he Romanists, and where, _in imagination_, their worship has never
ceased to be celebrated. Can it be doubted that when the yet existing
restrictions are removed, that the disproportion in the population and
the wealth of the Protestant Church will become more conspicuous objects
for discontent to point at; and that plans, however covert, will be
instantly set on foot, with the aid of new powers, for effecting an
overthrow, and, if possible, a transfer? But all this is too obvious; I
would rather argue with those who think that by excluding the Romanists
from political power we make them more attached to their religion, and
cause them to unite more strongly in support of it. Were this true to
the extent maintained, we should still have to balance between the
unorganised power which they derive from a sense of injustice, real or
supposed, and the legitimate organised power which concession would
confer upon surviving discontent; for no one, I imagine, is weak enough
to suppose that discontent would disappear. But it is a deception, and a
most dangerous one, to conclude that if a free passage were given to the
torrent, it would lose, by diffusion, its ability to do injury. The
checks, as your Lordship well knows, which are after a time necessary to
provoke other sects to activity, are not wanted here. The Roman Church
stands independent of them through its constitution, so exquisitely
contrived, and through its doctrine and discipline, which give a
peculiar and monstrous power to its priesthood. In proof of this, take
the injunction of celibacy, alone separating the priesthood from the
body of the community, and the practice of confession, making them
masters of the conscience, while the doctrines give them an absolute
power over the will. To submit to such thraldom men must be bigoted in
its favour; and that we see is the case of Spain, in Portugal, in
Austria, in Italy, in Flanders, in Ireland, and in all countries where
you have Papacy in full blow. And does not history prove, that however
other sects may have languished under the relaxing influence of good
fortune, Papacy has ever been most fiery and rampant when most
prosperous?

But many, who do not expect that conciliation will be the result of
concession, have a farther expedient on which they rely much. They
propose to take the Romish Church in Ireland into pay, and expect that
afterwards its clergy will be as compliant to the Government as the
Presbyterians in t