ings. It is the best rule we have to control us in earthly measures, but how often do we find their decision erroneous. Shall we therefore rather take the Bible of infallability for our guide or the explanation of SUCH MEN and blindly believe and obey. Let us do rather as Christ directed" in John 5ch 39th ver.-"Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me". This text being both in the Roman Catholic and Protestant Bible, it may become a matter of propriety for the Roman Catholic to decide whether they will rely on the scriptures or on decrees of popes and councils. B. C. RULES OF THE PROHIBITORY INDEX. For prohibiting the reading of such authors as the Pope disapproves. THE Church of Rome, has one great centre and head, from which emanates all laws, rules and directions, for the vast body of people, scattered in different nations, under that name. These laws, rules &c. are obligatory on them by an oath which they have taken, to believe and obey them. This oath is considered so important, that every oath taken in opposition to it, is perjury in the eyes of the church. This one fact, will exhibit to us, what a power and force the head of this system who is at Rome has upon all his subjects. The effect naturally expected, may be seen in noticing but the course which they pursue, in their intercourse with their Protestant neighbours; still more plainly may it be seen in the things which they seek. They are under oath bound to do nothing, which the church forbids. The church forbids the use of the scriptures in the vulgar tongue,-hence they cannot consistently read them. She forbids the reading of any work unless approved by the inquisitors, Archbishop &c;-hence every man must go to them, enquire of them, and secure permission before he reads any work. Booksellers are not to have any books for sale without the approbation of the archbishops. What a delightful time it would be, if the archbishop would search all the book stores, and order all the books he disapproved of to be burned. This surely he would be required to do, if circumstances would allow. Printers as will be seen below in rule 10, sect. 5, are to have spies in their offices, who shall pry into things that they are doing that they may enable the inquisitors of heretical pravity effectually to complete their work. Below we print the rules for prohibiting books, as issued under Pope Pius V. by order of the Council of Trent. They are a complete system prepared to tyranize over the mind of man, to prohibit him, from seeing, hearing, or knowing any thing but what his Roman confessor will teach him. Oh! What would man and the world be if such men were permitted to rule in their wickedness and tyranny! The cells of their Cathedrals would be filled with men of piety and learning; waiting the holy acts of the holy inquisition. Here is the work of these holy inquisitors,-hunting out, those that read contrary to the index. Violation of these rules demands punishment. Could Huss and Jerome of Prague speak, they would tell us the meaning of that punishment that will fall upon those who write and publish contrary to the Index; and Galileo would tell what befalls those who dare investigate beyond the knowledge of the holy church. The Latin original of these rules will be found in the introduction to the index of books. The edition which we use, and in which they are found, is that printed at Rome in 1819, with additions up to 1827. In some future No. we shall give a more particular account of the indexes, and a specimen of the books there enrolled as prohibited. Rules of the Index, issued by order of the Holy Council of Trent. "1. All books condemned by the supreme pontiffs, or general councils, before the year 1515, and not comprised in the present Index, are nevertheless, to be considered as condemned. "2. The books of heresiarchs, whether of those who broached or disseminated their heresies prior to the year above mentioned, or of those who have been, or are, the heads or leaders of heretics, as Luther, Zuingle, Calvin, Bathshasar Pacimontanus, Swenchfeld, and other similar ones, are altogether forbidden, whatever may be their names, titles, or subjects. "The books of other heretics, which treat professedly upon religion, are totally condemned. "But those which do not treat upon religion are allowed to be read, after being examined and approved by Catholic divines, by order of the bishops and inquisitors. "Those Catholic books also are permitted to be read, which have been composed by authors who have afterwards fallen into heresy, or who, after their fall, have returned into the bosom of the church, provided they have been approved by the the ological faculty of some Catholic u niversity, or by the general inquisition. "3. Translations of ecclesiastical writers, which have been hitherto published by condemned authors, are permitted to be read, if they contain nothing contrary to sound doctrine. "Translations of the Old Testament may also be allowed, but only to learned and pious men, at the discretion of the bishop; PROVIDED they use them merely as elucida tions of the vulgate version, in order to understand the Holy Scriptures, and not as the sacred text itself. "But translations of the New Testament made by authors of the first class of this Index, are allowed to no one, since little advantage, but much danger, generally arises from reading them. "If notes accompany the versions which are allowed to be read, or are joined to the vulgate edition, they may be permitted to be read by the same persons as the versions, after the suspected places have been expunged by the theological faculty of some Catholic university, or by the general inquisitor. "On the same conditions also,pious and learned men may be permitted to have what is called Vatablus's Bible, or any part of it. "But the preface and prolegomena of the Bible published by Isidorus Clarus are, however suspected: and the text of his editions is not to be considered as the text of the vulgate edition. 