values your powerful advocacy of our cause them in a spirit which I cannot admire. more than I do. 86 "I have the honour to remain, Right Reverend Sir, respectfully, "Your obedient, humble servant, "CHAS. KANAPAUX, "Secretary to the Vestry. Sept. 25th, 1839." To which the Bishop made the following reply: To Charles Kanapaux, Esq., Secretary of the Vestry of St. Mary's Church. DEAR SIR-Illness and its consequent debility prevented me from making an earlier reply to your communication of the 25th of last month. I feel deeply indebted to the Vestry of St. Mary's Church for the kind manner in which they appreciate the performance of my duty. The Rev. Mr. Fuller, misled by a host of writers who copied one of the earliest falsehoods that was invented to vilify our church, and to justify the secession of those who called themselves "Reformers," I am convinced, was honestly under the impression that the Protestant imitations of the Taxbook of the Roman tribunals, were exact and authentic copies of those books. At the outset of the correspondence, I have no doubt he was convinced that his authorities were good, and his case easily established; and I am certain that he anticipated an easy and a glorious triumph. Mr. Fuller has not studied those quotations with sufficient care, and he was not prepared for the difficulties that subsequently arose. The forgeries and the interpolations are not his. And it was neither the disposition nor the interest of those whom he regarded as high authority to admit, that they were what the Catholic world always proclaimed them to be, spurious suppositions. Nor is Mr. Fuller the only one of our fellow-citizens who looked upon the position which he undertook to defend, as impregnable. The delusion is spread widely abroad, not only amongst those who are poorly informed, but amongst those who are otherwise learned and worthy of esteem for their genius and acquirements. Nor is it to be destroyed in a day, nor in a month, nor in a year. But I am happy to perceive that the mind of America is awakened to the subject; and the result of investigation will be the discovery of truth. In the process of the inquiry, I felt it to be my duty to treat this gentleman as one who combated for what he considered to be truth; though I regret much that he has introduced other topics, and treated As, however, the main question has been departed from, and other duties press upon me, I shall discontinue the discussion as soon as I can. For yourself, sir, accept my thanks for the manner in which you were so kind as to make the communication; and believe me to be, with regard and esteem, Yours, very sincerely and affectionately in Christ, +JOHN, Bishop of Charleston. Charleston, Oct. 7th, 1839. C. From the U. S. Cath. Misc. of Jan. 11, 1840. LICENSE TO SIN. We have lately observed upon some of the European papers, religious and others, that notice was taken of the controversy carried on in this place some months since, between the Bishop and the Rev. Richard Fuller. We were curious to discover how it was estimated elsewhere, as it excited considerable interest in this state: and as we suppose several of our readers have similar desires, we thought they would be gratified at our copying some of these notices into our columns. The following is from vol. ciii. of the Ami de la Religion, No. 3208, p. 410, published in Paris on the 20th of November. We were about to give only the translation, until a friend reminded us that Mr. Fuller charged the English Protestant translators of Bayle with incorrectness, and advised us to give the original also, that an opportunity may be afforded of correcting us, if we should be unfaithful. "Le Docteur England, évêque de Charleston aux Etats-Unis, a soutenu dernièrement une vive discussion avec un ministre Protestant, M. Fuller, qui avoit avancé dans un discours public qu'il y avoit un statut de la chancellerie Romaine, en vertu duquel on pouvoit pour une somme d'argent être autorisé à commettre des assassinats, des meurtres, et d'autres crimes. M. England releva cette assertion avec force, M. Fuller essaya de la soutenir. Une correspondance s'établit entre eux dans les journaux_de Charleston. L'évêque demanda à M. Fuller ses preuves. Le ministre lui cita Saurin, Robertson, L'Encyclopédie des Connoissances Religieuses, le Dictionnaire Theologique de Buck, le Catalogue de Brunet, d'Aubigné, Drelincourt, et Banck. Le Docteur England discute ces diverses autorités. Il montre que ces écrivains n'ont