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than she has ever yet enjoyed; for, although the National Establishment possesses, within herself, the seeds of all good, and may, even now, receive a direction, and an impulse, which shall do more towards the advantage of Ireland than any other con ceivable instrument of usefulness, it is yet in vain to disguise, or to deny, that such effects are not reasonably to be expected from an inefficient, or a non-resident clergy, though it be even of the Protestant Church-from beneficed Pastors, who are slumbering in a seat by chance their own," where "the hungry sheep look up, and are not fed"—from “skulls that cannot teach, and will not learn"-in short, from any merely moral Teachers, who reduce the pure, powerful, and life-giving doctrines of the Gospel of Christ, to a frigid and powerless system of Ethics, little better than the Heathens themselves possessed, before the coming of our Lord.-When I speak of Evangelizing Ireland, I certainly contemplate a scrupulous, and conscientious, attention, on the part of our Ecclesiastical Patrons, to the personal fitness of men who are to inculcate the Protestant Faith, and to live according to its doctrines, in a Nation of Idolaters; and I suppose a requisition, by them, of other qualifications, on the part of Candidates for the holy and honourable office of preaching the Gospel in Ireland, than that they should be merely able to shew a title to employment from the Parliamentary, or Official, services of their Relatives or Friends; or that they themselves should only have been distinguished by their reprobation of Calvinists, and Sectaries; their opposition to the Bible Society; or their polemical zeal in defending the outworks of our common Christianity. Until some other, and better, feeling than has long prevailed, shall operate in the selection of Religious Instructors for Ireland, there will remain abundant cause to fear lest the candlestick of Protestant light and privilege should be removed out of its place, and lest, in the righteous judgment of God, even a corrupt Church may be permitted to become a scourge of the true faith, on account of the practical abuses of our Protestant advantages, in the deplorable neglect of our uninstructed population. So far indeed as the Education of the young is concerned, it is most consolatory to reflect, that much,

very much, has been done, and is now doing in Ireland, chiefly through the medium of the Sunday Schools, which have been, beyond all question, the greatest blessing ever introduced into Ireland. These invaluable Institutions owe their first origin there, as well as their subsequent increase, chiefly to the labours of Mr. THOMAS PARNELL, the son of the late Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland, who has been long engaged in the most indefatigable and self-denying exertions for his countrymen, and has lived to see a reward for those exertions, even in this world; to enjoy which, it is not too much to say, that even Frinces might resign their sceptres, and Warriors surrender their laurels, and both be gainers by the exchange.

Let this system of Protestant Education receive all possible encouragement from those who wish well to Ireland; and let adequate provision be made, not merely for the formal and no. minal, but for the Scriptural and Spiritual instruction of the vast Population of Ireland; and there will yet be every thing to hope. But should Popery derive encouragement, and strength, from the grant of the required concessions, we may bid adieu to the fair and improving prospects which are now opening before us, whether in Religion, or Civilization. Had Mr. WILBERFORCE Confined himself to this "cheap defence of nations" this unequivocal mode of benefitting and blessing Ireland, he would have placed his foot upon a Rock, and have ensured the gratitude and applause of the present, and all future times. Whatever of power, or vigour, can be contributed to the great machinery of Protestant Preaching, and Protestant Education-whatever of facility, and freedom, can be effected in its working-whatever of acceleration can be imparted to its movements to provide for these objects, would be within the legitimate province of a Protestant Statesman. When however he joins in the popular cry for "Catholic Emancipation," there seems but too just reason to fear that such a hazardous interference may obstruct, or retard, the important operations which are now going on in Ireland; if not effectually interrupt, and destroy them., The Protestant Instructor of the Irish will have a right to say to Mr. WILBERFORCE, in the language of

Holy Writ" I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come "down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and 66 come down to you?"

That Popery is most afraid of the "labour of love" now going on in Ireland, is evidenced from all her recent movements. The Priests in Ireland employ every effort to prevent the children from going to the Protestant Schools. Dr. HusSEY, the Titular Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, published a Pastoral Letter in 1797, in which he reprobates all Protestant places of Education, and particularly the Charter Schools established by Royal authority, where the Children of Roman Catholics are educated, and maintained, gratis." Remon "strate," says he," with any Parent who will be so criminal

as to expose his offspring to those places of education, where "his Religious faith, or Morals, are likely to be perverted. If "he will not attend to your remonstrances, refuse him the par"ticipation of Christ's body. If he should still continue ob"stinate, denounce him to the Church, in order that, accord"ing to Christ's commandment, he be considered as a Heathen, "aud a Publican."

