* To ordinary common sense the suppo- a succession governed by law and forming sition that by any modification of matter a whole. In addition, therefore, to the we can explain mind, is absurd ; because series of states of consciousness we hare matter, as perceived or conceived by us, two other elements to account for : tbe has none of the properties of mind; and unifying power or principle by virtue of mind, as perceived or conceived by us, which it is a series, and the knowledge has none of the properties of matter. that it is a series. Both these imply an Nevertheless, keen and powerful intellects enduring self, or self-conscious mind. For are found maintaining that these two sub- no one would be insane enough to say that stances, diverse by every criterion we can our states of consciousness follow one apply, are at bottom identical. In the whole another at haphazard with no inward link of nature, they tell us, we discover nothing of continuity. Neither will it do to say but matter and force. Matter we know, that they are continuous, as any chain of and force we know ; but what is spirit ? events may be continuous, by the relation It is a strange oversight for a philosopher of cause and consequence. For it is only to forget to count himself. Yet who does to a very limited extent that our states of not see that in the words, "WE find,” “WE mind follow one another in the sequence of know," that very element is interpolated in cause and effect. They are chiefly prothought which is verbally denied ? Atoms duced by the action and reaction of our cannot say to themselves, We are atoms, will, reason and sensitive faculties, on the

Heat and gravitation and chemical affinity one hand, and the outer world, on the other. cannot say to one other, We are force.' In which process, moreover, it is a gross

error to speak of “the effects wrought by Our next extract relates to the objects on me," as if the mind were simply position held by Mill and Spencer, passive : its innate force contributes at and a hundred years before by Hume least as much to every sensation as the --the positivisť basis of metaphysical tion ; and in a multitude of cases (as in

external force which occasions the sensaagnosticism, and therefore also of dreams) the mind originates the sensation theological scepticism—that mind is and intents the imaginary external object only a series of states of consciousness : to which it refers it.........

neither be impugned nor augmented • This, in briefest outline, is wbat we are " That is my experience.”

asked to believe as a simple, scientific, non*This fact, namely, that the mind is not mysterious explanation of the existence a mere string of experiences, but a con- and activity of human minds. Feeling, scious unit, an abiding self, the cause, not Reason, Will, Poetry, Music, Painting, the offspring, of its own experience, is so Architecture, Politics, Manufactures, Law, plain to ordinary common sense that to Morality, Religion, Science itself, are all many it may seem lost time and labour to explained by the vibration of molecules spend & sentence in refuting what is so under the action of nerve currents. My obviously false. Only the artificial refine- objection to this explanation is, not that it ments of philosophy and necessities of is purely imaginary (for that it could not system could ever lead any one to doubt it. help being), but that it explains nothing, If any one chooses, with ostrich-like pla- and is, when pressed fairly home to its cidity, to bury his head in the bush of his

exact meaning, totally unintelligible. Proown system, admitting no facts but those fessing to do away with mystery by denying which it has room for, his position is the existence of individual minds, distinct impregnable. But a philosopher in this non-material centres of consciousness and posture does not constitute a landmark of will, it sets us face to face with two mysprogress, still less a barrier of thought.' teries, than which none can be more stuAfter sketching and criticizing in

pendous or inscrutable. First, how can

multitudinous atoms, obeying universal some detail the Spencerian principles forces, produce a personal unity? Secondly, of psychology and physiology, the how can vibrations, whether of molecules lecturer sums up his conclusion in the or of ether, by any degree of rapidity and following paragraph :

complication, become consciousness ? (To be concluded.)

THE POPE, THE KINGS AND THE PEOPLE :
BY AN EX-ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST.

(Continued from page 365.)

VATICANISM AND LEGISLATION. THose who bave studied Mr. Arthur's mere Papal tools, useful for or against work, must be convinced that Pio the Bishops as occasion might demand. Nono, with the aid of Veuillot, Man- We have seen the gradual process ning, Ward, the Jesuit Fathers of the whereby ecclesiastics and ecclesiasCiviltá and some others, organized, tical institutions everywhere have through a course of years, a conspiracy been deprived of all national and inagainst all sovereignties and nationali- dividual privileges and organized into ties, and finally succeeded in esta- a poisoned network for the entangleblishing a powerful machinery for the ment of the world. The Papal Court attainment of his pernicious objects. proceeded with caution ; for though

