The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-06-30 00:00:00

his sins, and his confession must be as public as his
Local anb District Neb3s. trangression. These three sort& of confession ars
..-----eIP---- scriptural and if Bomb& and Ritualist doctrine ex-
tended no further than the bible warrants, he should
RIFLE MATCH: DORSET V. WILTS. have nothing to say against it; but he would show that
This annual match came off on Wednesday last, at both theil doctrine and practice are wide as the poles
Maiden Castle, near Dorchester, under most unfavourable &sander Irons the Bible. NVhat humanists and Ritualists
as regards the weather.
It slid not rain, mean by confession is what they term sacramental con-
circunstanose
fortunately. het there was it good still gale of wind from fessional not confession of siu exclusively to bud whom :
the right all the day, and, what made shooting more the sinner offends; nor to a neighbour against whom a '
difficult than ever, were the fitful gusts that blew across fault may have hoen committed.; nor before the church
the range every now and then, followed by comparative for public aini scandalous sins' but private Confession to
lulls. There variations in the force of the wind made all a priest, calico auricular confession. Now notice the
calculations for proper allowance off the target very un. authorised exposition of auricular confession as moul-
ts:nein, and it really was snore by luck than good Judas elated by the Couueil of Trent in its 14th fusion,
went that hits were scored. This state of things was canons 6,
.7, 5, also the 21 canon of the 14th Lateran
much regretted on troth sides, and low scores look bad on Council—' Every one of the faithful of both sexes,
paper. had the weather been favourable we should have after they come to years of discretion, shall, in private,
seen doubtless some flue shooting. ,
faithfully confess all their *ins, at least once a year, tic
The Dorset Team was carefully selected by Captain their own pastor, and take care to fulfil to the best of
Good and Lieut Hodges, who, we are sure, are well their power the penance enjoined them—otherwise let
front our liwitwiion. , them be excluded out of the church while living, and
que_htte:iletaieockeothiutentheede bent
ntudlntry
it
it.m.
the
greater
when they die be deprived of Christian burial.' Oh-
nevar.
,e, , the W.s town having arrived I, y the Great, .erve, humanists who do not privately confess their sins
Western train at 10.0). As these gentlemen were obliged to the priest, at twist once a year, are liable to canon-
to leave at 3.50 p.m., no as to reach their homes in the ;
evening, there was not much time to spare, but by em- , ties will account fur the great crowd of Romanist* who
frequent the confessional at Easter. Theo they are told
ploying six targets, as used at the late county prise meet' frequent
their confessors-- Remember that in the moment
mg
, ell.went sinoothly and regularly, and the match was
finished hi three. Seven rounds each were fired at .3)0, when the priest says over you the great words of pardon
sffij, and 600 yards. , and absolution, your sins are forgiven, the pains of hell
On reference to the subjoined scores, it will he seen are taken away, your soul is made bright and beautiful
that the Wilts tssin led leth at the 200 and like an angel of Gd, and the kingdom of heaven is
Thus man's sinful nature is met, conscience
tbsoo.
muyarvtli.onfreanirregeaswidttetliro their majority
thweltscun
oulrusHed into a false security, and the tanner is
iepalisnigtintgo L
was pretty close: but, at the longest distance, Dorset made twofold worse than ho otherwise would be.
