long immured, the fresh air was too much for me. . . . I bless God that, on the whole, I have been preserved in health, which I ascribe to the prayers of yourself and all my other friends. Since the 24th of July, it is true, my hours have not always been of the same character in this solitary confinement; some have been burning, and melting, like fire; others happy and cheerful as heaven. Yes, I am a sinner, and eternal love finds enough in me to burn, to pull down, to polish, to correct. The consolation contained in Rom. viii. 1, has often forsaken me when I only saw my sins, and my desert of eternal condemnation; and I could scarcely believe what I preached to others. Very often I could not say with St. Paul, 'I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' For I saw in and about myself nothing but defilement, chains, and bonds; and then all assurance of salvation vanished. But so much the more must I again lay hold of the Saviour as my only refuge. You have read my heart and seen all that passes there.

But Satan has not

only painted my sins in the blackest colours before my eyes, but has also represented the good that proceeds from grace and faith, as evil; and thus I have been smitten within and without, and on all sides. I experienced 1

similar trials, and chastisement, in my first imprisonment in 1797, but it seemed as new to me now, as if I had never known it before. I have made use of it as you advised; I have examined my heart and life; I have confessed my sins before the Lord, and besought him weeping; and he has quieted my heart, and taken away my sins."

"I am not so unhappy," (says Boos, in another letter,) "as they imagine; for 'the kingdom of heaven'-real joy, true satisfaction-is 'within us.' Hence I often enjoy more happiness amidst reproaches and bonds than when free from them, since I now keep the one thing needful more constantly in my eye. We esteem the blood and righteousness of Christ as our ornament and glorious apparel: but to prevent the perversion and abuse of faith, we add, Live as piously and holily as if you were to be justified and saved by your own piety and imperfect holiness; but withal, believe and die as those who are alone justified and saved through the merits of Christ. Thus we unite Paul's justification by faith (Rom. iii. 24) with James's justification by works (ii. 14, 20.) The best and most pious man cannot support himself on his own virtue and holiness, (Gal. iii. 10,) either in life or in death."

CHAPTER XVIII.

Petition of the parish of Gallneukirch to the emperor of Austria -Letter from Boos to the archbishop of Vienna.

NEARLY two months had elapsed since the day Boos entered the convent of the Carmelites as a prisoner. His parishioners deeply resented this act as decidedly unjust. With the exception of a few individuals, whose hostility was fostered by some priests in the neighbourhood, the mass of the population, consisting of four thousand souls and upwards, were filled with sorrow at the proceedings against their minister. More than once they had protested against the intolerance of his enemies, but without effect. At last, hoping that the emperor would be more favourably disposed, they drew up and presented the following petition :

"May it please your majesty,-The parish of Gallneukirch has suffered poignant sorrow on account of their honoured pastor, Boos, with whom they have been satisfied for so many years, during which time he has been their confessor, instructor, and comforter, — that,

without any known, adequate cause, he has been removed, imprisoned, and deprived of all clerical authority. It is now more than six weeks that he has been confined in the convent of the Carmelites at Lintz. And though his parishioners have respectfully and sorrowfully requested, both in writing and verbally, of the bishop and the civil authorities, to inform them of the grounds of this harsh procedure, and to comfort them in their sufferings and distress by an explanation of the circumstances; yet, in spite of all their efforts, they can gain nothing; and their painful state of ignorance is aggravated by the apparent inconsistency of his judges, since the venerable consistory itself declares, That the pastor Boos has not been guilty of any moral or political delinquency, but merely wishes to lead a hidden, inward life with God and Christ.'

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"That the pastor Boos cannot have done anything contrary to your majesty's wish and command, or that his course of life (founded on a good conscience and a loving trust in God and his holy Son) could be displeasing to your majesty, his parishioners, amounting at least to four thousand, cannot believe. Hence they humbly request your majesty and the supreme court to restore the pastor Boos to his bereaved and forlorn parish-to cut short, or, at least, to lighten his confinement, and to expedite the termination of the proceedings against him.

"The parishioners are ready to pledge themselves that neither the state nor the church has

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anything to fear from this individual. nine years they have personally witnessed the patriotic sentiments which animate him. During that period, he has borne every public and private burden with unexampled patience and promptitude. He has furnished supplies, quarters, and relays, and everything else, often beyond his means, and without being required to do so. He has exhorted them to obedience to the monarch and government, and to voluntary contributions for the sick and wounded soldiers. His conduct has been blameless; and his doctrine purely Catholic and scriptural. The whole parish is perfectly satisfied and contented. But the neighbouring clergy are always envying and persecuting him, because they consider themselves slighted and injured by his good example and doctrine. Hence, disunion has been introduced into our parochial meetings; and the principle is attempted to be established that he is a foreigner, and ought not to have the living. It is lamentable that so excellent a clergyman, now sixty years old, and moreover sickly and infirm, and who has worn himself out by his incessant labours, should be persecuted as if he were a notorious offender, and with a severity which will soon exhaust him, both in body and soul, unless your majesty vouchsafe to show him favour and compassion.

"The parish wishes for no other pastor, and humbly prays for his continuance. All impartial clergymen and ecclesiastics, as well as