his doctrines, they despatched an account of the affair to Rome; when the pope sent a monk, named Cornelius, to Bononia, to expound the same epistles according to the tenets of the church of Rome. The people, however, found such a disparity between the two preachers, that the audience of Mollius increased, and Cornelius was forced to preach to empty benches. Cornelius wrote an account of his bad success to the pope, who immediately sent an order to apprehend Mollius, who was seized upon accordingly, and kept in close confinement. The bishop of Bononia sent him word, that he must recant, or be burnt; but he appealed to Rome, and was removed thither. At Rome he begged to have a public trial, but that the pope absolutely denied him, and commanded him to give an account of his opinions in writing, which he did under the following heads: Original sin; free-will; the infallibility of the church of Rome; the infallibility of the pope; justification by faith; purgatory; transubstantiation; mass; auricular confession; prayers for the dead; the host; prayers to saints; going on pilgrimages; extreme unction; performing service in an unknown tongue, &c. And all these he confirmed from Scripture authority. The pope upon this occasion, for political reasons, spared him for the present, but soon after had him apprehended, and put to death-he being first hanged, and his body burnt to ashes. THE LATE POPE. THE Rev. Mr. O'Dwyer, in his funeral discourse on the late pope, published in the Catholic Herald, gives the following account of the progress of the pope's religion in the United States, during "the reign of Gregory XVI." :— "And when we come to view the fortunes of the church in our own country, sanguine as our expectations may be of the happy influence on them of laws and institutions which guaranty the free and undisturbed exercise of the rights of conscience, and, without frown or favor, leave to the church the unshackled management of her own affairs, we shall not be disappointed. For in the enjoyment and exercise of this sacred right, so iniquitously denied her even in some catholic countries, we shall see, that, in the United States, she has within the last sixteen years multiplied her bishops, priests, and religious of both sexes, her churches and convents, her colleges and monasteries, beyond what the most enthusiastic could have hoped for at the commencement of the reign of Gregory XVI. We shall see her, moreover, convening councils and synods, enacting canons and statutes to bring ecclesiastical discipline, for the benefit of laity and clergy, as near to its just standard as the circumstances of the country will allow. In one word, we shall see her making that silent but rapid progress so consoling to us, but so alarming to those who are ignorant of the objects of her mission, glory to God in the highest, on earth peace to men of good will, and the salvation of souls, for which Christ shed his precious blood." In the above extract we have taken the liberty to italicise a few passages, to which we would particularly direct the attention of our readers. 1. It appears that the progress of popery in our hitherto protestant country, is such as to excite the wonder even of its most ardent advocates. And yet many protestants, at least in name, appear to be blind to the signs of the times, and consider those as alarmists, or idle dreamers, who apprehend danger to our free institutions from the spread of this politico-religious system. 2. We have the admission that, as soon as "the circumstances of the country will allow," the "ecclesiastical discipline" of popery will be brought "to its just standard" among us. What this "just standard" is, none who have read the history of past times, or who are conversant with the present state of popish countries, need be told. An attempt was made some years ago, rather prematurely, to enforce "ecclesiastical discipline," when a member of the Ohio senate was knocked down in the streets of Cincinnati for not taking off his hat, while the popish bishop was passing in procession to consecrate a chapel. "If such things are done in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?" We beg our readers to notice the corruption of one of the most beautiful passages of the word of God, sanctioned by the Douay translators. The "mission" of the church is to proclaim "peace to men of good will." But there is no peace to protestants, who are men ill affected to the errors of popery. THE TENDENCIES OF ROMISH LITERATURE. 23 THE TENDENCIES OF ROMISH LITERATURE. LADY GEORGIANA FULLERTON. AMONG the late perverts to Rome of high degree, we find chronicled the name of Lady Georgiana Fullerton, sister to Lord Grenville, and authoress of "Ellen Middleton." After reading this exciting novel, and observing the peculiar cast of thought and train of remark when adverting to religious exercises and duties, we were not surprised to learn that our authoress had become a full convert to superstition, and at last entered the mystical precincts of Rome. When we see Alice bowing in her closet before a picture of the Savior, and then holding up the crucifix before the eyes of her dying husband; when we see what sacredness, awe, and efficacy, are attributed to the act of confession to a priest; when we hear Mrs. Tracy, heretofore the deadly enemy of Ellen Middleton, kneeling at her bedside, in hardly articulate tones saying to her, "Pray for us when you are in heaven;" finally, when we hear Ellen's speech to her husband, in which she says: "There is a blessed communion in which we both believe, between those who rest in heaven and those who struggle on earth; you will pray for me when I am gone; I will pray for you where I go:" who can doubt that the writer's mind was already enslaved to the errors of Romanism? When we came across these and such like passages, we concluded at once the writer must be a Romanist; but it seems now that these sentiments were only working in her mind, and preparing it for the great transition. Years ago the leaven of Puseyism had been infused into her mind, by some of those "very holy men" who had become the dupes of their own credulity and superstition, until they found themselves in the territory of Rome. Many of the most popular novels of the present day have in them the same spice of superstition and mysticism which is found in "Ellen Middleton," and through their silent and insidious influence the poison of error is widely diffused. A court-lady, daughter of the earl of Devonshire, having embraced the catholic religion (in the reign of Charles I.), was asked by Laud the reason of her conversion. "It is chiefly," said she, "because I hate to travel in a crowd." Being desired to explain her meaning, she replied: "I perceive your grace [Laud] and many others are making haste to Rome, and therefore, in order to 24 CHRIST THE LIVING HEAD. prevent being crowded, I have gone before you." It is a remarkable fact, that most of the late converts to Rome in England are from the higher classes; from the walks of literature, or the ranks of the aristocracy. Expecting perhaps that the road will be thronged, they have gone before to avoid the crowd. before to avoid the crowd. And truly, the defection of forty of the clergymen of the church of England is a significant and ominous fact. But it is no matter of surprise to us; it is what we have long expected. The Romish portion of the English church will go to Rome. The movement is begun which is to separate the chaff from the wheat, and determine on which side nominally protestant England will array herself. CHRIST THE LIVING HEAD. THE Church is in the wilderness, She looks to Christ, her living head. She feels that neither friar nor saint, She glories in his cross alone, She brightens in each smile he gives, And in his promises she lives. She breathes no prayer to heaven's queen The bridegroom and his chosen bride? Columbia! thou spring of might and power, Never, "not even for one hour," Give place to her that would enslave. O never! never! be it said That hearts all noble, bold, and free, Yield and succumb to popery. This be thy long, thy lasting word, In lands abroad, or streets at home, |