political peace-making influence, and Christianity her own proper principle of an uniting, individualising character. The peace of religion was also deeply injured by most erroneous and dangerous principles; and by the continuation of the so-called Protestantism-a something eminently contradictory-a revolu tionary government was permanently established.

"In the mean time this character was far from forming the only pure ground on which Protestantism was built; for Luther altogether treated Christianity in an arbitrary manner. He mistook its spirit, and introduced another character, and another religion-the holy all-availableness of the Bible; and thereby, alas! another extremely foreign earthly science was mixed up with religious matters-philology, whose destructive influence from that time has been but too manifest. From a vague feeling of this error, Luther himself was at once raised to the rank of an evangelist by a great part of the Protestants, and his translation of the Scriptures was canonised.* This choice was exceedingly injurious to a religious mind; for nothing so destroys its sensitive nature, as the mere letter. In former days, the "esoteric" character of the Bible could not have become so injurious, on account of the great extent, the rich material of Catholic faith, together with the authority of holy councils, and that of the spiritual Head of the Church. But these were annihilated at the Reformation, and the absolute popularity (authority?) of the Bible asserted; and now the mere barren contents, a raw abstract sketch of religion, appeared the more marked in those books, and made every free examination and manifestation extremely difficult for a religious mind. Hence, in the history of Protestantism, there appears no great and heavenly manifestation of supernatural feeling; only in its commencement a transient fire gleams from the heavens; but afterwards the "dryness" in the religious mind is remarkable. The earthly gained the ascendancy; a taste for the encouragement of the arts suffered sympathetically. Now and then a pure ethereal vital spark shoots up, and joins to itself a small community. This is extinguished, and the society again separates, and descends on with the stream. Such was the case with Zinzendorf, Jacob Bolime, and others. The Moderatists have gained the upper hand, and the time approaches when we shall see a complete prostration of the higher organs—a period of practical unbelief."

The following sketch of the Jesuits (written about the end of the last century) is remarkable, though not without obvious errors:

Happily for the ancient state, a new order now arose, upon which the dying spirit of the hierarchy seems to have poured out its last gifts; an order that, with new energy, with wonderful judgment, perseverance, and unheard-of wisdom, prepared itself to support the Papal State, and to undertake its more mighty regeneration. Such a society had never before appeared in the world.

• His translation is certainly remarkable for elegance and purity of style. But he was not sufficiently learned to make a translation from the original: he is also guilty of several seemingly WILFUL mistranslations. See, especially 1 Cor. chap. ix. 5.

Even the Roman senate of old had not matured its plans for the conquest of the world with greater certainty of success. Never had the carrying out of a great idea been planned with greater judgment. This society will for ever remain a pattern for all other societies that feel a true longing for boundless extension, and a lasting continuance; at the same time, also, we have a proof that circumstances of time, when unwatched, baffle the wisest plans; and that the natural increase of the whole human race continually suppresses the artificial increase of a part. Every individuality has a proper and peculiar share of capacity; but the capacity of the human race is immeasuarable. Every plan must fail that is not completely formed upon the bent and dispositions of mankind. This body will be still more remarkable, as the mother of so-called secret societies, one of which is still unripe, but of a germ that is mighty and spiritual.

"The new Lutheranism-not Protestantism-could not have found a more dangerous rival. All the charms of Catholic faith became still more powerful in their hands, and the treasures of knowledge flowed back again into their cells. What the Church had lost in Europe they sought to regain in other parts of the world-in the most remote regions of the east and west, and to make the apostolic dignity and office powerful and influential. They were not behind-hand in their endeavours after popularity, for they well knew how much Luther was indebted to his skill as a demagogue, and to his desire of pleasing the common people. But, above all, they established schools, they occupied the confessionals, they mounted the pulpits, and laboured with the press; they became poets and philosophers, priests and martyrs; and at the prodigious distance of America, Europe, and China, they were united in word and in doctrines by a most wonderful harmony. From their schools the order was recruited with great choice and judgment. Against the Lutherans they preached with destructive zeal, and endeavoured to make the extermination of these heretics to serve as a proof of their earnest allegiance to Catholic Christendom. To them alone were the Catholic States, and especially the Papal throne, indebted for their long continuance after the Reformation. Who knows how old the world would still have looked if weak sovereigns, the envy of princes and other religious orders, court intrigues, &c., had not interrupted their glorious. career, and with them annihilated the last support of the Catholic faith? But now this formidable order slumbers in obscurity on the confines of Europe, perhaps thence to arise, like the people that protect it, and under another name, and with more renovated strength, to extend itself over its ancient home."

