How does the law of Grace view these dictates of a soul "naturally Christian?" It confirms, and ennobles them all. To subdue the passions, to curb the senses, "to crucify the flesh,"* are positive precepts of the evangelical law. Jesus Christ carried his cross, and commanded us to carry ours after him.† To pretend to be the disciples of a God who was born in a stable and died on a cross, whilst we are slaves to the pleasures and follies of this world, is an illusion. To wish to obtain the rewards of him, whose commandments we violate, is an absurdity; and to call ourselves Christians, when we lead an unmortified life, a contradiction. For what is a Christian? "A man," answers Bossuet, in the language of St. Paul, "who rejoices in hope:" and in the meantime what is he? "he is patient in tribulations." X. Z.

THEOLOGICAL WORKS OF LIGUORI.

"Reflexions sur la Sainteté et la Doctrine du B. Liguori," Lyon et Paris, 1823.

FROM the time in which these theological works first appeared, we have witnessed the accomplishment of what Benedict XIV. had announced in his brief, namely, that "they would obtain an universal suffrage, and would prove of great utility." Both the one and the other have been demonstrated, by the number of editions which they have gone through, and the eagerness, with which they have been demanded, in all parts of the world. The object of the present notice is to exhibit this fact.

EUROPE.-Italy and its environs.

At Naples and Venice, seven expensive editions were issued, during the life-time of the venerable author: and, when his life was published in 1802, the tenth edition was completed, a great number of copies was called for in Germany, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, and a new edition was printed in Spain. In Calabria, Father Foderari, a man of renowned merit, was accustomed to say: "I respect the opinions of Liguori: they inspire me with confidence, and give tranquillity to my conscience. He has written his works upon his knees, before the crucifix; I study Matth. x. 38. xvi. 24.

* Galat. v. 24.

them upon my knees, in testimony of my profound respect for the author.

At Messina, in Sicily, a Dominican of great learning, hearing a person speaking unfavourably of the works of Liguori, replied: "From my youth, I have defended them; I have recommended them to our young men; and have always made them the rule by which I direct the consciences of others."

At Rome, they were re-printed in 1767, and the Editor remarks that, "extra Europam translata, communique plausu sunt recepta."

At Florence, they were highly esteemed, and extolled on account of their profound science, justness of thought, and impartiality.

At Bolognia, they were adopted in a full congregation of the Clergy.

In Corsica, we are assured, that they were almost the only standard of morals in use. (Life of Liguori, vol. 3. lib. 4. c. 16.) FRANCE.

In the supplement of the "Dictionnaire Historique," of Feller, (Lyon 1819, verb. Liguori) is to be found the following eulogium: "we may be perfectly satisfied on the score of these moral works, when we reflect, that they have been not only approved and praised by Benedict XIV, but that they have been cited, by that celebrated and learned Pope, in his grand work de Synodo diœcesana: this never would have been done, if the doctrine which they contain were in any way reprehensible." "At Rome," continues the writer, "they have been looked upon as faultless."

SPAIN.

It is manifest from the testimony and depositions of the Spanish Prelates produced at Rome, that the moral works of Liguori are most esteemed in that kingdom. The abridgment of them, made by the author in Italian, has been translated into Spanish.

GERMANY.

The Italian abridgment in three volumes has been translated into German, and spread through Austria, Switzerland, and all parts of the empire. At Augsburg, besides the preceding editions, the whole of the Theology was re-printed in 1772, received with

applause by all the learned, and the edition was soon exhausted. Peter Obladen, a man no less learned than zealous, published in 1774, another edition, which was accompanied by the following eulogy: "Libellum etc. a Rmo et zelosissimo D. Alphonso Liguori Episcopo italicé conscriptum et post iteratas in hâc linguâ editiones a R. P. Obladen in linguam Germanicam translatum, eo digniorem prelo censeo, quia iis, quibus cura animarum incumbit, non solum multa saluberrima ad praxim sed et quæ ad ipsius pastoris majorem perfectionem et concreditarum ovium salutem conducunt, suppeditat." F. Francis Brunet, vicar general of the Fathers of the mission, found at Louvain, 1791, the Bishop of Amiens, (Mr. Machault,) reading Ligouri on his knees.

POLAND.

At Polosch, he is so much esteemed, that there is no curate without his works. The Bishop and Prince of Plocko, brother to King Stanislaus Augustus, in his pastoral letter to his clergy, in 1775, recommends him in preference to all other authors.

TURKEY.

