Finisher of faith, Jesus Christ, will at last console us all in the tribulations which have found us exceedingly. To you, venerable brethren, and to the flocks committed to your care, we most lovingly impart, as auspicious of celestial help, the Apostolic benediction.

Dated at Rome, from St. Mary Major's, August 15th, the festival of the assumption of the same blessed Virgin Mary, the year of our Lord 1832, of our pontificate the second.

Mariotti, a modern Italian author and patriot, who is evidently fully acquainted with the sentiments of his countrymen, whilst he states that the infidel feeling, which was described by Gregory XVI. in 1833, had greatly subsided, affirms that among the educated Italians there exists a general desire for the reform of the Catholic religion, whilst at present every Italian carries his own creed within his own breast; a fact which strikingly exhibits the difference between uniformity of discipline and worship, and unity of inward faith.

Italy past and present, by L. Mariotti. (London, 1848.)

"Certainly a thinking Catholic, assisting at the ceremony where a hundred thousand people are prostrated in adoration before the vial in which the blood of St. Januarius is boiling, has occasion to blush at the creed of his fathers; but a warmhearted Protestant, on his way to a meeting, crossing a hundred currents of people walking in opposite directions, must feel a chill through his veins at the thought that all those people are treading in the path of error and perdition. The Reformed denominations have always aimed to preserve religion in its simplicity and purity; the Catholics have laboured to maintain it in its splendour and majesty. The Protestants have kindled their persuasion in the light of reason; the Catholics have tempered their faith in the flames of charity. There is more in Protestantism to satisfy the mind; in Catholicism more to fill the heart.*

As such considerations prevail in Italy among the most enlightened friends of religion, the unity of faith and worship will, according to all probabilities, be preserved in its form,

If he had said there is more in Protestantism to fill the heart, in Catholicism more to fill the imagination, he would have been nearer the truth.

though under more large and liberal views. Prelates and cardinals, abbeys and nunneries, inquisition and censure, auricular confession, indulgences and purgatory-all these are rapidly losing their influence for ever; but Catholicism as a name is still revered. The most conscientious Christian in Italy has made his protest within the privacy of his heart, without being driven to an open profession of apostasy. Every man forms his sect by himself, and all those individual creeds meet in one church, as if for a tacit compact of mutual forbearance."

Whilst so many Roman divines hold forth Peter as the foundation of the Church against which the gates of hell are not to prevail, the Council of Trent, in one of its early sittings, declared that the Nicene Creed was the only foundation.

Concilii Tridentini, sessio tertia, celebrata die 4 mensis Februarii, An. Chr. 1546. (Paris. 1823.)

Decretum de Symbolo fidei.

Quare symbolum fidei, quo sancta Romana ecclesia utitur, tanquam principium illud, in quo omnes, qui fidem Christi profitentur necessariò conveniunt, ac fundamentum firmum et unicum, contra quod portæ inferi nunquam prævalebunt, totidem verbis, quibus in omnibus ecclesiis legitur, exprimendum esse censuit. Quod quidem ejusmodi est.

Credo in unum Patrem omnipotentem factorem cœli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium, &c. &c.

Dupin states that there was no epistle from Laodicea. Nouvelle Bibliothèque des Auteurs Ecclesiastiques, p. L. E. Dupin. tom. i. (Utrecht. 1731.)

De l'epitre aux Laodicéens, et de quelques autres attribuées a St. Paul.

Outre les quatorze epitres de St. Paul, quelques anciens en ont encore citè une addressée aux Laodicéens, et effectivement nous avons presentement une epitre rapportée par S. Anselme, par Sixte de Sienne, et par Stapulensis, et inserèe dans quelques bibles d'Allemagne, écrite au nom de S. Paul aux Laodicéens.

Ce qui a donné occasion de supposer cette lettre, comme

remarque Theodoret, c'est que St. Paul a la fin de l'Epitre aux Colossiens leur recommande de faire lire par rles Laodicéens la lettre qu'il leur a ecrite, et de lire chez eux celle des Laodicéens; c'est ce qui a fait croire, qu'il y avoit une lettre écrite aux Laodicéens en même temps que celle aux Colossiens, et ce qui a aussi donnè lieu a Marcion de changer le titre de l'epitre aux Ephesiens, et de lui donner le nom d'epitre aux Laodicéens. Mais c'est une erreur fondée sur l'ignorance du Grec. Car il n'y est point parlè en cet endroit d'aucune lettre de St. Paul aux Laodicéens, mais d'une lettre écrite de Laodicée. Quelqu'uns croient que c'est l'epitre a Timothée, qu'ils se sont imaginés avoir été ecrite de cette ville. Mais il est bien plus probable de dire avec Chrysostom, Theodoret, Photius, et Ecumenius; que c'etoit une lettre écrite a St. Paul de Laodicée par les Chretiens de cette ville, et c'est pour cette raison, qu'elle est appellée dans notre Vulgate la lettre des Laodicéens.

Or comme on a conclu de cet endroit de l'epître aux Colossiens mal entendu, que S. Paul avoit ecrit une lettre aux Laodicéens, de même on a conclu, qu'il avoit ecrit une troisiéme lettre aux Corinthiens d'un passage tiré de la premiére epître écrite aux Chretiens de Corinthe c. v. 10, 11, que voici, "Je vous ai ecrit dans ma lettre de ne vous point mêler avec les fornicateurs." Mais comme remarque S. Chrysostom, cette lettre est celle-la meme qu'il ecrivoit, et le sens est, quand je vous viens d'ecrire dans cette lettre de ne vous point méler avec les fornicateurs, je n'entends pas des fornicateurs de ce monde.

