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divine miffion. The church of Rome has not only contradicted this command, by prohibiting the reading of the Bible by the laity, but has corrupted the text itself to accommodate it to its own tenets (vide Mofheim's Ecclef. Hiftory.) The word of God declares Chrift to be "the one oblation once offered for the fins of the whole world," who ever liveth to make interceffion for us as "the only mediator between God and man," and that "there is no other name by which men can be faved." The church of Rome teaches the doctrine of a continual facrifice in the mafs, and the neceffity of applying to faints and angels as mediators; thus taking away the honour due unto the Son, and virtually denying the fcriptural doctrine of the atonement. It is very remarkable, that apoftacy from this doctrine (the keystone of Christianity) has occafioned the most violent perfecution of the faithful followers of Chrift as their only Saviour.

P. 180, line 5. The emperor lately published an edict, prohibiting his minifters from being members of the fecret focieties.

The following advertisement, published in April 1795, in the New York Gazette, requires no comment.

Juft published, and for fale by the booksellers, Price 4s. fewed, 6s. bound, Chriftianity Unveiled; being an Examination of the Principles and Effects of the Chriftian Religion. From the French of Boulanger, author of Refearches into the Origin of Oriental Defpotifm, by W. M. Johnson.

Extract from the work:

"Let us not be furprised, that a religion which boasts of being fupernatural, fhould endeavour to unnaturalize man. This religion, in the delirium of its enthufiafm, forbids mankind to love themfelves. It commands them to hate pleasures and court grief. It makes a merit of all voluntary evils they do unto themselves. Hence those aufterities and penances fo deftructive to health; those. extravagant

extravagant mortifications, cruel privations, and gradual fuicides, by which fanatic Chriftians think they merit heaven. It must be confeffed, all Chriftians do not feel themselves capable of fuch marvellous perfections, but all believe themselves more or lefs obliged to mortify the flesh, and renounce the bleffings prepared for them by a bounteous God, who they suppose, offers his good things only that they may be refused, and would be offended fhould his creatures presume to touch them.

"Reason cannot approve virtues which are deftructive to ourselves, nor admit a God who is delighted when mankind render themselves miferable, and voluntarily fubmit to torments.

Page 276. For the word " fallen" read "retired." P. 277. The Report of the Secret Committee of the House of Commons, proves this fpirit to be still at work; and particularly mentions the perverfion of Scripture as one of its chief engines.

Concluding Note of the Fourth Edition.

October 30, 1801.

The most careless obferver of the Events of the paffing hour cannot fail to remark the additional confirmation of the truth of the System laid down in this work. What is the relative State of the Papal and Infidel Powers at this moment? What but the work of degradation going on, on the one hand, and the afcendancy of complete domination on the other? Does not fhe, "who was once the Queen of Nations, and who intoxicated them with her enchantments," now lay proftrate before the Throne of Infidelity, deprecate her wrath, delegate her own authority to this new power, and speak whatever language is dictated to her, to give fpiritual laws to the world? Are the Instruments made use of for this fubverfion of the boafted Infallibility of

the

the Papal Power, the true Worshippers or Proteftants ? See vol. i. p. 405, and vol. ii. p. 49, &c. No. They are of a far different defcription. They belong not to those who came out of her Communion. But we forbear to enlarge upon what has been already fo fully developed. That the threatened inflictions predicted to the See of Rome continue to be given, is evident, from the independent documents, to which we refer. Preferving confiftency of interpretation, which is the Test of Truth, we only advert to events as they pass before us, and leave the application to our Readers.

Sun, October 20.

Translation from the Latin of the Letter written by the

13 French Bishops refident in London, to the Pope, in anfwer to his Brief of the 15th of Auguft, 1801. Dated October 1801.

We will not conceal from your Holiness the heavy anxiety which preffed upon our minds, when first we received the Letter of your Holiness, dated Aug. 15, which is indeed fo great, that as we at all times, thought nothing more incumbent upon us, and had nothing more at heart, than zealously to promote, as far as in our power, your paternal Councils, yet they fhould find us now not only uncertain and fluctuating, but, in a duty of this nature, compel us to be even reluctant to obey. Such is the force of thefe Letters, that if that be done which they enjoin, all the Epifcopal Sees in France will be left vacant at one and the fame point of time. But by what means this fudden abdication of all the Churches of that most extensive Empire is to produce throughout France, the falutary Effect of Unity, and of preferving, or reftoring the Catholic Religion, your Holinefs has not informed us; nor, to confefs the truth, do we as yet fufficiently forefce. Truly, the very experience of all the calamities with which our country has been afflicted for many years fufficiently fhews, that it is not without reafon we dread that by this voluntary and 6 univerfal

univerfal abdication of all the Churches, more grievous inconveniencies would refult to the Catholic Caufe; for which to acquaint your Holinefs with the means of prevention, belongs only to a Convocation of all the Bishops of the Gallican Church.

Nor indeed do we mean to say this, as if it would seem grievous, or a hardship upon us, to resign our rank in these melancholy and troublesome times, but rather that it would as much as poffible conduce to the private happiness of each of us, to have our infirmity relieved from fo great a burthen, if we may ftill think of any thing of happiness or confolation with minds broken by the weight of so many misfortunes. But the line of our duty feems to us fully to require, that we fhould never fuffer that tie which has bound us to the Churches immediately committed, by the providence of the moft great and good God to our care, to be broken.

We earnestly beseech your Holinefs, that in fome writing speedily to be drawn up, we may be permitted to difclofe and enter fomewhat more at large into the arguments upon which we thought right to act in this manner, and the grounds of our refolution. In the mean time, greatly confiding in the affection of your Holiness towards us, we hope it will so happen, that nothing further will be determined in this business before you fhall, in your confummate equity and prudence, weigh the reafons upon which your children fhall plead their caufe before their most pious Father.

Proftrate at the knees of your Holiness, most ardently we invoke the Apoftolic Benediction of your Holiness. The most devoted and dutiful sons

Narbone, Angouleme, Arras, Avranches, &c, &c. &c.

"Is not the hesitation of fome of the bishops, and the refufal of others to refign their fees, made at the expence of that infallibility which is the palladium of the pontifical dignity, and the infeparable attribute of VOL. II. the

the Vicar of Chrift? Is the fure and infallible counfel of the Holy fee fhewn in the maxims and decrees which have. iffued from the Papal Chair in all the fucceffion of paft times, or in the new spirit of the injunction now imposed? Is it fhewn in confecrating the bishops individually to the stations they have filled, or in bidding them abandon them? In maintaining their union with the pope, or in throwing themselves and their ftations into the hands of another, to be dealt with, together with the Church itself, as he shall think fit? The counsel which cannot err, should at least be confiftent, and may be reasonably expected to be found equal, in all times and circumftances, to the maintenance of its own system, but never acceffary to the prejudice, and much less to the fubverfion of that fyftem." See more arguments upon this fubject fully urged in the very able letter fuppofed to be written by one of the remonftrating bishops, in the Sun Paper of October 16.

THE END.