point vu le livre de la taxe de la chancellerie Romaine. Ils se sont copiés les uns les autres. M. England croit que l'auteur de l'imposture est Pinet, | ledge, Buck's Theological Dictionary, the qui publia une compilation à Lyon en 1564. Catalogue of Brunet, Bayle, D'Aubigné, Banck reproduisit la fable à Franckere en Drelincourt, and Banck. Doctor England 1652. Le prélat soutient qu'il n'y eut point discusses those several authorities. He d'édition du tarif avant Pinet. Il faut voir shows that those writers had never seen les contradictions de ceux qui ont parlé de the Tax-book of the Roman Chancery: ce tarif. M. Fuller prétendoit tirer un grand they have only copied from each other. avantage de l'autorité de Bayle, qui, disoit Bishop England is of opinion that the auil, n'étoit pas Protestant. M. l'évêqne relève thor of the imposture is Pinet, who pubcette incroyable méprise. lished a compilation at Lyons in 1564; Banck reproduced the fable at Francker in 1652. The prelate maintains that there was no edition of this tariff before Pinet. One should see the contradictions of those who have spoken of this tariff. Mr. Fuller sought to derive great advantage from the authority of Bayle, who, he said, was not a Protestant. The Bishop takes up this incredible mistake. "Cette lettre de M. England, en date du 17 Août, est longue et solide. Le prélat y fait preuve d'une érudition très-variée. Il expose les usages de la cour de Rome, et il donne de nouvelles raisons pour montrer l'absurdité du tarif. C'est-là une de ces fa'bles qu' on répète avec confiance chez les Protestans, sans remonter aux sources et par suite des préventions si communes parmi eux, qui les portent à accueillir les bruits les plus invraisemblables contre les Catholiques. M. l'évêque en cite quelques exemples récens. Sa lettre est écrite d'ailleurs avec autant de modération que de force, et est digne en tout point du talent et du zéle d'un prélat si distingué. "Le prelat a encore publié depuis cinq ou six lettres sur le même sujet. Il a battu complétement son adversaire, et lui a reproché cette habitude trop commune chez Protestans de forger des histoires ridicules sur les Catholiques et de leur imputer des torts imaginaires. M. Fuller ayant protesté contre ce reproche, l'évêque fui en a fait voir des exemples tout récens qui s'étoient passés en Irlande et en Angleterre, et qui sont rapportés dans les journaux du pays. M. Fuller, réduit au silence sur l'histoire de la taxe de la chancellerie Romaine, s'est jeté sur un autre terrain, et a appelé à son secours un canon du troisième concile de Latran. Le Docteur England a encore discuté ce point avec son habileté accoutumée. La controverse en étoit là dans les derniers journaux d'Amérique." TRANSLATION. This letter of Bishop England, dated August 17th, is long and solid. In it the prelate exhibits varied erudition. He explains the usages of the Court of Rome, and adduces new reasons to show the absurdity of the tariff. This is one of the fables which are repeated with confidence amongst Protestants, without examining their source, because of those prejudices so common amongst them, which lead them to welcome the most unlikely reports against Catholics. The Bishop cites many recent examples. His letter is, besides, written with equal moderation and strength, and is every way worthy of the talent and zeal of so distinguished a prelate. The prelate has subsequently published five or six letters on the same subject. He has completely beaten his adversary; and reproached him with this custom, too common amongst Protestants, of forging ridicu lous stories respecting Catholics, and of imputing to them imaginary faults. Mr. Fuller having denied the justice of this charge, the Bishop exhibits to him, from the statements of the public papers, perfectly recent examples in Ireland and in England. Mr. Fuller, silenced on the subject of the Taxbook of the Roman Chancery, throws himself upon new ground, and has called to his aid a canon of the third Council of Lateran: Doctor England has again discussed this point with his usual ability. The last American papers give us so far of the controversy. Doctor England, Bishop of Charleston, in the United States, has lately been engaged in a lively discussion with Mr. Fuller, a Protestant minister, who in a public essay had asserted that there was a statute of the Roman Chancery, by which a person could be authorized for a sum of money to commit assassinations, murder, and other crimes. Bishop