Earlier text: The SermonTHE LAW OF GOD AND THE SABBATH WHICH IT ORDAINS.
By W. H. Littlejohn
There is a legal maxim which says, “Ignorance of the law excuses no man.” The offender who pleads a want of knowledge in extenuation of his crime, invariably meets in courts of justice with a response like this: “The State has been at the pains to publish its statutes; and if you have failed to inform yourself as to their contents, you must suffer the consequences.” Nor is this an idle or arbitrary practice. Its wisdom is attested by the experience of ages. Should we ignore the principle upon which it rests, the life and property of every individual would at once become insecure. Thus far, reader, we are doubtless agreed. But has it ever occurred to you that there might be another law, the heedless violator of which will meet with no more favor at the hands of the Judge of all the earth, than does the careless transgressor of a human enactment from an earthly court. You cannot be ignorant of the fact that God has once given a law to man; for this was done in the presence of a multitude of people, estimated at over three millions, and under circumstances the most solemn and impressive. If the result shall prove that the law is still binding, and that you are breaking it from the fact that you have neglected to look into its requirements, how shall you escape condemnation? For by your acquiescence in the justice of the maxim above quoted, you have virtually admitted that you are without excuse; since the same rule must govern in both cases. In other words, if you defend the practice of the courts above alluded to, it must be upon the ground of the necessity of the case. But if that necessity exists, it is because mankind have discovered a disposition to close their eyes to the demands of the law in order that they may thereby obtain license to violate it. Now, then, the same individuals who in the aggregate make up the State, are also subjects of God’s moral government. If, therefore, they are so corrupt as to attempt the evasion of a human law, based upon right37reason, by refusing to inquire into its just demands, it is highly probable, nay certain, that they would make the same attempt upon the law of God. Hence the necessity of a similar regulation on his part. But the need of such a provision, is in this case positive proof of its existence. For God possesses both the wisdom to see, and the capacity to provide for, such an emergency. Then, since we cannot escape from the responsibility of the situation, would it not be the part of wisdom to give our best abilities, and earliest moments to the consideration of the following interrogatories: - Are the commandments of God still binding upon any?
- What relation do we sustain to them?
- Are we living according to their requirements?
If so, let us take them up in the order in which they occur, giving to each as much attention as our limited space will admit of, and its relative importance may seem to demand. ARE THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD STILL BINDING UPON ANY?
There is no fact better understood among men than that a rule of action, whose duration is not limited by its own terms, proceeding from a competent authority, does not require re-enactment, but remains in full force so long as its author fails to express a desire that it should be repeated or amended, and so long as he retains the right to legislate for those to whom it was originally given. As the commandments of God proceed from a source whose authority the most daring impiety will not venture to question, and as they contain no word which intimates that they were limited as to the time for which they should stand, it follows that we should require the most direct and positive testimony before we give our consent to the doctrine that they have been abolished. This will be the more manifest when we remember the circumstances under which they were given. For as its promulgation was attended by the most astounding display of divine power in order that the people might be profoundly impressed with the fact that it emanated from the Deity, it would not be unreasonable that, having witnessed the shaking of the mountain, the flashing of the lightning, and having heard the sound of the thunder, and the roaring of God’s voice, the blessing pronounced upon those who should keep the law, and the denunciations upon those who should break it, they should refuse to disregard it, in whole or in part, until convinced that it was the will of God as expressed in the most unequivocal manner. That this has never been done is rendered at least probable by the fact that those who claim that it has, differ very widely as to the time when, and the manner in which, it was brought about; one class insisting that it was accomplished during the life time of Christ, another at the cross, and still another not until after the day of Pentecost; and these being again subdivided into three classes, one claiming that the law has been abolished altogether, the second that it has been amended, and the third, that it has neither been abolished nor amended, but simply relaxed. Turning, therefore, from these discordant theories, whose respective partisans have, in a war of words which has lasted for centuries, each in turn, shown themselves able to overthrow the tenets of their adversaries, and never capable of establishing their own, we beg leave to offer a few reasons for believing that their failure has been attributable to the fact that they have been engaged in a vain endeavor to prove by argument that which was neither philosophically nor scripturally sound. To this end we submit, 1. That the nature of the commandments is such as to preclude the possibility of their passing away while the world stands. To this proposition, when applied to nine out of the ten, you will readily give your assent; that is, you will agree with me that the time will never come during the present order of things when we can with impunity have any God but Jehovah—when we can make unto ourselves any graven image of anything that is in Heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, or when we may bow down ourselves to them or serve them—when we may take the name of the Lord our God in vain—when we may dishonor our father and our mother—when we may kill—when we may commit adultery—when we may steal—when we may bear false witness against our neighbor—or when we may covet anything which is our neighbor’s. Then, since you are willing to accord perpetuity to nine of the commandments with which the remaining one stands associated, we may enter upon the examination of this, impressed with the possibility, if not the probability, that it, too, was designed to endure while time lasted. Nor shall we find anything in its wording which will contradict this hypothesis. On the contrary, we think that a careful examination of its phraseology will bring our minds to regard that which was before considered possible as a fixed fact. In order to do this intelligently, you will allow us to quote the commandment verbatim: “Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger which is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it.”
