STATE PAPERS. 



687 



authority to cause the catholic religi- 

 on to be freely professed, — publicly 

 exercised in France ; and who has 

 shewn his mind so anxious forincreas- 

 ing the prosperity of that religion. 

 We have also formed great hope, that 

 having undertaken this journey by 

 his invitation, Mhen we shall speak 

 to him face to face, such things may 

 be effected by his M'isdom for the 

 good of the catholic church, -Jvhich 

 is the only ark of salvation, that we 

 may be able to congratubte our- 

 selves on having perfected the work 

 of our most holy religion. It is not 

 so much on our weak eloquence that 

 we build that hope, as on the grace 

 of him whose unworthy vicegerent 

 we are upon earth, whose grace, 

 when invoked by holy rites, is pour- 

 ed largely into the hearts of princes, 

 who are rightly disposed for receiv- 

 ing the good effefts of a sacred cere- 

 mony, especially when they are the 

 fathers of their people, solicitous 

 about their eternal salvation, and 

 determined to live and die true sons 

 of the catholic church. — For these 

 causes, venerable brethren, follow- 

 ing the example of some of our pre- 

 decessors, who have, for a certain 

 time, left their own abode to visit 

 distant regions, to promote the in- 

 terests of religion, and to gratify 

 those princes who have deserved 

 well of the church, we undertake 

 the present journey, although the 

 distance, the unfavourable season 

 of the year, our advanced age, and 

 the infirm state of our health, would 

 have otherwise completely deterred 

 us from such a voyage. But we 

 esteem these considerations as no- 

 thing, if God will but grant us the 

 prayers of our heart. Nor have 

 those things which should be before 

 our eyes, at all escaped our mind 

 before we foruiad our serious rcku* 



lution ; but we have seen and con- 

 sidcrcd every thing; in which con- 

 sideration many difficulties arose, 

 and oar conscience w as on some of 

 them doubtful and uncertain : but 

 such answers have been returned, 

 and such declarations made by or- 

 der of the emperor, tliat we have 

 been persuaded of the utility of our 

 journey for the good of religion, 

 which is an object. But it is unne- 

 cessary to detail in a difiuse ha- 

 rangue, these causes to you, to 

 whom I have already communicated 

 them, and whose opinions (before 

 we undertook a step of such mo- 

 ment) we not only consulted, but 

 to whom, as it was right, we gave 

 the greatest weight. — Not to pass 

 over, however, that which is abov« 

 all things necessary in important de- 

 liberations, well knowing that (ac- 

 cording to the saying of Divine 

 Wisdom) the resolutions of mortals 

 are weak and timid, and their fore- 

 sight doubtful, even of those mea 

 who excel most in moi-als and in pi- 

 ety, and whose speeches rise like 

 incense to the presence of God ; 

 we have therefore taken care to put 

 up the most earnest prayers to the 

 Father of all light, that, directed by 

 him, we may do that only which is 

 pleasing in his eyes, and which may 

 end in the prosperity and increase 

 of his church. — God is our witness, 

 before whom we have in all humi- 

 lity poured forth our heart, to 

 whoui we have often raised our 

 hands in his holy temple, beseech- 

 ing him to listen to our prayer and 

 help us, that we have proposed 

 to ourselves nothing else than what 

 ought always to be our object ; his 

 glory, the interests of the Catholic 

 religion, the salvation of souls, and 

 the discharge of those apostolic 

 f uuclionii which have been entrusted 



to 