We have seen how the Pope, by per- caution was not one of the qualities severing and skilful manæuvres, suc- of the outspoken, self-satisfied and ceeded in attaining the utter cen

self-confident Pio Nono, yet astute tralization of all authority in himself, advisers, like Antonelli and some of so that Bishops became mere Prefects, the Jesuits, succeeded in somewhat to be appointed or crushed according checking his precipitancy. The Pope to his personal, irresponsible will. The would have liked to bring about the Clergy, similarly at the mercy of the subserviency of the laity as openly, as Bishop, subject to appeal to Rome, the rapidly and as entirely as that of the Religious Orders also deprived of their Clergy, but his plans were somewhat comparative independence, becoming crossed by the fears and prudence of

others. He partially succeeded, how- vate thought and act and every doever, in the subjection of the laity; mestic incident deemed by the confeshe subjected their mind and con- sor desirable to be known; he has science. So long as he only claimed obliged them all to believe that when. supremacy over all, it was possible for ever he orders, it is morally dangerous the laity to refuse obedience, and yet to disobey; that whenever he teaches, to live as Roman Catholics-to declare and intends his teaching to be of unithe Pope to be in error, and yet to versal import, and on any matter approach the Sacraments. To obviate which can touch the conscience or the this, he schemed till the entire Papal convictions, to question the legitimacy Church had been induced to accept or truth of the principle announced, the dogma of his personal infalli- or the fact' commented on, would bility, to submit to the teachings and be to forfeit eternal salvation. For anathemas of the Syllabus and to the it has even to be believed that the decision that any doubt on these sub- Pope cannot err as to the accuracy of jects deliberately entertained would be his statement as to facts' which beà mortal sin, which must be con- come the subject of his anathemas, or fessed, and if persevered in or unab- 'apostolic’utterances. The laity are solved would consign the soul to hell. now compelled to regard the Pope as Also it had to be admitted, under the supreme over their own sovereign in same penalties, that the Popes, in all matters whenever the two authoriformer times,' had never exceeded in ties clash. the maintenance of their claims.

Any careful observer of the events Thus the laity were deprived theore- recorded by Arthur, by Janus, by tically of all mental and moral liberty: Friedrich (vide his invaluable articles we say theoretically, for it is obvious in the Contemporary, exposing that one hundred and seventy millions Manning's True Story') must be of slaves must not be unceasingly convinced that the Pope means, not reminded of their slavery, or made to less than he says, but more than be feel it. In the West Indian plan- says; that the organization contrived tations the slaves enjoyed a great

and subjugated to himself is for deal of license, and those slaves

who political purposes, and not for mere could render their masters great ser

scholastic disputations ; that the prinvice or gratification, who surpassed in ciples of ecclesiastical despotism and aptitude or in beauty, who were skil- intolerance, laid down so clearly, are ful in keeping others down, or who, if

meant to be enforced whenever, not cautiously handled, might get up wherever and so far as may

be a mutiny or run away, were often the sible; that when the whole of the recipients of so many decorations and despotism and intolerance cannot be favours that, excepting the fact of

effected, at least a part can and must, their being slaves, they were really is there, however, any portion of quite as free as they cared to be. The human conduct, anything in the Pope has subjected all the laity to management himself, as to marriage, the education wherein the laity have not yet been of children, the mode of spending made to feel their dependence ? Sundays, the articles of food on about There is : though the Pope claims to one hundred and twenty days of the

be supreme legislator in all affairs year, the books and periodicals to be read or rejected, and the societies to

touching property, and exercises that

power as to ecclesiastics, be entered or eschewed. He has England very important legal ques

. obliged them to confess periodically tions as to legacies have been overi to one of his sub-prefects every pri ruled from Rome in a way opposed

