“That the Inquisition really exists, is placed beyond a doubt by its daily action as a visible institution at Rome.  But if any one should fancy that it was abolished after the release of Dr. Achilli, let him hear a sentence contradictory, from a bull of the Pope himself, Pius IX, a document that was dated at Rome, August 22, 1851, where the pontiff, condemning the works of Professor Nuytz, of Turin, says, “after having taken the advice of the doctors in theology and canon law, after having collected the SUFFRAGES of our venerable brothers the cardinals of the congregation of the supreme and universal inquisition.”  And so recently as March, 1852, by letters of the Secretariate of State, he appointed four cardinals to be “members of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Roman and Universal Inquisition;” giving incontrovertible evidence that provision is made for attending to communications of Inquisitors in partibus from all parts of the world.  As the old cardinals die off, their vacant seats are filled by others.  The ‘immortal legion’ is punctually recruited.

“After all, have we in Great Britain, Ireland and the colonies, and our brethren of the foreign mission stations, any reason to apprehend harm to, ourselves from the Inquisition as it is?  In reply to this question, let it be observed;

“1.  That there are Inquisitors in partibus is not to be denied.  That letters of these Inquisitors are laid before the Roman Inquisition is equally certain.  Even in the time of Leo XII, when the church of Rome was far less active in the British empire than it is now, some particular case was always decided on Thursday, when the Pope, in his character of universal Inquisitor, presided in the congregation.  It cannot be thought that now, in the height of its exultation, daring and aggression, this congregation has fewer emissaries, or that they are less active, or less communicative than they were at that time.  We also see that the number is constantly replenished.  The cardinals Della Genga-Sermattei; De Azevedo; Fornari; and Lucciardi have just been added to it.

“2.  Besides a cardinal in England, and a delegate in Ireland, there is both in England and Ireland, a body of bishops, ‘natural Inquisitors,’ as they are always acknowledged, and have often claimed to be; and these natural Inquisitors are all sworn to keep the secret—­the soul of the Inquisition.  Since, then, there are Inquisitors in partibus, appointed to supply the lack of an avowed and stationary Inquisition, and since the bishops are the very persons whom the court of Rome can best command, as pledged for such a service, it is reasonable to suppose they act in that capacity.