The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-27 00:00:00

FOR Tiff,. SUN.

THE CATHOLIC COMMINATION, EXAMINED.

MR. EDITOR—In the Morning Herald of the
7th of this month, was inserted a document of
rather singular construction, called " The Catho-
lic Commination," consisting of 20 different
curses ; on some of which, allow me to make short
vhserTations

1. 46 Cursed is he who commits idolatry ; who
prate to images or relies) or worships them for

tike most.of the others, is an impudent
sy,Joble. Is it not notorious, that thousands of
itoman Catholics, have a little image of Christ,
91 some favourite saints, in their pockets, or
&built their persons, which, when a fit of idola-
trous devotion Tomes on, they pray to, entreat-
hig his intercession ? this is idolatry. We have
tat one mediator—Christ.

2. " Cursed is every goddess worshipper, who
helie%e
,the Virgin Mary to be any more than a
creature ; who worships her, or puts his trust in
her, more than in God ; who believes her above
her Son, or that she can, in any thing,,c.ornmand
him."

Why is she prayed to, if she is no more than a
-creature? Is it ►iot blasphemous to pray to any
s.ave the ever blessed Trinity? .Doubtless. They
ark liot to trust in her more than God, or. believe
'her above her Son ; :lis obliquely hinting, •she
_is at all events equal to God and our Saviour,
and deserving equal adoration.
3. " Cursed is he w.ho. believes the Saints in
11E4Y/en to be his Redeemers."-

But they are prayed to by Roman Catholics
as mediators between man and Chrish. Why do
they do this, unless under the persuasion that
they have influence with Christ ? and thus, if
Christ attends to their mediation, they become
Redeemers; for through them a soul is saved.
Impious thought !!
4. " Cursed is be who worships any bread in
-God ; or makes Gods of the empty elements of
:bread and wine."

Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation.
They believe the actual presence of Christ in the
element of bread and wine. This is not denied ;
hence, if they do not worship any bread in God,
they EAT him !!!
6. " Cursed is he who believes that priests
can forgive sins, whether the sinner repent or not,
or that there is any power' on earth or heaven
that can forgive sins, without a hearty repent-
ance, and serious purpose of amendment."
How comes it, then, that one man can murder
another, and forthwith receive absolution of the
Pope, on the payment of a few shillings ?—Auri-
cular confession is an act of gross impiety. We
are not to confess our sins, to any human being
arhatever.

6. " Cursed is he who believes there is autho-
rity in the Pope, or any other person, that can
give leave to commit sin."
In The Sun of the Bth of last April will be found
Oa a letter bearing the same signature as this),
some extracts from a bull, once issued against
England and her King by the Pope, which spew,
that he has (in his own estimation it would seem),
power to give leave to commit sin ; for lie there
" absolves the King's subjects from their oath's of
,allegiance." The breaking of an oath is a sin.
8. " Cursed is he who contemns the word of
Gad, or who hides it from the people, in order
to keep them from the knowledge of their duty,
sad to preserve them in ignorance and error."
Why was reading the Bible ever prohibited ?
lc Do preserve the people in ignorance and error."
11. " Cursed is he who omits any of the Ten
Commandments, or keeps the people from a
knowledge of any one of them, to the end that
may,not ,have occasion Of discovering the;
truth."

If the people• are not kept from the knowledge
of. any of the Ten Commandments, why do they
make to themselves any graven images. The
Eleventh Commandment, " Love one another,"
I am sorry to say, if not kept from the people,
is hut too little attended to.

" Cursed is he who prea-ches to the people
iK i;A-Ictiown tongues, such 115 they understand

aot."

SOW part of the Romani Catholic service is,
to this day, said in Latin, a tongue which few,
in comparison of the whole, understand.
13. " Cursed is he who believes that the Pope
can give to any, upon any occasion whatsoever,
dispensations to lie or swear falsely ; or that it
-is'lawfni for any, at the last 'lour, to protest him-
keif innocent, in case he be guilty "

Though the. Pope may not arrogate to himself
tine power of granting dispensations to lie or
swear falsely ; yet, from the construction of the
last quoted curse, it appears that it is lawful for
roan ta protest: himself innocent, though he he
guilty at any time, except the last hour. What
a religion!
.16. "-Cursed is he that teaches men they may
he lawfully drunk on a Friday.' or any other
fasting days, though they must not taste the
:least bit oillesh."

This leaves us to infer they may be as drunk
as they please, on all, except fasiGng days ! it is
043 e what goeth into n man, that defileth him, but
tellat procedeth out of his mouth. By his words
and actions shall lie be judged.
Ja. " Caused •is lie who places religion In
nothing .hut a ponipous stew, consisting only in
ceremonies, and which teaches not the people to
serve God in spirit and truth."
Perhaps the Catholic Religion does not consist
salwlly in pomp, but I suspect it does almost,
which' is as had, in a moral and religious Hata ;
and which vertainly cannot teach to worship God
:its spirit and truth.
17. " Cursed is he that teaches people to be
bloody-minded, and to lay aside the meekness of
Jesus Christ."

In many of these curses it %vitt be observed,
that it is the Leachers of this end that who are
cowed ; now, it is really merciful to leave out
the actual perpefratiutis! It seems, however, that.
they who lay aside the meekness-of Jesus, are
cursed', there can be no- doubt, therefore,' but
that (he Pope (in spite • of his infallibility)* who
issued the BuJl,•to':_witich..-Ltuire:befofe-allude(l,
is secwised 1 es will be seen by those Wholtaice