RELIGIOUS EQUALITY. [From the Times,]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 796, 19 March 1853, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EQUALITY. [From the Times,]

Tfae advocates of " religious equality," in the Irish, and special sense of the phrase have encountered an awkward opponent on the very threshold of the committee room. The other day, as our readers are not likely to forget, these conscientious and simple-minded men, being devout upholders of a creed which confines salvation exclusively to itself, and justifies the extirpation of religious differences by fetters and faggots, recorded a series of extraordinary resolutions, to the effect that spiritual freedom was the genuine birthright of all people ; that the several denominations of Christians possessed respectively their own proper claims to consideration, and that " the first step towards securing the blessing of secure homes and safe altars mnst be the destruction of every thing in the shape of privilege, precedence, monopoly, or unfair advantage on the part of the Established Church." This notification met the eye of Sir Coiling Eardley, and acted on the free-souled baronet as a proclamation by Lord Hardinge for disbanding the entire army might be expected to act on Mr. Bright. For years had Sjr Culling been labouring in the work of religious equality and evangelical freedom all over the world, and for years had he and his coadjutors regarded the Romish establishment ,sV the incarnate terror of poor God-fearing souls. But here were not only Papists, but Irish Papists ; aad not only Irish Papists, but Irish and Popish " archbishops " and " bishops" assembling together to put on record doctrines of religious liberty which might pass good muster at a convention of the Protestant Alliance 1 Into what emotions Sir Colling was thrown on the «pot mast be left to imagination to conceive. Perhaps he did, as Colonel Sibtborp was represented by a facetious contemporary to have done in the lobby of the House of Commons whin the Crystal Palace was finally condemned ; but, at any rate he then and theie applied the discovery to prompt and practical use.* A poor man and woman in Tuscany of the name of Madiai have beed just sentenced to four years' confinement with bard labour for having read the Scriptures and worshipped God out of the Church of Rome. There was no suspicion, charge, or implication of moral or^Tolitical criminality attaching to the case. The public prosecutor frankly declared at the trial that there was no such accusation whatever, and that the prosecution was wholly and avowedly for the religion of the established church of Tuscany. Sir Colling, in concert with many other benevolent persons of this and other countries, was then compassing the rescue of these unhappy prisoners, and in furtherance of this charitable object a deputation was proceeding to solicit their pardon from the Tuscan

! Court. Now if the Irish cod federates, being of , this very Tuscau religion, and known indeed throughout Europe as ont-Romanizing the i Romtns themselves in all the genuine character- ■ istics of Popery, would bat concur in tnggestive- ' ly recommending to their brethren at Florence > some of those maxims which they were proclaiming so clamorously at home,what a catch it would be for s the deputation ! So thought Sir Culling, and be addressed himself incontinently to Mr. Frederick Lucas, an active promoter of the "equality movement," and a public expositor of the cause. Referring to the declaration of the confederates touching " secure homes," " safe altars," " and the method of attaining such blessings," by the destruction of ecclesiastical monopolies, Sir Culling ventured to introduce the question of the Madiais. Nothing certainly could have more forcibly illustrated the principles on which Mr. Lucas and bis colleagues were now taking their stand. The case seemed made for the very purpose. How terribly an " established church" might interfere with •• secure homes and safe altars" was shown to some effect in a sentence of four years' imprisonment for reading the Bible without that church's permission; and spiritual "privilege, precedence, monopoly, and advantage" were most assuredly exemplified to the life in decrees which visited the very smallest dissent with the penalties of a common felon. So, after quoting the resolutions of the " equality" committee, and alluding to the purpose of the deputation then on its road, Sir Culling " took the liberty of asking" Mr. Lucas whether he, "whose name and position were well known at Florence" would permit the deputation to state that he " regarded the incarceration of the Madi&is" with the " indignation" professed and recorded against all " privilege, monopoly, or advantage of an established church," and whether he would contribute his public " wishes" to the " success" of the mission 1 Wfell spoken, Sir Culling ! You have not always carried English opinions with you, but youbave got them row . And what did Mr. Lucas say ? Why, he first took* Sir Culling roundly to task for presuming to expect an answer to so impertinent an application, and he then, with truly Irish consistency, wrote .an answer filling three whole columns of a newspaper. As far as this reprimand condescends to reasons, it proceeds on the difference detected by Mr. Lucas between two cases so apparently similar. True, the Popish religion «s established in Tuscany and the Protestant in Ireland ; but Protestantism in Tuscany is "a crime in the sight of God, and an injury to society," whereas Popery in Ireland (as we must infer by antithesis) is a real and genuine blessing to the State. The Tuscan Government, agaio, is " Catholic," and the country is exclusively " Catholic," and therefore, in repressing dissent, its rulers may use any means they think expedient. But the established Government of Ireland and the Established Church of Ireland are both as truly Protestant as the Tuscan establishments are Popisb, and why may they not act accordingly ? If precedence, monopoly, and privilege are as Mr. Lucas thinks them, they can certainly be none the better for being absolute ; or if this is held to be the case, we have only to make the Government of Ireland still more Protestant than it is, and lock up Mr. Lucas and Dr. M'Hale for four years, instead of merely not allowing them to steal other men's goods at tljg|g: ducrotion. W* hive only to terminate all toleration, and then we shall no longer be chargeable with intolerance. To give a Dissenting commuoity free scope and license for all its tenets and ceremonies, and to irterdict it solely from outraging the laws of the State and appropriating the property of its neigh* bours, is persecution ; to seize and imprison every Dissenter, and to stifle the utterance of dissent, is no persecution at all, but a rightful exercise of power, in which jutt so much rigour should be infused as is necessary for effect. Now, don't say so, Mr. Lucas ! Don't preach such doctrines. They are dangerous at the present moment, we can assure you. If Papists ought to have everything they want or nothing at all, the former will not be the alternative preferred by the British nation. Of course, Popery with Mr. Lucas is all that is precious, and Protestantism all that is vile. Of course, Protestant Cbarch Missions are a scheme of organized cvil — "a souping, swinding, mammon proselytism, the whole aim of which is directed to root out the Christian faith and plant infidelity in its stead ; to disturb, destroy, disorganize, break and tear asunder an ancient and virtuous society" (is this Ireland ?) " by foreign influence, and foreign gold, to make men devils, or anything, if possible, that were worse ;" while the way of Dr. M'Hale and his fellowpriests is the " pure way" of righteonsness, and so forth. la short, Popery is true and Protestantism hereby ; truth ought to be promoted and heresy rooted out, and therefore Popish establishments may imprison Protestants, but Protestant establishments ought to admit Papists to " equality." This is the practical view of the new committee. Sir Culling Eardley, mean time, has certainly got an answer, and a pretty stiff one too ; but the members of the deputation are called impertinent for asking anything, and fools forexpectingjt, and the Baronet himself is dismissed "'with a contempt which there is nothing in his letter or his life to modify or diminish." " Equality" for evtr."