Was gewinnen Menschheit, Staat und Religion durch die Heilungen Sr. Durchlaucht des Herrn Fursten Alexander von Hohenloe, u s. w.-und was gefah ren sie durch ihre Gegner? Beantwortet von L. Wolf. Würzburg, 1821,

THE wonderful works of the rev, prince Hohenlohe and the pious Martin Michel, have been opposed by all kinds of adversaries, and with every species of argument. Their fame has gone forth throughout Europe: and the jealousy of the enemy of all good has armed his envenomed weapons on all sides against them. It is difficult to imagine that even pharisaical obstinacy could have more industriously impugned the glorious works of our divine Redeemer himself, than the enemies of Hohenlohe and Michel have combated their holy and astonishing deeds. The common repository of incredulity has been long exhausted-imagination, magnetism, witchcraft, priestcraft, mummery, &c. have been thoroughly worn out in the war against these holy friends of the afflicted :-they have been accused of intrigue, of ambition, and of every unworthy motive that envy and slander could rake together; and still these holy men continue their glorious exertions, and their enemies are confounded at the multitude of well attested cures that increase upon their notice. Envy and bigotry walk in all ages in the same track-the pharisees finding they could not hinder the miracles of JESUS, nor prevent the multitudes from crowd-. ing after him, invidiously attempted to represent him as an enemy of their nation and religion, hoping thus to remove him out of their way. It is worthy of attention, that the same course has been pursued in Germany by the enemies of the prince. They have insinuated that the works of Hohenlohe and Michel are injurious to humanity, to the state, and to religion!!! The pamphlet we are to notice is a refutation of imputations so surpassing in malice and absurdity. The Germans are fond of attractive and extraordinary titles; and the writer of this production discovers his design by a singular title page, which runs

literally as follows:-"What benefit do Mankind, the State, and Religion derive from the cures of his Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe and the peasant Martin Michel, of Unterwittighausen ;-and what do Mankind, &c. suffer from their enemies? Answered by L. Wolf, &c." This gives us sufficiently to understand that such questions are contemptuously asked by the opposers of these holy men; and of course the reply will go to prove that much good is derived to mankind in general, to the state, and to religion, from the prince and his pious associate. The pamphlet is obviously divided into two parts, and under each part the three heads of each question are examined. In proof that mankind in general have been greatly benefitted by these holy men, the writer observes that the number of persons cured of various disorders is astonishingly great; and not only have they been relieved, but many persons in health, relatives, attendants and others, who were sharers in the affliction of those who suffered, have been at the same time freed from grief and solicitude. For the numerous examples of cures, he refers to the publications of Bauer, Onymus, and Scharold; but, says he,

"I am myself a witness of one of the most important cures. I allude to the baroness of ZESSNER, of Bohemia, who was given up by the faculty as incurable. A multitude of letters from Bohemia, and amongst them, one from the family of Zessner, testify not only the continuance of her happy cure, but that her restoration had created in many incurable sick, infirm, and indigent sufferers, or their relatives, a lively hope of being cured by the same means. Already, too, Martin Michel has had applications for more than 200 persons, to appoint an hour to offer his prayers for them. Dr. Schiffner, of Prague, in a letter dated Sept. 11th, 1821, sent word, that his lady, who had long been confined with severe glandular induration and cramp, became much better at the appointed hour when prayer was made for her, and slept well and recovered her appetite; he remarked, however, that her pious confessor had some doubts as to the effect of a prayer at a distance. To prove therefore, that it was the same with the Almighty to work on the spot or at a distance, the prayer was repeated, and at the appointed hour, three o'clock, on the 13th October, 1821, Dr. Schiffner imparted the joyful intelligence that his wife was perfectly cured of her disorder which had before been pronounced incurable. The glandular swellings have never since appeared. Miss M. A. Simon, of Prague, had been for 27 years afflicted with grievous eruptions in her face. According to the acconnt of the rev. Mr. Rang, the parish priest, this young lady, for whom Martin Michel prayed on the 7th of October, 1821, experienced from that time a great relief in her head, and the eruptions in her face sepsibly disappeared."

The author allows that in several instances a perfect cure has not been obtained, but the atients have been relieved and partly restored; and as this alone, when effected by the physician, is a subject of great joy and thankfulness, he justly argues that the prince and Martin Michel are even here great benefactors to suffering humanity. He continues, in a paragraph well worthy the attention of medical practitioners,

( "How much may it even benefit mankind, if the medical art in disorders otherwise within the power of physic becomes by means of Hohenlohe and Michel more hopeful and secure. The physician,'says a learned author, ' may fearn from Hohenlohe, that not medicine alone, but other means, and principally the excitement of religious sentiments has a very important influence on the welfare of a sick person; and this may encourage him not only to be more friendly with the spiritual physician whom he often meets at the patient's bed-side, and to co-operate with him, but to animate himself to a religious life, and to endeavour to produce this valuable influence upon his patients. Faith is almost as needful to a physician as to a priest, if he will exercise his duty with fruit." "

After refuting several groundless objections to these cures, he thus removes the difficulty raised on the report of several having relapsed :

