DEFENCE OF THE LONDON VICAR | document, and have asked, for what A ני Confess it was some time before I could furnish a clue to this question; but seeing that it was "printed by BOUT the time our last num- Luke Hansard and Sons, near Linber came from the press, a coln's Inn Fields; for John Murray, very singular document was put Albemarle-street," and recollecting into circulation, purporting to be that the forementioned gentlemen "The Apologetical Epistle address- not only generally print for the ed by the Right Reverend Doctor Stonebuildings board, but likewise William Poynter, Vicar Apostolic for the author of the "Memoirs of in the Southern District of the Ca the English Catholics," and that tholics of England, to his Emi- the latter gentleman was the publishnence Cardinal Litta, Prefect of er of the said Memoirs, there can the Sacred Congregation de Propa- be no doubt that we are indebted ganda Fide, against the Charges to the writer of this work for the brought against him and the other publication of the "Apologetical Vicars Apostolic in England, by Letter." The design which the the Right Reverend Doctor John editor appears to have had in view Milner, Bishop of Castabala, Vicar was, the relief of himself and others, Apostolic of the Midland District by a kind of recriminating defence, of the Catholics of England." This from the severe flagellations they letter is dated "Rome, 15 March, have received from the pen of Dr. 1815," and signed "WILLIAM Milner, regarding our affairs connectPOYNTER, Bishop of Halia," but,ed with the fifth resolution of 1810; from its being ushered into public notice under the auspices of an anonymous editor, and as it contains gross misrepresentations, with the suppression of many material facts, I can consider it in no other light than a forgery intended to asperse the character of Dr. Milner at the expense of Dr. Poynter's. Many persons have expressed their astonishment at the appearance of this ORTHOD. JOUR. VOL. VIII. but, for my part, I think it would have been more manly, and more magnanimous, to have come forward under his own name, than to thrust forth the vicar apostolic of the London district as the accuser of his senior colleague, not only charging him before the holy see with offences which he will have some difficulty to establish, but also misrepresenting public facts for the 2 H evident purpose of deceiving the colleagues on their authority and judgment of the holy father. The reputation, both as bishops and as letter is given in latin with a trans-vicars of the supreme pontiff, and lation in English; it occupies seven large pages and a half of small type on royal quarto paper, and would fill a moderate sized newspaper. Whether it is sold or distributed gratis I have not had the curiosity to inquire; a copy was left at my office without any charge upon it, and others have received copies with only the charge of the postage; it is therefore manifestly the work of a man who has some wealth by him, and I am inclined to consider possessed of more money than wit, and of much less honesty than his inferiors in rank or talent. Conceiving, from the tenour of the epistle, that it cannot be the production of the venerable prelate whose name it bears, but that it is the composition of some vile incendiary seeking to destroy the character of the episcopacy, by making the Midland and Southern vicars apostolic equally guilty of faction, falsehood, and fabrication, and the latter of ignorance, I shall call the attention of my readers to a few of the passages, in order to expose the malignity of the editor, in endeavouring to blast the reputation of his friend to be revenged on his adversary. The letter commences with ex.. pressions of unwillingness and sorrow on the part of the writer to lay before the late prefect a narrative, in some degree apologetical, of certain catholic transactions in England, and assures him that he is influenced neither by auger uor resentment, but compelled, for the sake of truth and justice, to defend the authority and character of his brethren and himself, from the illconceived opinions formed of their councils and actions. After stating the heavy injury brought by such conduct towards himself and his that it is no longer allowable to preserve silence, which had been long patiently maintained, the writer calls for such a sentence on the author of the charges, taking them to have been proved, as will make it manifest to "their respective flocks, that they have performed, in their regard, all the duties of good shepherds, under the supreme shepherd, Christ our Lord, with the greatest care, and in every thing " "Finally" he says, "to the sacred congregation we appeal- not as men injured by men, and therefore seeking satisfaction, with the feeling of a resenting mind, but as bishops, and as representatives of the chief pastor, and who, in that character, have been assailed and wounded, by injurious, factious, and false accusations. And, with every affectionate sentiment of charity, and for the cause of religion, we pray that the integrity of our character, which has been thus injuriously affected, may be restored." Now, will any man believe that such an appeal as I have just cited from the " Apologetical Epistle," was ever penned by Dr. Poynter, to whom it is ascribed by the writer of the document? I am convinced not, because it will strike every man of common sense, as it does myself, that "injurious, factious, and false accusations," cannot hurt the character of a bishop or the representative of the chief pastor, so long as his conduct gives