quis in posterum audeat scribere, edere, imprimere, vel imprimi facere, VENDERE, EMERE, mutuo, dono vel quovis alio prætextu dare, accipere, publice, vel occulte retinere, apud se, vel quomodolibet aliter servare, vel servari facere librum vel scriptum aliquod eorum, quæ in hoc Indice Sacri Officii notata sunt, sive quascumque alias conscriptiones quos labe aliqua cujusvis hæresis respersas esse, vel ab hæreticis prodiisse compertum erit, &c. This index has a list of Prohibited Bibles, occupying more than a page, and half an one of New Testaments, with all similar editions, or translations, at the end, followed by sixtyone prohibited printers. This index went so far as to prosecute all books printed by any, who had ever printed the books of heretics, so that there scarcely remained,' says F. Paul, a book to be read. And this was the foundation laid for maintaining and advancing the authority of the Court of Rome, by depriving men of that knowledge which is necessary to defend them from usurpation! In a word, a better device was never found for stultifying men, under the pretence of making them religious.'

We now come to Spain; and, according to Llorente, PHILIP II. whose name is not blessed in this country, published a sanguinary decree, like himself, denouncing death and confiscation of goods to all who should BUY, SELL, or keep the books prohibited by the sacred office; and, to preclude the plea of ignorance, ordered a catalogue, prepared by the InquisitorGeneral, to be published in 1558.

From the Ten Rules of the Roman Index of

Pius IV., 1564, we make the following extracts; which throw light on the words of St. John.

'Rule IV. Inasmuch as it is manifest from experience, that if the Holy Bible translated into the vulgar tongue, be indiscriminately allowed to every one, the temerity of men will cause more evil than good to arise from it, it is, on this point, referred to the judgment of the Bishops or Inquisitors, who may, by the advice of the priest or confessor, permit the reading of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue by Catholic authors, to those persons whose faith and piety, they apprehend, will be augmented, and not injured by it; and this permission they must have in writing. But if any one shall have the presumption to read or possess it without such written permission, he shall not receive absolution, until he have first delivered up such Bible to the ordinary. BOOKSELLERS, however, who shall SELL, or otherwise dispose of Bibles in the vulgar tongue, to any person not having such permission, shall forfeit the value of the books, to be applied by the Bishop to some pious use; and be subjected to such other penalties as the Bishop shall judge proper, according to the quality of the offence. But regulars shall neither read nor PURCHASE Such Bibles without a special license from their superiors.

Moreover, in every

Rule X. (Extract from.) city and diocese, the house or places where the art of printing is exercised, and also the shops of Booksellers, shall be frequently visited by persons deputed for that purpose by the Bishops or his Vicar, conjointly

:

with the Inquisitor of heretical pravity so that nothing that is prohibited may be printed, kept, or SOLD. Booksellers of every description shall keep in their libraries a catalogue of the books which they have on sale, signed by the said deputies; nor shall they keep, or SELL, nor in any way dispose of, any other books, without permission from the deputies, under pain of forfeiting the books, and being liable to such other penalties as shall be judged proper by the Bishop or Inquisitor, who shall also punish the BUYERS, readers or printers of such works. If any person import foreign books into any city, they shall be obliged to announce them to the deputies; or if this kind of merchandise be exposed to SALE in any public place, the public officers of the place shall signify to the said deputies, that such books have been brought; and no one shall presume to give, to read, or lend, or SELL, any book, which he or any other person has brought into the city, until he has shewn it to the deputies, and obtained their permission, unless it be a work well known to be universally allowed.-Finally, it is enjoined on all the faithful, that no one presume to keep or read any books contrary to these rules, or prohibited by this index. But if any one read or keep any books composed by heretics, or the writings of any author suspected of heresy or false doctrine, he shall instantly incur the sentence of excommunication; and those who read, or keep works interdicted on another account, besides the mortal sin committed, shall be severely punished at the will of the Bishops.'

The Roman Index of Clement VIII. 1596, denies that any power is given to Bishops, &c. to grant licenses to BUY, read, or retain Bibles, or any parts or summaries thereof, in the vulgar language. Printers must be orthodox men, bind themselves by oath to deal faithfully and catholically, and the more learned and eminent of them must profess the Creed of Pius IV.

For the above information concerning the Indices of the Romish Church, we are indebted to a most useful work by the Rev. Joseph Mendham, entitled 'The Literary Policy of the Church of Rome.' And, let it be remembered, the same Rules with an addition of more intolerant rigour, are in force now, as existed in the comparatively barbarous age of the Council of Trent.' Polyglott Bibles are proscribed, and such authors as Bacon, Locke, Milton, Robertson, Swift, Tillotson, Sherlock, &c. To these has been lately added the History of the Reformation in Italy by Dr. M'Crie. If the Pope could have his way, no man should " buy or sell, save he that has the mark or name of the Beast, or the number of his name."

CHAPTER III.

THE NUMBER OF THE POPE COUNTED IN HEBREW, GREEK, AND LATIN. THE NAME OF THE POPE IN HEBREW. THE MARK OF HIS NAME.

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HERE IS WISDOM.

LET HIM THAT HATH UNDERSTANDING COUNT THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST: FOR IT IS THE NUMBER OF A MAN: AND HIS NUMBER IS SIX HUNDRED, THREESCORE AND SIX."-Verse 18.

THE note of the Douay Bible upon these words deserve attention. The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number.' this number.' The name of the Beast should certainly be counted in Hebrew, since St. John refers so often to the Hebrew in the Revelation, as in the words, Abaddon, Armageddon. We believe, however, that it should be counted in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, since these were the languages the most known in the time of St. John. In these three languages the superscription, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS, was written upon the

cross.

It is well known that no Romiith which is the