The resolutions were then agreed to; and, on the House resuming, the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

15th July,

On the 13th July, 1807,* a short discussion Debate of took place on the question, which was again 1807. more fully entered into on the 15th July in the same year; when, the House having resolved itself into a Committee of Supply,

Mr. Foster, in moving that the sum of 13,000l. Mr. Foster. be granted for defraying the expenses of the Romish College at Maynooth, observed, that though he now proposed the larger sum, because a great part of it had been already advanced, he by no means pledged himself to repeat such a proposition in any succeeding year.

Mr. Elliot spoke, defending the conduct of Mr. Elliot. the late administration, and contending that it would be infinitely more wise and politic to afford facilities for educating the Roman Catholics at home, than to send them abroad to receive a foreign education.

Browne.

Mr. Hawkins Browne thought his right ho- Mr. Hawkins nourable friend (Mr. Foster) had acted on this occasion with great liberality and moderation. He had said, that if he had been a member of the British Parliament he never would have given his assent to establish such an anomaly as a college maintained, within the realm, at the ex

• Cobbett's Parliamentary Debates, vol. ix. p. 790.

H

Mr. Windham.

pense of the state, to educate a clergy for the
purpose of propagating a religion contrary and
hostile to the state itself; a religion which every
member of that House was bound to abjure,
before he could take his seat; a religion of super-
stitious, intolerant, and persecuting principles;
and which, however friendly he was to tolera-
tion and liberty of conscience, he was sorry to
find so inveterately rooted amongst so great a
portion of the people of Ireland, and now che-
rished by the sanction of the law. He lamented
extremely that there were so many Roman Ca-
tholics in Ireland, and would have no objection
to agree to the establishment of parish schools
for their education ; — not like the Protestant
charter schools, to procure proselytes, but
where they might be instructed in the funda-
mental principles of Christianity, in which all
sects agree.
But, if the Irish Catholics wished
to educate their clergy, let them do it, like the
Protestant Dissenters, at their own cost, instead
of loading the Protestants of Ireland with taxes,
for the purpose of supporting a college on their

account.

Mr. Windham had not expected such a discussion at this moment. The Honourable Gentleman had spoken of the Catholic College as an anomaly. The best answer to that was, that the state of Ireland was itself an anomaly, where three fourths of the people continued Catholics notwithstanding all the legal cruelties, proscrip

tions, and privations, for so many hundred years, in order to drive them into Protestants.

Mr. Parnell said he held in his hand the Mr. Parnell. prayer-book used by the Roman Catholics in Ireland, out of which, with the permission of the House, he would read a few extracts, for the purpose of showing that the doctrines attributed to that body of men were either misunderstood, or grossly misrepresented. He accordingly read the following sections of that book:—“It is no matter of faith that the Church cannot err, either in matters of fact, in matters of speculation, or civil policy, depending on mere human reason, these not being divine revelations deposited in the Catholic Church. 3. If a general council, much less a papal consistory, should presume to depose a king, and to absolve his subjects from their allegiance, no Catholic could be found to submit to such decree. Hence it follows-4. That subjects of the king of England lawfully may, without the least breach of any Catholic principle, renounce, upon oath, the teaching or practising the doctrine of deposing kings, excommunicated for heresy by any authority whatsoever, as repugnant to the fundamental laws of the nation, as injurious to the sovereign power, and as destructive to peace and good government. 6. It is no matter of faith to believe that the Pope is himself infallible. 7. Nor do Catholics*, as Catholics, believe that

*See antè, pp. 121-129.

Mr. Parnell. the Pope has any direct or indirect authority over the temporal powers and jurisdiction of princes. Hence, if the Pope should pretend to absolve, or dispense His Majesty's subjects from their allegiance, on account of heresy or schism, such dispensation should be vain and null; and all Catholic subjects, notwithstanding such dispensation or absolution, should be still bound in conscience to defend their king and country, at the hazard of their lives and fortunes (as far as Protestants would be bound), even against the Pope himself, should he invade the nation. 9. As for the king-killing doctrine, or murder of princes excommunicated for heresy, it is universally admitted in the Catholic Church, and expressly so declared in the councils of Constance, that such doctrine is impious and execrable, being contrary to the known laws of God and nature. 11. It is a fundamental * truth of our religion, that no power on earth can

* We should like to see the date assigned at which these became such "fundamental truths." If it be so, some of their greatest writers have strangely misunderstood the principles of their church. (See antè, p. 123.) But it is constantly argued against Protestants, that the writings of individual Roman Catholics are not to be regarded as binding upon their church; therefore also, by like reason, Protestants ought not to be induced to look upon the principles once avowed in authoritative works of that church, as no longer in existence, merely because some of her members have disclaimed or denied them.

license men to lie, to forswear or perjure them- Mr. Parnell. selves, to massacre *their neighbours, or destroy their native country, on pretence of promoting

This must contrast most strikingly with the sad events which had but just then passed under review. The following confession of a servant, of the murder of his master, taken from Musgrave's "History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798," is a specimen of the effect, of which a long series of instances might be adduced. Thomas Cleary was executed the 8th of March, 1800, for the murder of his master, Edward Turner, Esq., on the bridge of Wexford: just before his execution he made the following confession, in the presence of Joshua Nunn, Esq., high sheriff, the undersigned gentlemen, and many others, that he was guilty of the said murder. On his being asked did he not think it a sin to kill his master? he replied, that he often heard the people say it was not a sin to kill him; and that since the murder of his master he received absolution from two priests - Father Murphy, of the parish of Kilrush, in the said county, and Father Ryan, who had done duty for Father Ned Redmond, of the parish of Ferns. He was also asked, did they order him to do anything for committing so horrid a crime? he answered, they ordered him to fast three days in each week for a month, as a penance !

JOSHUA NUNN, High Sheriff.
JAMES BOYD.

CHRISTOPHER WILSON.

WILLIAM TURNER.†

*This was from meat only.

† See Protestant Journal, 1832, p. 24.