their Presbyterian brethren, and from dissenters of every denomination, are either essentials or non-essentials-if essentials, why say that they are one with them-if non-essentials, why, in the name of heaven, tear the seamless garment of Christ asunder?—why divide the fold of Christ, and disturb the peaceful mansion of the City of Sion, by prescribing non-essential articles as conditions of communion, and by forcing the non-conformists to retire, excommunicated from their law Church?

19th. Why do my reverend friends admit a lay supreme head in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, whose supremacy is not sanctioned by any warrant in the written Christian dispensation?

"20th. Why assert that Scripture bears testimony to itself, when its author, Christ Jesus, says, that even his own living and established testimony of himself would be fruitless and vain. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true;' again, 'You sent to John, and he gave testimony of truth.' (St. John, 5 c. 31–33 v.)

"21st. How will my reverend opponents of the Church of England prove to this learned assembly that they are not guilty of the sin of schism—a sin which, as the Apostle of Nations attests, excludes from the kingdom of heaven-equally guilty, I repeat it, with the Arians, the Nestorians, the Eutechians; they also called the Church of Christ corrupted--they also gloried in the name of Reformers?

22. According to the law of the land, which is supposed to speak the sense of the nation, it is declared that no man is capable of managing his temporal concerns, before he has attained the twenty-first year of his age. Common sense should then move us to believe that no man is capable of judging for himself in religious matters, or of selecting his own symbol, before he has reached that period of his life. I here, then, ask my reverend friends, can that religion be the religion of Christ, which supposes that a man must have attained his twenty-first year before he can give his reasonable assent to the 'doctrines which it inculcates, or, in other words, make an act of faith in its divine revelation?

"23d. Can a Protestant of the Established Church reasonably believe any tenet peculiar to his creed, when he is quite aware that the Eastern and Western Churches are opposed to this doctrine?

“24th. Christ Jesus established his Church on and by the word preached, and not written. Preach the Gospel to every creature, Go, teach all nations,' &c. I will require a clear text of Scripture, bearing on this subject, which will go expressly to invalidate the un

2

written first rule of faith, and make known to us the exact period of its suspension."

His closing remarks on this day are necessary to complete the relation:

"I might here repeat many other queries, to which my reverend friends, though frequently called on, have not condescended to give answers, and for this reason, because they were convinced that in their principles they were unanswerable. They acted, in this respect, a prudent part; for knowing as they must, the weakness of the system which they advocate, they chose rather to fly before the difficulties proposed, than by a fruitless struggle in attempting to uphold it, further expose before the eyes of the world, its consumptive and tottering condition. I am sorry to perceive here that my time is almost expired, as I came armed with substantial documents, which would prove to the satisfaction of this assembly that Protestantism, as it is now professed by the Church of England, is nothing more than a patched coat, made up of the different heresies of the days that are gone by; my sorrow, however, is somewhat alleviated by the conviction I feel, that enough has been done to point out to my Protestant friends the way that leads to life-to show them that they are sheep of another fold--that, to enjoy that holy and religious peace of soul, which transcends all human understanding, they must return to the bosom of that Church from which their forefathers, in an evil hour, separating themselves, took refuge in the Babel of Schism.

"As this is the last time I will here have an opportunity of addressing those who differ from me in opinion, I beg leave, before sitting down, to crave their indulgence, if throughout the discussion, where, unfortunately, retaliation too often became necessary, I should, in their eyes, have permitted my zeal for the house of the Lord to burn rather intensely, and to say that the kind attention with which they have heard me, and the liberality evinced in general by all denominations of Christians throughout this city, have made an impression on my mind which no time can efface."

