James I. under King [i. e. in the seventeenth century, and according to Dr. O'Conor's views,] felt it their duty to subscribe these tests, and several wrote invincibly in their defence. But the sworn delegates of the Roman court issued their suspensions ordering them rather to submit to martyrdom for the Catholic faith. His notice of the petition to Paul V. from the eleven priests con fined in Newgate. King James's invincible defence of the oath of allegiance was now overwhelmed by a religious cry. The works of the Jesuits Bellarmine and Suarez against it, were extolled as masterpieces of Catholicity, and the deposing doctrines were rammed down the throats of the English [R.] Catholics, without the least modification, throughout a period of one hundred and eighty-three years. "There is yet extant a petition to Pope Paul V., signed by eleven priests, who were under sentence of death in Newgate, for refusing James's oath in 1612. Two of their companions had already suffered death for this offence. They died in resistance to legitimate authority, and by the instigation of a foreign power. "In their petition they intreat of his Holiness by all that is sacred,* to attend to their horrible situation, and they beg of him to point out to them clearly, in what the oath, for which they were condemned to die, is repugnant to the Catholic faith. But yet, influenced by the courtly maxims, they declare their belief in his unlimited power, and they conclude with a solemn protest of blind submission to all his decrees, with an obedience as implicit as if Rome were another Mecca, or as if the Vatican Their mise were the Seraglio of a Mahomet. rable condition under the despotic 66 My heart swells with mingled emotions of pity on one side, and horror and indignation on another, when I tyranny of contemplate the dilemma in which those wretched men were thus placed, by the pride and ambition of their su Rome. Vid. p. 1332 sup. periors! Before them was Tyburn, behind them stood armed with fulminating thunders and terrors, that grim disgrace, in the opinion of their flocks, by which they would be overwhelmed as apostates, if they opposed the mandates of Rome ! On one side conscience stared them in the face, with St. Paul*-on another, a Vicar-Apostolic menaced refusal of the Sacrament, even on the eve of death !This covered them with ignominy as apostates-that though frightful to humanity, was yet attended with posthumous renown. power a "Religion indignantly wraps herself up in her shroud Such prosof deepest mourning, before the idol of Ecclesiastical titution of domination, when she observes the Roman Court sacri- spiritual ficing to its insatiable ambition, the lives of so many he- scandal to roes, who were worthy of a better fate! perverting sacra- all religion. ments which were instituted for the salvation of souls into engines of worldly passions, and rendering them subservient to the policy of those passions, and panders to their intrigues. stances "I can fancy a haughty pontiff on receipt of this hum- The ponble petition, agitated by contending difficulties: I can tiff's alterfancy him seated under a crimson canopy, surrounded native under by his sycophants, debating in a secret consistory, whe- the circumther those unfortunate men shall, or shall not, have per- then existmission not to be hanged! The blood of the innocent ing. was now to be shed, or the deposing and absolving doctrines, and all the Bulls and decisions in their favour, to receive a deadly wound, which no ingenuity could parry, no force could avert, and no skill could cure. "Barrister theologues of the Poddle! Blushing beauties of Maynooth! Do let us hear what middle course you would have devised in such existing circumstances! -In the dedication of one of your hodgepodges to Dr. Romans, xiii. adopted. Troy, you declare that whatever opinion he dictates, that opinion is yours. A fortiori your opinions would have been shaped by those of Pope Paul V., who deliberately encouraged the unfortunate priests in Newgate to suffer death! to be offered up as victims on the altar of his pride, rather than resign his pretensions to the deposHis intolera- ing power, or retract his decrees! The [R.] Catholic ble pride religion calumniated on account of the ambition of his and inhumacourt, had travelled barefooted over the Alps and the nity in the course Appennines, from the dreary cells of a dark and noxious prison, and stood bareheaded and trembling, petitioning for admittance at the haughty portals of the Vatican! Aye, and admittance was refused! Day passed after day, and no answer was received, but that which might be collected from the sullen silence of impenetrable obduracy, and unbending domination! Both Sixtus and Pius V. had addressed their bulls with these magnificent titles-"We who are placed on the supreme throne of justice, enjoying supreme dominion over all the kings, and princes, and states of the whole earth, not by human, but by divine authority," &c. And now how could it be expected that, in compliance with the petition of eleven beggarly priests of the second order, such magnificent titles should be resigned!