SEARC'S WEB GUIDE - Eneas MacDonnell (1783-1858)

Email: info@searcs-web.com

Searc's Web Guide to 19th Century Ireland - Eneas MacDonnell (1783-1858)

Eneas MacDonnell was born in Westport, County Mayo. He was educated at Maynooth University where he studied law before becoming editor of the Cork Merchantile Chronicle. In 1813 MacDonnell published a letter in the Chronicle to the Reverend John Oates entitled 'Plain Facts' 'demonstrating the injustice and inconsistency of anti-Catholic hostility' then prevalent in Ireland.
In 1816 MacDonnell was arrested and imprisoned for six months for publishing an article concerning the maladministration of justice in Ireland. Imprisonment, however, did not deter MacDonnell from pursuing the cause of Catholic Emancipation and in 1823 he went to London as a Parliamentary Agent for the Catholic Association, recently founded by Daniel O'Connell. MacDonnell wrote many pamphlets in the cause of Catholic Emancipation as well as several Appeals to save the grant to Maynooth University.
This extract is from MacDonnell's humourous attack on proselytism entitled 'A Sermon' published in the Morning Chronicle on the 21st of October, 1824 as purportedly being a sermon preached by a Catholic priest in Connaught.
Writing in 1844 MacDonnell exclaimed 'I well remember my having been often much amused at the time, by the seriousness with which it was occasionally controverted, and still more by the confidence with which its authorship was attributed, not infrequently in my own presence, to ecclesiastics and others, some of whom lived and died in ignorance of its origin. I desire no more from any commentator than it is read aloud, throughout before the operation of criticism is commenced'.©

We have all (said the Rev. Mr B) heard of the evangelising visit to our island of two worthy British gentlemen, an Honourable Mr Noel and a gallant Captain Gordon, of the Church Militant Service. It turns out most fortuitous for us, that these gallant gentlemen have found out that for thirteen or fourteen hundred years, that is to say from the days of Saint Patrick to this hour, we and our poor foolish forefathers have been all in the wrong and they have, very kindly, we must admit, undertaken to convert us from our old fashioned Christianity to some more convenient, gentleman-like and entertaining faith.
I am told they complained of the reception they met with from some saucy Munster-men; and that having abandoned those obstinate and unprofitable sinners to their fate, as indeed, they well-deserved, they are now coming to try their hands among us in Connaught. Well we will endeavour to receive them warmly as they merit. For my part, I promise them perfect fair play and so far from attempting to blindfold your judgments or to support that 'spirit of inquiry' of which we hear so much I will, on the contrary, contribute my sermon in order that every one of you may know what he is about, and have the most abundant opportunity of choosing for himself. I will now, my dear people, lay before you a list of all the religions that I have ever heard of or read of, that have been produced by the combined operation of that same 'spirit of inquiry', the reading of the sacred scripture without note or comment and the exercise of the right of private interpretation.
I desire that you will listen, with the most serious attention, while I repeat the names of those various religions and suit his own taste and fancy out of the numbers; or if you cannot do so I fear there is but little chance of your conversion freed from our old errors, as they call them. Be sure to recollect the particular one which each prefers and I promise you most faithfully to inform our worthy visitors of the choice made by you. Severally attend now to my list.
[The 'List' contains over three hundred named religions, including:] 'Mystics, Sauds, Prae-existents, Nonjurors, Hernhutters, Hugonots, Seceders, Independents, Newlights, Gnostics, Angelics, Halcyons, Rustics, Whitecoats, Knipperdolings, Libertines, Turlupins, Jesuans, French prophets, Fifth Monarchy men, Christian Church men, Men of Understanding, Bretheran and Sisters of the Free Spirit, Repentants, Bonhommes, Momiers, Burghers, Antiburghers, Rationals, Abstainers, Adalberts, Agnoetes, Albigneses, Iconoclasts, Apostolics, Aquatics, Cophts, Calixtimes, Brugentines, Celestines, Chaplines, Lollards, Lutherans, Publicans, Docetes, Judaizing, Christians, Pacifics, Perfects, Quatrodecimans, Adoptionists, Aerinsists, Anthiasists, Arnoldists, Araists, Bardnesneists, Diaphorists, Adiaphorists, Conscientionists, Metaporphists, Davidists, Priscillianists, Donatists, Dualists, Falmilists, Jovinianists, Montanists, Jansenists, Calvinists, Reformists, Deists, Roscellinists, Runcarriists, Sabellionists, Saccophorists, Baptists, Rebaptists, General Baptists, Particuliar Baptists, Anabaptists, Poedobaptists, Antipoedobaptists, Hermerobaptists, Revivalist Baptists, Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists, Calvanistic Methodists, Modern Methodists, Revival Methodists, Newconnection Methodists, Exconnection Methodists, Universalists, Theophilantropists, Annihilationists, Congregationalists, Hattemists, Materialists, Quietists, Semi-Quietists, Claudists, Gomarists, Philadelphia-Univeralists, Brownists, Elipandists, Nonconformists, Phantasiasts, Enthusiasts, Agionites, Agonicelites, Appelites, Agnacobites, Antimonites, Artoburites, Barnabites Ascites, Bethlemites, Ophites, Ascophites, Eonites, Audensites, Hieracites, Bainsites, Cabalites, Back-Sliders, Swaddlers, Tumblers, Diggers, Dancers, Dunk, Tunk, Barkers, Shouters, Shakers, Quakers, Shaking Quakers, Dancing Quakers and Family of Love.'

The Reverend Priest read his list through in a solemn and emphatic tone, without relaxing a single muscle of his countenance. He was heard during the reading of the first two-hundred and fifty names with something like seriousness but when he reached the 'onians' to whom he granted th full benefit of an 'ore rotunda' articulation, his flock was unable to suppress a titter, which swelled to loud laughter before he finished his theological roll. 'Now my gentle friends, said he, let each of you choose for himself and whosoever wishes to change, advance to the Altar, and tell which of these religions he prefers, that I may be enabled to furnish our two able missionaries with a correct and precise report of the success of my labours on their behalf this day.' It is scarcely necessary to add, that the flock of the Reverend Pastor suffered no diminution by this liberality. © Searc's Web Guide 1997-2007

19th Century History History Index
Can't find what you're looking for? Check out our Research Services