Official opinions of the Protestant Churches concerning Irish Home Rule proposal 1893

MacAvoydgeen

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, March 16th, 1893: "A third of the country, representing the intelligence, education, wealth, and industry of the country, are determinedly hostile to the proposal.... The proposal seriously imperils our civil and religious liberties.... One race, party, and creed would always dominate, and it would inevitably result in a new religious ascendency of a most objectionable character.... The provisions which the Bill contains for the protection of minorities against misgovernment and sectarian domination are illusory in themselves, and would be incapable of application in the face of a hostile majority. In the opinion of the Assembly no securities can be devised which would safeguard the rights and privileges of minorities under an Irish Legislature."

Resolution adopted by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, March 14, 1893: "We regard the measure as fraught with peril to civil and religious liberties.... A separate Irish Legislature, alien in sympathy and possibly adverse in action to the Imperial Parliament, would give rise to complications far more serious, wide, and vital than can have been calculated or even considered by those who framed this Bill.... In the Bill, the minority in Ireland would be wholly defenceless.... [Also,] the probable expatriation of many of our members [if the Bill is enacted] would certainly lead to crippling of our remaining resources."

Resolution adopted by the Committee of Privileges of the Methodist Church, March 8, 1893: "This Committee looks with sad foreboding at the peril to social order and religious equality and freedom threatened by the passing of this Bill."

Resolution signed by very nearly every member of the Society of Friends in Ireland (Quakers), March 1893: "This measure if passed into law will of necessity be extremely injurious to the moral and material prosperity of this country."

Source: http://ia301517.us.archive.org/3/items/irelandsdeclarat00iris/irelandsdeclarat00iris.djvu

MarchDub

In fairness we should also include the Roman Catholic Church which was also against Home Rule. In 1888 Pope Leo XIII in Saepe Nos condemned the plan of campaign [boycotting] and essentially the Home Rule movement:

We have learned that an untoward excitement has suddenly arisen because the Sacred Congregation, whose office it is to vindicate the authority of the Church against those who resist it, has decreed that those methods of warfare known as Boycotting and the Plan of Campaign, which had begun to be employed by many, may not lawfully be used. And what is more to be deplored, there are not a few who have come forward and summoned the people to excited meetings, where inconsiderate and dangerous opinions are set in circulation, the authority of the Decree not being spared.

brianthebard

I know its not part of the charter like in politics but MacAvoydgeen, if youwouldn't mind giving your own opinion on the matter, why you've brought this topic up, etc, that would be helpful thanks.