they deem ought to be smiled at and laid aside as the harmless mutterings of ignorance or dotage. We have no scruple in avowing very different sentiments. Our view of the matter is graver and more solemn. It is moreover, we conceive, more scriptural. Looking upon Popery as the dead. ly and devil-inspired enemy of God and of his saints, we cannot overlook its proceedings. Looking upon the pope of Rome as the organ and mouthpiece of that Antichristian system, we cannot affect to take no notice of the "swelling words" which the great dragon utters through him against Christ and his church. It was through the Delphic priestess that Satan spoke in the days of heathenism; it is now through the lips of the Roman pontiff that he utters his oracles. Besides, in the letter of the present pope, we ascertain what popery is at this moment. We learn not what she said and did in bygone centuries, but what she is saying and doing now. The present letter bears a very recent date. It is given at Rome, at the Church of St Mary the Greater, on the 9th day of November, in the year 1846, in the first year of our pontifi cate." It thus contains the latest and most authentic tidings from the Vatican. No one can slight it as antiquated, or dis credit it as false. It becomes thus a document worthy of notice and preservation. It contains much which ought to speak home both to Romanist and Protestant. It lets the one know what are the sentiments of the church to which he blindly nails his creed and his conscience; and it lays bare to the other the principles of that church of darkness for whose overthrow he strives and prays. Our readers know that it is not long since the present pope, under the name of Pius IX., ascended the papal throne. At first his professions of liberality and toleration were great. Nor were there wanting some few deeds of apparent generosity to induce the belief that he was a very different man from his pre decessors, and that Romanism was at length beginning to see the necessity of admitting some light into its dark recesses. Accordingly the Continental journals sounded abroad his praises. He was hailed as the pope of the nineteenth century, the man who would exhibit in himself a very model of large-mindedness; and who would prove to the confusion of all bigot Protestants, that nobility of purpose and tolerance of principle were the true characteristics of the long-vilified Church of Rome. He began with doing things very notable and praiseworthy, things which were certainly fitted to amaze us; and it was expected that he would proceed in the same career. F The question was put, Is Rome really beginning to reform her self? Has she who has so long resisted reason and Scripture, yielded at length to the spirit of the times? Have the currents of three centuries which have been pouring themselves against her so long in vain, at length succeeded in making a breach in her ancient battlements? ง It was a question of some interest. For how could an infaldible church reform herself, and thereby confess her fallibility? How could an infallible pontiff reform that church, and thereby destroy the credit of his infallible predecessors? Besides, Rome had resisted so long, what should make her give way at last? She had held out in the day of her weakness, why should she yield in this the day of growing power and ascendancy? Many other points suggested themselves, and it was difficult to answer the questions that thus arose. To be sure, there were few, save mere nominal and political Protestants, that put much faith in what the pope was saying and doing. They were willing to acknowledge that these looked well, if they were followed up by something more extensive and emphatic. But their knowledge of Rome's ways and wiles made them slow to believe that any real good would be the issue. They did not wish to condemn what was really good in the words and deeds even of the pope of Rome. But they declined committing themselves to the approval of any thing beyond what was actually done. They waited for more tangible proofs of the pontiff's liberality. Nor could they help throwing out hints, however uncharitable it might appear, that all this parade was a mere mockery,—a mere blind,— a thoroughly Romish fraud practised upon the world in order to persuade men that Popery was setting herself in earnest to rub off the rust of ages, and break in pieces the chains of worse than barbarism, by means of which she had hitherto maintained her iron sway over the nations. They were in the right. It turns out that the whole parade of liberality with which the pope commenced his reign was a thorough farce-a cunning hoax, for the benefit of those easyminded Protestants, who in our day seem resolved to believe all the good and nothing of the evil that can be said of Rome. Nor is the discovery of this