ed them, and stimulate the priests to a discharge of their duty. Where was the diabolical scheme planned and matured? In a chapel. Who conducted it? The clerk. Catholics were the agents and perpetrators of the crime Catholics the miserable sufferers. Why did they suffer? Because the unfortu nate Lynch and Rooney had resisted a midnight attack upon their house with manly fortitude, and had afterwards prosecuted to conviction those miscreants who were since hanged for the crime. Yes, their offence was simply, that they had appealed to the mild and beneficient laws of their country, for redress and protection. It was incumbent on the catholic clergy of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, and Meath, to vindicate the sacerdotal character. He knew not whether any of that order was desirous that what he was now saying should be published. It ought to be widely promulgated. He was known to be no party man, and he spoke only from the impulse of an honest indigna tion. It was his peculiar study to fulfil his duty to the utmost extent of his knowledge and ability. He was always Jan advocate for the catholics, and sincerely sought to have their grievances redressed."

rity with which the church has invest- | pains to disprove its being wholly groundless. It however, affords a striking instance of the want of knowledge in the protestant mind of the real principles and practices of the catholic church; for we are convinced, if the learned and virtuous judge had thoroughly understood the catholic doctrine of confession, he would not have made so dreadful an accusation against so large a body of his countrymen, nearly all of whom are not inferior to himself in point of probity and talent. In the height of his just indignation, he would then have recollected, that confession is a voluntary and an hu miliating act, which desperate and abandoned men are not in the habit of performing, but when they find themselves on the brink of eternity, and remorse or fear takes possession of their conscience; or when they are in the use of making this sacred duty a cloak for the perpetration of their villainy, in which case they take care to conceal from the breast of the confessor the offence they meditate committing, thus addA more horrible charge than this, ing to the enormity of their sins, as we believe, was never yet made every catholic child, that can say its upon any man, or body of men, and catechism, well knows. We recołbeing laid to the account of so nu- lect but one instance in point, where merous and valuable a class of so- a confessor was made acquainted ciety as the catholic clergy, could with the secrets of a conspiracy, prenot fail to create a more than usual vious to its being put in execution, agitation in the public mind, espe and this was for the purpose of imcially coming from so high an au- plicating him in the crime, in order thority, and one who has ever been to give a colouring to the foul ca the advocate for catholic emancipa-lumnies then, as now, in o in circulation tion, and the friend of his country. against the order to which he beThe allegation amounts to nothing longed. We allude to the case of more nor less than that this atrocious father Garnet, who suffered for the catastrophe, at which the savages of fifth of November plot, or GunpowAmerica would shudder, might have treason, as it is most commonly callbeen prevented, had the catholic ed, which is thus related by Dr. clergy been active in the performance Challoner, in his Memoirs of Misof their sacred duties, and particu- sionary Priests. Catesby, the larly in the dispensation of the sa- chief of the conspirators, whether of craments of the church. A grave his own accord or at the instigation of a certain minister of state (supposed to have had a great hand in

