clergy, they would be almost as idle as the pop- | occupations, and to interest themselves in the suculace themselves. But the dressings and un- cess of all their pursuits-good, bad, or indifferdressings, the genuflexions, and swinging of ent. When an accident occurs to man, beast, or censers, the marching and counter-marching, the vehicle, they do not hesitate to rate their patron collection of alms, bearing of images, carrying of saint, roundly and profanely, for his negligence. candles, ringing of bells, and all the complicated If, on the contrary, they escape an evil, they and ingenious inventions of ecclesiastical brains, hasten to offer a candle, or some gift in proporto keep their hands from being in the service of tion to their means, to his or her shrine, as the the devil-all these find the clergy in some degree sex may be. of employment, while their flocks are left to idly gape over their stereotyped displays, or find such amusements as they can; in short, to do any thing but conform to the Divine injunction of "Six days shalt thou labor." The Church, however, discountenances irregular pleasures, and does its best, consistently with its own example, to keep the people in a moral vein. It endeavors to reconcile idleness with goodness, and superstition with religion; unions, like all unnatural ones, prolific only in imbecility and disorder. Among the many ceremonies my curiosity has prompted me to witness, none more wearisome ever fell to my lot than the midnight mass of Christmas-eve. Prompted by the expectation of good music, I went to the church of the "Annunciata" at Florence, at the usual hour, about ten o'clock. The body of the church was crammed with the unwashed multitude. Behind the choir were admitted the strangers and fashionables. During the dark and dismal service, gay conversation, flirting, and promenading were going on. It was more like the saloon of a theatre than the house of God. At midnight a gaudily-dressed doll was held up for the devotion of the congregation, and the ceremony was concluded. The Roman clergy assemble five times a year The weightiest objection to the absurd spectacles of the church, sanctioned by the Pope and high clergy, is, that they cultivate credulity and ignorance among the people, and teach them to rely more upon the blessings and supernatural care of deceased saints than upon their own ex-in general processions. The different orders of ertions or enterprise in providing against the ordinary contingencies of life. Hence human prudence is superseded by a puerile fatalism, equally remote from the dignified practice and sublime doctrine of Islamism. The Roman people, in particular, believe that the special business of the saints in Paradise is to watch over their daily monks, being very properly of the least consideration in the church, march first. Thirty-seven communities appear under the banners of their several saints, twenty march under the flag of the Holy Sacrament, and eight others appear under different ensigns, of which one is the banner of Death. They turn out to the number of five or six thousand, when in full ranks, of priests, constitutes a congregation of relics, composed of monks, and clerks. The most splendid of these processions is that of "Corpus Domini," or the Fête of God. In this, the Pope and all the civil and ecclesiastical dignitaries of Rome, and the military, take part. Embassadors, governors, senators, princes, and nobles of every degree, humbly carrying candles, appear in this colossal cortège. The Pope is borne on his pontifical litter, high above the heads of all, surrounded by his court, and carrying in his hands the holy sacrament, in vessels radiant with gold and jewels, before which the spectators prostrate themselves humbly and uncovered, as the procession slowly passes through the different quarters of Rome, on its way to and from St. Peter's. The doctrine and abuses of relics are among the worst corruptions of the Roman Church. As they are sources of incalculable pecuniary profit, they will be among the slowest and most difficult of reformation. Doubtless the Church of Rome possesses, among its hordes of false relics, some true memorials of departed saints. It is even possible, though not probable, that St. Helena did put her in possession of some of the genuine implements used at the crucifixion. Grant this much, even, but hold her to her own doctrine in regard to them, viz., " That in religion relics are to be held in veneration corresponding to that in which tokens of affection and memorials of endearment are preserved in well-regulated and virtuous families." This is right and proper. But what use does the Church of Rome make of them? That she considers them of primary importance in her service is evident from the fact that she six cardinals and four prelates, whose functions are to examine and classify the remains of ancient martyrs found in the catacombs of Rome and elsewhere. Their quarry is a large one, for already there have been taken from this necropolis the remains of one hundred and seventy thousand victims-of death surely, if not of martyrdom--most of which have passed muster as genuine relics, comforting to the faith of the living and profitable to the treasury of the Church. Unfortunately the science of the priestly inspectors has not always been equal to their zeal, and the remains of animals