pulled up, and, heating their rivals here by its point., won Such is the manner in which the votaries of Itinuanissu
the
Head,
by
9. 'thelooped. three „eres were all on the mud Ititualisso are tilliMAl to their souls destraction by
Dorset site, Sergeant Kerridge and Private Mills dividing deep designing awn, who trade on their credulity and
the first and second prizes, and Sergeant Hoherta taking Lon'ran..• What says the Church of England, in her
the third -a small m soul from the 40 competitors being as Homilies. on auricular confession ! tihe says "It in
usual subscribed. Dorset had the credit of the lowest agahuit the true Christian liberty that any limn should
score, as well as the highest. , be bound to the numbering of his sine, as it bath
As an instance of the trying character of the weather. ' been used heretofore ill the time of Idiudn and
we may allude to some eccentrici tits in the scoring, which, iguorance. ' And again, "Whereas the adversaries go
for crack shots, cmlsl hardly have been etOectedi but they about to wrest this place (Janos olli e, 16th v.) for to
go to prove the wretchedly 1.1 conditions under which maintain their auricular confession withal, they are
the match was shot. At 551 yards there was one score of gristly deceived themselves. :And shamefully deceive
4in the seven rounds, and one each of fiend 7: at 500 others; for if this text ought to be understoood of
carts, one competitor scored 3 points in 7 rounds, another auricular confeasion, then the priests are ea much bound
$, two otheas 6 and 7 respectively; and at tffio yards, two tic .°111." thenmel.un unto the ley Pooole as the lay
missed the target with all seven shots, two snore hit only Peolde are bound to confess themselves to then,. And if
once, and there were no Ism than 15 out of the 40 who . to pray is to absolve, them the laity, by this place, bath
failed to score double figures. We hope next year that the SS great authority to &bowl% e the priests as the priests
elements will be more propitious. ; have to absolve the laity." What a contrast between the
There have leen live matches between the Riflemen of I follow." of Christ and the disciples of the Pope and Dr.
the two counties, with the following result:— Pussy 1 The CWIII.IIIII tunfesioss to God alone, But
MO, Dorset won at Warminster with a majority 0f... 61. ' Romanists and Ritualists turn away from God's throne
1071, Dorset won at Dorchester „ „ „ „ 50„ •of grace, IR the confessional throne of a human dictator.
15'2. Wilts won at Dorchester „4r,, They obtain absolution, not from Christ, but [rum &priest
usri, Dorset won at Devizes ~ e o
,o 31. • Here we have Itoinanists and Ritualists confessing to •
1074, Dorset won at Dorchester „ „ o . it fellow einner, and to dead men and women, who were
So that four out of the live have been won by the
' Dorset , mortals like themselves ; forgetting Gust God is ever
Battalion. , ready to hear and assist, and has given us an Intercessor
; who can sympothize with our frailties, The I
. s y
, .. , seems to
'when tl'

WILTS 71101.

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Corporal t'ruse
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loTiet thai wh-,, trii-ei-c.;.;&Ts it; the AposhisTsl the Virgin
. Mary and all the Sainte, and to God, in the sense way, awl
I in the same words, they are either raising luau to an
equality with God, or lowering the Almighty to a level
with In* creature*, with ncopect to confession of sins. We
are told that "bad prints who are living in "mortal
sin," whose own sins need forgiveness, are able to forgive
the sins of others! This suggests a dilliculty. Some
penitent confesses his minced* to a priest then in
'mortal Sin' himself : the coufession, it may be, is made
to a greater sinner. lie appoints penance; he gives
absolution—that is, he undertakes to give what he has nut
got himself, God's pardon, to another; and thus, through
the medium of a reprobate, Divine grew would be con-
ferred, and sins 'against Gul blotted out ! Do Homish
husband* and brothers know the abominal questions
proposed to their wive* and sisters in the confessional I
He thought not, or they would never allow them to
, enter the confessional box. The Refonners used to call
! the confessional the "Slaughter-house of Conscience "
and through it the Church of Rome is responsible for
making •• bad prints " The bearing of confessions
mesa be pernicious to the priest whose mind becomes the
depository of all sorts of pollution; into his soul it dews
unceasingly, and it is impossible for any man to hear day
by day the confessions of the worthless of both sexes,
without becoming inure or leas contaminated. Notice,
also, that Romouiata and Ritualists must confess to the
priests all their Ono, not merely collectively but indi-
vidually and minutely, with all the circumstances lead-
ing to them, or following from them, and every priest
who hears confessions is allowed to put ouch questions-
! as he pleases to the penitent, whether male or female.