England strongly took up this assertion; Mr. Fuller undertook to sustain its truth. A correspondence was opened be- From the United States Catholic Miscellany, of tween them in the Charleston papers. The Bishop called upon Mr. Fuller for his proofs. The minister quoted for him Saurin, Robertson, the Encyclopedia of Religious Know D. April 18, 1840. THE ROMAN CHANCERY. The letters between the Reverend Richard Fuller and Bishop England having reached Rome, the officers of the Roman Chancery | was granted without the conditions usually requested a competent person belonging to the United States to compile an Italian synopsis of the controversy for their inspection. It was matter of astonishment in that city that at the present day any respectable scholar should believe the forgeries of Pinet and Banck to be chargeable on the Roman Chancery. The answers of Bishop England, so far as they were understood, were esteemed to be good. E. required by the Holy See: to wit: that all the children should be educated in the Catholic religion, that the un-Catholic party should not forbid to the Catholic party the free exercise of that religion, and that this latter party should be reminded of the obligation to labour for the conversion of the un-Catholic spouse. It was also said that a brief was issued for this dispensation, and that a good round sum of a tax was paid to procure it. "The subjoined copy of the supplication From the United States Catholic Miscellany of presented to his holiness on behalf of the January 23d. 1841. THE TAX-BOOK OF THE ROMAN CHANCERY. Under this title, a contributor to the Charleston Observer of last Saturday, communicates a passage of Claude D'Espence quoted by Bishop Bull in his answer to Bossuet. Now neither the name of Bishop Bull, nor any other, will make the passage worth more than its own intrinsic value. And that may be found in the following parts of the correspondence between Bishop England and the Rev. Richard Fuller, now for sale at 75 cents, at most of the book stores in this city. Mr. Fuller quoted it in his letter of August 23d, 1839, as found on p. 35, of this book. Bishop England remarks on its value in his letter of September 2d, pp. 51, 52, and in his letter of September 4, p. 52. To these we refer those who are desirous of knowing the value of the passage. We now translate from the Ami de la Religion, of December 8th, the account of a modern case in Chancery, which has been reported of, à la Banck et Pinet, but the misrepresentation of which has been corrected effectually, as will be seen, yet we suspect this correction will not suffice for those who will have Rome the bad and ugly thing which their grand-dams taught them and their education and prejudices have confirmed. "Calumnious reports, but circulated with great trick and cunning respecting the marriage of M. Anatolius de Demidoff with the Princess Amelia Matilda, daughter of the Prince of Montfort, (Jerome Bonaparte,) and her Royal Highness Catherine of Wurtemburg, have determined his holiness to direct Cardinal Lambruschini, Secretary of State, to communicate to the members of the diplomatic body residing at Rome the acts emanating from the Holy See for the purpose of granting the dispensation solicited for this mixed marriage. The object of this communication was to protect the dignity of the Apostolic See against this calumny. "It was rumoured that the dispensation two spouses; the copy of the rescript issued, as all other dispensations of this kind are, from the holy office, and mentioning that there had been paid according to custom for the tax of the Chancery sixteen pauls and a half (about less than nine francs,) (exactly $1 65-ONE DOLLAR AND SIXTY-FIVE CENTS.-the paul is exactly ten cents.) finally, the assurance given by the Cardinal, Secretary of State, that beyond this rescript there was no room for any other act on the part of the Holy See, suffice to demonstrate how false and calumnious are the reports that have been circulated. "To these documents we shall add 1st. An attestation of the Archbishop of Florence, proving that M. Demidoff had taken the oath with the formalities usual and prescribed in such case by the Catholic Church, and with the explicit conditions required by the decrees of the holy office.