The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-13 00:00:00

CONTINUATION OP REV. MR M'GHEE'S SPEECH

FROM FRIDAY'S " STANDARD

Before I enter upon this subject, I think it will be ad-
mitted that I have proved the first 'part of the resolution.
(Hear, hear.) 1 think every one must admit that I have de-
monstrated, as far as docuthentary evidence, and inability on
the part of the speaker can go, that the popish bishops, in
direct violation of their oaths, have set up these laws in Ire-
land. I think that must be admitted. (Hear, hear.) The
second part of the resolution is this—
" That it therefore appears to this meeting, that it is
the bounden duty of the Protestants of this empire to unite
together firmly, to deliver themselves and their Roman Ca-
tholic fellow-subjects, from this anti-christian yoke, to
petition the parliament."

A PLEDG

rOrt CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS

ELECTORS, AND ALL PI

- ,
KLECTED UB APPOPSTED TO &NY OFFIC

whereas by a certain document of the Church of Rome, pro,
be and commonly received and known as the third canon of
General Council, held in the year of our Lord 1215, called tb
Lateran Council, it is among other things enacted as follows :-

" We excommunicate and anathematize every heresy which ex
alteth itself against this holy, orthodox, and Catholic faith, which v
have set forth above; condemning all heretics, by wl
they may be reckoned: who hare larked d

are bouCtd iogither, for
." Let such persons. 'y

Le present, or to their offl
Inatmer, those who are of the clergy be

who ni.7

(1, be left to
cers, to be i

ever names

tiers ; so that the g00d.....
shall be confiscated; but in the
from which they received their stipends.
But let those who are only marked with suspicion, be smitten will
the sword of anathema, and shunned by all men until they
make pro.
Per satisfaction, unless, according to the grounds of suspicion and the
quality of the personibthey shall have demonstrated their innocence b)
a Proportionate purgation. So that if any shall persevere in excom-
'rtification for a twelvemonth, thenceforth they shall be condemned a:
heretics. And let the secular powers, whatever offices they may hold
beinduced and admonished, and, if need be, compelled by ecclesiastical
censure, that as they desire to be accounted faithful, they should, for
the defence of the faith, publicly set forth an oath, that to the utmost
of their power they will strive to exterminate from the lands under
their jurisdiction all heretics who shall be denounced by the Church ;

" But ifi;;; temporal lord, being
Church shall neglect to cleanse his 4
hint be' bound with the chain of e
14_

cl, either to

fan,. and the other co-provincial bishops. And if lie snail scorn w
"lake satisfaction within a year, let this be signified to the supreme
r'ntiff: that, thenceforth, be may declare his vassals to be absolved
from their fidelity to him, and may expose his land to to occupied by
the Catholics, who, having exterminated the heretics, may, without. con-
Wrtion, possess it and preserve it in purity of faith . saving the right
echief lord, so lung lw himself presents no difficulty
intlerunce in this matter: the same law,
rilednevertitel
concerning those who have not lords in chief.
th:_ilut We decree also, to subject to

recLit•ers, the defenders, the abettors of the heretics; firmly deter-
'', Wing that if any one, after he has been marked with exeoininanieti-
hon, refine -to make satisfaction within a twelvemonth, helix,
thenceforth of right in very deed infinacius, and be not admitted to pub-
-1.10 offices or councils, nor to elect for any thing of the sort, nor to give
evidence. Let hint also be intestable, so as neither to have power to
bequeath, nor to succeed to any inheritance.
Moreover, let no man be obliged to answer him in any matter, but
let him be compelled to answer others. If, haply, he be a judge, let his
sentence have no force, nor let any causes be brought to his hearing. If
he be an advocate, let not his pleading be admitted. If a notary, let
th. .I..n.un 11,1 he him be. invalid. and be condemned with

similar cases. -13ui.if he be a clerk, la him be deposed from ever
office and benefice. that where there is the greatest fault, the greater

veng,cance may be exercised:
, ." We add, moreover, that every archbishop or bishop shall either by
annself or his archdeacon, or other honest and suitable persons, twice,
or at least once every year, go round his own diocese, in which there
'hall be a report that heretics inhabit—and there shall compel three or
more men of credible testimony, or if it shall seem expedient, the whoie
neighbourhood to swear, that if they shall know any heretics there, or
any holding secret conventicles, or ditnring from the ordinary c ---
ntion, life, and morals of the faithful, they shall e '
formation of it to the bishop ; but the bishop hims

accused into his presence, who, unless t
themselves from the crime alleged against
cleared themselves they shall relapse in,-
" Punished according to the canons-
obstinacy, obstinacy, rejecting the religir
let them on thP'

*i1.,114-g--to—",—wJe

ann. cite t:

