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Bibliothkju©, Le Seminaire do Qu^)Dec3k 3, rue d3 l'Univorsit6, ^^^^■^■^ ^^l^ilMi JfcX "FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINflS." ^*^W^^W/VW»A#»^^V>^^^>»^ V^ B^ W «< PiiiNTEo BY J. C. Fisher, No, 6, Mountain Hill, QUEBEC. con! Obj€ . * . 1 tow - pan to" letti I poll cop ) IWTRODirOTIOlT, iSLF-DBFENCB HAS CAUSSD MB tO PVLZ^EtCt tO AN IMPARTIAL FUBLIC, THB ANNBXED CORRBS- FONDBirCB, IN ITS FRBSENT POKM *. This correspondence sp*eaks for itself. Its cbief features are too promineat to reaulre illustrattoo. tiowever^ it may be necessary, that I siiould briefly statey ho^ it ba« arisen and progressed ; and, why I have been oblige^ Co have recourse to the present mode of defence, against the attacks made against my character, as a Catholic, » Citizen, and an Irishman. On the 28th of last April, the Odd Fellows of Quebec^ celebrated the First Anniversary of ** MbbcantilA luOttGtt^" P. Sheppard, Esquire, one of the speakers on t1i«t occasion, to lIliKtrate the difficulties new Institutions bad to encounter, among other cases, alluded to the opposition tfaeilluslri'>us'*GALii.Bo" experiencedyWbe« endeavoring to establish the Copernictfn system^ The following week, a writer signing ** Cathoticus/' auacked Mr. Sheppord, Ij^ name, designating him as *' a bate and imputUni calummatar," &c. &o.<-^Vide letter No. 1. This letter, at the time,- was not atti^nted to a mem- ber of the Catholic Clergy } the language and style beiilg so much the reverse of that of *^ an humble Minister of the Sanctuaty," Mr. Sheppa<>d prepared a reply ; but his friends per- ceiving, that, a personal, religious discussioa and a consequent denunciation ol Odd Fellowship, were the objects '' Catholicus" aimed at, earnestly requested hiitt to withdraw it — be eonsented. t*o vindkate Mr. Sfaep- pard, and so far as the historical point was concerned, to " set him right,f' in the opinion of an unread public, letter No. 2, was written. Letter No. 3, next appeared, iti which « Citholicui" poured upon Mr. Sheppard and *' A Catholic," a pretty copious stream of personsUty j and, in a postcrlpt, pub- Jished my name, without permission,, as beinff that of the writer of the communication signed " A Catholic " pnd declared his own to be " W. W. iMovlan A^«kf«n^ Pastor of St. Patrick's Clmrch." ^ ' Assistant I would, particularly, invite attention to this postcript. It clearly indicates the character of him that penned it. Letter No. 3, was followed by letters 4, 5, 6 in rn,!r' ^^"^^^^^r'' ^^"^'''^'J' ^vas treated with more h s im';ud?„V'"''T "^O'-^^'^^^Ply regretted, than iXl his imprudent conduct, or more keenly felt the wound fore, confined my remarks to hounds, which, on other occasions,! certainly would not have observed. Letters 7 and 8, were next published : the former addressed to Mr. Sheppard, and by far the' best w' Uei piece of cool presumption and e.^venomed insult vet addressed to that gentleman ; the latter to myse"f am of it'aut'hoif ''''"^'"^ ^^'"'^ ^'" "^'"^ ^"^ ^'^^^^ «pW; l^^ri "."'' ^?§^^'" P''^Pa»'ecl fo vindicate our- selves, and handed to iMr. Flanagan, proprietor of the Freeman's Journal, letters 9 and 10; ihich havi g retained possession of, for some hours he declined to receive ; stating, that some persons-one o/whom a clergyman, he named-had called at his office m.d pubSd^t;.^^ '-'' '^--^^ -^ '^^p^^ ^^^ *' TO CORRESPONDENTS. ' Two letters have been received nnp tkI I- S'Rnea " Willmm Tims," t!i« This unjust coniuientary on our conimunkations the proprietor no doubt, was forced to insert under' t e ;l"r ••" m/'p,"'™'"' ",'" "'"' '""^ A,W/«»/to n?E„,n . I, """^r ' '''"'"'" •>'"■"«; '>8 has ihe im>h.rlune to be poor, has a family to support ; and had to choose between starvation, and a sacrifice 0/ principle. g that of Jalholic," Assistant postcript, )eniifd It. 5, 6, in ith more conduct laii 1 did, le wound I, tliere- on otiier ■ former t written suit, yet ^elfj and ^position ate our- L* of the having lined to vhom, a ice and r " if he instead •ims," the lias been discussed, reasons : ersonality 'wo CO ra- the abore riui nation »v " >ns, the Jer the and his lus the nd had nciple, & Letters were tlicn addressed to Mercnrv, exi)Iainln2r the true rensorT .. proprietor, of our (lefcnce biMHi? refused insertion i»» the Freeman's Journal, and which were thus acituowledged ; "to CQRREBPONDENTSi " Communicntions fmm " P. Shcppard" and " William Tims" received, and will appear on Saturday." This it appears somewhat alarmed our opponent and his friends, who, of course, did not feel at all comfortable at the idea of their proceedings beincf exposed ; and, to getrid of one antasfonist, the more effectually to crush the other. Mr. Sheppard was waited upon, for the pur- pose of inducing him to retire from the contest. Mr. iSheppard, eventually consented to withdraw his letter to the " Mercury," on being told, that if he persisted in it* publication, " murder unmld be the consequence \' \\Q was also assured that ample reparation would be rendered, for the injustice done him, thro' the columns of the Freenum's Journal. 