624 



cover, and exliibitcd in the light of 

 truth. 



The Roman cliurch protends to a 

 kind of infallibiiily, not accurately de- 

 fined. But the priest of this infallihic 

 church is often a very weak and fallible 

 man. The people arc called upon to 

 distingnisli between the organ of a 

 perfect church, and perfect as an organ, 

 and the imperfect and sinful being who 

 is placed in this situation ; it is im- 

 possible to make this distinction, and 

 the cause of truth, and the authority of 

 religion, suffer in the person of their 

 supposed organ. The people identify 

 the priest and the doctrine ; they have 

 no other standard to refer to, for they 

 are unacquainted with the gospel, 

 which alone is perfect and unchangeable. 



The clergy of tliis churcii generally 

 oppose the instruction of the people, 

 if connected with the reading of the 

 Scriptures. We have seen the crowded 

 and shrieking children turned forcibly 

 out of the schools, which charily had 

 erected for their instruction; we have 

 seen the little frighted victims, rushing 

 from the quiet and happy asylum whicli 

 had been provided for them, and wander- 

 ing in despondency upon the roads, 

 where tliey were condemned by their 

 " Christian pastors" to resume their 

 old habits of vice and idleness. 



If the parents enquire the reason of 

 this strange proceeding, Ww.y are told, 

 that the Scripture is a book they must 

 not look into; it would make them 

 Protestants. A higher compliment 

 than this was never made to the pro- 

 testant faith : if they happen not to 

 be sutKciently tcrrilied by the bugbear 

 of protestantism, and are still inclined 

 to send their children to school, they 

 are told that punishment will assuredly 

 follow; absol'ation will be refused the 

 offender, the sacrament will be with- 

 iield in time of need, and he will be 

 suffered to die without Christian rights; 

 and the terrified victim of poverty and 

 superstition is subdued. 



The time is come when the text must 

 be restored. The New Testament is 

 nothing more than a simple narrative 

 of the establishment of Christianity, 

 and the preaching of the apostles. Is 

 it not amazing arrogance in any churcii- 

 men to set aside forcibly the preaching 

 of the apostles, and to substitute their 

 own. The apostles still preach in the 

 gospels; but, say the clergy of the 

 Roman churcii, their preaching is ob- 

 scure, and unlit for the people; we will 

 lead them to the truth by u surer road. 



O' Driscol's Views oj Ireland. 



Such Is the modesty of modern cliurcii- 

 men ; Imt our concern is for the 

 people, the victims of so many tyran- 

 nies. 



The Roman Catholic clergy are left 

 to collect what they can from the 

 l)eople ; and their exactions have been 

 sometimes, and in some places, matter 

 of serious complaint. 'Jo these the 

 Captains Rock, of diflcrent periods, 

 have frequently directed their attention. 

 In some parts of Ireland, the priest's 

 dues are regulated by the bishop of 

 the diocese; but, generally, they get 

 what they can ; and levy their fees for 

 marriage, baptism, &c. according to 

 what they conceive to be the ability 

 of the piv ty. These charges are, there- 

 fore, sometimes very high ; for the 

 party cannot go out of the parish ; the 

 rule of the church being, to give to 

 every parish-priest a monopoly of his 

 own cure. 



Tl)e Roman Catholic clergy possess 

 a perfect knowledge of the state of the 

 c(fiintry ; a knowledge very rare and 

 dilficnlt to be acquired in Ireland. 

 'i'hey are nut always capable of reason- 

 ing well, or drawing right conclusions, 

 from what comes under their notice, 

 and the scenes and feelings that lie 

 o|)cn to their view; but there are some 

 amongst them very capable of this; 

 and their meetings are so frequent, at 

 conferences, visitations, &c. that they 

 have every opportunity to combine, and 

 com])are their observations. The un- 

 controuled power of the higher clergy, 

 gives to the whole corps ecclesiastique, 

 much of the discipline and subordination 

 of a military body. 



PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF 1R6i,AND. — 

 SOCINIANISM. 



AVe have known few Socinian con- 

 gregations, a majority of which were 

 not pure Deists, who yet thought it 

 right to observe the decency of public 

 worship, or expedient to avoid the 

 reproach of decided infidelity. Soci- 

 nianism, as a middle term between 

 Christianity an<l unbelief, is surrounded 

 witli difhculties; it treats the Scripture 

 as in part unintelligible and inconsistent, 

 and therefore to be in part rejected, or 

 explained with such latitude and hee- 

 dom, permitted to the expositors, as 

 would not be thought decent to allow 

 in the case of any ordinary writer. A 

 Socinian must consider the Divine 

 Spirit as the worst author that ever 

 put pen to paper ; and accordingly h« 

 treats him as never author was treated 

 before. 



Prcsbyterianism, 



