Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/164

144 be, the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman: the nation protects it by wise and just laws, and prohibits the exercise of any other whatsoever"; whereas, in the Guatemalian constitution, the words are "Tit. 2. Art. 11. Its religion is Catholic, Apostolic and Roman, to the exclusion of the public exercise of any other whatsoever."

Although such are the sentiments of the first authority and, perhaps, of most of the consequential members of the hierarchy, it is to be apprehended that any thing like an alarm on the score of divine worship being carried on in a manner dissimilar from that to which the community at large have hitherto been accustomed, might produce very disagreeable effects. It must not be concealed that the people, especially the lower orders of it, are most fastidiously wedded to their forms of worship, and keep up their ceremonies with stricter observance and greater ostentation than, perhaps, the natives of any other countries in the whole of the late Spanish dominions; but