♪

and weighty charge, most assuredTy, but one which requires little

the whole contrivance of this plot, | savages, had they been induced to and to have been particularly soli- employ one, instead of binding themcitous to draw the jesuits into some selves never to disclose the horrid share in the odium of it) laid open business to a priest or magistrate, the design in confession to father as was acknowledged by one of the Greenway, or Greenwell, alias Tes- approvers, we will not take upon mond, a jesuit. The confessor re- ourselves to decide; but we are of presented to him the wickedness of opinion, from the spirit displayed at the project, but could not prevail the execution of the convicted offenupon him to desist: however, Cates- ders, in refusing the assistance of by consented that father Greenway those catholic clergymen who offered should communicate the case under to endeavour to bring them to a sense the seal of confession to father Gar- of their awful situation, and adminet; and if the matter should come nister the spiritual consolations of to light, he gave leave that both the religion to them in their last moone and the other might then make ments, that there are some clothed use of the knowledge, which he thus with the "insolence of office," who imparted to them, and not else. would have rejoiced at the oppor Father Garuet was struck with hor- tunity of inflicting the same punishFor at the proposal, and, as he could ment on him. We feel, however, not discover it, laboured, at least, to great pleasure and gratification in divert the design; and he so far stating, that, with the exception of prevailed, that Catesby promised he the hireling press of the Castle, would attempt nothing without the which is paid for abusing the people consent of the holy see, which of Ireland, the protestant journals father Garnet knew he would never of that country have been most for obtain: but the wretch still went on ward and eloquent in the vindicain his design, till the plot was dis- tion of the aspersed body. The covered." Now we here see the Dublin Evening Post, in its honest two jesuits exerting those powers warmth at the unjustifiable charge, entrusted to them to prevent the de- says, "As to a vindication of the sign they apprehended to be in ac- catholic clergy, they shall have none tual contemplation, and which it from, us-they want none.--Their was impossible they could conscien- lives, their labours, their virtues, furtiously approve; and such we are nish a shield of proof which has hicertain would have been the conduct thertó resisted all the assaults of of any of the denounced clergymen their enemies, and which will serve in the present affair, had they re- as a panoply against the attacks of ceived the least knowledge of the their friends." The Newry Teleintention from the brutal culprits. graph, conducted by a barister of That not one of them was acquaint- the established church; The Droged with the existence of the diabo-heda Journal, directed by a worthy lical conspiracy is most evident, from such a circumstance not having transpired in the examination of the prisoners and the approvers, which was the case with the former, one of whom, father Garret, suffered as a conspirator, though he had labour-ter of the catholic clergy. That ed to avert the execution of the plot. Whether such a fate would have awaited the confessor of these

alderman of that town; and The Waterford Chronicle, which is edited by a dissenting minister, one and all join in condemning the unwarrantable presumptions of the honest judge, and in supporting the charac

such liberal and honourable conduct will be followed by the bigotted press of England is not to be expect

ed; we shall therefore reserve our
arther remarks on this subject, until
we have seen what these scribblers
have to say on the occasion.

THE ENGLISH ARK, OR FLOATING
TOWER OF BABEL.

and when he looked round the globe, and saw British benevolence every where disseminated, he could not for a moment doubt, that the object of the present meeting would succeed; that' object was to afford to seamen entering the Thames the easy means of religi ous worship and devotion. It was pro. meet-posed to fit out a large vessel, to be called, "The English Ark," capable of containing 7 or 800 persons, who might assemble to hear preaching and prayer: all were to act according to conscience and true blue was to be the

The following account of a ing of religious fanatics, which we copy from The Courier, of the 19th instant, we are sure will furnish both mirth and amusement to the gene rality of our readers, but particu-insignia or flag of the ship (Applauses) larly to those who reside in that land of true religion, which these enthusiastic renovators of "Noah's Ark" say is enveloped in the mists of Egyptian darkness.

"A numerous and highly respectable meeting was yesterday held at the City of London tavern, for the purpose of forming an establishment: for the extension of religious instruction, and affording the means of divine worship to

seamen in London.

The knowledge of christianity had been carried by Britain to the remotest corners of the earth; Norway, Russia, Iceland, and even Vandiemen's land, had the blessings of liberty and the light of the gospel preached unto them; and should the beams that then shone upon other regions irradiate those from whence they had arisen. Should the British seaman, he who carried the gospel and its promulgators to the enslaved, be himself in a state of ignorance of that gospel and its blessings, The situation of British seamen was pe culiarly deserving of attention; for not only was it the bounden duty of christians to make them hunger aud thirst after righteousness, but it was their interest to teach them the precepts of crowded an assembly on the present moral good. He rejoiced at seeing so occasion, and trusted that the hands and hearts of every religious individual would be lent in aid of the object they had in view-(Great Applauses.)

B. Shaw, esq. M, P. who was called to the chair, stated the objects of the meeting. Britain, he said, was renowned for her great institutions and her charities; but nothing seemed more indispensable then to distribute among her best protectors, seamen, the bread of eternal life. He rejoiced at the proposition of affording to seamen the means of happiness here, and of salvation hereafter. (Applauses.) He then entered into a review of the character of British seamen, and, instanced nu The rev. Dr. Rippon rose to second merous cases, where, being taught the word of God, or having the advantage the motion. It was fit, he said, that of religious communion, they had he who ackuowledged the dominion of evinced the utmost gratitude and de- the seas, to be in the hands of a Suclared that the gospel alone was, after preme Being, should be brought to a all their struggles and sufferings, their conviction of this same power on his only firm hold and hope. In illustra heart and life. He had no doubt of the tion, he read several extracts of com-unity that would prevail in accomplishmunications from captains of ships and ing the blessed work they had in view; others, and concluded by reciting vari- and thought that if even the good pope ous circumstances exemplifying the Pius himself lived, and were to visit worth of a seamen's character, and the the Thames, he would shout "Long imperious necessity of attending to his live the Ark everlasting good.

