"
Carried unanimously.
The priest was requested to address the meeting.
Father Patricius Smyth, a native of Mayo, looks some thirty-five years old,
and belongs to the unadulterated Irish caste--half-curled hair, not abundant,
anxious semicircular forehead, keen and fiery eyes, altogether a lively
interesting head. He is a Latin and Celtic scholar; and that excuses him
for his moderate proficiency in modern languages. He was educated at Maynooth,
the eye-sore of Sabbatarians, and therefore believes it incontestable
that the authority conferred on him by the Bishop must needs be derived
from God; because the Bishop had been consecrated by the Pope, who--inasmuch
as a second branch of the Prince of the Apostles never was heard of at the time
of St. Augustin--is the successor of St. Peter, the corner stone on which
OUR LORD did build the Christian church, and our Lord's warrant is written
in St. John, chapter xiv, 24: 'Sermo quem auditis non est meus,
sed ejus qui misit me, nempe Patris.' And so Father Smyth feels himself
entitled to adopt what was said of the Divine Master, 'Docebat enim eos
ut habens auctoritatem, non autem ut scribae.' St. Matthew, chap. vii, 29.
Hence his preaching, though not remarkable for much eloquence,
does not lull to sleep. There is no cant, and strange as it may appear,
there is little argument in his short-framed sentences, because they are
the decided opinion of his mind and the warm expression of his heart,
anxious for the salvation of his flock, as he believes he will be called
to account if any be lost.
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