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signed, pious, and in charity with all men. No fears for himself shook his mind; but the regrets arising from the sudden dismissal of the unhappy Lake harassed his bosom with inextinguishable woe; and as an emblem of his feelings towards him, he requested to be interred by his side. As the time drew near, he evinced no symptom of alarm, but his fortitude and resignation seemed to accumulate with every hour. On Sunday evening he sent for several of the ship's company, and in pathetic terms expressed his gratitude for the affection they had shown him, and bade them a final adieu. The poor fellows, melted by his touching manner and appearance, shed abundance of tears; and, spreading the affecting tale among their messmates, the whole ship presented but one scene of commiseration and distress.

"The residue of the night was spent in serious preparation for his awful change. About one in the morning, he fell into a deep sleep, which continued tranquil till six. He then arose, and dressed in black. From six till nine was employed in earnest devotion. At nine a gun was fired, and the signal for punishment was hoisted. I fixed my eyes stedfastly on his countenance. It betrayed no signs of alarm, no anxiety, but a heavenly serenity beamed in every feature. He observed my gaze, and reading its inquiry, he exclaimed, feel me: I do not tremble: death has now no terrors for me. God is with me; Christ is with me; my Saviour is with me.'

"At a quarter after nine, he was joined in prayer by the officers of the ship. At a quarter before ten, he heard the dreadful annunciation of READINESS, without the alteration of a single feature. He replied, 'I am prepared; my Saviour is with me.' He then ascended the companion ladder, and proceeded along the deck, with a slow but steady step, to the foot of the platform. He then leaned for a short time on the shoulder of a friend, looked earnestly at the ship's company, and said, see how a christian can die! He then mounted the forecastle. He gave me his last adieu, blessed, and kissed me. My heart could sustain the burden of its feelings no longer; I rushed from the forecastle; the appointed signal was given, and my lamented friend hurried into eternity."

On the Saturday morning before his execution, he began a letter to his sister. After giving her some account of the happy state of his mind, he expressed his feelings in the form of prayer. "O Almighty and merciful Father, may I hope, through the blood of thy beloved Son, to find rest in heaven! Yes, my God, thou knowest that I pray with all the fervency thou hast gifted me with, and that I acknowledge thee as the only true God, and my Saviour as thy Son, who sits at thy right hand on the judgment seat of heaven; and when I bow myself down at thy footstool in the other world, may my Saviour say to me, 'Come, my beloved, to the kingdom, prepared for you: your sins are forgiven.' O merciful and most just

God, thou hast said, thou wilt receive the prayers of the most ignorant, as well as the most learned, as long as it is from the heart; and now I say, O my God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

He added to his letter on Sunday morning, and Sunday evening "Sunday morning-O Eliza, the hour draws near; the warrant is on board-The Almighty bears me up; he hears my prayers, he has not forsaken me." At evening-"O my Eliza, the sensations that now rise in my bosom are beyond expres sion. The evening closing in, the silent crew, the dejected looks of my messmates, add to the solemnity of the trial; but few can feel what I feel. Yet I thank God, that I have had time to repent. O Almighty Father, once more let me beg for forgiveness, for now all my hopes are in heaven. This last mouth has indeed been a month of sorrows, of hopes, of fears; and lastly of misery, ignominy, and death. But now I can say with holy Job, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In hopes of a blessed resurrection, and of a pardon for my sins through the merits of the only Son of God, in whom I stedfastly believe, I lay me down to rest awhile."

This affecting narrative would naturally afford many important reflections and remarks; but we shall close it by another extract from the Admiral's pathetic and

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admonitory address. do, in hope that the account will attract the attention of many in this country, who are engaged in military affairs; by sea and by land."Let his example strike deep into the minds of all who witness his unhappy end; and whatever their general disposition may be, let them learn from him, that if they are not always watchful, to restrain their passions within proper bounds, one moment of intemperate anger may destroy the hopes of a well spent, honorable life, and bring them to an untimely and disgraceful death; and let those who are to obey, learn from the conduct of the sergeant the fatal effects which may result from contempt and insolent conduct towards their superiors. By repeated insolence the sergeant overcame the kind and gentle disposition of Lieut. Gamage, and by irritating and inflaming his passions occasioned his own death.

"The commander in chief hopes, that this afflicting lesson may not be offered in vain; but seriously contemplating the awful example before them, every officer and every man will learn from it, never to suffer himself to be driven by ill governed passions, to treat with cruelty or violence those, over whom he is to command; nor by disobedience or disrespect, to rouse the passions of those, whom it is his duty to obey and respect."

