The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-27
REV. MIR. FULTON's BOOK.
Boston Ministers Work Which Should
Come Under Anthony ComstocIx's Ban.

Come Under anthony Comstock's ban.
| Boston Special in Philadelphia Press.
The Rev. Justin D. Fulton's new book, ''Why
Priests Should Wed " will be issued on Monday.
| It is SO scandalous in character that the law is
| likely to be invoked to prevent its sale. Rev.
| MIR. Fulton 10 Baptist clergyman of uuiln-
| peachable character and a successful writer.
| Three months ago he placed the manuscript OF
this book in the hands of Rand, Avery & Co.
| They did not Immediately read 1t, as they sup
posed IL was of the same character as his earlier
| work. When. however. the first chapters were
given out to the printers, its scandalous nature
at once became known; and severed women en-
| ployed in the book department of the firm
fused to work upon it.
Rand Avery 81 Co. then declined to publish
it return the manuscript. Rev Mr.. Full
ton urged that the book demanded the reform of
terrible evil and therefore moral pub
LEGATION. He offered submit the copy to a
committee, of which Mr. Anthony Comstock, of
New York. should be The difficulty about
the publication was finally overcome, the author
it is said guaran teeipg the printers against loss
from prosecution or other causes.
The first copy struck from the press was ex-
hibited in store on Washington street to-day.
The cover is luridly printed and illustrat-
ed with, thefgure of priest. wo-
fit for publication 1t is onslaught upon tho
Holy Catholic Church through it's priests, and
morality committed by them under tho protec-
ton of the church. TO support the assertion
that ''all priests should marry the Rev. Mr..
Fulton has collected scandals which have been
revival at intervals by the enemies of tho
church for the past two centuries. Nearly all
are apparently based upon vague and sensation
no effort to verify, if such verifcation were
possible. All the shocking details of such re-
ports are given, however; with absolute free
dom, and Rev. Mr.. Fulton does not seem TO
question their truth. To the recountal of some
of these alleged inquities, the author adds such
general statements as this:
This is but a specimen of hundreds of letters
which reveal the extent Of this iniquity, about
which the American people know SO little and
s.In Lowell, Mass, in Biddeford Me-, in
Charlestown, Mass, women who have fled Rome
pronounces her iniquities worse than we have
painted them, and claim that the half has not
s.The conduct of priests in nunneries ought to
be investigated. Nunneries should be exam
ined, and every nun should be permitted to see
representative of the State alone, and apart
rom the surveillance of her keepers or her COM
paDions once year. Because this was insisted
on in Germany, the convent system was aban-
doned. Il might be so here.
1.-The theory that q woman may obey the priest,
and, without sin, and that she can never be
called to account by God for any actions she
may have performed to please MIN, compels
millions go wrong"
The book gives a History of the fight with
celbacv," comprising twenty-six pages, and
then follows copious extracts from the book
..Popish Nunneries," by William Hogan; s'Mas-
terkey to Popery," by Rev. A. Gavin. and
other works.
There a.e many reasons7why priests should
wed. They men: and God says, 1T 10 not
we'll Tor man TO De alone. marriage Is nonor-
able for alf-for priests. we'll as for ministers
of the gospel. or other men. The VOW of celibacy
is proven to be deceptive and vain. History
with trumpet tones declares that priests do not
keep the VOW.
These assertions are often repeated and with
each repetition the reverend author tells a diff
ferent story, each more shocking than the last
to illustrate his point. chapter Converts"
contains modern versions of stories which
printed in England as long ago as Charles lis
day, and which have been repeated in lampoops
and attacks the church at intervals ever
since.
The last chapter of the book Rev DIR. Fulton
devotes the Confessional The pith of his
views may be gathered from one paragraph, in
which he sums up
What is bad for the priest is terrible for tho
women. Nothing can be worse, nothing moro
corrupting than the law which forces the female
to tell her thoughts, desires. and most secret
feelings and actions to an unmarried priest
American Catholic women deserve emancipation
from this thraldom. The confessional is a
school of pollution. Let il be closed 1t is not
more a necessity in Roman Catholic than in q
Be- ptist church. Acquaint the law makers Of
the land with the influences imperIlling the life
of woman through the confessional and they
would by the most stringent laws prohibit
auricular confession a crime against society.
The best remedy ia for the priests to marry
Then the wfely influence would make short
work of priest being closeted hour after hour
with women. conversing on topics which could
not be tolerated before third person. and which
disgraces and degrades those who thus lay siege
to and plot the ruin of the soul"
Walt Whitman's Leaves OF Grass" ANA the
Pail Mall Gazettes Modern Babylon" exposure
were prohibited from sale in Massachusetts,. 1t
is q question whether the attorney general OF
the State will not be compelled TO take action
against this new work of home production al
though it comes from the pen of a successful
and popular preacher, and from the press of .
widely known publisher.