Modern philosophy and the commencement of a religious re-action are well depicted in what follows:

"The result of the modern way of thinking people called Philosophy;' and whatever was opposed to antiquity was included in this definition, especially

The Russians.

every attack upon religion. The original personal hatred against the Catholic religion by degrees was turned against the Bible, against Christian faith, and, last of all completely against religion itself. Still more; this hatred of religion very naturally and consequently extended to all objects of enthusiasm; it anathematised imagination and sentiment-morality and love of art-the past as well as the future; with difficulty it placed man in the rank of natural existence; and it represented the endless creative music of the universe as nothing more than the uniform clapper of an immense mill, which being moved by the stream of chance,' and swimming upon it, was supposed to be a self-grinding mill, without architect or miller, a true perpetuum mobile! One species of enthusiasm was, however, generously left to the poor human race, and made essential to the system, as the highest proof of cultivation; an enthusiasm for this glorious, pleasing philosophy, and especially for its priests and leaders. France was happily the seat and centre of this new belief; it was united together by pure knowledge. But although poetry was decried in the new Church, yet there were some poets who, for the sake of effect, still made use of the old ornaments and ancient rights; but hereby they were in danger of inflaming the new system with old fire! Wiser members, however, knew how to throw cold water on those hearers who became too warm. But the members themselves were continually endeavouring to rob nature of her poetry: to banish it from the earth, from the arts and sciences, and even from the soul itself; to destroy every trace of that which was holy; to stigmatise by sarcasm every ennobling recollection of men and events, and to strip the world altogether of its various beauties. 'Light' was their great favourite on account of its boldness and mathematical obedience; they rejoiced more because its rays. could be broken than on account of the splendour of its colours; hence from it they called their own great understanding the Enlightening!'

6

"In Germany this was carried on more deeply and systematically: the system of education was altered, and a new rationalistic form was attempted to be given to the old religion; whilst the idea of every thing wonderful and mysterious was carefully banished from it. All the resources of learning were called forth in order to cut off access to history, whilst men endeavoured to ' ennoble' it by a representation and description of mere fashionable domestic scenes. God was made an idle spectator in their great stirring drama which the learned acted, and which, in the end, was solemnly to entertain and delight the poets and actors.

"The common people were justly 'enlightened' with predilection, and educated in the new enthusiasm; thus arose the modern European Society of Philanthrophists and Illuminators. What a pity that nature should still remain so wonderful and incomprehensible-so poetical and infinite in its beauty-in spite of all these attempts to modernise her! If an ancient superstition,' in a higher world, appeared in any direction, immediately the alarm rose on all sides, and the dangerous spark was extinguished, if possible, by wit and phi

losophy; but still toleration was the watchword of the enlighteners, and in France, especially, it was synonymous with philosophy. The history of modern infidelity is extremely remarkable; it is the key-stone to all the wonderful phenomena of latter times. In this century, and especially the latter part of it, unbelief arose, and, in a short time, increased to a boundless extent and variety: a second Reformation, comprehensive and peculiar, was unavoidable. This must first of all have acted on the country, which in a great measure, was modernised, and for a long time, for want of freedom, had lain in an atheistical state. Long would this heavenly fire have burned-long since would the wise plans of Illuminism' have failed-had not worldly power and influence lent their aid to the State. But in a moment, when dissension broke out between the learned and the Government-between the enemies of Christianity and all their community-religion arose, as a third, tone-giving, interposing member; and now every true friend of hers must recognise and proclaim this advance, even if it be not as yet sufficiently remarkable. That the time of her resurrection hath come, no historical mind can deny; for even the very events that seemed directed against her existence-that threatened her complete downfalhave become the most favourable symtoms of her regeneration. From the destruction of every positive institution, she raises aloft her glorious head, as the new foundress of the world. As man of himself raises up towards heaven, when nothing earthly binds him, so the higher organs spontaneously rise out of their common uniform state unto a perfect freedom from the power and imposition of man, like the seed of every earthly form at first appears. The spirit of God moveth over the waters, and a heavenly island is visible on the receding waves, to become the abode of renovated humanity, the well-spring of eter. nal life."

