without spe successionis, or cum futura successione absolutely; which is nothing more than a reversionary

grant

"Even in those German, African and Italian Churches, which "were founded by the Holy See, and may therefore be con. "sidered as more immediately subject to the jurisdiction of "Rome (a senseless and indecent idea, that the jurisdiction of Christ's Vicar can be partial) "the Pope could not nominate

successors or coadjutors, as they have been lately nominated "in Ireland." As Doctor Poynter has now succeeded to the episcopal charge of the London District, (Antea 264) it will be seen by Columbanus's conduct towards his spiritual superior, whether he be equally restive and refractory in practice, as in theory. As my reader will now have nearly waded through this unexpectedly protracted letter, I inform him, that for brevity sake I took for my motto the four concluding words of Horace's portrait of a niger (Juvency in his index, says niger pro malus.) I shall now exhibit it at full length. Whose image is this? MAT. XXII. 20.

Absentem, qui rodit amicum;

Qui non defendit, alio culpante : solutos
Quicapitat risus hominum, famamque dicacis:
Fingere qui non visa potest: commissa tacere

Qui nequit hic NIGER est: hunc tu Romane Caveto.

He, who malignant tears an absent friend,

Or, when attack'd by others d'ont defend;

Who trivial bursts of laughter strives to raise,
And courts of prating petulance the praise:
Of things he never saw who tells his tale,
And friedships' secrets knows not to conceal :
This man is vile: here Roman, fix your mark :
His soul is black, as his complexion's dark.

FRANCIS HOR. 4 Sat.

It will be scarcely credited, that Father Thomassin, the learned and orthodox FrenchOratorian, in his church discipline (Part 11. Lib. II. XXII. & XXIII.) says, that Coadjutorships to

1

grant of that mission or jurisdiction, which can be derived from no other source. Innumerable may be

the

Bishoprics were usual in the very earliest days of the church. We find in fact, that in the 55th year from the birth of Christ, St. Linus was made Coadjutor to St. Peter: and within the very first century of the Christian Æra Evaristus was made coadjutor to Pope Anacletus. This authority is the stronger against Columbanus, because in the Appendix, N. III. to his first Letter to his countrymen in giving a catalogue of the most learned works on the Catholic Hierarchy, and the rights of the different orders of the Catholic Clergy, he says, Thomassin de Disciplina Eccl. 3 Vol. fol. Paris, &c. Fabrici says of this work, vastum & eruditum opus, an immense and learned work, With astonishment will the readers and approvers of Columbanus learn, that the decretals expressly authorize Coadjutor ships in cases of sickness and old age. Vide Decretals under the heads of De Clerico ægrotante vel debilitants, apud Greg, and the canon Quia frater. Caus. 7, 9, 1. Every genuine Catho lic will be shocked at the flippant arrogance, with which Co lumbanus represents Coadjutorships as novelties and corruptions in the church, when he finds the Council of Trent assum ing their usage in the church, and engrafting upon it a decree, that on the appointment of coadjutors, the, Bishops should assign to them a certain portion of the episcopal revenues for their maintenance. Here I beg leave once for all to remark, as I have frequently throughout this letter expressed myself, that whenever decrees of councils, or Papal bulls or briefs direct or enjoin any thing concerning the temporalities or church benefi ces, they are bottomed entirely upon the presumption of the consent or acquiescence of the civil magistrate of the countries, in which such property is respectively situated; without which such directions and injunctions are a complete nullity, having no object to operate upon. Thus in England before the Refor

the conscientious motives for this exercise of the Pope's divine primacy of jurisdiction. The more 3 B ordinary

mation, a great share of the headship of the civil establishment of the Catholic religion was by consent or concession of the nation vested in the Pope; whatever therefore he decreed or enjoined by bull or otherwise, concerning church revenues or ecclesiastical property in England, was valid and took its efficacy from the law of England, whilst it lasted. Hence under a presumption of the continuance, or a hope or expectation of the revival, or a blind, fond or confused understanding of the na ture of such national acquiescence, consent or concessions, the same form and stilus curia are kept up in public instruments, as obtained,whilst the rights expressed to be imparted were actually enjoyed. This may arise from a species of corporate scru pulosity or conscientious punctiliousness, by which persons enjoying only an usufructuary possession, feel themselves called upɔn to do no act, by which they may be construed to have abandoned, waived or done away any right or benefit, which they are bounden to transmit to their successors, as they re ceived them from their predecessors, and rather improved, than deteriorated, as far as in them lies. Perhaps it might be better, that bulls of confirmation, instruments of institution, and other public or solemn acts collating spiritual dignity or jurisdiction contained nothing about temporalities: Where however there is a civil establishment annexed to the objects of the spiritual grant or investiture, it may not be improper to controul, regulate or qualify the use of the temporalities by the spiritual corporations, whether aggregate or sole. Where there is no such civil establishment, the instruments, though still expressed in the same form, are understood to be, as to the temporalities, wholly inoperative by all parties, and are therefore injurious to none. Such is the case upon the face of that instru

ordinary are, the infirmity of the Bishop, his derelic tion or inability, or unwillingness to perform the episcopal functions or duties of his order and office, sometimes to prevent or repair the disturbance and scandal of the flock by canvassing and election. You' have instanced something of this necessity in Tuam. I will instance another pressing and compulsory call upon the supreme Pastor's making such a reversionary grant cum futura successione; which is, wherever there are well founded reasons for expecting intrigues of turbulent, ambitious and wordly Priests either with the state, people, or clergy, or even honest exertions, or too strong solicitations of influence or interest to procure the mitre, here the obvious, paramount, and indispensible duty of the universal dispenser of spiri tual jurisdiction or Apostolical mission throughout the church militant, is to prevent the mischief and scandal likely to happen to a part of it, by introducing into its government men of worldly habits, dangerous principles, and turbulent dispositions; necessarily therefore will the Pope for the peace, benefit, and edificationof his flock, appoint for the immediate successor a person, who has the testimony of a worthy and edifying Prelate, together with that of the other Bishops and respectable Clergymen, a man* "blame "less,

ment or bull appointing Doctor Egan to be Coadjutor of Waterford and Lismore, by Pope Ganganelli, in the Appendix, No. X.

* Paul to Titus, 7. As much préjudice is attempted to be raised by the Rev. Doctor Columbanus against the appointment

"less, as the Steward of GOD: not self-willed, nor soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not gi"ven to filthy lucre: but a lover of hospitality, a lo"ver of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; "holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been

taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine, "both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and "deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, whose "mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, "teaching things, which they ought not, for filthy "lucre's sake."

Rev. Sir, and most learned Doctor, as you have so openly and so nobly professed in the face of your country and the world at large,† That, I detest falsehood; and if I advance one word of untruth, I shall most gladly make amends by a public recantation," it is hoped you will make good your promise by

Your humble Servant,

And well-wisher,

FRANCIS PLOWDEN, L. C. D.

of Coadjutors, the reader will find in the Appendix, No. X. the form of such appointment, which will give him very diffe rent ideas upon the subject from those, which he may have received from the Lecture of Columbanus.