QUARTERLY REVIEW Under the Direction of Most Rev. Patrick John Ryan, D. D. ASSOCIATE editors, rIGHT REV. J. F. LOUGHLIN, D. D. and VERY REV. JAMES P. TURNER, V. G. THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC QUARTERLY REVIEW is issued regularly in January, April, July, and October. EACH NUMBER contains more than 200 pages, large octavo, printed from legi. ble type, on fine white paper. SUBSCRIPTION, $4.00 per annum, payable in advance, or $1.00 a single copy. Postage free to all parts of the U. S., Canada and Mexico. It is DESIGNED that the American Catholic Quarterly Review shall be of the highest character that can be given it by the educated Catholic mind of the United States and of Europe. It is NOT PROPOSED that it shall be confined to the discussion of theological subjects, but that it shall embrace within its scope all subjects of interest to edu cated Catholics, whether philosophical, historical, scientific, literary, or political— using the latter term in its original and proper meaning. Partisan politics, or politics in the popular sense of the word, it is scarcely necessary to say, will be rigidly excluded. THE MOST learned and scholarly writers that can be secured will be enlisted in support of the. Review as regular and occasional contributors; and every effort will be made by its conductors to render it an able and efficient auxiliary to the Church in her warfare against modern error. Subscriptions respectfully solicited. All communications to be addressed to THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC QUARTERLY REVIEW, 211 South Sixth Street, Philadelphia. A BLESSING FROM HIS HOLINESS LEO XII. DIE 3 JANUARII, A. D. 1884. EXCEPIMUS GRATO ANIMO LIBROS PER ARCHIEPISCOPUM BALTIMORENSUM VESTRO NOMINE NOBIS OBLATOS. STUDIUM OPERAMQUE VESTRAM EDENDIS LIBRIS IMPENSAM, QUI ECCLESIÆ ET FIDEI CAUSAM TUEANTUR, LAUDIBUS PROSEQUIMUR; ATQUE UT COEPTA ALACRIUS INSISTATIS ▲ POSTOLICAM BENEDICTIONEM VOBIS OMNIBUS PERAMANTER IN DOMINO IMPERTIMUS. WE HAVE RECEIVED WITH GRATITUDE THROUGH THE ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE THE VOLUMES OFFERED TO US IN YOUR NAME. WE APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR ZEAL AND LABOR IN PUBLISHING BOOKS TO DEFEND THE CAUSE OF THE CHURCH AND OF THE FAITH; AND THAT YOU MAY CARRY ON YOUR WORK WITH GREATER ALACRITY WE LOVINGLY IN THE LORD BESTOW THE APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION UPON YOU ALL. LEO PP XIII FRANCIS J. CRILLY, President ANDREW J. KEEGAN, Treasurer ALFRED J. MURPHY, Secretary Announces that a few complete sets may still be had. The first twenty-five volumes complete, with General Index, unbound; sixty dollars. Apply for same at once as orders will be filled as received. 211 So. 6th St., = = Philadelphia QUARTERLY REVIEW "Contributors to the QUARTERLY will be allowed all proper freedom in the expression of their thoughts outside the domain of defined doctrines, the REVIEW not holding itself responsible for the individual opinions of its contributors." (Extract from Salutatory, July, 1890.) VOL. XXXI.-OCTOBER, 1906-No. 124 P PIUS VI. AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. III. IUS VI. had been deeply afflicted by the invasion of the rights and liberties of the Church, of which so many Catholic sovereigns and their ministers, acting under the inspiration of the doctrines of Voltaire and his disciples, had been guilty; but these trials were only the forerunners of the still greater sufferings which were to befall the Church when the same doctrines attained their full development in the French Revolution. That insane revolt against civilization and religion which swept away the historic institutions of France and deluged Europe with blood was not, indeed, the work merely of the philosophers and the Freemasons; many of its causes must be sought for back in the past; but it is certain that the flood of atheistical literature which was poured forth over France by d'Alembert, Diderot, Condorcet and their associates from the club which met at the house of Baron Holbach had as its result the demoralization of the nation by the destruction of all religious. belief and of all respect for the authority of the Crown. In combination with this diffusion of irreligious and scurrilous pamphlets the continually increasing influence exercised by the Freemasons must be taken into account. Owing to their skillful policy of enlisting in their ranks members of the aristocracy, to whom the more subversive doctrines of the sect were not confided, and whose social position might disarm the suspicions of the government, they had multiplied their lodges throughout France and her colonies until Entered accordiing to Act of Congress, in the year 1906, by P. J. Ryan, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. |