-2d. The declaration of Dom. Luigi Vescovali, agent of the spouse, establishing that he had merely paid, and nothing more, the usual tax of sixteen and a half pauls to the Chancery of this tribunal." SUPPLICATION. Most holy Father, The Princess Amelia Matilda, a Catholic, daughter of Jerome Bonaparte, Prince de Montfort, former King of Westphalia, and of the Princess Catherine, daughter of the late King of Wurtemburg, desirous of being united in marriage with the Count Anatolius de Demidoff, a Russian Greek, supplicates your holiness to have the goodness to grant her the apostolic dispensation for this difference of worship, so that she may be enabled to contract marriage according to the laws prescribed by the Catholic Church. The same is solicited on behalf of the spouse. She will pray, &c. RESCRIPT. "Feria II. Die 12 Octobris, 1840. "Sanctissimus D. N. Gregorius divinâ providentiâ P. P. XVI. extraordinariâ audi entiâ reverendissimo, P. commissario S. Officii impetratâ; auditâ relatione suprascripti supplicis libelli, attentis peculiaribus et extraordinariis circumstantiis in præsenti casu concurrentibus, ab R. P. D. archiepiscopo Florentino, in suâ attestatione expositis, benigne remisit preces prudenti arbitrio et conscientiæ ejusdem R. P. D. archiepiscopi Florentini cum facultate etiam subdelegandi, si opus sit, ut dispensare valeat Matildam, principissam de Montfort, oratricem Catholicam, ut licitè et legitimè matrimonium contrahere possit cum comite Anatolio de Demidoff, Ecclesiæ Græcoschismaticæ addicto, emissâ tamen per eumdem juratâ obligatione coram eodem R. P. D. archiepiscopo Florentino, permittendi educationem prolis utriusque sexus in religione Catholicâ nec impediendi uxori filiisque liberum Catholicæ religionis exercitium. Matrimonium vero celebretur coram Parocho et duobus saltem testibus juxta præscripta a sacro concilio Tridentino, extra tamen ecclesiam, et absque Parochi benedictione. Ipsemet denique archiepiscopus efficaciter insinuet oratrici Catholicæ obligationem quam habet, curandi totis viribus acatholici conjugis conversionem. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuscumque, &c. "ANGELUS ARGENTI, S. Rom. "Recepti fuere a Cancellariâ S. Officii, Julii sexdecim cum dimidio pro [L. S.] suis juribus. Id. ARGENTI. "At an extraordinary audience granted to the most reverend father, the commissary of the Holy Office, having heard his report on the above supplication, taking into account the extraordinary circumstances concurring in the present case, as exhibited in his attestation by the most reverend prelate the Lord Archbishop of Florence, his holiness graciously referred the petition to the prudent discretion and conscience of the same most reverend prelate, the Lord Archbishop of Florence, with even the faculty of subdelegation, if need should be, so that he may be enabled to dispense for the Catholic petitioner, Matilda, Princess de Montfort, that she could lawfully and rightly contract marriage with the Count Anatolius de Demi doff, attached to the Greek schismatic church, he having however first sworn an obligation in presence of the most reverend prelate the Lord Archbishop of Florence, that he would permit the education of the children of both sexes in the Catholic religion, and that he would not give any impediment to the free exercise of the Catholic religion by his wife and children. Let the marriage be celebrated in presence of the parish priest and at least two witnesses, according to the prescription of the holy Council of Trent, but not within a church, and without the blessing of the parish priest. And finally, let the Archbishop himself effectually inform the Catholic petitioner of the obligation under which she lies, of using her best efforts to procure the conversion of her un-Catholic husband. This to be in force notwithstanding any laws, customs, or usages, &c., to the contrary. "ANGELO ARGENTI, "Notary of the holy Roman and Universal Inquisition. office sixteen and a half Julii for its taxes. "Received by the Chancery of the holy "The same ARGENTI. [Seal] "This 6th of November, 1840. "This agrees with the original. "SYLVESTER BELLI, Assessor of the Holy Office." CERTIFICATE OF THE ARCHBISHOP. "This day, October 19th, 1840. "This morning, his excellency, the Count of Demidoff, in conformity with the pontifical authority granted in favour of the Princess Matilda, daughter of the Prince Jerome Bonaparte of Montfort, to contract marriage with him, notwithstanding his belonging to the Greek schismatical church, did take, upon my administration, his oath upon the holy Gospels, to allow that the children of both sexes which the Almighty God may give to him, should be educated in the