with the pointed part of
the spear, and had not beaten him off with the butt end
of it?—"For this plain reason," returned the Shepherd,
• " that he ran to me with his mouth, and not with his tail."
Thu', whilst the Catholics were abused, was it sur-
prising that they should come with bard expressions in '
return ? He could not see what the Conversions, or
.what was called the Newßeformation in Ireland, could '
have to do with the great question of the Catholic
Claims, unless it were meant that the Penal Laws
assisted those conversions, and must be kept for that ,
purpose. If so, according to the plain meaning of the
w 'd, it was nothing but downright persecution. The
Cat lone Priesthood were blamed fur using spiritual wea-
pon for temporal purposes, but the use of temporal
weapons for spiritual objects was still more reprehensible,
and constituted persecution in the broadest sense of the
word. Let those who maintained the penal laws there-
fore disclaim that intention, or let them allow the use
of spiritual influence by Catholics. The Right Rev.
Lord had said, woe to those—
The Bishop of CHESTER said that his words were,
" whenever the Reformation begins, woe to him who
shall lift up his hand or his voice to arrest the tide of
religious light breaking upon Ireland."
Lord HOLLAND observed, that " whenever the
Reformation began" was certainly a saving clause. But
the whole made him think that the Catholics had not
the monopoly of the polished weapons of the celes-
tial armoury, and that many Divines would be found
in our own Church who would use them if they
had access to them. He objected to the system of con-
version. When the Catholic Claims had been under
discussion, he had been sorry to observe that the merits
and demerits of the Catholic re igion had been discussed
at great length—discussed among Protestants, and in a
place where not a single Catholic was admitted! Such
4 thing would not be done in private life. But during
those discussions the chief argument brought against
the Catholics was their spiritual proselytism. If it
were wrong in one Church to make proselytes, how
could the act be praiseworthy in auother ? Let all
that bad been said against Cathnlics on that ground
Ire theiefore retracted; let it be declared commendable
in them to do What Protestants were praised for
doing, and let success be considered a proof of the
truth of their faith ! Would any man of common sense
and discretion place the question on that issue? Would
it not be madness to call on the two great contending
sects in Ireland to employ themselves in efforts to con-
vert the members of each other, and to make success
the touchstone and proof of the superior excellence of
their respective dogmas? He concurred with his Noble
Friend who had presented the Petition, and with that
truly Christian Prelate, whom lie regretted not to see in
his place, and with whom he had not the honour of
being acquainted, but whose charge he had read with
great pleasure and admit ation, that this was not the
time for attempting conversions. Recollecting as he
did the just views of the late Dr. Lawrence on that
subject, he was not surprised that the present Archbishop
of Cashel should tread in his steps, and say that, in his
opinion, " any attempt to convert the Catholics of Ire.
land by too active a proselytism must be attended with '
danger ; that whether the cause of Protestantism would
g on was dubiou., hut that the cause of Christianity
. must be injured by it was certain."
Lord CARBERY contended, that it was on the
side of the Catholics that hard words were used, and
that the Noble Baron would be satisfied of the truth of
this assertion, if he cauld hear the language which they'
applied in Ireland to Protestants.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the Peti-
tioners shewed at least one symptom of moderation, for
they had fel borne to bring the chargeof slander against
the King who now sat on the Throne. If their Lord-
ships lurked at the Stature of King William, they would
s• e that his Majesty could not be crowned, or if he
came to this House before or after being crowned could
do nothing, till his M jes,l;.as his present Majesty bad