from which he has written, "all men of sense and ingenuity may reasonably conclude, that the good hand of God has by me his unworthy servant, vouchsafed to this nation a specimen of the true, genuine, Catholic Religion, to which all the rest must conform, or incur the just censure of schismatics, sectaries, or agents for a faction amongst men, and the judgments of God

either here or hereafter."

[Statesmen's Attention called to the chicanery of the Roman Court.]

"THE Roman Court is a new theatre for the improvement of English diplomacy. There are no ladies; it is a Court composed of the most profound intriguers, all of whom are looking up to the Papacy, and all of whom are interested, personally interested in the aggrandizement of the Holy See. There is perhaps no Court in the world that better deserves the attention of a statesman than the Roman, for this obvious reason, that there is no Court which has so many emissaries under such plausible appearances, and no place where the interests of other States are better understood. It is a notorious fact, and has been so since the days of Petrarch, that most of the Roman Prelates are better skilled in politics, than in divinity: that for one who is advanced to the Cardinalato for his skill in theology, ten are promoted for having, as Nuncios discovered the secrets of foreign States. These prelates are usually sent legates, first to the three legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and Ravenna, to the Marquisates of Ancona, and Urbino, to the lesser courts of Naples, Florence, Brussels, Cologne, to Switzerland, and to Venice, Genoa, as long as they were independent states.

"From these smaller embassies they were sent to Vienna, Paris, Madrid, Warsaw, Lisbon, &c. from which Courts they seldom returned without the cardinal's cap; they were of course, appointed members of the congregation for matters of state; and I

may boldly say, that no prince in Europe can boast of a council composed of more artful counsellors, or more refined, experienced, and crafty politicians.

"Every one of the Cardinal Nuncios has been an eye-witness to the political proceedings of kings, emperors, ambassadors, agents, and Chargées des affaires; every one of them has particular information from his

fellow nuncios of the transactions of the different Courts where they resided; so that here is a combination of men, whose talents are improved by experience, nurtured by observation, and concentrated as into a focus, from which they cast their eyes at once on all Europe; these advantages, together with the particular accounts they are receiving daily from their Vicars and Nuncios in every quarter, enable them to calculate on every incident that may present itself from day to day, and I will venture to assert that the government of England is not so well acquainted with the affairs of Ireland as the Court of Rome is at this moment, through her sworn Vicars, and through those who are looking for preferment or emolument from her patronage.

"In other states when an Envoy is recalled from the Court to which he was sent, he is but too often thrown by as lumber, and a raw inexperienced person supplies his place, though his long residence abroad may have qualified him ever so well for being useful to his prince; but in Rome

every

Nuncio looks for his reward and office, even though the death of the Pope should cause a change of ministry, and a revolution of new families and new interests in the state. Every Nuncio therefore employs himself in making particular remarks on the government, customs, trade and political relations of the state to which he has been sent; he makes notes which he transmits to Rome, or is the bearer of himself; he describes the genius and character of the different ministers, describes the connections of the leading families, their fortunes, their passions and affections, what influence they possess in the Councils and delibera

tions of cabinets, and how useful or how adverse each may be to his Court; and he is sure of preferment in proportion to his diligence when he returns to Rome. When Cardinal Bentivoglio was Nuncio at Brussels, though he had directly no concern with the British Islands, yet, having obtained from the Irish, Scotch and English Vicars all the information that was necessary, did he not send to Rome "una Relazione," a distinct and masterly account of the interests, the political relations and the internal affairs of the three kingdoms, which was found so deeply and vitally interesting, that Rome would never allow it to be published.” — COLUMBANUS ad Hibernos, No. 7, p. 58.

[Condemnation of the Catholic Manual.]