Bear in mind that we are not now endeavoring to determine which day we should keep in order to fulfill the law. Leaving this for consideration further on, we are simply to examine the commandment in order to discover whether it furnishes any reasons for believing that the Sabbatic institution was designed to be co-existent with the present order of things. As we enter upon this investigation, we at once perceive that though this commandment is one of the longest of the ten, the duty which it imposes is expressed in the following seven words: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” the balance being devoted to an explanation of what was to be considered as the Sabbath-day—the manner in which it was to be kept, and the reason why it was instituted. Now, then, as it is not to be presumed that the Lord would perform a work of supererogation, it follows that there is somewhere to be found good and sufficient reasons for the extraordinary care with which this little precept was guarded and explained. The first which naturally presents itself, and from which all others must derive their strength, is the fact that the Sabbatic institution was considered a matter of paramount importance to the race. The second was an evident determination to leave the people without excuse should they persist in their early determination to regard the strict observance of the rest-day as a matter of indifference. As it is certain, therefore, that the Lord did not look upon the fourth commandment as secondary in its nature to any other when he placed it in the decalogue, let us examine the reasons upon which it rests in order that we may determine whether the disposition now manifested to move it out of its proper place does not spring from a desire to evade its requirements rather than from any warrant found in the Scriptures. Confining ourselves strictly to the text, we find, First. That the Lord rested on the seventh day, after six days of labor in which he had made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them is. Second. That as a consequence of the foregoing, he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. These two considerations are assigned as reasons why we are to “remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.” To doubt their sufficiency at that time, would be to question the wisdom of God. But inasmuch as there is in him “no variableness neither shadow of turning,” the Sabbath can never cease to be the object of his especial care until the reasons which gave it being have lost their significance. This can never be until the fact of his having made the world in six days, and rested on the seventh becomes to him a matter of no interest. But this is impossible; “for God is not a man that he should repent.” He knoweth the end from the beginning. When he had perfected the creation and pronounced it “good,” it was done with a full knowledge of all the consequences which should flow from that stupendous act. The apostasy of man, the birth, death and resurrection of Christ as a necessary result, the purification of the earth by fire and its final restoration to Edenic beauty, were as real to his mind as though they had actually transpired. How idle, then, to reason as though some unlooked-for contingency had arisen whereby the Lord had come to regard the creation of the world as a work of doubtful merit. No; nothing will dim the glory of that work in the eyes of the Creator. That the fall did not do this, is proved by the fact that the commandments which were given at Sinai nearly twenty-five hundred years after this occurred, imposed the observance of the Sabbath in order to a suitable commemoration of this event. That the plan of redemption did not, is evident, first, because it was the declared purpose of God long before the tables of the law were delivered to Moses; and second, because if it affects this question at all, it would make the great transaction of creation week more memorable than otherwise; for by complying with its conditions, this life ultimately becomes the first link in an endless chain of being. In fine, look at this subject from whatever standpoint we may, we shall be compelled to admit that there is to be found no good reason for believing that the labor and rest of the Deity at the creation are by him considered as less worthy of celebration to-day, than they ever have been. This being true, and as he is not capricious, but is always affected in the same manner by like considerations, it must be that he is still desirous that they should have a proper memento. And as he has once provided one which was every way calculated to answer this end, it would be strange indeed if he should remove it, so long as the demand for it continued to be imperative. Tell me the meaning of Scriptures. One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.