COLUMBANUS AD HIBERNOS,

No. IV.

SECT. I Doctor Pointer's doctrine of exclusive Episcopal dominion repugnant to "Catholic faith-his corrupt quotation of holy writ.

1. THE slightest acquaintance with the history of ancient, or with the manners of modern times, sufficiently shows that the desire either of retaining, or of acquiring power, is often so happy in its efforts to impose a belief of justice upon others, that it covers its own enterprizes, even to itself, under the semblance of piety, indulging in an opinion of zeal for the service of God, deriving arguments from undefined words, and interpreting in its own favour without any regard to, and perhaps without any apprehension of, equivocation.-Under this semblance of principle, and especially of religious principle, the best of men have often been misled. Every B

one who is acquainted with ecclesiastical history knows to what an extent theological disputes have been carried even by a Ciprian, and a Jerom; and if so, can we wonder that the secret workings of worldly power, disguising itself under the semblance of piety, should become the most inflexible of all the passions of men; that truths strongly expressed, and enforced by such arguments, and such facts, as I have ventured to bring to light in my former letters, should have had the effect, which humiliating truths often have, of provoking a contest; and that, disdaining to submit to evidence, when it proceeds from the pen of a person of an inferior order in the Church, Vicars Apostolic, armed with high authority, should resolve not to retract one assertion which they have once ventured to patronize; neither the well-worshipping doctrine, nor the doctrine of exclusive Synods, nor the assertion that the second order of the clergy have no right to judge either in Synod or out of Synod, and consequently neither in the Pulpit nor in the Confessional, of the doctrines for which they are bound to offer the testimony of their blood, but are to take those doctrines without examination from their Bishops, and tamely to submit to all vicarial censures, and all episcopal decrees!

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2. A very classical compilation of texts of all ages, collected here and there from the Fathers, and huddled together as if they belonged only to one age and country, has made its very auspicious, very seasonable appearance, with the name of the Rt. Rev. Dr. P. prefixed to it, and entitled a " Theological Examination of Columbanus;" in which he eagerly maintains" that "Priests of the second order have no right to judge of faith and discipline, or to sit or be

present in Synods, but are to preach that doc"trine which Bishops judge to be orthodox ;* "that Bishops are exclusively to judge of all "matters relating to faith and discipline; and "that from the beginning of the Church "Priests had no lawful mission, but what they "received from Bishops;" pag. 19. a doctrine which is plainly contradicted by St. Luke, c. x.†

* Theol. Exam. pag. 8, and 22. Yet the Popes themselves could not exclude the second order of the Roman Clergy, either from their elections, or from the Roman Synods. No decision was deemed ex Cathedra, or definitive, without their concurrence. See Holstenius's notes to his Roman Councils, tom. 2. Fleury says "Le pretre prend connoissance des peches comme juge, pour savoir s'il les doit remettre, ou les "retenir, lier ou delier." Discours 7me, No. 1.

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy

3. For Doctor Pointer's mildness and gentleness of manners I always entertained great respect, and he, in return perhaps, very kindly and repeatedly acknowledges that" it is diffi"cult to discern what Columbanus's opinions are; "that it is difficult to lay hold on any particular "proposition, and say that this is his precise doc"trine; but yet, that his opinions are novel! that "his bold assertions, instead of being supported

by solid proofs, are often followed by some en"tertaining story, which seems well calculated "to amuse his readers, and to supply the place "of argument; that, what is not to the credit " of the Annalist or of the Historian, he very materially misrepresents the sense of the Au"thors whom he cites; that it is of great consequence that the public should not be imposed upon by the authority of a writer, who, "from a great show of ecclesiastical learn

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ing, might be deemed competent to give the "most accurate information on religious mat"ters; that he explains the superiority of Bi

shops to Priests, with regard to the power of "confirmation, in terms so qualified as to leave "it dubious, whether he believes that they are

also, and sent them, (saying) go your ways, behold I send you forth as lambs, &c.

superior to them! Finally, that Columbanus's "obvious meaning is, that a Bishop has no

power whatever, either of order or of jurisdic"tion, which the Priest has not, save only the power of ordaining.

4. Irishmen-Countrymen of that great Co lumbanus who never submitted to ipse dirits, or bowed to the censures of exclusive Synods, until his cause was canonically heard; you who have not yet rendered yourselves unworthy the knowledge of truth by any wilful dereliction of honesty, or by any conscious violation of principle; you with whom conviction never was, and, I trust, never will be, a barren, unproductive sentiment of idiot admiration, which is never to be followed up by any renunciation of error, or by any adoption of truth, by any exertion of body, or by any vigour of mind; you who, having

Here then, though it is difficult to discern what Columbanus's opinions on these subjects are, there is an obvious meaning! No proposition in Columbanus's works can be laid hold on, but yet they are novel! It is not easy to discern his meaning, but yet there is an obvious meaning!-I give Dr. Pointer credit for the candour of his assertion, that no proposition in my works can be pointed out as heretical or schismatical. This acknowledgment leaves me in possession of my orthodoxy, and exposes the rashness of him who talked so wisely of retractation or excommunication!