The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

APPENDIX.BRITAIN—:MAYN00TH—UNIVERSAL TOLERATION.We have purposely abstained in the text from thequestion, Whatought government to do ? We do not see that it can do much inthe way of positive legislation, beyond what it has aheady done inthe Ecclesiastical Titles Act. We trust that no provocation on thepart of Rome will tempt usIf we are just, we shall be strong.to abandon the principle of toleration.Let there be one nation on theearth magnanimous enough to act on the principles of civil and religiousliberty. There would be found a mighty moral influence inthe example.Toleration is twice blessed ;—it blesseth him that givesand him that takes. But this is consistent with the vigorous andunited resistance of an aggression which embodies the political fullyas much as the spiritual element, and which strikes at the country'sindependence not less than at the country's faith.Government hasLet us in-yet much to do in the way of undoing its recent policy.stance Maynooth. To legislate against the papal aggression, and endowMaynooth, is as glaring an absurdity as it would be to enroll soldiersto resist an invading army, and buildbarracks and buy foragefor the enemy's troops ; or as would the passing of a law for burningwitches, and the endowing of chairs for teaching witchcraft.The more palpable decadence of Ireland dates from the erection ofMaynooth. Before the institution of this school the Irish priestswere educated in France, then the least ultramontane country inpopish Europe. They could not be there without imbibing a certainportion of the spirit of the " Galilean liberties."thatIt was argued,by educating them at home, we should have a class of priestsmore national, and more attached to British rule ; at least wewould have gentlemen and scholars, avIio would humanize their