The Irish standard., 1890-11-22
to every lover of truth and liberty the
world over. Our cause Is clearly before
the country now, and Z am Sahguine of
the most magnificent results .5..=
a METHODIST MOUNTRBANK.
The CORRESPONDENCE Secretary Of the Catholic
Truth Society Refutes His Oalumny.

! AIuvu GVtl0vy 1SOLutSo Lily OtbluLuuy.
At the meeting Of the Methodist min
listers last Monday an address was de-
livered by the Rev. DR.. VIM. Gibson, OF
Paris, on "Evangelistic Work in France
Among other things he said ''Rom anism"
had played sad havoc with France, and
that the French priests granted perm g.
sion to sin on the payment of money in
the confessional. The following letter
in reply to him appeared next day ia ap
evening paper:
TO the Editor of the Journal.
Will our Protestant fellow, citizens
never tire of being humbugged with
scandals about C4tholicity I see from
yesterdays Journal that Rev. Mr.. Glib
sou RECALLED the Methodist ministers with
the old story about Catholic priests ac~'
cepting money for permission to commit
sin. So thoroughly has this calumny
been exploded in America that Mr.. Gil. r
son needs must tell it now of far,H
France, which most of his hearers are
supposed never to have visited. When
questioned by one of his own brethreu
on the matt Or his only authority Is "a
little story''-a whopper, by the way
about what he heard from two Ca 'holic
priests on an OCEAN vessel If taking
money for permission 10 commit STE
were really practice of the Catholic
church, how much easier and bett,
would it have been for Mr. Gibson to re-
fer to the chapter and page OF some re-
cognized Catholic work On theology than
to quote two nameltss Catholic priests
on q nameless ocean vessel Now, Mr..
Editor, as one who has lived long enough
in France to learn the language and be-.
come familiar with the customs and
character of her people both in the citi,s
and the country, and has enjoyed the
personal friendship of the French clergy
of all classes, from his eminence the
Cardinal Archbishop of Lyons down to-
the humblest Capuch'n monk. 1 beg TO-
assure my fellow countrymen. on nv
own personal knowledge and experience.
that Mr.. Gibson's charge is as false I'D
France as it is in America. Moreover,
it is absurd ON the face Of it. How cam
he be supposed to know what transpires
in the secrecy of the confessional, II
that priest has accepted money for
permission to commit sin, unless from
his own personal experience or else from
hearsay ? If he has tried it successfully
himself, so much the worse for Mr.. Glib
son. If he has it only on hearsay, [ beg
to remark that no man vicious and de-
PRAYED enough to determine on commit
ting crime is going to pay any priest
for permission to do so, and still less is
he going to tell Mr.. Gibson that he has
done SO. That large portion Of the
French people, especially the governing
class, are sinking into the deepest inf
deity. no one denies; but to hold the
Roman Catholic church responsible is
like holding Christ responsible for the
apostacy of Judas Iscariot.
In conclusion, Mr.. Editor, il Metho~
dist ministers must feed on scandal,
which I am very far from believing, let
me beg Of them, for the honor Of the
American name, not to submit to being
mulcted to the tune of $4,000 per an
mum for the pleasure.
VIM. F. MARKoE.