! The pnest of a village or town is put into possession of
the secrets of every family, and can turn his knowledge
In whatever account his ambition or cupidity, or fleshy
appetite may dictate. Now what is the effect of all thus
on the mind of a ltotnanist t Conscious that the priest
knows his secret thoughts, ant heart, and all his propen-
sities, and all his wickedness, and his crimes, the
Romanist no longer feels himself a man in the priest's
presence. The most galling yoke which ever crushed an
African slave, was mild cempared with the yoke of the
priest in the confessional. The claitu.s of the olaveholder
may pierce the flesh, but the claims of Rome's
sacerdotal alavehelders penetrate sleeper than the flesh,
they pierce the soul. On the other hand every Protestant
can truly say : I will confess my aim to no Pow, prelate,
or priest; God alone is Lord of my conscience; my
judgment is my own, and I will exercise it; my Bible is
my own, and I will read it; and no priest, prelate or Pope
shall step in between sue and my God, between me and
my family, between toe and my Bible. He would notice
next some of the practical workings of the confessional,
which had an important bearing on our national politics.
We know there is in the Hoene( Collllllolllla Papal Brigade
—the Pope's Brass Band —nominees and tools of the pntste
hood ; pupheta who speak and vote exactly as they are
ordered by Dr. Cullen and Archbishop Manning. The
Priests pull the strings behind the scenes, and their
obedient janisaries, who owe to thein their political
existence, act the part required. The report of the Parlia-
mentary Connuittee appointed in 1535 to examine into
the existence and extent of intimidations at elections in
Ireland reveals a system of despotism exercised by Runtish
priests over elector* not generally suspected. Several of
the witnesses were Hountuiste ; and the evidence
establishes the fact that the priests employ the confes-
sional to further their political designs, and to secure the
return of their own nominees is Parliament. The whole
terrors of the confessional are brought into play to pack
the British Parliament with men pledged to the advance.
went, of Popish interests. Electors are told that they
have but one country—the church; but one authority
whom they are to obey -Um priest ; that if they refuse to
vote as Ise directo they sin mortally, they perish eternally.
The professors of Maynoeth college state in their evidence
given before the Royal ' mission, which laid the report
of its labours on the table of the Heine of Gemmel% in
1555, that ," The priest is not only justified, but bound to
teach and explain their duty to electors. And when Dr.
tilliudon was asked whether the priest would be war-
ranted in withholding the sacnunents of the church from a
man by reason of his preferring one candidate to another
he replied, "Absolutely speaking lie would, became a priest
is not only warranted but bound to withhold the sacra-
ments from • man who is disposed to commit a moral sin;
and all the case may absolutely arise in which a person,
by preferring one taudidate to another, would exhibit that
disposition, a case may consequently arise in which the
priest would be not only warranted but bound to with-
hold the sacraments from a niau by reason of his preferr-
ing one candidate to another." The Romish priesthood,
through the confessional, to a considerable extent, defeat
the object of the British constitution, which ,is to give
(wedeln of election to all who possess the franchise. The
coufessional cons cite Jaen into slaves, true Christianity
couverts mankind into rational freemen; the confessional
leads to licentiouonms, true Christianity to holiness; the
confessional makes gods of priests and slaves of the
people, while in pure Christianity there is no sacredotal
caste. Observe next that the confessional is contrary to
the spirit of British law • it is subversive of the authority
of our laws, and the welfare of our country; and inter-
feres with the duties of the subject to the State. The
common law of England requires every subject of the
Queen to disclose any crime against a fellow citizen, or
against the State, of which he may be cognisant, All
other religionists, exeunt Humanists and Ritualists, do
this. Itomanion and Ritualists, however, declare that
the priest acts 'as God" in the confessional, and that he
is not to reveal any *evict divulged to hint there, " Though
the safety of • nation were at stake, " as in the Gunpowder
Plot or the Fenian conspiracy. The "Seal of the confes-
sional' screens all mousier of crimes, past, present, and
future, from official cognizance. The confessor who is
thoroughly acquainted with crimes, such as robbery,
murder, treaeon, may swear that he knows them not,
since he has only heard them "as God' in the confessional.