No decision respecting the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.

Concilii Tridentini sessio quinta, An. Dom. 1546. (a Paris, 1823.)

Decretum de peccato originali.

Declarat tamen hæc ipsa sancta synodus, non esse suæ intentionis comprehendere in hoc suo decreto, ubi de peccato originali agitur, beatam et immaculatam Virginem Mariam, Dei genetricem ; sed observandas esse constitutiones Sixti Papæ IV. sub pœnis in eis constitutionibus contentis, quos innovat.

2 K 2

In the Appendix to the above edition of the Council of Trent.

Constitutiones antiquæ per Concilium Trid. innovatæ. Sane cùm sancta Romana ecclesia de intemeratæ semperque Virginis Mariæ conceptione publicè festum solemniter celebret, et speciale ac proprium super hoc officium ordinaverit : nonnulli ut accepimus, diversorum ordinum prædicatores, in suis sermonibus ad populum publicè per diversas civitates et terras affirmare hactenus non erubuerunt, et quotodiè prædicare non cessant, omnes illos, qui tenent, aut asserunt eamdem gloriosam et immaculatam Dei genetricem absque originalis peccati maculâ fuisse conceptam mortaliter peccare, vel esse hæreticos; ejusdem immaculatæ conceptionis officium celebrantes audientesque sermones illorum, qui eam sine hujusmodi maculâ conceptam esse affirmant, peccare graviter: sed et præfatis prædicationibus non contenti, confectos super his suis assertionibus libros in publicum ediderunt; ex quorum assertionibus et prædicationibus non levia scandala in mentibus fidelium exorta sunt, et majora meritó exoriri formidantur in dies. Nos igitur hujusmodi temerariis ausibus, ac perversis assertionibus ac scandalosis, quæ exinde in Dei ecclesiâ exoriri possunt, quantùm nobis ex alto conceditur, obviare volentes; motu proprio, non ad alicujus nobis super hoc oblatæ petitionis instantiam, sed de nostrâ merâ deliberatione et certâ scientiâ, hujusmodi assertiones prædicatorum eorumdem et aliorum quorumlibet, qui affirmare præsumerent, eos qui crederent aut tenerent eamdem Dei genetricem ab originalis peccati maculâ in suâ conceptione præservatum fuisse, proptereà alicujus hæresis labe pollutos fore, vel mortaliter peccare: aut hujusmodi officium conceptionis celebrantes, seu hujusmodi sermones audientes, alicujus peccati reatum incurrere, utpote falsas et erroneas, et a veritate penitus alienas; editosque desuper libros prædictos id continentes, quoad hoc, auctoritate apostolicâ, tenore præsentium reprobamus et damnamus; ac motu, scientiâ, et auctoritate prædictis statuimus et ordinamus, quòd prædicatores verbi Dei et quicumque alii, cujuscumque statûs, gradûs, aut ordinis, aut conditionis fuerunt, qui de cætero ausu temerario præsumpserint in eorum sermonibus ad populum, seu aliàs quomodolibet affirmare, hujusmodi sic per nos improbatas et damnatas assertiones veras esse,

aut dictos libros pro veris legere, tenere, vel habere, postquam de præsentibus scientiam habuerint, excommunicationis sententiam eo ipso incurrunt, a quâ ab alio quàm a Romano Pontifice (nisi in motis articulo) nequeant absolutionis beneficium obtinere. Item motu, scientiâ, et auctoritate similibus, simili pœnæ ac censuræ subjicientes eos, qui ausi fuerint asserere contrariam opinionem tenentes, videlicet gloriosam Virginem Mariam cum originali peccato fuisse conceptum, hæresis crimen, vel peccatum incurrere mortale; cùm nondum sit a Romanâ ecclesiâ et apostolicâ sede decisum; non obstantibus constitutionibus et ordinationibus apostolicis contrariis quibuscumque.

Magnum Bullarium Romanum. (Luxemburghi, 1727.)
Alexander Septimus, An. Dom. 1661.

Innovatio constitutionum et decretorum in favorem sententiæ asserentis animam B. Mariæ Virginis in suâ creatione et in corpus infusione a peccato originali preservatam fuisse editorum.

Pergunt aliqui contrariæ illius opinionis assertores, contra præfatas prohibitiones tum privatim, tum publicè præfatam sententiam aut impugnare aut vellicare, et favorem a Romanis pontificibus cultu et festo secundum illam præstitam ita interpretari, ut frustrentur unde offensiones, scandala, et jurgia, quibus obviare voluerint Paulus V., et Gregorius XV., nostri prædecessores, perdurant adhuc.

Vetamus autem, Sixti IV., constitutionibus inhærentes, quempiam asserere, quod propter hoc contrariam opinionem tenentes, videlicet gloriosam Virginem Mariam cum originali peccato fuisse conceptam hæresis crimen, aut mortale peccatum incurrant; cum a Romanâ ecclesiâ et ab apostolicâ sede nondum fuerit hoc decisum, prout non nunc minimé decidere volumus, aut intendimus; quin potius contrariam illam opinionem hæresis aut peccati mortalis, aut impietatis damnare audentes, præter pœnas, quibus eos subjecit Sixtus IV., aliique prædecessores nostri Romani pontifices, gravioribus aliis pœnis subjicimus, quas in contrafacientes huic nostræ constitutioni superius infleximus.