that the Irish Catholics have continued the adherents of that family, except, indeed, when they supported the cause of James the seventh, to whom they had sworn allegiance, yet, it was inferred, and the inference has been deemed sufficient to justify the political depressions of this people. But the time is now come, or rather it was come many years ago, when this ground for intolerance is removed:-it is removed, not merely in the extinction of the Stuart family, but by the steady and loyal conduct of the Catholics for the last century. When suffering under a code, which all will allow to have been disgraceful to human nature, they exhibited a degree of resignation which it is impossible not to admire, and a patient endurance with which there are few parallels in the history of nations. They have surely proved by a length of time time sufficiently long, that it is possible to be Catholics, and at the same time to be good time to be good subjects, in a protestant country;-that spiritual submission to the pope, and allegiance to the king are very compatible.

There is not a more seducing, and, therefore, not a more common error, than that of forming a judgement of the opinions and dispositions of religious sects in the present day, from the conduct and maxims by which they were cha

D

racterised in former ages.

The influence of

advancing civilization, is so powerful in counteracting the effect of absurd or illiberal principles, as to render the conduct of those who hold them, merely because they were held by their ancestors before them, not dissimilar to that of their fellow citizens. "The church of Rome, in the middle ages, was as intolerant as worldly ambition and religious bigotry could render her; but this was not so much the natural consequence of her tenets, as the result of the state of the human mind in those times. She persecuted the Albigenses in the twelfth century, because it was the twelfth century; because toleration had not been proved in theory, and tried in practice, to be the best means of preserving quiet, and securing truth."-We have seen in modern times, in the Cantons of Switzerland, the Catholics and Protestants living together as brethren; and were we to judge from the tranquillity and harmony which prevailed in these small republics, we should conclude that the inhabitants were all of one religion.

The truth is, a persecuting spirit is not necessarily connected with any system of religious belief. When fanaticism acquires the ascendancy in any country, so that knowledge, and truth, and gentleness of manners are disregarded; and this fanaticism, (it is of no consequence

whether called popery or protestantism) is supported by a selfish and an ignorant priesthood, recourse will very naturally be had to the burning of heretics. If the spirit of persecution is to cease from the earth, and the very remembrance of it is to be transmitted to future ages only for the purpose of illustrating the folly and the weakness of man, this revolution in the history of the world is to be effected, not by the continuance of penal laws, but by the education of all ranks of the people, and the general diffusion of knowledge. Make the people rational; let them feel that they are partakers of the same common nature with the philosopher, and that like him they have powers of mind, which if morally improved, will raise them to immortality; and tenets of intolerance and of proscribing bigotry will be found in future only in obsolete creeds, or articles of belief: the evil genius of persecution will no longer disturb the happiness or disgrace the character of man.

Why then are we afraid to admit the Catholics of Ireland to a full participation of the benefits of the state? Is it because as papists, they must be supposed to hold sentiments hostile to the interests of the Established Church? What are these sentiments. One, no doubt, is, that Catholics can hold no faith with heretics; and that whenever they acquire influence and power they

will lend themselves to the work of destruction. This is a mere conceit; it serves the purposes of a party and not of truth; and though fully believed by the populace, it is difficult to admit that it can bias the judgement of any one who has reflected on the subject. For, if this really be their opinion, why have they not acted upon it during the last century? If they can so easily violate their obligations to protestants, why have they not taken every oath which protestants have chosen to impose on them? But they solemnly renounce this absurd sentiment in all its bearings; and the imputation of it in future, therefore, must proceed either from ignorance, or wickedness: especially, since the practice as well as the profession of Catholics are so directly opposed to its admission.

It is alleged, indeed, that were papists allowed to hold commissions in the army, they would attempt to introduce popery through a military channel: that is, a few colonels would render the army subservient to their own designs, and overturn the establishment in church and state. Is this case probable or possible? What could they do against the whole protestant population? At present this population is divided in opinion; but in that case, they would be powerfully united in opposition. Let the Catholics obtain all the privileges to which

they are fairly entitled, or in other words, let them have all that it is politic and expedient to give them, (and it is highly expedient to give them all that they now ask,) and if they should attempt by violence or by fraud to get possession of more, their attempts will be repelled and frustrated by the undivided energies of protestants.

I cannot help remarking, that in this and in many other objections to Catholic emancipation, it is supposed that the zeal of papists will accomplish every thing, while that of Protestants will do nothing. For, independent of the consideration of truth being on our side, we have the same advantage over them in our ecclesiastical establishments that a person living in possession of the market has over a new competitor. If their religion will lead them to use every exertion to make proselytes, surely ours if we really believe it to be more conformable to the scriptures, will induce us to be equally zealous, and will constrain us, in the spirit of meekness and christian charity, to attempt the instruction of those whom we conceive to be in error.-Besides, the repeal of the penal laws, paradoxical as it may seem, will evidently do more injury to the cause of popery than to that of protestantism: it will divide those who were formerly united as fellow sufferers, and who, because they conceived themselves persecuted, hated the religion of