'I'his last point was well con- ceived. It had a two fold object ; the first to depreciate nie the more in the opinion of certain members of our congregation, and to isolate me for a h-esh attack,— the second to attach to Mr. Sheppard, the odium of having, to my prejudice, made terms for himself; so that if at any future period, he ventured to interfere, this apparent want of principle would, at once, deprive him of all public confidence. - All the apology, however, Mr. Sheppard received was contained in the Freeman's Journal of the 28th, inst., viz : — •* In reference to a notice to correspondents, published in our last, in justice to the one signed " Peter Sheppard," we beg to say that in declininjc to publish this communication Mr. Slieppard s name was nad- vertently introduced jis deserving the appellation of " gross «nd mo^t insultinic personality." Our only reason for not givin,' it insertion was that wc considered the question at issue had been sufficiently long before the public. And, in a few observations made from the pulpit of St. Patrick's Church, on Sunday last. Not one word of apology was offered for the insulting terms made use of by Mr.'Moylan ; on the contrary, it was stated in St. Patrick's Church, that Mr. Moylan had the full sanction of his Reverend Confreres in every thing lie had done. What transpired in the editorial sanctum of the Mer- cury, I am not prepared to slate \ however, the next w^Lfua'nv ^uJW' '"'*'"''. "^ "'y communication, ^vUkh waaactually in type, merelj» contained this— •• WltU —r *' NOTICE TO CoHREbpONDInTB «n r'""""'' "■•culld es! pect ng II e part I have taken in the controversy Everv .Se" ° ."""J"""*' •!«"™«lice, hatred or'ej;, c^ 5 'SSS^f'^7-eAsa a foreLIe of n n ». '*™^''''' ''•'.''^'^' *»«^^ ' experienced !v»o » I * P^"y persecution I certainly did not o^my -adveT^Lr" TT '' 'h' -vetera.e Lpisitbn and J therefore ^" TT °^ *''* *^' ^*'*«''' ^5^"^^. Spon^ny Thlr^'eer .''£L't f „"""' '^^^^^"?^*'° «""^k rence wiU^tfl* ^^''''^J'^^^ undeceived, and the occur- TartTesroIlcenllt ' '"P' ' '^^^'"^ ^'^^^^ °" ^^e n^hn?*-"*"® the circumstances that have led to this LtLirimaw''? present appearances, it wi?l „o P Ki f ' . -^ ^! ^"^''^'^ ''^ •««"« •" self-defence. Public opinion is not to be lightly braved : It has proved a more mighty corrective of abuses! 'a mo?e efficient safeguard to the oppressed, than any 'yet d Is! rvi^^teat^^^^^^^ Quebec, 2d June, I84r. WILLIAM TIMS. L(&{btb(5ir H* For the Freeman's Journal, BROTHER PETER 8HEPPARD» Versus the Court of Rome, During the three last centuries it has been the un- Tttrylnjr tactics ot the diHciples of error to represent the venerable religion of the greater part of Christendom as the sworn enemv of all moral, social, and scientific pro- gress. In pursuance of this diabolic scheme, history has herome in their hands " a vast conspiracy against truth, the sacred deposit of revelation has been altered and mutilated, the character and institutions of entire na- tions liave been blackened and misrepresented, almost every step made by genius and research in the path of science has been converted into a weapon of falsehood. Of the countless state calumnies heaped thus on the fair face of Catholicism by ignorance and unbelief, none have been more daringly and impudently assertecl than the unfounded imputation that the celebrated Galileo, one of the parents of modern astronomy, was persecuted by the court of Rome for having maintained the system of Co|)ernicus. Often has this idle tale been set forth in spite of truth and decencv, and as often has it been exploded and branded with i\w stigma of calumny. Well justified then was tire hope we entertained, that it would no longer be current among those who had the least pretension to fitei'ary education, sound jodgment or common sense, whatever might be their creed to country. That it might still re-echo under the roof of Exeier-hall, or drop from the lips of a religions ravmg maniac, nothing in our opinion njore natnral ; bu« that, within the walls of thhs city, at a public raei^tin^ com- posed of citizen? af every creed, where charky was proclaimed the order of the day, stich an infamous slanderso offensive to Catholic ears, should have been broached, and with imptrnity, and' by a respectable member of ifie community, this is preposterous and intolerable hi the extreme 1 Yet, swch is the case.