people, or their advocates, invariably tends to the irremediable ruin of every government. It has been most truly remarked, by a very accurate writer on "The English Constitution,"-who though he was a foreigner, yet has detected many important points, in respect of the Government of Britain, which had eluded the observation of several of the best writers, that had already treated on the same subject:-that,

Infallible Holiness, by his delegated missionary-St. Augustine ; designated, whether ignorantly, or sarcastically, I have not been able to understand; -as the Canonized Apostle of England! (The learned reader, will find this very remarkable correspondence, discussed at full length, in Spelman's "Collection of the Councils of the English Church," vol. i. p. 96, &c.; and in Bede, lib. i. cap. 27. But the English student, will find it summarily reviewed in Rapin's History of England, vol. i. book iii. §. 601.; and in Hume's History of England, chap. i. in the section of "The Kingdom of Kent."). I must plead, for my excuse,---in giving the following extract, out of the last cited work,—my extreme devotedness, to obey the golden rule of Cicero, as stated above-a dauntless intrepidity, to publish a full declaration of the whole truth: and, to do so, in the present instance, I must also intrench myself, behind the high authority, of the elegant, and classic Historian. Hume says, "" Gregory wrote a letter to Ethelbert; in which, after informing him that the end of the world was approaching, he exhorted him to display his zeal in the conversion of his subjects, to exert rigour against the worship of idols, and to build up the good work of holiness by every expedient of exhortation, terror, blandishment, or correction! a doctrine more suitable to that age, and to the usual papal maxims, than the tolerating principles, which Augustine had thought it prudent to inculcate. The Pontiff also answered some questions, which the missionary had put concerning the government of the new church of Kent. Besides other queries, which is not material here to relate, Augustine asked, Whether cousin germans might be allowed to marry?" Gregory answered, that that liberty had been formerly granted by the Roman law; but that experience had shewn that no issue could ever come (!) from such marriages; and he therefore prohibited them. Augustine asked, Whether a woman pregnant might be baptized?" Gregory answered that he saw no objection. "How soon after the birth the child might receive baptism ?" It was answered, "Immediately, if neccessary." How soon a husband might have commerce with his wife after her delivery ?" "Not till she had given suck to her child;" a practice to which Gregory exhorts all women. "How soon a man might enter the church, or receive the sacrament, after having had commerce with his wife ?" It was replied, that, unless he had approached her without desire, merely for the sake of propagating his species, he was not without sin!--but in all cases

"the only use, which the people make of their power, is either to give it away, or allow it to be taken from them." (De Lolme, on the Constitution of England, chap. ix. passim.)

Thus it has been continually found to be the case, even in the most unlimited Democracy, that the people have unreservedly committed into the hands of their more cunning defenders, their power and their interests.

it was requisite for him, before he entered the church, or communicated, to purge himself by prayer and ablution; and he ought not, even after using these precautions, to participate immediately of the sacred duties! There are some other questions, and replies Still More Indecent, and more ridiculous" (Hume's Eng. chap. i. and Notes, as above quoted.). Rapin gives a more detailed account of the enlightened instructions which passed, for the unchanging precedents, and edification of future ages of the church, between these two Sainted Intercessors; but, really, a deference to the feelings of common decency, in preference to the rules of legitimate history, prevents a more enlarged account. After so long a dissertation, upon the character, and policy of Gregory, I am apprehensive, that my readers, may generally deem, such varied excursions, as these, somewhat wearisome, and ill-timed. But, as those who are deeply conversant, in the history of the Church, and the World, at those remote ages, know full well, the very important link, which Gregory, supplies, in detecting the causes, and effects of Papal usurpations, and Italian intrigues; I trust, that, the importance of the subject, -the absence in our language, of any one perspicuous, and thoroughly established account,—and, as it is much to be feared, a want, at the present crisis, when such knowledge was never so much required, of certain intelligence, both among the Clergy and Laity of the Protestant church, upon this, and other important Hinges, on which, the unhallowed aggrandizement of the apostate Papacy, solely turns;-will atone, for my attempt, in endeavouring, to lay before the Public, a digested and popular account, of the multifarious workings of the "Man of Sin," at this very early age of the Christian church:-drawn from such original and established authorities; and based upon such an induction, of impartial, and historically, recorded facts; so as to render the subject, as clearly, if not more incontrovertibly, proved, than any other topic, similarly depending on the evidence of historical testimony; and the legitimately drawn conclusions of moral reasoning. We will, at present take our leave of St. Gregory, with a few extracts from Gibbon, respecting his career. And Romanists cannot blame us, in making our leave final. For their own church, has done so likewise, to the whole line of Popes, that succeeded him! "The celestial honours (says Gibbon) have been liberally bestowed by the authority of the popes, but Gregory is the last of their own order, whom they have presumed, to inscribe in the Calendar of

