REFLECTIONS ON THE PRESENT RUPTURE WITH FRANCE. 533 
me: the catholic clergy may be provided for 
rom the public exchequer of the empire. I 
see n0 danger which would arise to the 
established church from some such arrange- 
ment as this; and it would, probably, be 
attended with the greatest advantage to the 
state. We think the catholics to be in an 
érror; they think the same of us; both 
ought to reflect that, every error is not a 
criminal error, and that their error is the 
greatest, who most err against christian 
charity. 
<< Tf any one should contend that this is 
not the time for government to make con- 
cessions to Ireland,—I wish him to consider 
whether there is any time in which it is im- 
proper for either individuals or nations to do 
justice, any season improper for extinguish- 
ing animosity, any occasion more suitable 
than the present, for putting an end to heart- 
burnings and internal discontent. I should 
be as averse as any man from making con- 
éessions to an enemy invading the country ; 
but I would do mucli to gain a cordial 
friend to assist me in driving him back ;— 
and such a friend, 1 am confident, Ireland 
will become. 
*« I come to. the last point—the case of the 
dissenters.—I am well aware that on this 
point I differ in opinion from men whom [ 
esteem; but without arrogating to myself, 
without allowing to others, any infallibility 
of judgment, Tam anxious, in this crisis of 
our fate, to speak my whole mind. What 
J presume to recommend is—A repeal of the 
‘ 
test and corporation acts—as a mean of 
combining together, in the cords of mutual 
amity and confidence, the whole strength and 
ppt of the country. It has been said that 
the dissenters constitute above a fifth part of 
the population of the kingdom; I do not 
think them to be so numerous; but I am 
“eonvinced that they are too loyal to be treated 
With distrust at any time, and too numerous 
‘to be soured by neglect at this time. Jam 
far from insinuating that the dissenters want 
to be bribed to their duty by the repeal of the 
test act; no, my lords, churchmen and dis- 
senters of every denomination, are equaily 
zealous in-the common cavse—th=y seem to 
me to emulate the patriotism of the patricians 
and we at Rome; who, for 500 years, 
waged ah eternal war of words about their 
fespective rights, claims, oppressions, privi- 
leges;—but when their country was in dan- 
ger, when an enemy invaded their terrivory, 
they laid aside their disputes; their only 
contention then was, which of them could 
show the greatest courdge in repulsing the 
enemy of them both. 
se hive never had any design, any wish, 
my lords, to gain the good-will of the dis- 
senters, by becoming a. champion in their 
cause—much less bave I any inclination to 
provoke the ili-will of churchmen, and the 
disesteem of my brethren, by a forward 
display, or a froward retention, of an opi- 
nion opposite to their's. I may be wrong 
in thinking that the repeal of the test act 
would in no degree endanger the safety of 
either the church or state; bnt whilst I do 
think so, I should act a timid, interested, 
dishonourable part, if I concealed my senti- 
ments. , 
«© 1 will mention to your lordships an 
anecdote respecting this matter ; for the truth 
of which | pledge my honour, and, in doing 
that I hope | may be permitted to expect full 
credit from the house. When the dissenters; 
a second time, petitioned parliament for the 
repeal of the test act, I called, accidentally; 
upon Lord Camden, then president of the 
council; and, in the course of conversatgon, 
asked him this plain question, suggested by 
the alarm which had been taken by some 
churchmen—* Does your lordship see any 
danger to the church of England from the 
repeal of the test act?’—He answered, with 
an eagerness peculiar to himself when his 
mind was determinei—* None whatever.’— 
If then l err in this matier, I err with the 
late Jord Camden; and though I had not 
rather err with him, than. be right with 
others,‘ yet I neither wish for, nor know 
where to find, a better supporter of my sen- 
timent.” 
May language like this soon become 
the universal voice of a church, too 
long a preceptress of intolerance; too 
recently, against the catholics of Ire- 
land, a sanguinary persecutress. The 
mild precepts of a bumanizing religion 
wiil, in time, pervade the remotest pre- 
cincts of her influence, and found on 
civil concord the new strength of the 
empire. 
“Arr. XXXIV. Reflections on the Causes of the present Rupture with France. 8vo. 
_ THAT weighty and serious griev- 
ances and ta ee ts have been advanced 
and discussed in the official correspon- 
lence between this country and France, 
admits of no doubt; but, as a grievance 
redressed, or a complaint withdrawn, is 
not only no ground of enmity, but 
rather of confidence, because it displays. 
a desire of quiet, it becomes necessary, 
.in order to prove the justice or justifi- 
ableness of the British declaration of 
war, to show that the grievances alleged 
were wilfully overlooked, that the arro- 
gant claims were obstinately persisted 
in. ‘To most persons who read the 
official correspondence, it is matter of 
surprize that it should have led to war, 
r terminated in it. : 