— The meeting alluded to is the entertainment gWen the SBiiiofApririB^t, in the Parliament Bni'ldlngs fey the Mercantile Lodge of CWU FeHows, and the moucb-piece d I I i of tliiA odious calumny, BiotlKr I'eter Slieppaid. O! lUh musltroom Society lately sprunif up Huionir \\>t^ it j^ not our province to discuss now the merits or tlemeiita, us all true and practical Catliolics, since the well known judgment of our eccleslaaiical superiors, have but one and the same opinion on the subject. But we ih'vtii it an imperative duty, both for the information of Brother Sheppard and the honour of our religion, to repel a most gratuitous accuisatiou. It was by him put forth that, ns Galileo, when he proclaimed the sys>(em now admitted on all sides, that of the sun existing in the centre of the world and the planets revolving around if, was calumniated, misrepresented, persecuted and yet triumphantly received justice from succeeding genera- tions; so to compare great things with little, the independent order of Odd Fellows, though calumniated and misrepresented, would scorn at »»nd survive th' hostility of its enemies. Who the supposed antagonist's of Galileo were, and who the real adversaries of Odd Fellows are, though not mentioned by the speaker, even the uninitiated may easily guess. Waiving an unneces- sary discussion for the above specified reason, we will throw the cloak of silence over the second part of the comparison, and confine ourselves to disprove the first by the following brief statements founded on the most authentic documents. If Brother Sheppard's learning kept pace with the progress of science, if he condescended to study before speaking of History, he would know : " That Galileo, ** who was first noticed and brought forward by a " Cardinal, was protected, rewarded, honoured and " pensioned for life by the then reigning Pope. That *' among the Cardinals he had his most intimate friends, <* avowed supporters of the Copernican doctrine. That *• in discourses, lectures and pamphlets, the Copernican <' system was upheld and taught throughout all Italy, '' other civilized countries being still in the dark on the '* subject, and in the city of Rome, before, during and "after the time of Galileo. That Galileo was never "hindered by the Church from teaching the Copernican " system as an astronomical hypothesis, ; but for making *' it a theological question, by endeavouring to prove it " to be consistent with Scripture. — That he was cor- " rected, not for being a good astronomer, but for being *' a bad theologian. Moreover, that all the incou- 9 " veniciice Galileo luidcrweut, xvhs brought on by liii ** (lisingcnuouancs', bis pride, hi» insulting and ironical ** Innguage j ibat be returned kindness wiib abuse, and *• confidence with deception ; that be was not brougbt " to Ibe barof tbe Inquisition for teacbing astronomy, " but for violating, witb every aggravating circumstance " of ingratitude, sarcasm and artificies unwortby of *' biui, a solemn injunction of tbe Inquisition, tbat left «* bin/and his science as free as air, and only sougbt to " protect tbe word of God from abuse. And that finally, " notwitlwtandlngall tbis and more, during tbe whole «« trial, Galileo was treated with tbe most marked " indulgence. He Rtood there with tbe recognised " attributes of a gKjjy J and though an offender against " tbe laws of which they were tbe guardians, yet tho ** bigeat respect was yielded to his genius.*' As Brother Sheppard'a historical notions appear some- what rustv, we will also inform him that, precisely at the same* epoch Galileo flourished, " John Kepler, ..u •' uncompromising Copernican, a great astronomer, and •* an bonest Lutheran, was prosecuted, and obliged '' to leave home by the Protestant theologians of '* Tubingen, who publicsly condemned bis discoveries, " and be only found an asylum among nefandum ! " tbe Jesuits, aye, the Jestiits ! That this same Kelper " was called to fill the chair of astronomy in the Pope's *♦ anniversity at Bologna.'' Brother Sbeppard, learning all this for the first time, may well bless bis stars that a new ray of science has at last beamed on his dim intellectual vision j and the reader of these lines will admire how the discovery of the revolu- tion of tbe planatary system around the sun should be put on a par with tbe introduction of Odd Pel low ism into this city, and Galileo with Brother Sbeppard ! Catuoijcus. Quebec, 3d May, 1847. 10 ILK&McSTf ^, " CATHOLICUS," A CALUMNIATOR. To the Editor of the Freeman^ Journal and Commercial Adverti&er, m Mr. Editor,— Your Journal, of last Tuesday, :s now before me. I have read the communication signed " Catholicus.