singing as a "public manifestation," and broke up the meeting. It has come to this: if Spanish Protestants pray so as to be overheard, it is a "public manifestation"; if their worship is any way visible to Catholics, it is a "public manifestation." The very elastic article of the Spanish constitution, Article XI., is being used to suppress Protestant worship and education entirely.

The very central principle of Romanism, as distinguished from primitive Christianity, is that the Pope is the supreme head of the church; the Vicar of Christ upon earth, and the representative of his power. If this claim of supremacy were merely confined to matters of religion and moral order, it would be dangerous enough then, for the reason that few acts occur in individual or national life which might not be brought under the review of a man who is considered the religious head of Christendom, and its infallible Judge. It is, therefore, no misrepresentation to assert, for the world's history gives ample proof, that papal supremacy means absolute supremacy over all powers on earth, religious and civil, Church and State, men's conscience and men's swords. (Applause.)

SHALL THE POPE'S AMBITIONS BE GRATIFIED?

Many of you are doubtless acquainted with the so-called "Dictate" of Pope Gregory VII. It is a collection of propositions, either made by himself or drawn from the writings of others, but held by the church to be his own. The "Dictate " says: The Pope alone can use the imperial regalia; all princes ought to kiss his feet only.

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"It is lawful for him to depose emperors; by his precepts and permission subjects may accuse their princes. No one shall dare to condemn any man who appeals to the Apostolic See. He may release subjects from their allegiance to bad princes, (such as Harrison). His judgment can be reviewed by no man.

These propositions plainly show the scope of the doctrine of the supremacy, and indicate clearly enough that it effectually destroys all national independence. Under the foregoing proposition, any man or any cause can be cited out of the United States for trial and decision at Rome.

The New York Tablet makes this very modest statement: "No self-appointed missionaries of self-created societies have any rights against the national religion of any country, and no claim even to toleration. The Catholic missionary has the right to freedom, because he goes forth clothed with the authority of God, and because he is sent by authority that has from God the right to send him. To refuse to hear him is to refuse to hear God, and to close a Catholic church is to shut up the house of God. The Catholic missionary is sent by the church that has authority from God to send him ; the Protestant missionary is sent by nobody, and can oblige nobody in the name of God or religion to hear him. Our Protestant friends should bear this in mind. They have as Protestants no authority in religion, and count for nothing in the house of God. * * * They have from God no right of propagandism, and religious liberty is in no sense violated when the national authority, whether Catholic or pagan, closes their mouths or their places of holding forth."

On complaint of the Catholics, the Pope may decree the deposition of the President of the United States, or a dissolution of the Union, and his judgment cannot be reviewed.

OUR NATION'S PERIL.

James Anthony Froude, the historian, in an article in the North American Review, concerning Romanism and the Republic,. said: “If Romanism becomes strong enough to command a majority at any important local center the crisis will arrive, because the constitution insists on the equality of all creeds before the law, and a conscientious Catholic knows no law save those which the church has sanctioned. The first principle of the republic is that the majority shall rule. If the church of Rome can really convert a majority of the American people, either the principle will have to be set aside, or the church will be within its rights in ordering matters at it pleases!"

And this is only in keeping with the whole history of Papacy. It is a vile spirit, and never changes. It is the same bigoted, intolerant, intermeddling pretender that it was in the days of Gregory VII. Although deprived of its temporal scepter, it has learned nothing from the flight of eight hundred

Prime Minister Crispi, of Italy-The Grandest of all the Romans!

years. The doctrine of supremacy is still maintained, and as sedulously taught in this country as in any of the ignorant States of Europe. The Papacy is not in harmony with the spirit of the age, and detests its humanizing power. It is losing ground rapidly in Europe, thank God. (Applause.) Its strongholds have been broken into by the light of civilization, and not being able to bear the light, it must die.

What a transformation has come about within the past twenty years in Italy! Think of it! By order of Pope Leo XIII, Cardinal Rampelli recently sent out a circular to all Roman Catholic powers in Europe, in which he protests against the attacks of Signor Crispi upon the Vatican, and calls for some kind of a restriction to be placed upon the utterances of the prime minister by the moral influence of other

nations.

Poor old fellow, he finds his grip on the public giving out. He is being swamped by civilization!

At the unveiling of the monument in the heart of the city of Rome to the memory of Bruno, there were more than thirty thousand Italians, who shouted themselves hoarse in honor of the day, of the king and of liberty.

Ever since then the Pope has had the chills, a sure precursor of the death of the Papacy!

"Dark fraud, by strange mysterious rites,

By dungeon, rack and wheel,
Ground weak humanity to earth,

Beneath its iron heel.

Time hurled its temple to the dust,

And Reason cried, 'Begone!'

Your ancient gods are standing still,

Behold! The world moves on!" (Applause.)

Wherever religion is made an affair of the State, instead of a matter of the individual mind and conscience, it grows to be a gigantic tyrannical, political machine; morally, an empty shell, afflicted with heart and soul rot.

The young government of Italy has found herself face to face with the question of an impoverished exchequer, brought about by the ecclesiastical robbery of the church, which, like the horse-leech, has for ages been sucking the financial life of the nation.

CRISPI ATTACKS THE CHURCH.

A special dispatch to the New York Times of January 19th, announces thirty millions annually taken from the control of the Vatican.

Prime Minister Crispi has succeeded in striking a heavy blow at the financial interests and power of the Holy See. He has caused the national legislature to pass a law secularizing what is known as the "Opere Pie," which consists of some twentyfour thousand charitable foundations of a religious character, and possessing an aggregate annual income of thirty million dollars! The control of this enormous revenue has until now been vested exclusively in the hands of the parish clergy, and in those of the various religious orders. With one fell swoop Signor Crispi has confiscated the whole property on behalf of the government, and has confided its administration to the direction of the department of public charities.

The value of this property is estimated at six hundred million dollars; and it is said was given to be devoted to religious and charitable uses in all parts of the world; but the prime minister complained that over twenty million dollars disappeared in the expenses of management, and that the remaining ten million dollars was devoted to "propaganda by the Vatican against the government."

The

At a banquet in Palermo, at which forty-nine senators and one hundred and forty-nine members of the chamber of deputies were present, Crispi made a lengthy speech, in which he declared that it was necessary to combat all persons, high or low, seeking to undermine the political edifice of Italy. temporal power of the Pope, although it had existed for centuries, had been only a transition period. Rome existed before it, and could continue to exist without it. Complaints or threats, either from home or abroad, would have no effect. He declared unassailable the utterance of King Humbert, that Rome forms an integral part of Italy, just as law forms a part of the modern world. After asserting that the Pope possessed perfect religious liberty, and was only restricted, and less harshly than in other Catholic states, from encroaching upon the sphere of reason, Crispi exclaimed:" "Let the Church, now free, en