who firft conceived the plan for this purpose, and ufed the ut moft exertions for putting it into execution. In the year 1795 it was propofed that the catholics thould be united as a religious body, agreeably to the rules prefcribed by the conftitution; and, on the fifteenth of March, this circular letter was addreffed by five bishops to their brethren. The epittle begins with the mention of the lamentable ftate of the church from the late perfecution, and the neceffity ot taking the proper fteps for its reftoration. The abufes which had prevailed in it are acknowledged; and its misfortune was fo much the greater as it appeared to be without remedy Those who could remove the evil were infenfible of its ef fects thofe who were fenfible of the injury done to religion could not remove it. From the events which have taken place fince the revolution, God feems in his mercy to have pointed out the time which makes neceffary and renders eafy the reeftablishment of ecclefiaftical difcipline. Religion has no. longer a political foundation in France; and thus all the obftacles to its re-establishment are at once removed. Hencefor ward the reciprocal ties are, on the part of the government, juftice, fafety, protection; on our part, fubmiffion, fidelity, attachment to the republic.' The connexion being thus diffolved between the church and the ftate, the former is compelled to provide fame means for its exiftence in the new order of things; and, for the eftablishment of uniformity in doctrine and difcipline, the calling of a council feems requifite. This is the grand object of the letter; but, as the fituation of the church required that the principles of the writers fhould be well known, they have fubjoined a declaration of their faith and fentiments, from which an opinion may be formed of the ftate of religion among those who ftill adhere to the catholic communion. The first article reprefents the church as the congregation of the faithful, whofe invifible head is Chrift, and whofe vifible head is the pope. The doctrine of the catholic church is acknowledged, and the interpretation, by Boffuet, adopted. The fifth is a very important article. We acknowledge that the government of the church is entirely fpiritual, and that it cannot interfere directly or indirectly with the ftate.' This general and true pofition is not thought fufficient; and, in the twelfth article, the writers defcend more into particulars. Religion prefcribes obedience to the civil power. Following the example of the firft Chriftians, and of the faithful of every age, we confider it as our duty to fubmit to the laws of the republic," to pray for it, to be interested in its profperity, to refpect its magiftrates, and to infpire the faithful, committed to our care, with the fame fentiments. On the fubject of marriage they are guarded, and feem to have drawn the line properly between 6 the temporal and fpiritual powers. We acknowledge that marriages authorised by the civil power ought to enjoy civil benefits; but no human power can alter the purity of gospel morality. The doctrine of the catholic church does not permit divorce; and it prohibits its minifters from giving the nuptial benediction to thofe who are divorced.' In the next article, the celibacy of priefts is required: fome rules are given. for the conduct to be observed towards the divines who fell away in the late perfecution, and for the difcipline which ought to prevail in diocefes and parifhes. The letter feems to have been well received by the clergy; for thirty-four bithops, befides other ecclefiaftics, fubfcribed the articles. It was followed by another of the fame kind on the thirteenth of December. In this fecond letter the fubject of the government of the church was more- particularly enlarged upon; and the neceffity of making it correfpond with the civil arrangements was pointed out from the example of former times, and the obvious utility of fuch an alteration in the church. It was proposed that there should be ten metropolitan churches, that there fhould be an episcopal fee in each department, and that the parishes fhould be ferved by a fingle rector. The mode was pointed out for filling up vacancies in bishoprics and inferior benefices, and plans were formed for defraying the expenfes of the churches, hofpitals, fchools, &c. which thould belong to the community of catholics. In all thefe particulars, reference was made to the writings of the fathers, and decrees of the ancient councils; and there was an evident folicitude not to deviate from what was apprehended to be the doctrine of the catholic church. We will felect fome paffages from which the spirit of this epiftle may be collected. The government of the Chriftian republic is entirely fpiritual, and is founded upon the fcriptures and tradition. Charity is the effence of its character; and the obedience which it requires is conformable to reafon. This government is not monarchical; it was entrusted to all the apoftles, of whom St. Peter was the firft. Jefus Chrift promifed to the apoftles to be with thein to the confummation of the ages. The church cannot deceive or be deceived. Its decifions on faith and morals are infallible; and all the faithful are bound to submit to them. The faithful will not forget that they were horn citi zens before they became Chriftians. By becoming a Chriftian, the citizen has a new obligation to obey the laws of the ftate: the doctrine of Jefus Chrift fanctifies, by the purity of its motives, obedience to the laws, and love to the country. The pope is not the univerfal bithop, or the bishop of bithops. The bishops have received immediately from Chrift the power of conducting the flock committed by the church to their care. The Gallican church neither acknowledges nor receives from Rome any refcripts, bulls, or briefs, until it has been afcertained that these are authentic acts, and do not contain any thing repugnant to the holy canons, to the liberties of the church, or to the laws of the ftate. This church condemns and juftly abhors all pretenfions contrary to the rights of the hierarchy; nor will it allow that France fhould be confidered as a country for miffions, or that the lawful authority of bifhops fhould be fuperfeded by the ufurpation of apoftolical vicars, whofe exiftence was unknown to the primitive church, and is an intolerable scandal to every church properly conftituted. This church detefts the inquifition, and every fpecies of violence exercifed under the name or the pretext of religion. Ecumenical councils hold their power immediately from Jefus Chrift: all catholics, the pope not excepted, are bound to obey them. The affembly for electing a bifhop is compofed of the clergy, and the faithful in the parish. Every citizen who has attained the age of twenty-one years, and who is an acknowledged member of the catholic church, is permitted to vote. When any one has all or two-thirds of the votes, the prefident declares him bishop of the diocefe. If the perfon elected is