hoax due to any but the pope himself. He has taken his pen at last for the purpose, it would seem, of undeceiving and disabusing us of our incipient prejudices in this favour. He has openly proclaimed himself the same bigotted and dark-minded high priest of Antichrist as his predecessors, and his church the same enemy of Christ, the same denier of the truth, the same hater of the light, the same remorseless persecutor of the saints as she has been found to be in other ages. Pope Pius the Ninth will be just what other popes have been. He will not reform his church. He : 1 will rivet her chains more firmly than before. He will not open the Book of God that his people may read and understand, nor will he denounce tradition as the corruption of all that is true and holy. He will not restrain the ambition and cruelty of his clergy. He will not give his subjects a paternal government, nor dismiss the Swiss mercenaries which guard the throne of St Peter. No. All his promises have proved a cheat. The world has nothing to expect from him but a repetition ofothes deeds of iniquity that have been done a thousand times over in that eity of idolatry, oppression, and darkness. 990195 o Even before the encyclical letter came forth, 9 an that he would give reforme notice of some political reforms on the day set apart for il possesso, that is the day for, the ceremony of taking possession of the church of St. John of Laterang They were disappointed and mocked. A proclamation was indeed made, and the peoples flocked toreadoitoase it was posted on the walls of Romelon But, alas! there was no constitutional charter for themy It was a licence to construct four small railroads! This was the sum of the pontiff's royal liberality. This was the completion of their hopes. No wonder that the and withheld eitizens received his holiness with marked coolness, their wonted shouts. They felt that they had been cheated and befooled by one calling himself the successor of St Peter and the vicar of Christ on earth. But it is with the letter itself that we have to do. Let us 6 hear the pontiff himself. Out of his own, mouth let him be judged. We shall do all justice to him by quoting as largely as possible, paragraph after paragraph of this notable letter, which is of course infallible, like its author Its commencement is as follows to 229abɔɔrw 9dt to .bauw yiɔve yd trods berriko ed 107 to gainezmus 66 ALL PATRIARCHS, PRIMATES, ARCHBISHOPS, AND BISHOPSA 595 bluoda bozitory od dni ozod PLUS PRIX,low it to top bicol "Venerable Brethren, Health and Apostolic Benediction 19790 We, who during many years past, were striving together with youj venerable brethren, to fulfil oto the best of our powers the Episcopal charge that charge so full of labour, so full of solicitude and to feed that part of the Lord's flock committed to our care in the mountains of Israel, amid the streams and fruitful pastures, have been, in consequence of the death of our illustrious predecessor, Gregory XVI., whose memory, and whose illustrious and glorious, deeds, written in letters of gold on the records of the church, posterity will always admire, quite contrary to all our thoughts and expectations, and with considerable alarm and trepida tion, by the hidden designs of divine Providence, raised to the chief pontificate. For, indeed, if the charge of the apostolic ministry is justly esteemed, and even to be esteemed, one of danger and importances more particularly is it as a matter of dread in these most difficult times for the Christian republic. po e non aut It bor to dood out Hence, fully conscious of our own weakness, and contemplating the most weighty duties of the Supreme Apostleship, particularly in the present critical state or SERIBUS should have wholly given up ourselves to sad sorrowing and tears, had we not placed our hope in God our salvation, who never deserts those hoping in him, and who, in order to display the strength of his power, chooses even the weakest for the government of his Church, that all may more and more learn that it is God himself who rules and defends his Chirch by his admirable providence. Jore mago/Triebi to "Our consolation is, that we have, as companions and helpers, you, venerable brethren, who, called to share our solicitude, endeavour, with every care and earnestness to fulfil your ministry, and to fight the good fight. th 192 Hence, when first, though undeservedly, placed in this sublime seat of the Prince of the Apostles, we received that important charge bestowed in the person of blessed Peter, by the eternal Prince of Pastors, of feeding and ruling not only the lambs, namely, the universal Christian people, but also the sheep, that is the bishops, nothing was more sought for or desired by us, than that we might address you all with the deepest feege feeling of affectionate