of Elizabeth, to the present day, destroyed, and all histories of Irish affairs during that period, false and incredible! If any credit be due either to such records or histories, or to the testimony of living witnesses, the Romish clergy, particularly their friars, have been the instigators of all the massacres, devastations, robberies, and murders, committed in Ireland, by Irish Romanists, on their Protestant countrymen, during the whole period, last mentioned. In the horrible Irish rebellion and barbarous massacre of thousands of Irish Protestants in cold blood, in the year 1641, the Romish Irish clergy were the instigators, promoters, and, in part, executioners. The case was the same in the Irish Romish rebellion and massacre in 1798; but if the above facts were wanting, can any doubt be entertained of the unappeasable enmity of the Irish Romish clergy to their Protestant countrymen, from the very principles of their religion? It is a known fact, acknowledged by the whole Romish sect, that they believe, as firmly as any other part of their creed, that the souls of all Protestants, immediately on their departure from their bodies, are plunged into hell, there to suffer eternal torments. This uncharitable doctrine is inculcated into them from their infancy, as may appear from the catechism, published by Dr. Butler, titular Archbishop of Cashel, before-mentioned.

No doctrine that was ever

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broached, is productive of more deep-rooted hatred and animosity in the breasts of Irish Romanists, against the Irish Protestants, than this of exclusive salvation. They look upon Irish Protestants as only estrays from hell during their continuance on earth, and believe them to be the living agents of Satan. The propagation of such a doctrine by the Romish Irish clergy, extinguishes every sentiment of charity or benevolence towards Protestants, in the breast of every Irish Romanist. Add to this, the principles of the general councils of the Romish church of the fourth Lateran, &c. preached up sedulously and emphatically by their clergy, particularly by their friars; and then let the reader form his opinion of the justice of the inference of the Romish clergy's brotherly affection for their Protestant fellow-countrymen. It is proper to insert here the testimony of the Irish parliament respecting the conduct of the Romish Irish clergy, in the year 1797, which cannot be supposed to be changed since, as their doctrines have undergone no change, a boast published by all their modern writers; that their doctrines are unchanged and unchangeable. In the ninth year of King William the Third, an act passed in the Par liament of Ireland, entitled, “an act for banishing all Papists exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and all regulars of the Popish clergy, out of this kingdom." The preamble of which is as follows:

Whereas it is notoriously known, that the late rebellions in this kingdom have been contrived, promoted, and carried on by Popish archbishops, bishops, jesuits, and other ecclesiastical persons of the Romish clergy; and for as much as the peace and public safety of this kingdom is in danger, by the great number of the said archbishops, bishops, jesuits, friars, and other regular Romish clergy now residing here, and settling in fraternities and societies, contrary to law, and to the. great impoverishment of many of his majesty's subjects in this kingdom, who are forced to maintain and support them, which said Romish clergy do not only endeavour to withdraw his majesty's subjects from their obedience, but do daily stir up, and move sedition and rebellion to the great hazard of the ruin and desolation of this kingdom." It is to be remarked, that since the abolition of the Popery code in Ireland, in 1793, that country is, as it were, inundated by friars ; no less than eight houses of friars being openly established in Dublin, exclusive of several convents of

nuns.

The fifth inference in the History of the Penal Laws is, "That Irish Romanists can prove, that their religious principles have been entirely misunderstood, and that these principles are not in any degree repugnant to their duty as loyal subjects." The only proofs produced by Irish Ro

manists in support of this inference are, their declarations and petitions, all of which are directly contradicted, so far as they relate to their conduct to the Protestant government of the British empire in general, and as to that of Ireland in particular, by the decrees of their general councils; they are also directly contrary to the real principles of Romanists respecting Protestants and Protestant government. The doctrine of the Pope's supremacy is hostile, in the extreme, to a Protestant government, and entirely inconsistent with loyalty to such a government. All the other doctrines of their religion, set forth in the decrees of their general councils, which, with them are of infallible authority, so far as they direct their conduct to Protestant governments, are notoriously hostile to such governments; it is therefore manifest, that all their declarations and petitions directed to the Protestant government of the British empire, and inserted in the History of the Penal Laws, are fraudulent, deceitful, and evasive. They are conscious themselves that they are, by the decisions of the fourth Lateran, and of their subsequent general councils, absolute nullities, and are now made to serve their present ambitious pursuits of political power, and aggrandizement. The real principles of Romanists respecting Protestants and their governments, are too public, too notorious, to be concealed under

such flimsy blinds and masks; they are, on the present occasion, too well understood, to their great mortification.

The History closes with a very remarkable paragraph, which, from its tendency, deserves particular animadversion; it states, it may be laid down as incontrovertibly proved, that, to the penal code which has existed in Ireland, (mean, ing the code of Irish Popery laws,) England has to look, as the source of all alarm she now entertains for the safety of Ireland; and to England, Ireland has to look for the cause of all the misery and degradation which at this day even, peculiarly mark her character among the nations of the world!!" The reader will first observe, that in this paragraph the Irish popery code is styled a penal code, whereas, it was only a remedial code, as to property; merely, preventive of the acquisition of freehold estates by Roman

ists.

Secondly, he will observe, that England is accused in this paragraph, and indeed throughout the whole History, as the source of all the insults and oppressions represented to have flowed from this Irish popery code, though the whole of the laws composing it were enacted by the Irish parliament. Thirdly, he will observe, that although this whole code was repealed in the year 1793, upwards of sixteen years ago, yet this paragraph