We are compelled to omit the concluding portion of the
lecture, which was devoted to an expense( the confessional
in various other aspects.
On Friday evening, the Rev. W. C. Osborn, vicar of
Christ church, IVest Fordington, took the chair, and Mr.
Owens gave a lecture on "Monasteries and Nuuneries."
BRADFORD PR'VERELL.

Altal-Sergeant !laden
OuL-Rergrant Danny
Lieut. Brinkworth
Priests Sargent
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Lieut. Handel' ..
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Corporal Wait ..
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RUMANISM AND RITUALISM.

Mr. T. O. Owens, of London, last week delivered
menet of lectures in the Guildhall on the above subject.
On Tuesday evening the lecturer de*canttal on "The
Blessings of the Glorious Reformation" —a subject on
which the large majority of people are agreed, though it
Ia doulitlem well to be now and then reminded of the
liberty won for us through the stern conflict and long
suffenng, of our Protestant forefathers. The Rev. T.
Nosy° was the Chairman.

On Wednesday evening the WY. J. E Brett presided.
The subject of the lecture was "What is Romanian I
What is Rituali.nnn r'
Mr. OWENS, in the course of his remarks, said that never
since the Reformation was there more need to contend
earnestly fur the faith once delivered to the saints, and to
net forth in contrast with it the soul-destroying delusions
of Romanian and Ititsialism than in this our day. Our
instinctive national abhorrence of Popery has declined ;
the criminal history of the Papacy has been too much
forgotten ; the intolerant, persecuting, and sanguinary
deeds of l'opery have not been kept alive as they ought in
the national sentiment ; the people, especially the rising
generation, have not lawn sufficiently instructed in a
kuowledge of Romish artifices and Jesuit devices, and, as
• consequence, Humanism has gained ground and made
converts, and Its fetters are becoming more tightly bound
round our country year by year. .Icconling to the It 1111 l an
Catholic Directory fur 187 i, there are now in Great
Britian, not including Ireland. Istr.l Runtish priests, LW
Burnish chapels, 77 monasteries, all of theni illegal
establishusenta, and tat 'Lowish convents. This is agrees
and solemn subject ; the trumpet now sounds for action ;
we must combine and organise the forces of Protestantism
for the struggle which is (reel titan us by the aggressions
of the Church of Rome ; we mount lace them in battle
array. The hour has come for Protestants to wake up
from their sleep ; the hour has come to draw the sword of
truth, and appeal to the judgments and consciences of the
Protestants of this kingdom whether Protestantism or
Popery shall gain the day. The subject was intimately
connected with the maintenance of true religion, the pros-
perity of the nation, and the happineas of all classes. If
ever there was a call upon every 1 'briatian man and woman
in England to le up and doing, and present in stern and
invincible front to Romanian and Ritualism it was now-.
