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Is it necessary to offer you though they shook down the any comment upon this? I think Romish faith, there was very litit is not; but I will just say a tle chance of their keeping their word upon the pretended rea- ground themselves, and there son for this strange, this mon- was the chance of the Protestant strous conduct. It was alleged religion, that religion being acthat the French and the other cording to the word of God, revolutionized countries had be- coming at last to supply the come, or were becoming, Deists, place of the damnable doctrines and even Atheists; and that, of the Church of Rome. And though the Romish religion was yet we did weep over the fall bad, it was better than none. of the Romish Church, and we How false this pretence was did rejoice at it's restoration! you will see in a moment; and, What I have here been sayindeed you must perceive it at ing may serve to elucidate the once, without any observation of apparent mystery in the conduct mine. For, if the doctrines of of your Priests, who have harthe Church of Rome were what monized so completely in their we had been told they were, hostility to the cause of Rehow could the change to Deism form, with the Clergy of the and Atheism make them think established Church, with whom worse? If the Romish doctrines they differ so decidedly, and towere damnable, how could the wards whom they express themevil go farther? Deism and selves so bitterly, as to all other Atheism as long as you please; matters. It is unnecessary to as bad, as villainous, as wicked, say, that your CONCLAVE as hellish as you please; but look upon the Clergy of the they could not be worse than Church as blind guides, false damnable! Deism and Atheism lights, and so forth; it is unne will, doubtless, send a man to cessary to say, that they give Hell, but they cannot send him them these names, in words, for further; and if the doctrines of their very existence as Methothe Church of Rome would do dist Priests gives the Clergy of the same, where is the differ- the Church these names. If I ence in the two? Besides, there dissent from the Church, I, in was this advantage on the side that very act, declare the Church of Deism and Atheism, that, Clergy to be blind guides and false lights; and, therefore, I, Parliament, and disposed of for for my part, shall take special public purposes. In short, the care never to dissent, if the Es- Clergy know very well, that tablishment live as long as I do. we have only to look into the Your CONCLAVE can have no Statute book to see, that, withground of separation from the out any violation of any princiChurch, except it firmly believes ple of the law or of the Constituthat the Church do not lead her tion, the Parliament might dischildren in the path of salva-pose of the Church property, tion. Now, pray, mark this and apply the proceeds towell. If the CONCLAVE has wards the liquidation of the this opinion of the Church; and Debt, or in any other way conthis opinion it must have, or it sistent with the laws and usages has no ground of separation of the country. The Clergy of other than that of merely get- the Church are aware of this; ting money from you; if the and they are also aware of the CONCLAVE has this opinion great and pressing necessities of of the Church, what must it the State. I believe they are think of the Clergy of that further aware, that it is impossiChurch? I ask you what the ble for the interest of the Debt CONCLAVE must think of the to be paid in cash; and they Clergy of that Church; and I are besides aware of the asask how, then, the CONCLAVE tounding difficulties in the way can account for its so perfectly of reducing that interest. Aware harmonising with that Clergy of all these things, the Clergy upon the subject of the cause of must naturally fear a Reform of Reform? the Parliament; because such

It is easy to perceive motives Reform would necessarily put for the Clergy of the Church into the House of Commons opposing themselves to a change, men less interested than the which might produce other present men are in preserving changes, and changes, too, very untouched this immense mass injurious to them. The property of property; and, for my own of the Church is not so precisely part, I frankly avow that, though of the nature of private property 1 sincerely say, that it would as to exempt it from all possibi- be with pain that I should see lity of being seized on by Act of the necessity arise for passing

laws touching this property; dent enough to me. They find I frankly avow, that I think it themselves very well off; and would be very difficult for the men that are well off are never nation to be extricated from its ready to listen to proposals for embarrassments without some- a change of any kind. This is thing being done with regard an observation which applies to to a part, at least, of this pro- all men in every rank and state perty. Viewing things in this in society. You easily rouse a light, and knowing very well fellow from a bench or a settle; that the Clergy view them in but he takes time to rub his eyes the same light, I feel less of- before he tumbles from a feather fended than the greater part of bed. the Reformers do at the inces

