intervention for his church) yet more glorious than the former one,-even of Christ as the Sun of Righteousness, and a political revolution also attending, under which the tenth part of the ten-kingdomed ecclesiastical empire would fall: which notable prophecy we saw, on irrefragable evidence, to have been fulfilled in the great Reformation of the 16th century, the then clear discovery of the doctrine of justification by faith, and fall of the tenth part of the popedom in Papal England. Thus this revolution was distinctly notified in the Apocalypse as a glorious divine Reformation, not human, so as Schlegel would have it:-its political establishment in northern Germany and England, and its excommunication, too, of the Roman Papal Church, (with all its false rites and traditions, by Schlegel so fondly cherished) being further depicted as from heaven; and its faith,-instead of being, (as he would call it) a mere negation, represented to consist in the positive view and recognition of Christ, in his character as the Sun of Righteousness, and only source of man's justification, light and life. The subsequent "indifferentism in religion," (as Schlegel truly expresses it) which afterwards followed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, even in the states and churches of Protestantism, was also not unforeshown in the Apocalypse :-so far the two sketches agree. But why? Be

cause, amidst all the rejoicings of states and churches on the establishment of a purer religion, it would still be but the 144,000, the election of grace, a church within a church, that would be really the xupiaxn xxλnoia, the Lord's church.And it seemed also pre-intimated how, as if from some religious revival in Protestantism, there would afterwards go forth in the latter times three missionary angels, flying through mid-heaven, with voices of Gospel-preaching, warning against Papal Rome, and denunciation of its quick-coming judgment; (the late revival of the Papacy, which Schlegel boasts of, being but its rise before its fall;) acts that would be nearly the last public ones mingled in by this little body of the faithful ones on earth :-and how Christ's advent would speedily follow; and, cotemporarily with the mystic Babylon's destruction by fire, his witnessing saints and all that fear him, small and great, have the reward given them of an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of their Lord: and so, and then, (not before, or otherwise) the promised regeneration of all things (the Christian's great object of hope) takes place, in Christ's own reign with his saints, and therewith at length the true and complete evangelization of the world.

"Such is the Apocalyptic philosophy of the history of Christendom, as contrasted with Schlegel's."

THE following extract from Bishop Ridley will show with what vigour of thought our reformers repelled the idea of the insufficiency of the Scriptures to guide any humble, faithful Christian in the way of salvation:

"All Popish things (for the most part) are man's inventions; whereas they ought to have the Holy Scripture for the only rule of faith. When Paul made allegation for himself before Felix, the high deputy, he did not extend his faith beyond the word of God written: Believing all things (saith he) which are written in the law and the prophets; making no mention of the rabbins. Moreover, They have Moses and the prophets, saith Abraham in the

"Therefore, whether it be of Christ, or of his church, or of any other manner of thing, which belongeth to our faith and life, I will not say if we, saith St. Augustine, which are not worthy to be compared to him that said, 'If we,' but that also which forth with he added, if an angel from heaven shall teach any thing, besides that ye have received (in the Scrip tures of the law and Gospel) accursed be he' Our Diotrephes with his Papists are under this curse. But how are the Scriptures, say

they, to be understood? St. Augustine answereth, giving this rule: "The circumstances of the Scriptures,' saith he, 'lighten the Scriptures; and so one Scripture doth expound another, to a man that is studious, well willing, and often calling upon God in continual prayer, who giveth his Holy Spirit to them that desire it of him.' So that the Scripture is not of any private interpretation at any time. For such a one, though he be a layman, fearing God, is much more fit to understand Holy Scripture than any arrogant and proud priest, yea, than the bishop himself, be he never so great and glistering in all his pontificals. But what is to be said of the fathers? How are they to be esteemed? St. Augustine answereth, giving

this rule also; that we should not, therefore, think it true, because they say so, do they never so much excel in holiness or learning; but if they be able to prove their saying by the canonical Scriptures, or by good probable reason; meaning that to be a probable reason, as I think, which doth orderly follow upon a right collection and gathering out of the Scriptures.

