And, lastly. To destroy what little there may remain of moral restraint, there comes in the doctrine of indulgences, dispensations, etc., by which the principles of eternal justice are suspended, to allow the evil-doer greater latitude for doing what it would not be otherwise lawful for him to do.

Can we wonder, after considering all this, that immorality should prevail greatly in countries where the Roman Catholic Church is dominant, and especially in Italy, where it is completely so? Would it not be marvellous if it were otherwise?

Including pope, cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, generals of orders, superiors, priors, monks, nuns, it has been computed that in Italy there is one person consecrated to religion, on an average, for forty-five inhabitants. Now, possessing such a moral force as this, if Rome is indeed the true and only Church of Christ, and He really dwells in her, Italy ought to be the holiest land on earth, for no other country is so abundantly provided for, as it regards religious teachers. But is Italy the holiest land on the earth? If it be so, all we have to say is, that she is the most enormously slandered country in the world; for nothing is more certain than that she is believed to be one of the most immoral, if not the most so, of all portions of Christendom, at least, so far as the Old World is concerned.

And what is absolutely confounding is the fact, that in proportion as you approach the city of Rome, come from which end of Italy you may, bad government, physical desolation, poverty, ignorance, irreligion, vice, crime, all increase! This is inexplicable. And when you reach Rome, and enter within the walls of the Eternal City, you will find less of true piety and purity of morals than in any other city in all Christendom, if we may credit the testimony of Romans themselves.

When we visited Rome, in the year 1837, one of the first

things we heard the distinguished individuals, both natives and foreigners, to whom we bore letters of introduction say, was, that we had come to the worst place within all the limits of the Roman Catholic world to see what religion is. This remark is heard by strangers from all quarters, upon their arrival in Rome. And yet that city is the abode of the sostyled Vicar of Christ, the centre of the whole Christian world, the seat of all the mighty influences which the Vatican sends forth throughout the earth! Why is this? We leave to others to assign the reasons, for we cannot, upon the supposition that the Roman Catholic religion is a true type and expression of the gospel.

As to the alleged immoralities which prevail in Italy, including infidelity to the marriage relation, the absence of domestic happiness in so many families, the want of strict honesty in the business classes, the want of female virtue in the large cities and towns, etc., etc., we will not undertake to speak of them. That there is much vice-less open, indeed, than in most other countries, it is true—in Italy, is what is conceded by all. That the state of things is much better, in this respect, than it was three centuries ago, we seriously doubt. The same superstitions, and the same sins prevail now as at the epoch of the Reformation.

54

53 In relation to the custom of a married lady's having her cicisbeo, or cavaliere servante, who waits on her in society and at public amusements, whilst it still exists in all parts of Italy, it has greatly declined at Rome, where we were assured by excellent citizens, that the presence of so many Protestants with their families, from England, Germany, Switzerland, and America, and who, taken as a body, exhibit a domestic life incomparably better than that of the people of that city, has had the effect of nearly banishing it from society.

54 Crowds of poor deluded people still go up the Scala Santa, or stairs of Pontius Pilate's house, as in the time when Luther visited the Eternal City, more than three hundred years ago. We doubt whether the number has at all diminished. Would that the same effect might be produced on their minds, as was produced on that of the Reformer!

XII. Encouraging Signs in relation to Italy.

But, dark as is the religious and moral picture of Italy, there are some lighter shades which we may contemplate with pleasure. We shall endeavor to present them to the eye of the reader.

1. It is well known that there are two classes of people who are tired of Romanism, one composed of those intelligent and ardent minds who detest tyranny, and earnestly desire to see their country put in possession of constitutional and wellregulated liberty. These all, more or less, abhor the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and especially the papacy, because it has hitherto, and in all circumstances, been the friend and supporter of despotism. This fact the Abbé de la Mennais has admirably exposed, in his work entitled Rome. And in that same work he has faithfully warned the Roman Catholic Church of the danger which will result from such a position. The other class comprehends those seriously-minded and well-informed people who have sought in vain, in the bosom of the Roman Catholic Church, for a religion such as their immortal spirits demand. The inability of Rome to meet the spiritual wants of humanity has been demonstrated by an increased experience of three centuries. And this has become still more apparent to those in Italy who have had some opportunities to learn the simple, evangelical, elevating, transforming nature of the Protestant religion, as presented in the writings of the Reformers, and those who have since their day held the same Faith. These two classes of persons, though comparatively small, are not inconsiderable; and they are prepared to welcome a purer religion when it shall be presented to them.

And though we do not attach so much importance to the fact as some others, (because of his very limited power and influence,) yet it ought to be mentioned, that the Duke of

55

Lucca is no longer a Roman Catholic; he is in reality a Protestant. Upon the death of the present Duchess of Parma, he will succeed her, if he should survive her, in the government of that duchy, which is much more extensive and important than that of Lucca. What evidence this prince gives in his life and conversation, of having savingly received the grace of God, we are not able to say; but of one thing we are assured, which is, that there is one country in Italy, however small it may be, in which the Protestant religion will not be persecuted, so long as he reigns over it.

2. A very laudable and growing interest in the subject of education, is certainly felt by a number of excellent persons in Italy, especially in Tuscany. The establishment of Infant schools at Florence, Pisa, and Leghorn is decisive proof of this. There is also further proof of it, in the publication of an able monthly journal in the first-named city, called Annali dell' Educazione, which is conducted in an enlightened and Christian spirit. Education is also making progress in the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, as we have shown.

3. One of the most encouraging facts in relation to Italy, is the desire, which is manifesting itself in various parts, to possess the Scriptures in the Italian language. This is a very remarkable fact. When the French overran that country, under the command of Napoleon as a general of the Republic, and afterwards, when he conquered and governed it as First Consul and Emperor of France, there was a great demand every where for books filled with infidelity. Whole editions of Voltaire, Diderot, Volney, etc., were carried from Paris into Italy during that period, for the French government interposed no obstacle. Some of the worst things

55 The reigning Duke of Lucca is Charles Louis, who was born the 22d of December, 1799. He is an offshoot of the royal family of Spain. He received favorable impressions of the Protestant religion whilst travelling in Germany, several years ago, and chiefly from the conversations of a Protestant pastor.

contained in the writings of those authors, were translated into the Italian language and published at Paris, and in Italy too. Several distinguished authors arose in that country during that period, whose writings are decidedly antireligious.

But a better day has dawned even upon Italy. There is a thirst excited in many souls for the pure Word of life. And thousands of copies of the Holy Scriptures are now annually introduced into that country, and readily find purchasers and readers. At what point these Bibles (and we may add other religious books and tracts) are entering Italy, we shall not undertake to indicate; it is sufficient that we state what we know to be a fact.

That books, which the pope causes to be put in the Index do get into Italy, is certain, and sometimes in considerable numbers. It must be remembered that the police of no part of Italy is amenable to the pope, but that of his own little kingdom. The police-officers of the other states are under no more obligation to obey his will than are those of any other country. The pope has no other than a moral influence over them. And before he can reasonably expect them to execute his wishes faithfully, he ought to be assured of the fidelity of those of his own dominions. It will take something better than Romanism to secure that result, or we are greatly mistaken.

We might, if it were necessary or prudent, corroborate this statement respecting the desire to possess the Sacred volume, by many facts of the most interesting nature. One we may state, as it is notorious in the heart of Italy, where it has occurred. It is the recent publication of Martini's Italian version of the Bible, at Turin, where it has been issued in numbers, as we know, having seen them, as well as having read advertisements announcing it, posted up in several other towns in Piedmont, in the summer of 1843. This