—M'Cheyne. QUESTION: Please give me an explanation of 1 Peter iii, 19, which says, “By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” M. A. P. M. of Mich. ANSWER: The whole passage, verses 18-20, reads thus: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” A paraphrase of this passage will, we think, make all plain. Thus, Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which, also, he went [not when he died, but] when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, &c., and preached to the spirits, or persons, in prison. Dr. Clarke remarks on this passage, “He went and preached] By the ministry of Noah, one hundred and twenty years.” Thus he places Christ’s going and preaching by his Spirit, in the days of Noah, where it evidently belongs, and not during the time that his body lay in the grave. Again, he says, “The word πνευμασι, spirits, is supposed to render this view of the subject improbable, because this must mean disembodied spirits; but this certainly does not follow, for the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. xii, 23, certainly means righteous men, and men still in the church militant; and the Father of spirits, Heb. xii, 9, means men still in the body; and the God of the spirits of all flesh, Num. xvi, 22, and xxvii, 16, means men, not in a disembodied state.” But, it may be asked, does it not speak of the spirits’ being in prison? and does not that expression denote a state of death, and show that men are conscious, and can be preached to, in death? Answer. We have seen that the preaching took place in the days of Noah, to men in this present state; and if the spirits, or persons, were in prison while they were hearing the preaching, that expression must mean their detention under the arrest of divine justice, their days being limited to a hundred and twenty years. Thus detained, and their doom appointed, they might be represented as being in prison, the judgments of God waiting either for their repentance, or for the expiration of the time allotted to them, that they might suffer the threatened doom. But if the preaching to them did not take place while they were in prison, and this expression denotes the state of death into which they have since fallen, and now are, then the passage furnishes no sort of proof for the conscious state; for it simply affirms that Christ, by his Spirit went in the days of Noah and preached to those who are now in prison, or in a state of death.—Which? pp. 62, 63. SHALL WE BE WEARY IN WELL-DOING?
By Sarah F. Sharpe
God's word is full of precious promises for the encouragement of those that are striving to keep his commandments and the faith of Jesus. We that are trying to live out present truth find much to cheer us on our journey to Mount Zion. The road may be rough at times; we may have trials and afflictions; but Paul says they are but for a moment, and work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Cor. iv, 17. He called his afflictions light; then certainly we should not call ours heavy. What if we are persecuted and scoffed at? Those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; but if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him. Let us think how Jesus bore the scoffs and frowns of a wicked world, and finally died the cruel death of the cross, all for us, and let us take fresh courage to fight the battles of the Lord like good soldiers. Although we cannot proclaim present truth from the pulpit to the world, still we can do much to spread the truth, by holy living, setting an example worthy of imitation for those by whom we are surrounded. Be not weary in well-doing,
While you're waiting for your Lord.
In due season if you faint not,
You shall reap a rich reward.
Be not weary in well-doing,
While you tread the narrow way.
And the prize is yours, if faithful,
In that last, that endless day. The approbation of God is more to be desired than fine gold, and the peace of God is a more excellent balm than all the pleasures of the world. Would you obtain this pearl of great price? Watch and pray and have faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, to whom be blessing and honor and glory, for ever and ever. WE'RE TRAVELING HOME TO HEAVEN.
