Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-03-05
Mptes Of Travelim GMrppe.
OBSERVATIONS ON IRELAND.
BY REV. r. LATHAM.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.]

BY REV. r. LATHAM.
-s----
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.l
The most interesting chapter in the his
tory of Ireland is that which treats of the
Roman Catholic church. I have already in
a previous sketch stated that seventy six
and six tenths per cent. of the whole pop
ulation of Ireland is in connection with the
Church of Rome. This leaves only twenty.
three and four-tenths per cent. to be divid'
ed out among Presbyterians, Episcopalians
Methodists, Baptists, Plymouth Brethren
Congregationalists, Jews and 1nfidels. TIC
state the fact in different way l may say
population of Ireland is under the domin.
ion of the Pope of Rome. 1t is no figure
ative language to speak Of Ireland as 8
Catholic or Papal isle.
The Roman Catholic church of Ireland
is governed by four Archbishops and TWEEN
ty-seven bishops. On the island there are
nearly eleven hundred ecclesiastical parish
es and about twenty-five hundred churches
and chapels. The numebr of parish priests
is more than nine hundred and that OF ad
ministrative curates between seventeen and
eighteen hundred.
The history of Papacy as it exists in Ire
land is black spot on England's fame. In
some way or other Papacy has been init
mately connected with all Ireland's troub
les for the last seven hundred years. When
Papacy was first introduced into Ireland
do not know, neither do l certainly know
when it first sprang into existence: 1t die
not leap into being all at once-the huge
monster that it is to-day and that it has
been for centuries past. Papacy is nothing
more nor nor less than Paganism with al
its enormities and polutions clad in the
vestments of Christianity. Rather l should
say, Papacy is Christianity paganized. The
starting point of Papacy was the church
founded by the apostles of Jesus Christ
Errors of various kinds gradually crept in.
to that church until the great and powerful
ecclesiastical hierarchy of Rome was the
result.
At an early period-before the close o.
the first century of the Christian dispensa
ton, it become common to place in large
cities particular individual to whom was
given the oversight of all the other minis
ters laboring in that city. The same is
true with regard to provinces. This bishop
or overseer was simply first among equals
The city of Rome was the most important
city in the world at that time, in a secular
point of view. Such being the case the
bishop of Rome began to assert domin
ion over all the other bishops. He claimed
bishops. Some time during the third cen
fury this became manifest, but when the
Christian church began first to start toward
Papacy it is hard so tell. In fact, every er
ror-every unscriptural doctrine or practice
which is introduced into the church at any
time-is step toward the Pope of Rome
At an early period the church became
completely under the dominion of the Papa
power and continued under that power un
til the time of the Reformation. All insu
lar and continental Europe, with unim
portant exceptions, were, at that time, the
willing and devoted subjects of the Pope o
Rome.
The introduction and propagation OF
Popery in Ireland is curious and interest
ing 1t is admitted by all parties that
Christianity was at very early period in,
troduced into Ireland and that for several
centuries the Irish church was compare
lively pure. That it was defiled with hea'
then practices no one will deny who has 6
correct knowledge of it's history. The trans
ition from paganism to pure Christianity
was gradual in, perhaps, every case, but. in
the Irish church the change was more thor
ough and effected with greater rapidity
than, probably, in any other section of the
world.
This is accounted for, in part, by the fact
that Ireland was not, for a long period ol
years, attractive to the Papal power. BY
degrees, however, the Church of Ireland be-
gan to move in the direction of Rome. Er'
rors Of various kinds crept in, and the pure
doctrines of Christianity were removed tC
give place for these errors. 1t was not, how
ever, until the middle Of the twelfth centu
ry that the Pope of Rome got a firm foot
hold on Ireland. The history of that acqui
sition is curious and instructive. In De-
cember, 1154, Henry the Second and first o
the Plantagenet race, was proclaimed King
of England. There was at that time, in
England, an individual Of humble birth but
of some natural ability, since he rose to be
the Archbishop of Canterbury, position
now occupied by Right Honorable and Most
Reverend Edward White Benson, ID. D..
whose annual salary is seventy-ive thou
sand dollars. The name of the individual
to whom reference is made, was Thomas A
Beckett. His fathers name was Gilbert
Beckett, but whether he was native Of
London or of Normandy, is not certainly
known. Gilbert Beckett was at one time a
private soldier in one of the military eXpe.
ditions against the Saracens in Palestine
1t so happened that he was taken prisoner
and made the slave Of a Saracen chief
Beckett won the affections of his masters
daughter, and by her assistance was enabled
to make his escape. This young Saracen
girl, enamored by her fathers slave, deter.
mined to leave her home and kindred, and
set out in search of the object Of her atfec.
ton. She knew but two English words
London and Beckett. Not discouraged by
this, she set out for London. On reaching
the city, she went from place to place, cry
ing out at the top of her voice, "Becket," ,"
until, by accident, she met in the street the
object of her search. She was baptized, re-
ceiving at the time the name Matilda. AT
ter the baptism she and Gilbert Beckett were
married Their only child was the celebra'
ted Thomas A. Beckett.
During the reign of Stephen, Thomas A.
Beckett was the warm friend of Henry
advocating his claim to the English crown
in opposition to those of Eustace the son OF
Stephen. AS an act of gratitude Henry
bestowed on Beckett number of offices and
finally raised him to the high position OF
Archbishop of Canterbury.
At the time Beckett was Chancellor OF
England. In the discharge of his duties as
Chancellor, Beckett won the affection of his
sovereign by his enthusiastic zeal in main
tanning the rights and prerogatives of roy
atty. Henry believed, as it was thought,
that by making Beckett Archbishop Of Can
terbury he would curtail the prerogatives
of the Church and increase the powers OF
the secular government. Henry had good
grounds for coming to such conclusion.
He and Beckett were companions in vice
and were mutually dependent upon each
other. Beckett, however, on becoming Arch
bishop made, if not a real change, an APP
parent change in his manner Of life. His
former levities were laid aside and he be-
came, if not religious, very sanctimonious.
He and Henry quarreled, and because OF
his high position Beckett was partially out of