and salaried by the king. The bull concludes with denouncing the wrath of God, and of his holy apostles, Peter and Paul, upon all such Catholics as shall withhold obedience to the papal ordinance.

The brief is a separate instrument, particularly designed for the new Prussian possessions. It is addressed to the chapters of Cologne, Breslaw, Treves, Munster, and Paderborn; and directs them invariably to elect for their bishops persons acceptable to the king.

The manner in which the royal sanction of the papal bull is expressed, may serve as an encouraging precedent.

"I give this my royal approbation and sanction to the papal bull, in virtue of my rights, and without prejudice to those rights, or the rights of my evangelical subjects, and of the evangelical church, established in these realms.

(Signed)

"FREDERICK WILLIAM."

In order to give a clearer view of the posture of the Catholic Church in Prussia, it will be necessary to give a short account of the regulations which the state had already enacted, as coming within the province of government, and which the bull of 1821 leaves undisturbed.

No legate, nuncio, or minister of Rome, is permitted to enter the Prussian territories.

No communication either with Rome, or from Rome, on any pretext, or for any purpose, is permitted, except through the organs of govern

ment.

At Berlin there is a minister for ecclesiastical affairs, and at Rome there is a Prussian resident minister, These are the channels through which every thing secular or ecclesiastical, relating to Catholics, transmitted to Rome, or coming from Rome, must invariably pass. No other mode of correspondence is legal.

The minister of ecclesiastical affairs is usually of the reformed church, but he is assisted by a board indiscriminately composed of reformed and Catholics.

No papal bull has the validity of law, unless transmitted through the proper channel, and sanctioned by the royal exequatur.

The minister of ecclesiastical affairs is also at the head of all public education, and in this capacity, though the instruction of the youth destined for the Catholic Church is always entrusted to Catholics, the minister of government has a general superintendence of the nature and manner of their education.

In Prussia it is a maxim to educate Catholics and Protestants, as much as possible together those who are, and those who are not,

destined for the church-the sons of the first families, as well as the poor children-whether at school or at college. Every convenience is afforded for the religious instruction of either persuasion; no attempt is made to divert either the one or the other from the creed of his fathers; and education in common, conducted on these principles, is found, not to effect any change in religious opinions, but to remove prejudices, assimilate character, and promote good-will, in the rising generation, both Catholic and Protestant.

Proselytism is discouraged both in the members of the established church, and in the Catholic.

Catholics, as has been stated, are eligible to every employment, civil or military.

No contribution is required from the Catholics towards the maintenance of the established church, whether in the shape of tithes, rates, or for the building or repairs of churches.

Almost all monasteries have been suppressed, and no persons are, hereafter, to be allowed to take the vows, with the exception of two orders, male and female, who devote themselves to the service of the hospitals; and the Ursuline nuns, who are solely occupied in education.

No Jesuit has been permitted to enter the Prussian territory; which prohibition is the more easily maintained, as the bull which revives the

Order, only permits Jesuits to return to such countries as may be disposed to receive them.

The articles of faith of the Catholic Church, in Prussia, remain unaltered, and are the same with those held by Catholics of all other countries.

Such is the arrangement with regard to the Catholics of Prussia, the details of which have always been regulated, and continue to be regulated by the Prussian government, in virtue of the rights of royalty, "circa sacra." It will be seen, by the foregoing statement, that the question in agitation here is no longer a question in Prussia; and Prussia affords a proof that the greatest liberality is productive of the greatest good-for nowhere are Protestants and Catholics seen dwelling together in more perfect harmony. They marry and intermarry, frequent the same society, are mixed in all pursuits and all professions, consider the welfare of the country as their common cause, are good subjects and good neighbours, and are entirely free from any distinguishing shades of character. We here behold what Catholics are when well governed and well informed.

The Catholics of the kingdom of Hanover are in the same happy situation with those of

Prussia, and equally eligible to all offices and employments.

The management of the Catholic ecclesiastical affairs is substantially conducted in the

same manner.

In order to close the door against future discussion, to prevent questions that might arise on the subject of ecclesiastical lands, to fix the number of Catholic bishops, the mode of their election, their endowment, and to describe the boundaries of their dioceses, a negociation was entered into with the See of Rome: and, in 1824, the bull, which established the final arrangement, was issued by the Pope, and received the royal sanction.

The first passage in the bull affords a remarkable proof of the altered spirit of the Roman See.

"Leo XII. the servant of the servants of God, &c.

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Considering the total change which has taken place, we well see that we must not a little depart from the rigour of the canons of the Church, and make allowance for the condition of places, times, persons, and other peculiar circum

stances."

The Pope then stipulates for the restoration of the two Catholic bishopricks of Hildesheim