In Servia and Bosnia, he has been adopted by the Bishops, and recommended to their clergy.

ASIA.

In the Indies, as many missionary Priests of S. Vincent of Paul have testified, the clergy, especially at Goa, make use of his moral theology.

AMERICA.

In South America, he is in great repute: a large number of copies of his works have been sent thither: at Mexico, his sanctity and learning are highly appreciated. At Macerata, a bookseller declared, that he gained more by the sale of Liguori's works than of any others.

M. Guthier, Confessor of the Queen of Naples, testified that his works had been printed by the protestants, as a matter of speculation. And, so urgent was the demand for any thing from his pen, that many tracts were propagated under his name at Warsaw.

From these details, it is manifest, that the moral Theology of Ligouri, is in high repute throughout the Christian world: and

that they may, with safety, be made the standard for every director of consciences. It is the mere desire of representing in its proper light, a subject which cannot but prove interesting to the curious and inquiring, that this sketch has been given in the present number. The attention of the reader may again be called Y. Y. to it, on some future occasion.

ECCLESIASTICAL RESEARCHES.

ST. PAUL, having seen in a vision, a Macedonian, inviting him to preach the gospel to his countrymen, embarked at Troas, and arrived at Phillippi; where, as we learn from the acts of the apostles, he gained over many distinguished proselytes. From Phillippi, he proceeded, after some stay, to Athens. This city, once the most powerful in Greece, retained few vestiges of its pristine. greatness, except the cultivation of the arts, and an extraordinary thirst for the refinements of literature and philosophy. Of this place, the two leading sects were the stoics and epicureans: with these St. Paul was soon engaged in dispute. The novelty of his doctrines, and the knowledge which he displayed, excited their curiosity, as well as admiration: that they might hear him more at length, they conducted him to the Areopagus.* The apostle, standing in this august assembly, which was considered the oracle of all Greece, thus addressed them: "Athenians, in passing through your city, I, every where, observed, that your superstition distinguished you from all other nations. Noticing the several objects of your religious veneration, I found one altar having these words inscribed on it, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." What, therefore, you worship without knowing, that do I preach to you."

* Act. 18. Vid. August. de Civit. Dei lib. 18. 10,. The justice of the Areopagites was so proverbial, that even Cicero thought that he could not confer on a man a greater praise, than by styling him an "Areopagita." Ad Attic. lib 1. But their wisdom was the wisdom of the world!

+ Thucydides relates, that there were twelve altars in the Forum at Athens, on one of which was this inscription, according to S. Jerome: DIIS ASIE, EUROPE, ET LYBIE, DIIS IGNOTIS ET PEREGRINIS. in Tit. 1. Vid. Spondan. ad ann. 52. iii.

Hier

He then spoke of the creation of the world; the crimes in which mankind were immerged; the general judgment; and resurrection of the dead. At first, he was listened to with attention: but when he came to speak of the resurrection of the dead, some derided his doctrine, others exclaimed that he had said enough for the present, that they would take another opportunity to hear him farther, on the same subject. We are informed of two only, who were converted on this occasion: Denis, one of the judges of the Areopagus, who afterwards became bishop of Athens, and a woman, whose name was Damaris.*

Immediately after this, Paul went to Corinth,† the most flourishing city of Greece, since the decay of Athens and Lacedæmon; and abounding with all the luxuries of life. St. Paul remained there eighteen months; announcing the gospel in the synagogue, and to the more docile gentiles. The Jews of this city evinced such obduracy, that, according to the counsel of the Saviour, Paul shook the dust from his feet, as a testimony against them; and from that moment, turned his whole attention to the gentiles. These afforded him great consolation; and he continued subsisting by the labour of his own hands at Corinth: where he wrote his epistles to the Thessalonians. This body of the faithful constituted one of the fairest portions of the rising church; his first epistle testifies the joy which he felt in witnessing the fervour of their faith and piety. The second epistle was written to console them for the grief they had conceived at his first letter, which they interpreted in a sense very different from that, which the apostle had intended to convey. The epistles of St. Paul are ranged in the sacred volume, according to the rank held by the churches to which they were addressed; but the two written to the Thessalonians, are the first in order of time. To abridge them would be to diminish their beauty; and the historian can only refer those who are desirous of perusing them, to the sacred text itself.

* Act. 17. It is generally believed that Damaris was the wife of Denis: this is the opinion of S. Ambrose (ep. ad Vercell.), S. Augustine (Serm. de Semin.), S. Chrysostom (de Sacerdot.), &c. &c.