have been sometimes confounded with those of the early Christians But as a close inspection of relics is seldom allowed, distance would lend as much spiritual efficacy to the bone of an ass as of a martyr, provided faith was equal to the sacred recognition. St. Peter's boasts the possession of the most precious of the sacred relics. These consist of a piece of the true cross, a portion of the spearhead which pierced the side of Christ, a bit of the sponge, and the true imprint of the Saviour's face upon the handkerchief of St. Veronica, which, according to Roman Catholic tradition, she lent to Christ to wipe the sweat from his brow while staggering under the weight of the cross. No good Catholic presumes to doubt the authenticity of these relics. They are exhibited to the people during Holy Week, all incased in gold and precious stones, from one of the raised galleries above the tomb of St. Peter, nearly one hundred feet above their heads, at which distance it is impossible to distinguish one object from another. Besides these, there are eleven columns from the admitted to kiss the silver railing of the altar, for the purpose of devoutly leaving a sum of money with the priest for the edifying privilege. Ghastly heads and remains of martyrs, in silver or gold cases, are periodically exposed to similar adoration in the principal churches, or brought out in sol temple of Jerusalem, and the one against which Jesus leaned when disputing with the doctors. This is carefully concealed from general sight in one of the chapels, but I contrived to get in and lean against the same spot-I must confess it, not without experiencing a sensation of pious gratification altogether remote from skepticism-emn procession on the occasion of drought or so far as the iron grating with which it is jealously encircled would permit. St. Peter's has also a chapel specially devoted to the arms, legs, fingers, heads, and other portions of saints, the list of which hangs on the outside, and is not a very attractive invitation to enter to sensitive stomachs. some public calamity, to induce the defunct possessor to intercede with God, or more generally the Virgin Mary, to arrest the evil. Who can view these imbecilities and not hold the Roman clergy accountable for withholding the bread of life, and substituting pageantry and superstitions not one whit superior to the classical paganism they supplanted? It is true that the early popes, despairing to abolish altogether the heathen customs of Rome, engrafted many of the ceremonies of the expiring ritual into their own. But their successors have allowed fifteen centuries to pass without a single endeavor to purify their religion from the corrupting influences which their predecessors deplored, and submitted to only from unavoidable necessity. Forms and names have been changed, but Rome of the nineteenth century, under a Christian pontiff and a learned clergy, in point of superstition and credulity, is as essential There is scarcely a Roman Catholic church in Europe that does not possess a Golgotha of relics -disgusting objects, mostly defeating their own claims to authenticity by their impossible pretensions and absurd traditions, the belief in which is far more diligently inculcated than in the saving doctrines of Scripture. The latter would put an end to these stupid impostures, but the former exalt the reputation of the several churches, and bring much treasure into their coffers. In fact, they are ecclesiastical museums, for which heretics pay to gratify their curiosity, and the faithful to adore, and gain the promised indulgences at the ex-ly pagan as in the days of Augustus. The mirapense of their gifts left upon the altars. I have seen thousands flock around a miserable old Byzantine painting of the Virgin, of the twelfth century, scrupulously vailed in order to increase the mystery, except on certain holidays when the public are cles of ancient Rome, so prolific in the pages of Livy, are every whit as credible as those which figure in the annals of the Church. When devotion flags, or money fails to pour abundantly in at a certain shrine, a miracle is sure to ensue. Cu riosity is excited, superstition stimulated, and the | for sanctity. Sixtus V. was the pope who needed excitement produced. My readers will, I trust, agree with me, when they have visited a few of these idolatrous shrines, that the sooner they are swept from the earth the better will become the temporal and eternal prospects for mankind. In the church of the "Ara Cæli," which occupies the site of the temple of the Capitoline Jupiter, there is preserved a wretchedly-carved wooden doll, loaded with an incalculable amount of precious jewels. This doll belongs to the monks, and brings them in yearly a revenue which enriches them all. It is called the "Most Holy Baby," and the most diligent exertions are made to keep alive faith in its sovereign virtues. Every stranger visits it, as a matter of course, and pays the accustomed fee. But its chief revenue is from the sick. It has a larger practice than any physician in Rome. As soon as a Roman despairs of his life or his doctor, he sends for the "MOST HOLY BABY," which is brought to his bedside in great state. If he die, the baby has called him, which is all right; if he get well, the baby has cured him, which is right also. In either case the monks receive their fee. It is so rich that it has a handsome carriage of its own. Several times a year this idol is exposed to the adoration of the crowd, no other having so great a reputation in Rome. An old marble staircase which had seen much service in the ancient Lateran Palace, has contrived to gather to itself an astonising reputation VOL. IX.