The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-01-04
= That Lecture On lsOnanism.
Paw Paw, Mich, Dec. 9th, 1887.

MIR. EDITOR:
Yesterday printed slip was left at my
door headed, "Lecture on Romanism, by All
ex-Romanist." To me, IL seems almost IN
credible that, in this enlightened aye of ours,
and in spite of all our pubic schools, there
should yet be class OF people found in our
midst who must have Romauism" or the
Mother Church" dIssected, and all for the
ridiculously small sum OF ten cents. The
entire affair would not have caused second
thought had 1t been merely mentioned to
me, but TO see IL in print, and the lecture to
be at the nj. l.. church was doubly ridicu-
lous.
Ladies and gentlemen of the Nj. l.. church.
how can you expect To sleep well, or at all,
after having been told 80 many bugbear
stories? Why! For days and days, your
poor children will watch the Catholics To see
The horns on their heads, and wonder how
shoes can tit the cloven hoof seemingly as
we'll as their own. They will fear that the
Catholics will bite them. You NJ. X. moth
ers and fathers, don't you think that little
more mercy should DO shown your poor little
ones, and that they should not he put to
such torture? Give them candy and pop
corn, something that little ones can digest
and enjoy, ana with il teach them their
prayers, should you think 1t worth the while,
and to love their neighbors as themselves.
In few years they grow up, and then they
will notice that Catholics are your neighbours:
that you associate with them and that you
are kind To them before their faces and act
III different way behind their backs. By
this time, some awkward person may drop
the remark that birds of "a feather flock
together" and children may think queeriy
enough of You and the Catholics. and won
der. What would you think of Catholics
should they ridisuie your belief?
No doubt they would err against the COM
mon rules OF decent society. They are SO
very ignorant iagree with you; they don't
know enough TO have such "a show III their
church and charge ten cents. They are too
foolish 10 collect money IN such way. Pray
keep 1t from them. II Is too bad that you
must support So many ex-Romanists! add
mire your charity. Should wo capture an
NJ. 4, who is of any use, (others we don't
want we give them responsible position
and thus make them support themselves.
No ten cents about that, gentlemen. Think
of an ex-M. r. coming TO the trustees of the
Catholic church and Offering to give ten
cent lecture Why, The men would be
foolish enough to think HeB were insulted;
their heads would be too thick for them to
understand that the insult would be to the
NJ. T.. church. am sorry that l must agree
with you that at times Catholics are SO ig-
norant of the Nj. L. Church and its practices,
that they cannot see how there can be child
preachers" or "boy-preachers." AS | am
unable, would YOU not please show, or have
II shown practically, that it is not a child nor
boy, but that they have put away tue
things that are of children:
Ex-Romanists can tell you again how
many dollars the Catholics spend to have
their sins pardoned, for masses, for prayers
and all such tomfoolery. You, ladies and
gentlemen of the NJ 4. church, have 1t very
easy; You get all this for ten cents and that
ends 1t. For me, it Is not SO easy, however;
| for some old. ignorant Irish woman will ask,
Z" Father, would IL not be easier for the Riv
! gintleman TO take III the dollars than the tin
cints:' And then. all poor me. | cannot
| answer.
70 make 1t interesting, you must he told
of course, what is mentioned in confession
and what the priest says. Now comes the
old Irish lady again and asks, Father,
! (whisper) " Was the Riv. Ex a priest? If not
how did he get all thin sacrets that not even
/ Catholic knows? And if he was priest
how can anybody trust him again after ho
has violated so sacred q trust:" | must
again say - don't know" and she might
! possibly be hard of hearing and understand
/ No.
Again you must be told that Catholics
ac0rShip the blessed Virgin as the Mediator
also worship pictures and pray to them ano
| TO images of stone and wood. Well, well
| here comes the irrepressible old lady again
worse than the proverbial small boy: Faith
err" whisper again "have these Riv
Exes and NJ. E's who pay tin cints no re-
spect for their mothers or friends? AND
when they show picture don't they say this
| IS my mother or friend. or 90 they always
say this represents my mother or friends:
Now, father" whisper again "do they
! believe that that bit OF paper which they
bought of the photographer is really ano
truly, body and soul, their mother or friend?'
"Oh no." will be the answer. why so?'
because, father, should l drop it and put
my loot on IT. they would be offended; try il
once with them and you'll see
BY and by she comes again pouring out
flood of question. and ! am unable to answer
them. T. hey Cow like this: "Since whe1
are we forbidden TO read the Bible in En-
! glisb. Why ] was never told that, nor did
any priest ever tell my father or grandfather
SO. How can a man be ready for ordination
and never have seen the Bible: sure ht
must be telling bigger lio than he himself
is foolish. VIII the merchants shtop now
selling me anything because Oh ana Catholic
or the doctors shtop giyin' me q dose when
need it, or the lawyers-God bless EN-
shtop helping me when my neighbors shtea
my chickens? Is IL 20 that whislley or beef
pizens Catholics only and not those of tho
NJ T.. church? Now, father, ouce more, how
-. -. Il.
stuffed with all this so often? Years ago j
was Pat. Murphy, now it is Riv. So and SO
next time it will be a bishop maybe; and do
they ali get tin cints?"
Now, ladies' and gentlemen. how can
answer all such questions? / am unable e
do SO. Can you help me? Ten cents. ter
cents my ten cents for helpl Meanwhile
am, Yours just AZ You Like,
JoHN WERNEIgT, Pastor Cath. Church.
| We have received n copy of the Michigan