by the ,canadian ,institute for         
,historical ,microreproductions         
7www4canadiana4org77      ,,the         
,,priest1 ,,the ,,woman  ,,and  ,,the   
,,confessional4  ,by ,,father           
,,chiniquy4  ,montreal3  ,f4 ,e4        
,,grafton1 ,,bookseller4  ,,corner      
,,craig ,,st4 ,,and ,,victoria ,,square4
  #ahge4         99       99       99   
99       99  ,,entered according to the 
,act of the ,parliament of ,canada1 in  
the year ,one thousand eight hundred and
 seventy-five1 by ,f4 ,e4 ,,grafton of  
,montreal1 in the ,office of the        
,minister of ,agriculture4         99   
99       99       99       99           
,,contents4  ,,chapter ,i4  ,,the       
,,struggle ,,before ,,the ,,surrender   
,,of ,,womanly ,,self-,,respect ,,in    
,,the ,,confessional  ,,chapter ,,ii4   
,,auricular ,,confession ,a ,,deep ,,pit
 ,,of ,,perdition ,,for ,,the ,,priest  
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,the ,,confessional  
,,is ,,the ,,modern ,,sodom  ,,chapter  
,,iv4  ,,how ,,the ,,vow ,,of ,,celibacy

 ,,of ,,the ,,priests ,,is ,,made ,,easy
 ,,by ,,auricular ,,confession          
,,chapter ,v4  ,,the ,,highly ,,educated
 ,,and ,,refined ,,woman ,,in ,,the     
,,confessional4--,,what ,,becomes ,,of  
,,her ,,after ,,her ,,unconditional     
,,surrender4--,,her ,,irreparable ,,ruin
  ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,,auricular          
,,confession ,,destroys ,,all ,,the     
,,sacred ,,ties ,,of ,,marriage ,,and   
,,human ,,society  ,,chapter ,,vii4     
,,should ,,auricular ,,confession ,,be  
,,tolerated ,,among ,,civilized         
,,nations8  ,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,does   
,,auricular ,,confession ,,bring ,,peace
 ,,to ,,the ,,soul8  ,,chapter ,,ix4    
,,the ,,dogma ,,of ,,auricular          
,,confession ,a ,,sacrilegious          
,,imposture  ,,chapter ,x4  ,,god       
,,compels ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,rome    
,,to ,,confess ,,the ,,abominations ,,of
 ,,auricular ,,confession  ,,chapter    
,,xi4  ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,matters ,,on 
,,which ,,the ,,priest ,,of ,,rome      
,,must ,,question ,,his ,,penitents4--,a

 ,,chapter ,,for ,,the ,,consideration  
,,of ,,legislators1 ,,husbands1         
,,fathers1 ,c4         99       99      
99       99       99   ,,preface4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,,ezekiel4  ,,chapter ,,viii4  #a ,and  
it came to pass in the sixth year1 in   
the sixth month1 in the fifth day of the
 month1 as ,i sat in mine house1 and the
 elders of ,judah sat before me1 that   
the hand of the ,lord ,,god fell there  
upon me4  #b ,then ,i beheld1 and lo a  
likeness as the appearance of fire2 from
 the appearance of his loins even       
downward1 fire2 and from his loins even 
upward1 as the appearance of brightness1
 as the color of amber4  #c ,and he put 
forth the form of an hand1 and took me  
by a lock of mine head2 and the spirit  
lifted me up between the earth and the  
heaven1 and brought me in the visions of
 ,god to ,jerusalem1 to the door of the 
inner gate that looketh toward the      
north2 where was the seat of the image  
of jealousy1 which provoketh to         

jealousy4  #d ,and1 behold1 the glory of
 the ,god of ,israel was there1         
according to the vision that ,i saw in  
the plain4  #e  ,then said he unto me1  
,son of man1 lift up thine eyes now the 
way toward the north4 ,so ,i lifted up  
mine eyes the way toward the north1 and 
behold northward at the gate of the     
altar this image of jealousy in the     
entry4  #f ,he said furthermore unto me1
 ,son of man1 seest thou what they do8  
even the great abominations that the    
house of ,israel committeth here1 that  
,i should go far off from my sanctuary8 
but turn thee yet again1 and thou shalt 
see greater abominations4  #g  ,and he  
brought me to the door of the court2 and
 when ,i looked1 behold a hole in the   
wall4  #h ,then said he unto me1 ,son of
 man1 dig now in the wall2 and when ,i  
had digged in the wall1 behold a door4  
#i ,and he said unto me4 ,go in1 and    
behold the wicked abominations that they
 do here4  #aj ,so ,i went in and saw2  
and behold every form of creeping       

things1 and abominable beasts1 and all  
the idols of the house of ,israel1      
pourtrayed upon the wall round about4   
#aa ,and there stood before them seventy
 men of the ancients of the house of    
,israel1 and in the midst of them stood 
,jaazaniah the son of ,shaphan1 with    
every man his censer in his hand2 and a 
thick cloud of incense went up4  #ab    
,then said he unto me4 ,son of man1 hast
 thou seen what the ancients of the     
house of ,israel do in the dark1 every  
man in the chambers of his imagery8 for 
they say1 ,the ,,lord seeth us not2 the 
,,lord hath forsaken the earth4  #ac ,he
 said also unto me1 ,turn thee yet      
again1 and thou shalt see greater       
abominations that they do4  #ad ,then he
 brought me to the door of the gate of  
the ,,lord',s house which was toward the
 north2 and1 behold1 there sat women    
weeping for ,tammuz4  #ae ,then said he 
unto me1 ,hast thou seen this1 ,o ,son  
of man8 turn thee yet again1 and thou   
shalt see greater abominations than     

these4  #af ,and he brought me into the 
inner court of the ,,lord',s house1 and1
 behold1 at the door of the temple of   
the ,,lord1 between the porch and the   
altar1 were about five and twenty men1  
with their backs toward the temple of   
the ,,lord1 and their faces toward the  
east2 and they worshipped the sun toward
 the east4  #ag ,then he said unto me1  
,hast thou seen this1 ,o ,son of man8   
,is it a light thing to the house of    
,judah that they commit the abominations
 which they commit here8 for they have  
filled the land with violence1 and have 
returned to provoke me to anger2 and1   
lo1 they put the branch to their nose4  
#ah ,therefore will ,i also deal in     
fury3 mine eye shall not spare1 neither 
will ,i have pity2 and though they cry  
in mine ears with a loud voice1 yet will
 ,i not hear them4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,,chapter ,i4     
,,the ,,struggle ,,before ,,the         
,,surrender ,,of ,,womanly              
,,self-,,respect ,,in ,,the             

,,confessional4         99       99     
99       99       99  ,there are two    
women who ought to be the constant      
objects of the compassion of the        
disciples of ,christ1 and for whom daily
 prayers ought to be offered at the     
mercy-seat--the ,brahmin woman1 who1    
deceived by her priests1 burns herself  
on the corpse of her husband to appease 
the wrath of her wooden gods2 and the   
,roman ,catholic woman1 who1 not less   
deceived by her priests1 suffers a      
torture far more cruel and ignominious  
in the confessional-box to appease the  
wrath of her wafer-god4  ,for ,i do not 
exaggerate when ,i say that for many    
noble-hearted1 well-educated1           
high-minded women to be forced to unveil
 their hearts before the eyes of a man1 
to open to him all the most sacred      
recesses of their souls1 all the most   
sacred mysteries of their single or     
married life1 to allow him to put to    
them questions which the most depraved  
woman would never consent to hear from  

her vilest seducer1 is often more       
horrible and intolerable than to be tied
 on burning coals4  ,more than once ,i  
have seen women fainting in the         
confessional-box1 who told me1          
afterwards1 that the necessity of       
speaking to an unmarried man on certain 
things1 on which the most common laws of
 decency ought to have for ever sealed  
their lips1 had almost killed them6 ,not
 hundreds1 but thousands of times ,i    
have heard from the dying lips of single
 girls1 as well as of married women1 the
 awful words3 ,i am for ever lost6 ,all 
my past confessions and communions have 
been as many sacrileges6 ,i have never  
dared to answer correctly the questions 
of my confessors6 ,shame has sealed my  
lips and damned my soul6  ,how many     
times ,i remained as one petrified by   
the side of a corpse when1 these last   
words having hardly escaped the lips of 
one of my female penitents1 she was     
snatched out of my reach by the         
merciless hand of death1 before ,i could

 give her pardon through the deceitful  
sacramental absolution6 ,i then         
believed1 as the dead sinner herself    
believed1 that she could not be forgiven
 except by that absolution4  ,for there 
are not only thousands1 but millions1 of
 ,roman ,catholic girls and women whose 
keen sense of modesty and womanly       
dignity are above all the sophisms and  
diabolical machinations of their        
priests4 ,they never can be persuaded to
 answer ,yes to certain questions of    
their confessors4 ,they would prefer to 
be thrown into the flames1 and burnt to 
ashes with the ,brahmin widows1 rather  
than to allow the eyes of a man to pry  
into the sacred sanctuary of their      
souls4 ,though sometimes guilty before  
,god1 and under the impression that     
their sins will never be forgiven if not
 confessed1 the laws of decency are     
stronger in their hearts than the laws  
of their cruel and perfidious ,church4  
,no consideration1 not even the fear of 
eternal damnation1 can persuade them to 

declare to a sinful man sins which ,god 
alone has the right to know1 for ,he    
alone can blot them out with the blood  
of ,his ,son shed on the cross4  ,but   
what a wretched life that of those      
exceptional noble souls1 which ,rome    
keeps in the dark dungeons of her       
superstition6 ,they read in all their   
books1 and hear from all their pulpits1 
that if they conceal a single sin from  
their confessors they are for ever lost6
 ,but1 being absolutely unable to       
trample under their feet the laws of    
self-respect and decency which ,god     
,himself has impressed in their souls1  
they live in constant dread of eternal  
damnation4 ,no human words can tell     
their desolation and distress when1 at  
the feet of their confessors1 they find 
themselves between the horrible         
necessity of speaking of things on which
 they would prefer to suffer the most   
cruel death rather than to open their   
lips1 or to be for ever damned if they  
do not degrade themselves for ever in   

their own eyes by speaking on matters   
which a respectable woman will never    
reveal to her own mother1 much less to a
 man6  ,i have known only too many of   
these noble-hearted women1 who1 when    
alone with ,god1 in a real agony of     
desolation and with burning tears1 had  
asked ,him to grant them what they      
considered the greatest favour1 which   
was to lose so much of their            
self-respect as to be enabled to speak  
of those unmentionable things just as   
their confessors wanted them to speak2  
and1 hoping that their petition had been
 granted1 they went again to the        
confessional-box1 determined to unveil  
their shame before the eyes of that     
inexorable man4 ,but1 when the moment   
had come for the self-immolation1 their 
courage failed1 their knees trembled1   
their lips became pale as death4 ,cold  
sweat flowed from all their pores6 ,the 
voice of modesty and womanly            
self-respect was speaking louder than   
the voice of their false religion4 ,they

 had to go out of the confessional-box  
unpardoned--nay1 with the burden of a   
new sacrilege on their conscience4  ,oh1
 how heavy is the yoke of ,rome--how    
bitter is human life--how cheerless is  
the mystery of the cross to those       
deluded and perishing souls6 ,how gladly
 they would rush into the blazing piles 
with the ,brahmin women1 if they could  
hope to see the end of their unspeakable
 miseries through the momentary tortures
 which would open to them the gates of a
 better life6  ,i do here publicly      
challenge the whole ,roman ,catholic    
priesthood to deny that the greater part
 of their female penitents remain a     
certain period of time--some longer1    
some shorter--under that most           
distressing state of mind4  ,yes1 by far
 the greater majority of women1 at      
first1 find it next to impossible to    
pull down the sacred barriers of        
self-respect which ,god ,himself has    
built around their hearts1              
intelligences1 and souls1 as the best   

safeguard against the snares of this    
polluted world4 ,those laws of          
self-respect1 by which they cannot      
consent to speak an impure word into the
 ears of a man1 and which shut all the  
avenues of their hearts against his     
unchaste questions1 even1 when speaking 
in the name of ,god--those laws of      
self-respect are so clearly written in  
their conscience1 and they are so well  
understood by them to be a most ,divine 
gift1 that1 as ,i have already said1    
many prefer to run the risk of being for
 ever lost by remaining silent4  ,it    
takes many years of the most ingenious  
7,i do not hesitate to call it          
diabolical7 efforts on the part of the  
priests to persuade the majority of     
their female penitents to speak on      
questions which even pagan savages would
 blush to mention among themselves4     
,some persist in remaining silent on    
those matters during the greatest part  
of their lives1 and many prefer to throw
 themselves into the hands of their     

merciful ,god and die without submitting
 to the defiling ordeal1 even after they
 have felt the poisonous stings of the  
enemy1 rather than receive their pardon 
from a man who1 as they feel1 would have
 surely been scandalized by the recital 
of their human frailties4 ,all the      
priests of ,rome are aware of this      
natural disposition of their female     
penitents4 ,there is not a single       
one--no1 not a single one of their moral
 theologians1 who does not warn the     
confessors against that stern and       
general determination of the girls and  
married women never to speak in the     
confessional on matters which may1 more 
or less1 deal with sins against the     
seventh commandment4 ,dens1 ,liguori1   
,debreyne1 ,bailly1 c4--in a word1 all  
the theologians of ,rome--own that this 
is one of the greatest difficulties     
which the confessors have to contend    
with in the confessional-box4  ,not a   
single ,roman ,catholic priest will dare
 to deny what ,i say on this matter2 for

 they know that it would be easy for me 
to overwhelm them with such crowd of    
testimonies that their grand imposture  
would for ever be unmasked4  ,i intend1 
some future day1 if ,god spares me and  
gives me time for it1 to make known some
 of the innumerable things which the    
,roman ,catholic theologians and        
moralists have written on this question4
 ,it will form one of the most curious  
books ever written2 and it will give an 
unanswerable evidence of the fact that1 
instinctively1 without consulting each  
other1 with an unanimity which is almost
 marvellous1 the ,roman ,catholic women1
 guided by the honest instincts which   
,god has given them1 shrink from the    
snares put before them in the           
confessional-box2 and that everywhere   
they struggle to nerve themselves with a
 superhuman courage against the torturer
 who is sent by the ,pope to finish     
their ruin and to make shipwreck of     
their souls4 ,everywhere woman feels    
that there are things which ought never 

to be told1 as there are things which   
ought never to be done1 in the presence 
of the ,god of holiness4 ,she           
understands that1 to recite the history 
of certain sins1 even of thoughts1 is   
not less shameful and criminal than to  
do them2 she hears the voice of ,god    
whispering into her ears1 ,is it not    
enough that thou hast been guilty once1 
when alone1 in ,my presence1 without    
adding to thine iniquity1 by allowing   
that man to know what should never have 
been revealed to him8 ,do you not feel  
that you make that man your own         
accomplice the very moment that you     
throw into his heart and soul the mire  
of your iniquities8 ,he is as weak as   
you are2 he is not less a sinner than   
yourself2 what has tempted you will     
tempt him2 what has made you weak will  
make him weak8 what has polluted you    
will pollute him2 what has thrown you   
down into the dust will throw him down  
into the dust4 ,is it not enough that   
,my eyes had to look upon your          

iniquities8 must my ears to-day listen  
to your impure conversation with that   
man8 ,were that man as holy as ,my      
prophet ,david1 may he not fall before  
the unchaste unveiling of the new       
,bathsheba8 ,were he as strong as       
,sampson1 may he not find in you his    
tempting ,delilah8 ,were he as generous 
as ,peter1 may he not become a traitor  
at the maid-servant's voice8  ,perhaps  
the world has never seen a more         
terrible1 desperate1 solemn struggle    
than the one which is going on in the   
soul of the poor trembling young woman1 
who1 at the feet of that man1 has to    
decide whether or not she will open her 
lips on those things which the          
infallible voice of ,god1 united to the 
no less infallible voice of her womanly 
honour and self-respect1 tell her never 
to reveal to any man6  ,the history of  
that secret1 fierce1 desperate1 and     
deadly struggle has never yet1 so far as
 ,i know1 been fully given4 ,it would   
draw the tears of admiration and        

compassion of the whole world1 if it    
could be written with its simple1       
sublime1 and terrible realities4  ,how  
many times ,i have wept as a child when 
some noble-hearted and intelligent young
 girl1 or some respectable married      
woman1 yielding to the sophisms with    
which ,i1 or some other confessor1 had  
persuaded them to give up their         
self-respect1 their womanly dignity1 to 
speak with me on matters on which a     
decent woman would never say a word with
 a man6 ,they told me of their          
invincible repugnance1 their horror of  
such questions and answers1 and they    
asked me to have pity on them4 ,yes6 ,i 
often wept bitterly on my degradation   
when a priest of ,rome6 ,i felt all the 
strength1 the grandeur1 the holiness of 
their motives for being silent on those 
defiling matters4 ,i could not but      
admire them4 ,it seemed1 at times1 that 
they were speaking the language of      
angels of light2 that ,i ought to fall  
at their feet1 and ask their pardon for 

having spoken to them of questions on   
which a man of honour ought never to    
converse with a woman whom he respects4 
,but1 alas6 ,i had soon to reproach     
myself and regret these short instances 
of my wavering faith in the infallible  
voice of my ,church2 ,i had soon to     
silence the voice of my conscience1     
which was telling me1 ,is it not a shame
 that you1 an unmarried man1 dare to    
speak on those matters with a woman8 ,do
 you not blush to put such questions to 
a young girl8 ,where is your            
self-respect8 where is your fear of     
,god8 ,do you not promote the ruin of   
that girl by forcing her to speak with a
 man on such questions8  ,i was         
compelled by all the ,popes1 the moral  
theologians1 and the ,councils of ,rome1
 to believe that this warning voice of  
my merciful ,god was the voice of       
,satan2 ,i had to believe1 in spite of  
my own conscience and intelligence1 that
 it was good1 nay1 necessary1 to put    
those polluting1 damning questions4 ,my 

infallible ,church was mercilessly      
forcing me to oblige those poor1        
trembling1 weeping1 desolated girls and 
women to swim with me and all her       
priests in those waters of ,sodom and   
,gomorrha1 under the pretext that their 
self-will would be broken down1 their   
fear of sin and humility increased1 and 
that they would be purified by our      
absolutions4  ,in the beginning of my   
priesthood1 ,i was not a little         
surprised and embarrassed to see a very 
accomplished and beautiful young lady1  
whom ,i used to meet almost every week  
in her father's house1 entering the box 
of my confessional4 ,she used to go to  
confess to another young priest of my   
acquaintance1 and she was looked upon as
 one of the most pious girls of the     
city4 ,though she had disguised herself 
as much as possible1 that ,i might not  
know her1 ,i thought that ,i was not    
mistaken--she was the amiable ,mary 99  
99 99 99  ,not being absolutely sure of 
the correctness of my impressions1 ,i   

left her entirely under the hope that   
she was a perfect stranger to me4 ,at   
the beginning she could hardly speak2   
her voice was suffocated by her sobs2   
and1 through the little apertures of the
 thin partition between her and me1 ,i  
saw two streams of big tears trickling  
down her cheeks4  ,after much effort1   
she said3 ,dear ,father1 ,i hope you do 
not know me1 and that you will never try
 to know me4 ,i am a desperately great  
sinner4 ,oh6 ,i fear that ,i am lost6   
,but if there is still any hope for me  
to be saved1 for ,god's sake1 do not    
rebuke me6 ,before ,i begin my          
confession1 allow me to ask you not to  
pollute my ears by the questions which  
our confessors are in the habit of      
putting to their female penitents4 ,i   
have already been destroyed by those    
questions4 ,before ,i was seventeen     
years old1 ,god knows that ,his angels  
are not more pure than ,i was2 but the  
chaplain of the ,nunnery where my       
parents had sent me for my education1   

though approaching old age1 put to me in
 the confessional a question which1 at  
first1 ,i did not understand2 but1      
unfortunately1 he had put the same      
questions to one of my young            
class-mates1 who made fun of them in my 
presence1 and explained them to me2 for 
she understood them too well4 ,this     
first unchaste conversation of my life  
plunged my thoughts into a sea of       
iniquity1 till then absolutely unknown  
to me2 temptations of the most          
humiliating character assailed me for a 
week1 day and night2 after which1 sins  
which ,i would blot out with my blood1  
if it were possible1 overwhelmed my soul
 as with a deluge4 ,but the joys of the 
sinner are short4 ,struck with terror at
 the thought of the judgments of ,god1  
after a few weeks of the most deplorable
 life1 ,i determined to give up my sins 
and reconcile myself to ,god4 ,covered  
with shame1 and trembling from head to  
foot1 ,i went to confess to my old      
confessor1 whom ,i respected as a saint 

and cherished as a father4 ,it seems to 
me that with sincere tears of repentance
 ,i confessed to him the greatest part  
of my sins1 though ,i concealed one of  
them through shame1 and respect for my  
spiritual guide4 ,but ,i did not conceal
 from him that the strange questions he 
had put to me at my last confession     
were1 with the natural corruption of my 
heart1 the principal cause of my        
destruction4  ,he spoke to me very      
kindly1 encouraged me to fight against  
my bad inclinations1 and1 at first1 gave
 me very kind and good advice4 ,but when
 ,i thought he had finished speaking1   
and as ,i was preparing to leave the    
confessional-box1 he put to me two new  
questions of such a polluting character 
that ,i fear neither the blood of       
,christ nor all the fires of hell will  
ever be able to blot them out from my   
memory4 ,those questions have achieved  
my ruin2 they have stuck to my mind as  
two deadly arrows2 they are day and     
night before my imagination2 they fill  

my very arteries and veins with a deadly
 poison4  ,it is true that1 at first1   
they filled me with horror and disgust2 
but1 alas6 ,i soon got so accustomed to 
them that they seemed to be incorporated
 with me1 and as though becoming a      
second nature4 ,those thoughts have     
become a new source of innumerable      
criminal thoughts1 desires1 and actions4
  ,a month later1 we were obliged1 by   
the rules of our convent1 to go to      
confess2 but this time1 ,i was so       
completely lost that ,i no longer       
blushed at the idea of confessing my    
shameful sins to a man2 it was the very 
contrary4 ,i had a real1 diabolical     
pleasure in the thought that ,i should  
have a long conversation with my        
confessor on those matters1 and that he 
would ask me more of his strange        
questions4  ,in fact1 when ,i had told  
him everything1 without a blush1 he     
began to interrogate me1 and ,god knows 
what corrupting things fell from his    
lips into my poor criminal heart6 ,every

 one of his questions was thrilling my  
nerves1 and filling me with the most    
shameful sensations4 ,after an hour of  
this criminal tete-a-tete with my old   
confessor 7for it was nothing else but a
 criminal tete-a-tete71 ,i perceived    
that he was as depraved as ,i was       
myself4 ,with some half-covered words1  
he made me a criminal proposition1 which
 ,i accepted with covered words also2   
and during more than a year1 we have    
lived together in the most sinful       
intimacy4 ,though he was much older than
 ,i1 ,i loved him in the most foolish   
way4 ,when the course of my convent     
instruction was finished1 my parents    
called me back to their home4 ,i was    
really glad of that change of residence1
 for ,i was beginning to be tired of my 
criminal life4 ,my hope was that1 under 
the direction of a better confessor1 ,i 
should reconcile myself to ,god and     
begin a ,christian life4  ,unfortunately
 for me1 my new confessor1 who was very 
young1 began also his interrogations4   

