Hence in Ireland, the Catholic Hierarchy, has not only been recognised, but royally honoured; and the same form of Ecclesiastical Government, has been gradually extended, to the greater part of our Colonies. Australia was the first, which obtained this spiritual advantage, and this was openly done, and was publicly known, and yet, no remonstrance was ever made against it. The Catholic Prelates of Australia, in every document, are addressed by their titles, and are acknowledged, and salaried, as Archbishops and Bishops, respectively, and this not by one, but by successive English governments. Our North American possessions, were the next, to receive this spiritual government, Kingston, Byetown, Toronto, and Halifax, have been erected into dioceses by the Holy See, and the titles of their respective Bishops, are acknowledged by their local governments. The Holy See, has also formed a new ecclesiastical province in the West Indies, where several Vicars Apostolic, have been appointed with titles, and with all the spiritual powers, allowed by the Hierarchy. Now, gentlemen, if the Catholics of Ireland, and the Catholics of our English Colonies, are thus allowed by Government, to enjoy the spiritual benefits of the Hierarchy, do you not think it unreasonable, that the Catholics of England, should be refused the same spiritual blessings? Do not the Dissenters also, enjoy in England, the free exercise of their spiritual powers? Dr. Dillon, assumed the power, and ordained, what he called Presbyters, and no Englishman thought proper, to call him to account, for assuming those spiritual powers. The Moravians, and the Irvinites or the Apostolicals, have their Bishops in England, and yet, they are not taxed with illegality. The Scotch Kirk, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Quakers, the Independents, the Presbyterians, and all other Dissenters, appoint their Ministers for themselves, and mark the limits of the separate districts, in which they are to exercise their spiritual authority, and yet, no one has the presumption, to question the legality of their exercising such authority in England. If therefore, all these various dissenting sects are allowed these spiritual privileges, why should the English free-born Catholics, be debarred from them?
Her present Majesty was advised to erect, and did erect, (5 Vic. cap. 6.) a Bishopric of Jerusalem, and assigned to it a diocese, in which the three great Patriarchates of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, were formed into one See, which had episcopal jurisdiction over Syria, Chaldea, Egypt, and Abyssinia, and subject to further limitations, or alterations at the Royal Will. Now do any of these possessions belong to Her Majesty? No. But you may reply, there are in some, and may be in others, British Protestants, and therefore, the Queen thought proper, to extend Her spiritual blessings to them. Granted. Why therefore, has not the Pope, an equal right to extend his spiritual blessings to the Catholics of England? It is plain then, that the Irish Catholics, and the Catholics of many of our Colonies, are allowed to exercise their spiritual rights unmolested, it is plain that all other dissenting sects, are allowed to enjoy in England the same spiritual privileges, and it is plain likewise, that the Queen assumes and exercises abroad, in the most independent manner, Her spiritual powers, tell me then, in the name of common sense, by what law, either human, or divine, you wish to deprive the English Catholics of the free exercise of their spiritual rights?
Oh, but you will object, "the Pope has assumed a right over us Protestants, he has parcelled out the land of England, he has named Archbishops and Bishops, and appointed them to rule over us, whom he impudently styles heretics." To this objection, gentlemen, I reply, Do the Catholics in England acknowledge the Queen's supremacy in spiritual matters? Do the Dissenters of England acknowledge Her supremacy in spiritual matters? No. Now divide the English population into two parts, and if you calculate accurately, you will find, that the greater half of the English population, consists of Catholics and Dissenters, who do not acknowledge the Queen's spiritual supremacy. But when the Queen issues Her Spiritual Instruments, or if you please, Bulls, does she not parcel out the land of England? Does she not name Archbishops, and Bishops, and apparently appoint them to rule over us Catholics and Dissenters, in short, does She not in those Spiritual Instruments, or Bulls, apparently assume over us Catholics and Dissenters, the very same spiritual power, which the Pope appears to assume, in His Bulls, over Protestant Englishmen? But do you ever hear of us Catholics, or Dissenters, styling this an extraordinary movement on the part of the Queen? No. Because we have the common sense to know, that such parcelling out of the land, and such extension of Her Spiritual Authority to her Archbishops, and Bishops, regard only the real Protestants of the land, and that they have no more to do with us and the Dissenters, in a spiritual point of view, than they have with the inhabitants of Turkey.
If you would likewise ask some of the limbs of the law, who attended your meeting, they would inform you, that in Acts of Parliament, that in deeds, and in the drawing up almost all the various instruments of the law, there are certain forms, which to us appear most ridiculous, and outrageous, and if you questioned them on these points, and asked them, about all this strange rigmarole of words and of phraseology, they would tell you, it is only a certain necessary form in law, and that although it may appear strange to other people, still, it is perfectly understood by all, who are versed in the laws of the land.[D] Why cannot these gentlemen, therefore, have the good sense to extend this explanation to the Pope's Bull, and then they would find this parcelling out the land by the Pope's Bull, and this delegation of spiritual power, of Archbishops, and Bishops, as if extending to Protestants, was a mere phantom of their own imagination, and that in reality, it regarded none, but the spiritual subjects of the Pope in this kingdom, and that it did not regard even them, only in a spiritual, and not in a temporal point of view, either directly or indirectly.
I observe, in your public notice for your meeting, two Dissenting Ministers, put their names to the requisition. Now, although the Protestant Church may honour these gentlemen, with the name of Reverend, does it consider them to be ministers? It certainly does not.[E] And I will prove it to you. If these Ministers were to go over to the Protestant Church, it would ordain them, and by that act, tell them that before, they were mere phantoms of Ministers, and that they had never had any spiritual power, or jurisdiction whatever. If therefore the orthodox Protestant gentleman, whose name stands so conspicuously between these two Dissenting Reverends, were to be asked, why he styled them Reverends, when his own Church, considers them as mere phantoms of Ministers, what would he say? Of course he would tell us, it was a mere matter of courtesy, for he was obliged to agree with his Church, that they were mere phantoms of Ministers. Now, gentlemen, just apply this to the Pope's Bull in your regard. You read the Pope's Bull, and erroneously imagine that the spiritual powers, which it asserts, really regards (or is to regard) you Protestants. Whereas you ought to consider it, as a mere phantom of spiritual power in your regard, and I moreover add, you ought to consider it, as a mere phantom in any temporal point of view, even as it regards the Catholics. Do this, gentlemen, and then, you will perceive, that the idea of it extending to you Protestants, either in any spiritual, or temporal point of view, whatever, is a mere chimera of your own imaginations.
But after all, I know many of you will still urge, that the Pope may gradually extend his spiritual power over you, and then, by degrees extend his temporal power over you, until at last, he has completely established over you his spiritual and temporal domination. Gentlemen, I will answer this argument shortly indeed, but I hope satisfactorily, and I feel confident that, unless you are as the poet says,
"Convince a man against his will,
He'll hold the same opinion still,"
you will be convinced, from what I shall advance, that the above objection, is another chimera of your own imaginations.
True and genuine religion, must be founded on the free, and spontaneous consent of the heart. If therefore, you Protestants ever allow the Pope, to extend his spiritual power over you, without having first sincerely, and deliberately considered the real grounds of the Catholic Faith, and of the Pope's title to spiritual supremacy, and without your having first given your free, and spontaneous consent to them, I hope you will forgive me, if I politely tell you, I should consider you as a set of religious donkeys, and that you ought not to be allowed to bray in this free country.