R. H. Martin, esq. rose to move the first resolution-Much good, he said, had been done by the committee for the relief of distressed seamen, many of whose lives had been saved. They were met now, however, to save souls;

J. Cowell, esq. the rev, Mr. Ivimey, the rev. Mr. Hobey, S. Jennings, esq. and the rev. T. Harper, next addressed the assembly; and by their eloquence, and a recital of many interesting facts, enforced the objects of the meeting, They were followed by the rev. Dr.

Collyer, rev. G. Smith, rev. Mr. Shen stone, D. Rothwen, esq. and the rev. Mr. Bowles, of Plymouth; who, in a speech of great eloquence, profound learning, and historical research, pleaded the necessity and utility of dispensingreligion to British seamen. Towards the close of the proceedings, Mr. Martin announced that a gentleman of the jewish persuasion, passing through the house to a dinner in aid of a christian institution for persons of his own profession, at which a prince of the blood royal was to preside, had liberally subscribed to the purposes of the present meeting. With such a fact before them, what was the duty of christians? This circumstance elicited great applause.

Thanks were unanimously moved to the chairman, and T. H. Martyn, esq. the treasurer, and the meeting adjourned.

These gentlemen certainly proposed to themselves to rival the wise men of Gotham, who went to sea in a bowl; for never, never was such a system of religious insanity before displayed, even in this enlightened country of scriptural enthusiasts and biblical illuminees. If Britain is renowned for her great institutions, as the chairman stated, she is also noted for her religious folly and national arrogance. We admit, with the mover of the first resolution, that much good has been done by the subscription for the relief of the temporal necessities of our distressed seamen, and the committee for furthering the purposes of the benevolent subscribers are entitled to the highest praise. They afforded substantial relief to the suffering individuals, but the chimerical views of these dotard meetingers, instead of furnishing the miserable objects with the bread of life, will only increase the evil proposed to be remedied, and remove further from their minds the knowledge of true religion. How this sublime scheme was to be carried into effectual execution, Mr, Martin did not inform his gaping audience,

and we are left to supply the de-"
ficiency by our own conjectures.
The object, he says, was to afford
to seamen entering the Thames, the
easy means of religious worship and
devotion; for which purpose a vessel
was to be fitted out, in which they
were to assemble to HEAR preach-
ing and prayer, and all were to act
according to conscience.
If so,
then there must be as many com-
partments in the "ark," as there
are differences in religious opinions,
and as many preachers as there are
sects; for if there is to be only one,
preacher, his exposition and prayer
will not be agreeable to the con-
sciences of all, and, of course, those
who dissented from the preacher's
sentiments, according to conscience,
would state their objections; hence
the same noise, confusion, and dis-
order would ensue which took place
at the building of Babel, when the
indignation of an offended God was
strikingly evinced by his confound-
ing the vain descendants of Noah,
who presumed too much on their
own human pride and vanity, like
the bible readers of the present day.
If all are to hear preaching and
prayer according to conscience, this

English Ark" must be formed after the manner of Noah's, which had cabinets for each kind of animal that was to dwell therein. Thus there must be a pulpit for the Jumpers, the Shakers, the Southcottians, the Methodists, the Anabaptists, the Arians, the Socinians, the Quakers, and the hundred other variety of creeds, not forgetting the loyal Wick liffites; but, should a poor papist priest solicit cabin-room, to raise an altar for offering up the mass to satisfy the consciences of the Irish seamen, who have borne so con spicuous a share in the battles of a Nelson, a Duncan, a St. Vincent, or an Exmouth, would he be received with the cordial reception of a christian? We doubt much if he, or those who believed with him,