,he soon fell in love with me1 and ,i   
loved him in a most criminal way4 ,i    
have done with him things which ,i hope 
you will never request me to reveal to  
you1 for they are too monstrous to be   
repeated1 even in the confessional1 by a
 woman to a man4  ,i do not say these   
things to take away the responsibility  
of my iniquities with this young        
confessor from my shoulders1 for ,i     
think ,i have been more criminal than he
 was4 ,it is my firm conviction that he 
was a good and holy priest before he    
knew me2 but the questions he put to me1
 and the answers ,i had to give him1    
melted his heart--,i know it--just as   
boiling lead would melt the ice on which
 it flows4  ,i know this is not such a  
detailed confession as our holy ,church 
requires me to make1 but ,i have thought
 it necessary for me to give you this   
short history of the life of the        
greatest and the most miserable sinner  
who ever asked you to help her to come  
out from the tomb of her iniquities4    

,this is the way ,i have lived these    
last few years4 ,but last ,sabbath1     
,god1 in ,his infinite mercy1 looked    
down upon me4 ,he inspired you to give  
us the ,prodigal ,son as a model of true
 conversion1 and as the most marvelous  
proof of the infinite compassion of the 
dear ,saviour for the sinner4 ,i have   
wept day and night since that happy day1
 when ,i threw myself into the arms of  
my loving1 merciful ,father4 ,even now  
,i can hardly speak1 because my regret  
for my past iniquities1 and my joy that 
,i am allowed to bathe the feet of my   
,saviour with my tears1 are so great    
that my voice is as choked4  ,you       
understand that ,i have for ever given  
up my last confessor4 ,i come to ask you
 the favour to receive me among your    
penitents4 ,oh6 do not reject nor rebuke
 me1 for the dear ,saviour's sake6 ,be  
not afraid to have at your side such a  
monster of iniquity6 ,but before going  
farther1 ,i have two favours to ask from
 you4 ,the first is1 that you will never

 do anything to know my name2 the second
 is1 that you will never put me any of  
those questions by which so many        
penitents are lost and so many priests  
for ever destroyed4 ,twice ,i have been 
lost by those questions4 ,we come to our
 confessors that they may throw upon our
 guilty souls the pure waters which flow
 from heaven to purify us2 and1 instead 
of that1 with their unmentionable       
questions1 they pour oil on the burning 
fires which arc already raging in our   
poor sinful hearts4 ,oh6 dear father1   
let me become your penitent1 that you   
may help me to go and weep with         
,magdalene at the ,saviours feet6 ,do   
respect me1 as ,he respected that true  
model of all the sinful but repenting   
women6 ,did ,our ,saviour put to her any
 question8 did ,he extort from her the  
history of things which a sinful woman  
cannot say without forgetting the       
respect she owes to herself and to ,god8
 ,no6 ,you told us1 not long ago1 that  
the only thing our ,saviour did was to  

look at her tears and her love4 ,well1  
please do that1 and you will save me6   
,i was a very young priest1 and never   
had any words so sublime come to my ears
 in the confessional-box4 ,her tears and
 her sobs1 mingled with the so frank    
declaration of the most humiliating     
actions1 had made upon me such a        
profound impression that ,i was1 for    
some time1 unable to speak4 ,it had come
 to my mind also that ,i might be       
mistaken about her identity1 and that   
perhaps she was not the young lady that 
,i had imagined4 ,i could1 then1 easily 
grant her first request1 which was to do
 nothing by which ,i could know her4    
,the second part of her prayer was more 
embarrassing2 for the theologians are   
very positive in ordering the confessors
 to question their penitents1           
particularly those of the female sex1 in
 many circumstances4  ,i encouraged her1
 in the best way ,i could1 to persevere 
in her good resolutions by invoking the 
blessed ,virgin ,mary and ,st4          

,philomene1 who was then the ,sainte a  
la mode1 just as ,marie ,alacoque is    
to-day1 among the blind slaves of ,rome4
 ,i told her that ,i would pray and     
think over the subject of her second    
request2 and ,i asked her to come back1 
in a week1 for my answer4  ,the very    
same day1 ,i went to my own confessor1  
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,baillargeon1 then curate
 of ,quebec1 and afterwards ,archbishop 
of ,canada4 ,i told him the singular and
 unusual request she had made that ,i   
should never put to her any of those    
questions suggested by the theologians1 
to insure the integrity of the          
confession4 ,i did not conceal from him 
that ,i was much inclined to grant her  
that favour2 for ,i repeated what ,i had
 already several times told him1 that ,i
 was supremely disgusted with the       
infamous and polluting questions which  
the theologians forced us to put to our 
female penitents4 ,i told him1 frankly1 
that several young and old priests had  
already come to confess to me2 and that1

 with the exception of two1 they had all
 told me that they could not put those  
questions and hear the answers they     
elicited without falling into the most  
damnable sins4  ,my confessor seemed to 
be much perplexed about what he could   
answer4 ,he asked me to come the next   
day1 that he might review his           
theological books in the interval4 ,the 
next day1 ,i took down in writing his   
answer1 which ,i find in my old         
manuscripts2 and ,i give it here in all 
its sad crudity3--  ,such cases of the  
destruction of female virtue by the     
questions of the confessors is an       
unavoidable evil4 ,it can not be helped2
 for such questions are absolutely      
necessary in the greatest part of the   
cases with which we have to deal4 ,men  
generally confess their sins with so    
much sincerity that there is seldom any 
need for questioning them1 except when  
they are very ignorant4 ,but ,st        
,liguori1 as well as our personal       
observation1 tells us that the greatest 

part of girls and women1 through a false
 and criminal shame1 very seldom confess
 the sins they commit against purity4   
,it requires the utmost charity in the  
confessors to prevent those unfortunate 
slaves of their secret passions from    
making sacrilegious confessions and     
communions4 ,with the greatest prudence 
and zeal1 he must question them on those
 matters2 beginning with the smallest   
sins1 and going1 little by little1 as   
much as possible1 by imperceptible      
degrees1 to the most criminal actions4  
,as it seems evident that the penitent  
referred to in your questions of        
yesterday is unwilling to make a full   
and detailed confession of all her      
iniquities1 you cannot promise to       
absolve her without assuring yourself1  
by wise and prudent questions1 that she 
has confessed everything4  ,you must not
 be discouraged when1 through the       
confessional or any other way1 you learn
 the fall of priests into the common    
frailties of human nature with their    

penitents4 ,our ,saviour knew very well 
that the occasions and the temptations  
we have to encounter1 in the confessions
 of girls and women1 are so numerous1   
and sometimes so irrepressible1 that    
many would fall4 ,but ,he has given them
 the ,holy ,virgin ,mary1 who constantly
 asks and obtains their pardon2 ,he has 
given them the sacrament of penance1    
where they can receive their pardon as  
often as they ask for it4 ,the vow of   
perfect chastity is a great honour and  
privilege2 but we cannot conceal from   
ourselves that it puts on our shoulders 
a burden which many cannot carry for    
ever4 ,st ,liguori says that we must not
 rebuke the penitent priest who falls   
only once a month2 and some other       
trustworthy theologians are still more  
charitable4  ,this answer was far from  
satisfying me4 ,it seemed to me composed
 of soft-soap principles4 ,i went back  
with a heavy heart and an anxious mind2 
and ,god knows that ,i made many fervent
 prayers that this girl should never    

come again to give me her sad history4  
,i was hardly twenty-six years old1 full
 of youth and life4 ,it seemed to me    
that the stings of a thousand wasps to  
my ears would not do me so much harm as 
the words of that dear1 beautiful1      
accomplished1 but lost girl4  ,i do not 
mean to say that the revelations which  
she made had1 in any way1 diminished my 
esteem and my respect for her4 ,it was  
just the contrary4 ,her tears and her   
sobs1 at my feet2 her agonizing         
expressions of shame and regret2 her    
noble words of protest against the      
disgusting and polluting interrogations 
of the confessors1 had raised her very  
high in my mind4 ,my sincere hope was   
that she would have a place in the      
kingdom of ,christ with the ,samaritan  
woman1 ,mary ,magdalene1 and all those  
who have washed their robes in the blood
 of the ,lamb4  ,at the appointed day1  
,i was in my confessional1 listening to 
the confession of a young man1 when1 ,i 
saw ,miss ,mary entering the vestry1 and

 coming directly to my confessional-box1
 where she knelt by me4 ,though she had1
 still more than at the first time1     
disguised herself behind a long1 thick1 
black veil1 ,i could not be mistaken2   
she was the very same amiable young lady
 in whose father's house ,i used to pass
 such pleasant and happy hours4 ,i had  
so often heard1 with breathless         
attention1 her melodious voice when she 
was giving us1 accompanied by her piano1
 some of our beautiful ,church hymns4   
,who could see her without almost       
worshipping her8 ,the dignity of her    
steps1 and her whole mien1 when she     
advanced towards my confessional1       
entirely betrayed her and destroyed her 
incognito4  ,oh6 ,i would have given    
every drop of my blood1 in that solemn  
hour1 that ,i might have been free to   
deal with her just as she had so        
eloquently requested me to do--to let   
her weep and cry at the feet of ,jesus  
to her heart's content6 ,oh6 if ,i had  
been free to take her by the hand1 and  

silently show her her dying ,saviour1   
that she might have bathed ,his feet    
with her tears1 and spread the oil of   
her love on ,his head1 without my saying
 anything else but ,go in peace3 thy    
sins are forgiven6  ,but there1 in that 
confessional-box1 ,i was not the servant
 of ,christ1 to follow ,his divine1     
saving words1 and obey the dictates of  
my honest conscience4 ,i was the slave  
of the ,pope6 ,i had to stifle the cry  
of my conscience1 to ignore the         
inspirations of my ,god6 ,there1 my     
conscience had no right to speak2 my    
intelligence was a dead thing6 ,the     
theologians of the ,pope1 alone1 had a  
right to be heard and obeyed6 ,i was not
 there to save1 but to destroy2 for1    
under the pretext of purifying1 the real
 mission of the confessor1 often in     
spite of himself1 is to scandalize and  
damn the souls4  ,as soon as the young  
man1 who was making his confession at my
 left hand1 had finished1 ,i1 without   
noise1 turned myself towards her1 and   

said1 through the little aperture1 ,are 
you ready to begin your confession8     
,but she did not answer me4 ,all that ,i
 could hear was1 ,oh1 my ,jesus1 have   
mercy upon me6 ,dear ,saviour1 here ,i  
am with all my sins2 do not reject me6  
,i come to wash my soul in ,thy blood2  
wilt ,thou rebuke me8  ,during several  
minutes1 she raised her hands and her   
eyes to heaven1 and wept and prayed4 ,it
 was evident that she had not the least 
idea that ,i was observing her2 she     
thought the door of the little partition
 between her and me was shut4 ,but my   
eyes were fixed upon her2 my tears were 
flowing with her tears1 and my ardent   
prayers were going to the feet of ,jesus
 with her prayers4 ,i would not have    
interrupted her1 for any consideration1 
in this her sublime communion with her  
merciful ,saviour4  ,but1 after a pretty
 long time1 ,i made a little noise with 
my hand1 and1 putting my lips near the  
opening of the partition which was      
between us1 ,i said1 in a low voice1    

,dear sister1 are you ready to begin    
your confession8  ,she turned her face a
 little towards me1 and said1 with a    
trembling voice1 ,yes1 dear ,father1 ,i 
am ready4  ,but she then stopped again  
to weep and pray1 though ,i could not   
hear what she said4  ,after some time of
 silent prayer1 ,i said1 ,my dear       
sister1 if you are ready1 please begin  
your confession4  ,she then said1 ,my   
dear ,father1 do you remember the       
prayers which ,i made to you1 the other 
day8 ,can you allow me to confess my    
sins without forcing me to forget the   
respect ,i owe to myself1 to you1 and to
 ,god1 who hears us8 ,and can you       
promise that you will not put to me any 
of those questions which have already   
done me such irreparable injury8 ,i     
frankly declare to you that there are   
sins in me that ,i cannot reveal to any 
man1 except to ,christ1 because ,he is  
my ,god1 and that ,he already knows them
 all4 ,let me weep and cry at ,his feet1
 and do forgive me without adding to my 

iniquities by forcing me to say things  
that the tongue of a ,christian woman   
cannot reveal to a man6  ,my dear       
sister1 ,i answered1 were ,i free to    
follow the voice of my own feelings ,i  
would be too happy to grant you your    
request2 but ,i am here only as the     
minister of our holy ,church1 and bound 
to obey her laws4 ,through her most holy
 popes and theologians1 she tells me    
that ,i cannot forgive you your sins1 if
 you do not confess them all just as you
 have committed them4 ,the ,church tells
 me also that you must give the details 
which may add to the malice or change   
the nature of your sins4 ,i am also     
sorry to tell you that our most holy    
theologians make it a duty of the       
confessor to question his penitent on   
the sins which he has good reason to    
suspect have been voluntarily or        
involuntarily omitted4  ,with a         
piercing1 cry she exclaimed1 ,then1 ,o  
my ,god1 ,i am lost--for ever lost6     
,this cry fell upon me as a thunderbolt2

 but ,i was still more terror-stricken  
when1 looking through the aperture1 ,i  
saw she was fainting2 and ,i heard the  
noise of her body falling upon the      
floor1 and of her head striking against 
the sides of the confessional-box4      
,quick as lightning1 ,i ran to help her1
 took her in my arms1 and called a      
couple of men1 who were at a little     
distance1 to assist me in laying her on 
a bench4 ,i washed her face with some   
cold water and vinegar4 ,she was as pale
 as death1 but her lips were moving1 and
 she was saying something which nobody  
but ,i could understand1--  ,i am       
lost--lost for ever6  ,we took her to   
her disconsolate family1 where1 during a
 month1 she lingered between life and   
death4  ,her two first confessors came  
to visit her3 but1 having asked every   
one to go out of the room1 she politely 
but absolutely requested them to go away
 and never come again4 ,she asked me to 
visit her everyday1 for1 she said1 ,i   
have only a few more days to live4 ,help

 me to prepare myself for the solemn    
hour which will open to me the gates of 
eternity6  ,every day ,i visited her1   
and ,i prayed and ,i wept with her4     
,many times1 with tears1 ,i requested   
her1 when alone1 to finish her          
confession2 but1 with a firmness which  
then seemed to me mysterious and        
inexplicable1 she politely rebuked me4  
,one day when1 alone with her1 ,i was   
kneeling by the side of her bed to pray1
 ,i was unable to articulate a single   
word1 because of the inexpressible      
anguish of my soul on her account2 she  
asked me1 ,dear ,father1 why do you     
weep8  ,i answered1 ,how can you put    
such a question to your murderer8 ,i    
weep because ,i have killed you1 dear   
friend4  ,this answer seemed to trouble 
her exceedingly4 ,she was very weak that
 day4 ,after she had wept and prayed in 
silence1 she said1 ,do not weep for me1 
but weep for so many priests who destroy
 their penitents in the confessional4 ,i
 believe in the holiness of the         

sacrament of penitence1 since our holy  
,church has established it4 ,but there  
is1 somewhere1 something exceedingly    
wrong in the confessional4 ,twice ,i    
have been destroyed1 and ,i know many   
girls who have also been destroyed by   
the confessional4 ,this is a secret1 but
 will that secret be kept for ever8 ,i  
pity the poor priests the day that our  
fathers will know what becomes of the   
purity of their daughters in the hands  
of their confessors4 ,father would      
surely kill my two last confessors1 if  
he could know how they have destroyed   
his poor child4  ,i could not answer    
except by weeping4  ,we remained mute   
for a long time2 then she said1 ,it is  
true that ,i was not prepared for the   
rebuke you have given me1 but you acted 
conscientiously as a good and honest    
priest4 ,i know you must be bound by    
certain laws4  ,she then pressed my hand
 with her cold hand and said1 ,weep not1
 dear ,father1 because that sudden storm
 has wrecked my too fragile back4 ,this 

storm was to take me out from the       
bottomless sea of my iniquities to the  
shore where ,jesus was waiting to       
receive and pardon me4 ,the night after 
you brought me1 half dead1 here to      
father's house1 ,i had a dream4 ,oh1 no1
 it was not a dream1 it was a reality4  
,my ,jesus came to me2 ,he was bleeding4
 ,his crown of thorns was on ,his head1 
the heavy cross was bruising ,his       
shoulders4 ,he said to me1 with a voice 
so sweet that no human tongue can       
imitate it1 ,i have seen thy tears1 ,i  
have heard thy cries1 and ,i know thy   
love for ,me3 thy sins are forgiven4    
,take courage2 in a few days thou shalt 
be with ,me6'  ,she had hardly finished 
her last word when she fainted1 and ,i  
feared lest she should die just then    
when ,i was alone with her4  ,i called  
the family1 who rushed into the room4   
,the doctor was sent for4 ,he found her 
so weak that he thought proper to allow 
only one or two persons to remain in the
 room4 ,he requested us not to speak at 

all1 ,for1 said he1 the least emotion   
may kill her instantly2 her disease is1 
in all probability1 an aneurism of the  
aorta1 the big vein which brings the    
blood to the heart2 when it breaks she  
will go as quick as lightning4  ,it was 
nearly ten at night when ,i left the    
house1 to go and take some rest4 ,but it
 is not necessary to say that ,i passed 
a sleepless night4 ,my dear ,mary was   
there1 pale1 dying from the deadly blow 
which ,i had given her in the           
confessional4 ,she was there1 on her bed
 of death1 her heart pierced with the   
dagger which my ,church had put into my 
hands6 ,and instead of rebuking1 cursing
 me for my savage1 merciless fanaticism1
 she was blessing me6 ,she was dying    
from a broken heart1 and ,i was not     
allowed by my ,church to give her a     
single word of consolation and hope1 for
 she had not yet made her confession6 ,i
 had mercilessly bruised that tender    
plant1 and there was nothing in my hands
 to heal the wounds ,i had made6  ,it   

was very probable that she would die the
 next day1 and ,i was forbidden to show 
her the crown of glory which ,jesus has 
prepared in ,his kingdom for the        
repenting sinner6  ,my desolation was   
really unspeakable1 and ,i think ,i     
would have been suffocated1 and have    
died that night1 if the stream of tears 
which constantly flowed from my eyes had
 not been as a balm to my distressed    
heart4  ,how dark and long the hours of 
that night seemed to me6  ,before the   
dawn of day ,i arose1 to read my        
theologians again1 and see if ,i could  
not find some one who would allow me to 
forgive the sins of that dear child     
without forcing her to tell me          
everything she had done4 ,but they      
seemed to me more than ever unanimously 
inexorable1 and ,i put them back on the 
shelves of my library with a broken     
heart4  ,at nine a4m4 the next day ,i   
was by the bed of our dear sick ,mary4  
,i cannot sufficiently tell the joy ,i  
felt when the doctor and the whole      

family said to me1 ,she is much better2 
the rest of last night has wrought a    
marvelous change indeed4  ,with a really
 angelic smile she extended her hand    
towards me1 that ,i might press it in   
mine2 and she said1 ,i thought1 last    
evening1 that the dear ,saviour would   
take me to ,him1 but ,he wants me1 dear 
,father1 to give you a little more      
trouble2 but be patient1 it cannot1 be  
long before the solemn hour of the      
appeal will ring4 ,will you please read 
me the history of the sufferings and    
death of the beloved ,saviour which you 
read me the other day8 ,it does me so   
much good to see how ,he has loved me1  
such a miserable sinner4  ,there was a  
calm and a solemnity in her words which 
struck me singularly1 as well as all    
those who were there4  ,after ,i had    
finished reading1 she exclaimed1 ,he has
 loved me so much that ,he died for my  
sins6 ,and she shut her eyes as if to   
meditate in silence1 but there was a    
stream of big tears rolling down her    