pos

of human affairs,

so that in

6

to our national law, and the sufferers approached, if not as yet at-
compelled to submit to the foreign tained ? '
decision under pain of 'mortal sin’ In this way : by direction.' En-
and excommunication ; yet as to the courage the Jesuits as directors, until
management of personal property in direction has become universally
no wise regarding any ecclesiastical submitted to through all the richer
interest, the Pope bas at present ab- portions of society ; and then, gradu-
stained from enforcing upon the laity ally get the Bishops and secular
any absolute ordinances. It is clergy into the spiritual office of the
obvious that in a mixed community, Jesuits.
wherein there are believing Roman What is direction'? How does
Catholics interwoven with Liberal it differ from confession and absolu-
Catholics, with semi-believing Catho- tion, the component parts of the
lics, with Freethinkers and with ad- "Sacrament of Penance'? In the
herents of opposing religious bodies, Sacrament of Penance, the penitent is
it would be impossible to enforce only bound to confess sins mortal and
rules as to property deemed suitable venial, dangers of sin and tempta-
for the Indians of Paraguay under tions; but the Jesuits teach their
their beneficent and able Jesuit penitents to believe that for the soul
despots. How can that difficulty be to be thoroughly pleasing to God
met? It is the only flaw in the and quite secure of salvation, it is
system. The Pope may say to him- necessary to lay open to the confes-
self : 'I have secured their souls, their sor all personal, domestic, pecuniary
wives, their children, their schools, and other affairs, and to be guided
but I have not yet obtained their implicitly by him in everything, down
purses. I can get as much money to the minutest detail of expenditure
from them as I want, but I have not and of daily life. This manifestation
as yet become the recognized disposer is not to be made to the ordinary con-
of their income. I am the lord of fessor unless he acts as the director'
the earth, I can allot countries to the as well. The confessor who is selected
rulers I select, I can, by Divine right, to overrule all the details of personal,
depose those who displease me. But domestic and public life is called the
in consequence of the prevailing director.' For many years, the
wickedness of unbelief, I cannot just Jesuits were the only directors, they
now put in force these my rights are still the chief directors to the
over nations; I cannot at present, aristocracy and the wealthier classes ;
therefore, place Henry V. or young but their system of direction has been
Napoleon over France, or MacMahon imitated by others, and this infamous
over Ireland, or Don Carlos over system, as fatal to all noble devel-
Spain (should the young king proveopment of conscience as to all true
unfit), or the Emperor Francis Joseph domestic love and confidence, has now
over Germany; I cannot, perhaps, spread its accursed blight over the
just as yet put Cardinal Manning into whole Church. Retreats and Mis-
the Privy Council and the House of sions help on that anti-Christian
Peers; I cannot expect all heretics and inhuman system. Thus direc-
to be fooled, though so many fortu- tion' is another instrumentality, not
nately are so ; but I ought to be able yet fully developed, but in use, for
to have practically recognized my the utter prostration of whatever
rights over all the private properties remnant of human liberty and con-
possessed by good, docile, believing science the Romish Church has
Catholics, like those in England and spared.
in Scotland, How can that be The progress of Papal error is : first

6

6

an

a legend ; then a counsel ; lest a pre- can side of the Tiber. Juvenal, cept. The legend is for the credu- writing A.D. 120, complains in his lous; the counsel for 'the pious ;' the fourteenth satire of the introduction precept for all The last two dogmas, of Jewish notions and practices into the Immaculate Conception and the Roman educatioa and customs. The Infallibility, have gone through those Christian religion doubtless obtained stages; for long they were only many of its early converts in the pious opinions'; belief in them was midst of the Jewish emigrants. The counselled. Direction is now in the traditions of the empire and of intermediate stage; when it has been Judaism mingled in Roman Christirendered obligatory on all, through- anity. Jews judaized Christianity; out the Papal world, conscience will Pagans paganized it. The influence have no office, except in the selection of Rome was, however, the most fata! of a director, and the minute revela- to Christianity. Memories of Psalms tion to him of every detail of the and of Prophets ever kept upon a interior, domestic and social life of higher level the least spiritual Rabbi

. the penitent. At present, such minute But between the Empire of Rome and surveillance is generally exercised the Church of Christ alliance signified over at least one member of each corruption. Rome was the mistress household above the grade of insig- of the world, and she imprinted on nificance. Thus the Pope has now

all she could touch the indelible seal absolute power centralized in him- of her domination, self, extending over all Roman Catho- Eastern Christian slaves introduced lics who approach the Sacraments, and Christianity into Patrician families. he has, moreover, an immense staff Thus wealth and social prestige began of spies whose information can be to enter the simple ranks of the utilized whenever needed. Few per- Primitive Church, which thus emsons have the audacity to pretend braced the two extremes, the poorest that this inhuman system of wide

and the most aristocratic. Proud of spread despotism and surveillance is their converts, they began to yield to needed for the salvation of souls ; it their influence.

Pagan rites and is generally frankly admitted that it customs began to enter the Catacombs. is the ecclesiastical mode of maintain- The Pagan mythology was re-enacted ing and intensifying the imperial in Christianity, till fresh converts power of the Papacy over the tempor- pouring in, found little changed eralities of the world. Rome presented cept the name; and often not even to Christianity the material empire that. Pagan Rome had its supreme which Jesus Christ rejected. Virgil

, Pontiff; his person inviolable. He in his sixth Æneid, says :

was the head of a 'Pontifical College." * Tu regere imperio populos Romane

In the days of Pagan Rome, the sumemento

preme Pontiff united in his own Hae tibi erunt artes.'

person spiritual and temporal dignity, . Remember, O Roman, these shall be was clad in garments of ecclesiastical thy arts;

splendour, was addressed in language Torule the nations with thy empire.' similar to what is now used to the

Pagan Rome, as the capital of the Pope, and signed his name with the ancient world, attracted to itself all same initials. When, in the Third energies, all ambitions, all schools of Century, Christian Preachers from the thought, all religions. Josephus tells Catacombs proclaimed that Evangel

, us, in one of his exaggerated state- before which Prætorian guards and ments, that A.D. 66 two-and-a-half courtiers of Cæsar bowed their face million of Jews resided on the Vati- and turned pale, they were already