1312
AMERICAN HISTORICAL. ASSOCIATION,
the :further orders of the Ecclesiastical Authorities, as their several cases might require??- • Consequently, Dear sir, you will perceive the propriety of timely advising all yonr catholic people, who might have forgotten or neglected to furnish themselves with the s 4 regular Credentials, to have immediate recourse to their original Records, by writing to their respective Bishops, or grand vicaries, in order that they may be sent to them nnd above all, their several individual Extracts of Baptism Oonfirmation and M at·rimony ,' for they will be the very first things demanded, and, as e~-offecio exacted by us as a Sine quo non:, so that this department of R. C. church may officially know whither they lrnve individually received the first Sacrament of Baptism and which of the others besides, in order that we may pro- cead to confer legally and vali(liy the others not already confered, as and when the case might individually require. No superiour antliorities, either Civil or Ecclesiastical can dispense anybody with this. .And we nt our arrivn.l thither, without that very first requisit could not canonically and in good conscience proceed to officinte, chiefly in the cases of Matrimony etc. etc. in order to confirm Lands Titles etc etc. in gratiam taHum) in ·favour of all such and even of the pure nominals, or self styled Roman Catholics??-· _ if there be, in realty, any protestants, or sectarians in your colony vho might wish, ·for approved motives, after being instructed in the Catholic Dogmas, bonafide to abjure solemnly their erroneous ways of thinking in matters of Faith and morals, they shall be upon trial admited. Whom, I in pity of their' ignorance of our holy Dogmas etc, etc, nnd of their once maliciously preached and deaply rooted prejudices against our holy R. C. church, I will for my own pn.rt use my utmost endeavour to instruct them rightly by catechizing them preparntorely to their being a<lmited and do all that Charity and prudence will dictate, so that by mild means they may become incorporated with us in the Church and consequently be made thereby the lawful civil members o-f this Confederated Catholic Republic, for their own individunl good and that of the Colony. I hope that they will all, without murmur; gladly and obediently submit, and confirm themselves in every things to the established rules and customs of this Diocesis. - And as for you, Dear Sir, you will evidently perceave that it w_onlcl be amon" other things, very conductive to your own and to your b . peoples interests that you should not only [not] put any impediments or obstacles to our future proceedings and exertions, but as duty bound· it is hoped you would gladly second our plans, help and protect us in effecting all thos_e desira~le things: so tl~at your first planted Colo_ny of anglo-american~, be!ng well morahzed may. not only prouve a delightfull consolation m your old days but might
Powered by FlippingBook