perfect state, and before the proposed discussions and alterations took place. 3dly, and lastly, I will now say, that the reasons for which, in the conference which Dr. Milner had with Dr. Collingridge and myself on the 24th of May, we refused to answer his questions, were the conditions which he wished to impose on us, and the temper of mind which he then discovered.Dr. Collingridge and I did that which we thought it was our duty to do. Nei ther did we think that we ought to be bound, as Dr. Milner wished to bind us, to answer all questions to be proposed by him, or to declare opinions before him, which he could, as experience shews he had done on other occasions, represent rather according to his own than our manner of understanding them. 50. Therefore, if any person will examine the things which, in the ency clical letter addressed by him to the ca tholics of his district, as their pastor, Dr. Milner states as facts, he will find that they are not facts, but mere fabri cations; and that the pastor teaches his flocks things, the falsehood of some of which has been demonstrated in the public papers. Such is the nature of some of these things which are called facts, that, if they were true, the persons to whom they are imputed would be guilty of the greatest crimes, but, as they are false, they are the greatest injuries and calum nies. But to whom are these injuries done? To vicars apostolic, who act under the pope's authority, in the several districts of England: to most respectable catholics, who have deserved well of religion. to asperse by false accusations, the vicars apostolic his colleagues; the clergy, particularly those of London; the catholic nobility and commonalty; the members of parliament; the ministry; the opposition; friends and enemies; even the bishops of Ireland, and the court of Rome. But many noble and distinguished catholics have particularly complained, and requested that their complaints may be laid before the holy see, that Dr. Milner assails them by injurious criminations, even in his pastoral instructions to be read to the people from the altar. As he does this in his district, in his quality of vicar apostolic, and therefore in the name of the pope, they inquire, whether it be the will of his holiness that such an injury should be done them in his name? 51. Having thus set forth these things, which place the truth in its light, and demonstrate to every one the genuine history of the transaction, I APPEAL TO MR. EDITOR,-Your number for last month has just reached me; and judge my surprise at finding, after a lapse of seven months, an attempt to refute the few observations I sent you on the impropriety of introduc Nor to individuals only, but to the whole catholic body in Great Britain is the greatest injury done by Dr. Milnering political subjects into sermons.-by such writings; as they tend to waken controversies set to rest, to renew ancient disputes, to disseminate discord between the English and Irish catholics, and to prevent that peace and concord which the other vicars apostolic are endeavouring to establish among all. And this his epistle is like the other writings which, during these last five years, Dr. Milner has published; by which he has assailed, by injurious words, and has sometimes endeavoured I shall not take so long in sending you a rejoinder to Mr. PATRIÆ ET PROBITATIS AMICUS, but forward you herewith my sentiments on that gentleman's sublime doctrines. Mr. P- PA has recommended me to "search the scriptures," where, he says, "exclusive of all consideration of the immorality,' and 'impolicy,' and 'prohibition of the deed by the law of the land,' I shall find 16 abundant proofs, prescribing the par- I justice, impartiality, and dispatch ;' ticular duties and obligations of which can never be so well attained, 'governors' and the governed,' to as by their concentration in one induce me, he hopes, to consider the united legislative power. Obediline of conduct therein drawn for ence, therefore, to this power, and a those in the station of SUBJECTS' ready conformity to the ordinances with more candour and less propen-emanating from it, must be imperasity to vituperation, so totally unde- tive and unquestionably obligatory." served." By referring me to "search Mr. Editor, what are we to think the scriptures," and his furnishing of this man, who can put forth such me with so many extracts from the barefaced lies, and exhibit such exsacred text, I apprehend my censur- treme ignorance of the situation of er is one of the members of the fa- the country? He talks of the mous association called The Roman governing authorities" being "choCatholic Bible Society, established sen and constituted such by the whole under pretext of instructing the ig-nation without exception." Pray, norant poor, (a duty expressly belonging to the clergy,) but really intended to deceive protestants. For my part, sir, I do not like to see the word of God profaned to serve political purposes; and were I disposed to retort scripture on my opponent, I could produce as many passages in support of my opinions as he has to uphold his own. I have not made the study and practice of the catholic religion the main object of my life to be told by such a wiseacre as Mr. P- P- A has shewn himself to be, how the quotations he has selected apply to the subject in question. Neither am I, of course, "reclaimed" thereby, nor by his own sapient observations, which he makes "for the purpose of INFORMING and REFORMING others less knowing and less KNAVISH than myself." He tells us that the "taxes," which are so enormous as to have brought poverty and almost total ruin on our beloved and once happy country, 66 are imposed for the two-fold purposes of benefitting the community, and to defray the expenses of the governing authorities;' which, in this country, let it be remembered, are chosen and constituted such by the whole nation WITHOUT exception; wisely deciding its affairs cannot be well managed without the advantages of wisdom, 6 sir, who is this