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the world, as though they were out of it; useing this world as not abusing it.'

I resolved to profess the pure gospel of Christ. in my heart, for God is a Spirit, and in spirit and in truth he must be adored, and He who is the great Searcher of all hearts, will consider the disposition of my heart, and not the outward performances of my body. Every day I made a new profession in the secrecy of my conscience, entered a protest against the errors of the church of Rome; and denounced all other anti-scriptural practices, as human inventions, of which I wished to be no partaker. When I was obliged to kneel before the host, I raised my spirit towards heaven, and adored my Redeemer, who was slain once forever, for the sins of the world. My conscience told me, that I should proclaim the gospel of Christ unto those around me; but another voice stronger than the first asked me: "will you die by the torments of the Inquisition? If the people will be deceived, if they voluntarily harden their hearts against the truth of the gospel, what business is it of yours? Is it possible that God will demand an account of me, for the salvation of a people, who wish to live in error, and perse

1 Cor. chap. vii. v. 31.

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cute, and even torture and murder the saints, and any one who announces to them the truth? Are there not many priests and learned men, who are equally persuaded of the errors, and superstitions of the church of Rome yet remain still in communion with her? How is it with the bishops and clergy of France, who do not recognize the primacy of the Pope of Rome, neither believe in the infallibility of his decrees, still they do not separate themselves from the church of Rome? Jansenists also, who have ever been the most learned of the University of Sorbonne in France, did not separate themselves from the communion of the Roman church. Such were my reasonings, and according to this principle I acted for the space of a year and a half; but now and then, when an opportunity presented itself, I preached the truth publicly, communicated it in private to my friends, gave them Father Clement, the Provincial Letters of Paschal, and other useful books to enlighten them, so that I became suspected of heresy, and was at once surrounded by false, priestly friends, who were hired spies of the ecclesiastical tribunal, and of course informed against me as a heretic.

One afternoon, I received a letter from a friend, the cardinal del Gio, (may the Lord prosper him!) who urged me to leave the city before midnight. I understood the hint, and only those who have felt the tyranical yoke of priests, can enter into my feelings. I had no passport to leave the papal states, nor was I provided with money for a journey in a foreign country; and a few hours would seal my doom, and deprive me of my liberty forever. I had no alternative, either to remain and become a victim of the gospel truth, in the grasp of the Inquisition, or to leave Rome, and with it all that was dear to my heart, this side of the grave.

The difficulty, how to leave the city without being observed at the gate, was the first which presented itself to my mind. The fear of being surrounded by secret spies, was another painful idea. Having however, no time to lose, I wrote a letter to my dear mother, informing her that I was about to undertake a journey to Naples. I however, did not tell the truth, for I intended to go to Florence, for fear she might unwillingly betray me, or the priests might in a subtle manner, get it out of her, and the Inquisition might lay hold of me before I could have passed the fron

tier of the Papal Dominion. I dressed myself as if I intended to go to an evening party, and was going on a promenade out of the gate of the city, called, "St. John of Lateran," the ancient via apia, which leads to Albana, called by Cicero, Alba longum which road leads direct to Naples. After having walked a certain distance, I turned to the left and pursued my way among fields and gardens, until I came into the road which leads towards Tuscany. I walked during the whole night; in the morning I rested in a common Inn on the roadside, where I took breakfast. Four piastres formed my only capital, nor had I any other clothing than what I had upon my body, but my anxiety how to pass the Papal frontier, and enter the other without a passport, was so great, that I entirely forgot my external circum

stances.

After having rested about two hours in a place where I would have before considered it a disgrace to enter, I continued my journey, and at 3 o'clock reached Montefiascone; I did not enter the town, for it lies upon a hill, but stopped at the hotel on the turnpike. I ordered a dinner, and providentially saw there a carriage belonging to an acquaintance of mine, who came from Bologna on

his way to Rome. I opened my mind to him, knowing him to be a true liberal! Telling him my circumstances; I offered him my gold repeater as a security, if he would lend me fifty piastres, which he would not accept, being satisfied with my note. He appeared to be more afraid than myself, and told me to leave the turnpike, and thus pass the papal frontier, where no police is stationed, so that in case they should have an order to stop me, I might elude them. But I knew that I had nothing to fear, for the friend who had advised me of my danger, was sure that no step had as yet been taken to prevent my escape; I was also certain that no living being knew the direction I had taken, for I deceived them by leaving the city by an opposite gate. The same night I passed the papal frontier, and entered the territory of Tuscany. I cannot describe my feelings when I saw the yellow cockade upon the hat of the soldier, I breathed more freely, and my knees trembled as if they would have indicated that I should bow down in prayer and thanksgiving; I raised my heart to the God of mercies who pro

'Liberals are all those who oppose the temporal, as well as spiritual tyranny of the Pope of Rome.

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