*' No honest concientioui Catholic, would liave penned such an article j it is not only wanting in that Catholic christian charity, which carefully abstains from attributing unworthy motives to one's neighbor, but it is, also, evidently intended to evoke that spirit of pre- judice and bigotry, which has, in every age and in ei'ery clime, been the destruction of the hopes and happiness of thousands of the human race, — the bane of all the sacred social relations of life* It is not, Mr. Editor, my intention to enter upon a review of your correspondent's letter. I shall not touch upon his anti-catholic and anti>christian inferences, with respect to Mr. Sheppard*Q motives, in alluding Iq an bistorical fact ; tiiat gentleman's well known character, and liberal principles, render such a proceeding on my part superfluous. Neither shall I make a single obser* vationon the merits, or demerits, of Odd Fellowship. A love of truth, and a desire to unmask a knavish calumniator, who woulu fain set our peaceable communis ty by the ears, and, through his unblushing falsehood, bring contempt and derision on the term *• Catholic," bave induced me to procure, and to submit to your readers, the --tual sentence, work bf word^ that was pronounced agumst Galileo, viz i " That the proposition that the sun is the centre of the world, and immoveable from its place, is absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical; because it is expressly contrary to the Holy Scriptures." " That the nroposition that the earth is not the centre of the world, nor immoveable, but that it moves, and also with a diurnal motk>n, is also absurd, philosophically false, and, theologically considered, ut least, erroneous in faith," n It Is unnecessary that I should cite that portion of the sentence imposing the penalty of imprisonment, if Galileo did not acknowledge his system to be erroneous, and if he dared to teach it to others: . I shall now leave your readers to draw their own con- clusions, satisfied that every honest, educated man, will acquit Mr. Sheppard of the charge of having uttered a falsehood, and acknowledge that " Catholicus" is de- serving of the severest reprehension, for his insidious and infamoutf attack on a worthy citizen, and for his attempt to stir up strife and animosity in this community* A Catholic* Quebec, 8th May, 1347 " A catholic/' an bx-catholic. To the Editor of the Freeman's Journal and Commercial Advertisers ■ > i » •» I I* Si a,— After the plain and triumphant refutation 1 gave to the base and impudent calumny uttered by Brother Peter Sheppard, at the public meeting of the 28th of April last, and tending to defame the Catholic clergy, I naturally expected that, if discussion arose, he would come forward himself, either to give further explanations on the Galileo question, or to manfully retract an opinion demonstrated to be false : could I imagine that " A Catholic" would volunteer his services in this anti-Catholic cause, and lead the forlorn hope of attacking his own religion, by embracing the Protestant erroneous view of the Galileo quesHon, and joining in the hue and c/y, vociferated by ignorance and bigotry, against the court of Rome 7 The matter in debate is, indeed, " an historical fact,** yet affecting, more or less directly, the character of the Catholic clergy and the Catholic religion, as much as 4.U^ ut>«u ^t *Ua hXAmmlaU t^knfitfh an hifitniMnul fgct. formS nevertheless the basis of Christianity. I The Inquisitorial sentence, quoted by a "A CallioHe,'^ would seem, to a superficial reader, to prove that Ga- lileo's system Was condeimned as a "formal heresy." That the great astronomer's hypothesis was never con- sidered " heretical," can be proved by the express testimony of the then reigning Pope, Urban Vlli, and Galileo himself. The obnoxious words in the sentence were mere technical expressions, the sty it of a court of justice, to be interpreted according to their legal mean- ing, and not to their grammatical construction. "These " words, in the language of the Roman tribunal, applied " to any senMment or act, contrary to the obedience of " faith, ami related to Galileo's system only as far as it " viras derogatory to the literal meaning of scripture." Galileo's hypothesis was never condemned, but the manner in which he maintained it. Most perseveringly and extravagantly he asserted that his system was based on scripture ; he went so far as to require the Pope to declare that it was proved by scripture ; and ecclesias- tical authority, knowing that these sacred records are apparently opposed thereto, and fearing lest they might suffer in the minds of the multitude by Galileo's im- prudence, obliged him a/owe, first, to observe silence on the question, and when he transgressed the command, required him to abjure, not the system in itself, but the system as contained in scripture,' in the sense he had broached it. That this catholic view of the question is most correct, is proved by the following facts : At the same time Galileo's trial was pending, two Jesuits were publically lecturing in favour of his system, in Rome, one in the Roman College, the other in the Sapienza University; and, if it was "heresy" for Galileo, why not for them ? Moreover, nearly two centuries before Galileo's time, Nicholas Cusanus, a German by birth, and a supporter of his doctrine, was raised to the car- dinalate. At Balogna, professor Dominic Maria Novara taught it to his pupils, among whom studied Copernicus. In 1510, Leonardo de Vinci, astronomer