cheeks4  ,i knelt down by her bed with  
her family to pray1 but ,i could not    
utter a single word4 ,the idea that this
 dear child was there1 dying from the   
cruel fanaticism of my theologians and  
my own cowardice in obeying them1 was as
 a mill-stone to my neck4 ,it was       
killing me4  ,oh6 if by dying a thousand
 times ,i could have added a single day 
to her life1 with what pleasure ,i would
 have accepted those thousand deaths6   
,after we had silently prayed and wept  
by her bed-side1 she requested her      
mother to leave her alone with me4      
,when ,i saw myself alone1 under the    
irresistible impression that this was   
her last day1 ,i fell on my knees again1
 and with tears of the most sincere     
compassion for her soul1 ,i requested   
her to shake off her shame and to obey  
our holy ,church1 which requires every  
one to confess their sins if they want  
to be forgiven4  ,she calmly1 but with  
an air of dignity which no human words  
can express1 said1 ,is it true that1    

after the sin of ,adam and ,eve1 ,god   
,himself made coats of skins1 and       
clothed them1 that they might not see   
each other's nakedness8  ,yes1 ,i said1 
this is what the ,holy ,scriptures tell 
us4  ,well1 then1 how is it possible    
that our confessors dare to take away   
from us that holy1 divine coat of       
modesty and self-respect8 ,has not      
,almighty ,god ,himself made with ,his  
own hands that coat of womanly modesty  
and self-respect that we might not be to
 you and to ourselves a cause of shame  
and sin8  ,i was really stunned by the  
beauty1 simplicity1 and sublimity of    
that comparison4 ,i remained absolutely 
mute and confounded4 ,though it was     
demolishing all the traditions and      
doctrines of my ,church1 and pulverizing
 all my holy doctors and theologians1   
that noble answer found such an echo in 
my soul that it seemed to me a sacrilege
 to try to touch it with my finger4     
,after a short time of silence1 she     
continued1 ,twice ,i have been destroyed

 by priests in the confessional4 ,they  
took away from me that divine coat of   
modesty and self-respect which ,god     
gives to every human being who comes    
into this world1 and twice ,i have      
become for those very priests a deep pit
 of perdition1 into which they have     
fallen1 and where1 ,i fear1 they are for
 ever lost6 ,my merciful ,heavenly      
,father has given me back that coat of  
skins1 that nuptial robe of modesty1    
self-respect1 and holiness1 which had   
been taken away from me4 ,he cannot     
allow you1 or any other man1 to tear    
again and spoil that vestment which is  
the work of ,his hands4  ,these words   
had exhausted her2 it was evident to me 
that she wanted some rest4 ,i left her  
alone1 but ,i was absolutely beside     
myself4 ,filled with admiration for the 
sublime lessons which ,i had received   
from the lips of that angel1 who1 it was
 evident1 was soon to fly away from us1 
,i felt a supreme disgust for myself1 my
 theologians1 and--shall ,i say it8     

yes--,i felt1 in that solemn hour1 a    
supreme disgust for my ,church1 which   
was so cruelly defiling me and all the  
priests1 in the confessional-box4 ,i    
felt in that hour a supreme horror for  
that auricular confession1 which is so  
often such a pit of perdition and       
supreme misery for the confessor and the
 penitent4 ,i went out1 walked two hours
 on the ,plains of ,abraham1 to breathe 
the pure and refreshing air of the      
mountain4 ,there alone ,i sat on a      
stone1 on the very spot where ,wolf and 
,montcalm had fought and died1 and wept 
to my heart's content on my irreparable 
degradation1 and the degradation of all 
the priests through the confessional4   
,at four o'clock in the afternoon ,i    
went back again to the house of my dear 
dying ,mary4 ,the mother took me apart1 
and very politely said1 ,my dear ,mr4   
,chiniquy1 do you not think that it is  
time that our dear child should receive 
the last sacraments8 ,she seemed to be  
much better this morning1 and we were   

full of hope2 but she is now rapidly    
sinking4 ,please lose no time in giving 
her the holy viaticum and the extreme   
unction4  ,i said1 ,yes1 ,madam2 let me 
pass a few minutes alone with our poor  
dear child1 that ,i may prepare her for 
the last sacraments4  ,when alone with  
her1 ,i again fell on my knees1 and1    
amidst torrents of tears1 ,i said1 ,dear
 sister1 it is my desire to give you the
 holy viaticum and the extreme unction2 
but tell me1 how can ,i dare to do a    
thing so solemn against all the         
prohibitions of our holy ,church8 ,how  
can ,i give you the holy communion      
without first giving you absolution8 and
 how can ,i give you absolution when you
 earnestly persist in telling me that   
you have committed sins which you will  
never declare either to me or any other 
confessor8  ,you know that ,i cherish   
and respect you as if you were an angel 
sent to me from heaven4 ,you told me the
 other day that you blessed the day that
 you first saw and knew me4 ,i say the  

same thing4 ,i bless the day that ,i    
have known you2 ,i bless every hour that
 ,i have passed by your bed of          
suffering2 ,i bless every tear which ,i 
have shed with you on your sins and on  
my own2 ,i bless every hour that we have
 passed together in looking to the      
wounds of our beloved1 dying ,saviour2  
,i bless you for having forgiven me your
 death6 for ,i know it1 and ,i confess  
it a thousand times in the presence of  
,god1 ,i have killed you1 dear sister4  
,but now ,i prefer a thousand times to  
die than to say to you a word which     
would pain you in any way1 or trouble   
the peace of your soul4 ,please1 my dear
 sister1 tell me what ,i can and must do
 for you in this solemn hour4  ,calmly1 
and with a smile of joy1 such as ,i had 
never seen before1 nor have seen since1 
she said1 ,i thank and bless you1 dear  
father1 for the parable of the ,prodigal
 ,son1 on which you preached a month    
ago4 ,you have brought me to the feet of
 the dear ,saviour2 there1 ,i have found

 a peace and a joy which surpass        
anything which human heart can feel2 ,i 
have thrown myself into the arms of my  
heavenly ,father1 and ,i know ,he has   
mercifully accepted and forgiven ,his   
poor prodigal child6 ,oh1 ,i see the    
angels with their golden harps around   
the throne of the ,lamb6 ,do you not    
hear the celestial harmony of their     
songs8 ,i go--,i go to join them in my  
,father's house4 ,i shall not be lost6  
,while she was thus speaking to me1 my  
eyes were really turned into two        
fountains of tears1 and ,i was unable1  
as well as unwilling1 to see anything1  
so entirely overcome was ,i by the      
sublime words which were flowing from   
the dying lips of that dear child1 who  
was no more a sinner1 but a real angel  
of ,heaven to me4 ,i was listening to   
her words2 there was a celestial music  
in every one of them4 ,but she had      
raised her voice in such a strange way1 
when she had begun to say1 ,i go to my  
,father's house1 and she had made such a

 cry of joy when she had let the last   
words1 not be lost1 escape her lips1    
that ,i raised my head and opened my    
eyes to look at her4 ,i suspected that  
something strange had occurred4  ,i got 
upon my feet1 passed my handkerchief    
over my face1 to wipe away the tears    
which were preventing me from seeing    
with accuracy1 and looked at her4  ,her 
hands were crossed on her breast1 and   
there was on her face the expression of 
a really superhuman joy2 her beautiful  
eyes were fixed as if they were looking 
on some grand and sublime spectacle2 it 
seemed to me at first that she was      
praying4  ,in that very same instant the
 mother rushed into the room1 crying1   
,my ,god6 my ,god6 what does that cry   
'lost' mean8--for her last words1 not be
 lost1 particularly the last one1 had   
been pronounced with such a powerful    
voice that they had been heard almost   
everywhere in the house4  ,i made a sign
 with my hand to prevent the distressed 
mother from making any noise1 and       

troubling her dying child in her prayer1
 for ,i really thought that she had     
stopped speaking1 as she used so often  
to do1 when alone with me1 in order to  
pray4 ,but ,i was mistaken4 ,that       
redeemed soul had gone1 on the golden   
wings of love1 to join the multitudes of
 those who have washed their robes in   
the blood of the ,lamb1 to sing the     
eternal ,alleluia4         99       99  
99       99       99  ,,chapter ,,ii4   
,,auricular ,,confession ,a ,,deep ,,pit
 ,,of ,,perdition ,,for ,,the ,,priest  
99       99       99       99       99  
,it was some time after our ,mary had   
been buried4 ,the terrible and          
mysterious cause of her death was known 
only to ,god and to me4 ,though her     
loving mother was still weeping over her
 grave1 she had soon been forgotten1 as 
usual1 by the greatest part of those who
 had known her3 but she was constantly  
present to my mind4 ,i never entered the
 confessional-box without hearing her   
solemn1 though so mild1 voice telling   

me1 ,there must be somewhere something  
wrong in the auricular confession4      
,twice ,i have been destroyed by my     
confessors2 and ,i have known several   
others who have been destroyed in the   
same way4  ,more than once1 when her    
voice was ringing in my ears from her   
tomb1 ,i had shed bitter tears on the   
profound and unfathomable degradation   
into which ,i1 with the other priests1  
had to fell in the confessional-box4    
,for many1 many times1 stories as       
deplorable as that of this unfortunate  
girl were confessed to me by city as    
well as country females4  ,one night ,i 
was awakened by the rumbling noise of   
thunder1 when ,i heard some one knocking
 at the door4 ,i hastened out of bed to 
ask who was there4 ,the answer was that 
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ---- was dying1 and that 
he wanted to see me before his death4 ,i
 dressed myself1 and was soon on the    
highway4 ,the darkness was fearful2 and 
often1 had it not been for the lightning
 which was almost constantly tearing the

 clouds1 we should not have known where 
we were4 ,after a long and hard journey 
through the darkness and the storm1 we  
arrived at the house of the dying       
priest4 ,i went directly to his room1   
and really found him very low2 he could 
hardly speak4 ,with a sign of his hand  
he bade his servant-girl and a young man
 who were there go out1 and leave him   
alone with me4  ,then1 with a low voice1
 he said1 ,is it you who prepared poor  
,mary to die8  ,yes1 sir1 ,i answered4  
,please tell me the truth4 ,is it the   
fact that she died the death of a       
reprobate1 and that her last words were1
 ',oh1 my ,god6 ,i am lost'8  ,i        
answered3 ,as ,i was the confessor of   
that girl1 and we were talking together 
on matters which pertained to her       
confession1 in the very moment that she 
was unexpectedly summoned to appear     
before ,god1 ,i cannot answer your      
question in any way2 please1 then1      
excuse me if ,i cannot say any more on  
that subject3 but tell me who can have  

assured you that she died the death of a
 reprobate4  ,it was her own mother1    
answered the dying man4 ,she came1 last 
week1 to visit me1 and when she was     
alone with me1 with many tears and      
cries1 she said how her poor child had  
refused to receive the last sacraments1 
and how her last cry was1 ',i am lost6' 
,she added that that cry1 ',lost6' was  
pronounced with such a frightful power  
that it was heard through all the house4
  ,if her mother has told you that1 ,i  
replied1 you may believe what you please
 about the way that poor child died4 ,i 
cannot say a word--you know it--about   
that matter4  ,but if she is lost1      
rejoined the old1 dying priest1 ,i am   
the miserable one who has destroyed her4
 ,she was an angel of purity when she   
came to the convent4 ,oh6 dear ,mary1 if
 you are lost1 ,i am a thousandfold more
 lost6 ,oh1 my ,god1 my ,god6 what will 
become of me8 ,i am dying2 and ,i am    
lost6  ,it was indeed an awful thing to 
see that old sinner tearing his own     

hands1 rolling on his bed as if he had  
been on burning coals1 with all the     
marks of the most frightful despair on  
his face1 crying1 ,i am lost6 ,oh1 my   
,god1 ,i am lost6  ,i was glad that the 
claps of thunder1 which were shaking the
 house and roaring without ceasing1     
prevented the people outside the room   
from hearing those cries of desolation  
from that priest1 whom every one        
considered a great saint4  ,when it     
seemed to me that his terror had        
somewhat subsided1 and that his mind was
 calmed a little1 ,i said to him1 ,my   
dear friend1 you must not give yourself 
up to such despair4 ,our merciful ,god  
has promised to forgive the repenting   
sinner who comes to ,him1 even at the   
last hour of the day4 ,address yourself 
to the ,virgin ,mary1 she will ask and  
obtain your pardon4  ,do you not think  
that it is too late to ask pardon8 ,the 
doctor has honestly warned me that death
 is very near1 and ,i feel ,i am just   
now dying6 ,is it not too late to ask   

and obtain pardon8 asked the dying      
priest4  ,no1 my dear sir1 it is not too
 late1 if you sincerely regret your     
sins4 ,throw yourself into the arms of  
,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,joseph2 make your   
confession without any more delay1 and  
you will be saved4  ,but ,i have never  
made a good confession4 ,will you help  
me to make a general one8  ,it was my   
duty to grant him his request1 and the  
rest of the night was spent by me in    
hearing the confession of his whole     
life4  ,i do not want to give many      
particulars of the life of that priest4 
,i will only mention two things4 ,first3
 ,it was then that ,i understood why    
poor young ,mary was absolutely         
unwilling to mention the iniquities     
which she had done with him4 ,they were 
simply surpassingly                     
horrible--unmentionable4 ,no human      
tongue can express them--few human ears 
would consent to hear them4  ,the second
 thing that ,i am bound in conscience to
 reveal is almost incredible1 but it is 

nevertheless true4 ,the number of       
married and unmarried females he had    
heard in the confessional was about     
#aejj1 of which he said he had destroyed
 or scandalized at least #ajjj by his   
questioning them on most depraving      
things1 for the simple pleasure of      
gratifying his own corrupted heart1     
without letting them know anything of   
his sinful thoughts and criminal desires
 towards them4 ,but he confessed that he
 had destroyed the purity of ninety-five
 of those penitents1 who had consented  
to sin with him4  ,and would to ,god    
that this priest had been the only one  
whom ,i have known to be lost through   
the auricular confession6 ,but1 alas6   
how few are those who have escaped the  
snares of the tempter compared with     
those who have perished6 ,i have heard  
the confessions of more than #bjj       
priests1 and1 to say the truth1 as ,god 
knows it1 ,i must declare that only     
twenty-one had not to weep over the     
secret or public sins committed through 

the irresistibly corrupting influences  
of auricular confession6  ,i am sixty   
six years old2 in a short time ,i shall 
be in my grave4 ,i shall have to give an
 account of what ,i say to-day4 ,well1  
it is in the presence of my great       
,judge1 with my tomb before my eyes1    
that ,i declare to the world that very  
few--yes1 very few--priests escape from 
falling into the pit of the most        
horrible moral depravity the world has  
ever known1 through the confession of   
females4  ,i do not say this because ,i 
have any bad feelings against those     
priests3 ,god knows that ,i have none4  
,the only feelings ,i have are of       
supreme compassion and pity4 ,i do not  
reveal these awful things to make the   
world believe that the priests of ,rome 
are a worse set of men than the rest of 
the innumerable fallen children of      
,adam4 ,no1 ,i do not entertain any such
 views2 for1 everything considered and  
weighed in the balance of religion1     
charity1 and common sense--,i think that

 the priests of ,rome are far from being
 worse than any other set of men who    
would be thrown into the same           
temptations1 dangers and unavoidable    
occasions of sin4  ,for instance1 let us
 take lawyers1 merchants1 or farmers1   
and1 preventing them from living with   
their lawful wives1 let us surround each
 of them from morning to night by ten1  
twenty1 and sometimes more1 beautiful   
women and tempting girls1 who would     
speak to them of things which can       
pulverize a rock of ,scotch granite1 and
 you will see how many of those lawyers1
 merchants or farmers will go out of    
that terrible moral battle-field without
 being mortally wounded4  ,the cause of 
the supreme--,i dare say incredible1    
though unsuspected--immorality of the   
priests of ,rome is a very evident and  
logical one4 ,by the diabolical power of
 the ,pope1 the priest is put out of the
 ways which ,god has offered to the     
generality of men to be honest1 upright1
 and holy#a4 ,and after the ,pope has   

deprived them of the grand1 holy1 ,i say
 ,divine 7in this sense that it comes   
directly from ,god7 remedy which ,god   
has given to man against his own        
concupiscence--holy marriage1 they are  
placed unprotected1 unguarded in the    
most perilous1 difficult1 irresistible  
moral dangers which human ingenuity or  
depravity can conceive4 ,those unmarried
 men are forced to be1 from morning to  
night1 in the midst of beautiful girls1 
and tempting1 charming women1 who have  
to tell them things which would melt the
 hardest steel4 ,how can you expect that
 they will cease to be men1 and become  
stronger than angels8  ,not only are the
 priests of ,rome deprived by the devil 
of the only remedy which ,god has given 
to help them to stand up1 but they have1
 in the confessional1 the greatest      
facility which can possibly be imagined 
for satisfying all the bad propensities 
of fallen human nature4 ,in the         
confessional they know those who are    
strong1 and they know those who are weak

 among the females by whom they are     
surrounded2 they know who would resist  
any attempt from the enemy2 and they    
know who are ready--nay1 who are longing
 after the deceitful charms of sin4 ,if 
they still retain the fallen nature of  
man1 what a terrible hour for them6 what
 frightful battles inside the poor      
heart6 ,what superhuman efforts and     
strength would be required to come out a
 conqueror from that battle field1 where
 a ,david1 a ,samson1 have fallen1      
mortally wounded6  ,it is simply an act 
of supreme stupidity on the part of the 
,protestant1 as well as ,catholic       
public1 to suppose1 or suspect1 or hope1
 that the generality of the priests can 
stand that trial4 ,the pages of the     
history of ,rome herself are filled with
 the unanswerable proofs that the great 
generality of the confessors fall4 ,if  
it were not so1 the miracle of ,joshua1 
stopping the march of the sun and the   
moon1 would be a childish play compared 
with the miracle which would stop and   

reverse all the laws of our common      
fallen nature in the hearts of the      
#ajj1jjj ,roman ,catholic confessors of 
the ,church of ,rome4 ,were ,i          
attempting to prove by public facts what
 ,i know of the horrible depravity      
caused by the confessional-box among the
 priests of ,france1 ,canada1 ,spain1   
,italy1 ,england1 ,i should have to     
write many big volumes in folio4 ,for   
brevity's sake1 ,i will speak only of   
,italy4 ,i take that country because1   
being under the very eyes of their      
infallible and most holy 787 ,pontiff1  
being in the land of daily miracles1 of 
painted ,madonnas1 who weep and turn    
their eyes left and right1 up and down1 
in a most marvellous way1 being in the  
land of miraculous medals and heavenly  
spiritual favors1 constantly flowing    
from the chair of ,st4 ,peter1 the      
confessors in ,italy are in the best    
possible circumstances to be strong1    
faithful1 and holy4 ,well1 let us hear  
an eye-witness1 a contemporary1 an      

unimpeachable witness about the way the 
confessors deal with their penitent     
females1 in the only holy1 apostolical1 
infallible 787 ,church of ,rome4  ,the  
witness we will hear is of the purest   
blood of the princes of ,italy4 ,her    
name is ,henrietta ,carracciolo1        
daughter of the ,marshal ,carracciolo1  
,governor of the ,province of ,bari1 in 
,italy4 ,let us hear what she says of   
the ,father ,confessors1 after twenty   
years of personal experience in         
different nunneries of ,italy1 in her   
remarkable book1 ,mysteries of the      
,neapolitan ,convents1 pp4 #aej1 #aea1  
#aeb3 ,my confessor came the following  
day1 and ,i disclosed to him the nature 
of the troubles which beset me4 ,later  
in the day1 seeing that ,i had gone down
 to the place where we used to receive  
the holy communion1 called              
,communichino1 the conversa of my aunt  
rang the bell for the priest to come    
with the pyx4#b ,he was a man of about  
fifty years of age1 very corpulent1 with

 a rubicund face1 and a type of         
physiognomy as vulgar as it was         
repulsive4  ,i approached the little    
window to receive the sacred wafer on my
 tongue1 with my eyes closed1 as it is  
customary4 ,i placed it upon my tongue2 
and1 as ,i drew back1 ,i felt my cheeks 
caressed4 ,i opened my eyes1 but the    
priest had withdrawn his hand1 and1     
thinking ,i had been deceived1 ,i gave  
it no more attention4  ,on the next     
occasion1 forgetful of what had occurred
 before1 ,i received the sacrament with 
closed eyes again1 according to precept4
 ,this time ,i distinctly felt my chin  
caressed again2 and on opening my eyes  
suddenly1 ,i found the priest gazing    
rudely upon me1 with a sensual smile on 
his face4  ,there could be no longer any
 doubt3 these overtures were not the    
result of accident4  ,the daughter of   
,eve is endowed with a greater degree of
 curiosity than man4 ,it occured to me  
to place myself in a contiguous         
apartment1 where ,i could observe if    

this libertine priest was accustomed to 
take similar liberties with the nuns4 ,i
 did so1 and was fully convinced that   
only the old left him without being     
caressed6  ,all the others allowed him  
to do with them as he pleased2 and even1
 in taking leave of him1 did so with the
 utmost reverence4  ',is this the       
respect1' said ,i to myself1 'that the  
priests and the spouses of ,christ have 
for the sacrament of the ,eucharist8    
,shall the poor novice be enticed to    
leave the world in order to learn1 in   
this school1 such lessons of            
self-respect and chastity8'  ,page #afc1
 we read1 ,the fanatical passion of the 
nuns for their confessors1 priests1 and 
monks1 exceeds belief4 ,that which      
especially renders their incarceration  
endurable is the illimitable opportunity
 they enjoy of seeing and corresponding 
with those persons with whom they are in
 love4 ,this freedom localizes and      
identifies them with the convent so     
closely that they are unhappy when1 on  