"THE Nuncio of Brussels, Ghilini, condemned as heretical and impious, a book published in Dublin 1767, intitled the 'Ca- | tholic Manual,' because it asserted in the appendix, that the Pope could not dispense in the allegiance due by Catholics to their Sovereigns! The condemnation of this book, and proposition, is dated Brussels, 29th June, 1770, and refers to a previous condemnation at Rome, dated 26th March, the same year. The same Nuncio's letter to the bishops of Ireland, condemning the same proposition as impious, is too well known to be insisted on here; all that I will urge, en passant is, that from that day to this, not one of the political bulls has been condemned by the Nuncios or the Vicars, the poynters or the milners, the trojo or the prelates of the Roman Court; so that whatever hostilities they may exercise amongst themselves for personal interests, pique, pride, envy, or pre-eminence, they all agree in supporting the political maxims of that Court, placing even the Bull Unigenitus and the political discipline of the Council of Trent, on a level with articles of faith, by excommunication.

"And yet notwithstanding this flagrant

89

unanimity in supporting the political dominion of Rome, as an affair of Religion, I cannot help excusing our ministers, if after all the calamities which these pretensions have caused to Rome herself, by the falling off of Germany, England, and other Catholic States, they hoped to experience some abatement in favour of the canonical restraints, which Catholic England, and our general councils have enacted against the abuse of spiritual power. It was their first essay since the Reformation; they were misled by a fancied religious hostility between the two Vicars, Milner and Poynter; and I question whether any one of them ever read Pascal's Letters, or Gregorio Letts's Life of Sixtus V., or Tira Paolo's History of the Venetian Interdict, or Vargois Letters from the Council of Trent. But perhaps the time approaches, and even now is, when experience will teach caution; when any concessions made by Rome, short of the legal enactment of the Canonical Restraints, will be found nugatory."— CoLUMBANUS ad Hibernos, No. 7, p. 62.

[Praying and saying Prayers.]

"THE very prayers of the faithful are, or may be, spoiled by doctrines publickly allowed and prevailing in the Romish Church.

"For they teach, that, prayers themselves, ex opere operato, or by the natural work itself, do prevail: for it is not essential to prayer for a man to think particularly of what he says; it is not necessary to think of the things signified by the words. So Suarez1 teaches; nay, it is not necessary to the essence of prayer, that he who prays should think de ipsâ locutione, of the speaking itself. And indeed it is necessary that they should all teach so, or they cannot tolerably pretend to justify their prayers in an unknown tongue. But this is indeed their publick

1 De orat. 1. 5, c. 4.

doctrine for prayers in the mouth of the man that says them, are like the words of a charmer, they prevail even when they are not understood, says Salmeron. Or, as Antoninus, they are like a precious stone, of as much value in the hand of an unskilful man as of a jeweller. And therefore attention to, or devotion in our prayers is not necessary. For the understanding of which, saith Cardinal Tolet, when it is said that you must say your prayers or offices attently, reverently and devoutly, you must know that attention or advertancy to your prayers is manifold, 1st. that you attend to the words, so that you speak them not too fast, or to begin the next verse of a Psalm before he that recites with you hath done the former verse; and this attention is necessary. But 2nd. there is an attention by understanding the sense, and that is not necessary; for if it were, very extremely few would do their duty, when so very few do at all understand what they say. 3rd. There is an attention relating to the end of prayer, that is, that he that prays, considers that he is present before God and speaks to him, and this indeed is very profitable, but it is not necessary: no, not so much. So that by this doctrine no attention is necessary, but to attend that the words be all said, and said right. But even this attention is not necessary that it should be actual, but it suffices to be virtual, that is, that he who says his office intend to do so, and do not change his mind, although he does not attend : and he who does not change his mind, that is, unless observing himself not to attend, he still turn his mind to other things, he attends: meaning, he attends sufficiently, and as much as is necessary, though indeed, speaking naturally and truly, he does not attend." -JEREMY TAYLOR. Dissuasive from Popery, p. 107.

"So that between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, the difference in

1 Sum. part 3, tit. 23.

PIERRE DE MARCA.

this article is plainly thus, they pray with their lips, we, with the heart; we pray with the understanding, they with the voice; we pray, and they say prayers."—Ibid. p. 110.

[Bishops forbidden to keep Dogs and Birds of Prey.]

"Ar the Synod of Mascon held by King Goutran A.D. 585, Bishops were forbidden to keep dogs in their house, or birds of prey, lest the poor should be bit by these animals Histoire de Bearne, 1. 1, c. 18, § 2. instead of being fed."-PIERRE de Marca.

[Sir Thomas More and the Question of Sanctuary.]