as well as painter, mentions this opinion as partially prevailing, A few yearsafter, Celio Calcagnini, a professor at Ferrara, proclaims it likewise. But Copernicus, a Prussian and a Catholic canon gave it celebrity, and reaped the honors of the discovery, by uniting his name therewith, as Americo Vespucci snatched from the great Columbus the glory of giving his name to the continent on which 13 \vc live ; and tliissame Copernicus unable, as poverty is toooften the lot of genius, to publish his astronomical tvorks, was indebted to cardinal Schomberg for the favour of having them printed, and in Rome, and under the auspices of Paul III. Why then did this •* heresy"; ^ seek for shelter in the very centre of catholicity, under the eyes of the papal court, and find such fostering pro- tectors in Popes and Cardinals ? Why should the sue- ce^ors of St. Peter who, iu the sixteenth century, suffered the secession of England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and a great part of Germany, rather than sur- render an iota of catholic doctrine j tremble to anathe- matize, in the same age, a handful of professors of astronomy, if their scientific opinions were really " heretical ?" No, never would Galileo have excited the least outcry, had he confined himself to astronomy, and not perverted scripture. He was condemned, not for being " a good astronomer, but a bad theologian." For this reason alone was he obliged, in 1616, to observe silence on the subject; and having infringed this order, and levelled the shafts of sarcasm and contempt against the ruler of the land, in 1633, he was made to feel, though most lenientlv, the hand of justice, against which genius affords no protection, and from which he was no more exempt than the humblest peasant then living. Many other corroboratory proofs could I adduce, were 1 disposed to trespass a«y longer on public atten- tion j I neither court nor fear discussion j I act merely on the defensive ; how long suph tactics will continue, time will determine. The personal charges, though perhaps unworthy of notice, I will now briefly confute. 1. As for being " wanting in catholic christian cha- rity," 1 fear " A Catholic" is guilty of the same crime i how else characterize these gentle expressions ? " knavish " calumniator," •* insidious and , infamous attack," " unblushing falsehood." 2. As for evoking a <* spirit of bigotry and prejudice," " setting a peaceable community by the ears," I leave to a discerning public to judge which is the more bigoted and quarrelsome, the man who, in a public assembly, flings in the fade of CathoHcs a most bare faced calumny, or The individnal who, by means of the press, inflicts on u r fl t i' the shameless calumniator a well-deserved castSg^ntion* Should the flambeau of religious discord blaze in tU\» community, on Brother Sheppard and his abettors will rest the blame. In presence of his audacious niisrepre* sentation, I glory in the stand I have made, and I will tell "A Catholic" that, like every true son of the Emerald Isle, 1 would rather love my religion too much than too little. 3. As for Brother " Sheppard's well-known liberal " principles/' his ordinary conduct may be stamped with this social virtue ; but, in the instance alluded to, he stands before a catholic community guilty of the grossest illiberality. 4. As for " bringing contempt and derision on the " term catholic,** I fear it is greatly exposed thereto, since " A Catholic" blushes not to side, in an hifitorico religious question, with the revilers of his religion ; and in the " desire to unmask a knavish calumniator," he has unmasked himself, by proving how slender are the tiesH^iich still bind him to ttie creed of his forefathers. 6. As for the -''attempt to stir Up strife and animosity," I most indignantly repel the imputation ; and as long as that imperishable monument of combined Catholic and Protestant generosity, St. Patrick's Church, exists within our walls, I will consider it the boundcn duty oflrish Catholics to join hand and hand most cordially in social and civil intercourse with their Protestant brethren, but when their religious tenets and Catholic obedience are concerned and endangered. • • • . . never t Finally, I will assure " a Catholic" that his inter- ference in the debate between Brother Sheppard and " Catholicus," is ungenerous, uncalled for, uncatfaolic ; that, as "a little learning is often dangerous," the Catholic religion and the Catholic clergy count among their bitterest enemies " Catholics" half-taught } that " a Catholic," by trumpeting with Brother Sheppard one of the foulest calumnies of Voltaire and some Pro- testant writers, has placed himself in the most unenviable position in ihs eye of his Catholic countrymen ; that pity it paramount in my breast to every other feeling, when I bekold Protestant weapons wielded against Catholics by " a Catholic," who, if Catholic he be, is one of those feiv unfortunate Irish Catholics, who by their recent 1 15 conduct, have plainly proved they would rather ceased to be Catholics. . . . thaii Odd Fellows I Catholicuii ) Quebec, 11th May, 1837. P. S.