1827.
TO THE READER.
Having never before had any necessity of appearing before the Public, especially on such an occasion as this, it is with much reluctance I am, in defence of my character, now compelled to give a fair and candid statement of the motives that induced me to leave the Church of Rome; which I did not do, until I tried every means to quiet an anxious mind, and troubled conscience, and after many private and public interviews with my Pastor, each of which only augmented, nay, confirmed my doubts of several of the doctrines of the Church of Rome, (hereafter stated,) because I found by such interviews I had nothing from God’s word to rely upon; nothing but tradition and the assertions of interested men to rest my hope of salvation upon; and even these when fairly examined could not afford me any plausible authority for the articles of religion doubted of. I little thought, after having acted as I did, by continuing to meet the Priest at every time and place he appointed, to remove my doubts of certain doctrines which I conceive were unauthorised by God’s Holy Word, and therefore not taught by our Lord and his Apostles; (these interviews I continued, until he candidly told me he was not able to satisfy me, and said he could not blame me to follow the dictates of my conscience.) I say, then, I little thought that after this I would be obliged to vindicate myself from aspersions, resorted to evidently to deter others from pursuing a similar course; that, at the expense of my reputation, they might suppress the general and so much dreaded inquiries of the public mind after truth. I therefore lay before the public and the candid reader a plain statement of facts, and let my motives, and necessity for so doing, be my apology for its inaccuracies.
THE AUTHOR.
A PLAIN STATEMENT, &c.
Having been intended by my parents for a Clergyman of the Church of Rome, I was brought up and educated for that purpose, under the immediate care of my late uncle, the Rev. Edmund Reilly. P.P. of Killesandra, until his decease in 1814. I persevered, however, and having finished the studies requisite for admittance to College, I was recommended to the Rev. Dr. Reilly, Bishop of Kilmore, for admittance on the establishment of Maynooth. I received for answer, that in consequence of the many applications, prior to mine, his Lordship could not then procure me a place; but being desirous for that office, (as intended,) I renewed my application for the American mission, and obtained from my Bishop an “Exeat,” and recommendatory letter for that purpose as follows:
“Fargalus, Dei et Apostolicæ sedis gratia Kilmoriensis Episcopus in Hibernia, &c.
“Testamur per presentes, Dominum, Josephum Reilly, nostræ prædictæ Dioecesis alumnum, natum ex legitimo thoro, hactenus ibidem probe, and Chrsitiane vixisse, et multa solidæ pietatis specimina dedisse, cum autem educationis et missionis gratia Americam (seu allo) proficisci decreverit, eundem omnibus et singulis intime commendamus, &c. &c. datum hoc die decimo septimo junii.
“Anno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, millessimo octingentessimo decimo octavo.
FARGALUS, qui supra.”
“Fargalus, by the Grace of God, and of the Apostolical See, Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland, &c.
“We testify by these Presents, that Mr. Joseph Reilly of the aforesaid Diocese, legitimately born and brought up, has hitherto lived there in an honest and Christian manner, and has given many proofs of solid piety. But having for his learning and mission’s sake resolved to proceed to America or elsewhere, we earnestly recommend him to all and every one of our brethren, &c. &c.
“Dated June 17th, in the Year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1818.
FARGALUS, qui supra.”
During my preparation to go on said mission, I was informed by several clergymen of the Church of Rome, who had correspondence with the then Roman Catholic Bishop of New York, that no person would be received there as a clergyman, unless well qualified to preach and defend the Gospel; as in that free country every person has the liberty of objecting to any doctrines unauthorized by the Gospel. This led me to apply myself seriously to the study of the Scriptures, in order to be capable of vindicating the religion I was about to teach; to whose sacred contents, till then, I was nearly as great a stranger as to the Koran of Mahomet. Why, oh! why should any person, designed to teach the Christian religion, remain so very ignorant of the foundation of all true and saving knowledge, as if the knowledge of that which alone can make men wise unto salvation, were of minor importance, if not altogether unnecessary? But, alas this is the case with regard to candidates for the Roman Catholic Priesthood.
I also had several conversations with some of my Protestant neighbours, on many of the controverted points of doctrines taught in the Church of Rome, which still made me feel more forcibly the necessity of being well versed in Scripture, in order to be able to withstand and confute every objection that might be raised against my creed, which was the sole object of my pursuit thus far. In the course of my reading the Scriptures, I was particularly struck with our Lord’s last charge to his disciples, as in Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. Also the following passages, “Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo! I am with you always even to the end of the world,” &c. Mark xvi. 15, 16. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Luke xxiv. 47, 48. “And that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in my name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Gal. i. 8. “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel, let him be accursed.” Col. iii. 16. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns,” &c. Acts xiii. 38, 39. “Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this Man is PREACHED UNTO YOU THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, and by him all who believe are justified from all things.” Acts v. 31. “Him God hath exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Compare with Acts x. 43. And Acts x. 35. with Rom. ii. 8–11. “Glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. But indignation and wrath upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first and also of the Gentile, for there is no respect of persons with God.” “The Gentiles having not the law, are a law unto themselves; their conscience in the mean time accusing or excusing them.”