account of any serious sickness1 or     
while preparing to take the veil1 they  
are obliged to pass some months in the  
bosom of their own families1 in company 
with their fathers1 mothers1 brothers1  
and sisters4 ,it is not to be presumed  
that these relatives would permit a     
young girl to pass many hours each day  
in a mysterious colloquy with a priest1 
or a monk1 and maintain with him this   
continual correspondence4 ,this is a    
liberty which they can enjoy in the     
convent only4  ,many are the hours which
 the ,heloise spends in the             
confessional1 in agreeable pastime with 
her ,abelard in cassock4  ,others1 whose
 confessors happen to be old1 have in   
addition a spiritual director1 with whom
 they amuse themselves a long time every
 day1 tete-a-tete1 in the parlatorio4   
,when this is not enough1 they simulate 
an illness1 in order to have him alone  
in their own rooms4  ,page #aff1 we     
read3--,another nun1 being somewhat     
infirm1 her priest confessed her in her 

own room4 ,after a time1 the invalid    
penitent found herself in what is called
 an interesting situation1 on which     
account1 the physician declaring that   
her complaint was dropsy1 she was sent  
away from the convent4  ,page #afg3--;,a
 young educanda was in the habit of     
going down every night to the convent   
burial-place1 where1 by a corridor which
 communicated with the vestry1 she      
entered into a colloquy with a young    
priest attached to the church4 ,consumed
 by an amorous impatience1 she was not  
deterred from these excursions either by
 bad weather or the fear of being       
discovered4  ,she heard a great noise   
one night near her4 ,in the thick       
darkness which surrounded her1 she      
imagined that she saw a viper winding   
itself around her feet4 ,she was so much
 overcome by fright that she died from  
the effects of it a few months later4   
,page #afh3--,one of the confessors had 
a young penitent in the convent4 ,every 
time he was called to visit a dying     

sister1 and on that account passed the  
night in the convent1 this nun would    
climb over the partition which separated
 her room from his1 and betake herself  
to the master and director of souls4    
,another1 during the delirium of a      
typhoid fever1 from which she was       
suffering1 was constantly imitating the 
action of sending kisses to her         
confessor1 who stood by the side of her 
bed4 ,he1 covered with blushes on       
account of the presence of strangers1   
held a crucifix before the eyes of the  
penitent1 and in a commiserating tone   
exclaimed1--  ',poor thing6 kiss thy own
 spouse6'  ,page #afh3--,under the bonds
 of secrecy1 an educanda1 of fine form  
and pleasing manners1 and of a noble    
family1 confided to me the fact of her  
having received1 from the hands of her  
confessor1 a very interesting book 7as  
she described it71 which related to the 
monastic life4 ,i expressed the wish to 
know the title1 and she1 before showing 
it to me1 took the precaution to lock   

the door4  ,it proved to be the ,monaca1
 by ,dalembert1 a book1 as all know1    
filled with the most disgusting         
obscenity4  ,page #afi3--;,i received   
once from a monk1 a letter in which he  
signified to me that he had hardly seen 
me1 when 'he conceived the sweet hope of
 becoming my confessor4' ,an exquisite  
of the first water1 a fop of scents and 
euphuism1 could not have employed       
phrases more melodramic1 to demand      
whether he might hope or despair4  ,page
 #afi3--;,a priest who enjoyed the      
reputation of being an incorruptible    
sacerdote1 when he saw me pass through  
the parlatorio1 used to address me as   
follows3--  ',ps1 dear1 come here6 ,ps1 
,ps1 come here6'  ,these words1         
addressed to me by a priest1 were       
nauseous in the extreme4  ,finally1     
another priest1 the most annoying of all
 for his obstinate assiduity1 sought to 
secure my affections at all cost4 ,there
 was not an image profane poetry could  
afford him1 nor a sophism he could      

borrow from rhetoric1 nor wily          
interpretation he could give to the     
,word of ,god1 which he did not employ  
to convert me to his wishes4 ,here is an
 example of his logic3--  ',fair        
daughter1' said he to me one day1       
'knowest thou who ,god truly is8'  ',he 
is the ,creator of the ,universe1' ,i   
answered drily4  ',no1--no1--no1--no6   
that is not enough1' he replied1        
laughing at my ignorance4 ',god is love1
 but love in the abstract1 which        
receives its incarnation in the mutual  
affection of two hearts which idolize   
each other4 ,you1 then1 must not only   
love ,god in ,his abstract existance1   
but must also love ,him in ,his         
incarnation1 that is1 in the exclusive  
love of a man who adores you4 ,quod     
,deus est amor1 nec colitur1 nisi       
amando4'  ',then1' ,i replied1 'a woman 
who adores her own lover would adore    
,divinity itself8'  ',assuredly1'       
reiterated the priest over and over     
again1 taking courage from my remark1   

and chuckling at what seemed to him to  
be the effect of his catechism4  ',in   
that case1' said ,i hastily1 ',i should 
select for my lover rather a man of the 
world than a priest4'  ',god preserve   
you1 my daughter6 ,god preserve you from
 that sin6' added my interlocutor1      
apparently frightened4 ',to love a man  
of the world1 a sinner1 a wretch1 an    
unbeliever1 an infidel6 ,why1 you would 
go immediately to hell4 ,the love of a  
priest is a sacred love1 while that of a
 profane man is infamy2 the faith of a  
priest emanates from that granted to the
 holy ,church1 while that of the profane
 is false1--false as the vanity of the  
world4 ,the priest purifies his         
affections daily in communion with the  
,holy ,spirit3 the man of the world 7if 
he ever knows love at all7 sweeps the   
muddy crossings of the street with it   
day and night4  ',but it is the heart1  
as well as the conscience1 which prompts
 me to fly from the priests1' ,i        
replied4  ',well1 if you cannot love me 

because ,i am your confessor1 ,i will   
find means to assist you to get rid of  
your scruples4 ,we will place the name  
of ,jesus ,christ before all our        
affectionate demonstration1 and thus our
 love will be a grateful offering to the
 ,lord1 and will ascend fragrant with   
perfume to ,heaven1 like the smoke of   
the incense of the sanctuary4 ,say to   
me1 for example1 ,i love you in ,jesus  
,christ2 last night ,i dreamed of you in
 ,jesus ,christ2 and you will have a    
tranquil conscience1 because in doing   
this you will sanctify every transport  
of your love4'  ,several circumstances  
not indicated here1 by the way1         
compelled me to come in frequent contact
 with this priest afterwards1 and ,i do 
not therefore give his name4  ,of a very
 respectable monk1 respectable alike for
 his age and his moral character1 ,i    
inquired what signified the prefixing   
the name of ,jesus ,christ to amorous   
apostrophes4  ',it is1' he said1 'an    
expression used by a horrible sect1 and 

one unfortunately only too numerous1    
which1 thus abusing the name of our     
,lord1 permits to its members the most  
unbridled licentiousness4'  ,and it is  
my sad duty to say1 before the whole    
world1 that ,i know that by far the     
greater part of the confessors in       
,america1 ,spain1 ,france and ,england1 
reason and act just like that licentious
 ,italian priest4  ,christian nations6  
if you could know what will become of   
the virtue of your fair daughters if you
 allow secret or public slaves of ,rome 
to restore the auricular confession1    
with what a storm of holy indignation   
you would defeat their plans6         99
       99       99       99       99    
,,chapter ,,iii4  ,,the ,,confessional  
,,is ,,the ,,modern ,,sodom4         99 
99       99       99       99  ,if any  
one wants to hear an eloquent oration1  
let him go when the ,roman ,catholic    
priest is preaching on the divine       
institution of auricular confession4    
,there is no subject1 perhaps1 on which 

the priests display so much zeal and    
earnestness1 and of which they speak so 
often4 ,for this institution is really  
the corner-stone of their stupendous    
power2 it is the secret of their almost 
irresistible influence4 ,let the people 
to-day open their eyes to the truth1 and
 understand that auricular confession is
 one of the most stupendous impostures  
which ,satan has invented to corrupt and
 enslave the world2 let the people      
desert the confessional-box to-day1 and 
tomorrow ,romanism will fall into the   
dust4 ,the priests understand this very 
well2 hence their constant efforts to   
deceive the people on that question4 ,to
 attain their object1 they have recourse
 to the most egregious falsehoods2 the  
,scriptures are misrepresented2 the holy
 ,fathers are brought to say the very   
contrary of what they have ever thought 
or written2 the most extraordinary      
miracles and stories are invented4 ,but 
two of the arguments to which they have 
more often recourse are the great and   

perpetual miracles which ,god makes to  
keep the purity of the confessional     
undefiled1 and its secrets marvellously 
sealed4 ,they make the people believe   
that the vow of perpetual chastity      
changes their nature1 turns them into   
angels1 and puts them above the common  
frailties of the fallen children of     
,adam4  ,bravely and with a brazen face1
 when they are interrogated on that     
subject1 they say that they have special
 graces to remain pure and undefiled in 
the midst of the greatest dangers2 that 
the ,virgin ,mary1 to whom they are     
consecrated1 is their powerful advocate 
to obtain from her ,son that superhuman 
virtue of chastity2 that what would be a
 cause of sure perdition to common men  
is without peril and danger for a true  
son of ,mary2 and1 with amazing         
stupidity1 the people consent to be     
duped1 blinded1 and deceived by those   
fooleries4  ,but here let the world hear
 the truth as it is1 from one who knows 
perfectly everything inside and outside 

the walls of that ,modern ,babylon2     
though many1 ,i know1 will disbelieve me
 and say1 ,we hope you are mistaken4 ,it
 is impossible that the priests of ,rome
 should turn out to be such impostors4  
,they may be mistaken2 they may believe 
and repeat things which are not true1   
but they are honest2 they cannot be such
 impudent deceivers4  ,yes6 though ,i   
know that many will hardly believe me1  
,i must say the truth4  ,those very men 
who1 when speaking to the people in such
 glowing terms of the marvellous way    
they are kept pure in the midst of the  
dangers which surround them1 honestly   
blush1 and often weep1 when they speak  
to each other 7when they are sure that  
nobody except priests hears them74 ,they
 deplore their moral degradation with   
the utmost sincerity and honesty4 ,they 
ask from ,god and men pardon for their  
unspeakable depravity4  ,i have here in 
my hands1 and under my eyes1 one of     
their most remarkable secret books1     
written1 or at least approved1 by one of

 their greatest and best bishops and    
cardinals1 the ,cardinal ,de ,bonald1   
,archbishop of ,lyons4  ,the book is    
written for the use of the priests      
alone4 ,its title is in ,french1 ,examen
 de ,conscience des ,pretres4 ,at page  
#cd we read3--  ,have ,i left certain   
persons to make the declarations of     
their sins in such a way that the       
imagination1 once taken and impressed by
 pictures and representations1 could be 
dragged into a long course of           
temptations and grievous sins8 ,the     
priests do not pay sufficient attention 
to the continual temptations caused by  
the hearing of confessions4 ,the soul is
 gradually enfeebled in such a way that1
 at the end1 the virtue of chastity is  
for ever lost4  ,here is the address of 
a priest to other priests when he       
suspects that nobody but his co-sinner  
brethren hear him4 ,here is the honest  
language of truth4  ,in the presence of 
,god1 those priests acknowledge that    
they have not a sufficient fear of those

 constant 7what a word--what an         
acknowledgment--constant67 temptations1 
and they honestly confess that those    
temptations come from the hearing of the
 confessions of so many scandalous sins4
 ,here the priests honestly acknowledge 
that those constant temptations1 at the 
end1 destroy for ever in them the holy  
virtue of purity6#c  ,ah6 would to ,god 
that all the honest girls and women whom
 the devil entraps into the snares of   
auricular confession could hear the     
cries of distress of those poor priests 
whom they have tempted--for ever        
destroyed6 ,would to ,god that they     
could see the torrents of tears shed by 
so many priests because1 from the       
hearing of confessions1 they had for    
ever lost the virtue of purity6 ,they   
would understand that the confessional  
is a snare1 a pit of perdition1 a ,sodom
 for the priest2 and they would be      
struck with horror and shame at the idea
 of the continual1 shameful1 dishonest1 
degrading temptations by which their    

confessor is tormented day and          
night--they would blush on account of   
the shameful sins which their confessors
 have committed--they would weep over   
the irreparable loss of their           
purity--they would promise before ,god  
and men that the confessional-box should
 never see them any more--they would    
prefer to be burned alive1 if any       
sentiment of honesty and charity        
remained in them1 rather than consent to
 be a cause of constant temptation and  
damnable sin to that man4  ,would that  
respectable lady go any more to confess 
to that man if1 after her confession1   
she could hear him lamenting the        
continual1 shameful temptations which   
assail him day and night1 and the       
damning sins which he has committed on  
account of what she has confessed to    
him8 ,no--a thousand times no6  ,would  
that honest father allow his beloved    
daughter to go any more to that man to  
confess if he could hear his cries of   
distress1 and see his tears flowing     

because the hearing of those confessions
 is the source of constant1 shameful    
temptations and degrading iniquities8   
,oh6 would to ,god that the honest      
,romanists all over the world--for there
 are millions who1 though deluded1 are  
honest--could see what is going on in   
the heart1 the imagination of the poor  
confessor when he is1 there1 surrounded 
by attractive women1 and tempting girls1
 speaking to him from morning to night  
on things which a man cannot hear       
without falling6 ,then that modern but  
grand imposture called the ,sacrament of
 ,penance would soon be ended4  ,but    
here1 again1 who will not lament the    
consequence of the total perversity of  
our human nature8 ,those very same      
priests who1 when alone in the presence 
of ,god1 speak so plainly of the        
constant temptations by which they are  
assailed1 and who so sincerely weep over
 the irreparable loss of their virtue of
 purity1 when they think that nobody    
hears them1 will yet in public deny with

 a brazen face those temptations4 ,they 
will indignantly rebuke you as a        
slanderer if you say anything to lead   
them to suppose that you fear for their 
purity when they hear the confessions of
 girls or married women4 ,there is not a
 single one of the ,roman ,catholic     
authors who have written on that subject
 for the priests1 who has not deplored  
their innumerable and degrading sins    
against purity on account of the        
auricular confession2 but those very men
 will be the first to try to prove the  
very contrary when they write books for 
the people4 ,i have no words to say what
 was my surprise when1 for the first    
time1 ,i saw that this strange duplicity
 seemed to be one of the fundamental    
stones of my ,church4  ,it was not very 
long after my ordination1 when a priest 
came to me to confess the most          
deplorable things4 ,he honestly told me 
that there was not a single one of the  
girls or married women whom he had      
confessed who had not been a secret     

cause of the most shameful sins in      
thoughts1 desires1 or actions2 but he   
wept so bitterly over his degradation1  
his heart seemed so sincerely broken on 
account of his own iniquities1 that ,i  
could not refrain from mixing my tears  
with his4 ,i wept with him1 and ,i gave 
him the pardon of all his sins1 as ,i   
thought1 then1 ,i had the power and     
right to give it4  ,two hours           
afterwards1 that same priest1 who was a 
good speaker1 was in the pulpit4 ,his   
sermon was on ,the ,divinity of         
,auricular ,confession2 and1 to prove   
that it was an institution coming       
directly from ,christ1 he said that the 
,son of ,god was making a constant      
miracle to strengthen ,his priests1 and 
prevent them from falling into sins1 on 
account of what they might have heard in
 the confessional6  ,the daily          
abominations1 which are the result of   
auricular confession1 are so horrible   
and so well known by the popes1 the     
bishops1 and the priests1 that several  

times1 public attempts have been made to
 diminish them by punishing the guilty  
priests2 but all these have failed4     
,one of the most remarkable of those    
efforts was made by ,pius ,,iv4 about   
the year #aejj4 ,a ,bull was published  
by him1 by which all the girls and the  
married women who had been seduced into 
sins by their confessors were ordered to
 denounce them2 and a certain number of 
high church officers of the ,holy       
,inquisition were authorized to take the
 depositions of the fallen penitents4   
,the thing was at first tried at        
,seville1 one of the principal cities of
 ,spain4 ,when the edict was first      
published the number of women who felt  
bound in conscience to go and depose    
against their father confessors was so  
great that1 though there were thirty    
notaries and as many inquisitors to take
 the depositions1 they were unable to do
 the work in the appointed time4 ,thirty
 days more were given1 but the          
inquisitors were so overwhelmed with the

 numberless depositions that another    
period of time of the same length was   
given4 ,but this1 again1 was found      
insufficient4 ,at the end1 it was found 
that the number of priests who had      
destroyed the purity of their penitents 
was so great that it was impossible to  
punish them all4 ,the inquest was given 
up1 and the guilty confessors remained  
unpunished4 ,several attempts of the    
same nature have been tried by other    
popes1 but with about the same success4 
,but if those honest attempts1 on the   
part of some well-meaning popes1 to     
punish the confessors who destroy the   
purity of their penitents1 have failed  
to touch the guilty parties1 they are1  
in the good providence of ,god1         
infallible witnesses to tell to the     
world that auricular confession is      
nothing else than a snare to the        
confessor and his dupes4 ,yes1 those    
,bulls of the popes are an irrefragable 
testimony that auricular confession is  
the most powerful invention of the devil

 to corrupt the heart1 pollute the body1
 and damn the soul of the priest and his
 female penitent6         99       99   
99       99       99  ,,chapter ,,iv4   
,,how ,,the ,,vow ,,of ,,celibacy ,,of  
,,the ,,priests ,,is ,,made ,,easy ,,by 
,,auricular ,,confession4         99    
99       99       99       99  ,are not 
facts the best arguments8 ,well1 here is
 an undeniable1 a public fact1 which is 
connected with a thousand collateral    
ones to prove that auricular confession 
is the most powerful engine of          
demoralization which the world has ever 
seen4  ,about the year #ahc--1 there was
 in ,quebec a fine-looking young priest2
 he had a magnificent voice1 and was a  
pretty good speaker4#d ,through regard  
for his family1 which is still numerous 
and respectable1 ,i will not give his   
name1 ,i will call him ,rev4 ,mr4       
,d----4 ,having been invited to preach  
in a parish of ,canada1 about #ajj miles
 distant from ,quebec1 called           
,vercheres1 he was also requested to    

hear the confessions during a few days  
of a kind of ,novena 7nine days of      
prayer71 which was going on in that     
place4 ,among his penitents was a       
beautiful young girl1 about nineteen    
years old4 ,she wanted to make a general
 confession of all her sins from the    
first age of reason1 and the confessor  
granted her request4 ,twice every day   
she was there1 at the feet of her       
handsome young spiritual physician1     
telling all her thoughts1 her deeds1 her
 desires4 ,sometimes she was remarked to
 have remained a whole hour in the      
confessional-box1 in accusing herself of
 all her human frailties4 ,what did she 
say8 ,god only knows2 but what became   
hereafter known by the entire of ,canada
 is that the confessor fell in love with
 his fair penitent1 and that she burned 
with the same irresistible fires for her
 confessor1 as it so often happens4  ,it
 was not an easy matter for the priest  
and the young girl to meet each other in
 as complete a tete-a-tete as they both 

wished1 for there were too many eyes    
upon them4 ,but the confessor was a man 
of resources4 ,the last day of the      
,novena he said to his beloved penitent1
 ,i am going to ,montreal1 but three    
days after ,i will take the steamer back
 to ,quebec4 ,that steamer is accustomed
 to stop here4 ,at about twelve a4m41 be
 on the wharf1 dressed as a young man4  
,let no one know your secret4 ,you will 
embark in the steamboat1 where you will 
not be known1 if you have any prudence4 
,you will come to ,quebec1 where you    
will be engaged as a servant-boy by the 
curate1 of whom ,i am the vicar4 ,nobody
 will know your sex except myself1 and  
we will there be happy together4  ,the  
fifth day after this there was a great  
desolation in the family of the girl1   
for she had suddenly disappeared and her
 robes had been found on the shores of  
the ,st4 ,lawrence river4 ,there was not
 the least doubt in the minds of all    
relations and friends1 that the general 
confession she had made had entirely    

upset her mind1 and1 in an excess of    
craziness1 she had thrown herself into  
the deep and rapid waters of the ,st4   
,lawrence4 ,many searches were made to  
find her body1 but all in vain2 many    
public and private prayers were offered 
to ,god to help her to escape from the  
flames of ,purgatory1 where she might be
 condemned to suffer for many years1 and
 much money was given to the priest to  
sing high masses1 in order to extinguish
 the fires of that burning prison1 where
 every ,roman ,catholic believes he must
 go to be purified before entering the  
regions of eternal happiness4  ,i will  
not give the name of the girl1 though ,i
 have it1 through compassion for her    
family2 ,i will call her ,geneva4       
,well1 when father and mother1 brothers1
 sisters1 and friends were shedding     
tears on the sad end of ,geneva1 she was
 in the rich parsonage of the ,curate of
 ,quebec1 well paid1 well fed and       
dressed2 happy and cheerful with her    
beloved confessor4 ,she was exceedingly 

neat in her person1 always obliging1    
ready to run and do what you wanted at  
the very twinkling of your eye4 ,her new
 name was ,joseph1 by which ,i will now 
call her4  ,many times ,i have seen the 
smart ,joseph at the parsonage of       
,quebec1 and admired his politeness and 
good manners2 though it seemed to me    
sometimes that he looked too much like a
 girl1 and that he was a little too much
 at ease with ,rev4 ,mr4 ,d----1 and    
also with the ,right ,rev4 ,m----4 ,but 
every time the idea came to me that     
,joseph was a girl1 ,i felt indignant   
with myself4 ,the high respect ,i had   
for the ,coadjutor ,bishop made it      
impossible to think that he would ever  
allow a beautiful girl to sleep in the  
adjoining room to his own1 and to serve 
him day and night2 for ,joseph's        
sleeping-room was just by the one of the
 ,coadjutor1 who1 for several bodily    
infirmities1 which were not a secret to 
every one1 wanted the help of his       
servant several times at night1 as well 

as during the day4  ,things went on very
 smoothly with ,joseph during two or    
three years in the ,coadjutor ,bishop's 
house2 but at the end it seemed to many 
people outside that ,joseph was taking  
too great airs of familiarity with the  
young vicars1 and even with the         
venerable ,coadjutor4 ,several of the   
citizens of ,quebec1 who were going more
 often than others to the parsonage1    
were surprised and shocked at the       
familiarity of that servant-boy with his
 masters2 he really seemed sometimes to 
be on equal terms with1 if not somewhat 
above them4  ,an intimate friend of the 
,bishop1 a most devoted ,roman          
,catholic1 who was my near relative1    
took one day upon himself to            
respectfully say to the ,right ,rev4    
,bishop that it would be prudent to turn
 out that impudent young man from his   
palace2 that he was the object of strong
 and deplorable suspicions4  ,the       
position of the ,right ,rev4 ,bishop and
 his vicars was not a very agreeable    

one4 ,their barque had evidently drifted
 among dangerous rocks4 ,to keep ,joseph
 among them was impossible1 after the   
friendly advice which had come from such
 a high quarter1 and to dismiss him was 
not less dangerous2 he knew too much of 
the interior and secret lives of all    
those holy 787 celibates to deal with   
him as with another common servant-man4 
,with a single word of his lips he could
 destroy them2 they were as if tied to  
his feet by ropes1 which at first seemed
 made with sweet cakes and ice-cream1   
but had suddenly turned into burning    
steel chains4 ,several days of anxiety  
passed away2 many sleepless nights      
succeeded the too-happy ones of better  
times4 ,but what to do8 ,there were     
breakers ahead2 breakers on the right1  
on the left1 and on every side4 ,but    
when every one1 particularly the        
venerable 787 ,coadjutor1 felt as       
criminals who expect their sentence1 and
 that their horizon seemed surrounded   
absolutely by only dark and stormy      

clouds1 on a sudden1 a happy opening    
presented itself to the anxious sailors4
  ,the curate of ,les ,eboulements1 the 
,rev4 ,mr4 ----1 had just come to       
,quebec on some private business1 and   
had taken his quarters in the hospitable
 house of his old friend1 the ,right    
,rev4 ----1 ,bishop ,coadjutor4 ,both   
had been on very intimate terms for many
 years1 and1 in many instances1 they had
 been of great service to each other4   
,the ,pontiff of the ,church of ,canada1
 hoping that his tried friend would     
perhaps help him out of the terrible    
difficulty of the moment1 frankly told  
him all about ,joseph1 and asked him    
what he ought to do under such difficult
 circumstances4  ,my ,lord1 said the    
curate of the ,eboulements1 ,joseph is  
just the servant ,i want4 ,pay him well1
 that he may remain your friend1 and    
that his lips may be sealed1 and allow  
me to take him with me4 ,my housekeeper 
left me a few weeks ago2 ,i am alone in 
my parsonage with my old servant-man4   