The CONCLAVE have no sant and vigorous hostility which tythes, no glebes, to lose; but we experience from the Clergy many of them have comfortable of the Church. They are but houses, competent salaries, and men, and all men like to keep have their sons at school at your what they have got. They expence, and those sons are would, I dare say, give up a coming on to take their chance part; but they are not sure in the race for office, honours, how far a reformed Parliament and emoluments. You will obmight go. They look upon serve another thing; and that their all as at stake; and, there- is, that the same cause, which is fore, we cannot so much blame at work to ruin the farmer and them for endeavouring to pre-tradesman, and to starve the la vent a change which they well bourer by depriving him of emknow must be injurious to them, ployment, is at work in favour in a greater or less degree, and of your Priests. For, mark well, which might, by possibility, be that the low prices produce.la totally ruinous. clear gain to them. They still receive the pennies, as they did five years ago, though every

Here are reasons, I take it, more than sufficient for the hostility to Reform on the part of penny now will buy twice as the Clergy of the Church. And, much of food or raiment as two the reasons for the hostility of pennies would then. So that your CONCLAVE, though not your loss is their gain; that quite so manifest, are still evi-which causes you to suffer causes them additional pleasure; that hands. A reformed Parliament which makes you gaunt, gives might see no very good reason rotundity to their corporations. for this; and I must confess The Clergy of the Church are, that I should be for leaving them in fact, only a particular de- in their capacity as CONCLAVE, scription of farmers and land- wholly unnoticed by the law. lords. They therefore share One establishment; one religiin the fate of farmers and ous establishment, would be quite landlords. They partake in a enough for me; for the moment certain degree of the distresses I gave countenance to two 1 of the country; but your Priests must necessarily be guilty of are lucky fellows, indeed: they, countenancing error in the one like the fundholders, and others or in the other.ীতা পাঠা who derive their income from The CONCLAVE is not less taxes, still receive the same sharp-sighted than the rest of sum, though in fact it be nearly mankind. Its members can see or quite double in value. To act that the funding system is fairly they must now reduce the not Timmortal; and some of pennies to half pennies; but, their little savings consist you will wait very long, I be- doubtless of that description lieve, before they will appear to of thing called Stock. They understand this very plain prin- may very well be apprehensive, ciple of political economy... thatta reformed Parliament would not attempt to compel the nation to pay the full interest of that stock din cash. Their alarms here are foolish, because this can be done by no

No: they are very well, and, therefore, they can see no necessity for a change. Besides this, however, they can see other reasons for disliking a Reform of the Parliament. They have ob- power on earth; but the foolishtained by degrees legal posses-ness of the alarm is no proof of bion of houses and chapels. To it's non-existence. T

what extent they are a corpoAll these reasons together rate body I cannot tell; but it have great weight with the is sufficient that the present CONCLAVE, who certainly laws give them power over pro- would have no objection to see perty to a certain extent, and the Church Teformed again; place funds legally in their and I much question whether it would be absolutely necessary his own servants. He would to put them in irons and carry probably have told him, that it them by force, to compel them was a vile book, that the author to take possession of the Don- was a most seditious and rebelatives, Perpetual Curacies, Vi- lious dog, and that he ought to carages, Chapelries, Rectories, fling the book into the fire; but Prebendaries, Arch-Deaconries, a Church Parson would not have Deanries, Bishopricks, and Arch- condemned the reader to Hell; Bishopricks. I dare say that and if he had, the reader would they might be prevailed upon have given him a sharp reproof, to enter upon these; and even and would have set him at deto receive the tithes, dues and fiance. rents appertaining to them. A Such are the reasons; such Reform of the Church, if that are the real reasons of your could take place in this sort of Priests for their hostility to a way, might suit them well Reform of the Parliament; and enough; but a Reform in the these reasons being summed up body of law makers might give together, amount to neither rise to certain alterations that more nor less, than a horrid would be very inconvenient to dread of losing the pennies. the CONCLAVE. What they This is the sum total of the cause most dread is, freedom of dis- of their hostility. They court cussion. This is the great the Government in all manner dread of every man situated as of ways. They swallow up'so your Priests are. This freedom much of loyalty, that the wonder of discussion could not be other- is that there is any left for any wise than injurious to them; body else. They wish to have and this they wellknow. I know the Government at their back; a Methodist Priest, who told a and if you were to back-slide man that he would be damned in any considerable numbers, I if he read Cobbett's Register. should not at all wonder, if they This is an absolute fact; and it were to fall upon some scheme shews how your Priests dread for applying to the Government examination and enquiry. There to compel you to come down is no clergyman of the Church with your pennies. It is very who would have had the inde- true that many of the clergy of cency to say this, even to one of the Church have acted a strange

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