"Let the Papists go with their long faith; be you contented with the short faith of the saints, which is revealed unto us in the word of God written. Adieu to all Popish fantasies. Amen. For one man, having the Scripture and good reason for him, is more to be esteemed himself alone, than a thousand such as they, either gathered together, or succeeding one another. The fathers have both herbs and weeds; and Papists commonly gather the weeds and leave the herbs. And they speak many times more vehemently in sound of words, than they did mean indeed, or than they would have done, if they had foreseen what sophistical wranglers should have succeeded thern. Now, the Papists are given to brawl about words, to the maintenance of their own inventions, and rather follow the sound of words than attain unto the meaning of the fathers; so that it is dangerous to trust them in citing the fathers."-(pp. 59-61.)

The same truth is well proved in the following quotation from Nowell's Cate

chism:

"Master. Dost thou then affirm that all things necessary to godliness and salvation are contained in the written word of God?

"Scholar. Yea; for it were a point of intolerable ungodliness and madness to think, either that God hath left an imperfect doctrine, or that man were able to make that perfect which God left imperfect. Therefore the Lord hath most straitly forbidden men, that they neither add any thing to, nor take any thing from, his word, nor turn any way from it, either to the right hand or to the left."

The holy earnestness and the power of conscience in the English reformers, when maintaining the same truth, are

very visible in the following extract from Bishop Jewell:

"Let us not be wedded too much to our own wit: let us not be wedded too much to the fathers and forefathers. Let us not unadvisedly think that men are so luckily born, that whatsoever they say, they cannot err. When we

shall be placed before that dreadful judgmentseat, when all things shall burn, and the angels of God shall tremble, to what fathers, to what decrees of our forefathers shall we wretches then appeal? We shall then have refuge to Christ alone; then shall we use the aid and word of Christ alone. Wherefore let us not

be of so secure a mind in so great a matter. Our life, our soul, our salvation, is the thing in hand. The heavenly Father offereth himself unto us, and of his own accord meeteth us: Jesus Christ crieth out, and calleth every one of us, Come unto me, all ye which are grieved, and I will refresh you. How blind be we if we see not, how blockish if we understand not, how miserable if we run from this? Where shall the word of Christ be heard, if it cannot be heard among Christians? If it cannot be heard among Christians, where shall it be heard? Let us once yet open, brethren, let us open our eyes, that it may not be spoken against our stubbornness, Therefore you hear not, because you be not of God: and that that saying of Isaiah be not conveniently applied against us, The heart of this people is waxen gross, and they have hardly heard with their ears, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should at any time see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and they should be converted, and I should heal them. And what I should speak more before Christian men and the children of God, concerning the word of God, I see not. (Ibid.)"-(pp. 83, 84.)

On that all-important doctrine, justification by faith, how simple, clear and beautiful is the testimony of Archbishop Cranmer, that much-wronged and to this day reviled, but really faithful and blessed, martyr for the truth:

"First, by faith we be justified before God, (for faith maketh us partakers of the justice of Christ, and planteth us in Christ,) and he that by true faith doth receive the promise of grace, to him God giveth the Holy Ghost, by whom charity is spread abroad in our hearts which performeth all the commandments. Therefore, he that believeth in Christ, and truly believeth the gospel, he is just and holy before God, by the justice of Christ, which is imputed and given unto him, as Paul saith: 'We think that man is justified by faith without works.' He is also just before the world,

because of the love and charity which the Holy Ghost worketh in his heart.

"Secondly, faith worketh peace and quiet

ness in our hearts and consciences. For by faith we be certain that our sins be forgiven. Therefore, saith St. Paul to the Romans, 'Being justified, we have peace and quietness with God by our Lord Jesus Christ.'

"Thirdly, this peace bringeth unto us a great and singular joy in our hearts and consciences, and maketh us for this exceeding

benefit of God's mercy and grace towards us, fervently to love him, gladly to laud and praise him, to honour his name, and to profess the same before all the world, evermore to give unto him most hearty thanks, and to be swift and ready to do all things that may please God, and to eschew those things that may displease him.”—(p. 234.)

Venerable Brothers, health and greeting Apostolical. Amongst the many at Apostolical.-Amongst tempts which the enemies of Catholicism, under whatever denomination they may appear, are daily making in our age, to seduce the truly faithful, and deprive them of the holy instructions of the faith, (les saints enseignemens de la foi,) the efforts of those Bible Societies are conspicuous, which, originally established in England, and propagated throughout the universe, labour every where to disseminate the books of the Holy Scriptures, translated into the vulgar tongue; consign them to the private interpretation of each, alike amongst Christians and amongst infidels; continue what St. Jerome formerly complained of pretending to popularize the holy pages, and render them intelligible, without the aid of any interpreter, to persons of every condition, to the most loquacious woman, to the light-headed old man (viellard dilerant,) to the worldly cavalier (verbeux sophiste,) to all, in short, and even by an absurdity as great as unheard of, to the most hardened infidels.