the lie to them; unless indeed we are to consider his flock composed of those senseless credulous beings which catholics have formerly been represented. The character of a bishop is the property of the people, and while the actions of the man invested with that caracter is consonant with the sacred office he holds, he need not fear the tion, which I hope I have refuted in the most ample manner. Now, therefore I most earnestly entreat, and shall never cease to solicit, that, if any accusations, besides those to which I have answered, have been carried to the sacred congregation against my beloved and venerable colleagues, myself, my clergy, or the faithful of any of our districts, particularly that of London, the same may be immediately communicated to me, that I may, as I trust I shall, refute them to the entire factious and false accusations of the most profligate hireling, as his flock will be able to discern between the villainy of the accuser, and the rectitude of their pastor; and his own conscience will direct him rather to rely on the good opinion of his people than the decree of a superior authority. But should, unfortunately, the character of the bishop be sullied, by the weakness of the man called upon to sustain it, the integrity of the character is best restored by repairing the error committed, and not by calling for judg-satisfaction of the sacred congregament on the supposed delinquent, who may happen to inform the offending prelate of his misfortune. For the London vicar, we may be well assured, is not ignorant that unless the catholics of England can be clearly satisfied, that the errors complained of are unfounded in fact, and injurious to the episcopal character, the decree of propaganda will have no weight with them, because blind obedience to the will of their superiors, whether ecclesiastical or civil, neither form a part of their creed, nor constitute a law of their church. For these reasons I deem the letter in question a forgery. tion." Can any language convey a stronger conviction that these are not the sentiments of the London vicar apostolic. From the tenour of the passage I have cited it is ma- · nifestly the production of a creature of the ex-catholic board, who has daringly presumed to affix the name of the bishop of Halia to it. Is it likely, I ask, that Dr. Poynter would be guilty of so great an inconsistency as to assume to himself to be the advocate of all the clergy and laity of England, without being regularly commissioned, when he is made, by the author of this document, to charge Dr. Milner with trespassing on the jurisdiction of the London vicar, because he circu But these are not the only grounds on which I rest my opinion that this epistle is spurious. In the succeed-lated his attacks on Dr. P.'s pubing passage, Dr. Poynter is made to profess himself the advocate of our clergy and laity in England, whom he sees injured in common, but particularly those who belong to the London district." For, adds the writer, "It would be most hard indeed, and ill accord with the religion of the holy see, that any evil report of catholics, so attached to the holy see, such followers of christian piety, so full of devotion towards the holy father, should, with out the most evident proofs, be listened to at Rome. For I know that many false charges have been made against us, to the sacred congrega lished instructions in the latter's district? Besides, at the very moment Dr. P.. is stated to have declared himself the advocate of the catholics of England, some were engaged in signing a petition to parliament in opposition to the measures of the men with whom he acted, and six thousand of the male population actually affixed their signatures to the petition, among whom were many of the clergy. The charges refered to in this passage apply only to the intriguers in the board, and not to the faithful, who almost universally detest the proceedings of this dangerous knot. Then, as to their christian piety, where are we to look for a sample of it? In their attempt to establish a bible society, or in their Newcastle resolutions, or their vote of thanks to the framers of the schismatical bill? But they are so full of devotion towards the holy father. Aye, indeed; then why not revoke the impious protest against his authority and that of the vicars apostolic, his representatives, of blue book notoriety? No doubt, these pious and devout gentlemen are tenderly attached to the holy father while they have hopes of obtaining their temporal desires, through the instrumentality of that slave of the British government, Consalvi; but let their hopes vanish, and then it will be time enough to praise their piety and devotion, if they should give occasion for it. As to any injury which the laity have sustained in common, no person among us knows of any, with the exception of the few pretended leaders, and therefore the venerable bishop of Halia could not make the allusion, but it must be some audacious individual in his name, who will, I hope, be made to feel for his temerity. Proceeding in the defence, the letter writer says, "I will begin with the charges which have been brought against us all, on account of the fifth resolution of the English catholics. I will give the history of it, and explain, in an analytical way, all those things which will render our defence a demonstration clearer to every one than noonday light. Nothing shall be said, that shall not be supported by proof. Each proof will be produced when required; for if all the proofs were presented in the work itself, the task would be