— The writer of " a Catholic" is well known in this community, and BROTHER WILLIAM TIMS Is informed that the author of " Catholicus" is W. W. MOYLAN, Assistant Pastor St. Patrick's Church, Quebec. TLeU(BV 4. TO THE R0VD. MR. MOYLAN. SiRi^In the Freeman* s Journal of Friday, the 4th instant, you acknowledge yourself the writer of the elegant Epistles, which havo appeared in that paper, signed " CathoUcus," and you express disappointment that. I have not come forward to enter into discussion with you on the Galileo question ; although you have brought my name prominently before the public, I as- sure you all your attempts to induce me to enter into .a controversy, which cannot but tend to create strife and animosity, will prove abortive. I must confess, Sir, that my surprise was extreme on hearing that such productions emanated from the pen of a minister of religion, one whose duty it is to teach and encourage brotherly love, christian charity, and a feel- ing of indulgence for the faults and frailties uf others : — I fear that you have lamentably misunderstood the lessons of forbearance and moderation, which your preceptors sought to inculcate in the seminary in which you were educ' ^, where I venture to assert you were informed that it v as your duty to avoid scurrility, and to abstain from attributing improper motives to your neighbours. — ^The principle which you have quoted that i:«»i. In n litft-l/k loni.ftkin'v ta u •• /Ion ffVAi«itiia (( Aanirtfittta thintt " Sa f'lillu ov— 'Qf 16 M m m emplifiecl in the two letters of Callioliciis, and I be^ to remind you of another, wiiich you appear to have forgot- ten, '* those who Jive in Glass Houses ought not to be " the first to throw stones." . You have spared me the necessity of refuting the gross abuse which you have thought proper to render yourself guilty of j because I make it a rule. Sir, to treat with contempt, observations addressed to me through the public prints, unless they are couched in language usual among gentlemen, and because you have shewn yourself a bad diplomatist ; your youth, inexperience, and over-zeal, have led you into the error of pleading the cause of your adversary, for which I beg you will accept my grateful thanks ; rely upon it that in cases like the present, it is wisest to check the ebullitions of a froward temper, and by the time you have arrived at my years, you will have ample opportunity of satisfying yourself on this point ; all the sophistry of which you may avail yourself, will not prevent those who are at aU acquainted with history, from judging i^hy Galileo suffered the punishment to which you admit he was con- demned, nor will it be difficult for them to decide who has been guilty of what you elegantly style" base and impudent calumny i** to them I leave it to proriounce the verdict, fully convinced that justice will be awarded wherie it is due. Quebec, ISth May, 1847. P. Shbpparj). Reverend Sir,-— I have observed in the Freeman's Journal of ihe^Hth instant, the urt warrantable liberty, jrpu have talc^n with my name. The act stamps its chai'^cter. I htive, the hoiior to be, Reverend Sir, Your most obedient servant, WILLIAM TIMS. To the Reverend Mr. Moylan, Assistant Pastor, Of St. Patrick's Church, &c. &c. &c. Quebec, 18th May, 1847. It LtstbthoR' @. CATHOLICUS— AGAIN. ^o the Editor of the Freeman's Journal and Advertiser, Comrnerciai Dear Sir, — Vour correspondent, " Catholicus," like that awful affliction to some poor bipeds — a scolding vi^ife — appears determined to have the last U'ord, he be right or wrong. I have no desire to interfere with bis enjoyments in that respect, provided, thdt, unlike the scolding wife, he shall give his opinions, without that leaven of vindictive feeling, which so well suits the palate of some mortals, but is extremely nauseous to that portion of the public, whose good opinion he would cul- tivate. In ray last letter, I confined myself to the expression of a simple truth, and of a gentle hint to the public — to be also applied by " Catholicus "—that your correspond- ent's " anti^catholic, anti-christian " observations, did not meet with the approbation of, at least, one catholic ; and, that, as one portion of his letter was unfounded in fact, another on misrepresentation, the remainder should^ reasonably, be considered to partake pretty freely of both, and, therefore, to be received with the greatest circumspection. The hint was not lost upon the public. On ** Catholicus " it was. And, again^ like a quack doctor, he is determined to kill or cure, by administer- ing a double dose of his medicine. Whether, or not^ he has succeeded, time will tell. " Catholicus " would favor your readers with quan» tity, not quality ; this