You are but too well aware, my reverend brethren, to what the efforts of these societies tend. You know what is revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and what is the advice of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles

After having quoted the Epistles of St. Paul-they contain, says he, many things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Then you know what he adds: Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things, beware lest ye, also, being led away with the error of the

2d Peter, chap. iii. ver. 16, 17.

You see what was even in the earliest times of the church, the appropriate artifices of heretics; and how, discarding divine tradition and Catholic enlightenment, they already strove to either materially interpolate the sacred text or to corrupt its true interpretation. You are also aware with what caution and wisdom the words of the Lord ought to be translated into another tongue, and yet nothing is more common than to see these versions multiplied, to admit, either through imprudence or malice, the grave errors of so many interpreters-errors which dissemble too frequently, by their multiplicity and variety, to the misery of souls. So far as these societies are concerned, it matters little whether those who read the holy books, translated into vulgar language, fall into this or that error.-They only care audaciously to stimulate all to a private interpretation of the divine oracles, to inspire contempt for divine traditions, which the Catholic church preserves upon the authority of the holy fathersin a word, to cause them to reject even the authority of the church herself. This is the reason why the Bible Societies care not to calumniate her (the church) and the august throne of St. Peter, as if she had wished for ages to deprive the faithful of the knowledge of the holy books, when the most forcible evidence will prove the immemorial and particular care which the sovereign pontiffs even down to the most modern times, and in conjunction with their Catholic pastors, have taken to ground the people in the word of God, whether written or delivered by tradition.

In the first place, it is known that, by the decrees of the holy Council of Trent,

bishops are enjoined to see that the Holy Scriptures and divine laws be more frequently taught in their dioceses. It is known that, even exceeding the prescriptions of the Council of Lateran, (1215,) the Council of Trent recommends that there should be in the several cathedral churches and collegiates of the towns and cantons a stipend provided for a doctor of divinity, and that none should be appointed to that office, but a man fully competent to teach and expound the Holy Scriptures. It is known how frequently, in the provincial councils which followed this prebendary, founded upon the decree of the Council of Trent, was mentioned, and how often the instructions which the canon entrusted with this office should deliver to the clergy and people, were taken into consideration.

The same disposition (to instruct the people in the word of God) was especially observable in the Council of Rome in the year 1725, to which our predecessor, Benedict XIII., of happy memory, summoned not only all the prelates of the Romish Church, but even a great number of archbishops, bishops and other ordinaries immediately subject to the Holy See. The same desire animated the Roman pontiff of whom we have been speaking, in the various edicts which he issued and addressed to all the bishops of Italy and the neighbouring islands. In short, you yourselves, my venerable brethren, who are in the habit of forwarding to the Holy See, at stated intervals, every thing calculated to interest religion-you know, by the repeated answers which our congregational council has returned hitherto to yourselves or your predecessors, how much the holy Romish Church rejoices, in concert with the bishops, when they have in their dioceses theologians who acquit themselves with honour in their duty in expounding the holy books, and that she neglects no opportunity of encouraging and supporting them.

But, to return to Bibles translated into the vulgar tongue; it is long since pastors found themselves necessitated to turn their attention particularly to the versions current at secret conventicles, and which heretics laboured, at great expense, to disseminate.

Hence the warning and decrees of our

predecessor Innocent III., of happy memory, on the subject of lay societies and meetings of women who had assembled themselves in the diocese of Metz for objects of piety and the study of the Holy Scriptures. Hence the prohibitions which subsequently appeared in France and Spain, during the sixteenth century, with respect to the vulgar Bible (relativement aux Bibles vulgaires.) It became necessary subsequently to take even greater precautions, when the pretended reformers, Luther and Calvin, daring, by a multiplicity and incredible variety of errors, to attack the immutable doctrine of the faith, omitted nothing in order to seduce the faithful by their false interpretations and translations into the vernacular tongue which the then novel invention of printing contributed more rapidly to propagate and multiply. Whence it was generally laid down in the regulations dictated by the fathers, adopted by the Council of Trent and approved by our predecessor Pius VII., of happy memory, and which (regulations) are prefixed to the list of prohibited books, that the reading of the Holy Bible translated into the vulgar tongue, should not be permitted. except to those to whom it might be deemed necessary to confirm in the faith, and piety. Subsequently, when heretics still persisted in their frauds, it became necessary for Benedict XIV. to superadd the injunction that no versions whatever should be suffered to be read but those which should be approved of by the Holy See, accompanied by notes derived from the writings of the holy fathers, or other learned and Catholic authors. Notwithstanding this, some new sectarians of the school of Jansenius, after the example of the Lutherans and Calvinists, feared not to blame these justifiable precautions of the Apostolic See, as if the reading of the holy books had been at all times, and for all the faithful, useful, and so indispensable that no authority could assail it.