too laborious. I will draw up, at the end of the writing, an index, for the better understanding of it." Here the editor has placed a reference to the following note: "The proofs and index, to which the right reverend prelate refers in this place, accompany the original, but were not in the possession of the gentleman from whom the editor received the copy from which this is published: great care has been taken to make the translation as literal as possible: the notes are added by the editor." So then, though it purports to be the Apologetical Epistle of Dr. Poynter, it is here acknowledged to be, an unauthenticated copy, surreptitiously obtained, proba bly by some picklock spy, from the archives of the propaganda, to be used at the discretion of the holder and at the cost of the London vicar. How far this conduct is generous towards the venerable prelate I leave the reader to decide, but I am sure he has just reasons to exclaim, "Oh! save me from my friends!", The letter next, in the following words, calls on the prefect to give his decision: "Come forward, then, most eminent man, and, according to your wisdom, justice, and religion, judge, whether any person should quarrel with any of our actions; and listen to, receive, and graciously hear the petitions and wishes of all the English hierarchy, for that decision, for which we are all looking out, from the sacred congregation;" and then proceds to give "An analytical History of the Fifth Resolution of the English Catholics." The incorrectness of this history is of so glaring a nature, that could we believe such a document had been laid before the propaganda, by the vicar apostolic of the London district, it must be considered a most fortunate circum stance for justice and religion, that the sacred congregation did not come to any formal decision on it; for, in such a case, the judgment must have been detrimental not only to the character of the holy see, but injurious to the cause of religion, "1. Towards the end of the year 1809, the English catholics prepared a petition to be presented to the parliament of Great Britain, for the purpose of obtaining a participation of civil rights, and a free and public exercise of their religious worship. One thing, among the rest, they particularly prayed for, that catholic soldiers might be exempt from the punishments, to which they are made liable by law, if they decline to attend, on Sundays, the protestant worship! and that catholics in general might obtain a civil and legal validity to their marriages, without being obliged to celebrate them before a minister of the protestant church. both in this country and in Ireland. I statements, to the holy see, as are The history is numbered into fifty contained in the first and third cited distinct heads or sections, the first paragraphs, I do not hesitate to prothree of which will furnish a speci-nounce that he ought instantly to be men of the credibility due to the removed from his high situation, for rest. They are as follow:attempting to deceive and delude the holy father into an erroneous decision on the disputes existing between, the vicars apostolic and some of the aristocracy, as to the conduct of the pretended leaders of the English catholic body, and the ecclesiastical concessions meditated by them, in return for their being admitted to exercise certain civil privileges. But the facts therein stated are so glar ingly false, so wholly devoid of truth, that they can be no other than the work of an incendiary, some infidel protesting-dissenter, some hypocrite whose aim is to strike a blow at the catholic religion, by representing some of its highest ministers as the retailers of falsehood to their sovereign master, the visible vicar of Christ. To impute such fabrications, such disgusting untruths, to a bishop of the catholic church, is one of the greatest libels that could be attached to his character, and I hope the venerable vicar apostolic, whose name is unblushingly affixed to the document, will lose no time in tracing out the vile editor, and make him rue for his irreligious conduct. I will here point out a few of the violations of truth, contained in these two paragraphs, In the first it is said that the English catholics, at the end of the year 1806, prepared a petition to parliament, to obtain, among other things, "a free and public exercise of their religious worship." I have not a copy of the petition by me, but I notice this part, as I believe it to be a falsehood; because foolish as I look upon the pretended leaders of the English catholics to be, I cannot think them capable of such folly as to petition to obtain a privilege which they had been in possesssion of eighteen years! 2. This petition, signed by all the vicars apostolic, by their coadjutors, by almost all the catholic clergy, by the catholic nobility, by the greatest part of the lower class of English catholics, was entrusted to the right honourable earl Grey, a member of the upper house, and to the right honourable William Windham, a member of the lower house of parliament, to be presented by them to these two branches of the legislature. 3. Till then, it never had been in the power of English catholics to communicate with the parliament, or with those who patronised them, respecting any conditions, that regarded the repeal of the penal laws. It was a transaction of a most NO- | VEL kind, and which eventually might conduce much to the good and advancement of the catholic religion." Were it possible to believe that Dr. Poynter could make such plausible misrepresentations, such false |