,joseph is just the person ,i want4  ,it
 would be difficult to tell the joy of  
the poor ,bishop and his vicars1 when   
they saw that heavy stone they had on   
their neck removed4  ,joseph1 once      
installed into the parsonage of the     
pious 787 parish priest of the          
,eboulements1 soon gained the favour of 
the whole people by his good and winning
 manners1 and every parishioner         
complimented his curate on the smartness
 of his new servant4 ,but the priest1 of
 course1 knew a little more of that     
smartness than the rest of the people4  
,three years passed on very smoothly4   
,the priest and his servant seemed to be
 on the most perfect terms4 ,the only   
thing which marred the happiness of that
 lucky couple was that1 now and then1   
some of the farmers1 whose eyes were    
sharper than those of their neighbours1 
seemed to think that the intimacy       
between the two was going a little too  
far1 and that ,joseph1 was really       
keeping in his hands the sceptre of the 

little priestly kingdom4 ,nothing could 
be done without his advice2 he was      
meddling in all the small and big       
affairs of the parish1 and the curate   
seemed sometimes to be rather the       
servant than the master in his own house
 and parish4 ,those who had at first    
made those remarks privately began      
little by little to convey their views  
to the next neighbour1 and this one to  
the next4 ,in that way1 at the end of   
the third year1 grave and serious       
suspicions began to spread from one to  
the other in such a way that the        
,marguilliers 7a kind of ,elders7       
thought proper to say to the priest that
 it would be better for him to turn     
,joseph out than to keep him any longer4
 ,but the old curate had passed so many 
happy hours with his faithful ,joseph   
that it was as hard as death to give him
 up4  ,he knew1 by confession1 that a   
girl in the vicinity was given to an    
unmentionable abomination1 to which     
,joseph was also addicted4 ,he went to  

her and proposed that she should marry  
,joseph1 and that he 7the priest7 would 
help them to live comfortably4 ,joseph1 
in order to continue to live near his   
good master1 consented also to marry    
that girl4 ,both knew very well what the
 other was4 ,the banns were published   
during three ,sabbaths1 after which the 
old curate1 blessed the marriage of     
,joseph with the girl his parishioner4  
,they lived together as husband and wife
 in such harmony that nobody could      
suspect the horrible depravity which was
 concealed behind that union4 ,joseph   
continued with his wife to work often   
for his priest1 till after sometime that
 priest was removed1 and another curate1
 called ,tetreau1 was sent in his place4
  ,this new curate1 knowing absolutely  
nothing of that mystery of iniquity1    
employed also ,joseph and his wife      
several times4 ,one day when ,joseph was
 working at the door of the parsonage1  
in the presence of several people1 a    
stranger arrived1 and inquired of him if

 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tetreau1 the curate1   
was there4  ,joseph answered1 ,yes1 sir4
 ,but as you seem to be a stranger1     
would you allow me to ask you whence you
 come8  ,it is very easy1 sir1 to       
satisfy you4 ,i come from ,vercheres1   
replied the stranger4  ,at the word     
,vercheres ,joseph turned so pale that  
the stranger could not be but struck    
with his sudden change of colour4       
,then1 fixing his eyes on ,joseph1 he   
cried out1 ,oh1 my ,god6 what do ,i see 
here8 ,geneva6 ,geneva6 ,i recognize    
you1 and here you are in the disguise of
 a man6  ,dear uncle 7for it was her    
uncle71 for ,god's sake1 she cried1 do  
not say a word more6  ,but it was too   
late4 ,the people who were there had    
heard the uncle and niece4 ,their long  
secret suspicions were well-founded--one
 of their former priests had kept a girl
 under the disguise of a man in his     
house6 and1 to blind his people more    
thoroughly1 he had married that girl to 
another one1 in order to have them both 

in his house1 when he pleased1 without  
awakening any suspicion66  ,the news    
went almost as quick as lightning from  
one end to the other of the parish1 and 
spread all over the northern country    
watered by the ,st ,lawrence river4  ,it
 is more easy to imagine than express   
the sentiments of surprise and horror   
which filled every one4 ,the justices of
 the peace took up the matter2 ,joseph  
was brought before the civil tribunal1  
which decided that a physician should be
 charged to make1 not a post-mortem1 but
 ante-mortem inquest4 ,the ,honourable  
,l----1 who was called and made the     
proper inquiry1 declared upon oath that 
,joseph was a girl6 and the bonds of    
marriage were legally dissolved4        
,during that time the honest ,rev4 ,mr4 
,tetreau1 struck with horror1 had sent  
an express to the ,right ,reverend      
,bishop ,coadjutor of ,quebec1 informing
 him that the young man whom he had kept
 in his house several years1 under the  
name of ,joseph1 was a girl4  ,now1 what

 were they to do with the girl1 after   
all was discovered8 ,her presence in    
,canada would for ever compromise the   
holy 787 ,church of ,rome4 ,she knew too
 well how the priests1 through the      
confessional1 select their victims1 and 
help themselves1 in their company1 in   
keeping their solemn vows of celibacy6  
,what would have become of the respect  
paid to the priest1 if she had been     
taken by the hand and invited to speak1 
bravely1 boldly1 before the people of   
,canada8  ,the holy 787 ,bishop and his 
vicars understood these things very     
well4  ,they immediately sent a         
trustworthy man with ,l#ejj to say to   
the girl that1 if she remained in       
,canada1 she could be prosecuted and    
severely punished2 that it was her      
interest to leave the country1 and      
emigrate to the ,united ,states4 ,they  
offered her the ,l#ejj if she would     
promise to go and never return4  ,she   
accepted the offer1 crossed the lines1  
and we have never since heard anything  

of her4  ,in the providence of ,god1 ,i 
was invited to preach in that parish    
soon after1 and ,i learned these facts  
accurately4  ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tetreau1  
under whose pastorate this great        
iniquity was detected1 began from that  
time to have his eyes opened to the     
awful depravity of the priests of ,rome 
through the confessional4 ,he wept and  
cried over his own degradation in the   
midst of that modern ,sodom4 ,our       
merciful ,god looked down with          
compassion upon him1 and sent him ,his  
saving grace4 ,not long after1 he sent  
to the ,bishop his renunciation of the  
errors and abominations of ,romanism4   
,to-day he is working in the vineyard of
 the ,lord with the ,methodists in the  
city of ,montreal1 where he is ready to 
prove the correctness of what we say4   
,let those who have ears to hear1 and   
eyes to see1 understand1 by this fact1  
that ,pagan nations have not known any  
institution so depraving as ,auricular  
,confession6         99       99        

99       99       99  ,,chapter ,v4     
,,the ,,highly ,,educated ,,and         
,,refined ,,woman ,,in ,,the            
,,confessional4--,,what ,,becomes ,,of  
,,her ,,after ,,her ,,unconditional     
,,surrender4--,,her ,,irreparable       
,,ruin4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,the most skilful warrior  
has never had to display so much skill  
and so many ruses de guerre2 he has     
never had to use more tremendous efforts
 to reduce and storm an impregnable     
citadel1 as the confessor who wants to  
reduce and storm the citadel of         
self-respect and honesty which ,god     
,himself has built around the soul and  
the heart of every daughter of ,eve4    
,but1 as it is through woman that the   
,pope wants to conquer the world1 it is 
supremely important that he should      
enslave and degrade her by keeping her  
at his feet as his footstool1 that she  
may become a passive instrument in the  
accomplishment of his vast and profound 
scheme4  ,in order perfectly to master  

women in the higher circles of society1 
every confessor is ordered by the ,pope 
to learn the most complicated and       
perfect strategy4 ,he has to study a    
great number of treatises on the art of 
persuading the fair sex to confess to   
him plainly1 clearly1 and in detail1    
every thought1 every secret desire1     
word1 and deed1 just as they occurred4  
,and that art is considered so important
 and so difficult that all the          
theologians of ,rome call it the art of 
arts4  ,dens1 ,st4 ,liguori1 ,chevassu1 
the author of the ,mirror of the        
,clergy1 ,debreyne1 and a multitude of  
authors too numerous to mention1 have   
given the curious and scientific rules  
of that secret art4  ,they all agree in 
declaring that it is a most difficult   
and dangerous art2 they all confess that
 the least error of judgment1 the least 
imprudence or temerity1 when storming   
the impregnable citadel1 is sure death  
7spiritual1 of course7 to the confessor 
and the penitent4  ,the confessor is    

taught to make the first steps towards  
the citadel with the utmost caution1 in 
order that his female penitent may not  
suspect at first what he wants her to   
reveal2 for this would generally induce 
her to shut for ever the door of the    
fortress against him4 ,after the first  
steps of advance1 he is advised to make 
several steps back1 and to put himself  
in a kind of spiritual ambuscade1 to see
 the effect of his first advance4 ,if   
there is any prospect of success1 then  
the word ,march on6 is given1 and a more
 advanced post of the citadel must be   
tried and stormed if possible4 ,in that 
way1 little by little1 the whole place  
is so well surrounded1 so well crippled1
 denuded1 and dismantled1 that any more 
resistance seems impossible on the part 
of the rebellious soul4  ,then the last 
charge is ordered1 the final assault is 
given2 and if ,god does not perform a   
real miracle to save that soul1 the last
 walls crumble1 the doors are beaten    
down6 ,then the confessor makes a       

triumphant entry into the place2 the    
very heart1 soul1 conscience1 and       
intelligence1 are conquered4  ,when once
 master of the place1 the priest visits 
all its most secret recesses and        
corners2 he pries into its most sacred  
chambers4 ,the conquered place is       
entirely1 absolutely in his hands2 he   
does what he pleases within its         
precincts2 he is the supreme master1 for
 the surrender has been unconditional4  
,the confessor has become the only      
infallible ruler in the conquered       
place--nay1 he has become its only      
,god--for it is in the name of ,god that
 he has besieged1 stormed1 and conquered
 it1 it is in the name of ,god that1    
hereafter1 he will speak and be obeyed4 
,no human words can adequately give an  
idea of the irreparable ruin which      
follows the successful storming and     
unconditional surrender of the once so  
noble fortress4 ,the longer the         
resistance has been1 the more terrible  
and complete is the destruction of its  

beauty and strength2 the nobler the     
struggle has been the more irretrievable
 are the ruin and loss4 ,just as the    
higher and stronger the dam is built to 
stem the current of the rapid and deep  
waters of the river1 the more awful the 
disasters which follow its destruction1 
so it is with that noble soul4 ,a mighty
 dam has been built by the very hand of 
,god1 called self-respect and womanly   
modesty1 to guard her against the       
pollutions of this sinful world2 but the
 day that the priest of ,rome succeeds1 
after long efforts1 in destroying it1   
the soul is carried by an irresistible  
power into unfathomable abysses of      
iniquity4 ,then it is that the once most
 respectable lady will consent to hear1 
without a blush1 things against which   
the most degraded woman would           
indignantly shut her ears4 ,then it is  
that she freely speaks on matters for   
repeating which a printer in ,england   
has lately been sent to jail4  ,at      
first1 in spite of herself1 but soon    

with a real sensual pleasure1 that      
fallen angel will think1 when alone1 on 
what she has heard and what she has said
 in the confessional-box4 ,in spite of  
herself1 the vilest thoughts will at    
first irresistibly fill her mind2 and   
soon the thoughts will engender         
temptations and sins4 ,but those vile   
temptations and sins1 which would have  
filled her with horror and regret before
 her entire surrender into the hands of 
the foe1 beget very different sentiments
 now that she is no more her own        
self-possessor and guide1 under the eyes
 of ,god4 ,the conviction of her sins is
 no more connected with the thought of a
 ,god1 infinitely holy and just1 whom   
she must serve and fear4 ,the conviction
 of her sins is now immediately         
connected with the thought of the man   
with whom she will have to speak1 and   
who will easily make everything right   
and pure in her soul by his absolution4 
,when the day of going to confess comes1
 instead of being sad and uneasy and    

bashful1 as she used to be formerly1 she
 feels pleased and delighted to have a  
new opportunity of conversing on those  
matters1 without impropriety and sin to 
herself2 for she is now fully persuaded 
that there is no impropriety1 no shame1 
no sin1 nay1 she believes1 or tries to  
believe1 that it is a good1 honest1     
,christian1 and godly thing to converse 
with her priest on those matters4  ,her 
most happy hours are when she is at the 
feet of that spiritual physician showing
 him all the newly made wounds of her   
soul2 explaining all her constant       
temptations1 her bad thoughts1 her most 
intimate secret desires and sins4  ,then
 it is that the most sacred mysteries of
 the married life are revealed2 then it 
is that the mysterious and precious     
pearls which ,god has given as a crown  
of mercy to those whom ,he has made one 
body1 one heart1 one soul1 by the       
blessed ties of a christian union1 are  
lavishly thrown before swine4  ,whole   
hours are thus passed by the fair       

penitent in speaking to her ,father     
,confessor with the utmost freedom on   
matters which would rank her among the  
most profligate and lost women1 if it   
were only suspected by her friends and  
relatives4 ,a single word of those      
intimate conversations would be followed
 by an act of divorce on the part of the
 husband1 if it were known by him4  ,but
 the betrayed husband knows nothing of  
the dark mysteries of auricular         
confession2 the duped father suspects   
nothing2 a cloud from hell has obscured 
the intelligence of both1 and made them 
blind4 ,it is just the contrary3        
husbands and fathers1 friends and       
relations1 feel edified and pleased with
 the touching spectacle of the piety of 
,madam and ,miss ----4 ,in the village1 
as well as in the city1 every one has a 
word to speak in their praise4 ,mrs4    
---- is so often seen humbly prostrated 
at the feet1 or by the side1 of her     
confessor6 ,miss ---- remains so long in
 the confessional-box6 they receive the 

holy communion so frequently2 they both 
speak so eloquently and so often of the 
admirable piety1 modesty1 holiness1     
patience1 charity1 of their incomparable
 spiritual ,father6  ,every one         
congratulates them on their new and     
exemplary life2 and they accept the     
compliment with the utmost humility1    
attributing their rapid progress in     
,christian virtues to the holiness of   
their confessor4 ,he is such a spiritual
 man6 who could not make rapid strides  
under such a holy guide8  ,the more     
constant the temptations are1 the more  
the secret sins overwhelm the soul1 and 
the more airs of peace and holiness are 
put on4 ,the more foul the secret       
emanations of the heart1 the more the   
fair and refined penitent surrounds     
herself by an atmosphere of the sweetest
 perfumes of a sham piety4 ,the more    
polluted the inside of the sepulchre is1
 the more shining and white the outside 
will be kept4  ,then it is that1 unless 
,god performs a miracle to prevent it1  

the ruin of that soul is sealed4 ,she   
has drunk in the poisonous cup filled by
 the mother of harlots1 and she has     
found the wine of her prostitution      
sweet4 ,she will henceforth delight in  
her spiritual and secret orgies4  ,her  
holy 787 confessor has told her that    
there is no impropriety1 no shame1 no   
sin1 in that cup4 ,the ,pope has        
sacrilegiously written the word ,life on
 that cup of ,death4 ,she has believed  
the ,pope3 the terrible mystery of      
iniquity is accomplished6  ,the mystery 
of iniquity doth already work 444 whose 
coming is after the working of ,satan   
with all power and signs and lying      
wonders1 and with all deceivableness of 
unrighteousness in them that perish1    
because they received not the love of   
the truth1 that they might be saved4    
,and for this cause ,god shall send them
 strong delusion1 that they should      
believe a lie3 that they all might be   
damned who believed not the truth1 but  
had pleasure in unrighteousness 7#b     

,thess4 ii4 #g-ab74  ,yes3 the day that 
the rich1 well-educated lady gives up   
her self-respect1 and unconditionally   
surrenders the citadel of womanly       
modesty into the hands of a man1        
whatever be his name or titles1 that he 
may freely put to her questions of the  
vilest character which she must answer1 
she is lost and degraded1 just as if she
 were the humblest and poorest          
servant-girl4  ,i purposely say the rich
 and well-educated woman1 for ,i know   
that there is a prevalent opinion that  
the social position of her class places 
her above the corrupting influences of  
the confessional1 as if she were out of 
reach of the common miseries of our poor
 fallen and sinful nature4  ,so long as 
the well-educated lady makes use of her 
accomplishments to defend the citadel of
 her womanly self-respect against the   
foe--so long as she sternly keeps the   
door of her heart shut against her      
deadly enemy--she is safe4 ,but let no  
one forget this3 she is safe only so    

long as she does not surrender4 ,when   
the enemy is once master of the place1  
,i emphatically repeat1 the ruinous     
consequences are as great1 if not       
greater1 and more irreparable than in   
the lowest classes of society4 ,throw a 
piece of precious gold into the mud1 and
 tell me if it will not plunge deeper   
than the piece of rotten wood4  ,what   
woman could be nobler1 purer1 and       
stronger than ,eve when she came from   
the hands of her ,divine ,creator8 ,but 
how quickly she fell when she gave ear  
to the seducing voice of the tempter6   
,how irreparable was her ruin when she  
complacently looked on the forbidden    
fruit1 and believed the lying voice     
which told her there was no sin in      
eating of it6  ,i solemnly1 in the      
presence of the great ,god who ere long 
will judge me1 give my testimony on this
 grave subject4 ,after #be years'       
experience in the confessional1 ,i      
declare that the confessor himself      
encounters more terrible dangers when   

hearing the confessions of refined and  
highly-educated ladies1 than when       
listening to those of the humbler       
classes of his female penitents4  ,i    
solemnly testify that the well-educated 
lady1 when she has once surrendered     
herself to the power of her confessor1  
becomes1 as a general rule1 at least as 
vulnerable to the arrows of the enemy as
 the poorer and less educated4 ,nay1 ,i 
must say that1 once on the down-hill    
road of perdition1 the high-bred lady   
runs headlong into the pit with a more  
deplorable rapidity than her humbler    
sister4  ,all ,canada is witness that a 
few years ago it was among the highest  
ranks of society that the ,grand ,vicar 
,superior of one of the richest and most
 influential colleges of ,canada1 was   
choosing his victims1 when the public   
cry of indignation and shame forced the 
,bishop to send him back to ,europe1    
where he soon after died4 ,was it not   
also among the higher classes of society
 that a ,superior of the ,seminary of   

,quebec was destroying souls1 when he   
was detected1 and forced1 during a dark 
night1 to fly and conceal himself behind
 the walls of the ,trappist ,monastery  
of ,iowa8  ,many would be the folio     
volumes which ,i should have to write1  
were ,i to publish all that my          
twenty-five years' experience in the    
confessional has taught me of the       
unspeakable secret corruption of the    
greatest part of the so-called          
respectable ladies who have             
unconditionally surrendered themselves  
into the hands of their holy 787        
confessors4 ,but the following fact will
 suffice for those who have eyes to see1
 ears to hear1 and an intelligence to   
understand4  ,in one of the most        
beautiful and thriving towns along the  
,st4 ,lawrence ,river lived a rich      
merchant4 ,he was young1 and his        
marriage with a most lovely1 rich1 and  
accomplished young lady had made him one
 of the happiest men in the land4  ,a   
few years after his marriage1 the       