At the same time, their patriotic advocates, have, for the promotion of their own secret artifices, kept up the general confusion of the state ;-have continually preyed upon the vitals of the country, the better to cloak their ambitious designs ;-and under the pretence of increasing privileges-which they are pleased to call the privileges of all, though they and their families, and friends alone were always likely to have the en

saints" (Dec. and Fall, chap. xlv.). From this interesting information, I dare not have the presumption, or arrogance, to decide, whether the Papacy regarded the universal stigma,-attached, by friends and foes, to their catalogue of Canonized Mediators, in consequence of their indiscreet admittance of Gregory, among the sacred number,-in such a manner, as to be terrified out of their propriety, so as never more to hazard the scrutiny of another Pope's enrolment: -or, whether, that, they regarded the lives of all his successors in St. Peter's chair, to be so scandalous and flagitious, that, it was found impossible, to single,-out of the large number, of upwards of two hundred, who held the delegated Keys, from the days of Gregory, to the present times,-even, but one of these Vice-Gods, whose Intercession and Mediation, might be thought likely to favour the supplications of the faithful sons of the Church! The suspicion is strong, that, the latter is the case. And this is much confirmed, when we look over the names of the more fortunate Saints, who afterwards were admitted to the honours of Saintship; and find some of them, in the lowest grade, of ecclesiastical preferment, and others the most outragous fanatics :-whilst of the Popes, there is not any one species of Debauchery, Heresy, Schism, Fraud, Injustice, or Treachery, that numerous examples could not be adduced, in every succeeding century, to convict them of the most beastly sensuality, and horrid wickedness. But this will appear in a stronger light, when on a future occasion, we give a fully detailed account of their lives. At present, we will support this general assertion, by a few leading quotations, out of some their own Highest, and Most Approved authorities. 1st, The Sainted Hilary, who in the Roman Calendar, has the 14th of January consecrated to his honour; has bitterly satirized the Heresies, Schisms, Contradictions, and Variations of the Papacy, thus, Our Faith varies as our wills, and our Creeds are as diversified as our manners. Confessions of Faith, are formed and interpreted, according to fancy. We decree annual and monthly creeds, concerning God. We repent and defend our decisions, and pronounce anathemas on those whom we have defended. tacking one another in turn, we have already caused our mutual ruin!" (Hilar. ad Constan. p. 308. Paris. Edit. of 1631-"Tot nunc fides, &c. &c."). In the same opinion, also, we have another Saint of equal honour, and certainly not inferior in reputation-Gregory Nazianzen; the tenderness of whose heart, and simple pathos of

At

joyment of them,-they have never ceased making their deluded dupes, the unsuspecting favourers of their schemes, and the brawling upholders of their patriotic efforts; until they had found themselves admitted to the highest dignities of the state, as the wages of their disinterested labours, as a popular reward for their noble patriotism! To substantiate the truth of these plain remarks, it would be merely requisite, to turn

"

