糖 the consequence was, that though your missionary labored most zealously, "in season and out of season," yet the trivial recompense we were enabled to afford him, fell far short of what he had a right to expect, and was by no means adequate to his support. Perceiving the embarrassment of your committee, arising from the non-compliance of the members of synod with the resolution to raise funds for his support, he sometime since magnanimously resigned all claims on the committee that might accrue from future services, and generously continued his missionary labors at his own cost, subject, however, to the instruction and control of your committee, just as if he were receiving the promised compensation from them." It is not very desirable for any man to speak of himself; but it being natural for my readers, to whom I am about to disclose some articles of Rome, and the manner in which the Lord brought me out from the darkness of popery to the mar velous light of the gospel, to desire to know something of the author. I here submit the following facts. A Roman by birth, and educated in the metropolis of the world, having studied in the Univer sity of Rome, finished there the course of Theo logy, graduated and promoted to sacred orders in the Basilic Church of St. John in Lateran, in Rome, the reader may be assured, that the author must know something of Rome and papal corruptions. Therefore he sincerely believes it to be a duty incumbent upon him to give a short account of it, in order to enlighten the Protestants, and direct the Roman Catholics to the sure fountain of life, Jesus Christ the only mediator between God and man. My object is not to eulogise myself, but to show my readers that I am what I profess, and as some are generally apt to attack [when they can not resist the truth] the writer, instead of the written truths or principles which are set forth, I thought it my duty to annex my credentials, in order that the reader may be divested of all doubts of the truth of the stated facts, which are laid before him. First. I lay before the reader the testimonials of the Professors of the Theological Faculties of the University, Gregoriana, where I finished my regular course of Theology, before I was ordained. I lay also my ordination letter before my readers, which I sent for when I was in Switzerland, as a legal document, to arrange my temporal affairs, authenticated in the office of the Archbishop at Florence, and also of good authorities of this country, that these copies are true from the original. CERTIFICATES FROM ROME. Ego subscriptus testor R. Dnum. Aloysium Giustiniani per tres annos mea sub disciplina in Gregoriana Universitate Collegii Rómani ad sacræ Theologiæ studium, summa cum laude, et progressu incubuisse, atque tam evidentia perspicacis ingenei, bonitatisque moribus specimen prebuisse, ut quisquis de ipso optimam spem concipere queat, pro re veritate fateor. Datum Romæ, Die 15 Novembris, 1826. PROSPER PIATTI, Collegii Rom. Theologiæ Professor. Testor ego infrascriptus tam de annis ut supra, quam de progressu in scientiis biblicis in hac Gregoriana Universitate, nec non in Theolog. Moral. in Seminario Romano pro viribus studuisse, ac in his scienciis ita fuit versatus, ut in agone litter ario pluries certaverit, et prestantissimas laudes certando semper meruerit, in quorum fidem dabam ex ædibus Die 16 idem mensis, 1826. [L. S.] J. CAIO. PELLICANI, Collegii Romani ex Professor, et h. t. Gaspar Gasparini Scolarum Prefectus. D. Placidus ord. S. Benedicti Congreg. Camaldulensis tituli S. Crucis in Jerusalem. S. R. E. Presbiter Cardinalis Zurla S. S., D. N. Papo Vicarius Generalis, ROMANÆQUE Curiæ, ejusque Districtus Judex Ordinarius. Universis, et singulis præsentes nostras visuris, lecturis pariter, at audituris, notum facimus, et testamur Illmum. ac Revmum. P. D. Laurentium Mattei Patriarc. Antiochen. Romæ die Sabb. 4 temporum post Fest. S. Lucia 23 M. Decembris 1826, in Sacram Lateranens. Basilicam Generalem Ordinationem inter Missarum Solemn. celebrand. de licentia nostra inter alios dilectissim. nobis in Christo fill. Aloysium Giustiniani ROMANUM at titulum Pensionis prævio examine a R. R. P. P. D. D. Examinatoribus in Urbe deputatis, idoneum repertum, et admissum cum ceremoniis, et solemnitatibus necessariis, et opportunis in similibus fieri solitis, et consuetis juxta, et secundum S. R. E. ritum morem, et consuetudinem ad sacr. S. Diaconatus ordinem præviis Publicationem, et Spiritualem Exercitium rite, et recte Servor. serv. in Domino Promovisse, et ordinasse; in quorum omnium et singulorum fidem has præsentes literas a nobis, seu ab Illmo. ac Revmo. P. D. Vicesgerente, et D. secret. nostro subscriptas, Sigilloque nostro munitas fieri jussimus. Datur ROME ex ædibus nostris hac die primam mensis Februari anno 1827, Jurisdiet. XIV. Pontificatus Sanctissimi in Christo Patris, et D. n. D. Leonis, Divina Providentia Papæ XII. anno ejus IV. &c. C. J. PATRIARCH, [L S.] Constantinopolitanus. Vices Gerens, &c Cos. ANTONIUS. CANONICUS ARGENTI. Secretarius. Concorda la presente copia col suo originale esistente in filza di atti straordinarj, che si conserva nella curia Arcivescovile di Firenza di 1 Luglio 1830. In fede, GIO. PENSI, [L. S.] Cancelliere Arcivescovile. |