THE ABOLISHED INQUISITION IN SPAIN.

By official ducuments, pub- nel for Oct. 13, 1813, it appears, lished in the Columbian Centi- that the Inquisition in Spain was

abolished by the existing civil government about the first of March. In a paper still more recent it has been stated, that the Inquisition at Goa has also been abolished; but of this we have seen no official account. That all our readers may be able to estimate the importance of these events, a concise view will be given of the nature and pow er of the Spanish tribunal, which was erected for the suppression of heresy and the support of the Roman catholic religion. The particulars will be collected from Dr. Campbell's xxvi Lecture on "Ecclesiastical History."

The Inquisitors, or judges of this court, are privileged to have their own guards and to give license to others to carry arms. Persons are encouraged to become accusers or witnesses before this tribunal, by having their names concealed from the accused. A public convict, a notorious malefactor, an infamous person, a common prostitute, and even children, are admitted as credible witnesses or accusers. The person, accused of heresy, is not only deprived of the privilege of meeting his accuser face to face, and of hearing the witnesses; but he is not even told in what particular he has offended. By tedious confinements in noisome dungeons, or by a train of the most excruciating tortures, he is compelled to inform against himself, to conjecture and to confess the crime laid to his charge, of which often he is entire ly ignorant. This mode of proceeding makes the whole kingdom tremble. Suspicion reigns in every breast. Friendship and

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frankness are excluded. brother dreads his brother, and the father his son.

By the papal bulls, it is ordained, that those, convicted of heresy, shall be burnt alive, and all their estate, real and personal, confiscated. This confiscation is a powerful motive to the Inquisitors to condemn those who have property. Princes and rulers are required to carry into effect the sentence of the Inquisition. If any refuse, they are liable to be anathematized, excommunicated, and to have their states or kingdoms laid under an interdict. The house, in which a heretic is apprehended, must be razed to the ground, although it be not his, but the property of one wholly unsuspected. Any one who threatens a notary, or other servant of the Inquisition, or even a witness, is held guilty of high treason. punished with death, his goods confiscated, and his children rendered infamous. The same punishment is to be inflicted on any one who escapes from the prison of the tribunal, or attempts to escape, and even on any one who intercedes for such unhappy victims.

Moreover, by a bull of Pius the 5th, it is decreed, that no sentence in favor of the accused shall be deemed a final acquittal; but at any time after, the Inquisitors have power to recommence the trial, on the same ground as before, without any additional evidence-This ordinance ensures to an accused person a course of terror and torment through life.

Although the terrors of this

tribunal have in modern times been mitigated, its abolition must fill the Spaniards with joy, and it should be an occasion of gratitude throughout the christian world. But against the abolition of this engine of papal despotism, the Arch-bishop of Nicea, as the Pope's Legate, presented to the Spanish Regency a serious but unavailing protest.

Abstract of the Nuncio's protest against abolishing the Inquisition in Spain; addressed to the Lord President, and Supreme Council of the Regency. March 5th, 1813.

MOST SERENE LORD,

"THE Nuncio of his Holiness has heard, in the greatest bitterness of his heart, that your Highness is on the eye of circulating and publishing the manifesto and decree of the august Congress, in which his Majesty declares the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition to be incompatible with the political constitution of the monarchy. No one feels more respect than I-do towards that august Congress, nor will any one exceed my punctuality in obeying its wise commands. But the subject in question belongs to the church, and is of the greatest importance, as one in which religion is concerned, and from which it may suffer irreparable injury. A tribunal is going to be suppressed, which was established by the Holy Father in the exercise of his primacy and supreme authority over the church, for objects purely spiritual, as the preservation of the catholic faith and the extirpation of heresies. It being enjoined on me to do whatever I may find to be in favor of the church, and for the consolation and edification of the people, and the honor of the Holy See, I should be wanting in all these sacred duties, if, with the greatest respect, as well as with the christian liberty of an apostolic Legate and Representative of

the Pope, I did not state to your Highness, that the abolition of the Inquisition may be extremely injurious the rights and primacy of the Roman to religion, whilst it actually wounds Pontiff, who established it, as necessary and beneficial to the church and the faithful. What can henceforward prevent the diminution of reverence and submission, which all christians owe to the decisions of the Vicar of Christ, the visible Head of the church, if in her very bosom, and during the sacrifice of the holy mass they shall be told, that a tribunal established, kept up, and defended for three centuries, under the sanction of the most severe penalties, by the Pope, is not only useless, but detrimental to religion itself, and contrary to the wise and just laws of a catholic kingdom? If his Holiness were free, I should content myself with giving him notice of the event; but as he is most unfortunately kept in the captivity which we so much lament, I find it necessary and indispensable to protest in his name, against an innovation of such influence in the church of Spain, and which wounds the rights of the Supreme Pastor of the Universal church, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, &c."