—No, said the scarlet Cardinal, perish the idea!-Let not an iota be yielded, else we shall lose our worldly dominion, Venient Romani et tollent nostram gentem et Regnum. All the pride and pomp, and glory of the Vatican, would then be swept away from off the face of the earth, and what would then be the fate of the thunders of scarlet Cardinals and purple Monsignores? Its consequences. "In consequence of this horrible decision, the following innocent English clergymen (alas! how many Irish) suffered as victims to the domination of Vicars-Apostolic and the fatal influence of the court of Rome. "I.-Rev. Mr. Cadwallader, refusing to take the oath of allegiance, with a promise of pardon at the place of execution, if he would comply, refused, and in blind obedience to Rome, was executed at Leominster, August 27, 1610. [Here follows eight other similar cases. See Dodd's Church History, vol. ii.] we are to "Let us now consider who, in the eye of unprejudiced On whom reason, was the persecutor and executioner of those un- throw the fortunate men-James or the Pope? The question bears not one moment's examination, Qui facit per alium facit lity of these proceedings. per se. "If it should be alleged that the pope pitied those men who died for his worldly maxims of aggrandizement, that he was not cruel by nature but only by policy, and that he would have saved them if he could by money, or at any expense short of the sacrifice of pompous pride, and uncontrollable dominion, my answer is that this aggravates his guilt. The horrors which hypocritical pride and ambition create, must be laid at the doors of those hypocrites, who disguise their passions with the mask of sanctity, whilst in reality they persecute religion and oppress truth! Whether Moscow was burned by the French or by the Russians, the invaders are responsible; the necessity originated in them; he who steeps his sword in the blood of nations, because they will not tamely surrender their independence, whether he destroys those nations immediately, by the aid of foreigners, or by his own immediate and lawless dominion, is guilty of the excesses which his outrages have provoked; and he is the more guilty if he executes, with calm deliberation, enormities, which the sudden impetuosity of passion might in some instances palliate, though no provocation could justify. He that causeth another to do any thing, is himself the doer of it. responsibi The princi led to these crimes an of their atrocity. "Yes, a systematic disregard to the rights of our felples which low-creatures, when covered with the mantle of religion, is terrible in its operations. Its watchword is no quaraggravation ter; it spares not either friends or foes, if they should ever manifest a symptom of opposition; every obstacle to its remotest views must be crushed, whatever evils may ensue ! Yes, he who is barbarous by nature, may sometimes be overtaken with compunction, and review his crimes with detestation and horror; but he who destroys his fellow-creatures, or exposes them to destruction for the sake of personal advantages, sanctifying his impiety with the name of religion, imposes a false conscience on himself, by casuistical quibbles, considers the crimes he occasions, and the blood he sheds, as necessary evils; with unfeeling indifference, under the influence of a system, reared by pride, and supported by sophistry. he sees humanity outraged, and religion violated, and he glories with savage exultation in both. How Dr. would have acted, if placed himself in the position of the impri soned priests; : “Well, says a smooth-faced barrister theologue from Maynooth, what conduct would you pursue, Columbanus, were you one of those eleven prisoners in Newgate? Would you encounter the obloquy of the [R.] Catholics, and carry the stigma of apostacy to your grave? I hope in the mercy of God, that he would enable me to carry that cross, not only with patience, but with cheerfulness also. 'Blessed are they who suffer for righteousness.' Yes, I might be abandoned even by my friends, but the desert in which I might be condemned to take my solitary walk, would smile around me, and I would offer up my humble prayer in the gladness of my heart. "I know well what a pang is that of affectionate regard, which experiences no return, but that of calumny and desertion. But sursum corda! I would look up to Him, the Mighty One, who will crown the invisible martyrdom of a worried spirit; to Him who will sooth the |