By H. M. Kilgore
TUNE—“Carry Me Home To Die.” Let others, the applause of the world to obtain,
In known disobedience live,
We will only seek His applause to gain,
Who eternal life can give,
A little while longer we'll faithful prove,
Then will the prize be given;
We're traveling home, we're traveling home,
We're traveling home, to Heaven. CHORUS: We're traveling home, etc. Let others, arrayed in a costly dress,
To the halls of mirth repair,
We will choose the robes of true righteousness,
And seek the house of prayer,
A little while longer we'll labor on,
And then will rest be given;
We're traveling home, we're traveling home,
We're traveling home, to Heaven. Let others pass on in their haughty pride,
And worship the god of display,
We will humbly walk by our Saviour's side,
And the God of Heaven obey.
A little while longer we'll bear the cross,
Then will the crown be given;
We're traveling home, we're traveling home,
We're traveling home, to Heaven. Let others possess the treasures of earth,
And scoff at our little band,
There are treasures for us, of priceless worth,
When we reach the heavenly land.
A few more tests, our heirship to prove,
Then will possession be given;
We're traveling home, we're traveling home,
We're traveling home, to Heaven. THE SPIRIT'S POWER,
By A. B. Underwood
As Manifested in Taking away Physical Strength.
ARE we as a people to look with suspicion and distrust upon all cases where physical strength is taken away from the members of the church in their religious exercises? Our appeal as a people, is to the “Bible, and the Bible alone,” to settle all religious questions. In one of the visions of Daniel, his strength was taken from him, and there was no breath left in him. Dan. x, 8–17. When the glory of God was revealed to Ezekiel in a vision, he fell upon his face. Eze. i, 28. At the time of Paul's conversion, his strength was taken away from him, and he fell to the earth. Acts ix, 4; 2 Cor. xii, 2, 3. John, in his vision in the Revelation, fell to the earth as dead. Rev. i, 17. There is no question, but there has been in all ages of the church much of the counterfeit, and we should be cautious not to encourage a spirit of fanaticism among us; but is it in accordance with the spirit of charity, which Paul says “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things,” to discard at once as the work of the enemy, all manifestations of this kind, where the individual sustains, and has for a long time, an unblemished Christian character? A. B. UNDERWOOD.
Wayne Co., O. A PREACHER in the neighborhood of Blackfriars, London, not undeservedly popular, had just finished an exhortation strongly recommending the liberal support of a very meritorious institution. The congregation was numerous, and the chapel was crowded to excess. The discourse being finished, the plate was about to be handed around to the respective pews, when the preacher made this short address to the congregation: “From the sympathy I have witnessed in your countenances, and the strict attention you have honored me with, there is only one thing I’m afraid of, that some of you may feel inclined to give too much. Now, it is my duty to inform you that justice, though it is not pleasant, should always be a prior virtue to generosity; therefore, as you will all be called upon in your respective pews, I wish it to be thoroughly understood that no person will think of putting anything into the plate who cannot pay his debts!” It need not be added that this advice produced an overflowing collection. Prophecy is History in Advance. ENDING OF THE 1260 YEARS.