Catholic religion of their mother, and to give every facility to her as well as to her children, to practise freely all the duties of the Catholic worship, removing every obstacle which they may meet with. In testimony whereof, I have deposited this certificate in my Chancery. "FERDINAND, Archbishop of Florence." DECLARATION OF THE AGENT. "I, the undersigned, declare that upon occasion of the dispensation obtained from his holiness through the channel of the congregation of the Holy Office in favour of the Princess Matilda de Montfort, to enable her to contract a mixed marriage with the Count de Demidoff, I have paid to the Chancery of the aforesaid tribunal the usual tax of sixteen pauls and a half, as is expressed at the foot of the rescript issued for the said dispensation: and thinking I would act more in keeping with the state of the petitioner in offering to the Chancery two sequins of gold, they were refused: and nothing was received but the simple tax above mentioned; in addition to which, I formally declare that no one in the employment of the Holy See has, upon this ground, received anything else. In testimony whereof, &c. "The publicity given to these documents, reprinted in the journals of Italy and Germany, and whose authenticity we are enabled to guarantee, is the only answer which should be given to schismatics and Protestants who have fastened upon this fact of the mixed marriage of Count de Demidoff to spread abroad fables as absurd as they are odious, to the prejudice of the Holy See, by representing it as venal and fluctuating in its conduct." The Roman crown and our dollar are of the same value. The paul is so called from having a bust of Pope Paul on its obverse, as the julius is so called from having the bust of a Pope of that name; they are coins of the same value, each one-tenth of a crown, so that a paul or julius is exactly ten cents, and the tax of the Roman Chancery was exactly $1 65. The sequin of gold is worth about two dollars and thirty cents; thus the tax offered as worthy of a princess, was four dollars sixty cents, of which two dollars ninety-five cents was returned. We shall add to the above, merely as a running comment, the following paragraph from Rev. Mr. Fuller's letter of September 14, 1839, p. 68, to Bishop England. 2. "When Abbe Richard admits the Tax book, it is the work 'Jurieu produced,' viz.: the tariff of sin which he says 'the church' suppressed, and of which 'the guilt belongs only to the court of Rome.' Your attempt to identify this with the cut and dry copy in your possession, and to confound Tax-book for Papal revenue with a fee-bill of officers is too bad. The picture you give, however, of John XXII., citing Scripture for his purpose,' is admirable. How the bloodsucker must have chuckled, as he concocted his infernal scheme for replenishing his needy coffers, and gave as a cause that verse of the Psalmist-' Blessed is he who understandeth concerning the needy and the poor.' Well done Pope John XXII." From Rev. Mr. Fuller's letter of August 13th, p. 19. "Take notice particularly, that such graces and dispensations are not granted to the poor; for not having wherewith to pay, they cannot be comforted." (Saur. Ser. by Robins, vol. 1st, p. 219.) LETTERS TO THE HON. JOHN FORSYTH, ON THE SUBJECT OF DOMESTIC SLAVERY; TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED COPIES, IN LATIN AND ENGLISH, OF THE POPE'S APOSTOLIC LETTER CONCERNING THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, WITH SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, ETC. [The series of historical pieces on the general subject of the political and moral position and relations of the Roman See, properly concludes with the well-known "Letters to Forsyth," the last work of Dr. England, and one in which he was interrupted by death. It is placed here on account of the natural connexion which it has with the foregoing pieces.] INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. THE intemperate course which Mr. O'Connell has chosen to pursue in relation to a large portion of the American people, and his late most unwarrantable attempt to impart the semblance of religious authority to his incendiary appeals concerning slavery, to his former fellow-subjects, now citizens of these United States, have rendered it expedient, in the judgment of many persons, to reprint, together with the recent apostolical letter of the Sovereign Pontiff on the slave trade, the celebrated letters of Bishop |