SIR THOMAS MORE in his "History of the pitiful Life and unfortunate Death of Edward V.," puts these arguments into the Duke of Buckingham's mouth, when he is urging the council to take the Duke of York out of the sanctuary to which his mother had fled with him:

"Verily sith the privilege of that place, and other of that sort, have so long continued, I would not go about to break it; but if they were now to begin, I would not be he that should make them. Yet will not I say nay, but it is a deed of pity that such men as the chance of the sea, or their evil debtors have brought into poverty, should have some place of refuge to keep in their bodies out of the danger of their cruel creditors. And if it fortune the crown to come in question, as it hath done before this time, while each part taketh other for traitors, I think it necessary to have a place of refuge for both. But as for theives and murderers, whereof these places be full, and which never fall from their craft after they once fall thereunto, it is pity that every sanctuary should serve them: and

commandeth to be taken from the altar,

no laws, for want of due execution; but beggars are beggars still for want of due correction. Et vetabitur semper et retinebitur; the saying is truer of rogues and gypsies in England, than ever it was of mathematicians in Rome. You to whose care the preservation of the justice, and thereby also of the peace of the land is committed, as you tender the peace and justice of the land: as you tender your own quiet and the safety of your neighbours; as you tender the weal of your country and the honour of God; breathe fresh life into the languishing laws by severe execution; be rather cruel to those vipers, than to the state. So shall you free us from the plague and yourselves from the guilt, and them from the opportunities, of infinite sinful abominations.

"But we are unreasonable to press you thus far, or to seek to you or any others for justice in this matter, having power enough in our own hands to do ourselves justice upon these men, if we would but use it even by making a strait covenant with our ears not to heed them, and with our eyes not to pity them, and with our hands not to relieve them. Say I this altogether of myself, or saith not the apostle even the same? He that will not labour, let him not eat; relieve him not. But hath not Christ required us to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked, and to be free and charitable to the poor? Nothing surer: God forbid any man should preach against charity and alms-deeds. But remember that as God approveth not alms, or any other work, if without charity, so not charity itself, if without discretion. Honour widows saith St. Paul, but those that are widows indeed. So relieve the poor, but those that are poor indeed. Not every one that asketh, not every one that wanteth: nay more, not every one that is poor, is poor indeed and he that in his indiscreet and misguided charity should give to every one that asketh, or wanteth, or is poor, meat, or clothing, or alms, would soon make himself more hungry and naked and poor, than

he that is most hungry or naked, or poor. The poor whom Christ commendeth to thee as a fit object for thy charity, the poor indeed, are those that want not only the things they ask, but want also means to get without asking. A man that is blind, or aged, and past his work; a man that is sick, or weak, or lame, and cannot work; a man that desires it, and seeks it and cannot get work; a man that hath a greater charge upon him than his honest pains can maintain; such a man as one of these, he is poor indeed. Let thine ears be open, and thine eyes open, and thy bowels open, and thy hands open to such a one: it is a charitable deed, and a sacrifice of sweet-smelling; with such sacrifice God is well pleased. Forget not thou to offer such sacrifices upon every good opportunity; and be well assured God will not forget, in due time, to reward thee. But for a lusty, able, upright man (as they stile him in their own dialect) that had rather beg, or steal, or both, than dig, he is no more to be relieved as a poor man, than a woman that hath poisoned her husband is to be honoured as a widow. Such a woman is a widow, for she hath no more a husband than any other widow hath, but such a woman is not a widow indeed as St. Paul would be understood; not such a widow as he would have honoured: it is alms to hang up such a widow, rather than to honour her. And I dare say, he that helpeth one of these sturdy beggars to the stocks, and the whip, and the house of correction, not only deserveth better of the commonwealth, but doth a work of greater charity in the sight of God, than he that helpeth him with meat, and money, and lodging. For he that doth this, corrupteth his charity by a double error: first, he maintaineth, and so encourageth the other in idleness, who if none would relieve him, would be glad to do any work rather than starve: and secondly, he disableth his charity by misplacing it, and unawares robbeth the poor, whilst he thinks he relieveth them. As he that giveth any honour to an idol, robbeth