4 Inasmuch as it is manifest from experience, that if the Holy Bible, translated into the vulgar tongue, be indiscriminately allowed to every one, the temerity of men will cause more evil than good to arise from it, it is, on this point, referred to the judgment of the bishops, or inquisitors, who may, by the advice of the priests or confessor, permit the reading of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue by Catholic authors, to those persons whose faith and piety, they apprehend, will be augmented, and not injured by it; and this permission they must have in writing. "But if any one shall have the presumption to read or possess it with out such written permission, he shall not receive absolution until he have first delivered up such Bible to the ordinary. "Booksellers, however, who shall sell, or otherwise dispose of Bibles in the vulgar tongue, to any person not having such permission, shall for feit the value of the Books, to be applied by the bishop to some pious use; and be subjectd by the bishop to such other penalties as the bishop shall judge proper, according to the quality of the offence. "But regulars shall neither read nor purchase such Bibles without a special license from their superiors. "5. Books of which heretics are the editors, but which contain little or nothing of their-own, being mere compilations from others, as lexicons concordances, apophthegms, similies, indexes, and others of a similar kind, may be allowed by the bishops and inquisitors, after having made, with the advice of Catholic divines, such corrections and emendatious as may be deemed requisite. "6. Books of controversy betwixt the Catholics and heretics of the present time, written in the vulgar tongue,are not to be indiscriminately allowed, but are to be subject to the same regulations as Bibles in the vulgar tongue. "As to those works in the vulgar tongue, which treat of morality, contemplation, confession, and similar subjects, and which contain nothing contrary to sound doctrine, there is no reason why they should be prohibited; the same may be said also of sermons in the vulgar tongue, designed for the people. "If in any kingdom or province, any books have been hitherto prohi. bited, as containing things not proper to be read, without selection, by all sorts of persons, they may be allowed by the bishop and inquisitor, after having corrected them, if writ ten by Catholic authors. "7. Books professedly treating of lascivious or obscene subjects, or narrating, or teaching them, are ut terly prohibited, since, not only faith but morals, which are readily corrupted by the perusal of them, are to be attended to; and those who possess them shall be severely punished by the bishop. "But the works of antiquity, writ ten by the heathens, are permitted to be read, because of the elegance and propriety of the language; though on no account shall they be suffered to be read by young persons. "8. Books, the principal subject of which is good, but in which some things are occasionally introduced tending to hersey and impiety, divination or superstition, may be allowed, after they have been corrected by Catholic divines, by the authority of the general inquisition. "The same judgment is also formed of prefaces, summaries, or notes, taken from the condemned authors, and inserted in the works of authors not condemned; but such works must not be printed in future, until they have been amended. "9. All books and writings of geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, onomancy, chiromancy, and necromancy; or which treat of sorceries. poisons, auguries, auspices, or magical incantations, are utterly rejected. "The bishops shall also diligently guard against any persons reading or keeping any books, treatises, or indexes, which treat of judicial astrology, or contain presumptuous predictions of the events of future contingencies, and fortuitous rences, or of those actions which depend upon the will of man. Occur But such opinions and observations of natural things as are written in aid of navigation, agriculture, and medicine, are permitted. "10. In the printing of books or other writings, the rules shall be observed, which were ordained in the 10th session of the council of Lateran, under Leo X. "Therefore, if any book is to be printed in the city of Rome it shall first be examined by the Pope's Vi. car and the master of the sacred palace, or other persons chosen by our most holy father for that purpose. "In other places, the examination of any book or manuscript intended to be printed shall be referred to the bishop, or some skilful person whom he shall nominate, and the inquisitor of heretical pravity of the city or di ocese in which the impression is executed, who shall gratuitously and without delay affix their approbation to the work in their own handwriting, subject, nevertheless, to the pains and censures contained in the said decree; this law and condition being added, that an authentic copy of the book to be printed, signed by the author himself, shall remain in the hands of the examiner. "But