long buried in the ponderous folios where they originally appeared. That supposition, Sir, I am ready most flatly to contradict. The same maxim was prevalent and popular in Spain, and I myself imbibed it with the earliest religious instruction, which that most Roman Catholic Country instilled into my mind. I well recollect, that Bellarmine's maxim (not however as his, but as a doctrine incorporated with the common-sense of the country) was explained to me, on the occasion of the last execution of a heretic in my native town of Seville, when I was between seven and eight years old. The same doctrine was, long after, broached in my presence, by the celebrated Father Vega, of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, who had attended the unhappy victim-a blind old woman-to the stake. He spoke with great feeling (for your priests, Sir, were often bathed in tears on those occasions) of the fate of the poor woman, who was converted too late to save her life, and made her last confession to him on the scaffold. But he rejoiced that the hand of the executioner had put an end to her spiritual danger from heresy, to which he assured the

company (a numerous set of young men preparing for orders) that her mind had been naturally and almost irresistibly inclined. If you feel disposed to know more of Father Vega, give me leave to direct you to my Letters from Spain. I must, however, revert to Bellarmine, and give you, in his own words, the course of policy, which your Church has been following for some time, in regard to this and other Protestant kingdoms.

§3. "When we enter upon the particular question (says the great pillar of Popery) about heretics, or thieves, or other wicked persons, whether they should be extirpated; we must always consider, according to the reason given by our Lord, whether that can be done without detriment to the good; and if so, they should be extirpated without all doubt. But if not, either because they cannot well be known, and there is a danger of making the innocent suffer instead of the guilty; or when they are stronger than ourselves, and there is a danger, lest, if we attack them, there should be a greater loss on our than on their side; then we must be quiet."

Sir; Bellarmine, the man who taught these doctrines, received a cardinal's hat, as a reward and encouragement to his labours, from that Church, which you recognize as the Mother and Mistress of all Churches, and in the communion with which you make your own salvation depend. Think of this, when you next feel inclined to complain of me for saying, that you cling to the source of persecution*.

* I will copy the original authorities on Persecution, which I have translated or alluded to, in the above portion of the text. For the sake of such of my readers as may not understand Greek and Latin, I will add translations of the rest. The passage of Saint Chrysostom is - Ου δει αναιρειν αἱρετικον · επει ὁ πόλεμος ασπονδος εις την οικουμένην εμελλεν εισαγεσθαι. "Heretics should not be destroyed; for this would introduce an endless war into the world." Homil. xlvii, in Matt. ap. Mosheim de Pœnis Heret. p. 501.—It does not appear, however, that Chrysostom applied his principle to methods of persecution short of death.

The passage in Fleury. Ainsi voyons-nous que le concile de Latran sous Alexandre III, reconnoit que l'eglise rejette les executions sanglantes, quoiqu'elle souffre d'être aidée par les loix des princes chrêtiens pour réprimer les heretiques : la maxime a toujours été constante. Mais dans la pratique

IX.

But the moment, Sir, is arrived, when I must begin a remonstrance, which I cannot hope to

on ne l'a pas toujours suivie. (Fleury then proceeds to acknowledge the massacres commanded by the See of Rome, and continues thus) - Si l'on n'épargnoit pas la vie des hérétiques il ne faut pas s'étonner qu'on leur ôtât leurs biens. Aussi avez-vous vû que Gregoire VII offrit à Suenon roi de Danemark, une province très-riche occupée par de hérétiques, pour être le partage d'un de ses fils; comme si l'hérésie etoit un titre légitime de conquête. Depuis, les canonistes ont établi en maxime, que les hérétiques n'ont droit de rien posséder, se fondant sur quelques passages de S. Augustin rapportés par Gratien.

Mais ils ont étendu a tous les héré

tiques et a tous leur biens ce que S. Augustin ne dit que des Donatistes, des amendes pécuniaires décernées contre eux, et des biens d'église qu'on les avoit obligés a rendre. Laissez les reflexions de Gratien, les sommaires et les gloses modernes, et lisez les textes originaux ; vous verrez qu'ils ne respirent que douceur et charité, et qu'il ne s'agit que des restitutions justes, et des peines médicinales pour la conversion des héretiques. Fleury, Disc. sur l'Hist. Ecclesiast. Disc. IV.

Passages from Bellarmine. Denique hæreticis obstinatis beneficium est quod de vitâ tollantur: nam quo diutius vivunt,

conclude in a tone suited to that unruffled style, which, being often used in your writings as a veil to very bitter feelings, has hitherto given you an unfair advantage in this controversy. Clouds of doubt as to your candour and goodnature have, however, been fast settling of late over your name; and the most polite of your adversaries have been forced to conclude in strong terms the addresses which they began in the tone of respect and politeness. I, for one, am forced to declare, that though my notions of your candour towards me were not sanguine, I could not, some time ago, have believed that I should be

eo plures errores excogitant, plures pervertunt, et majorem sibi damnationem acquirunt. - De Laicis, Lib. III, c. xxii, p. 550, ap. Mosheim, de Pœnis heret. p. 490.

"Cum autem in particulari quæstio est vel de hæreticis, vel de furibus, vel de aliis malis, an sint extirpandi, semper considerandum est, juxta rationem Domini, an id possit fieri sine detrimento bonorum, et si quidem potest, sunt procul dubio extirpandi: si autem non possunt, quia vel non sunt satis noti, vel periculum est, ne plectantur innocentes pro nocentibus, vel sunt fortiores nobis, et periculum est, ne, si eos bello aggrediamur, plures ex nobis cadant quam ex illis, tunc quiescendam est."-Id. ib. p. 510.

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