Their audacity increased rapidly through the weakness of the directory, and they ventured to proclaim popery to be the national religion. Five prelates, sworn and secretly affiliated with the Jesuits, seconded their projects by publishing an encyclical letter, to which thirty-three other prelates adhered, that is, almost all the new Gallican hierarchy. The refractory priests thought that the day of their victory had arrived, and encouraged the Jesuits in their work of desolation. The court of Rome applauded their sanguinary zeal, and the pope, in his intoxication of joy, commanded masses to be chanted for the success of the cause of despotism. The directory, impressed by the progress of the Jesuits, vigorously arrested them. They required every ecclesiastic, without exception, to take the civic oath, and banished from France all who refused to take it. Nevertheless, a large number of the Jesuits remained; and it was soon perceived, without the power to remedy the evil, that these same priests had conspired to destroy the national liberties, and to insure the triumph of despotism. In all parts the republican armies were victorious. The country within the Rhine was completely subjugated, and Italy alone remained to be conquered to overthrow the coalition. That service was confided to Napoleon Bonaparte. Brilliant success every where marked his course. The Austrians and Piedmontese were routed by the republican soldiers, who were almost without arms and shoes; and the pope soon trembled for his temporal supremacy. Pius endeavored to levy troops; and to repair the penury of his treasury, he emitted his notes, a species of paper money, which he forced on the people by constraining the merchants of Rome to receive them in exchange for specie. But the rapid march of the French surprised him in his preparations, and hindered him from executing his warlike projects. Then the crafty pontiff feigned his willingness to be at peace with France, and sent the Spanish ambassador Azara, to Bonaparte, to ask an armistice, and to offer the acquisition of peace by the cession of the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna, the payment of a contribution of fifteen millions, and the transfer of the principal works of art of ancient Greece and modern Italy, which decorated the galleries of the Vatican. The armistice having been granted, Pius VI, who only wished to gain time, with no design to fulfill the conditions stipulated in his name, profited by the delay in expediting his armaments. By his orders, legions of priests were scattered in all the papal territory, who excited the fanatical population against the French by furious predictions. To increase the enthusiasm of his devotees, he opened the treasury of the papacy, and in his bull he promised forty thousand years of indulgences to all those who would aid to repel the republicans. This was the tenor of the brief—“To all our well beloved catholic children, brethren in Jesus Christ! We command you for the love of Christianity, to take arms; and that no person may hesitate to accomplish our pleasure, we apprise you, that by virtue of our sovereign authority, we grant forty thousand years of indulgences to all those who will join our banners, and the celestial beautitude to every man who shall kill but one of our enemies!” Independent of those machinations, the pope took care to send his emissaries to the emperor of Austria to obtain aid. Bonaparte, informed of these occurrences, signified to the Roman court that he should instantly commence hostilities, if the pope did not abandon his measures and fulfill his engagements with the republic. Pius appeared ready to obey. He collected in a large gallery the paintings destined for the ransom of Rome. He drew out of the castle Angelo all the money that remained of the famous treasury of Sixtus V. He constrained the ecclesiastics to send him from their convents, mass-houses and monasteries, all their ornaments and precious vessels which were not of absolute necessity for their superstitious ritual. He obliged all his subjects to give up their silver plate; and even searched the private domicils for jewels, decorations of gold, and the rings of the women. When he had accumulated in the Roman treasury all the wealth of his people, he informed the French general that he was ready to satisfy the republic. The commissioners of the directory speedily arrived at Rome, to receive the pledges of the capitulation, and to inform Pius that France demanded that he should retract, disavow, and annul all the bulls, decisions, sentences, censures, condemnations, pastoral instructions; all the briefs, decrees, edicts, mandates, and, in general, all the writings promulgated by the Roman court since the commencement of the revolution. Those conditions, which really added nothing to the terms of the treaty, and which were only the offspring of humanity, appeared to excite the pope’s wrath to the utmost degree. Pius VI pretended that they were equivalent to a direct denial of his infallibility, and an avowal before Europe that he was only an impostor, and that his religion was only a routine of absurd and odious practices. He requested that he might have the opportunity to consult the conclave of cardinals on the measures which it was proper to adopt. That was only a new trick to gain time and to postpone the execution of the treaty until the arrival of the