Chapter I

LETTER OF THE IRISH BISHOPS TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY GRATTAN, M.P.

We publish the following letter, addressed by the Irish Bishops to Mr. Grattan in the year 1795. It shows how anxious those Prelates always were to unite education and religion, and to preserve the sources of knowledge from being contaminated by error and infidelity.

Sir,

We, the under-written Roman Catholic prelates of Ireland, having,
on behalf of ourselves and absent brethren, already expressed our
wants and wishes respecting clerical education, in the minutes
submitted to your revision and correction, take the liberty at
present to explain some of them more particularly, in order to
remove misapprehensions which may furnish an occasion of perplexity
or equivocation.

As the principle of our application to parliament seems universally
admitted, we shall confine ourselves to those parts only of the
detail to which, as we hear, objections have been made.

It is said, that as our plan extends to the education of the laity,
the appointment of professors to lecture on philosophy, mathematics,
rhetoric, and the languages, which are common to clergy and laity,
should not be vested in the bishops only, because these branches of
learning are not intimately connected with religion and morality,
and much less with the peculiar duties of ecclesiastics.

We cannot subscribe to this position, as experience has convinced
us of the fatal impressions made on youth in all times and places,
particularly in France, by infidel, seditious, or immoral professors
even of grammar, and proved the necessity of scrupulous attention
to the principles and conduct of every teacher previous to his
admission into any seminary or school. It is always more advisable
to prevent evil in this manner, than punish the whisperers of
atheism and Jacobinism by a controlling power in the bishops to
expel them. Moreover, the exercise of this control will appear
odious to many, must occasion clamour, and would frequently excite
disputes between the bishops and lay friends of those unworthy
professors or lecturers.

These observations, as you will perceive, are grounded on a
supposition that the intended colleges are to be regulated on the
precise plan presented to your consideration. We extended it to
_general instruction_ on the suggestion of our zealous and patriot
agent at London, who constantly assured us, that it was the earnest
wish of the Duke of Portland, Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Burke, and
others, that the laity should not be excluded from the benefit of
public instruction in the proposed colleges.

It appears from our printed memorial to Lord Westmoreland, of
which we enclose a copy, that our original views were confined
to clerical education only.

This continues to be the great object of our anxious wishes and
solicitude; and as no one, to our knowledge, controverts the
exclusive competency of the bishops to superintend and regulate
it, we are perfectly satisfied to arrange the education of persons
not destined for the sacred ministry on another proper plan, to be
hereafter concerted.

As four hundred _clerical_ students are absolutely necessary to
preserve the succession of Roman Catholic Clergy in this kingdom,
we have, after very mature deliberation, judged it expedient to
establish one house in each province for their education. It is
needless now to enter into a detail of our motives. They are many
and weighty. We shall mention one. By our having a college in each
province, the opulent and religious Catholics will be more strongly
excited to grant donations to an establishment in their own
neighbourhood, than they would be to others at a great distance,
which many of them may view with jealousy, and feel hurt at not
being equally accommodated.

We confidently hope that these four colleges will equally partake
of the national bounty in whatever time it may be granted by
Parliament. It never was our wish or intention that you should
introduce our plan of education or any part of it into Parliament,
until the Bill on general Emancipation shall be disposed of, as we
always considered the success of this to depend in a great measure
on that of the other.

We understand that the appointment by us of a Medical and Chymical
Lecturer is objected to from our incompetency to judge of his
knowledge in these sciences.

It was our design to consult learned professional men on the choice
of such lecturers, after ascertaining their principles and conduct;
neither did this measure of a Chymical or Medical Professor
originate with us. It was likewise suggested by our agent at London
to Government from motives of humanity. We shall most readily give
up that point, if required, as it made no part of our own plan.

With the firmest reliance on your brilliant exertions in promoting
the measure we have so much at heart for the advantage of society
in this kingdom, and with due deference to your instructions in
conducting it on our parts, we have the honour to remain, etc.

Dublin, 2nd February, 1795.

Signed by eighteen Prelates.

[+] JOHN THOMAS TROY, of Dublin.
[+] THOMAS BRAY, of Cashel.
[+] FRANCIS MOYLAN, of Cork.
[+] GERARD TEAHAN, of Kerry.
[+] WM. COPPINGER, of Cloyne and Ross.
[+] JAMES CAULFIELD, of Ferns.
[+] DANIEL DELANY, of Kildare and Leighlin.
[+] DOMINICK BELLEW, of Killala.
[+] EDMUND TRENCH, of Elphin.
[+] RICHARD O'REILLY, of Armagh.
[+] BOETIUS EGAN, of Tuam.
[+] P. J. PLUNKETT, of Meath.
[+] HUGH O'REILLY, of Clogher.
[+] MATT. LENNAN, of Dromore.
[+] JOHN CRUISE, of Ardagh.
[+] M'MULLEN, of Down and Connor.
[+] CHARLES O'REILLY, Coadjutor of Kilmore.
[+] DILLON, Coadjutor of Kilfenora and Kilmacduagh.