these are the directories of the Roman Catholic priests-containing, in one part, the directions for their offices; to which are added, the questions of their Conferences, taken from Dens; and subjoined to these is the catalogue of books by Coyne, the Roman Catholic bookseller. In this he states the order he had received from the bishops to print Dens, in 1808, and that he reprinted it in 1832 to meet the demand, and that this eighth volume was added with the sanction and approbation of Dr. Murray. It is unnecessary to enter further on this topic; it is sufficient to state, that not one single fact laid before the public meetings in England was ever disproved. On the contrary, every single effort made to disprove the facts and arguments, has only tended more strongly and remarkably to substantiate their truth. You will easily pass, therefore, the first Resolution, when I read to you the result of all the conflicting statements that have appeared in all the public journals on this subject. There was a public meeting held at Birmingham, by the Protestants of that town, last November. In a few days afterwards, a meeting was held by the Roman Catholics, in order to counteract the effect produced; and I need only read to you the first resolution passed at that meeting, which was as follows:

"That although the Theology of Dens has been recently published in Ireland, and adopted by certain of the Irish prelates, as a guide to the ecclesiastical conferences held in their respective dioceses, the said prelates have never attempted, nor, in fact, have they any authority, to require the clergy to subscribe to the mere opinions of the writer."

Now this resolution, passed by the Roman Catholics themselves at their meeting, you will perceive, admitted the fact completely of the circulation of Dens's Theology, and its adoption as a conference book.

II. There have been two modes in which the facts as to this book-which, as you will soon see, derives its vast importance from the doctrines it contains-I say there have been two modes in which these facts have been tried to be got rid of; the first, by a bold and broad denial of the adoption of that book as the text-book of the theological conferences, or as a standard of the Catholic faith. Therefore Dr. Murray writes to Lord Melbourne

"I did not make it the text-book for our theological conferences-for on such occasions we have no such book-if by this expression we are to understand that the work of any writer, whose opinions (when not already defined by the church as articles of faith) the clergy are required, or in any manner whatever expected, to maintain."

Now this was before the second meeting at Exeter Hall, while, on the very day of that meeting, his own secretary wrote a letter, in which he declared that Dr. Murray did make it the text-book, and ordered him to take the subjects of conference from this book, and told him the titles, chapters, and pages, appointed for the conference. When this denial was disproved, he urged another argument, since made use of, namely, that these principles of persecution set forth by Dens, were merely the private opinions of that writer, forming no part of the Catholic creed; and that neither the bishops of Ireland nor the Church of Rome were bound to respect them. This was the mode by which Dr. Brown and Mr. M'Donnell endeavoured to evade the fact at the Birmingham meeting. "The mere opinions of Dens," say they, "or any other theologian, form no part of the Catholic faith." They do not venture to take the doctrines out of Dens, and deny those doctrines individually, or to show that these doctrines do not belong to the Catholic faith; but they say, the mere opinions of Dens form no part of the Catholic faith. But I say, the doctrines of persecution laid down by Dens do form part of the Catholic faith, and such a part that every one of those priests are sworn to maintain them till the latest hour of his existence.

Now if I show, first, that the persecuting doctrines of Dens were not his own private opinions, but founded on the confessed infallible authority of the Church of Rome; if I show, secondly, that the bishops and clergy of the Church of Rome have sworn to maintain those canons on which these doctrines are founded; if I show, thirdly, that the same principles maintained in Dens's Theology have been authorized, patronized, and propagated by the Roman Catholic hierarchy of Ireland: if I prove this to you from documents totally unconnected with Dens, and bearing no reference to him-if I show all this, I believe that you will admit that I satisfactorily refute this assertion-that the doctrines of persecution in Dens are the mere private opinions of that writer.

I shall first, then, show the second proposition laid down, namely, that the Roman Catholic bishops and priests are bound by the most solemn oaths to their church, to maintain the canons and constitutions on which the doctrines of Dens are founded. Now you will observe, that when I say that they are bound to maintain those canons, that whenever those canons are referred to in Dens, the authorities are

also referred to, which the Roman Catholic clergy are bound by their oaths to reverence and obey.

The first document to which I call your attention, is the evidence of Dr. Murray and Dr. Doyle before the House of Commons. When they are asked, where the most authentic exposition of the Catholic faith is to be found? they both give one answer, The Doctrine and the Creed of Pius IV. That is the first document which those prelates declare to show the standard of the Roman Catholic faith. Therefore I cannot be wrong when I take that book to which they have both sworn. I now hold in my hand the Decrees of the Council of Trent, at the end of which is this Creed of Pius IV., which is thus declared to be a concentration of the doctrines of the Catholic Church.