Remarks on the protest of the

Pope's Nuncio.

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document now before us demand a SEVERAL things in the important serious consideration.

sition. This is stated to be "the pre1. The avowed object of the Inquiservation of the catholic faith, and the extirpation of heresies." The tribunal is established on these principlesthat the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the visible and infallible Head of the church; that he has a right to interpret the scriptures for the whole christian world, to require submission punishments on those who deny his to his interpretations, and to inflict authority, or dissent from his opinions. By heresies in that church, are intend

This refers to the order of the Cortes that the decree of abolition should be read on the three following Sundays, during high mass.

ed opinions, which are opposed to those established by the Pope Every protestant is a heretic, according to the laws of the Inquisition, and would be liable to be "burnt alive," if within the power of the Inquisitors.

2. We may remark the Nuncio's deep concern for the interests of religion. In his view the Inquisition was "established, as necessary and beneficial to the church and the faithful." Consequently its abolition is something, in which religion is concerned, and from which it may suffer irreparable injury." A concern for religion is ever the pretext for every species of persecution and intolerance. Under this pretext the very first principles of christianity are violated! From professed love to Christ, men can destroy those, for whom HE laid down his life! as though the purpose of his heavenly mission were to be carried into effect, by the most diabolical means, and abominable cruelties.

3. This tribunal has been "established, kept up, and defended for three centuries, under the sanction of the most severe penalties." The "severe penalties" have already been stated. The long time this tribunal had been "kept up" was probably considered by the Nuncio, as full proof of its propriety, and as a sufficient reason why it should not be abolished. This may show the danger of establishing, as of divine authority in the church, any institution, custom, creed, doctrine, or practice, of human invention. However absurd or abominable it may be in itself, the long continuance will be pleaded as proof of its propriety, and of the dreadful sin and danger of all attempts to set it aside.

4. It was "with the christian liberty of an apostolic Legate," that the Nuncio protested against "the abolition of the Inquisition," as a thing which may "be extremely injurious to religion, whilst it actually wounds the rights and the primacy of the Roman Pontiff." Then, among the precious rights of the Pontiff, is the right of determining how other christians shall understand the bible, and how they shall think, to be accounted worthy of the privileges of christians, or even to

live in God's world. The Pontiff is supposed to possess the right of depriving others of their rights, if they happen to dissent from his creed. On the same principle, it is a noble exercise "of christian liberty" in the Legate, to plead for the continuance of a tribunal which has for "three centuries" taken christian liberty from a whole nation, excepting a few favorites The Pope's rights of conscience imply a power to wrest the rights of conscience from all other christians. The Legate's "christian liberty" is a liberty to do all he can to prevent others from enjoying "christian liberty," and for continuing them in a state of absolute servility and degradation.

5. The Legate professes a readiness to submit to all the "wise commands" of the Cortes; "But," he adds, "the subject in question belongs to the church, and is of the greatest import ance." As the tribunal was establish. ed by the Pope in the exercise of his primacy, as the Vicar of Christ, it was, in the opinion of the Nuncio, independent of the civil authority, su perior to it, and irresponsible to any power but that of his Holiness. How terrible must be the effects of a tribunal, thus independent of civil gov ernment, which has the power of inflicting the most excruciating tortures on persons of every description, and that too for only dissenting in opinion from the Pope or his Inquisitors. Let us suppose such a tribunal in this nation, to whom all the civil authorities are subordinate and subservient. Suppose, also that these Inquisitors have an innumerable company of spies in their employment, watching our words and actions, and anxiously seeking occasion for dragging one after another to the dungeons of the horrid tribunal! What could be more terrible? What chance would there be for the improvement of the mind, for the propagation of truth, or for recovery from error?

This important protest may help us to a correct view of some things, which have appeared in our own coun. try. We live remote from the Roman Pontiff, and have but little ben

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