But you will object, it will be you Catholics headed by the Pope, that will make us renounce the Protestant, and embrace the Catholic faith. To this objection I answer. First, the Catholics of England have promised to maintain, support, and defend, to the utmost of their power, the succession to the crown. Now, this succession, by an act entitled, "an act for the further limitation of the crown", is, and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, Electress, Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and to the heirs of her Body, being Protestants. Such are the very terms of the oath, which we Catholics have taken; as long therefore, as the Established Church is secure of having a Protestant Sovereign, it cannot be in any danger of subversion.
Secondly. The Irish Catholics have gone still further, and to silence even the predictions of their enemies, have disclaimed, disavowed, and solemnly abjured every intention, to subvert the present Church Establishment, for the purpose of substituting a Catholic Establishment in its stead, and have solemnly sworn, that they will not exercise any privilege, to which they are, or may be entitled, to disturb, or weaken the Protestant religion in that kingdom.
Thirdly. But I will suppose for a moment, that the Catholics were at last to determine to perjure themselves, and to violate the promises, to which they are so solemnly pledged, let us see the obstacles, they would have to surmount. First, there would be the Sovereign, the head of the Protestant Church, with the immense patronage of the Crown at her (or his) disposal; secondly, there would be all the spiritual Peers, and with the exception of a few Catholics, all the temporal Peers; thirdly, there would be the great majority in the House of Commons, in proportion to at least, ten Protestants to one Catholic. Now, by what spirit of magic, are a few Catholic Peers, to become the majority of the House of Lords, or is one Catholic Commoner, to outvote ten Protestants. By what miracle, is the Queen (or King) to abandon the defence of that Church, of which she (or he) is by conviction a member, and by law, supreme head? By what manœuvres, are the Catholics so to blind the confidence of the Sovereign, as to worm themselves into the possession of all places, of power, and trust? Before the Catholics can aid the Pope to extend his temporal or spiritual power over you Protestants, they will have to surmount all the above obstacles. But by what human power can they ever surmount the above obstacles? Really, gentlemen, is it not childish to talk either about Catholics forcing you to become Catholics, or their wishing to aid the Pope, to extend his spiritual or temporal domination over you Protestants, with all the above obstacles staring you in the face.
But, gentlemen, if on the other hand, you should think proper to seriously, and conscientiously, examine the real grounds of the Catholic religion, and if you should think proper, to examine seriously, and conscientiously, whether the Pope, is the real successor of Saint Peter, and of course in that case, the real spiritual head of Christ's Church, if you should ask yourselves the reason, why the Catholic Faith, has been the belief of the most extensive, and enlightened nations of Europe, and of the most illustrious characters, that ever did honour to the name of man,[F] if upon careful investigation, you should find that the Catholic Faith, was the faith of those, who built our Cathedrals, who erected our Universities, who laid the foundation of our envied Constitution, and who secured the great charter of our rights at Runnymede, in short, if you should find that the members of this creed, have in every age, stood forth the champions of liberty, and at the same time remained faithful worshippers of God, if after the most careful, and impartial investigation, you should find all these things to be real, and undeniable facts, then I would address you in the words, with which St. Paul addressed King Agrippa, "I would to God, that both in little, and in much, not only thou, but also, all that hear me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bonds." (Acts, ch. xxvi., v. 28.) Yes, gentlemen, I repeat it, if after the most serious, and minute investigation, you should find the above things real, and undeniable facts, then, gentlemen, the sincere wish of my heart would be, that you might all become Catholics, and the spiritual children of the head of our Church, but, mind, without our bonds, that is, without having to suffer, what our Catholic ancestors had to suffer for their faith,[G] a faith, which they conscientiously held as their best inheritance, and which, they held more dear, than life itself.
I would also address you in the words, in which Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, addressed the Jewish Council respecting the Apostles, who were unjustly cast into prison. "And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel, or this work, be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps, even you be found to fight against God." (Acts, ch. 5, v. 38, 39.) Gentlemen, if the Catholic Faith, be an invention of human counsel, and a work of human policy, rest assured, it will of itself crumble into nought, but if it be of God, and if it be the will of God, that England should return to her ancient faith, you cannot overthrow it, and you cannot fight against God, for as the wise man says, "there is no wisdom, there is no prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord." (Prov. ch. xxi., v. 30.)
Gentlemen, I think you must acknowledge, that I have answered, shortly indeed, but I hope satisfactorily, your objection, as to the Pope's gradually extending his spiritual, and temporal domination over you Protestants. Gentlemen, I am not aware, that any one at your meeting, was so uncourteous as to throw in the face of Catholics, either the Gunpowder, or Oates' plots. Still, you are aware, that it has been done at many of the late meetings, and in many places of England, to the injustice of Catholics. Allow me, to solicit your attention, whilst I say a few words respecting each of these plots, and whilst I show you, it is most unjust to throw those diabolical plots in the face of Catholics, either of the present, or of former ages.