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

MISSOURI.-New Churches.-Two new churches are in progress of erection and nearly completed in Cole Co., Mo., to be placed under the invocation and patronage of the Apostles of the Indians, St. Thomas and St. Francis Xavier. There are now in Cole--and in the adjoining Osage counties, seven Catholic Churches, St. Ignatius, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of the B. V. M., St. Joseph, St. Thomas and St. Francis Xavier. They are all attended in regular succession by the Rev. F. Helias S. J., who resides near the mouth of the Osage river. A new church has likewise been erected in Mudd's Settlement, Lincoln co, Missouri, under the patronage of the Prince of the Apostles. It is attended once a month by the Rev. James Murphy, of Rall's co. Missouri.

OREGON TERRITORY.--By intelligence received at New-York from Oregon Territory, we learn with pleasure that on the 1st of August last, a Belgian brig arrived at Oregon city, with several Catholic missionaries and religious Sisters, from Belgium. No doubt this is the Belgian brig the Indefatigable, which left Antwerp on the 12th of December 1843, having on board the Rev. Fathers of the Society of Jesus, De Smet of St. Louis, Mo., A. Vercruysse of Belgium, Accolti of Conversaro in the Kingdom of Naples, A. Ravalli of Farrara, J. Nobilis of Rome, and a brother of the same Society, F. Huybrechts of Antwerp. There were, moreover, seven Sisters of Notre Dame on board for the benefit of female education. It is stated that the Methodist Mission has been abandoned, and their mills and other property divided or sold, and the members secured for themselves suitable places for settlement in the colony. So soon as this intelligence reached New-York, a new press, paper, printing-ink, printers &c., were shipped for Oregon, for the purpose of starting there a paper under the control of the Methodist Missionaries.

ILLINOIS.--The days immediately preceding Lent were days of particular devotion for the Catholics of Hanover Settlement, Clinton county, in this state. The Rev. Pastor of St. Boniface, knowing that the days of Carnival are frequently days of dissipation for the people, conceived the happy design to celebrate the forty hours devotion in his church, during which the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar was publicly exposed to the devotion of the faithful. The pious and zealous Pastor was aided in his labours by the Rev. J. Cotting, S. J. of St. Louis, who directed the exercises of the devotion. Almost all the communicants of the congregation, composed of about one hundred and eighty families, attended the exercises, day and night, and approached the Holy Sacraments of penance and the Eucharist.

MICHIGAN-The Brothers of St. Joseph, of Southbend Indiana, have opened a school at Pokegan, a small Indian town in Cass co., Michigan. These Indians, about one hundred and fifty in number, are the only remnant of the Pottowatomie tribe, who have not emigrated towards the West. They are all relatives to the late lamented Indian chief Pokegan, the great warrior and the pious christian, who first among the Pottowatomies, invited the Catholic Missionaries to his wigwain. They are all converts to the Catholic Church, residing on a tract of land, granted by the United States Government to their late lamented leader, and equal in piety and regularity--a community of primitive Christians.

NEW ORLEANS.-On the 3d of February, Mr. Adrian Rouquette, a native of New Orleans, received the holy order of Deaconship, in the Church of St. Mary's, at the hands of the Rt. Rev. Bishop of the See.

WASHINGTON CITY.--Miss Waggoman of this city, the talented and accomplished niece of Mr. Tyler, the President of the United States, has relinquished the world and its follies, and entered the Convent of the Sisters of the Visitation in Baltimore.--Correspondent of Boston Pilot.