Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-06-11

ola, Mlcnoacan, Joscl ana Durango, has granted
an indulgence Of two hundred days for evory word
OF the appointed prayers TO our most exalted lady,
for every step taken in her house, for every rever-
ence performed and for every word of the mass
which may be uttered by the priest or the hearers :;
as many more days Of indulgence are granted for
every quarter of an hour in which these images are
exposed in the balconies, windows, or doors. for
public alteration"
distinguished friend of mine, who resided
some time in Mexico, has still in his possession
some curious specimens of these indulgences vary
ing, in the number of years of remission of pun.
ishment according to the prices paid among 9th.
ers, one which grants TO single prayer all the GOOD
effects Of a hundred. These effects are all pradu
ated according to regular scale, so many wears of
remission for each prayer or mass, and 50 many
years OF punishment for each sin. remember on
one occasion, giving some order TO servant on
Sunday, when he told me that he must 90 to mass
that he would suffer seven thousand years in pur-
gatory for every mass which he neglected on Sun
day, or any day Of religious festival. They have
a saint for all occasions. There is no human want
that there is not particular saint 10 whose par
tlcuar " line Of business" the matter belongs; and
by proper dcvotions to him his powerful aid is So
cured. They have saint for horses, and on the
iesllvel of that saint, which is his birthday, horses
are carried to the priest, and for small sum re.
cove The blessings perfect security against all
the ills which horse flesh is heir to-" In what Is
such superstition superior to the do-wo.shp
which 1t superseded! That was at least sincere
both on the part OF priest and devotce. Is this?
How enormous must be the revenues derived
from this source, amongst people who believe i'm
plicty in the efficacy Of these masses to purchase
both for the living and the dead, remission of the
punishment and torrents of purgatory and for ev-
cry crime, too, which man can commit In the Ian
gauge of Tetze, the great vendcr of indulgences
in the time Of Luther, who SAID that indulgencies
which he sold were elicacous for the remission of
every sin, even 81 qus yi-ginem matrem vitiasset
If one should violate the Virgin Mother let him
pay-let him pay largely, and it shall be forgiven
him) Even repentance" said he, is not neces-
eary, and more than all this, indulgences save not
the living alone, they also save the dead. Ye
priests We nobes we tradesmen, We wives We maid
ems, ye young men, hearken to your departed pa
rents and friends who cry to you from the bottom
less abyss, we are enduring horrible tornents u
small aims would deliver Us you can give it, but
YOU will not The very moment" continued let
eel, "that the money clinks against the bottom of
the chest the soul escapes from purgatory, and flies
10 heaven. Bring your money--bring money
bring money~ The people to whom Ictze sold
his lndulgences, from which he received so immense
an amount were far less ignorant than the mass of
the Mexican population. At no PERIOD and in no
country, have the efficacy Of these ndulgences
been more universally believed and relied upon
than they arc IN Mexico at this day. The reader
may imagine, if he can, the treasures with which
the Golfers OF the church are filled from this
alone.
The things which most strike an American on
his first arrival in Mexico, the PROFESSIONS GER
emonies, ard mummerles OF the Catholic worship
OF which would fam hope there are more in Mex
leo than in any other ry. The natural prone
ness OF every ignorant people TO regard the exter-
nal symbols and ceremonies OF religion, and an in
capacity TO appreciate its true spirit and sublime
truths, give to the Catholic ritual, with all It's pomp
and circumstance, its pictures statutes, professions
and imposing ceremonial, peculiar power and infiu-
ence. Yet through these conditions it may be that
in merely temporal point Of view, it is the best
for such people. For the Christian religion, how
ever it may be degraded, Is UNNECESSARILY superior
to all the others, and 1t may be well, therefore, that
Ignorant people, who arc inaccessible by mere ra-
tlonal MEANS to the great truths which 1t teaches
and the sublime morality which it lncuicates, should
have those truths and that morality Impressed upon
them in the only way in which 1t is practicable, by
external Objects such as images, and the like
And am satisfied that much good is accomplished
III this way. But US to any rational idea OF true
religion or any Just conception OF Its divine author
the great mass are little more emil ghtcned than
we're their ancestors in the time Of MontezuMu.-
And their religion Is very little less an idolatry
than that OF the grotesque images Of stone and clay,
Of which 1t has taken the place. There is scarcely
an hour in the day when the little bells not
heard in the street, announcing that some priest Is
on his way TO administer the sacrament TO some one
sick or dying. The priest is seated in u coach,
| drawn by two mules, followed by ten or dozen
triurs, with lighted wax candles, chanting as they
60. The coach is preceded by man VINO rings u
small bell to announce the approach Of tue Host
! when every one who happens to be in the street is
expected TO uncover himself and knee, and tie in
mates OF all the houses on the street do the same
| thing. Nothing is more common thai to hear them
exclanI, whenever they hear the bell, " Dos vene,
dos viene,"-God Is coming, God is coming
INnfn
| fall on their knees. What have described is the
visit of the Host TO some common person. 'rhe
procession Is more or less numerous and the person
in the coach Of more or less dignity, from an hum
bic priest to the archbishop OF Mexico, according
to the dignity and station OF the person visited. =
Sometimes the procession is accompanied by a
| large band OF music The visit of the Host 10 the
Sonora Santa Anna was attended by procession
of twenty thousand people, headed by the archbish
op. Until very recently, every one was required
to knee and u very few years since an American
shoemaker was murdered III his shop for refusing
to do 1t. But now they are satisfied If you pull OF
your hat and stop until the Host passes
Shortly a.:er my arrival in Mexico the day Of
/, Corpus Christi was celebrated with unusual ponlp
The street for near mile from the palace, thence
down another street Tor some distance, and thence
back again to the palace, was canopled with can
vass, under which procession of thirty or forty
thousand persons marched, followed by probably
twice the number, who did not constitute part Of
the regular parade. OF this procession some egbl
or ten thousand were Mexican troops with t6eil
gaudily cOmparisoned horses, and the officers II
their gIitIerlng uniforms.
5 At the head OF the procession was a sort of plat
form or litter, upon which the Host was carried b,
f some of the highest dgnitarcs of the church. A
short distance followed on similar litter, Nues
, ira Sonora de las Remedies" Our Lady of Rene
dies-a little alabaster doll, with the nose broken
g and the eye out. 1t would be an objectionable
S omission in any sketches of Mexico, not to notice
her ladyshp, the Virgin of Remedies, as it is on,
e of the two superstons peculiar to the country
and of all others, perhaps, the one most Important
and the most generally believed
Cortes marched at once to ' era Cruz, where he
4. met and vanqulshed Narvaes at the head of hi.
S thirteen hundred men, NarVaes himself was made