,bishop appointed to that town a young  
priest1 really remarkable for his       
eloquence1 zeal1 and amiable qualities1 
and the merchant and the priest soon    
became connected by links of the most   
sincere friendship4  ,the young1        
accomplished wife of the merchant soon  
became the model woman of the place1    
under the direction of her new          
confessor4  ,many and long were the     
hours she used to pass by the side of   
her spiritual ,father1 to be purified   
and enlightened by his godly advices4   
,she soon was seen at the head of the   
few who had the privilege of receiving  
the holy communion once a week4 ,the    
husband1 who was a good ,roman ,catholic
 himself1 blessed ,god and the ,virgin  
,mary that he had the privilege of      
living with such an angel of piety4     
,nobody had the least suspicion of what 
was going on under that holy and white  
mantle of the most exalted piety4       
,nobody1 except ,god and ,his angels1   
could hear the questions put by the     

priest to his fair pentitent1 and the   
answers made during the long hours of   
their tete-a-tete1 in the               
confessional-box4 ,nobody but ,god could
 see the hellish fires which were       
devouring the hearts of the confessor   
and his victim6 ,for nearly one year1   
both the young priest and his spiritual 
patient enjoyed1 in those intimate and  
private secret conversations1 all the   
pleasures which lovers feel1 when they  
can speak freely to each other of their 
secret thoughts and love4  ,but this was
 not enough for them4 ,they both wanted 
something more real1 though the         
difficulties were great and seemed even 
insurmountable4 ,the priest had his     
mother and sister with him1 whose eyes  
were too sharp to allow him to invite   
the lady to his own house for any       
criminal object1 and the young husband  
had no business at a distance which     
could keep him long enough out of his   
happy home to allow the ,pope's         
confessor to accomplish his diabolical  

designs4  ,but when a poor fallen       
daughter of ,eve has a mind to do a     
thing1 she very soon finds the means1   
particularly if high education has added
 to her natural shrewdness4  ,and in    
this case1 as in many others of a       
similar nature which have been revealed 
to me1 she soon found how to attain her 
object without compromising herself or  
her holy 787 confessor4 ,a plan was soon
 found1 and cordially agreed to1 and    
both patiently awaited their            
opportunity4  ,why have you not gone to 
mass to-day and received the holy       
communion1 my dear8 said the husband3 ,i
 had ordered the servant-man to put the 
horse in the buggy for you as usual4  ,i
 am not very well1 my beloved2 ,i have  
passed a sleepless night from head-ache4
  ,i will send for the physician1       
replied the husband4  ,yes1 my dear2 do 
send for the physician--perhaps he will 
do me good4  ,one hour after1 the       
physician called4 ,he found his fair    
patient a little feverish1 pronounced   

that there was nothing serious1 and that
 she would soon be well4 ,he gave her a 
little powder1 to be taken three times a
 day1 and left2 but at nine p4m41 she   
complained of a great pain in the chest1
 and soon fainted and fell on the floor4
  ,the doctor was again immediately sent
 for1 but he was from home3 it took     
nearly half an hour before he could     
come4 ,when he arrived the alarming     
crisis was over--she was sitting in an  
arm-chair1 with some neighbouring women1
 who were applying cold water and       
vinegar to her forehead4  ,the physician
 was really at a loss what to say of the
 cause of such a sudden illness4 ,at    
last he said that it might be an attack 
of the ver solitaire 7tape-worm74 ,he   
declared that it was not dangerous2 that
 he knew how to cure her4 ,he ordered   
some new powder to be taken1 and left1  
after having promised to return the next
 day4 ,half an hour after she began to  
complain of a most terrible pain in her 
chest1 and fainted again2 but before    

doing so she said to her husband1--  ,my
 dear1 you see that the physician       
understands absolutely nothing of the   
nature of my disease4 ,i have not the   
least confidence in him1 for ,i feel    
that his powders make me worse4 ,i do   
not want to see him any more4 ,i suffer 
more than you suspect1 my beloved2 and  
if there is not soon a change ,i may be 
dead tomorrow4 ,the only physician ,i   
want is our holy confessor2 please make 
haste to go and get him4 ,i want to make
 a general confession1 and to receive   
the holy viaticum 7communion7 and       
extreme unction before ,i grow worse4   
,beside himself with anxiety1 the       
distracted husband ordered the horse to 
be put in the buggy1 and made his       
servant accompany him on horseback1 to  
ring the bell1 while his pastor carried 
the good god 7,le ,bon ,dieu7 to his    
dear sick wife4  ,he found the priest   
piously reading his breviarium 7his book
 of daily prayers72 and admired the     
charity and promptitude with which his  

good pastor1 in that dark and chilly    
night1 was ready to leave his warm and  
comfortable parsonage at the first      
appeal of the sick4 ,in less than an    
hour the husband had taken the priest   
with the good god from the church to the
 bedroom of his wife4  ,all along the   
way the servant-man had rung a big      
hand-bell to awaken the sleeping        
farmers1 who1 at the noise1 had to jump1
 half naked out of their beds and       
worship1 on their knees1 with their     
faces prostrate in the dust1 the good   
god which was being carried to the sick4
  ,on his arrival1 the confessor1 with  
every appearance of sincere piety1      
deposited the good god 7,le ,bon ,dieu7 
on a table1 richly prepared for such a  
solemn occasion1 and1 approaching the   
bed1 leaned his head towards his        
penitent1 and inquired how she felt4    
,she answered him1 ,i am very sick1 and 
want to make a general confession before
 ,i die4  ,speaking to her husband1 she 
said with a fainting voice1 ,please1 my 

dear1 tell my friends to withdraw from  
the room1 that ,i may not be distracted 
when making what may be my last         
confession4  ,the husband respectfully  
requested the friends to leave the room 
with him1 and shut the door1 that the   
holy confessor might be alone with his  
penitent during her general confession4 
,one of the most diabolical schemes     
under the cover of auricular confession 
had perfectly succeeded4 ,the mother of 
harlots1 that great enchantress of      
souls1 whose seat is on the city of the 
seven hills1 had1 there1 her priest to  
bring shame1 disgrace1 and damnation1   
under the mask of ,christianity4  ,the  
destroyer of souls1 whose masterpiece is
 auricular confession1 had there1 for   
the millionth time1 a fresh opportunity 
of insulting the ,god of purity1 through
 one of the most criminal actions which 
the dark shades of night can conceal4   
,but let us draw the veil over the      
abominations of that hour of iniquity1  
and let us leave to hell its dark       

secrets4  ,after he had accomplished the
 ruin of his victim1 and most cruelly   
and sacrilegiously abused the confidence
 of his friend1 the young priest opened 
the door of the room and said1 with a   
sanctimonious air1 ,you may enter to    
pray with me1 while ,i give the last    
sacrament to our dear sick sister4      
,they came in2 the good god 7,le ,bon   
,dieu7 was given to the woman2 and the  
husband1 full of gratitude for the      
considerate attention of his priest1    
took him back to his parsonage1 and     
thanked him most sincerely for having so
 kindly come to visit his wife in so    
chilly a night4  ,ten years later1 ,i   
was called to preach a retreat 7a kind  
of revival7 in that same parish4 ,that  
lady1 then an absolute stranger to me1  
came to my confessional-box and         
confessed to me those details as ,i now 
give them4 ,she seemed to be really     
penitent1 and ,i gave her absolution and
 the entire pardon of her sins1 as my   
,church told me to do4 ,on the last day 

of the revival1 the merchant invited me 
to a grand dinner4 ,then it was that ,i 
came to know who my penitent had been4  
,i must not forget to mention that she  
had confessed to me that1 of her four   
children1 the last three belonged to her
 confessor6 ,he had lost his mother1    
and1 his sister having married1 his     
parsonage had become more accessible to 
his fair penitents1 many of whom had    
availed themselves of that opportunity  
to practise the lessons they had learned
 in the confessional4 ,the priest had   
been removed to a higher position1 where
 he1 more than ever1 enjoyed the        
confidence of his superiors1 the respect
 of the people1 and the love of his     
female penitents4  ,i never felt so     
embarrassed in my life as when at the   
table of that cruelly-victimised man4   
,we had hardly begun to take our dinner 
when he asked me if ,i had known their  
late pastor1 the amiable ,rev4 ,mr4 ----
  ,i answered1 ,yes1 sir1 ,i know him4  
,is he not a most accomplished priest8  

,yes1 sir1 he is a most accomplished    
man1 ,i answered4  ,why is it1 rejoined 
the good merchant1 that the ,bishop has 
taken him away from us8 ,he was doing so
 well here6 ,he had so deservedly earned
 the confidence of all by his piety and 
gentlemanly manners that we made every  
effort to keep him with us4 ,i drew up a
 petition myself1 which all the people  
signed1 to induce the ,bishop to let him
 remain in our midst2 but in vain4 ,his 
lordship answered us that he wanted him 
for a more important place on account of
 his rare ability1 and we had to submit4
 ,his zeal and devotedness knew no      
bounds4 ,in the darkest and most stormy 
nights he was always ready to come to   
the first call of the sick4 ,i shall    
never forget how quickly and cheerfully 
he responded to my appeal when1 a few   
years ago1 ,i went1 in the midst of one 
of our most chilly nights1 to request   
him to visit my wife1 who was very sick4
  ,at this stage of the conversation1 ,i
 must confess that ,i nearly laughed    

outright4 ,the gratitude of that poor   
dupe of the confessional to the priest  
who had come to bring shame and         
destruction to his house1 and the idea  
of that very man going himself to convey
 to his home the corrupter of his own   
wife1 seemed to me so ludicrous that1   
for a moment1 ,i had to make a          
superhuman effort to control myself4    
,but ,i was soon brought to my better   
senses by the shame which ,i felt at the
 idea of the unspeakable degradation and
 secret infamy of the clergy of which ,i
 was a member4 ,at that instant hundreds
 of cases of similar1 if not greater1   
depravity1 which had been revealed to me
 through the confessional1 came to my   
mind and distressed and disgusted me so 
much that my tongue was almost          
paralyzed4  ,after dinner the merchant  
asked his lady to call the children1    
that ,i might see them1 and ,i could not
 but admire their beauty2 but ,i do not 
need to say that the pleasure of seeing 
those dear and lovely little ones was   

much marred by the secret though sure   
knowledge ,i had that the three youngest
 were the fruits of the unspeakable     
depravity of auricular confession in the
 higher ranks of society4         99    
99       99       99       99  ,,chapter
 ,,vi4  ,,auricular ,,confession        
,,destroys ,,all ,,the ,,sacred ,,ties  
,,of ,,marriage ,,and ,,human ,,society4
         99       99       99       99  
99  ,would the banker allow his priest  
to open1 when alone1 the safe of his    
bank1 manipulate and examine his papers1
 and pry into the most secret details of
 his banking business8  ,no6 surely not4
  ,how is it1 then1 that the same banker
 allows that priest to open the heart of
 his wife1 manipulate her soul1 and pry 
into the sacred chambers of her most    
intimate and secret thoughts8  ,are not 
the heart1 the soul1 the purity1 and the
 self-respect of his wife as great and  
precious treasures as the safe of his   
bank8 ,are not the risks and dangers of 
temptations1 imprudences1 indiscretions1

 much greater and more irreparable in   
the second than in the first case8      
,would the jeweller1 or goldsmith1 allow
 his priest to come when he pleases1 and
 handle the rich articles of his stores1
 ransack the desk where his money is    
deposited1 and play with it as he       
pleases8  ,no6 surely not4  ,but are not
 the heart1 the soul1 and the purity of 
his dear wife and daughter a            
thousandfold more valuable than his     
precious stones1 or silver and gold     
wares8 ,are not the dangers of          
temptation and indiscretions1 on the    
part of the priest1 more formidable and 
irresistible in the second than in the  
first of these cases8  ,would the       
livery-man allow his priest to take his 
most valuable and unmanageable horses as
 he wishes1 and drive alone1 without any
 other consideration and security than  
the discretion of his pastor8  ,no6     
surely not4  ,that livery-man knows that
 he would soon be ruined if he should do
 so4 ,whatever may be his confidence in 

the discretion1 honesty1 and prudence of
 his priest1 he will never push his     
confidence so far as to give him the    
unreserved control of the noble and     
fiery animals which are the glory of his
 stables and the support of his family4 
,how1 then1 can the same man trust the  
entire1 absolute management of his wife 
and dear daughters to the control of    
that one to whom he would not entrust   
his horses8  ,are not his wife and      
daughters as precious to him as those   
horses8 ,is there not greater danger of 
indiscretions1 mismanagement1           
irreparable and fatal errors on the part
 of the priest1 dealing alone with the  
wife and daughters1 than when driving   
the horses8 ,no human act of folly1     
moral depravity1 and want of common     
sense1 can equal the permission given by
 a man to his wife to go and confess to 
the priest4  ,that day he abdicates the 
royal--,i had almost said               
divine--dignity of husband2 for it is   
from ,god that he holds it3 his crown is

 forever lost1 his sceptre broken6      
,what would you do to any one mean      
enough to peep or listen through the    
key-hole of your door1 in order to hear 
or see everything that was said or done 
within8 ,would you show so little       
self-respect as to tolerate such        
indiscretion8 ,would you not rather take
 a whip or a cane1 and drive away the   
villain8 ,would you not even expose your
 life to free yourself from impudent    
curiosity8  ,but what is the            
confessional1 if not the key-hole of    
your house and of your very chamber1    
through which the priest can hear and   
see your most secret words and actions1 
nay1 more1 know your most intimate      
thoughts and aspirations8  ,are you men 
to submit to such sly and insulting     
inquisition8 ,do you deserve the name of
 men who consent to put up with such    
ignoble affront and humiliation8  ,the  
husband is the head of the wife1 even as
 ,christ is the ,head of the ,church4   
,therefore1 as the ,church is subject   

unto ,christ1 so let the wives be to    
their own husbands1 in everything 7,eph4
 v47 ,if these solemn words are the true
 oracles of divine wisdom1 is not the   
husband divinely appointed the only     
adviser1 counsellor1 help of his wife1  
just as ,christ is the only adviser1    
counsellor1 and help of ,his ,church8   
,if the ,apostle was not an impostor    
when he said that the wife is to her    
husband what the body is to the head1   
and that the husband is to his wife what
 the head is to the body--is not the    
husband appointed by ,god to be the     
light1 the guide of his wife8 ,is it not
 his duty1 as well as his privilege and 
glory1 to console her in her            
afflictions1 strengthen her in her hours
 of weakness1 keep her up when she is in
 danger of fainting1 and encourage her  
when she is on the rough and uphill ways
 of life8  ,if ,christ has not come to  
deceive the world through ,his ,apostle1
 must not the wife go to her husband for
 advice8 ,ought she not to expect from  

him1 and him alone1 after ,god1 the     
light she wants and the consolation she 
is in need of8 ,is it not to her        
husband1 and to him alone1 after ,god1  
she ought to look in her days of trial  
for help8 ,is it not under his          
leadership alone she must fight the     
battle of life and conquer8 ,are not    
this mutual and daily sharing of the    
anxieties of life1 this constant        
shouldering on the battle-field1 and    
this reciprocal and mutual protection   
and help renewed at every hour of the   
day1 which form1 under the eyes and by  
the mercy of ,god1 the holiest and the  
purest charms of the married life8 ,is  
it not that unreserved confidence in    
each other which binds together those   
golden links of ,christian love that    
make them happy in the very midst of the
 trials of life8 ,is it not through this
 mutual confidence alone that they are  
one as ,god wants them to be one8 ,is it
 not in this unity of thoughts1 fears   
and hopes1 joys and love1 which come    

from ,god1 that they can cheerfully     
cross the thorny valley1 and safely     
reach the ,promised ,land8  ,the ,gospel
 says that the husband is to his wife   
what ,christ is to ,his ,church6 ,is it 
not1 then1 a most sacrilegious iniquity 
for a wife to look to another rather    
than to her own husband for such advice1
 wisdom1 strength1 and life1 as he is   
entitled1 qualified1 and ready to       
afford8 ,as no other has the right to   
her love1 so no other man has any right 
to her absolute confidence4 ,as she     
becomes an adulteress the day that she  
gives her body to another man1 is she   
any the less an adulteress1 the day that
 she gives her confidence and trusts her
 soul to a stranger8 ,the adultery of   
the heart and soul is not less criminal 
than the adultery of the body2 and every
 time the wife goes to the feet of the  
priest to confess1 does she not become  
guilty of that iniquity8  ,in the       
,church of ,rome1 through the           
confessional1 the priest is much more   

the husband of the wife than the man to 
whom she was wedded at the foot of the  
altar4 ,the priest has the best part of 
the wife4 ,he has the marrow1 when the  
husband has the bones4 ,he has the juice
 of the orange1 the husband has the     
rind4 ,he has the soul and the heart2   
the husband has the skeleton4 ,he has   
the honey2 the husband has the wax cell4
 ,he has the succulent oyster2 the      
husband has the dry shell4 ,as much as  
the soul is higher than the body1 so    
much are the power and privileges of the
 priest higher than the power and       
privileges of the husband in the mind of
 the penitent wife4 ,as the husband is  
the lord of the body which he feeds1 so 
the priest is the lord of the soul1     
which he also feeds4 ,the wife1 then1   
has two lords and masters1 whom she must
 love1 respect1 and obey4 ,will she not 
give the best part of her love1 respect1
 and submission to the one who is as    
much above the other as the heavens are 
above the earth8 ,but as one cannot     

serve two masters together1 will not the
 master who prepares and fits her for an
 eternal life of glory1 certainly be the
 object of her constant1 real1 and most 
ardent love1 gratitude1 and respect1    
when the worldly and sinful man to whom 
she is married will have only the       
appearance or the crumbs of those       
sentiments8 ,will she not1 naturally1   
instinctively serve1 love1 respect1 and 
obey1 as lord and master1 the godly man 
whose yoke is so light1 so holy1 so     
divine1 rather than the carnal man whose
 human imperfections are to her a source
 of daily trial and suffering8  ,in the 
,church of ,rome the thoughts and       
desires1 the secret joys and fears of   
the soul1 the very life of the wife1 are
 sealed things to the husband4 ,he has  
no right to look into the sanctuary of  
her heart2 he has no remedy to apply to 
the soul2 he has no mission from ,god to
 advise her in the dark hours of her    
anxieties2 he has no balm to apply to   
the bleeding wounds1 so often received  

in the daily battles of life2 he must   
remain a perfect stranger in his own    
house4  ,the wife1 expecting nothing    
from her husband1 has no revelation to  
make to him1 no favour to ask1 no debt  
of gratitude to pay4 ,nay1 she shuts all
 the avenues of her soul1 all the doors 
and windows of her heart1 against her   
husband4 ,the priest1 and the priest    
alone1 has a right to her entire        
confidence2 to him1 and him alone1 she  
will go and reveal all her secrets1 show
 all her wounds2 to him1 and him alone1 
she will turn her mind1 her heart and   
soul1 in the hour of trouble and        
anxiety2 from him1 and him alone1 she   
will ask and expect the light and       
consolation she wants4 ,every day1 more 
and more1 her husband will become as a  
stranger to her1 if he does not become a
 real nuisance1 and an obstacle to her  
happiness and peace4  ,yes1 through the 
confessional1 an unfathomable abyss has 
been dug1 by the ,church of ,rome1      
between the heart of the wife and the   

heart of the husband6 ,their bodies may 
be very near each other1 but their      
souls1 their real affections and their  
confidence1 are at greater distance than
 the north is from the south pole of the
 earth4 ,the confessor is the master1   
the ruler1 the king of the soul2 the    
husband1 as the grave-yard keeper1 must 
be satisfied with the carcase6  ,the    
husband has the permission to look on   
the outside of the palace2 he is allowed
 to rest his head on the cold marble1 of
 the outdoor steps2 but the confessor   
triumphantly walks into the mysterious  
starry rooms1 examines at leisure their 
numberless and unspeakable wonders2 and1
 alone1 he is allowed to rest his head  
on the soft pillows of the unbounded    
confidence1 respect1 and love of the    
wife4  ,in the ,church of ,rome1 if the 
husband asks a favour from his wife1    
nine times in ten she will inquire from 
her father confessor whether or not she 
can grant him his request1 and the poor 
husband will have to wait patiently for 

the permission of the master or the     
rebuke of the lord1 according to the    
answer of the oracle which had to be    
consulted6 ,if he gets impatient under  
the yoke1 and murmurs1 the wife will    
soon go to the feet of her confessor2 to
 tell him how she has the misfortune to 
be united to a most unreasonable man1   
and how she has to suffer from him6 ,she
 reveals to her dear father how she is  
unhappy under such a yoke1 and how her  
life would be an unsupportable burden1  
had she not the privilege and happiness 
of coming often to his feet1 to lay down
 her sorrows1 hear his sympathetic      
words1 and get his so affectionate and  
paternal advice6 ,she tells him1 with   
tears of gratitude1 that it is only when
 by his side1 and at his feet1 she finds
 rest to her weary soul1 balm to her    
bleeding heart1 and peace to her        
troubled conscience4  ,when she comes   
from the confessional1 her ears are long
 filled as with a heavenly music1 the   
honeyed words of her confessor ring for 

many days in her heart1 she feels it    
lonesome to be separated from him1 his  
image is constantly before her mind1 and
 the souvenir of his amiabilities is one
 of her most pleasant thoughts4 ,there  
is nothing which she likes so much as to
 speak of his good qualities1 his       
patience1 his piety1 his charity1 she   
longs for the day when she will again go
 to confess1 and pass a few hours by the
 side of that angelic man1 in opening to
 him all the secrets of her heart1 and  
in revealing all her ennuis4 ,she tells 
him how she regrets that she cannot come
 oftener to see him1 and receive the    
benefit of his charitable counsels2 she 
does not even conceal from him how      
often1 in her dreams1 she feels too     
happy to be with him6 ,more and more1   
every day1 the gap between her and her  
husband widens2 more and more1 each day1
 she regrets that she has not the       
happiness to be the wife of such a holy 
man as her confessor6 ,oh6 if it were   
possible4446 ,but1 then1 she blushes or 