Mr. P-P— A— ? Where does he come from? He has not given us his residence; does he come from the lunar regions? I am sure, after the assertion which I have just quoted, no one gifted with common sense can look upon him other than one of the most impudent liars, or the most stupid dolts, that ever put pen to paper.When it is notorious that petitions have been signed by millions in favour of universal suffrage, and complaining that those who call themselves the representatives of the people are not chosen by the people, am 1 to be told by this insolent and impudent scribbler, that the " governing authorities" are chosen by the whole nation without exception ! ! ? When it is notorious that catholics are expressly deprived by law of exercising the elective franchise, am I to be told that there is no exception in the choice of the constituted authorities, the nation having wisely decided, that its affairs cannot be well managed" without the advantages of wisdom, justice, impartiality, and dispatch!!!?" When it is notorious that the resources of the country, the profits of the labour and industry of the mechanic and tradesman, are wantonly squandered in pensions and sinecures, to enable the idle and vicious to live in luxury the the two-fold purposes of benefitting the community, and to defray the expenses of the governing authorities!!!!?" That, consequently, a a conscientious obedience and ready conformity to the ordinances emanating from government, must be imperative and unquestionably obligatory duties! Really, Mr. Editor, this is passive obedience with a vengeance. Where my antagonist learned his political creed is impossible for me to say; but this I can say, that his doctrine is better calculated for the government of the Grand Turk or the Great Mogul, than for the catholics of England, who are no more bound by the principles of their religion to submit passively to unjust laws than any of their neighbours. We know that it belongs to the house of commons to impose the taxes necessary to defray the expenses of government for the benefit of the community; and we know that the house of commons ought to be chosen by the voice of the people; but, with the single exception of Mr. P- P- A-, we know also that the people have not the choice of the members of that house, and that if they had, there would be no occasion to evade the payment of taxes, because they would be so light as to afford each individual of the community the means of paying his share of the contribution. And when I see the people's house of parliament so constituted, according to the genuine maxims of the constitution, and every well-grounded cause of complaint on this head removed, then indeed I will acknowledge myself "reclaimed," and admit that it becomes a matter of conscience to render tribute where tribute is due. 66 and debauchery, am I to be told that | scribing the particular duties and taxes are imposed (only) for obligations of "governors" and the "governed."-Without doubt there are, and in defending his political clerical friend, he would have added more to his character had he shewn him as ready to condemn the vices of governors" as he was to censure the evasions of the "governed" from laws too heavy for them to bear.-In doing this he would have been complying with the sublime precepts of our holy religion, of which I still consider myself, though unreclaimed, as ardent an admirer as Mr. PATRIE ET PROBITATIS AMICUS. I will tell him that it is the imperative and obligatory duty of a catholic clergyman to attack the evil example of the governors," because from the bad conduct of those in office flow the evils which contaminate the people. In doing this he would employ himself much better than in entering on political questions, and presuming to do that which his Divine Master never authorised him to do, and which He even refused to do. To reclaim me from my unlucky ways, for I do not hold them to be evil ones, Mr. PP-A- adduces the instance when Christ was interrogated whether it was lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not," and our our Saviour's "conduct in the cir cumstance," leaving me to make my own inference. I thank your correspondent for his liberality in this case, and will furnish him in return with my conclusions on that passage of holy writ,- First, however, I beg to observe the question between us is not whether it is lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not," but whether it is a breach of the divine law to get an article without paying the duty, which has been imposed to carry on a profligate expenditure of the people's money. This, sir, is the question. I do not doubt the lawfulness of the tribute, as a catholic, to a government that is exclusively Your correspondent informs me that if I search the scriptures,' I shall find abundant proofs pre protestant; but I doubted, and do still doubt the propriety, to say no worse of it, of a catholic clergyman's conduct in making the pulpit a vehicle for political purposes. The Jews, particularly the Pharisees, doubted the lawfulness of paying tribute to the Romans, and in order to involve our Saviour with the Herodians and the Roman government, they questioned him as to the sinful ness of paying tribute to Cæsar. Now what was Christ's answer: Render, says he, to Cæsar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's. By this answer it is clear that our Redeemer, left the Jews to decide for themselves what things belonged to Casar, and he chose twelve men to teach them, after himself, the things which belong to God. And why should not the servants of this Divine Legislator follow the example he has set them? Why should they obtrude financial matters into the chair of Truth? Why should they presume to direct catholics on political matters, in the Temple of God, when their blessed Redeemer declined to satisfy the Jews on the lawfulness of paying tribute to Cæsar? He said his kingdom was not of this world, and he certainly did not intend that his shepherds should become