Rev. Messrs. Bloxham, Ross and Smyly spoke in the closing debate, as did Rev. Messrs. Quin and O'Kane;

the whole was wound up by Mr. O'Loughlin in a rapid synoptical review of all that had been said on either side. His peroration could hardly help touching both parties among the auditors:

"I wish to direct a few words to my Protestant brethren, as it is probably the last opportunity I may have of addressing them They have had, during this discussion, an opportunity of knowing what they did not heretofore know, the doctrines of the Catholic Church. You must now perceive that she is not that erroneous, superstitious, idolatrous Church which you were led to believe she was, but that One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church with which Christ will remain to the end of days. If there be among you one from whose mind divine grace has removed the veil in which it has been enveloped by prejudice, harden not your hearts against the divine influence, but humbly exclaim, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do, and follow the directions of the holy admonition, To you, also, my Catholic brethren, I address myself; you must be filled with consolation and holy joy on hearing a reason for the faith that is in you. You have heard how groundless are the misrepresentations so unsparingly used against our holy Church, of superstition, error and idolatry; on the contrary, that she is pure, holy, Catholic and Apostolic; that she is directed by her divine founder, Jesus Christ, who speaks to you by the voice of her pastors-never deviate from her decisions; they are the decisions of the Holy Ghost, who preserves her doctrine pure and undefiled. She is always armed against every error, and all the powers of earth and hell will not prevail against her. Be therefore firm and constant in the faith; be strengthened by the divine aid against all impostors and the ungodly; in the words of St Paul, Watch, stand in the faith, act manfully and be comforted.' (Cor. 16: 32.)"

Never was text of Holy Writ more applicable to a people, than that sentence of St. Paul to the Catholics of the North of Ireland,-" Watch, stand in the faith, act manfully, and be comforted," was not cited to them in vain. They had borne for a hundred and forty years

with every civil and social deprivation, but at last their "emancipation" was at hand. They were lifting up their hearts to God, and their heads among their fellow-men. It is no exaggeration to say that the resolute stand made by their six consecrated champions at Derry, increased their confidence in themselves, in their clergy, and in the faith of their fathers. The temper, the scholarship, the firmness of Fathers O'Loughlin and O'Kane, McCarron, Mc'Leer, Maginn and Quinn, filled them with courage to act manfully. It is evident from the challenge that it was not only a religious controversy, but an exhibition of the reasoning powers and native gifts of the old race against the new. The Rosses, Bloxhams, Boyds and Hendersons were not deficient in talent or acquirement; some, or all of them were graduates of Trinity College, one of the best endowed Universities in Europe. Their opponents were mainly the young alumni of Maynooth, then struggling into celebrity. But neither their College nor the Irish Church had any need to be ashamed of their champions in the famous Discussion at Derry.

*

Cotemporaneously with these oral discussions, the Catholic Association continued its political agitation for the abolition of the remnant of the Penal Code. Under the

As stated above (in the text), the authenticated Report of the Discussion was published in 1828, simultaneously by Curry, of Dublin, and by Coyne of the same city. It forms a thick volume of over 500 pages, but each day's debate is numbered separately

It had its for

wise guidance of O'Connell and his brilliant colleagues, this voluntary society had almost grown into the importance of a Provisional Government. It comprised a fair representation of the old nobility and gentry, all the Catholic clergy, and almost all the laity. eign allies in France, Bavaria, Rome, the United States, Brazil and India. At home its proclamations were more effectual than the Viceroy's; abroad, its debates were read with as much interest as those of the Imperial Parliament. For five years that unparalleled and menacing spectacle overawed the empire, striking fear even into the lion heart of Arthur, Duke of Wellington. At last, in April, 1829, the British government capitulated to the Irish Association, and the second "Catholic Relief Bill" became the law, not only for Ireland, but for onefifth of the human race. During the last years of the contest, O'Connell had no more zealous agent in the northern province than the popular young curate of Moville. The name of Inishowen had not even then lost all its terrors for Dublin Castle, and he kept it continually in terrorem over the parties in power. His speeches at the Baronial meetings previous to "Emancipation" (as the act of '29 is popularly called), are said to have been like his early sermons, full of pith and power. Unluckily they have shared the same fate, and we must, therefore, accept their merits upon heresay. What is more to our purpose is, that Mr. Maginn, amidst all these exciting