The Guy Fawkes plot, or as it is usually termed, the Gunpowder Plot, is often sneeringly, and insultingly thrown in the face of Catholics. Now let it be remembered, that the original conspirators were only eight in number, that they were also of the most abandoned character, and that some of them, years before, had abjured the Catholic faith, and let it also be remembered, that this plot was disclosed even by a Catholic, Lord Monteagle, and that the Pope in a letter expressed his detestation of it, and ordered the Catholic clergy, to prevent by all means in their power, all similar conspiracies, and to exhort the people to patience and obedience. Now I ask, is it reasonable, that the wicked deeds of these few and abandoned conspirators, should be thrown in the face of the whole body of Catholics; as well might you upbraid our Saviour with the crimes of Judas. The plot was unknown to all good Catholics, they had nothing whatever to do with it, and it, and all other plotting whatever, were condemned and forbidden in the most severe manner, by the Clergy and the Pope. What could Catholics do more? Why, therefore, are the Catholics of the present times to be condemned for a plot with which they had no more to do, than the Protestants of the present day? But I will suppose for a moment, this diabolical plot was concocted by real Catholics. Can it be unreasonably urged, against the Catholics of the present day? If you answer, yes, I will then prove that the Ministers who attended your meeting, were cursers, murderers, and deserters of Christ. For if you ask each of them, if he is a minister of Christ, he will answer, certainly. Well, then, one of the Apostles betrayed our Saviour, another by oaths and curses, denied him, and all deserted him on the night of his passion. Now, if the above line of argumentation, against Catholics be valid, then I may conclude, that the Ministers who attended your meeting, were murderers, cursers, deniers, and deserters of Christ. Really, if I were to adopt this mode of argumentation against them, you would think, and justly, the upper stories of my intellect were of a very strange structure. How can persons, therefore, have the barefacedness to apply such reasoning to the Catholics of the present day, respecting the Gunpowder Plot.
Whoever will read the history of Titus Oates's Plot, will find that it was concocted against the Catholics, by some of the brightest characters for rascality, and perjury, and infamy, and cruelty, that the world ever beheld. Oates' plot consisted in this, that he accused the Catholics, and Jesuits in particular, of a plot, to murder King Charles the II., (1678), to transfer the sovereignty of the realm to the Pope, and to extirpate the Protestant religion from the land. But was not Titus Oates himself a Jesuit, or at least, a Catholic? You shall hear who Titus Oates was, from the pen of Protestant Historians.
"Oates, the former of this dreadful plot, was himself the most infamous of mankind. He was the son of an Anabaptist preacher, took orders in the Church of England, became chaplain on board the fleet, and was dismissed for some unnatural practices, not fit to be named." (See Hume's History.) You shall hear too, who his accomplices were; "Bedloe, a man, if possible, more infamous than Oates himself;" (See Hume's History.) And these were soon backed by others. "A wretch, named Carstairs led the way, and soon, from all the brothels, gambling houses, and spunging houses of London, false witnesses poured in, to swear away the lives of Roman Catholics." (See Macaulay's History of England.) And yet, on the barefaced testimony, of these abandoned, and infamous wretches, the Catholic Noblemen and Gentlemen, were, with the exception of the Duke of York, expelled from their seats in Parliament. Some of them, (although as innocent of the crimes of which they were accused, as the new-born babe), were tried, and executed on the false, and contradictory evidence, of these base wretches. All of them, died protesting their innocence; and many of them, embraced the opportunity to declare their abhorrence, of the doctrines so commonly, but so unjustly, attributed to Catholics. Their speeches at the place of execution, are still on record. (See "A Remonstrance of Piety and Innocence," 1683. Dodd's History, vol. iii., p. 356.) And if ever a man, may be believed to speak with sincerity, it is when, in the full possession of his senses, he stands on the brink of eternity, and expects the next moment, to be presented before an Omniscient Judge. One of them, Lord Stafford, referred the Peers, at his trial, for an account of his religious creed, to a small tract, entitled "Catholic Principles." This small tract has often been printed, and was then, and is still, considered to convey an accurate notion of the Catholic faith. Well may Hume say, that "this Popish plot, is an incident, which, for the credit of the nation, it were better to bury in eternal oblivion, but which it is necessary to perpetuate, both for the truth of history, and to warn, if possible, their posterity, and all mankind, never again to fall into so shameful, so barbarous a delusion." (See Hume's History.) And yet Oates was rewarded with appointments in the Royal Palace, and had £1200 a year assigned him, as the wages of his iniquity, and Bedloe £500: and Oates was called "the Saviour of the nation."
But how did these wretches come off at last? You shall hear again, from Mr. Macaulay. About seven years later, when the madness, and the delusion of the people, had passed away, it was resolved, to bring these wretches, who had spilled so much blood, to their own trial. "Some of the wretches," (says Macaulay) "were already beyond the reach of justice. Bedloe had died in his wickedness, without one sign of remorse or shame. Dugdale had followed him to the grave, driven mad by the furies of an evil conscience, and with loud shrieks, imploring those, who stood around his bed, to take away Lord Stafford. (A Catholic Lord, whose life he had sworn away, seven years ago.) Carstairs, too, was gone. His end, was all horror, and despair, and with his last breath, he told his attendants to throw him into a ditch, like a dog, for that he was not fit, to sleep in Christian burial ground." Mr. Macaulay thus describes Oates' appearance, at his trial. "A few years earlier, his short neck, his legs uneven, as those of a badger, his forehead low, as that of a baboon, his purple cheeks, and monstrous length of chin, had been familiar to all, who frequented the courts of law. He had been the idol of the nation—men had uncovered their heads to him, and called him, the deliverer of his country. They now shuddered at the sight of the hideous features, on which villany seemed to be written, by the hand of God." (See Macaulay's History of England.) Horrible as were the sufferings of Oates, they did not equal his crimes. Such, gentlemen, is a short, but true account of Titus Oates's Plot, and of his abandoned, and perjured accomplices. And yet, some have the audacity to throw this infamous plot, in the face of the Catholics, even at the present day. To such I would say, "you are either ignorant of history, or not; if you are ignorant of history, it is the part of a simpleton, to talk on subjects which he does not understand." But if you are acquainted with history, I beg to address you in the words of the poet—