We will; therefore, and command, and in virtue of obedience
;trictly enjoin, that for the diligent performance of these things, the
ashops shall diligently unite throughout their dioceses, if they wish to
"care canonical vengeance ; for, if any bishop shall have been negli-
gent, or remiss in purifying his diocese from the leaven of heretical
r°uitY, when this shall be made to appear, by certain proofs, he shall
tit be deposed from his Episcopal office, and another shall be
butsubsti-
ed in his place, who shall be both willing and able to confound
cretical
privity."
lotnd whereas in the seventh s
mg canon was enacted

T the Council of Trent, the ful

FOURTEENTH CANON OF BAPTIS

" If any man shall say that baptized children, when they grow UP,
are to be asked whether they are willing to ratify what their sponsors
14.°Mised in their name when they were baptized, and when they shall
41swer that they are not willing, that they are to be left to their ON% 11
and not to be compelled to a Christian life by any other punish-
!;?ent, unless that they may be debarred from the reception of the,
x'acharist and other sacraments, till they repent, let him be anathema.'
..,And whereas in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the following
Principle is laid down on the 9th article of the Creed, speaking of those
whowho are excluded from the Church:—
'Heretics and schismatics (are excluded), because they have re
!cited from the Church, nor do they more belong to the Church thann de
3,ters belong to the army from which they ha
eless, it is not to be denied that they are in tl

'may. IN
the Char

Pennons who can be called into
damned by anathema."
And whereas in the aforesaid
ch
,L,h of Rome over all bapt
and to inflict on them pa
`''lse to do so. Now
the? A. B. do solemnly, in the pr
the same
aforesaid so far as they have now been rectleii.
(4,siame to be immoral, antisocial, intolerant, repugnant to the •so,
and to the statutes and eonstituiion of this realm, and fatal b
civil no
0_ and religious liberty. I declare that I believe the Popes. a
s,
dor.neral Councils rho enacted these canons aforesaid were, in
o ing' "t only, fallible but totally in error, and that they have not am
lCte4tlht not to have any power, weight, or authority over my con
oo

