The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-08 00:00:00

ptlanb.

Archbishop Cullen has lately addressed a " Pasto-
ral " to his flock. He ascribes all our successes in
the war to the late definition of the Immaculate
Conception, and beholds only in the fall of Sebasto •
pol the humbling of the proud supporter of schism
in the North :

And if we look beyond the limits of our own country, do
we not find that since the definition of the Immaculate
Conception much has been done that cannot fail to excite
the hopes and console the heart of every true Christian?
Within this short period we have seen how the proud sup-
porter of schism in the North—the prince who, in our
days, renewed the tyranny of an Elizabeth or a Crom-
well, and enacted against his Catholic subjects laws as
cruel as the penal laws under which our farefathers suf-
fered such dire persecutions—we have seen how he has
been humbled, his finest provinces laid waste, his armies
destroyed ; and how Catholic soldiers, placed by their
Sovereign under the special protection of the Mother of
God, planted their banners on the lofty towers of his
proudest stronghold.
The Austrian Concordat is rejoiced over, and the
bible-burning at Kingstown indirectly glanced at :
Imitate the example of the faithful of Ephesus, who,
moved by the preaching of Si Paul, and confessing their
sins," brought together their books and burnt them before
all," though the value of such works amounted to the vast
sum of 50,000 pieces of silver ( Acts xix 19). Let us add,
that some of the most illustrious among the Christian
Roman emperors were so convinced of the danger of
bad works that they enacted laws prescribing them to be
burned. It is not necessary for us to say more at
present.

'l'he commission of Oyer and Termainer was opened
at Dublin nn Wednesday morning at eleven with the
usual formalities by Mr, Justice Crampton and Baron
Trecne. The case of bible burning having been re-
mitted for trial at this commission, Mr. Justice
Crampton, as soon as the juries were sworn, proceded
to address the county grand jury. His lordship,
alluding to the principal charge about to be brought
before them, proceeded to quote the judgments on
previous aim.} cases, and to lay down the principle
thai as the Holy Scriptures were the basis sad foun-

SATURDAY,

dation of the common law, any offence against them
was a misdemeanour at common law• and punishable
by fine and imprisonment :

It will happen, no doubt, gentlemen of the jury, (con.
tinued the learned judge) that ignorant or bigoted persons,
or those whom I may call trading patriots, may, in this
respect, make distinctions between the authorised version
of the Bible and that sanctioned by the heads of the
Roman Catholic Church, and while they profess to venerate
the one, hold up the other to public scorn and contempt.
But suoh distinctions, allow me to say, are as weak as they
are wicked. Errors there are in, perhaps, every transla•
tion; for what is there with which the hand of man is
mimgled that is free from the taint of human infirmity?
Critics and theologians, no doubt, of difieaent schools may
contend for the superior fidelity of their own translations,
whilst they detect and expose the errors of other versions ;
but every honest and well-informed Chrtstisn must know
that the diffierent versions of the Bible, differing as they
do in minor and less important matters, are all still the
Word of God.

The learned judge then concluded his ieharge by
indicating the points to be considered by the grand
jury. The jury then retired, and shortly before
three p.m. returned into court, presenting true bills
against the Rev. Vladimir Petcherine and John
Hamilton, charged with bible burning. On being
arraigned in the usual manner, the traversers pleaded
" Not Guilty." After a brief dispute, the trial was
finally fixed for Frdiay (yesterday) morning at ten
o'clock.