"In perusing the admirable treatise of Tacitus on the manners of the Germans, we find it is from that nation the English have borrowed the idea of their political government. This beautiful system was invented first in the woods. As all human things have an end, the state we are speaking of will lose its li

:-a

and insidiously, received, the power, influence, and dignity of temporal princes, from the hands of usurpers,- -as the gift of rebellion, of rapine, and of conquest;-aided, by the ridiculously absurd fiction, of the forged document of the Donation of Constantine : most barefaced imposition, which, the superstition and credulity, commingled with the ignorance and darkness of the eighth century,— at the close of which, this scandalous fabrication, was ushered out to the world, under the introduction of an epistle from Pope Adrian the First, for the pious imitation of Charlemagne ! ;-enabled its advocates to erect an amazing superstructure of wealth, power, and sovereignty :--but the honesty of a Sabine Monastery, so early as the twelth century, declared it a cheat and fraud (Muratori's "Script. Rerum Italicarum," tom. ii. pars. ii. p. 637 &c. Edit. of Milan.) ; and the fictitious deed, has been transpierced by the pens of almost all the most learned scholars,-not even, excepting, the most powerful Roman advocates, that have lived since the fifteenth century; who, have all pronounced the Donation of Constantine,-which Popes themselves once recommended and urged as genuine, upon their infallible authority;--to be a detestable imposture !!! (See Pagi's Critique upon Baronius' Annals. Bayle, Dictionaire Critique," under the article, Valla. For, Valla (Laurentius) very vehemently attacked the Donation of Constantine, in a most powerful treatise ; and bitterly condemned the gross immorality of the Clergy, for which he was banished from Rome; but the patronage and hospitality of Alfonso, king of Arragon and Naples, sheltered him from the vengeance of the infuriated priests; he was recalled and died at Rome, A. D. 1457; of whom, see an interesting account, also, in Tiraboschi, "Storia della Letteratura Italiana, Mill's Travels of Ducas, vol. 1. p. 161, and Vossius, "de Historicis Latinis," p. 580. With the sentiments of Valla, we find that, Guicciardini,—the devoted creature of the Popes, whom Leo X. appointed Advocate of the Consistory,-perfectly coincides, in his celebrated "Istoria d'Italia :"-at the end of the fourth book of the recent editions of Guicciardini's history, there is a most spirited, valuable, and faithful outline, of the rise of the temporal power of the Popes, and the state of that power, at the commencement of the sixteenth century. It is universally considered a masterpiece of historical sketching, and extremely interesting, for many sources of information were open to Guicciardini. The later editions of Guicciardini are only satisfactory; as no edition prior to the one printed under the name of Friburgo, 1775, though really printed at Florence, in four volumes quarto, contains his strictures, on the court of Rome, and no pas

berty, will perish. Have not Rome, Sparta, and Carthage perished? It WILL PERISH, when the LEGISLATIVE POWER, shall be MORE CORRUPT than the EXECUTIVE." (Montesquieu, de l'Esprit des Lois, liv. xi. chap. 6.)

Now, Sir, at such an extraordinary a crisis as this, when, there appear firmly united, the discordant elements of hitherto opposing bodies,-the one affording an irresistible attraction to the other, and both unnaturally united, to gain their proposed object ;-we are led to mourn over the palpable mockery-the complete annihilation, of stedfast, unvarying principles; -and to suppose, that profession is mere hypocrisy ; or, at best, but an ignis fatuus to allure the unwary, and inexperienced. For, what can we say of those Modern Liberals-those Political Harlequins, who, now since they are no longer among the grovelling ranks of hungry retainers, but have wisely abandoned the barren wastes-the Arabian wilds of opposition;

sages of that tendency were allowed, as might be expected, to appear in the early editions. And Baronius in his " Annales Ecclesiastici," considers the document to be, no less, than a forgery of the Greeks!!! If the general reader, refer to the very celebrated work, of Machiavelli, of Florence, entitled, Discorsi sopra Tito Livio," he will find a congenial partner, in this very notorious philosophic politician, to the history of Guicciardini. Machiavelli, in that well-known book, attributes, not only the division of Italy into petty states, and the weakness and misfortunes of that country, to the ambition and avarice of the Holy See, but the general depravity, the decline of good morals and religion, to the evil example of the Roman Court! He censures the Popes for introducing foreign princes into Italy, and rendering that fair region the scene of war. The Popes, says he, no sooner make a prince powerful than they repent of their goodness or policy. They then endeavour to destroy him, not wishing that any other person should possess a country which their weakness would not permit them to possess themselves! Machiavelli's works were printed after his death, with the infallible Privilege of Pope Clement VII. We might well ask-did his Holiness read them before he gave the privilege of his name? Infallibility, strange to say, delights in contradictions. A few years afterwards Pope Paul IV., revoked the privilege of Clement VII., the entire works of Machiavelli were put into the Index of Prohibited Books, and were also condemned by the Council of Trent! ! !)

[To be continued.]

