The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-10-08

py arrival IN FRANCE, and to exprefs the emper
ot's wI!hes for our prefence in his domiuions. Ir
eject, we were then in France, and the people
or that iliutrious nations reioiccd at our arriva
ar'one them, gavs the mon itriking manfeGa
tons OF their piety and religion, not only in thei,
projections, but in every mark of their ref,ea
and affection. In every part of the empire tho
which we Paf1ed, the projects of the provinces,
and all of thofe inveifed with civil or military
authority, delivered the mott affeStouate and
respectful addre!1es, as well towards orr perfou,
as to the concerns of the Holy See. At Lyons,
we were received by our Revd. brother, his
Em'nencs, cardinal Felh, the arch-biihop of
that province, with msgnihcence the mon ge-
| nerous, with the mott af!ceiionate hospitality,
and with an anxious folicitude for every thing
Iattached tons, in 4 way beyond our powers to
exPrets. The concourte of excellent and pous
inhabitants of that town was 70 great when we
celebrated the holy myReries, that the immenfe
area or the metropolitan church could not con-
tam them. How great then mutt have been our
holy raptures! With what fervent alteration did
we exprets our gratitude to the Father of Mer-
cies, for working 70 wonderful, 70 bleGed a
Change! We were in,pired with the mott lively
gratitude ALTO to the NOT potent emperor of the
French, to whom that happy people owe the
retoration of the true religion, the public exer-
CHE otwhich has beeneftablilhed under the Cor
| cordat, which has paiIed between US.
We had not an opportunity of witncling this
complete triumph of the true faith at Lyons, 70
long as we could have wifhed. We were i'm
preiied with lively deiire to he prefent with
the emperor, to confeorate him, and after that
to confer with his m5jeffy on the concerns of
reIigIon, and the affair of the church CONT
deratiens for which we braved every difficulty,
and had undertaken the Journey.
/ we proceeded on our route to Fontainbleau,
where, at length, we had the pleafilre of behold
ing the MOT puiiiaEt prince, who is 70 dear TO
us. What pIeaihre, what Joy, we experienced
IN our firft interview with this emperor, whole
! fame has founded to the extremities of the
world, and whom Godhas chofen to reftore his
religion, in France. otis former publicity and
fplendour! We iball always, with the moa
pisafnrable fenfations, recoliea that, and the
following days, which by the invitation of this
mott excellent prince, We fpent at Fontainbleau,
IN retrefhiRg ourelves, after the fatigues of our
journey.
From the Cattle of Fontainbleau, where we
experienced and had to admire the iuft fenti-
ments and the munihcence of the emperor to-
wards US, we repaired together to Paris. There,
on day remarkable in ftlf, the irft SUNDAY in
Advent and the fecond of December, in the
midit of all the trimmphil pomp and fplendour
OF that imperial city in which all the population
OF france ieemed to have been conerepated,
were celebrated in the mof folemn manner the
confederation and the crowning of the emperor,
and that OF our mott dear daughter in Chriit, 10.
|Jep6ine, his auguft comfort.
:. ms iPiendId ceremony being terminated, we
o'rec'eo all our attention TO the affairs of regi-
on and the church (; we placed the greatcft con-
tidence in the emperor, hecaufe, as we anD,iGrd
you, he had teitifed by his letters that he de6r-
ed to confer freely with us refpeetiug the means
or re-efaoliining the ancient fplendour of our
Religion, and OF divine wor'hip; and, we cam
hot recnhect without particular fentiments of
gratitude the ingennoufnes, the politenefs, the
good nature, the affcttionate regard towards lis.
with which he liftened to the deGres, which. in
terms OF apoftolic freedom, we exprefIed; and
siio enumerated the demands which we had To
make OF nm tor the advantage of the Catholic
feileion, the glory of the Gallican church, and
Inc authority and dignity of the Holy See.
one confederation, which we had particular
~ at heart, was the incere return of certain bi-
ops TO the Catholic unity, who, before they
received their canonical intitutions at our
hands, ought to have given adequate testimonies
OF their reconciliation; but who, on the contra
ry, after receiving them, behaved in fiich man
ner as to render us very uneafy with refpea to
tne hncerIty OF their fentiments. The anxieties,
however, ceafed, after an interval of fome DAYS
for either by oral or literary communication
with US, they earnefly declared that they cor.
daily adhered and Gpcerey fubmitted 10 the
dictates of the Holy See, with refpe6t to the &C.
cielalticaI affairs in France. What precious
conioIation we experienced when afterwards
we blended our tears together on our embracing
them with feniations of true paternal charity.
In order to renderthis confolation the more en-
during, and that it may even increafe, we nd
| Iy hope that they will continue to give certain
and maDlfeft fgns of the fncerity of their de-
clarations, and that in future we fball be free
from all focitude in thofe refpeds. To this
end we ardently duplicate God, the fearcher of
all hearts, to fifth and fecure by his grace the
| good work they have undertaken.
| Having difpofed ola confederation Of fuch i'm
portance, we proceeded to the difculIion of O.
Tiers, which concerned the advantage of religi-
on, the liberty of the church, the honour of the
clergy,the augmentation of her facred rniniRers,
and iuitable means for their fupport.-Encou.
ragged by the confidence with which this excel.
lent prince infpired us, and ufing that dgnihed
freedom Of communication with which our a.
Poftolic functions fhould be exercifed, we exhi.
bited to his majefy both orally and in writing,
the injuries and wounds which the Gallican
church had received, in the teRruciive conflid,
OF latter times, and from the preponderance Of
bottle opinions in nlort we rnanifefed ,vba,