it is the judgment of the fathers of the present deputation, that those persons who publish works in manuscript, before they have been examined and approved, should be subject to the same penalties as those who print them; and that those who read or possess them should be considered as the authors, if the real authors of such writings do not avow themselves. "The approbation given in writing shall be placed at the head of the books, whether printed or in manuscript, that they may appear to be duly authorised; and this examination and approbation, &c. shall be granted gratuitously. "Moreover, in every city and diocese, the house or places where the art of printing is exercised, and also the shops of booksellers, SHALL BE PERSONS DEPUTED FOR THAT PURPOSE BY THE FREQUENTLY VISITED BY BISHOP OR HIS VICAR, CONJOINTLY CAL PRAVITY, SO THAT NOTHING THAT IS PROHIBITED MAY "Booksellers of every description shall keep in their libraries a catalogue of the books which they have on sale, signed by the said deputies; nor shall they keep or sell, nor in any way dispose of any other books, without permission from the deputies, under pain of forfeiting the books, and being liable to such other penalties as shall be judged proper by the bishop or inquisitor, who shall also punish the buyers, readers, or printers of such works. 43 "If any person import foreign books into any city, they shall be obliged to announce them to the deputies; or if this kind of merchandize be exposed to sale in any public place, the public officers of the place shall signify to the said deputies, that such books have been brought; but no one shall presume to give to read, or lend, or sell, any` book which he or any other person has brought into the city, until he has shown it to the deputies and obtained their permission, unless it be a work well known to be universally allowed. "Heirs and testamentary executors shall make no use of the books of the deceased, nor in any way transfer them to others, until they have presented a catalogue of them to the deputies, and obtained their licence. "But in all cases of refusal, they shall be subject to the confiscation of the books, or the infliction of such other punishment as the bishop or inquisitor shall deem proper, according to the contumacy or quality of the delinquent. "With regard to those books which the fathers of the present deputation shall examine, or correct, or deliver to be corrected, or permit to be reprinted on certain conditions, others shall be booksellers and bound to observe whatever is ordained respecting them. "The bishops and general inquisiitors shall, nevertheless, be at liberty, according to the power they possess, to prohibit such books as may seem to be permitted by these rules, if they deem it necessary for the good of the kingdom, or province,jor dio cese. Let the secratery of these fathers, according to the command of our holy father, transmit to the notary of the general inquisitor, the names of the books that have been corrected, as well as of the persons to whom the fathers have granted the power of examination. "Finally, it is enjoined on all the faithful, that no one presume to keep or read any books contrary to these rules, or prohibited by this Index. But if any one keep or read any books composed by heretics, or the writings of any author suspected of heresy or false doctrine, he shall instantly incur the sentence of excommunication. "Those who read or keep works terdicted on another account, besides the mortal sin committed, shall be severely punished at the will of the bishops.' BULL OF POPE PIUS VII. AGAINST BIBLE SOCIETIES. If opposition to the words of the living God, be opposition to God himself, there is a very simple exposition of that passage "wно oppoSETH, and exalleth himself above all that is called God, &c. (2. Thes. II. 4.) Surely there cannot be greater evidence of hostility-of opposition to the Lord,than the published opinions of Pius VII. in which he says "he is shocked at the crafty device, by which the very foundations of religion are undermined”—“a pestilence" 66 a defilement of the faith, imminently dangerous to souls"—"impious machinations""a nefarious scheme of wickedness" -"tares which the adversary has sown." These are the epithets applied by the pope, the holy head of the only holy church, to the circulation of the word of God. He is shocked at the audacity and wickedness of men, who are engaged in spreading the Word of Life, and he charges upon his Bishops (who are bound on oath to obey him) that they perform whatever they can, by power, counsel, or authority, to oppose the same. They in so doing are fighting the battles of the Lord, and he assures them that he has conferred in council with Cardinals &c. and deliberated upon the measures to put a stopto it, &c. Read this Bull and when you are done, answer the question, Who is it that opposeth and exalteth himself, &c? Translation of the Bull against Bible Societies, issued June 29th, 1816, bishop of GNESN, Primate of Poland. by POPE PIUS VII. to the Arch PIUS P. P. VII. VENERABLE BROTHER, Health and apostical benediction. In our last letter to you we promised, very soon, to return an anappealed to this Holy See, in the swer to yours; in which you have name of the other Bishops of Poland, respecting what are called Biquired of us what you ought to do in ble Societies, and have earnestly inthis affair. We long since, indeed, wished to comply with your request; concerns have so pressed upon us on most crafty device, by which the very |