smiles1 and sings a song4  ,then again1 
,i ask it1 ,who is the true lord1 ruler1
 and master in that house8 ,for whom    
does that heart beat and live8  ,thus it
 is that that stupendous imposture1 the 
dogma of auricular confession1 does     
completely destroy all the links1 the   
joys1 the responsibilities1 and divine  
privileges of the married life1 and     
transforms it into a life of perpetual1 
though disguised1 adultery4 ,it becomes 
utterly impossible1 in the church of    
,rome1 that the husband should be one   
with his wife1 and that the wife should 
be one with her husband3 a monstrous    
being has been put between them both1   
called the confessor6 ,born in the      
darkest ages of the world1 that being   
has received from hell his mission to   
destroy and contaminate the purest joys 
of the married life1 to enslave the     
wife1 to outrage the husband1 and to    
damn the world6  ,the more auricular    
confession is practised1 the more the   
laws of public and private morality are 

trampled under feet4 ,the husband wants 
his wife to be his--he does not1 and    
could not1 consent to share his         
authority over her with anybody3 he     
wants to be the only man who will have  
her confidence and her heart1 as well as
 her respect and love4 ,and so1 the very
 moment that he anticipates the dark    
shadow of the confessor coming between  
him and the woman of his choice1 he     
prefers silently to shrink from entering
 into the sacred bond2 the holy joys of 
home and family lose their divine       
attractions2 he prefers the cold life of
 an ignominious celibacy to the         
humiliation and opprobrium of the       
questionable privileges of an uncertain 
paternity4  ,france1 ,spain1 and many   
other ,roman ,catholic countries1 thus  
witness the multitude of those bachelors
 increasing every year4 ,the number of  
families and births1 in consequence1 is 
fast decreasing in their midst2 and1 if 
,god does not perform a miracle to stop 
those nations on their downward course1 

it is easy to calculate the day when    
they will owe their existence to the    
tolerance and pity of the mighty        
,protestant nations by which they are   
surrounded4  ,why is it that the ,irish 
,roman ,catholic people are so          
irremediably degraded and clothed in    
rags8 ,why is it that that people1 whom 
,god has endowed with so many noble     
qualities1 seem to be so deprived of    
intelligence and self-respect that they 
glory in their own shame8 ,why is it    
that their land has been for centuries  
the land of bloody riots and cowardly   
murders8 ,the principal cause is the    
enslaving of the ,irish women1 by means 
of the confessional4 ,every one knows   
that the spiritual slavery and          
degradation of the ,irish woman has no  
bounds4 ,after she has been enslaved and
 degraded1 she1 in turn1 has enslaved   
and degraded her husband and her sons4  
,ireland will be an object of pity2 she 
will be poor1 miserable1 riotous1       
blood-thirsty1 degraded1 so long as she 

rejects ,christ1 to be ruled by the     
father confessor planted in every parish
 by the ,pope4  ,who has not been amazed
 and saddened by the downfall of        
,france8 ,how is it that her once so    
mighty armies have melted away1 that her
 brave sons have so easily been         
conquered and disarmed8 ,how is it that 
,france1 fallen powerless at the feet of
 her enemies1 has frightened the world  
by the spectacle of the incredible1     
bloody1 and savage follies of the       
,commune8 ,do not look for the causes of
 the downfall1 humiliation1 and untold  
miseries of ,france anywhere else than  
in the confessional4 ,for centuries has 
not that great country obstinately      
rejected ,christ8 ,has she not          
slaughtered or sent into exile her      
noblest children1 who wanted to follow  
the ,gospel8 ,has she not given her fair
 daughters into the hands of the        
confessors1 who have defiled and        
degraded them8 ,how could women1 in     
,france1 teach her husbands and sons to 

love liberty1 and die for it1 when she  
was herself a miserable1 an abject      
slave8 ,how could she form her husbands 
and sons to the manly virtues of heroes1
 when her own mind was defiled and her  
heart corrupted8  ,the ,french woman had
 unconditionally surrendered the noble  
and fair citadel of her heart1          
intelligence1 and womanly self-respect1 
into the hands of her confessor long    
before her sons surrendered their sword 
to the ,germans at ,sedan and ,paris4   
,the first unconditional surrender had  
brought the second4  ,the complete moral
 destruction of woman by the confessor  
in ,france has been a long work4 ,it has
 required centuries to bow down1 break1 
and enslave the noble daughters of      
,france4 ,yes2 but those who know       
,france know that that destruction is   
now as complete as it is deplorable4    
,the downfall of woman in ,france1 and  
her supreme degradation through the     
confessional1 is now un fait accompli1  
which nobody can deny2 the highest      

intellects have seen and confessed it4  
,one of the most profound thinkers of   
that unfortunate country1 ,michelet1 has
 depicted that supreme and irretrievable
 degradation in a most eloquent book1   
,the ,priest1 ,the ,woman1 ,the ,family2
 and not a voice has been raised to deny
 or refute what he has said4 ,those who 
have any knowledge of history and       
philosophy know very well that the moral
 degradation of the woman is soon       
followed1 everywhere1 by the moral      
degradation of the nation2 and the moral
 degradation of the nation is very soon 
followed by ruin and overthrow4  ,that  
,french nation had been formed by ,god  
to be a race of giants4 ,they were      
chivalrous and brave2 they had bright   
intelligences1 stout hearts1 strong     
arms1 and a mighty sword4 ,but as the   
hardest granite rock yields and breaks  
under the drop of water which           
incessantly falls upon it1 so that great
 nation had to break and to fall into   
pieces under1 not the drop1 but the     

rivers of impure waters which for       
centuries have incessantly flowed in    
upon it from the pestilential fountain  
of the confessional4 ,righteousness     
exalteth a nation1 but sin is a         
reproach1 to any people4 7,proverbs     
xiv47  ,why is it that ,spain is so     
miserable1 so weak1 so poor1 so         
foolishly and cruelly tearing her own   
bosom1 and reddening her fair valleys   
with the blood of her own children8 ,the
 principal1 if not the only1 cause of   
the downfall of that great nation is the
 confessional4 ,there1 also1 the        
confessor has defiled1 degraded1        
enslaved women1 and women in turn have  
defiled and degraded their husbands and 
sons4 ,women have sown broadcast over   
their country the seeds of that slavery1
 of that want of ,christian honesty1    
justice1 and self-respect with which    
they had themselves been first imbued in
 the confessional4  ,but when you see1  
without a single exception1 the nations 
whose women drink the impure and        

poisonous waters which flow from the    
confessional sinking down so rapidly1 do
 you not wonder how fast the            
neighbouring nations1 who have destroyed
 those dens of impurity1 prostitution1  
and abject slavery1 are rising up8 ,what
 a marvellous contrast is before our    
eyes6 ,on one side1 the nations who     
allow the woman to be degraded and      
enslaved at the feet of the             
confessor--,france1 ,spain1 ,romish     
,ireland1 ,mexico1 c41 c4--are1 there1  
fallen into the dust1 bleeding1         
struggling1 powerless1 like the sparrow 
whose entrails are devoured by the      
vulture4 ,on the other side1 see how the
 nations whose women go to wash their   
robes in the blood of the ,lamb are     
soaring up1 as on eagle wings1 in the   
highest regions of progress1 peace1 and 
liberty6  ,if legislators could once    
understand the respect and protection   
they owe to woman1 they would soon1 by  
stringent laws1 prohibit auricular      
confession as contrary to good morals   

and the welfare of society2 for1 though 
the advocates of auricular confession   
have succeeded to a certain extent in   
blinding the public1 and in concealing  
the abominations of the system under a  
lying mantle of holiness and religion1  
it is nothing else than a school of     
immorality4  ,i say more than that4     
,after twenty-five years of hearing the 
confessions of the common people and of 
the highest classes of society1 of the  
laymen and the priests1 of the grand    
vicars and bishops and the nuns1 ,i     
conscientiously say before the world    
that the immorality of the confessional 
is of a more dangerous and degrading    
nature than that which we attribute to  
the social evil of our great cities4    
,the injury caused to the intelligence  
and to the soul in the confessional1 as 
a general rule1 is of a more dangerous  
nature and more irremediable1 because it
 is neither suspected nor understood by 
its victims4  ,the unfortunate woman who
 lives an immoral life knows her        

profound misery2 she often blushes and  
weeps over her degradation2 she hears   
from every side voices which call her   
out of those ways of perdition4 ,almost 
at every hour of day and night the cry  
of her conscience warns her against the 
desolation and suffering of an eternity 
passed far away from the regions of     
holiness1 light1 and life4 ,all those   
things are often so many means of grace1
 in the hands of our merciful ,god1 to  
awaken the mind and to save the guilty  
soul4 ,but in the confessional the      
poison is administered under the name of
 a pure and refreshing water2 the deadly
 wound is inflicted by a sword so well  
oiled that the blow is not felt2 the    
vilest and most impure notions and      
thoughts1 in the form of questions and  
answers1 are presented and accepted as  
the bread of life6 ,all the notions of  
modesty1 purity1 and womanly            
self-respect and delicacy1 are set aside
 and forgotten to propitiate the god of 
,rome4 ,in the confessional the woman is

 told1 and she believes1 that there is  
no sin for her in hearing things which  
would make the vilest blush--no sin to  
say things which would make the most    
desperate villain of the streets of     
,london to stagger--no sin to converse  
with her confessor on matters so filthy 
that if attempted in civil life would   
for ever exclude the perpetrator from   
the society of the virtuous4  ,yes1 the 
soul and the intelligence defiled and   
destroyed in the confessional are often 
hopelessly defiled and destroyed4 ,they 
are sinking into a complete1 an         
irretrievable perdition2 for1 not       
knowing the guilt1 they will not cry for
 mercy--not suspecting the fatal disease
 that is being fostered1 they will not  
call for the true ,physician4 ,it was   
evidently when thinking of the          
unspeakable ruin of the souls of men    
through the wickedness culminating in   
the ,pope's confessors1 that the ,son of
 ,god said3--,if the blind lead the     
blind1 both shall fall into the ditch4  

,to every woman1 with very few          
exceptions1 coming out from the feet of 
her confessor1 the children of light may
 say3--,i know thy works1 that thou hast
 a name that thou livest1 but thou art  
dead6 7,revelations iii47  ,nobody has  
yet been1 nor ever will be1 able to     
answer the few following lines1 which ,i
 addressed some years ago to the ,rev4  
,mr4 ,bruyere1 ,roman ,catholic         
,vicar-,general of ,london1 ,canada3--  
,with a blush on my face and regret in  
my heart1 ,i confess1 before ,god and   
man1 that ,i have been like you1 and    
with you1 through the confessional1     
plunged twenty-five years in that       
bottomless sea of iniquity1 in which the
 blind priests of ,rome have to swim day
 and night4  ,i had to learn by heart1  
like you1 the infamous questions which  
the ,church of ,rome forces every priest
 to learn4 ,i had to put those impure1  
immoral questions to old and young      
females who were confessing their sins  
to me4 ,these questions--you know       

it--are of such a nature that no        
prostitute would dare to put them to    
another4 ,those questions1 and the      
answers they elicit1 are so debasing    
that no man in ,london--you know        
it--except a priest of ,rome1 is        
sufficiently lost to every sense of     
shame as to put them to any woman4      
,yes1 ,i was bound1 in conscience1 as   
you are bound to-day1 to put into the   
ears1 the mind1 the imagination1 the    
memory1 the heart and soul of females1  
questions of such a nature1 the direct  
and immediate tendency of which--you    
know it well--is to fill the minds and  
the hearts of both priests and female   
penitents with thoughts1 phantoms1 and  
temptations of such a degrading nature1 
that ,i do not know any words adequate  
to express them4 ,pagan antiquity has   
never seen any institution so polluting 
as the confessional4 ,i know nothing    
more corrupting than the law which      
forces a female to tell all her         
thoughts1 desires1 and most secret      

feelings and actions to an unmarried    
priest4 ,the confessional is a school of
 perdition4 ,you may deny that before   
the ,protestants2 but you cannot deny it
 before me4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,bruyere1 if  
you call me a degraded man because ,i   
have lived twenty-five years in the     
atmosphere of the confessional1 you are 
right4 ,i was a degraded man1 just as   
yourself and all the priests are to-day1
 in spite of your denegations4 ,if you  
call me a degraded man1 because my soul1
 my mind and my heart were1 as your own 
are to-day1 plunged into the deep waters
 of iniquity which flow from the        
confessional1 ,i confess ',guilty6' ,i  
was degraded and polluted by the        
confessional just as you and all the    
priests of ,rome are4  ,it has required 
the whole blood of the great ,victim1   
who died on ,calvary for sinners1 to    
purify me2 and ,i pray that1 through the
 same blood1 you may be purified also4  
,if the legislators knew the respect and
 protection they owe to women--,i repeat

 it--they would by the most stringent   
laws prohibit auricular confession as a 
crime against society4  ,not long ago1 a
 printer in ,england was sent to jail   
and severely punished for having        
published in ,english the questions put 
by the priests to the women in the      
confessional2 and the sentence was      
equitable1 for all who will read those  
questions will conclude that no girl or 
woman who brings her mind into contact  
with the contents of that book can      
escape from moral death4 ,but what are  
the priests of ,rome doing in the       
confessional8 ,do they not pass the     
greatest part of their time in          
questioning females1 old and young1 and 
hearing their answers1 on those very    
matters8 ,if it were a crime1 punishable
 by law1 to present those questions in a
 book1 is it not a crime far more       
punishable by law to present those very 
things to married and unmarried women   
through the auricular confession8  ,i   
ask it from every man of common sense1  

,what is the difference between a woman 
or a girl learning those things in a    
book1 or learning them from the lips of 
a man8 ,will not those impure1          
demoralizing suggestions sink more      
deeply into their minds1 and impress    
themselves more forcibly in their       
memory1 when told to them by a man of   
authority1 speaking in the name of      
,almighty ,god1 than when read in a book
 which has no authority8  ,i say to the 
legislators of ,europe and ,america3    
,read for yourselves those horrible1    
unmentionable things2 and remember that 
the ,pope has #ajj1jjj priests whose    
principal work is to put those very     
things into the intelligence and memory 
of the women whom they entrap into their
 snares4 ,let us suppose that each      
priest hears the confessions of only    
five female penitents 7though we know   
that the daily average is ten74 ,it     
gives us the awful number of #ejj1jjj   
women whom the priests of ,rome have the
 legal right to pollute and destroy     

every day6  ,legislators of the         
so-called ,christian and civilized      
nations1 ,i ask it again from you1      
,where is your consistency1 your        
justice1 your love of public morality1  
when you punish so severely the man who 
has printed the questions put to the    
women in the confessional1 while you    
honour and let free1 and often pay the  
men whose public and private life is    
spent in spreading the very same moral  
poison in a much more efficacious1      
scandalous and shameful way1 under the  
sacrilegious mask of religion8  ,the    
confessional is in the hands of the     
devil what ,west ,point is to the       
,united ,states1 and ,woolwich is to    
,great ,britain1 a training of the army 
to fight and conquer the enemy4 ,it is  
in the confessional that #ejj1jjj women 
every day1 and #ahb1ejj1jjj every year  
are trained by the ,pope in the art of  
fighting against ,god1 by destroying    
themselves and the whole world1 through 
every imaginable kind of impurity and   

filthiness4  ,once more1 ,i request the 
legislators1 the husbands1 and the      
fathers in ,europe1 as well as in       
,america1 to read in ,dens1 ,liguori1   
,debreyne1 in every theological book of 
,rome1 what their wives and their       
daughters have to learn in the          
confessional4  ,in order to screen      
themselves1 the priests of ,rome have   
recourse to the following miserable     
subterfuge3--,is not the physician      
forced1 they say1 to perform certain    
delicate operations on women8 ,do you   
complain of this8 ,no2 you let the      
physicians alone2 you do not abuse them 
in their arduous and conscientious      
duties4 ,why1 then1 do you insult the   
physician of the soul1 the confessor1 in
 the accomplishment of his holy1 though 
delicate1 duties8  ,i answer1 first1    
,the art and science of the physician   
are approved and praised in many places 
of the ,scriptures4 ,but the art and    
science of the confessor are nowhere to 
be found in the holy records4 ,auricular

 confession is nothing else than a most 
stupendous imposture4 ,the filthy and   
impure questions of the confessor1 with 
the polluting answers they elicit1 were 
put among the most diabolical and       
forbidden actions by ,god ,himself the  
day that the ,spirit of ,truth1         
,holiness1 and ,life wrote the          
imperishable words1--,let no corrupt    
communication proceed out of your mouth 
7,eph4 iv4 #bi74  ,secondly1 ,the       
physician is not bound by a solemn oath 
to remain ignorant of the things which  
it will be his duty to examine and cure4
 ,but the priest of ,rome is bound1 by  
the most ridiculous and impious oath of 
celibacy1 to remain ignorant of the very
 things which are the daily objects of  
his inquiries1 observations1 and        
thoughts6 ,the priest of ,rome has sworn
 never to taste of the fruits with which
 he feeds1 his imagination1 his memory1 
his heart1 and his soul day and night6  
,the physician is honest in the         
performance of his duties2 but the      

priest of ,rome becomes in fact a       
perjured man every time he enters the   
confessional-box4  ,thirdly1 ,if a lady 
has a little sore on her small finger1  
and is obliged to go to the physician1  
for a remedy1 she has only to show her  
little finger1 allow the plaister or    
ointment to be applied1 and all is      
finished4 ,the physician never--no1     
never--says to that lady1 ,it is my duty
 to suspect that you have many other    
parts of your body which are sick2 ,i am
 bound in conscience1 under pain of     
death1 to examine you from head to foot1
 in order to save your precious life    
from those secret diseases1 which may   
kill you if they are not cured just now4
 ,several of those diseases are of such 
a nature that you never dared perhaps to
 examine them with the attention they   
deserve1 and you are hardly conscious of
 them4 ,i know1 madam1 that this is a   
very painful and delicate thing for both
 you and me1 that ,i should be forced to
 make that thorough examination of your 

person1 but there is no help2 ,i am in  
duty bound to do it4 ,but you have      
nothing to fear4 ,i am a holy man1 who  
has made a vow of celibacy4 ,we are     
alone2 neither your husband nor your    
father will ever know the secret        
infirmities ,i will find in you2 they   
will never even suspect the perfect     
investigation ,i will make1 and they    
will1 for ever1 be ignorant of the      
remedy ,i will apply4  ,has any         
physician ever been authorized to speak 
or act in this way with any of his      
female patients8 ,no2 never6 never6     
,but this is just the way the spiritual 
physician1 with whom the devil enslaves 
and corrupts women1 acts4 ,when the     
fair1 honest1 and timid spiritual       
patient has come to her confessor1 to   
show him the little sore she has on the 
small finger of her soul1 the confessor 
is bound in conscience to suspect that  
she has other sores1--secret1 shameful  
sores6 ,yes1 he is bound1 nine times in 
ten2 and he is always allowed to suppose

 that she does not dare to reveal them6 
,then he is advised by the ,church to   
induce her to let him search every      
corner of the heart1 and of the soul1   
and to inquire about every kind of      
contaminations1 impurities1 secret and  
shameful unspeakable matters6 ,the young
 priest is drilled in the diabolical art
 of going into the most sacred recesses 
of the soul and the heart1 almost in    
spite of his penitents4 ,i could bring  
hundreds of theologians as witnesses to 
what ,i say4--,but it is enough just now
 to cite three4  ,lest the ,confessor   
should indolently hesitate in tracing   
out the circumstances of any sin1 let   
him have the following versicle of      
circumstances in readiness3  ,quis1     
quid1 ubi1 quibus auxiliis1 cur1        
quomodo1 quando4 ,who1 which1 where1    
with whom1 why1 how1 when4 7,dens1 vol4 
#f1 p4 #abc4 ,liguori1 vol4 #b1 p4      
#dfd47  ,the celebrated book of the     
,priests1 ,the ,mirror of the ,clergy1  
page #ceg1 says3  ,oportet ut ,confessor

 solet cognoscere quid quid debet       
judicare4 ,deligens igitur inquisitor et
 subtilis investigator sapienter quasi  
astute interrogat a peccatore quod      
ignorat1 vel verecundia volit occultare4
  ,it is necessary that the ,confessor  
should know everything on which he has  
to exercise his judgment4 ,let him then1
 with wisdom and subtility1 interrogate 
the sinners on the sins which he may    
ignore1 or conceal through shame6  ,the 
poor1 unprotected girl is thus thrown   
into the power of the priest1 soul and  
body1 to be examined on all the sins she
 may ignore1 or which1 through shame1   
she may conceal6 ,on what boundless sea 
of depravity the poor fragile bark is   
launched by the priest6 ,on what        
bottomless abysses of impurities she    
will have to pass and travel1 in company
 with the priest alone1 before he will  
have interrogated her on all the sins   
she may ignore1 and which she may have  
concealed through shame66 ,who can tell 
the sentiments of surprise and shame and

 distress1 of a timid1 honest young     
girl1 when1 for the first time1 she is  
initiated to infamies which are ignored 
even in houses of prostitution666  ,but 
such is the practice1 the sacred duty of
 the spiritual physician4 ,let him 7the 
priest confessor7 with wisdom and       
subtlety interrogate the sinner on the  
sins he may ignore or conceal with      
shame4  ,and there are #ajj1jjj men1 not
 only allowed1 but petted1 and often    
paid by the governments to do that1     
under the name of the ,god of the       
,gospel6  ,fourthly1 ,i answer to the   
sophism of the priest1 ,when the        
physician has any delicate and dangerous
 operation to perform on a female       
patient1 he is never alone2 the husband1
 or the father1 the mother1 the sister1 
or some friends of the patient are      
there1 whose scrutinizing eyes and      
attentive ears make it impossible for   
the physician to say or do any improper 
thing4  ,but1 when the poor deluded     
spiritual patient comes to be treated by

