INTRODUCTION. My estimable and learned friend, the Rev. Dr. Giustiniani, the author of the following pages, is a native of Italy, born and educated in the city of Rome. Of course, he drank at the fountain head of Romanism, and imbided deeply its genuine spirit from his infancy. He was one of Rome's cherished sons. He had advantages unspeakably superior to those of travelers and strangers, who see only the exterior of Rome's religion; and can detail of course nothing more than they have seen and heard. He is a native of Rome and was admitted behind the curtains, and into all her secrecies, and mingled with the hierophants, in all "the chambers of her imagery;" and was fully initiated into all the orders and mysteries of POPERY AS IT IS IN ROME. Hence, with the pencil of a master spirit does he delineate Rome's religion and Rome's morals, with these advantages which few others possess. Bishop England and other Roman prelates, have delighted to call Rome "the metropolis of the christian world." Now, as is the fountain head, so must each stream be that issues from it. Whatever may be said of the Roman Catholic religion, it must be found in its utmost perfection, for good or for bad, at its fountain head,-Rome. When God established his throne of old, in the capital of his church, namely, Jerusalem, she was the glory of all lands, and remained so during her palmy days. She sent forth her salutary influence, in her pure doctrines, her divine worship and by her spiritual members walking in the beauty of holiness over all the land. But a city which is the fountain head of a false and corrupt religion, has never ceased to send forth her pollut ing streams of idolatry, superstition, unbounded Ivice and atheism! Witness Sodom, Babylon, the cities of Egypt, Greece, Pagan Rome, Mecca and the metropolis of the modern religion. Of course, if modern Rome be "the metropolis of the christian world," she must be as Jerusalem was, in her holy and palmiest days. She must be pre-eminently pure in her head and in her members, in her doctrines, worship and morals. But if she is the capital and throne of an apostate church, and an idolatrous religion, then is she "the land of graven images and is mad upon her idols." And her pope and her cardi 'Jerem. 1. 38. 99 1 nals must be pre-eminently corrupt in doctrine, worship and morals; like all the other leaders of the army of rebellion against the Lord of Hosts! And thence, from her Vatican, do her hierophants pour forth, as through widely opened flood-gates, streams of pollution and death, over all the lands and the people who bow the knee before her altars and her images! We need witnesses and testimony to throw still more light on this matter. And here we have a distinguished witness presenting himself before the public. Dr. Giustiniani comes to us from that fountain head Rome, to do this. He has seen all, examined all, and candidly tells us what he knows as an eye and an ear witness. He has stood as a favored priest in the pope's levee. He has mingled with cardinals and all gradations of prelates and priests in the metropolis of the Roman Catholic world." He comes among us with his "parchment" documents, with the seals of Rome stampt on them; and his testimonials from Geneva, where he solemnly recanted the false religion of Rome and made a christian profession. He lifts his voice of solemn warning and instruction, and speaks with earnestness, with enlightened zeal and ardent feelings; chastened by com passion and love to his benighted fellow men. Unwilling to exaggerate and too honest to conceal the truth, he presents to us the picture of Rome and Romanism “as it is” at this day. His frank and explicit testimony with that of others, helps us to decide with less and less difficulty, whether Rome be" the metropolis of the christian world," or the very fountain head of THE GREAT APOSTACY predicted by Daniel, Paul and John. We beg, therefore, a respectful hearing to him, by all Protestants. They will find that he confirms all that we, who have been drawn into the field against the papacy, have been uttering on the public ear these many years past. And every candid Roman Catholic will, we trust, allow him also a fair hearing. He comes not as your enemy. Judge ye for yourselves. He utters no harsh reflections on you. His heart loves you. He knows how to pity and sympathize. For he has worn these same chains which are now on your limbs. And by the grace of God, he has broken off and cast from him the cruel yoke which ambitious men have cruelly placed on your necks. He comes to tell you how happy,-how truly happy he now is, since he cast away a novel and human religion, and received the pure christian faith; since he exchanged the cross of Rome for THE HOLY CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ; since he renounced the Romish slavery of the mind, and became the freeman of the Lord." And his bowels of compassion yearn with paternal affection over you, whom he longs to woo over to the same divine faith, and the same christian felicity which he enjoys. The following I give in his own words: "I know the feelings of Roman Catholics, and assure my Protestant brethren, that harsh words and reproaches will not be the means of converting one papist. Some writers whose intentions are pure, whose desire is to propagate the gospel, but who are unacquainted with the interior scheme of popery, can but limit their zeal to a dry theological discussion. They recur to the councils, and quote the canons; of which the body of the Roman Catholics are totally ignorant. Hence it is no wonder that they deny the authenticity of the documents adduced; and that they resist the truth and oppose it with all the might of their unregenerate hearts. "I have before me,"-continues Dr. G.-" some pamphlets written by some new converts," whose eyes the Lord had opened, and enable them to |