whose beautiful writings, I venerate and admire. Gregory, treats the jarring Papacy of his day, with similar severity and sarcasm. "Their enmity (he says) surpasses the fury of savage beasts against man; and most pathetically laments" that the kingdom of heaven was converted, by discord, into the image of chaos, of a nocturnal tempest, and of hell itself" (Gregor. Naz. tom. i. Orat. i. and xxxii. The peroration of the last, in which,-because the pious and eloquent Bishop-the scourge of Arianism, and the pillar of orthodoxy,-had become the victim of the factious and malicious prelates,-resigned his Archiepiscopacy in the midst of their dissensions, and takes a solemn leave of men and angels, the city and the Emperor, the East and the West, &c. is most pathetic and sublime. Compare also tom. i. Epist. lv. tom. ii. de Vitâ suâ, p. 25. Carmen x. See Tillemont, tom. vi. p. 501. quarto edit. of his "Histoire ecclesiastique."). Platina, who was highly patronized by Pope Sixtus IV., and by him appointed librarian of the Vatican (Tiraboscki); records the same sentiments, in his well known " History of the Popes." He says, The acts of former Popes, were, by their successors, either infringed, or entirely repealed" (" de Vitis Pontificum," p. 126, edit. of Colonia, 1551.). The celebrated Jesuit Maimbourgh, likewise, says, "Catholics often engage, among themselves, in contests and disputations, which disturb the tranquility and peace of the Christian Commonwealth” (“Histoire de la Ligue," p. 2. edit. of Paris, 1684). Now, let any impartial Romanist, compare the following oracular maxim,--which the Sainted Jerome, has put in his Preface to the Gospel,-in juxtaposition, with the declarations of the two last distinguished authors, and the two first canonized Saints :-" What varies is not true" (Jerom. Opera, Præf. Evang. vol. i. p. 1426. edit. of Paris, 1706. 'Verum non esse, quod variat."). Facts here speak for themselves. Jerome the greatest Father in the Latin Church, the author of the Vulgate, which has been exclusively adopted in the Roman Church since the seventh century, pronounced by the Council of Trent to be Authentic, and by many doctors declared to be dictated by the Holy Spirit;-thus in his Preface to that very work, propounds a Maxim, which, if acted upon, would, though no other proof were wanting,— strip the Romish Apostacy of her absurd pretensions, expose her innumerable contradictions, aud assimilate her doctrines, with the worst species of apostacies, heresies, and schisms, that have arisen in the various parts of Christendom, to break the peaceful harmony, and

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our eyes to the Woolsacks, and to other dazzling insignia of men high in power. Of these individuals, who have received their distinctions, not indeed as the laurels of martyrdom or as sacrifices to the public weal, but as the infamous price of their labours, in promoting that system of levelling,-unprincipled policy, which has opened the floodgates of Popery, and the pollutions of Infidelity, upon the pristine purity of the Constitu

disturb the happy concord of Christians. (For a most interesting account of “The Vulgate Version," consult "Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures," vol. ii. part i. chap. v. §. 4. The variations between the Sixtine and Clementine editions are there specified. I cannot allow the opportunity to pass, without here, making my acknowledgments, for the immense advantage, I have often reaped in consulting the Herculean labours of Mr. Horne; who, undoubtedly, deserves more of the Church of England, than any writer, who has lived in the last century. In the luminous arrangement of his work, there is no branch of Theological learning, and antiquities, without having a flood of light poured upon it. He may, in truth, fairly enter the lists, with the Montfaucons of France, the Muratoris of Italy, or the Michaelis' of Germany.). 2d. With regard to the moral lives, and religious habits of the Popes, and the fidelity with which they guarded the Interests of God's house, we will not adduce Lutherans, or Heretics; but we will place before us, the very words of their own friends, and warmest advocates. The Sainted Bernard has recorded his opinion; who occupies a conspicuous place in the Calendar on the 20th of August; and in the Services of that Festival, the faithful are taught to pray, that, "they may imitate his faith, who merited to pass from the earthly kingdom to the glory of an heavenly one." And when we consider, that this celebrated Saint, refused all ecclesiastical dignities; and as the humble abbot of Clairvaux, preached up the crusade in the twelfth cenfury; drew up a code of discipline for the Knights Templars; reestablished the Cistertian monks, who are called from him Bernardin monks; combatted the doctrines of the Schoolmen; got the renowned Abelard condemned, by his influence and accusation, of the most pernicious errors, and egregious heresies; left at his death (A. D. 1153) seven hundred monks in the monastery of Clairvaux; instructed Bishops and Popes; and the founder of one hundred and sixty convents; we need scarcely be surprized at the admiration, in which St. Bernard's life and faith, are held, by the Roman Church; and we ourselves are thus warranted, in placing, the utmost reliance on his authority and testimony. (See Mabillon, Annal. Ord. Benedict. tom. vi. passim, in vitâ Sti. Bernardi, which he has prefixed to his edition of the works of that saint. Gibbon's Dec. and Fall, chap. lix., where, if the reader does not admire the historian's approach to coarseness, he cannot refrain, at least, a smile at the flippancy of his