charity."tre el enw zult borist adert ubnow,,0% mait to pitala nos adt van zulf Then comes the assertion of absolute infallibility-proving DS69309113 11990, 1ded dogma of the middle ages, but a doctrine a odt hozid word,o oro yď bolooted darse no tenui) te univ "Hence, too, plainly appears in what error they continue, who, abusing their reasoning powers, and esteeming the words of God as a human production, dare rashly to interpret it, when God himself has appointed bed a living authority to teach the true and legitimate sense of his heavenly revelation, to establish it, to settle away all controversies on matter faith and morals with an infallible decision, so that the faithful may not be carried about by every wind, of the wickedness of men, to the circumventing of error. Which living and INFALLIBLE of in that Church, which, built by Christ our Lord on Petery exists only Π Head, Chief, and Pastor of the whole Chirch, whose faith he promised should never fail has ever her legitimate pontiff's deducing their origin without intermission from Peter himself, placed in his chair heirs and possessors of the same doctrine, dignity, honour, and power. And since where Peter in there is the Church, and Peter speaks by the Roman Pontiff, and ever lives and exercises judgment in his successors, and gives forth the truth of faith to those seekings it, therefore the Divine words are clearly to be received in that sense which this Roman chair of blessed Peter, the Mother and Mistress of all Churches, hath always preserved whole and inviolate, and has ever taught to the faithful, showing to all the path of safety, and the doctrine of uncorrupted truth. For this is the chief of churches, from which the unity of the priesthood hath arisen. This is the centre and metropolis of piety, wherein is the entire and perfect solidity of the Christian religion, in which the primacy of tl e apostolic chair hath ever flourished, to which, on account of its preeminent dignity, it is necessary that all churches-that is to say, the faithfu-wheresoever found, should repair, with which whosoever gathereth not, scattereth. We, therefore, who by the inscrutable judgment of God, have been seated in this chair of truth, appeal with earnestness in the Lord to your eminent piety, venerable brethren, that, with all solicitude and zeal, you may assiduously exert yourselves to admonish and exhort the faithful committed to your care, to the end that firmly adhering to these principles they may never suffer themselves to be deceived or led away into error by those men who, having become abominable by their pursuits, under the pretence of human progress,' labour to undermine faith, impiously to subject faith to reason, and to overthrow the revealed word of God; who hesitate not to offer the highest insult and outrage to God himself, who hath designed by his holy religion most graciously to provide for the good of men here, and their salvation hereafter." It has been proved a hundred times over that Peter was never bishop of Rome; nay, that he could hardly have been in Rome at all, at least for a mere visit at the utmost; yet here the old falsehood is re-asserted in the teeth of all history! It has been proved that the Church of Rome has often contradicted herself, and that her popes have done the same, nay, anathematised each other like demons from the pit; yet here church and pontiff are alike pronounced infallible. Pope Pius here claims for himself and his predecessors the sole right to interpret the word of God, yet when have they ever issued an exposition? They demand submission to their interpretation, but they never condescend to interpret. Thus they pretend to give bread, and it is found to be but a stone. They offer an egg, but it is found to be a scorpion.to * But, next, let us listen to the condemnation of all Bible So cieties. This is manifestly a sore point. These societies are perpetually disturbing the kingdom of darkness. They are offer ing light all around to the blinded nations, even the light of the Divine word. But the Church of Rome hates them mortally, be cause she hates, the light. She trembles at the exposure. She shrinks from contact with the word of God.” “She trembles lest her people should read its blessed pages, and so discover the lies, the abominations, the enormities that are daily palmed upon them by those who call themselves their spiritual guides. " το You are already well acquainted, Venerable Brethren, with other monsters of error, and frauds with which the children of the present age strive bitterly to beset the Catholic religion and the Divine autho rity of the Church; to oppose its laws, and to trample on the rights of the sacred as s 'well' l'as of the civil power To this point tend those guilty conspiracies against this Roman chair of the blessed Peter, on which |