-No. 51.-X brought into notice. In rebuilding the palace he discovered that it was the same staircase on which Christ descended when leaving the judgment-seat of Pilate. Henceforth it became most holy and endowed with incalculable virtues. Sixtus inclosed it in a building opposite the church of St. John in Lateran, and provided lateral staircases for descent and for profane feet. Several thousand years' indulgence were promised to every one who made the ascent on his knees, repeating at each step Paternosters and Ava Marias. Go now when you will, and it will be found occupied by sinners, male and female, nobles and beggars, side by side, painfully winning their way to the promised indulgence. At the bottom there is always on duty a monk who demands alms, and at the top, a contribution plate beside a crucifix, into which the pilgrims deposit their offerings while reverently kissing and repeating a prayer over each wound of Christ. So great is the concourse that wooden steps have been placed over the stones, to protect them from the pious wear. After all, the pilgrims do not touch the veritable steps; a fact which they seem entirely to overlook, but which one would suppose would detract somewhat from the promised blessings. In my forgetfulness of its sanctity I began to ascend it on my feet, but the attendant priest requested me to desist. While I paused some French soldiers went by with wonderful celerity on their knees, evidently in a profane race to see who would first arrive at the top. The church contains a wonderful assortment of relics; the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul, as usual, in jeweled cases of silver; a lock of the Virgin Mary's hair, and a fragment of one of her petticoats; some blood of Christ; the table at which he ate the last supper-a small affair, suitable for a café tête-à-tête, but never intended for thirteen, an anomaly the relic manufacturers impolitically overlooked. Then there are the rods of Moses and Aaron, with a portion of the Ark of the Covenant; the pillar off which the cock crew when Peter denied Christ, and other wonders surpassing belief. The relics of the Virgin Mary in ecclesiastical museums are surprisingly numerous, while Joseph appears to have left no memorials behind him. At Loretto, we have her entire house, transported by angels from the Holy Land. Were all her property restored to it, one might get a tolerable insight into her domestic affairs; for we have quite a wardrobe of hers remaining, besides the cradle of the infant Jesus, preserved at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in total forgetfulness of the scriptural fact that the new-born babe was laid in a manger. I will give a list of some of the most noted relics preserved at different shrines, to show what THE HOLY STAIRS. the Church of Rome exhibits instead of the simple Word of God. They exist in such profusion wherever the Roman Catholic priesthood have sway, that it is really difficult to select a collection which shall embrace the absurdities of all, as their number and variety are legion. One of the richest and most select, however, of these shrines is that of St. Mark's, at Venice. It is open at certain hours to the public for a stated fee. The wealth in precious metals and jewels lavished upon the vessels and tabernacles which contain these ghastly remains is incalculable. Were all the idle and idolatrous treasure of Italy actively employed for the benefit of the living, it would give her schools throughout her territory, or connect it by a network of railways; in either case affording education or work to her starving multitudes. The sacristan of St. Mark's ushered me into the sanctuary where its treasures are kept. At the first glance one would suppose he had fallen into Aladdin's cave, so brightly shone the gold and silver, gleaming with rare and costly stones. Closer inspection, however, betrayed the contents of the glass vials in which nost of them were preserved. There were arm and leg bones without number; fragments of morbid humanity of every shape and variety, labeled "a piece of Saint" this, or Saintess that-precious to the faith of the believing, it was devoutly to be hoped, but repulsive to doubting eyes. The taste of Roman Catholics for the morbidly horrible in death's doings is strangely general. At Notre Dame, in Paris, they showed me the spine of the late archbishop, which had been dissected from his corpse to be exhibited to his late parishioners. The relics at St. Mark's that I particularly noticed were as follows: The thumb of St. Mark. A lock of the Virgin's Lair, bright auburn, looking as if recently cut from a child's head. Some of the blood of Christ. Some of the earth soaked with it. A piece of his garment with out a seam. Four pieces of the True Cross, one of which belonged to the Empress Irene of Constantinople. One Nail of the True Cross. -(There is another at Paris, one at Milan, one at Rome, and the iron crown of Lombardy is said also to have been made of them.) Two of the Thorns of the Crown. |