STATE PAPERS. Treaty between his Majesty the King of France and Navarre and his Majesty the King of Portugal, of Brazil, and Algarva, concluded at Paris, August 28, 1817. A RT. 1, His Most Faithful Majesty, animated with the desire of executing the 107th Article of the Act of the Congress of Vienna, binds himself to deliver up to his Most Christian Majesty, in the space of three months or sooner, if possible, French Guiana, as far as the river Oyapor, of which the mouth is situated between the 4th and 5th degrees of northern latitude, and as far as the 322d degree of longitude to the east of the Isle de Fer (Iron Island) by the parallel of 2 deg. 24 min. of northern latitude. 2. Commissioners on either side are to le immediately nominated and despatched to fix definitively the limits of French and Portuguese Guiana, conformably to the precise sense of the 8th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, and to the stipulations of the Act of the Congress of Vienna: the abovementioned Commissioners must terminate their labours at the expiration of a year at latest, from the date of their arrival at Guiana. If at the expiration of this term of a year the abovementioned respective Commissioners cannot agree, ar the two High Contracting Parties will then proceed to other rangements, under the mediation of Great Britain, and always conformably to the precise sense of the 8th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, concluded under the guaranty of that power. 3. The fortresses, magazines, and all the military stores shall be surrendered to his Most Christian Majesty, according to the inventory mentioned in the 5th Article of the Capitulation of French Guiana in 1809. 4. In consequence of the abovementioned articles, the necessary orders for effecting the transmission of French Guiana (which orders are at present in the possession of the undersigned Plenipotentiary of his Most Faithful Majesty) shall, immediately after the signature of the present treaty, be communicated to the French government, with an official letter of the same Plenipotentiary, to which a copy of the present treaty shall be annexed; and which will inform the Portuguese Authorities that they are to deliver up in the delay of three days, the said colony to the Commissioners charged by his Most Catholic Majesty to take possession of them as soon as they shall have presented their instructions to that effect. 5. The French government enR2 gages 1 gages to transport to the maritime towns of Para and Pernambuco (in the vessels which shall have been employed for the con. veyance of the French troops to Guiana) the Portuguese garrison of this colony, as well as the civil functionaries, with all their baggage. SEPARATE ARTICLE. All the points upon which any difficulties may arise, resulting from the restitution of French Guiana, such as the payment of debts, the recovery of the reve nues, and the reciprocal exchange of slaves, will form the object of a particular treaty between the French and Portuguese govern ment. Translation of the Bull against Bible Societies, issued from Rome, June 29, 1816, by Pope Pius VII. to the Archbishop of Gnezn, Primate of Poland. PIUS P. P. VII. Venerable Brother, Health and apostolic benediction. In our last letter to you we promised, very soon, to return an answer to yours; in which you have appealed to this Holy See, in the name also of the other bishops of Poland, respecting what are called Bible Societies, and have earnestly inquired of us what you ought to do in this affair. We long since, indeed, wished to comply with your request; but an incredible variety of accumulating concerns have so pressed upon us on every side, that, till this day, we could not yield to your solicitation. We have been truly shocked at this most crafty device, by which the very foundations of religion are undermined; and having, because of the great importance of the subject, convened for consultation our venerable brethren, the cardinals of the holy Roman Church, we have, with the utmost care and attention, deliberated upon the measures proper to be adopted by our Pontifical authority, in order to remedy and abolish this pestilence as far as possible. In the mean time, we heartily congratulate you, venerable brother; and we commend you again and again in the Lord, as it is fit we should, upon the singular zeal you have displayed under circumstances so hazardous to christianity, in having denounced to the Apostolic See, this defilement of the faith, most imminently dangerous to souls. And although we perceive that it is not at all necessary to excite him to activity who is making haste, since of your own accord you have already shown an ardent desire to detect and oppose the impious machinations of these Innovators; yet, in conformity with our office, we again and again exhort you, that whatever you can achieve by power, provide for by counsel, or effect by authority, you will daily execute with the utmost earnestness, placing yourself as a wall for the house of Israel. For this end we issue the present Brief, viz. that we may convey to you a signal testimony of our approbation of your excellent conduct, and also may endeavour therein still more and more to excite your pastoral solicitude and vigilance. For the general gool imperiously requires us to combine all our means and energies to frustrate the plans, which are prepared pared by its enemies for the destruction of our most holy religion: whence it becomes an episcopal duty, that you first of all expose the wickedness of this nefarious scheme, as you already are doing so admirably, to the view of the faithful, and openly publish the same, according to the rules prescribed by the church, with all that erudition and wisdom in which you excel; namely, "That bibles printed by hereticks are numbered among other prohibited books by the Rules of the Index (No. II. and 111.); for it is evident from experience, that the holy Scriptures, when circulated in the vulgartongue, have, through the temerity of men, produced more harm than benefit;" (Rule IV.) And this is the more to be dreaded in times so depraved, when our holy religion is assailed from every quarter with great cunning and effort, and the most grievous wounds are infheted on the church. It is, therefore, necessary to adhere to the salutary decree of the Congregation of the Index (June 13th, 1757), that no versions of the Bible in the vulgar tongue he permitted, except such as are approved by the Apostolic See, or published with annotations extracted from the writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church. We confidentiy hope that, even in these turbulent cirumstances, the Poles will afford the clearest proofs of their attachment to the religion of their ance-tors; and this especially by your care, as well as that of the other prelates of this kingdom, whom, on account of the stand they are so wonderfully making for the faith committed to them, we congratu late in the Lord, trusting that they all will very abundantly justify the opinion which we have entertained of them. It is moreover necessary that you should transmit to us, as soon as possible, the Bible which Jacob Wniek published in the Polish language with a commentary, as well as a copy of the edition of it lately put forth without the se annotations, taken from the writings of the holy fathers of our church, or other learned Catholicks, with your opinion upon it; that thus, from collating thein together, it may be ascertained, after mature investigation, what errors may lie insidiously concealed therein, and that we may pronounce our judgment on this affair for the preservation of the true faith. Proceed, therefore, venerable brother, to pursue the truly pious course upon which you have entered; viz. diligently to fight the battles of the Lord in soundness of doctrine, and warn the people intrusted to your care, that they fall not into the snares which are prepared for them to their everlasting ruin. The church waits for this from you, as well as from the other bishops, whom our rescript equally concerns; and we most anxiously expect it, that the deep sorrow we fel on account of this new species of tares which an enemy is sowing so abundantly, may, by this cheering hope, be somewhat alleviated: and, we heartily invoke upon you and your fellow bishops, for the good of the Lord's flock, ever increasing gifts by our Apostolic benediction, which we impart to yourself and to them. PIUS PP. VII. |