-and fattening themselves on the rich and fertilized pastures of power; have, at length, turned their bankruptcy into riches, and their sycophancy into arrogance? What are we to think of those grossly demoralizing examples-of those luminous beaconsof the age? In what light, are we to regard these professors of all religions, and, yet according to their own unprincipled maxims, attached to none? What opinion are we to hold of those accommodating personages, who, have been pleased to allow themselves, to be elected honorary members of any sect, any creed, any religion;-provided their own darling interests, either of ambition, popularity, or avarice, be fully secured? If there, yet, be any established principles, any unwavering virtue, any unchangeable truth, any unyielding profession of religion, any uncompromising rectitude in the land; what, I ask, must the estimable possessors of such noble, such rare, and godlike excellencies, think of the sinuous windings of men, who regard any sect with equal indifference, or any profession of religion as a matter, perfectly insignificant? It is true, they may in their defence, strongly urge, that they separate politics from religion. If charity, then, give them this plea; the consequence to society is equally pernicious; and the results quite as dangerous. They then, avowedly, press on in their unhallowed career, without one single adequate guarantee to the Country,-either for the integrity of their motives, the sincerity of their patriotism, or the disinterestedness of their views. They blindly follow the ill-directed impulse of their own mis-guided passions:-they worship the idol, which their own juandiced caprices have erected :—they furnish to society a precedent of no higher motive of action, of no stronger tone of morality, than the approving smiles, or lowering frowns, of a capricious mob :-and practically evidence to mankind, the glaring absurdity, the revolting impiety, of acknowledging a Providence only in the minuter concerns of life; but totally reject, in the government of nations, or of empires, the over

;

ruling, directing, Providence of that Almighty Being, who, whilst, "He numbers the very hairs of our heads" (Matt. x. 30.), and notices even "the fall of a sparrow on the ground" (v. 29.) ;— rules in the kingdom of men" (Dan. iv. 32.) ;—“ by whom kings reign, and princes decree justice" (Prov. viii. 15.);—for "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord” (Prov. xxi. 1.) ;—and so in this relation, the Deity has been designated, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,"" the Governor among the nations" (Ps. xxii. 28.),-and "as doing according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. iv. 35.). But, whatever may be the latent spring of the policy of the present times, and of the actors on the stage of public affairs ;-who, are so eagerly panting, to throw down every mound of separation; and every defensive barrier, which had been religiously, and firmly, by the experience and wisdom of our pious ancestors, established,-for the combating of error, and the defence of truth;-just as if error, even in concerns the most awfully momentous, were no longer to be regarded; and as for truth, it was no where to be found;-or if found, altogether beneath the enlightened policy of high minded Statesmen to protect, or uphold:-still, the effects of such a disgusting policy on the broad surface of the diversified walks of society, will soon spring up, to evidence to all around the diabolical machinations of men, who professedly stand forward,-to benefit the Ark of the Truth of Almighty God-the Church; and to enhance the interests of the State-whose most important task-whose greatest honour, and surest cement, consist, in the guardianship of the Church of Christ; -by the congenially united labours of Papists, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics!!!

It might, in truth, Sir, be deemed superfluous, to make you the vehicle of laying before the Public, any formal catalogue, of the overt acts of determined hostility, in the Administration, of every passing year,

to the secure maintenance of Truth; and to the defensive mounds, which were once upreared, to resist the overwhelming invasion, and ruinous influx, of Error. It would draw me off, to a very disproportionate extent, from the particular object, which at first, induced me to address you,-to state, in detail, the very numerous examples, afforded by recent experience, of the immense vantage-ground, given to almost every species of Error,-from that period, when all Tests have been obliterated. For, thus, the sanction of British Law has been given, to the idolatrous worshippers of a humanly-made, material, wafer Deity-to the Creators of the Creator ;-to the Workmen, and Eaters, of "the true, real, and substantial Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Pope Pius IV. Orthodox standard of Faith); and to those that vauntingly, and tearlessly, sacrifice the self-same Christ, that offered himself upon the cross, as well, forsooth, for the living, as "for the dead in Christ, not yet fully purged from their sins" (Council of Trent, Sess. 22. c. 2.) :—just as if this renewed, inhuman, and merciless Murder of the "Lord of Glory," by sinfully polluted hands, were of more saving efficacy, than "the blood of Christ which cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John, i. 7.) ;-" who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God" (Heb. ix. 14.);—and our sins are expiated, by "the offering of Jesus Christ once for all" (Id. x. 10.) -whilst, inasmuch as, Christ, "after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God" (Id. v. 12.) ;—and, “by ONE OFFERING hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are SANCTIFIED" (Id. v. 14.) ;—and as by FAITH, in this all-sufficient sacrifice our "sins and iniquities are to be remembered no more" (Id. v. 17.),—so, ha st he Apostle declared the glad intelligence to all ages, that, because, herein, is "plenteous redemption" and "remission," there is, therefore,

NO MORE OFFERING

FOR SIN" (Id. v. 18.) At the same time, with an unaccountable absurdity, as likely to produce the