88 DISCOURSES OF FATHER HYACINTHE. 



he fell into a tmnce. lie saw heaven opened, and as it 

 had been a great sheet knit at the four corners let down 

 to earth, wherein (strange sight !) were those unclean 

 animals which the law of Moses had forbidden to be 

 eaten — four-footed beasts, and creeping things, and 

 fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, 

 " Eise, Peter; kill and eat." " Not so. Lord," cried the 

 zealous Jew, " for I have never eaten anything that is 

 common or unclean." And the voice spake unto him 

 again the second time, "What God hath cleansed, that 

 call not thou common." And three times this myste- 

 rious vessel was let down and received up again into 

 heaven. And when Peter had come forth from his 

 trance, the three men were standing before the gate; 

 and the Holy Spirit spoke to his inward soul, " Follow 

 them, nothing doubting, for I have sent them."* 



Gentlemen, this vision has been continued from age 

 to age. It is the whole history of the Church and the 

 papacy. Like the first of their number, the Roman 

 pontiffs have beheld the nations, not now in the vessel 

 let down from heaven, but on the agitated soil of this 

 world. Here, the corrupted beasts of imperial Rome ; 

 there, the ferocious beasts of Scythia and Germany: 

 the former panting after pleasure, and filling the air 

 with their most beastly cry, " Panem atque circenses'' — 

 despotism, if you like, but give us our food and our 

 amusements ! the latter panting after carnage, craving 

 blood, and preparing vengeance for the detested empire. 



The first look, perhaps, was one of horror ; the second, 

 one of love. The papacy rose up before these monsters 

 and slew tliem one by one. AV'itli tlie sword of the 

 word, it struck at tlic unclean i)rincii)le, in their bosom, 

 of tlic life of sin, selfishness, pride, and sensuality. And 



* Act?, X. 1-.'J3. 