not a priest, the bishops of the province are to examine him, and to determine the interval within which he hall take orders. To approach as much as poffible to the cuftoms of the primitive church, feven perfons of acknowledged probity, full of prudence and the fpirit of God, shall be elected at a general meeting of the parish, for the management of its temporal affairs. This committee can have no concern with the ceremonies of the church or with its fpiritual government.' Our limits do not permit us to offer farther extracts, or to give the reafons for each of the pofitions which we have quoted. They are drawn up with judgement; and the most affectionate appeals are made as well to the people in general as to thofe clergymen who, having emigrated, would ftigmatife fuch as remain with the name of fchifmatics. It is evident, from a perufal of the whole, that a great body of the catholics are firmly attached to the unity of the church, and the pre-eminence of the pope; but his power is fo reftricted, that it cannot be injurious to the newly established church. The refufal of admitting apoftolical vicars, and the confinement of the dif cipline of the church to bishops and priefs elected by the peopie, muft produce fome extraordinary changes; and it is natural to expect, that in a fhort time the weak tie which con nects the Gallican church with the fee of Rome will be broken, that the fcriptures will be better ftudied, tradition re jected, and the Latin ritual abrogated, Canons et Décrets du Concile National de France, tenu a Paris, en l'an de l'Ere Chrétienne 1797, commencé le 15 Aout (28 Thermidor an 5 de la République Françaife) et terminé le 12 Novembre (22 Brumaire an 6). Mis en Ordre par les Evéques réunis a Paris. Canons and Decrees of the National Council of France, holden at Paris in the Year 1797 (which was opened on the 15th of Auguft, and terminated on the 12th of November); digefted by the Bifhops re-united at Paris. In confequence of the circular letters, and the evident withes of a great body of catholics, a national council met at Paris in the year 1797; and in this volume an account is given of is proceedings. It was attended by thirty-three bifhops, five reprefentatives of vacant fees, and fifty three priefs deputed to reprefent the inferior clergy of diferent diocefes. The council was holden in the metropolitan church; and as it was opened on the day of the affumption of the Virgin Mary, to whom that church is dedicated, the first act was for the renewal of the folemn vow by which catholic France had long been under her particular protection. It was then decreed that letters fhould be addreffed to the clergy, inviting them, in the most affectionate terms, to an union, and alfo one to the pope, to acquaint him with the meeting, and to request his afliftance in reftoring peace and harmony to the church. Thefe acts were followed by a profession of faith in the form ordained by Pius the IVth. Eleven congregations or committees were formed, to prepare the bufinets on which the council was to deliberate. The firft was to digeft the proper means for restoring peace to the church; the fecond, to vindicate the rights of the prefent paftors; the third, to engage itself entirely in matters of faith; the fourth, in those of morality; the fifth was to defend the common rights of all churches; the fixth had the facraments referred to it; the feventh took in charge the organifation of diocefes; the eighth, the examination of works intended for publication; the ninth, religious ceremonies; the tenth, the fundamental principles of the liturgy; and the eleventh, the temporal adminiftration of diocefan and parochial churches. By thefe committees every thing feems to have been well arranged for the final decifion of the councils; and the refpe&ful manner in which the priests. acknowledged the fuperiority of the bithops, when the latter were deprived of exterior marks of ancient pre-eminence, feemed to announce that the decrees of the council would be received with joyful approbation by the whole of the Gallicanchurch. In the new plan, the first thing required is fubmiffion to the laws of the republic; the fecond, the maintenance of the principles and rights of the church; the third, corformity to the new code of difcipline, agreeing with the ancient canons, and adapted to the prefent ftate of the church, in which a fundamental principle is the election of the bishop by the clergy and people. That the emigrant and refractory clergy may be the more cafily reconciled to the new regula tions, the members of the council protest an inviolable at tachment to the catholic, apoftolic, Roman church, and acknowledge that the pope is by divine right its vifible head, and has the pre-eminence of honour and jurifdiction. We believe and teach (they fay) that the church has received from Jefus Chrift the power of felf-government, a power effential to every fociety; but its authority is merely fpiritual, and its object is the falvation of fouls. We condemn the error of Arius and the prefbyterians, as deftructive of the hierarchy, and tending to annihilate epifcopacy: we believe that epifcopacy is effential to the government of the church, and that bithops are by divine right fuperior in jurifdiction to priests. They add fome fentiments, which will not find univerfal reception with the catholic clergy- that bishops and priests are not created for themselves, but folely for the people, and that their miniftry is a ministry of confidence, not of domination.' In the decree on faith is an article which ought to be inculcated in every church. We condemn all maxims and propolitions tending to encourage acts of violence under the pre-. tence of defending the catholic faith. We condemn fuch measures as antichriftian and fubverfive of the principles of our holy religion, which eftablishes itfelf by meeknefs and love, and knows no other arms than prayer and the word of God' Among the directions given to the bithops and pastors, one is to inftruct the people, that religion confiders it as a facred duty to love one's country, and that it is an effential breach of that duty to refufe to take up arms in its defence when the law requires it; but that it is an enormous crime to take up arms against one's country under any pretext whatsoever.' Very great attention is paid by the council to the education of children; and the fchools are put under the joint care of the bishop, the rector, and the parithioners. The primary ob jects of Chriftian schools are to teach children the elements of religion, and to explain to them the principal points of gospel morality. They are to learn the morning and evening prayers, the commandments of God and the church, the epittles and gofpels, and the catechifm of the diocefe.' They are also to receive inftructions in reading, writing, and arichmetic, as well as in good manners. As the political oath of hatred to royalty required fome explanation, great pains are taken to reconcile it to tender con |