Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-02-08


From German newspaper, the ''Schnellpost,"
friend has translated for us, says the North A.
mercan, the annexed very able letter of a Ro.
man Catholic Priest That the letter will be
read with interest we are sure. The whole affair
is remaik kable as illustrating the still unchanged
character OF a portion of that church which was
condemned by Luther centuries ago, for the same
practices which another Of its honest priests now
rises up to deplore and denouncc
Ronge's letter on ",he Holy Coat"
LAyRAHrETTE, October 1t.
That which sounded for time in our ears
as fable, fiction, namely, that Bishop hrnol.
di, ofTrevcs, is exhibiting piece of cloth, cal
led the Coat of Christ, for the wonder and vene-
ration of the pious, you have heard ;-Chris-
,iAnS Of the 10Th century, you know, Germans,
you know, German teachers Of religion and Of
the people. you know it TO be no fable, no ic-
ton, you know il to be truth and reality. For
already according to the last reports, 100000
persons have made pilgrimages to this relic, and
daily other thousands arc streaming thither, es-
pecaly since the aforesaid piece of cloth has
healed the sick and wrought miracles. The
report OF it is penetrating all lands, and in
France The clergy have maintained that they
had the true Coat Of Christ, and that the one at
Treves is not genuine. Verify, the remark
finds place here: whoever does not lose his
reason at certain things, has no reason to lose
Five hundred thousand persons, five hundred
thousand rational Germans have already has
tened to Treves. to n piece of cloth, in order to
worship or see the same ! Mos, of these thou.
sands are of the lower classes, poor, oppressed,
ignorant, stupid, supers,itious, degenerate, and
now they desert the cultivation of their fields,
forsake their occupations, the care of their
household, the bringing up of their children,
and travel to Trcves, to an dol.fcstval, to
shameful spectacle which the Romish hierarchy
permits to be enacted. Yes, an idol ol.festival it
iude are led to pay to piece Of cloth, the work
of mems hands, the devotion, the reverence
which they owe to God alone. And how dis.
astrous are the consequences Of these pIigrma-
selves by spending their money to defray the
expenses Of the Journey, and to make offerings
TO the holy coat, i. G. TO the clergy. This money
they obtain with loss TO themselves or by beg
ging, and in the end they lack the means Of
return, and perish or sacrifice health to the IA
tigues of the journey. Great, very great as
these temporal losses have already proved, the
moral results are fer more serious. Do not ma.
ny, reduced To absolute want by the expenses
they incur, seek 10 relieve. themselves in unlaw.
tul ways Many women have lost all purity
Of heart, all virtue and reputation, running The
peace and happiness and well being Of their IA
miles.
Finally by this utterly unchrstan spectacle
the door is thrown wide open to superstition,
hypocrisy, fanaticism, and whatever is counec-
ted herewith. and to all vice. Such being the
blessings. which the exhibition of the Holy
Coat spreads abroad, it is needless to inquire
whether it be genuine or not genuine.
And the man who publicly exhibits for ve-
nerution and show this piece of cloth, the work
of mems hands, who misleads the religious feel
ings of he credulous, gnoran, or suffering null
Iilude, who thus plays into the hands of Vice
and Superstition, who draws from the starving
crowd money and property, who gives up the
( German people TO the derision of other nations
and helps 10 increase the clouds, which are al
ready lowering SO very heavily and gloomly o.
yer our heads--;hi. man is Bishop, German
Bishop. II is Bishop Arnold Of Treves.
! Bishop Arnoldi of Treves, turn therefore tc
you and by virtue ofmy office and calling as q
Priest, asa German teacher of the people, and
in the name of Christendum, in the name OF al
teachers, demand of you that you put a STOP
to this unchrislian spectacle of the exhibition o.
the Holy Coat that you withdraw from public
view the aforesaid piece Of cloth, and that yor
do not make this scandal greater than it is al
ready
For know you no,-as Bishop you must kno"
that the founder of the Christian religion be
ouea,hed to his disciples and followers, not hi
coat, but his spirit Ills coat, Bishop Arnold
OF Treves belongs to his executioners Know
you not-as Bishop you must know--that Chris
teaches that God is a spirit and he that wor
ships him must worship him in spirit and II
truth And everywhere can lie be worship