Austrian troops would enable him to quarrel openly with France. In fact, as soon as it was known at Rome that Austria had resumed offensive operations, the priests recommenced their predictions. The pope redoubled his activity to secure his pecuniary resources. He changed the money, and obliged the farmers to sell their grain at a low price and for his bills, to supply his troops. He organized a civic guard, raised corps of battery guards in every quarter of Rome, and transformed the city into a warlike arsenal. On all sides were seen only soldiers and vehicles laden with muskets, cannons, tents and the materials of war. His enthusiasm was communicated to the Romans. Contributions flowed into the Roman treasury. Gold, silver, jewels, provisions, and cattle, all the possessions of the people were placed at the pope’s disposal. Many rich citizens raised companies of troops at their own expense. The Constable Colonna equipped a complete regiment of infantry. A species of delirium seemed to fill all their heads. To produce that result, Pius employed special means. All the convents in the ecclesiastical dominion received orders to “set a going” the madonnas. In the villages, the statues of the Virgin moved their arms, opened their eyes, and lifted up their legs. In the cities, the crucifixes effused blood and oil. At Ancona, Saint Cyriac exhibited multiplied roars of laughter. In Rome, the skulls of Peter and Paul chanted hymns; and what was deemed the most extraordinary and miraculous, in the presence of the pope, the cardinals, and more than eighty thousand persons, at one festival, a madonna walked, shook her head three times, rolled her eyes in their sockets, and uttered groans. That juggling, executed by the automaton, filled the stupid fanatics with wonder and exasperation. At length, Pius had the satisfaction to see his execrable policy producing the expected results. At one disturbance, bands of monks, sbirri, and deranged persons surrounded the palace of the republican commissioners vociferating their menaces of death, which they would doubtless have executed, had not Azara the Spanish ambassador interfered. Repelled from the house of the embassy, they dispersed about the streets of Rome, assassinating every Frenchman whom they met, and roaring out cries of “Hail Mary! Long live Pius VI!” They then directed their course into the country to accomplish the work of ruffians. The victories obtained by Bonaparte over the Austrians, forced the pope to terminate those scenes of carnage. Pius, dreading the arrival of the French army at Rome, hastened to inform the general of his friendly designs toward the republic. At the same time he addressed a message to the emperor of Germany, to obtain the assistance of ten thousand soldiers, and informed him that he had taken excellent measures to organize a civil war in France. He also assured the emperor that he was amusing the republican commissioners until the Austrians appeared; and that as soon as their troops were united in one body, he would cast off the pontiff’s tiara for the helmet of Cæsar, unfurl the famous labarum of Constantine, and march at the head of the army to combat the proud Corsican and his banditti. That letter fell into the hands of Bonaparte. The armistice was instantly terminated. The French army entered the papal territory, and within fifteen days conquered one half of the pope’s dominions. Pius then expected to receive the just punishment of his treachery and crimes; but whether Bonaparte conceived that the papal authority could aid his secret designs, or that he wished to oppose the directory, who had commanded him to occupy Rome, he offered peace to the pope, which was eagerly accepted. Pius sent his nephew, the duke of Braschi, as plenipotentiary, with the Marquess Camille Massini, Cardinal Maltei, and Galoppi, with full powers to arrange a treaty. By that agreement, the pope consented to pay to France thirty-one millions, and to allow the family of the murdered Basseville an annuity. He also surrendered to France, for ever, Avignon, Bologna, Ferrara, and Ravenna, and permitted a French garrison to occupy Ancona. When the affair was concluded, Bonaparte hastened toward the Tyrol, leaving fifteen thousand men under the command of General Victor, to guard the conquered districts, and to execute the treaties. Pius was anxious to avert the danger which he could ill sustain; for the shocks, his ceaseless inquietude, and his licentious indulgences with the duchess of Braschi, his daughter, seriously affected his health, and almost instantly after the conclusion of the truce of Tolentino, he became so ill, that it was anticipated he would not live. His two bastards hastened to lay their greedy hands on the treasures amassed in the Vatican for the payment of the ransom of Rome to the French. But as the citizens had drained all their resources to defray the millions exacted by Bonaparte, and as they began to imbibe the ideas of the French concerning Roman priests and kings, they resisted their proposed new spoliation, went to the palace of Braschi, and forced the infamous wretches to fly from the city to escape the popular vengeance. The pope, however, was restored to health, and all things resumed their anterior course; only Pius dared not to augment the taxes to satisfy the demands of the treaty of Tolentino, and commanded the ecclesiastics to replace the sum