I call it ruining the whole scheme, since the object was to go on secretly with the work, until the fit opportunity should arrive, when all the preparations should be complete, and men's minds sufficiently prepared for the denouement. If they could have continued their Jesuitical operations at the two universities for another ten years, the doctrines of the English clergy, and the Liturgy of the Church of England would have become altogether papistic. These delightful Tractarians, full of affection for the sister church, as they term that of Rome—full of admiration for the magnificence of her rites and ceremonies—impressed with respect for her worldly authority, and with veneration for her assumed apostolic succession, would readily have bowed to auricular confession, and would have admitted their belief in the real presence, and consequently in the efficacy of the sacrifice of the mass. As to the vow of celibacy, there were hopes held out that the Pope might be induced to modify it; so that there should no longer be any obstacle in the way of a complete fusion of the two churches, provided his holiness would recognise the English hierarchy. Such, until the present outbreak, were the dreams of the Puseyites.

But instead of all this, the whole affair is lost through the folly of the Pope and the ambition of Dr. Wiseman! An injudicious bull, in an unlucky moment, gave premature existence to the famous hierarchy; and, to complete the blunder, elevated the primate to the rank of cardinal. Not even in any Catholic country can Rome create a cardinal without the consent of the monarch, neither can she send bishops without the permission of the government: otherwise, they would be speedily sent back. In other Protestant countries, the affair is settled by treaty; but no such precaution exists with respect to England: still no pope, who had a grain of sense, would ever have dared to send to it, in so unlooked-for a moment, and without any previous notice, a batch of twelve bishops, with a cardinal at their head! Could a greater insult be offered, or a mark of more supreme contempt? By it the Pope has turned the English Government into ridicule, ignored the Anglican Church, and declared that he alone is the spiritual head of the country, and that he will govern it accordingly. It is, therefore, assuredly the part of England to give the Pope a proper reply to his arrogance, and not only to show a just resentment of the present insult, but at the same time to prevent its ever occurring again.

Now what has been the conduct of the Inquisition with respect to England? What has the cabal of Jesuits been about? Whenever Rome expects to meet with opposition, she invariably has recourse to indirect means to gain her ends. For example, it is her object to overthrow the Church of England. She conducts her operations in a twofold manner,—by endeavouring to pervert its ministers, and by exciting them to hostilities against the Dissenters. Indeed, the conflicting spirit between the two parties is greatly aggravated by the increasing corruption of the clergy. Within the last twenty years the Church of England has experienced immense losses, without knowing from what part her enemy assailed her. And now that the Jesuitism is discovered, what attempts are not made to conceal its existence! Up to 1850 it was the fashion for the clergy of the High Church party to profess Puseyism. I have frequently been shocked by hearing sermons from reverends and right reverends, openly in favour of Romish doctrines. At the present moment, however, they are all ashamed of having appeared to favour them. The bishops, who at first boldly advocated Tractarianism, both in doctrine and practice, are now as zealous in opposing it, and the journals are full of their correspondence with such of their clergy as have publicly been accused of Puseyism.

All this is most skilfully turned to account by the Jesuit Propaganda, who regularly correspond with, and receive their instructions from, the Inquisition at Rome. The English bishops, without being aware of it, have in their train their missionary from Rome, who, although he may not belong, ipso facto, to the company of Ignatius Loyola, is nevertheless in essence a rank Jesuit; and may probably be one of their own clergy, nay, even their own private secretary. Who shall say such emissaries are not to be found also in the public offices of the Government, nay, in the very court of her Majesty, the Queen of these realms? The Jesuits find their way into the highest society in the kingdom, introduced by foreign ministers, who place them in families as tutors and teachers of languages. I myself know several Italians who profess to teach, who call themselves liberals, in fact, who state that they are my intimates; and with such pretences they get into respectable families with whom I am acquainted, who consequently trust to them, receive them into their houses, invite them to their tables, and allow them to converse with their children. Many of these are Jesuits, or their friends, who are recommended by them. It is to be noted that among the Italians at present in London, who teach their own language, the partisans of the Jesuits are they who are the most encouraged, get the most pupils, and receive the highest payment. So that it frequently happens that the worthless and the ignorant find abundance of employment, whilst the deserving and the learned starve, for want of anything to do.