But we find this audacious assertion of the sect of Jansenius withered by the most rigorous censures in the solemn sentence which was pronounced against their doctrine, with the assent of the whole Catholic universe, by two sovereign pontiffs of modern times, Clement XI., in his unigenitus constitution of the

year 1713, and Pius VI., in his constitution auctorem fidei, of the year 1794. Consequently, even before the establishment of Bible societies was thought of, the decrees of the church, which we have quoted, were intended to guard the faithful against the frauds of heretics, who cloak themselves under the specious pretext that it is necessary to propagate and render common the study of the holy books. Since then our predecessor Pius VII., of glorious memory, observing the machinations of these societies to increase under his pontificate, did not cease to oppose their efforts, at one time through the medium of the apostolical nuncios, at another by letters and decrees, emanating from the several congregations of cardinals of the holy church, and at another by the two pontifical letters addressed to the Bishop of Gnesen and the Archbishop of Mohilif. After him, another of our holy predecessors, Leo XII., reproved the operations of the Bible societies, by his circulars addressed to all the Catholic pastors in the universe, under date May 5, 1824. Shortly afterwards, our immediate predecessor, Pius VII., of happy memory, confirmed their condemnation by his circular letter of May 24, 1829. We, in short, who succeed them, notwithstanding our great unworthiness, have not ceased to be solicitous on this subject, and have especially studied to bring to the recollection of the faithful the several rules which have been successively laid down with regard to the vulgar versions of the holy books.

We have good cause, however, to rejoice, venerable brethren, inasmuch as, supported by your piety and confirmed by the letters of our several predecessors, which we have referred to, you have never neglected to caution the flock which has been entrusted to you against the insidious manœuvres of the Bible societies. This solicitude of the bishops, seconding with so much zeal the solicitude of our Holy See, has been blessed by the Lord. Already several imprudent Catholics, who had gone over to these societies, enlightened at last as to their objects, have separated themselves from them forever, and the remainder of the faithful, with very few exceptions, have

escaped from the contagion by which they were threatened.

The partisans of the Bible societies little doubted in their pride but that they could at least bring over the unfaithful to the profession of Christianity by means of the sacred books translated into the vernacular tongue-moreover, they took care to disseminate them by innumerable copies and to distribute them every where, even amongst those who wanted them not, at the hands of their missionaries, or rather, their emissaries. But the men who strove to propagate the Christian faith, independently of the rules established by Jesus Christ himself, have only succeeded in increasing the difficulties of the Catholic priest, who, clothed with the mission of the Holy See, goes amongst the unfaithful and spares no fatigue in order to conquer new children for the church, either by preaching the divine word or by administering the sacraments

always prepared, at all events, to shed his blood for the salvation of souls and the testimony of the faith. Amongst the sectarians of whom we are speaking, deceived in their hopes, and in despair at the immense sums which the publication of their Bibles costs them, without producing any fruit, some have been found, who, giving another direction to their manoeuvres, have betaken themselves to the corruption of minds, not only in Italy but even in our own capital. Indeed, many precise advices and documents teach us that a vast number of members of sects in New York, in America, at one of their meetings, held on the 4th of June last year, have formed a new association, which will take the name of the Christian League, (Fœderis Christiani,) a league composed of individuals of every nation, and which is to be further increased in numbers by other auxiliary societies, all having the same object, viz., to propagate amongst Italians, and especially Romans, "the principles of Christian liberty," or, rather, an insane indifference to all religion. These, indeed, confess that the Roman institutions, as well as Italian, had in bygone times so much influence that nothing great was done in the world but had its origin in our august city. Not that they ascribe the fact to