"It is also said that the cures of Hohenlohe and Michel are not secure from relapse, and on this account they are liable to objection. But if only one cure is permanent, is not this alone a considerable benefit obtained? Such a cure I can at least attest in the person of my own brother, Michael Wolf, of Rollback, in the district of Klingenberg, on the Maine in Bavaria. And if a patient does relapse, he can find the way to the physician a second time. No one has yet decried the practice of physic; though many sick persons have relapsed after a cure, still less have the faculty been denounced as dangerous and hurtful to the community on this account. Whatever then is adduced against the cures of Hohenlohe and Michel, the great benefits de rived to mankind from their cures remains incontrovertible. Many sick, and many pronounced before incurable, have been perfectly restored, and continue perfectly well;-many have found relief, and those who have not been healed, have not lost all hope, that they also may be cured at some future period. Who can be barbarous enough to deprive the afflicted of this hope, be it ever so feeble? Even should their hope be eventually frustrated, they will have still the consolation to reflect that they have done all in their power to obtain a cure, and they will exclaim with pious resignation, 'God's blessed will be done!'"

The second chapter is devoted to prove that much benefit has accrued to the state from these cures. This is plain from the circumstance of many disabled and useless members of society having by these means been restored to health and vigour, and enabled to take their share in the public service; and with them many who were before confined in attendance upon them.

They have been restored without any cost or even demand. It is stated that prince Hohenlohe has paid in one month as much as 70 florins (about 71.) for postage of letters containing petitions for his prayers in behalf of the afflicted; and that the cost of letters has in like manner been so burthensome to the peasant Martin Michel, as to oblige him to dismiss all his domestics. Where is the physician that will serve the community so generously and disinterestedly?-Besides, the state is benefitted by the exertions of these holy men, to render those whom they cure, pious livers and exemplary followers of virtue. The author leaves others to calculate what benefit has resulted to the state, from the many publications caused by these cures, the profit of innkeepers, and persons connected with travelling, tolls, &c. which must have been considerable; and concludes this chapter with defending the prince and Michel against the accusation of disturbing the public peace.

We have always considered that the holy prince and his companion have been raised up in these days of unbelief and immorality, to restore in some degree faith and virtue among menj by the splendour of their miraculous cures. We are glad to find that Mr. Wolf, in his proofs of their beneficial effects to religion, has the same sentiment.

"The cures of Hohenlohe and Michel make the deepest impression upon others, who stand in no need of being healed. Corruption of morals, and decay of religion, had proceeded very far: to lead a religious life, was not only a disgrace, but absolutely a crime....Hohenlohe and Michel appeared, and performed cures of incurable disorders in the name of JESUS. What a sensation was immediately created on all sides! Men began to enquire into the nature of God; they forsook their infidelity, and became again believers....Christian instruction was heard with greater attention; the sacraments began to be frequented with more fervent preparation, the divine service was attended with greater devotion. Moreover, domestic duties were better discharged, public charges administered in a more Christian manner, fraternal charity was more diligently observed, and obedience more willingly paid to the Church and her ordinances."

The second part of this publication is devoted to the query, whether mankind, state and religion, have any thing to apprehend from the enemies of these holy men. We have not room any extracts from this part, except one, which will shew to what excess the animosity of some of their enemies is carried.

for

"Away, away with all new saints, and especially miracle-mongers,' ex

claims the inexorable Mr. Von Spaun, I would rather that a thousand should remain lame and blind, than that half a dozen saints should be found in Bavaria.' So your doom is fixed, ye miserable creatures! Remain as you are, lame, deaf, sick and infirm; whom no physician can cure, and remain without the smallest glimpse of hope of being cured, or of being in the least relieved; for know ye, that the compassionate men on whose charity you had depended, are to be banished without favour or mercy from the land! Such is the will of Mr. Von Spaun, and nothing can oppose it !"

To such a degree has the spirit of opposition to these holy men carried their adversaries. Our author soundly combats their malignant representations, and solidly establishes the points he undertook to prove, viz. that mankind, the state and religion have all been richly benefited by the wonderful cures performed by these pious servants of God.

женене

FOR THE CATHOLIC MISCELLANY.

Mr. EDITOR,-To me it would appear a great act of charity in favour of Catholic tenants and domestics of every description, if our nobility and gentry could be induced to change their plan in the choice of their household and dependents. It has been, with many, too long the fashion to give the preference to aliens, thus commencing the march of benevolence ordine retrogrado, the backward way. In our religious rudiments for children, upon the question, Who are our neighbours ?-they are taught to answer, All mankind, especially Catholics. But, in the practice alluded to, just the reverse-first, those that are most distantly connected with us, and after them our poor friends and fellow members in Christ Jesus. Is this, Mr. Editor, as it ought to be? If charity begins at home, why roam abroad in quest of proper objects, before we have satisfied the precept within our own doorstead? I think, Mr. Editor, without stepping any further, here is ample room for reform. But then, it may be replied, such a confined and selfiish kind of system would tend to narrow the boundaries of liberality, and to introduce amongst us a partial sort of charity, inconsistent with that universal and indiscriminating habit of philanthropy, which embraces every class of our fellow-mortals. This very