The Jesuits secretly spread the most atrocious calumnies against those who oppose them, whilst others they load with extravagant praise. For example, there are a few Italians here in London, who, like myself, have, through conviction of its errors, abandoned the Church of the Popes and the Jesuits. We are all of us loaded with abuse, and persecuted in every possible manner; I in particular am the butt for all their shafts. According to their representations, I have been guilty of all imaginable crimes, but of these crimes no proof whatever is offered; even witnesses suborned for the purpose have failed to establish them. For my own part, I have treated my slanderers with disdainful silence; others, however, have taken up my cause. A Cardinal, who is at the head of these calumniators, has had the lie publicly given to him. Any but a Cardinal or a Jesuit would have been indignant at such an accusation.

I mention these things to show what is the work of the Inquisition now going on in this country. Here they cannot imprison men, or torture them, or burn them alive; still they have lies, calumnies, and treachery to resort to; they sow discord among families, separate friends, and everywhere foment dissension and strife. They are unable to destroy Protestantism in England, but they excite the various religious sects to wage war among themselves, and then declare, in the face of all Europe, that the Protestants of England and Scotland endeavour to destroy each other. How often have I heard it said in Italy, "Oh! the Protestants cannot exist much longer; they are perpetually at variance among themselves; they will be ruined by their own dissensions." But the Divine Providence will protect them from this fate, however artfully their enemies endeavour to keep their disagreements alive. Still all this discord has considerably weakened the Reformers, and retarded their progress; and if the Jesuits have not succeeded in attaining their desired object, it is not because their plans were not well arranged, or their mode of carrying them out effective, but simply because the Almighty has willed it otherwise.

It is curious to observe with what malignant artifice they arrange the threads of their meshes. True followers of the Inquisition, they feign to be strenuous advocates for liberty, and are the first to call out for it. What was the plea for Catholic Emancipation?—religious liberty. Unquestionably the Inquisition desires to have religious liberty in England, in Scotland, and in Ireland; and to obtain it, pays court to, and unites with the dissenters, who being desirous of the same privileges, naturally join their votes against the party that opposes them. But does the Inquisition desire to see the same religious liberty in Italy, in Spain, or in Germany? No indeed: throughout the whole of the continent it cements itself in the strictest bonds of union with every government that oppresses the people. It sits by the throne of the Emperor of Austria, by the side of kings and queens, and even of presidents of republics. But in England, on the contrary, it flies from the Houses of Parliament, and the palaces of royalty, and betakes itself to the manufactories of Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, and Sheffield. Upon the continent it employs every possible means to be absolute, in spite of the people, while in the British dominions it associates with, and makes friends of the discontented and rebellious of every denomination, crying, "Brethren, we are an oppressed people; they who oppress us, oppress you also. A luxurious and extravagant court, a weak and improvident ministry, and a parliament where our masters are our representatives; these are our tyrants and yours. We are loaded with taxes, which are continually on the increase. Scarcely can the working man find the means of existence. The Church swallows up all our profits, and serves no other purpose than to foment scandal and division. Let us unite our forces, and attack our adversaries. Liberty is the people's right." Such is the language of the Jesuits to the Chartists, and such the proclamations of Dr. Wiseman and Co. in their appeal "to the good sense of the people of England."

With whom did the liberal party in parliament vote? was it not with the Catholics? It would scarcely be believed in Italy, that the Jesuits could induce the liberals of this country to join with them under the idea of gaining greater liberty, when their real object was to re-establish among them, as far as it was possible, the power of the Inquisition, even under the mask of freedom.

It was the Inquisition that, under Gregory XVI., bestowed a benediction in Muscovy on the troops of the Czar against the unfortunate Poles, and which, under Pius IX., celebrated the defeat of the Hungarians by the armies of Austria and Russia. The same Inquisition, which is capable of any enormity, is at the present moment on the point of exciting the ignorant and desperate rabble of Ireland against the British parliament. It would not surprise me to see ere long the affair of the Sonderbund of Switzerland renewed in Ireland and in England, occasioned by a few wretched bishops, as it took place in the former country on account of a few unworthy Jesuits. The real object of all this disturbance is to introduce into the country the government of Rome. All might have been prevented in the year 1815, when the Protestant powers made such haste to reseat the Pope on the throne, and a still better opportunity was neglected in the year 1849, when, the Romans having legitimately deposed the Pope from the government, after his desertion of his people, foreign powers were allowed to invade the country, and to bombard Rome and two other principal cities of the state, to restore to him his justly forfeited temporal power. And could not this invasion have been prevented? And why was it not done? Was it not an offence against the Almighty? And will it not be visited, sooner or later, with the punishment due to it? This question naturally suggests itself to the minds of those who now, in virtue of their faith, feel themselves called upon not only to resist and to protest against it, but also to place every possible impediment to the further progress of the Inquisition of Rome.