observation, your last number> containing a column and a half of his lucubrations, sufficiently proves; Altho' my communication, of the 8th instant, con- tained within the smallest space, the" pith and marrow'' of all that could be written upon the subject at i$saue, yet, as amplification appears to be the order of the day, and as the great mass of the community ji^ge of a writer's brains, and of the justice of the c^<«se he advo- cates, by the quantity of his writings, 1 shall not oppose the prevailing taste j and will, therefo^^i in a review of " Catholicus' " letter, lengthen my observations to the (r utm :» i; \rtjv XiiLi Its my lAiXIU it III |^Cx«xj4vv IS ^^ Catholicus •' commences :—" After the pljiin mu} tnumpliant refutation I guve to the base and impudent calumniations uttered by Brother Peter Slicppard, at the piibh'c meeting of the 28th April hist, and tending,' tt *^"*^ff";? t*»e catholic clergy, I naturally expected <» ?!' . "'^cussion arose, he would come forward hitu- ^ self, either to give further explanations on the Galileo ^^ question, or to manfully retract an opinion demonstra- ^^ ted to be false. Could I imagine that a catholic would volunteer his services in this anticatholic cause ? &c., &c. ' Plain and triumphant refutation ! Vanity ! vanity ' what fools thou makest of us mortals. Why didst thou »n the plenitude of thy power, inflict such a misfortune on poor « Catholicus " ? Why single him out as the depository of thy questionable favors } Contemplate thy work. Behold him, who, in the opinion of adiseern- »ng public, has not retired a victor from the content Hivest himself with the badge of triumph, and trumpet forth bis victories to the world. See the veni, vidL vicL of the bero of old, cast into the shade, bv the magnani- mous deeds of this r-, wielder of « a grey goose quUI. Verily, vanity, thou shouldst bide thy head, and weep, fov th« evil thou bast done. " Catholicua" naturally expected that, if discussion arose. Brother Peter Sheppard would come fonvard '^ & is radically wrong and VICIOUS, appear to be good and virtuou/ StaTcemet^o'f'r',^'^' ^ ^'"^^''^ ^--'' "''f-"^' selfish ends. How many melancholy instances of this has not human life furnished. We must believe tfe great massif mankind to be good, honest, concimious^ to them, even " a little learning" would be mos va' Inable, as it would afford the only safegnarcl agS he designs of the unprincipled. But enough! i^at no lU I have not sat down to pen an essay. ^ ^' tbat""" crthnl?.„!°"f ^--orrespondent. I would observe loat Catbohcus" favors me with more oersonal »t tention than circumstances would appear ^o wa? aSt" t"u^^a"nL^T^' '^^ ^"^^*'°" «* issue,^'„ot a que^ b„ of truth and falsehood, not a question of misreDresentalinn "m^np! ffv^ ^^''"^ ^*P''*^* "» *>P'»'o» contrary to « whufh « irKi-'*!i'^' y^" r*^^^ ^*>^ ^'^"'ie^- «''e the ties « tI rio **'*"** y?" '*" ''*^ ^''•^^^ of your forefathers '.I^n^^K^'?" owe implicit, passive obedience, under pain ofbeing proclaimed a renegade t- voir faith I « lenegade to your country." All this ' n • ' » n.ay say Itwifl pass for wLt it is tW.. , woSk liot be the first time that such language had been ^nil use of and failed of success. It woulf not be the first TJ' n"' V"*»«"^J«tion had been made use ofrto enforce opposed.''''''^ ''''^ P''"^'P'^ «^ ^••"^h and reasoil ': III the present instance, «Catholicus"may attemnt to . this msitoi. .ir . less directly the cbaractei nf .i,Tp !^ f'^K """" «' the Catholic clerev ^s .L^^ 'he Catholic religion and « a belief is soS 'fi i£ ? i by llie consideration that « Galiler 5 Ke' a irtt '^S^'^^of or, '< .ame temper ; that the spirit it betray's has ever beert '.' ruibi feeling in the church, manifesting use ^< a one time in a more, at another in a less promment '^ de^i^e but ever regarding the doctrines and conclu- - Ss of Sice with an eye of jealousy and mistrust ; - hat the quiescence of the earth, in P^rt.cula^ was « once a dogma of faith. ; tljat it was Precisely or ^us "scientific inculcation of ^^e opposite riUh that Ga^ « lileo was prosecuted and persecuted. Why, indeed, do Infidels and Protestants,' in their eternal crusades n^ninsuhe Catholic church and the Catholic clergy, m ?h^"si: mWous accusations of ignorance they uncea.ngly vomit forth against tnem, seize upon thih /""°;'^^* facT'' and expatiate on the pretended persecution of Ga- nieo, atai'^efragiblepiJf ofthe>nsthictive hatred o Catholicism against science ^nd education ? For th^s most cotrent reason, though the odium of Galileo s con- SaS ifodi«m\hereL, would i«^™ediatel^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ to the Inquisition, and less ^'rectly. by Protestant malice, to the Catholic church I ^^l'' io vSiS; den duty of every true and not hp-cathdic to vindicate even that tribunal from an unfounded imputation. In ^iinnort of this Catholic view of the question, I wilt ?ccham^ ''tL doctrine of Coperni^ has not