Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-13

l
| Der of priests who have been wrecked here. /
| shall never forget the shrill of horror that
passed drought Protestant England, when
| four years ago there was published the priests
instructions for the confessional, which had
| been prepared from Roman authorities by
| those in the Church of England, who ape / the
ceremonies of Rome. Nor can | forget the
| indignant protest which went up from the ma
| ton against the questions which were to be
propoupded to their pure wives and daughters.
| | will not pursue this matter further. When
Rhome has had full sway what denominations
ve.taken place. Says the council of Paris:
| "On account of the crime of cOncubinage,
with which multitndes of the clergy and
| monks are infected, the church of God and
| the whole clergy are held in division, abomi-
nation and dlshOnor among all nations; and
| that abominable crime has so prevailed in the
house of God that Christians do not now con-
slider mere fornication a mortal SIM"
This, my Roman friend, is not ga Protest
ant lie,'' but the testimony of one of the
Roman councils. And five other councils bear
similar witness. And the councils which con-
demned these iniquities were by no means
those who were the most cognizant OF the
facts.
Now, with this beastly condition of affairs,
we have this church claiming the right to
privately question all ages and both sexes on
their most secret thoughts and practices.
When, in 1861, Plus " ordered the inquisl-
tiors to take the testimony of all the women
against whom the priest had committed crime
IN the confessional, all the inquisitors and
twenty notaries could not take the testimony
in three months time; such was the bulk of it.,
and the vast number of informants among the
women themselves.
/ do not assert that this increase in corrup-
ton has always existed, but this revelation
affirms my position as to the immense danger
of this right arm of the papal power. If you
would see the fruits of this system, go where
IL has been in power, and then VOW by all you
hold dear that such power shall never be
attained in this country.
/ will not recall the testimony of converted
priests upon this matter Their story will, OF
course, be controverted by Romanists, and /
could wish them well IN that for the honor OF
humanity. Yet with this damning record of
pollution, proven from Roman authorities
themselves, there are not wanting those who
will affirm that through such filth as this
Gods true church has descended, and always
with the glory of mfallibihty upoh her.
would sooner believe that the gospel had
come as myth, and gone out again in dark
ness forever, than to accept such blasphemy
against Almighty God.
But not only is tine confessional a danger to
private virtue, but it is also a menace to
society. Whatever intrigues have been
WfOuSuJ III TIC past, iidNc lOuhu III lhc po"Ci
of the confessional their strength. Men who
confess are exposed to dangers. With the doc
trines of the Jesuits, made so well known in
the famous treatise of Pascal, who proves
from their own authorities that lying or per-
Jury are all right if you or your church may
be helped by it. With that strange doctrine
that the intention governs the promise, and
that you may make a mental reservation which
shall mean precisely opposite to what you say
i say, with principles of morality like these,
and with the terrors of hell hanging over
those who refuse 10 obey their confessor, one
may understand the tremendous danger to
society from this institution. If desired, can
furnish examples of the Catholic use of the
most solemn oaths to show that they are
broken by official sanction to advance the
church.
From this man-made sacrament we turn to
contemplate the divine method as revealed to
US. ''If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father Jesus Christ the riohtaons.