He would foresarn them that this question would force
itself upon the attention of tine public. A time of conflict
had come, and Inc trusted that, like gold seven tininess
refined in fin:oar Protsotatet faith wtmld come out pure and
unsullied. The Church of Roaltt was seeking to repair
tine loss she had received in I::iiglanti at the Reformation ;
she was busy strengthening her position in the land. I
lier agents, nude and female, were indefatigable. They
knew that England was the bulwark of the Reformation
they knew that if they could but win England back to
Romanian they vs mild virtually be able to control the
world; and they concentrated their energies for the sub-
jugation of England to the Vatican; and Protestants,
alas! were too careless and apathetic in their resistance to
Romith efforts, and needled to be roused to a sense of their
duties. In proof of the gross superstition and idolatry of
Romaniam, the lecturer exhibited and explained at eon-
siderable length the uses of varioun articles employed in
ROOlali worship, viz., " Medals for the dying, "Beads
for souls inn purgatory," scapulars; white, red, blue, black,
and brown ; mean wafers; an " Agnus Dei,“ or "Lamb of'
GA," nianufactured of the droppings of wax candles
burned iu the churches, which was said in "The Sacred
Heart.' to preserve him who carries it, or any particle of it
about him, from any attempts' of his spiritual or teniporal
enemies, from the dangers of fire and water, of storms
and tempests, of thunder and lightning, and from a
sudden death—it puts the devil to flight, succours women
In child-bed, and takes away the stains of past sins,. The
teaching of Romish private was most pernicious to the
community, and, as all our jail reports proved, Romanism
was the fraitful parent of crime. The doctrines tai4ht
in the itomish thdechistuselalswately'drained up the rising
generation to vice and crime; they contained full expla-
nations as to the extent to which lying, theft, drunken-
ness, disobedience to wants, and other sins, might he
practised without incurring the guilt of "mortal" sin.
In proof of these statements, the lecturer produced vari-
ous catechisms. He would appeal to the reason and
conscience of all men whether the principles set forth in
these catechisnin were not injurious to society and
destructive of all religious, social, and national wellbeing;
and he deciansi that every one whose decisions were
Influenced by evidence and proof would acknowledge that
the Church of Rome was guilty of relaxing the moral
obligations which kept society together, and that she
deserved the execration of every friend to domestic, social,
and Christian principle. The political aspects of
Romanian were important. It was neceessary to bear in
mind that Romanian had a political as well as a religious
and social a.spect. Romanian was not merely a false
and unscriptural religion, but it was also a vast political
conspiracy against the natural rights of rnen. The
lecturer observed, in conclusion, that Romaniam made
way in England chiefly in four ways. 1. By the
splendour of ILI external (onus, and ceremonies, of which
Ritualism was but a feeble mimicry. 2. By the zeal sad
ensezy of Be advocate*. a By Traeharian teaching. 4.
By tin. culpable apathy of Protestants. Many persons
gravely told as that such a system could not advance in
the blaze of Gospel light which shines around un. Farts,
however, proved the reveres. Each succeeding year fur-
nished us with painful evidence that Romanian, being in
some respects congenial to corrupt human nature, no
secular education or refinement, independent of tnie
religion, could preserve a man from its seductive charms
as a false religion ; and therefore it was that we heard
from time to time of distinguished persons falling into
the arms of great Roman we-corers, Let us, as a nation,
not become degenerate. The Protestant cause must be
defended with all our might ; in the midst of all dangers;
to the last moment of our liven : and there must be no
truce. no compromise, no alliance with Rome. Prot.*.
tante should unite and present a stern and invincible front
to the common enemy. The Churchman should feel that
sound Protestantism was far flume important than mere
Churchmanship ; and the Dissenter should feel that sound
Protestantism was far niore important than mere
Voluntaryism. A cordial attachment to the great principles
of the Reformation, and a stedfast abhorrence of Popery
and Ritualismo as systems opposed to Christ and his
Gospel, will furnish a broad and sufficient ground of co-
operation amonglProtestants in opposition to Flemish and
Ti-actarian errors. Let us, as a nation, return to the lorsi
our Cod. What but Protestant truth has exalted this
nation I Let this truth be undermined by Puseyits,s, annl
trampled down by Papista, then Ichabod shall soon he
written on the glory that has neared away—(applause.)
On Thursday evening, the Rev. J. Wesleyan
minister, proaided, and the subject was

DEATH or Mits. Sturm—The death is announced of
Mrs. Smith, wife of Mr. J. A. Smith, the well-known
agriculturist of this village. The deceased lady had been
suffering for a considerable period from an incurable
intenial malady, and was attended regularly by Dr.
Aldridge, of lkorcluster. She bore her painful illness
with truly Christian resignation. Iter death occurred on
Monday night

&01 ar, ,
duty