Thus also, THE HIBERNIAN SOCIETY (which was formed. soon after the Union, by Protestants of all denominations, for the purpose of establishing Schools in various parts of Ireland, to be conducted by Roman Catholic Schoolmasters, who should use the New Testament as a School-book) states, in a late Report to the British Public, that the Priests had taken the alarm at these Schools, and in their Chapels had anathematized, and threatened to excommunicate, all the Schoolmasters of their Church, who should dare to continue teaching in them, as well as all Parents who should presume to send their Children to them; and they further threatened temporal destruction, as well as spiritual, if these parties should disobey the denuncia. tions of their Priests.

CARDINAL FONTANA, the President of the Society de Propaganda Fide, has lately addressed to the Irish Prelacy and Clergy a Pastoral Rescript, dated "Rome, 18th September, 1819," in which, after stating that SCHOOLS have been estab

lished throughout Ireland, where Peasants and Paupers are infected with the fatal poison of depraved Doctrines, and where the Bibles of the Bible Society are used, which abound with errors, he calls upon all the Irish Hierarchy to protect their flock from what he designates the snares of wolves in sheep's clothing-to make every possible exertion to keep the youth away from these destructive Schools, and to warn Parents to prevent their attending them; and he strongly urges the establishment of Romish Schools through every diocese of Ireland. Does Mr. WILBERFORCE, or does his Defender, seriously believe that the concession of the Romish claims will aid the work of Protestant Education; or rather do they not know, judging from all analogy, that it must inevitably excite increased opposition to the Sunday Schools, and the Bibles in use by them; occasion more Children to be educated as Roman Catholics; and multiply the number of Pastoral Rescripts, Masses, Absolutions, and Indulgences? Such a tale could be unfolded at this moment (from the authentic correspondence of the Sunday School Society in Ireland) of the conduct of the Irish Roman Catholics, in reference to the work of Protestant Education, as would abundantly justify the interposition of our Own Government in its protection. I think however that Society has done well to bear, with Christian moderation, the conflict which she has provoked by her good works; and I call not for any undue interference in her favour, although I am persuaded, that if only a small portion of the well-authenticated facts to which I refer, were published, such protection would follow of course; but I do call upon those Religious Legislators who are the natural protectors of Protestant Education in Ireland, not to aggravate existing evils, and not to discourage the hearts, and destroy the hopes, of the best friends of that ill-fated country, by nipping in the bud, or blasting in the ear, the rising, and ripening, expectations which now begin to be formed for the Sister Kingdom. I do conjure them, as they value their own Religion, and as they must answer hereafter for any injury they may inflict upon it, to pause before they proceed to a consummation, which, as it cannot hope for the

blessing of God upon it, can never be advantageous to the best interests of his creatures.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

AMICUS PROTESTANS.

SIR,

terms:

LETTER XIV.

I now begin to see land, having arrived at the third head, of your last Letter, which forms a compendious summary of your whole argument, and is couched in the following "The measure of Emancipation must be carried"the time is suitable-the Protestant Public is prepared-all "things are ready-and the sooner the thing is done, the bet"ter it will be for the Constitution, and particularly for the "Church of England." If the first member of this Proposition could be established, namely, that Emancipation must be carried, you might have spared yourself the trouble of noticing the subsequent points. It is recorded of a certain Mayor, that when he had once established the dire disability imposed upon his Corporation, of receiving Queen Elizabeth without the honours of a Salute, because there were no Guns in the place, Her Majesty dispensed his Worship from adducing a variety of other reasons for not firing the Salute, which yet remained to be enumerated. Once shew the dire necessity we lie under, of submitting to our fate, and since we must have our heads cut off, the sooner we are put out of our misery, the better. I have however already endeavoured to shew that this gratuitous assumption of the inefficacy of resistance, is not to be admitted, for an instant. It reminds us of old John Bunyan's wellknown scene in Doubting Castle, where the wife of Giant Despair persuades the Pilgrims, that, since they could not hope to escape, they had better destroy themselves at once. It is of a piece with the advice of Job's wife, when she spoke as one of the foolish women, and said-" Curse God, and die!"