been "declared hereticah but only as not consonant to the - sZveiiZ^^^^^^ T, Galileo's system is denominated « a l^rAv!' ' it is in a wide, improper, technical sense. An able 'catholic writeriUustrates thus my opinum : " We recollect once hearing an amusing stoiy of a ve^^y « worthy squire from the west, coming up to to^^n « Ixpressly for the sole purpose of chastising an unfo. « tunaie barrister, who had been constrained to describe him in his P eadings ; * as confederating and conspiring «^"V would he Ixclaim, boiling with rage^';^^ J^ *. confederated or conspired in my life. I U teach the rascZ what it is to call an O'Branagan a confederatorl « and pTetty much the same irresistible temptation to «sm le.do our self-complacent wiseacres Produce in « their neighbours, when ihey are described as dedu- «cing in the p enitude of their sagacty, shrewd -colfsequences Vrom the style of an Inquisitorial B-o»h-r Tirns- in the most dogmatical and pedantic strain' holds on :'« That Galileo was condemned for his u m " system there is no doubt." Again I will rciniiul him tliuU Galileo was condemned for having based his system on Scripture, contrary to its literal meaning. He suffered' a mere nominal confinement for having infringed a jnsc decree of the inquisition, and treated most distfespuet- fully his temporal sovereign. Brother TimF, m his abortive attemi)t at scientific display, has most uufoitunately quoted ** the celebrated* « Abbe Millot, a Jesuit." This notorious MiJlol, who was banished from the society of Jesus^ wrote all his life against popes, priests, and monks, and expressed the bitterest hatred against the most cherished institutions of Catholocism. Let every reader judge of Brother Tims' scrupulous veracity, since, to support his extravagant oiiinion, he has recourse to an Ex-J?esuit, the Abbd Mil lot, who for the sake of a mushroom celebrity among tlie hifidel writers of hi» time, trampled on the rights of historical (?ruih> threw aside the restraint of clerical de- cency and dragged in the mke the ministers of his own religion-. Such is the company Brother Tims very na- turally associates with; such the arsenal wherein \w Iboks for bis harmless weapons.— Strayed in the field of hi-^tory, treading in an unknown path, at the very first step he stumbles and falls. Such authors as the Abb6 Millot are the poisonous sources where young Catholics t)ervert their minds, and lose all respect for ecclesiasti- cal authority and their holy religion . - - - - Brother Tims has " unmasked" himselt again I 1 will now resume and conclude. In ibis and my two former articles, 1 have triumphantly proved : 1 That Galileo's system was condemned by the Ro- man Inquisition, merely because he sought to base it on Scripture. 2. That the slight punishment he endured, was the effect of his disobedience to the law of the land, and of his contempt for civil and ecclesiastical autlioiky. 3 That this «« historical fact," though relating pecu-- liariv to the Inquisition, is more or less connected with- the honour of the Catholic religion and the Catholic clergy. Moreover, another very desirable result has arieeit from this discussion : the Irish Catholics of this city will l^e «,ore than ever convinced of the anti-eatholic ten- dancy of Odd Feliowism. •27 Having sHccessfuly borne out my assertions, and vin- idicated ilie character of Catholicism, 1 withdraw now from the arena of controversay, because 1 clearly per- <:eive the inutility of furtlier discussion. The scientific «»erits of the question have been sufficiently examined, and as for noticing the gross scurility, and vulgar im- pertinence of Brother William Tims & Co , I have already condescended too much. Indignant, as well as every true Catholic, at the re- volting insult offered to to the Catholic clergy, at the tneeting of the 28th April, prompted by the most hono- rable motives, fired with a Real never bammg with greater intensity than in an Irish CathoUc heart, hum- ble minister of the sanctuary, and wishing to fulfil my nd w»" "fJJ attribute to the Church the g«"o«?.»ni"»V''t*'n^- if/IK to and sanctioning pour proceedings, I shall d.sm ss the suWect without fSrther comment ; and leave you to a remote of conscience, that must, if you possess any genuine principle, have already «>™™f""^ 1*'.^*^"^^: tions Liaten to its promptings ere it be too late. Ke- iect iot^gain, the friendly advice given you. by older ^aiS mo efxp^ienced heads, than «>ii««. »V**V If Ze^ sdt of this controversy. Turn not a deaf ear to heir ^tr^tir The salutary lesson, you have now recmed, mav orove the most fortunate occurrence of your life. _ — . _ _ 87 bloL.ro, mature, and be« «>«'' ™^g .,h. from which A«. I .hall ''"»"• r?h"TwUl, «»«>»'>'''"yA''r.Xre you have wandered > W" '°? ornament to that »phere uwrul member to society, ana an or jn^Weye me, Twhich P'o'"'."« .';":. "hl.Ce6oial change, w«^. WILLIAM TIMS "ACATHOUC. Quebec, 22(1 May, 1847-