stolen by his nephews. The priests, menaced in their property, turned against the pope, denounced his tyranny, called on the people to revolt, accused Pius as the author of all the calamities which had fallen on Rome, and even in their harangues, branded the pontiff with the names, “old incestuous fool, sodomite, and robber.” They also made a poor girl named Labrousse enact the part of a prophetess; who publicly declared that the sovereignty of the pope was nearly at an end; that heaven was tired of the reign of those infamous impostors; and that Pius would soon be hurled from his throne. Amid those circumstances Joseph Bonaparte arrived at Rome, to claim the fulfilment of the treaties of Tolentino, and to demand the release of every Italian who was imprisoned for his political opinions. As soon as that proceeding was known at Rome, the city changed its aspect as if by enchantment. Enthusiasm displaced stupor. Instantly the streets, the public places, and the squares were filled with crowds of citizens, who made the air resound with patriotic acclamations, and menaces of death against Pius VI. Then the multitude, as if actuated by one impulse, rushed to the quarter Trasteverin, and hoisted the tri-colored flag amid the universal and re-iterated shout—“Hail liberty! Long live France!” Those developments, cries, and threats exasperated the old pope. He was astonished at the Romans—habituated during so many centuries, basely, to bow their heads beneath the yoke. He resolved, therefore, by an act of cruelty, to retain the power which appeared to be flitting from him, and directed his myrmidons to assault the populace. The soldiers of the execrable Pius rushed upon the citizens, massacred women, children, and the aged, shot the fugitives, covered39the streets with corpses, pursued the miserable people who had taken refuge in the palace of the French embassy, and transformed that inviolable asylum into a scene of carnage. Joseph Bonaparte, General Duphot and the officers of the embassy hastened to arrest the massacre. At the sight of them, the rage of the Bandits seemed to be doubled, and the chief who directed the butchery, cried aloud, “Kill them, kill them, these are the French!” At the same moment, General Duphot was shot dead; and the other officers of the embassy escaped a similar doom by destroying the stair-case of the palace. The other ambassadors, advised of the scene, hastened with their suite to the place only just in time to rescue the representatives of the French republic, and to stop further butchery. Azara, in the name of the diplomatic corps hurried to the Vatican, and energetically remonstrated with the pope on the atrocity of his conduct. But the infamous Pius pretended to be extremely surprised, and swore by Christ and Peter that he had not given any order to that effect. He even dared to say that he was absolutely ignorant of the occurrences which had transpired in the city, simulating that for many hours he had been employed in his private oratory supplicating God for the republic. Joseph Bonaparte, indignant at such excessive impudence and hypocrisy, announced that he should leave Rome, unless reparation was instantly made for the murder of General Duphot. Fourteen hours having elapsed without any formal communication from the pontiff by an ecclesiastical officer, that the assassins should be prosecuted, the French ambassador departed for Florence. Moreover it was not in Rome only the pontiff had organized the massacre of the French and their partisans; for at the same time, similar scenes occurred in the principal cities of the papacy and at Venice. At Verona, the priests exhibited a peculiar cold-blooded and cruel ferocity; for not only many thousands of inoffensive men had been butchered by their orders, but those infamous wretches led companies of murderers into the hospitals, and took out four hundred French soldiers, sick or wounded, all of whom were pitilessly poignarded or drowned in the Adige. The Italians opened their eyes at last to the crimes of Pius, and began to take part with the French republic. At Milan, the indignation which the conduct of the pope excited was displayed in both the private and public assemblies. Every where the cry was heard—“Death to that assassin, the pope! Vengeance for our liberators, the French!” One Italian patriot even delivered a public oration, in which he expressed his wish: “that the Tiber soon might roll its far-famed waters among a free people, and that the blood of the pope might cleanse the land of the crimes, the disgrace, and the bondage of eighteen centuries!” General Berthier, who was directed to avenge the republic for the outrages of Pius, marched toward Rome at the head of his troops, and passed through the papal dominions with as much security as if he had been traversing a French department. He was received every where with shouts of rejoicing. In vain did the cardinals, the priests, and the deadly cohorts of monks and Jesuits endeavor to quicken the popular fanaticism—in no district was their outcry re-echoed. The wooden saints and silver madonnas shook their arms and legs, rolled their eyes, and chanted their canticles in vain. No resistance to the republican army appeared. Berthier had not arrived near the walls of Rome, when the citizens proclaimed their independence, and planted the tree of liberty before the capitol, and in all the public places.