The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-08

the tinsel covering which gilds it is re-
moved, and the putrid mass of corruption
lying beneath the veil of its infallibiiity
can never be exhibited without the re-
moval of that veil. Private vice as we'll
as religious corruption have marked its
progress, and to expose the one, it is ne
cessary to lay bare the other"
The doubtful authority of the Greek
and Latin historians in the first ages of
Christianity render it difficult to reach in
many instances satisfactory conclusions;
yet after passing through this period of
darkness the author unveils long series
of horrible and revolving events, fixing,
by the unalterable standards of true,
well-known, and undeniable history, the
most horrible crimes on the Pontiffs of
Rome and the Roman Catholic Church
wherever it had authority in Europe.
Papists cannot successfully deny the
truth of the narrative of events stated by
the author; the sources from which he
derived his information are known and
accessible to the learned, and to the stu
dent of profane and ecclesiastical history.
But not being accessible to the general
reader, we would most urgently recon-
mend the English translation of De Cor
menin's great work on the history of the
popes to the American.
The work is especially useful to the
student of political history in the manner
in which it relates and discusses the ten
dency and constant effort of the Roman
Catholic Church to control the civil gov
ernments of Europe, and make the polit-
ical interest of every country in which
they have power, subseryient to papal
rule. This is clearly and accurately set
forth In the above work, and the tyranny
and bloodshed occasioned thereby, min
gled with every feature of crime known
to mankind, has darkened the page of
European history, and made the rule of
the Roman Catholic Church more to be
dreaded than any system of government,
ecclesiastic or political, ever known to
man.
This work, written by papist, from
papal authority, will satisfy any unpre-
JUDGED person that, the historical facts
narrated therein, establish beyond con-
troversy that the Roman Catholic Church
is anti Christian, and totally opposed to
every principle of liberty known and APP
preciated by the laws of civil government,
and in national sense has failed to puri-
fly and elevate the body polite by the
inculcation of sound Christian virtues or
public morals
We do not review De Cormenin's his
tory of the popes. We do not discuss
the dogma of the infallibility" of the
popes, but consider it clear-even if it
were admitted that Gregory the XVI
made the 262 popes down to the year
l846-that it would be stupid to call them
virtuous, for out of the whole number
given in this history, nearly every one,
claimed to be infallible, was stained in
his official and private character with
every crime that darkens human nature
such is history in reply to intalhbihty.
If there are errors in the work under
consideration, there are none that the
Roman Catholic can successfully object
to; if on theological points, they are ia
vorable to the dogmas of their Church
they are controverted by the acts OF their
officials. If errors exist in the narrative
of historical events, they are such as do
not mitigate nor exaggerate the crimes
charged by the author; which are capa-
BILE Of the most. ample proof of these
truths; not only from the popes of Roman
Catholic authority, but from anti-Catholic
writer's of profane history, fully sustain
ing the same charges; the truth of which
was undeniable; and sustainable even by
Roman Catholic authority.
1t would fill very many columns of
your paper to cite from De Cormenin the
abominable crimes that crowd the history
of the popes, sustained as they could be
satisfactorily, in the judgments Of honest
men, by authority, to which popes, bish-
ops, and priests could not give an UMPIRE
JUDGED denial. VIM. ARCHER COOKE.
Florida.
For tba Cantro1 Prasb,,4ar;op