National Republican., 1883-10-17
Some Startling Statements in Regard to the
Teachings Of Catholicism.
Catholic Schools and Hospitals Very
Vigorously AssaiIed,
No Danger That The Descendants Of the PuriIans
Will Ever Adopt the Teachings Of Rome
A Collection Taken Up to Build n Re-
ligious Edinco In Plymouth.

National theater. Tho lecturer was intro
duced by Rev. Byron Sunderland, and after
thanking the large audience for their attend
ance, he said that the meeting had been pre-
faced by earnest prayer; that DIR. Sunder-
land, in the past, had inaugurated
series Of meetings in which he had
controverted the efforts of the Roman church
in the propagation of its doctrines. The
Roman Catholics were to be ptied, as they
were ruled by their bishops, who even manu-
tactured their creeds. 1t had long been q
boast of this church that man could be u
Roman Catholic without believing in the per-
Bonal infallibility of the pope. Quoting from
a catechism of the Roman church he showed
where line bearing on this question had, in
the later editions since the infallibilty of the
pope had been declared, been expunged,
and the lines spaced out SO that
the omission would not be noticed. Proceed
ing the lecturer said that it was now well
known fact that every Catholic must i'm
plicitly obey tho pope. If q war should spring
up 1t was declared principle of the Romsh
church that it was in the power of the pope
to absolve any Catholic soldier from the oath
taken to support the constitution of his native
land. This was now carried forward to o
point where the popo was made infallible in
nll matters pertaining to morals. The
gathering at Rome now beginning was
To provide measures for the future,
measures locking to overriding the bounds of
every land. He had always opposed Roman
ism, but was not opposed to Catholics per-
sonally. 1t would be just as logical to say
that because he disapprovcd of the hat q man
wore he was attacking the man himself. as to
say he was attacking Catholics. The advance
ment of prominent teachers of the Roman
church to the position Of saints was done
without the slightest consultation with the
laity. So, too, with the books that were ap-
pointed to be read for their instruction. Here
was the missal read by the priests and the
works of Llgouri, who had been honored by
the Roman church as great moral teacher,
but more especially for his strong opposition
to the Jansenists. These had INCURRED the
deep hatred of the Jesuits for their exposure
of the trickery and deceit of this branch of
the Catholic priesthood. The bull which was
promulgated to raise Ligouri to the saint
hood had praised him for his devotion to the
Virgin This was tho essence of Roman
ism. Capel had declared that Eng
land would eventually return to tho
bosom of the Catholic church. Could
the descendants of tho Puritans those who
had left home and all that was dear behind
them to found this great republic and to
worship God after the dictates of their own
conscience, believe this? This vain boast
but was warning of the contest that would
come in the future between Protestants and
the Roman church. One of the first things
done to those who left Protestant church
and entered the church of Rome was to de-
prive them of their Bibles. Once, when
n little girl under his observation, TO whom
he had presented Bible, was taken up by tho
Catholic priest for Instruction, her Bible was
taken away from her, and months afterward
he found it in a second hand book stall. No
where in the New Testament was anything
said about auricular confession. In fact, it
was not until the thirteenth century that
this had been commanded by Pope Innocent
IL. .N.I
that age to absove the faithful from the
inconveniences of this formula. Cardinal
Manning, in abiding to the political features
that had been engrafted upon the confess
sional, said that the priests of Rome knew
their penitents and the penitents their
father confessor. This power had been steadily
nurtured, and its growth to-day was to be OBJ
served in the fact that in tho councils of the
vatican no official of any government
was to be found. No ono but a trusted
adherent of Rome was there. Thore
were some queer things taught in the
books laid down for tho guidance of Catholics.
Men were taught by these that under certain
restrictions they could testify falsely, and
when certain circumstances required could
disclaim all knowledge ofa crime, even when
questioned by judge. So it was taught that
woman could commit adultery, and when
she went to the confessional 1t was the duty
of the priests to grant her full absoluton,
even when she had conceived and de-
ceived her husband by making him
So in regard to theft fine
distinctions were drawn, and 1t was declared
that young man could steal the one-thirtieth
or the one.flftieth Of the yearly income of his
father without sin, and aservant was justified
in stealing from his master provided no gave
the thing stolen in aims. This was all taught
in Ligouri's book which is called "Moral
'ThpDln0VD Ia "a
man be employed by another, and boliovcs
that he is not receiving just compensation,
he Is ut liberty to steal US nu rs will, in his
estimation, make up the deficiency. What a
class of servants and clerks would be deyel-
oped under this peculiar system of morals
The priesthood of the chu ch hold women
in very low estimation. They watch them
with keen and inqui,itorial espionage 1t
was taughtby Ligouri that man who had
seduced poor young girl was not bound to
marry, and again that man who had given
promise to II harlot was absolutely com
mandod to marry her.
One thing in this country in which all felt
an interest was the total abstinence move
ment. Here the priests taught that, even
after swearing not to touch 1t, the drinking
of a little wine was not a breaking of the
pledge. So it was that socialism had been
strewn broadcast over Europe, and men had
been taught that to do II wrong that, in their
judgment would at last enable them TO dc
good, was perfectly iusttiable. Ignorance
was the great power of the Romish church,
In the Eternal City itself it had been esti-
mated that for every six persons there was
one monk, priest, or nun--a teacher. so To
speak; but in no city in the world was there
so much vice, squalor aud dense Ignorance
The Catholics had striven to control the
public schools of this country and had raised
great Outcry over the fact that the Bible
was read in these schools. Tho Catholics
would not now allow their children to attend
these schools. No, no. their souls wero too
precious. They wanted separate schools and
the, control of the expenditures, so as
TO put in o crowd Of teachers of
their own-monks, priests, nuns, sisters,
and teaching brOthers-who do not know
j from bulls foot. These schools would be-
come a machinery in the hands of the bishops
and priests to sap tho foundations of tho gov
ernment Ii should be the great care of the
American people to guard against such a
condition Of things, and not to let dollar OF
the taxpayers money pass into the hands OF
these foes of the life Of the state.
Tho principles of morality, as taught by
IigOuri, were most elastic, and contained q
long array of exceptions which God seemed
TO have forgotten when he wrote the ten
commandments for there is nothing taught
by the Bible but what Ligouri has handy
exception TO get around IT,
There was popish hospital in this city
that was not in tho charge of the Women'a
Temperance union. IL was In the hands OF
an order of the Romsh church, and mon who
got drunk were placed there by friends and
allowed to recover from the effects of their
debauches, 1t was known, too, that men