.us, penal

Ltions if the

.nce of Got-,

,10Unce tend abl

we
do he, w.ose names are hereunto subscribed, electors oi
reby for ourselves cordially adopt this pledge. We consider th,
an who refuses to do so is not tit to hold any office of civil INA% e
or to vote for any man to till office in the state ; and we do hereb
teteritil,urselves to call on au man who solicits our votes as a Men
Boris in Prel.rilrent to subscribe it himself, and to use his utmost exec
to a seat in thame'tt that it shall be made a test for every
ember.
of British Legislature, or to vote at any election either either foi
petitions,
up
Now 4 at.ll%ment or for any other office in the British empire.
Your on your representatives supporting
nearly useless.
without that the petitions of many are
.. That no m an shall be admitted into Parliament, or to
ay.octae, forar member of Parliament, nor into any office of poli-
t! lst u.st or power, until he shall have explicitly renounced
the editions, intolerant, and persecuting canons of the
papacy, and all pretended powers in the church of Rome to
reLenttheelamf amnlninafacleloibrldeiiai6u, tthool•iiiteytoeis:toliolligoa,tviionn„ciier the con-
Nc Now the question of the repeal of the emancipation bill prac-
tically considered brings us to this. It is this. Let parlia-
ment restore the test by which Roman • atholics were
excluded from parliament before the year 1829. That is a
repeal of the emancipation bill ; that is a direct repeal of the
emancipation bill. (Hear hear.) Now I call your attention
t 0 t. in e
consideration of this. That test was certainly effec-
tual n this way— that it effectually excluded Roman Catho-
lics' from parliament, not as Itir. O'Connell and others
pretend because they had a conscientious regard for an oath.
(Hear, hear.) We have seen what scrupulous conscientious-
ness they have had, since the bill of 1829. No ; it was
because they could not have taken that test, and entered into
Parliament without a complete denunciation of the papal
e”gien. (Cheers.) They must have stood, upon their ad-
mission to parliament, as having renounced the fundamental
doctrinesp of their church. (Hear, hear.) That was the
4,nt• Now the test was effectual upon that ground, but I
t, venture to express my humble opinion upon it, and say
that notwithstanding that it was an unwise test, an inefficient
,st, and an injurious test, to the cause of the poor Roman
y:tholks, and to their salvation. (Hear, hear.) I will give
You InY reasons. It was unwise because it left the whole
aessions of the papaherostacy totally uutouched, except
sed!trY• Her perjury, persecutions, her treachery, her
•s,„ I"nns, her base subjugation to an anti-christian tyrant,
Itele all completely severed from this test. It was really the
the immoral, the persecuting principles of the
Papacy that rendered them totally unfit to be trusted with
butpower, and this test was adopted as an effectual test,
it excluded Roman Catholics for no other reasons than
pn bare principle of idolatry itself. The principles of the
bapacy were indeed subject to incidental discussion and con-
elleci discussion in the House of Lords and Commons, but
the test was not a subject of discussion in either house of
stiLlisment. The test by which they were excluded was not
tOoject of discussion, but principles totally irrelevant to
eha‘ test. Now I say that the test by which these men
e cinid be excluded from political power, if they are to be
calded, should be a test specifying the crimes through which
eY are unfit to be entrusted with obliging them to re-
°llnce those crimes, that if those crimes are proved to be
WlMected with the dogmas of their faith, then they must re-
-0411" the crime and faith together, or they are not to
lit admitted to legislate for this country. Hear, bear.)
Roman
test was unwise for another reason—it united the
ismteaand Catholic hierarchy and laity in one indissoluble bond.
of appealing, as we ought to do, to the laity ; instead
ee appealing, as we ought to do, to the understandings and
e_nsciences of men ; instead of opening to them the base
irdifion of slavery and subjection, spiritual arid temporal,
which they are kept by their priesthood ; that test per-
mitted the priests to tell the people—" Oh, we are altogether
7.eluded, in one common bond of persecution, because we
adhere to the faith of our church—because we adore the sa-
ireents, and because we worship the Virgin Mary." Now
h.saY a test to exclude Roman Catholics ought to sever the
lerarchy from the laity, it ought to spew the laity that it is
because they choose to submit themselves to the base de-
grading slavery of the papacy, that, therefore, they
e are not
to stand and legislate with freemen. (Loud cheers.) And
neverti shall any good be done for England, for this empire,
", whatever means you take to deliver yourselves from the
Pal tyranny you embody with those means faithful hoest
eh • .
ristian orts to deliver the Roman Catholic laity from
tae, abominable bondage of the papacy. (Continued cheer-
tlg.) Just consider. You were accustomed to consider
euperie in a very false point of view. Popery, as popery,
Means the united priests and people. Now there is a great
and essential difference between the Roman Catholic hierarchy
41n1 laity. (Hear, hear.) What is popery? Popery is an
ecclesiastical system—a system of ecclesiastical tyranny, in-
vented by Satan, by which men united together in ecclesias-
tical bonds are to enslave, to subsidize, and destroy the whole
allll4lLn race. The hierarchy, from the Pope to the curate,
Je the members constituting this tyranny, the Roman C-
atholic laity are its victims and its slaves. (Hear.) True
agcy
are corrupted by it, true they are united to it, true they
st., Made tools for carrying that wickedness into effect ; but
Did the poor Roman Catholic laity of Ireland ever know that
en's theology was the standard by which their priests were
Ao‘llirect their consciences? I believe in my
.heart there is
a man of them in Ireland that knew it. Did the Roman
tCatholic laity in Ireland ever see these provincial statutes for
ee°l's which they were to set up as the standard to govern
r consciences? I believe not. (Hear.) There was not
tti an in Ireland that ever saw the book in which Dr. Murray
ri heltted his provincial statutes. He would not allow his
Dri__ seller to dispose of a single copy. As soon as it was
teted it was sent to him, and he with his own hands dis-
b4o‘tinted the copies to the bishops and priests ; and had it
oot been for the providence of God, we should have known
Of irng of it. The poor Roman Catholic laity are ignorant
fro • They are suffering under the effects of this system—
th 41 the effects of those tremendous stimulants applied to
1441 by men that ought to be the physicians of their souls,
is wt, no lead them to ruin. (Hear.) But the men who are
liol,stle secret medical college, they prescribe in their own
tile "vela characters—the bishops we will call the physicians.
Priests the apothecaries, and the poor people the patients
the" take their doses ; thus they suffer under the stimulus of
des,,Dl3tions prepared for them, without being aware of the
and damnable nature of the poison that is administered.
ag
ottot;:ar-) Now, I say, let us boldly and faithfully testify
.1.4%t the crimes of the hierarchy ; let us bring these crimes
klemliand faithfully before the laity, atd make them either
(tit•„`"Y themselves with them, or, like men, renounce them.
newir') There was another ground upon which the test was
tleee'4e. It furnished popery with a means to blind and to
tioeLve the nation. The crimes of the papacy were not men-
Iva as"; in the test. They were excluded from Parliament it
belieirne, but it was merely for an article of conscientious
fort h 4), the test, therefore, enabled them to send
deed that most specious plea—it enabled popery, the. most
tlespet9g temporal tyranny, and the most debasing spiritual
w.ard •lem, that ever degraded the human race, to stand for-
civil In the unnatural position of advocating the cause of
thr tehn,d, religious liberty. (Hear.) There was another cause
50e471,rvas an unwise test resulting from this. It enabled
tiro, Catholic demagogues to form a most unnatural coali-
thwith
Lthe Protestant dissenters of England. (Cheers.)
Year, itsle6address of Mr. O'Connell to the dissenters in the
ahoe, contend for precisely similar objects. We, like you,
Profe." _ (le free from all restrictions, if we could consent to
°PilaiOnS which we do not believe. Our sincerity,