American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-05-24
KIRWAN'S LETTERS.
TO THE RICHT REV. JOHN HUGHES, BISHOP
OF NEW YORK
LETTER VII.

LIZ EN- ' IL.
Ny DEAR SIR, ,-Agreeably to the prom
ise made TO you in my last letter. i now
commence q stateraent of the reasons
which, on the mosN nsNre reflection, vet
prevent me from returning TO the pale Of
your church. | wish to avoid prolixity Of
statement, and minu;eness Of detail; as
feel that l am addressing one who can sec
the point, and weigh the force Of an arcu-
ment, without either.
When, in the kind providence of God.
my mind became interested to know what
God would have me to do, cast around
for true guide to the solution of the ques-
ton. Where could find such an one?-
Books are written by faiiibe men-priests
had already imposed on my understan ling
fond parents, deceived themselves,
taught me superstition for religion-all
men are liable to err. felt there was a
God, and that was bound to obey him;
but where is the rule of my obedience?-
This was tie question. / was told Of the
Bible, but of that knew nothing; and,
then, l knew the Bible to be by your church
a prohibited book, or to be read only by
priestly permission. ] sought the Bible,
and read it. found il to be the true, and
only guide to the right solution Of the
question as TO what Gol would have me
to do. And without the fear Of the Pope,
or oftheanathemas ofthe Councilof Trent,
and without line of license from prelae
or priest, / have continued to read il for
years. And the virtual prohibition of the
unfettered reading of tie Bible bv your
church, is one Of the main reasons why
cannot return TO it. That your restric-
tions amount to virtual prohibition your
candor, will not for moment deny.
And let me ask you, dear sir, why this
virtual prohibition? Who has given you
authority to say that must not read what
God has given to direct me into all the
ways Of faith and obedience? God las
commanded me TO Search the Scriptures;
who has giUen you authority to forbid me?
What right have you 10 forbid ne, more
than l have to forbid you? Produce your
credentials! Where does God place his
Revealed Will in the keeping Of pope, pre-
late or priest, to be doled out 10 his elring
children in such ways and parcels as they
may deem best? He has no more placed
the Bible under your control, or that OF
your church, than he has the sun in heav-
en-, or the vital air. Nor can conceive
of any principle that can possibly induce
you to withhold it from the people, with.
out gloss or comment, save one: Every
one that docth evil hateth the light, neih.
cr cometh to light, lest his deeds shoulJ
be reproved.' 1t is said that Herod, wher
convinced that he was not Of the royal
line of the Jews, burned their genealoeies
and records, that his false prctences might
not be confuted by them. Is it for sim
liar reason that your church withholds tic
Bible from the people? The Bible lays
the axe at the root Of the Upas tree o.
Popery; is this the reason why it is with
held?
Another of the reasons which prevent
me from returning to your church is the
way and the manner of your public wor.
ship of God. On reading the New Tcsta
men;, find that Jesus Christ embraced
every opportunity of declaring the will O
God. After his ascension and the descen
of fthe Spirit, the Apostles went every where
preaching the gospel of the Kingdom
The worship of God, as taught US in the
New Testament, consists in prayer, praise
and the preaching of his word for tile in
struction and edticalion of his people. I,
the instruction and ediication of the saint.
every thing in the church of Christ il
made subservIent. Is it so in the Churcl
of Rome? Do your Masses convey any
instruction to the common or the uncom
mon mind? Do they ever give, have they
ever given, one true idea of God, or of re
ligion, to human soul? May not inl
viduals attend upon them from youth tc
gray hairs, and yet know not the first prin
ciples of the doctrines of Christ? l hav,
attended recently, sir, High Mass at on,
of your Cathedrals. 1t was on the las
Christmas day. | bore the unmeanins
pageant for three hours together. Their,
was the bishop in his robes, with his cap
his crook and his crosier--there were
priests, in numbers, moving about, milking
their crosses. obediences and genuaexion.
when the bishop rose, the cross ant
croser moved before him, and the priests
as walters, wen! behind him-the bool
was shifted from side to side, and was reat
and chanted in ways that no mortal hearel
could comprehend-there was the raising
of the Host, and the bowng down of Tho
people-the incense, and all the other us
ual accompanments of such service; ant
il struck me as one of the most farcical pan
tonnes that | ever witnessed | left thu
house without receiving a solitary religious
suggestion, and puzzled and confoundet
for a solution to the question, how intelli
gent men could possibly submit to act sucl
a farce, and to pass it off upon crowd o
poor looking people for the solemn worship
of God? And ii your Mass, when thu
performed with all the splendor and POM
of your ritual, is thus unmeaning, how in
sipid must it be when performed in you
country chapels by ignorant priests, VIII
hunted up the sheep only to sheer off thei
wool! God, my dear sir, Is an intelligen
God, he has given me intelligence withil
me, either as to its increase or exercise
your church makes no provision in its pub
lie worship. l must not, then, return tt