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Again : "Low as she is fallen in worldly circumstances by the tyranny of oppression, the suppression of her sees, the spoliation of her endowments, and other fearful deeds, she bears, and must ever bear upon her frontlet, the glorious title of the Mother Church of Northern Europe."

At the commencement of the period of which we are now speaking, Dr. O'Halloran, a distinguished Roman Catholic antiquary, states, that a most uncompromising enmity existed in the minds of the Irish people against every thing connected with Rome." And this Protestant character of our Church appears to have been continued for ages.

An attempt having been made in the seventh century by some missionaries sent over to assist Austin by Pope Gregory, to prevail on the Irish Bishops to submit to the authority of the see of Rome, it proved, however, as unsuccessful as their efforts in England for the same purpose. Their address, however, was highly respectful in the epistle they wrote on the occasion. They complain of the aversion of their countrymen in England to them. "We know the Bri

tons, and hoped to find the Irish better disposed; but we learn by means of Daganus, the Irish Bishop, coming from Ireland into this country, and Columbanus, the Abbot of Gaul, that they differ in nothing from the Britons in their conversation; for Daganus, the Bishop, coming to us, not only would not eat with us, but not even in the same lodging in which we dieted."

The question may now be naturally asked, " Cui bono?" What is the use of bringing forward the above statement of the noble exertions of our Church, in extending the knowledge of our common salvation

at so early a period? We answer, for this simple

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The small portion of the property which now remains with us was conferred upon us by our native monarchs, at the time when Britain was lying prostrate under the iron grasp of the Pagan Saxon, and centuries before the hostile foot of a Norman devastated our fertile country. And now, may I ask in return, what right has the Parliament of England to deprive us of what she never conferred upon us? and that very property secured to us first by the Council of Cashel in the twelfth century, afterwards by the fifth article of the Act of Union in the beginning of the nineteenth, and finally guaranteed to us by the coronation oath of our beloved Sovereign.

Before the separation of America from England, the Bishop of New York enjoyed a large property in right of his see; after that event had taken place, and when there was no Established Church, the Republican Government recognized that grant as sacred property, and although the Episcopalians are a mere fraction of the population of that city, the grant is still enjoyed by the bishop of the English Church up to the present day.

I shall now conclude this, my first letter, in the language of one "who loves our nation," and whose words I have already quoted (the Hon. and Rev. Arthur Percival): "Oh, English statesmen, remember this, and when you look upon the Church in the condition to which you have reduced her, ever since the English King, Henry II., sold her independence to the English Pope, Adrian IV., as the simoniacal price at which the latter sold his blessing to the former on his invasion of that kingdom, think how blessed shall that statesman be in the history of man

kind, and be proclaimed at the great day of account in the hearing of men and angels, who shall be instrumental in freeing her from that degrading Italian bondage, and restoring her to her former state, when she was the light of the Western world, the centre of learning, the nurse of saints, the converter of the Heathen-in all respects well worthy of that blessed and beloved apostle, by whom she was founded, even St. John, whose head rested in our Saviour's breast, and to whose care the mother of our Lord was confided to him while hanging in agony upon the cross." I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

RICHARD MURRAY, D.D.,

Dean and Vicar-General of Ardagh.

Deanery House, Edgworth Town, Ireland,
Dec. 1, 1848.

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Before entering on the second period of the Irish Church History, from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, permit me to thank you for the insertion of my last letter, for which I feel the more obliged, as it seemed your intention to discontinue the subject. I hope, however, that the following, and one more letter, may still occupy a place in your valuable columns.

Previously to the twelfth century, the Roman Pontiff had, for a long period, been looking upon Ireland with a jealous eye, as being the only part of Europe that had not submitted to his spiritual despotism; and well knowing the earnest desire manifested by the King of England to bring Ireland under his own rule and governance, and finding that all his former attempts had proved abortive, at length resolved on placing Ireland in the hands of Henry II.; and for this purpose he issued a bull, dated A.D. 1155, addressed to him, in which he says, "There is indeed no doubt, as your Highness also doth acknowledge, that Ireland, and all the islands upon which Christ the Sun of Righteousness hath shone, do belong to the patrimony of St. Peter, and the holy Roman Church. Therefore are we the more solicitous to

propagate in that land the goodly scion of faith, as we have the secret monition of conscience that such is more especially our bounden duty. You then, most dear son in Christ, have signified unto us your desire to enter into that land of Ireland, in order to reduce the people to obedience unto laws, and extirpate the seeds of vice; you have also declared that you are willing to pay from each house a yearly pension of one penny to St. Peter, and that you will preserve the rights of the Churches of said land, whole and inviolate, &c. &c."

This conveyance, being made to Henry, was communicated by him to that portion of the Irish hierarchy whom he considered friendly to his views. The negotiation between the king and pontiff was conducted secretly for some years, until circumstances proved favourable to the designs of the King against Ireland. The brief was then publicly read at the Synod of Cashel. O'Driscoll, a distinguished Roman Catholic historian, gives the following description of the introduction of Romanism into Ireland, in the latter part of the twelfth century, and the melancholy consequences resulting from it;-"There is something very singular in the ecclesiastical history of Ireland. The Christian Church in that country, as founded by St. Patrick and his predecessors, existed for many ages free and unshackled. For above seven hundred years, this Church maintained its independence. It had no connexion with England, and differed upon points of importance with Rome. The first work of Henry was to reduce the Church of Ireland to obedience to the Roman Pontiff. Accordingly he procured a council of the Irish clergy, to be held at Cashel, in 1172, and the combined influence and intrigues of Henry and the Pope prevailed. This

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