"I acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church is the mother and mistress of all churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman Pontiff, the successor of blessed Peter, the chief of the apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ; also all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred canons and œcumenical councils, and particularly by the holy Synod of Trent, I indubitably receive and profess; and also all things contrary, and all heresies whatsoever, condemned, rejected, and anathematized by the Church, I likewise condemn, reject, and anathematize. This true Catholic faith, out of which no man can be saved, which at the present I willingly profess and truly hold, I the same vow, promise, and swear, to retain and confess the same, whole and undefiled, most firmly, even to the last breath of my life; and that I will take care, as much as in me lies, that it shall be held, taught, and preached, by my subjects, or by those the care of whom still appertains to me in my office. So help me God, and these holy Gospels of God."

This is the oath by which they are bound to receive all the definitions declared by the church, and all the canons, especially those of the Council of Trent. If, therefore, you see that the persecuting doctrines of Dens are sanctioned, authorized, and subscribed, on the authority of these canons, you see, that so far from being his private opinions, as they profess, they are the sacred ordinances of the church, which they are bound to maintain till the latest moment of their existence.

Now there is another class of authorities to which I shall refer you this day, and to which I most especially entreat your deliberate and devoted attention; for on these authorities your resolutions are to be

passed. You perceive I have, for the sake of convenience, prepared, and, for the sake of impressing them on you, arranged a certain collection of manuscripts into that BLACK BOOK, and certain others into that RED BOOK. Now, if guilt can give a moral tinge, that book is as black within as without. I shall explain, in due time, the authority on which these manuscript documents rest; meantime, suspend your curiosity, and awaken all your judgment. Mark, as I read the passages of this to you-[holding up the black book]-mark, whether in your judgment and conscience you must pronounce, that they corroborate and substantiate every principle of guilt and persecution in Dens's Theology.

Now, the first point to which I call your attention is this—the principles of the Church of Rome regarding the infallibility of the Pope and the power of the Pope. This is exceedingly important; for if it be true that the liberties, and properties, and lives of Protestants are to be subject to the power and authority of the Church of Rome, it is most important that you should consider what power and authority you shall ascribe to the persecutor.

1. I have, therefore, in the first place, to consider the infallibility of the Pope. This was one of the questions of conference proposed in that celebrated year, 1832, the year when the doctrines of persecution, as you shall see, were discussed throughout the province of Leinster among the priests. One of the questions is, " Whether the Pope, speaking ex cathedrá, is infallible?" I stated at the meeting at Birmingham, that the Pope, speaking ex cathedrâ, was infallible. This was afterwards peremptorily denied by the Romish priests; and they have an important interest in denying it, because, in the first place, they know that it leads to that important question, whether they hold or hold not a divided allegiance between a spiritual and temporal power? whether they owe an allegiance to a spiritual authority, that is far beyond any command that a temporal authority can dare to claim? and, in the next place, they know that the bulls and constitutions assume so horrible and persecuting a spirit, that if they admitted that they held the Pope, speaking ex cathedrá, infallible, they know that a field would be open for the charge against them of maintaining the doctrines those popes taught, which are full of the grossest iniquity and persecution that ever disgraced the Church of Rome. Therefore, those men deny that the Pope, speaking ex cathedra, is infallible. I call your attention now to the doctrine of Dens.

The question is asked, "What conclusion is deduced from the authority of the Pope?

"It is answered, By distinguishing, if the Pope declares any thing as a private doctor, that is of no greater authority than if it were of any other particular doctor; but if he declares any thing ex cathedrá, referring to faith or morals, a certain and infallible argument is deduced from such a definition."

This passage I read at Birmingham. Dr. Brown denied it. He said, "It is very false that the infallibility of the Pope, even when speaking ex cathedrá, is a portion of Catholic belief. Mr. M'Ghee pretended to prove his assertion from Dens, and it is almost impossible to excuse him from a direct and wilful misstatement, since he must have seen in the very page from which he quoted, that a large body of Catholic divines dissent from the opinion of Dens, proving thereby that he proposes no more than his own private opinion." So stated Dr. Brown. Now, I go back to that page, to the passage to which he refers. It is as follows, in continuation of the passage I quoted:

"And although the Gauls and other moderns impugn his infallibility, nevertheless they establish their own conclusions by similar definitions, as if they were certain."

Now, let me ask, Does this prove that this is the private opinion of Dens? No. It proves this fact, that the Gallican (or French) Church differs in some respects from the Ultra-montane (or Italian) Church, and therefore disproves the boasted unity of the Romish Church; and also proves another fact, that while the Romish hierarchy of Ireland have deceived the Protestants of this empire with the pretence of holding the mitigated doctrines of the Gallican Church, here their publication and adoption of this book proves that they hold the worst and the most detestable principles of the Ultra-montanists. This was the first passage I quoted, and you shall see another, which proves that this is not the private opinion of Dens. Dens, vol. ii. p. 39, treating on the rules of faith, says—

"There are five rules of faith, of which two are inanimate, (or dead,) three animate, (or living.) The inanimate rules of faith contain the truths of the Catholic faith like a deposit; and they are, sacred Scriptures, and divine tradition. The living rule of faith is that which declares to us the things which God has revealed, so that it sufficiently