the tax-gatherers of earthly states. The conduct of the reverend gentleman in question, whom your correspondent designates either in earnest or in jest "the meddling, loose, vain, foolish, temporizing and political priest of Warwick-street," is the very reverse of that. of St. Matthew. Our Saviour called him from a tax-gatherer to be a gatherer of souls, and we read that the holy apostle left all to follow Christ; but it would seem that this gentleman, after being called to labour as an apostle, prefers acting the part of a publican. Mr. Patriæ et Probitatis Amicus considers it mysterious that " a conscientious professor of the catholic faith,' and an ardent admirer of its sublime precepts, should be found, claiming and ENJOYING the rights of a constitution like ours, anathematizing, with the most indiscriminate abuse and malevolent inuendos,' a catholic clergyman, for executing a duty enjoined by the laws of God and his church.”And he grounds this mystery on what he calls the declared and passive obligations of the primitive christians to the ordinances of the Roman emperors Here we have another specimen of the ignorance as well as of the soreness of this defender of publican priests. Ho charges me with using abuse and malevolence; I will not quarrel with him about the first term, because he is certainly more of a courtier than I pretend to be; and consequently what I may deem plain honest language, having been used to call things by their right names, he may consider abuse. But I deny that there was any thing malignant in my language or intentions. God forbid that any catholic should take a pen in his hand with motives such as the sweet and loyal defender of excessive taxation and passive obedience has imputed to me. I therefore fling the imputation in his face with that contempt which it deserves.Mark, however, the wisdom and veracity of this writer. It is inconceivable, he says, that a catholic should be found, claiming and ENJOYING the rights of a constitution like ours, anathematizing a catholic clergyman for executing a duty enjoined by the laws of God and his church. I have already shewn that neither the laws of God nor those of his church enjoined the reverend gentleman to meddle with the financial matters of the state, and that the conduct of his Divine Master, by refusing to satisfy the Jews as to the sinfulness of paying tribute to the abstain from interfering in the political squabbles and parties of the day. Let them confine themselves to the inculcation of the laws of God and the precepts of his church; let them exert themselves in pointing out to their respective flocks the true maxims of religion, explaining the errors of unbelievers, and the disputed points of catholic faith, and they need not fear that catholics will ever disgrace their religion, or betray the interests of their country. I will leave your correspondent in quiet possession of that satisfaction which he seems to have in attaching to me the marks of the rich glutton, as I am satisfied that all who have any knowledge of my real character, know it to be the very reverse; still I may have too much "self-love," "self-esteem," "selfinterest," and I may have even too much "love of money ;" but should Romans, clearly denoted that he did not mean his servants should interfere, as clergymen, in the temporal concerus of princes. I will not quarrel with them for being politicians, if they do not bring spiritual authority and censures to their aid. But how are we to reconcile the writer's paradox, that I am claiming and enjoying the rights of the British constitution? Were catholics enjoying their rights, there would be no necessity for their claiming them; and it is because they do not enjoy them that they so repeatedly claim them. So much for the wisdom and veracity of this friend to honesty and his country. This man would also fain make it an article of faith, that the injunctions of the apostles, whose words he has quoted, were positive commands given by them to the primitive christians. Where he studied his divinity I know not; but I can tell him, that Dr. Milner,this be the fact, I cannot allow that who is certainly his superior in these matters, says, in his last pub. lished work, "It is the law of nature and of the gospel that we should obey the constituted authority of the state under which we are placed, according to the laws of that state. Our Saviour, Christ, was obedient to the authority of the Roman emperors, though this had been founded not many years before his birth, in manifest usurpation. Still this obedience has its limits, and men are not bound in conscience to submit to the capricious and sanguinary tyranny of a Nero, or a Heliogabalus, when they can disengage themselves from it." Here, sir, it is clear that I am not, in conscience, bound to buy the boroughmongers' liquor when I can get cheaper for my use; and hence it is clear, that the political priest was not enjoined by the laws of God or his church to put forth his foolish and mischievous notions for orthodox doctrine. I do from my heart wish the catholic clergy would it arises from a "deficient youthful education," or from the " encouragement of bad example;" and I really wish my antagonist had had the benefit of a similar education to my own, as he probably would not then be the advocate for tacit submission to ministerial profligacy. But, when he charges me with the want of a proper regard for my country, and of the love of "undue gain," I think he lets out something not to be coveted in his own character, and therefore I take such dirty insinuations from whence they came. The best joke of all, however, is to be found in the last paragraph of Mr.PATRIÆ ET PROBITATIS AMICUS'S letter, where he admits his inability to defend his clerical friend without the aid of a new book of morality and religion. This, he says, is a "desideratum greatly to be coveted, particularly in these times of degeneracy and irreligion," and I will add, particularly in the cellar of Stone buildings club. Ah! Mr. |