 her so-called spiritual physician1 and 
shows him her diseases1 is she not      
alone--shamefully alone--with him8      
,where are the protecting ears of the   
husband1 the father1 the mother1 the    
sisters1 or the friends8 ,where is the  
barrier interposed between this sinful1 
weak1 tempted1 and often depraved man   
and his victim8  ,would the priest so   
freely ask this and that from that      
married woman1 if he knew that the      
husband could hear him8 ,no1 surely not2
 for he is well aware that the enraged  
husband would blow out the brains of the
 villain who1 under the sacrilegious    
pretext of purifying the soul of his    
wife1 is filling her honest heart with  
every kind of pollution and infamy4     
,fifthly1 ,when the physician performs a
 delicate operation on one of his female
 patients1 the operation is usually     
accompanied with pain1 cries1 and often 
with bloodshed4 ,the sympathetic and    
honest physician suffers almost as much 
pain as his patient2 those cries1 acute 

pains1 tortures1 and bleeding wounds    
make it morally impossible that the     
physician should be tempted to any      
improper thing4  ,but the sight of the  
spiritual wounds of that fair penitent6 
,is the poor depraved human heart really
 sorry to see and examine them8 ,oh1 no6
 it is just the contrary6  ,the dear    
,saviour weeps over those wounds2 the   
angels are distressed at the sight4     
,yes4 ,but the deceitful and corrupt    
heart of man1 is it not rather apt to be
 pleased at the sight of wounds which   
are so much like the ones he has        
himself1 so often been pleased to       
receive from the hand of the enemy8     
,was the heart of ,david pained and     
horror-struck at the sight of the fair  
,bath-sheba1 when imprudently and too   
freely exposed in her bath8 ,was not    
that holy prophet smitten and brought   
down to the dust by that guilty look8   
,was not the mighty giant1 ,samson1     
undone by the charms of ,delilah8 ,was  
not the wise ,solomon ensnared and      

befooled in the midst of the women by   
whom he was surrounded8  ,who will      
believe that the bachelors of the ,pope 
are made of stronger metal than the     
,davids1 the ,samsons1 and the          
,solomons8 ,where is the man who has so 
completely lost his common sense as to  
believe that the priests of ,rome are   
stronger than ,samson1 holier than      
,david1 wiser than ,solomon8 ,who will  
believe that confessors will stand up on
 their feet amidst the storms which     
prostrate in the dust those giants of   
the armies of the ,lord8 ,to suppose    
that1 in the generality of cases the    
confessor can resist the temptations by 
which he is daily surrounded in the     
confessional1 that he will constantly   
refuse the golden opportunities which   
offer themselves to him1 to satisfy the 
almost irresistible propensities of his 
fallen human nature1 is neither wisdom  
nor charity2 it is simply folly4  ,i do 
not say that all the confessors and     
their female penitents fall into the    

same degree of abject degradation2      
thanks be to ,god1 ,i have known several
 who nobly fought their battles and     
conquered on that field of so many      
shameful defeats4 ,but these are the    
exceptions4 ,it is just as when the fire
 has ravaged one of our grand forests of
 ,america--how sad it is to see the     
numberless noble trees fallen under the 
devouring element6 ,but1 here and there 
the traveller is not a little amazed and
 pleased to find some which have proudly
 stood the fiery trial without being    
consumed4  ,has not the world at large  
been struck with terror when they heard 
of the fire which a few years ago had   
reduced the great city of ,chicago to   
ashes8 ,but those who have visited that 
doomed city1 and seen the desolating    
ruins of her #af1jjj houses1 had to     
stand in silent admiration before a few 
which1 in the very midst of an ocean of 
fire1 had escaped untouched by the      
destructive element4  ,it is so that1   
owing to a most marvellous protection of

 ,god1 some privileged souls do escape1 
here and there1 the fatal destruction   
which overtakes so many others in the   
confessional4  ,the confessional is just
 as the spider's web4 ,how many too     
unsuspecting flies find death when      
seeking rest on the beautiful framework 
of their deceitful enemy6 ,how few      
escape6 and this only after a most      
desperate struggle4 ,see how the        
perfidious spider looks harmless in his 
retired1 dark corner2 how motionless he 
is2 how patiently he waits for his      
opportunity6 ,but look how quickly he   
surrounds his victim with his silky1    
delicate1 and imperceptible links6 how  
mercilessly he sucks its blood and      
destroys its life6  ,what does remain of
 the imprudent fly1 after she has been  
entrapped into the nets of her foe8     
,nothing but a skeleton4 ,so it is with 
your fair wife1 your precious daughter2 
nine times in ten nothing but a moral   
skeleton returns to you1 after the      
,pope's black spider has been allowed to

 suck the very blood of her heart and   
soul4 ,let those who would be tempted to
 think that ,i do exaggerate read the   
following extracts from the memoirs of  
the ,venerable ,scipio de ,ricci1 ,roman
 ,catholic ,bishop of ,pistoia and      
,prato1 in ,italy4 ,they were published 
by the ,italian ,government1 to show to 
the world that some measures ought to be
 taken by the civil and ecclesiastical  
authorities to prevent the nation from  
being entirely swept away by the deluge 
of corruption flowing from the          
confessional1 even among the most       
perfect of ,rome's followers1 the monks 
and the nuns4 ,the priests have never   
dared to deny a single iota of those    
terrible revelations4 ,in page #aae we  
read the following letter from ,sister  
,flavia ,peraccini1 ,prioress of ,st    
,catherine1 to ,dr4 ,thomas ,comparini1 
,rector of the ,episcopal ,seminary of  
,pistoia3--  ,january #bb1 #agge4--;,in 
compliance with the request which you   
made me this day1 ,i hasten to say      

something1 but ,i know not how4  ,of    
those who are gone out of the world ,i  
shall say nothing4 ,of those who are    
still alive and have very little decency
 of conduct there are many1 among whom  
there is an ex-provincial named ,father 
,dr4 ,ballendi1 ,calvi1 ,zoratti1       
,bigliaci1 ,guidi1 ,miglieti1 ,verde1   
,bianchi1 ,ducci1 ,seraphini1 ,bolla1   
,nera di ,luca1 ,quaretti1 c4 ,but      
wherefore any more8 ,with the exception 
of three or four1 all those whom ,i have
 ever known1 alive or dead1 are of the  
same character2 they have all the same  
maxims and the same conduct4  ,they are 
on more intimate terms with the nuns    
than if they were married to them6 ,i   
repeat it1 it would require a great deal
 of time to tell half of what ,i know4  
,it is the custom now1 when they come to
 visit and hear the confession of a sick
 sister1 to sup with the nuns1 sing1    
dance1 play1 and sleep in the convent4  
,it is a maxim of theirs that ,god has  
forbidden hatred1 but not love1 and that

 man is made for woman and woman for    
man4  ,i say that they can deceive the  
innocent and the most prudent and       
circumspect1 and that it would be a     
miracle to converse with them and not   
fall6  ,page #aag4--,the priests are the
 husbands of the nuns1 and the lay      
brothers of the lay sisters4 ,in the    
chamber of one of the nuns ,i have      
mentioned1 one day1 a man was found2 he 
fled away1 but1 soon after1 they gave   
him to us as our confessor              
extraordinary4  ,how many bishops are   
there in the ,papal ,states1 who have   
come to the knowledge of those          
disorders1 have held examinations and   
visitations1 and yet never could remedy2
 it1 because the monks1 our confessors1 
tell us that those are excommunicated   
who reveal what passes in the ,order6   
,poor creatures6 they think they are    
leaving the world to escape dangers1 and
 they only meet with greater ones4 ,our 
fathers and mothers have given us a good
 education1 and here we have to unlearn 

and forget what they have taught us4    
,page #aah4--;,do not suppose that this 
is the case in our convent alone4 ,it is
 just the same at ,st4 ,lucia1 ,prato1  
,pisa1 ,perugia1 c4 ,i have known things
 that would astonish you4 ,everywhere it
 is the same4 ,yes1 everywhere the same 
disorders1 the same abuses prevail4 ,i  
say1 and ,i repeat it1 let the superiors
 suspect as they may1 they do not know  
the smallest part of the enormous       
wickedness that goes on between the     
monks and the nuns whom they confess4   
,every monk who passed by on his way to 
the chapter entreated a sick sister to  
confess to him1 and4446  ,page          
#aai4--,with respect to ,father         
,buzachini ,i say that he acted just as 
the others1 sitting up late in the      
nunnery1 diverting himself1 and letting 
the usual disorders go on4 ,there were  
several nuns who had love affairs on his
 account4 ,his own principal mistress   
was ,odaldi1 of ,st4 ,lucia1 who used to
 send him continual treats4 ,he was also

 in love with the daughter of our       
factor1 of whom they were very jealous  
here4 ,he ruined also poor ,cancellieri1
 who was sextoness4 ,the monks are all  
alike with their penitents4  ,some years
 ago1 the nuns of ,st4 ,vincent1 in     
consequence of the extraordinary passion
 they had for their father confessors   
,lupi and ,borghiani1 were divided into 
two parties1 one calling themselves ,le 
,lupe1 the other ,le ,borghieni4  ,he   
who made the greatest noise was ,donati4
 ,i believe he is now at ,rome4 ,father 
,brandi1 too1 was also in great vogue4  
,i think he is now prior of ,st4        
,gemignani4 ,at ,st4 ,vincent1 which    
passes for a very holy retreat1 they    
have also their lovers4444  ,my pen     
refuses to reproduce several things     
which the nuns of ,italy have published 
against their father confessors4 ,but   
this is enough to show to the most      
incredulous that the confession is      
nothing else but a school of perdition1 
even among those who make a profession  

to live in the highest regions of ,roman
 ,catholic holiness--the monks and the  
nuns4  ,now1 from ,italy let us go to   
,america and see again the working of   
auricular confession1 not between the   
holy 787 nuns and monks of ,rome1 but   
among the humblest classes of country   
women and priests4 ,great is the number 
of parishes where women have been       
destroyed by their confessors1 but ,i   
will speak only of one4  ,when curate of
 ,beauport1 ,i was called by the ,rev4  
,mr4 ,proulx1 curate of ,st4 ,antoine1  
to preach a retreat 7a revival7 with the
 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,aubry1 to his parishioners1
 and eight or ten other priests were    
also invited to come and help us to hear
 the confessions4  ,the very first day  
after preaching and passing five or six 
hours in the confessional1 the          
hospitable curate gave us a supper      
before going to bed4 ,but it was evident
 that a kind of uneasiness pervaded the 
whole company of the father confessors4 
,for my own part1 ,i could hardly raise 

my eyes to look at my neighbour1 and    
when ,i wanted to speak a word it seemed
 that my tongue was not free as usual2  
even my throat was as if it were choked2
 the articulation of the sounds was     
imperfect4 ,it was evidently the same   
with the rest of the priests4 ,instead1 
then1 of the noisy and cheerful         
conversation of the other meals1 there  
were only a few insignificant words     
exchanged with a half-supressed tone4   
,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,proulx 7the curate7 at 
first looked as if he were partaking    
also of that singular though general    
despondent feeling4 ,during the first   
part of the lunch he hardly said a word2
 but at last1 raising his head and      
turning his honest face towards us1 in  
his usual gentlemanly and cheerful      
manner1 he said3--  ,dear friends1 ,i   
see that you are all under the influence
 of the most painful feelings4 ,there is
 a burden on you that you can neither   
shake off nor bear as you wish4 ,i know 
the cause of your trouble1 and ,i hope  

you will not find fault with me if ,i   
help you to recover from that           
disagreeable mental condition4 ,you have
 heard in the confessional the history  
of many great sins1 but ,i know that    
this is not what troubles you4 ,you are 
all old enough in the confessional to   
know the miseries of poor human nature4 
,without any more preliminaries ,i will 
come to the subject4 ,it is no more a   
secret in this place that one of the    
priests who has preceded me has been    
very unfortunate1 weak1 and guilty with 
the greatest part of the married women  
whom he has confessed4 ,not more than   
one in ten have escaped him4 ,i would   
not mention this fact had ,i got it only
 from the confessional1 but ,i know it  
well from other sources1 and ,i can     
speak of it freely without breaking the 
secret seal of the confessional4 ,now   
what troubles you is that1 probably1    
when a good number of those women have  
confessed to you what they had done with
 their confessor1 you have not asked    

them how long it was since they had     
sinned with him1 and in spite of        
yourselves you think that ,i am the     
guilty man4 ,this does1 naturally1      
embarrass you when you are in my        
presence and at my table4 ,but please   
ask them1 when they come again to       
confess1 how many months or years have  
passed away since their last love affair
 with a confessor1 and you will see that
 you may suppose that you are in the    
house of an honest man4 ,you may look me
 in the face and have no fear to address
 me as if ,i were still worthy of your  
esteem2 for1 thanks be to ,god1 ,i am   
not the guilty priest who has ruined and
 destroyed so many souls here4  ,the    
curate had hardly pronounced the last   
word when a general ,we thank you2 for  
you have taken away a mountain from our 
shoulders1 fell from almost every lip4  
,it is a fact that1 notwithstanding the 
good opinion we had of you1 said        
several1 we were in fear that you had   
missed the right track1 and fallen down 

with your fair penitents into the ditch4
  ,i felt myself much relieved2 for ,i  
was one of those who1 in spite of       
myself1 had my secret fears about the   
honesty of our host4 ,when1 very early  
the next morning1 ,i had begun to hear  
the confessions1 one of those           
unfortunate victims of the confessor's  
depravity came to me1 and in the midst  
of many tears and sobs1 she told me with
 great details what ,i repeat here in a 
few lines3--  ,i was only nine years old
 when my first confessor began to do    
very criminal things with me when ,i was
 at his feet1 confessing my sins4 ,at   
first ,i was ashamed and much disgusted2
 but soon after ,i became so depraved   
that ,i was looking eagerly for every   
opportunity of meeting him either in his
 own house1 or in the church1 in the    
vestry1 and many times in his own garden
 when it was dark at night4 ,that priest
 did not remain very long2 he was       
removed1 to my great regret1 to another 
place1 where he died4 ,he was succeeded 

by another one1 who seemed at first to  
be a very holy man4 ,i made to him a    
general confession with1 it seems to me1
 a sincere desire to give up for ever   
that sinful life1 but ,i fear that my   
confessions became a cause of sin to    
that good priest2 for not long after my 
confession was finished1 he declared to 
me in the confessional his love1 with   
such passionate words that he soon      
brought me down again into my former    
criminal habits with him4 ,this lasted  
six years1 when my parents removed to   
this place4 ,i was very glad of it1 for 
,i hoped that1 being far away from him1 
,i should not be any more a cause of sin
 to him1 and that ,i might begin a      
better life4 ,but the fourth time that  
,i went to confess to my new confessor1 
he invited me to go to his room1 where  
we did things so horrible together that 
,i do not know how to confess them4 ,it 
was two days before my marriage1 and the
 only child ,i have had is the fruit of 
that sinful hour4 ,after my marriage ,i 

continued the same criminal life with my
 confessor4 ,he was the friend of my    
husband2 we had many opportunities of   
meeting each other1 not only when ,i was
 going to confess1 but when my husband  
was absent and my child was at school4  
,it was evident to me that several other
 women were as miserable and criminal as
 ,i was myself4 ,this sinful intercourse
 with my confessor went on till ,god    
,almighty stopped it with a real        
thunderbolt4 ,my dear only daughter had 
gone to confess and receive the holy    
communion4 ,as she had come back from   
church much later than ,i expected1 ,i  
inquired the reason which had kept her  
so long4 ,she then threw herself into my
 arms1 and with convulsive cries said3  
',dear mother1 do not ask me any more to
 go to confess4444 ,oh6 if you could    
know what my confessor has asked me when
 ,i was at his feet6 and if you could   
know what he has done with me1 and he   
has forced me to do with him when he had
 me alone in his parlour6'  ,my poor    

child could not speak any longer1 she   
fainted in my arms4  ,but as soon as she
 recovered1 without losing a minute1 ,i 
dressed myself1 and1 full of an         
inexpressible rage1 ,i directed my steps
 towards the parsonage4 ,but before     
leaving my house1 ,i had concealed under
 my shawl a sharp butcher's knife to    
stab and kill the villain who had       
destroyed my dearly beloved child4      
,fortunately for that priest1 ,god      
changed my mind before ,i entered his   
room--my words to him were few and      
sharp4  ',you are a monster6' ,i said to
 him4 ',not satisfied to have destroyed 
me1 you want to destroy my own dear     
child1 which is yours also6 ,shame upon 
you6 ,i had come with this knife to put 
an end to your infamies1 but so short a 
punishment would be too mild a one for  
such a monster4 ,i want you to live1    
that you may bear upon your head the    
curse of the too unsuspecting and       
unguarded friends whom you have so      
cruelly deceived and betrayed2 ,i want  

you to live with the consciousness that 
you are known by me and many others1 as 
one of the most infamous monsters who   
have ever defiled this world4 ,but know 
that if you are not away from this place
 before the end of this week1 ,i will   
reveal everything to my husband1 and you
 may be sure that he will not let you   
live twenty-four hours longer1 for he   
sincerely thinks that your daughter is  
his1 and he will be the avenger of her  
honour6 ,i go to denounce you this very 
day to the bishop1 that he may take you 
away from this parish1 which you have so
 shamelessly polluted4'  ,the priest    
threw himself at my feet1 and1 with     
tears1 asked my pardon1 imploring me not
 to denounce him to the bishop1         
promising that he would change his life 
and begin to live as a good priest4 ,but
 ,i remained inexorable4 ,i went to the 
bishop1 made my deposition1 and warned  
his lordship of the sad consequences    
which would follow1 if he kept that     
curate any longer in this place1 as he  

seemed inclined to do4 ,but before the  
eight days had expired1 he was put at   
the head of another parish1 not very far
 away from here4  ,the reader will1     
perhaps1 like to know what has become of
 this priest4  ,he has remained at the  
head of that most beautiful parish of   
----1 as curate1 where ,i know it1 he   
continued to destroy his penitents1 till
 a few years before he died1 with the   
reputation of a good priest1 an amiable 
man1 and a holy confessor6         99   
99       99       99       99  ,for the 
mystery of iniquity doth already        
work34444  ,and then shall that ,wicked 
be revealed1 whom the ,lord shall       
consume with the spirit of ,his mouth1  
and shall destroy with the brightness of
 ,his coming3  ,even ,him1 whose coming 
is after the working of ,satan with all 
power and signs and lying wonders1  ,and
 with all deceivableness of             
unrighteousness in them that perish2    
because they received not the love of   
the truth1 that they might be saved4    

,and for this cause ,god shall send them
 strong delusion1 that they should      
believe a lie3  ,that they all might be 
damned who believed not the truth1 but  
had pleasure in unrighteousness4 7#b    
,thess4 ii4 #g-ab47         99       99 
99       99       99  ,,chapter ,,vii4  
,,should ,,auricular ,,confession ,,be  
,,tolerated ,,among ,,civilized         
,,nations8         99       99       99 
99       99  ,let my readers who        
understand ,latin peruse the extracts ,i
 give from ,bishop ,kenrick1 ,debreyne1 
,burchard1 ,dens or ,liguori1 and the   
most incredulous will learn for         
themselves that the world1 even in the  
darkest ages of old paganism1 has never 
seen anything so infamous and degrading 
as auricular confession4  ,to say that  
auricular confession purifies the soul  
is not less ridiculous and silly than to
 say that the white robe of the virgin1 
or the lily of the valley1 will become  
whiter by being dipped into a bottle of 
black ink4  ,has not the ,pope's        

celibate1 by studying his books before  
he goes to the confessional-box1        
corrupted his own heart1 and plunged his
 mind1 memory1 and soul into an         
atmosphere of impurity which would have 
been intolerable even to the people of  
,sodom8  ,we ask it not only in the name
 of religion1 but of common sense4 ,how 
can that man1 whose heart and memory are
 just made the reservoir of all the     
grossest impurities the world has ever  
known1 help others to be chaste and     
pure8  ,the idolaters of ,india believe 
that they will be purified from their   
sins by drinking the water with which   
they have just washed the feet of their 
priests4  ,what monstrous doctrine6 ,the
 souls of men purified by the water     
which has washed the feet of a          
miserable1 sinful man6 ,is there any    
religion more monstrous and diabolical  
than the ,brahmin religion8  ,yes1 there
 is one more monstrous1 deceitful1 and  
contaminating than that4 ,it is the     
religion which teaches that the soul of 

man is purified by a few magical words  
7called absolution71 which come from the
 lips of a miserable sinner1 whose heart
 and intelligence have just been filled 
by the unmentionable impurities of      
,dens1 ,liguori1 ,debreyne1 ,kenrick1   
c41 c4 ,for if the poor ,indian's soul  
is not purified by the drinking of the  
holy 787 water which has touched the    
feet of his priest1 at least that soul  
cannot be contaminated by it4 ,but who  
does not clearly see that the drinking  
of the vile questions of the confessor  
contaminate1 defile1 and damn the soul8 
,who has not been filled with deep      
compassion and pity for those poor      
idolaters of ,hindustan who believe that
 they will secure to themselves a happy 
passage to the next life if they have   
the good luck to die when holding in    
their hands the tail of a cow8 ,but     
there are people among us who are not   
less worthy of our supreme compassion   
and pity1 for they hope that they will  
be purified from their sins and be for  

ever happy if a few magical words       
7called absolution7 fall upon their     
souls from the polluted lips of a       
miserable sinner sent by the ,pope of   
,rome4 ,the dirty tail of a cow and the 
magical words of a confessor to purify  
the souls and wash away the sins of the 
world are equally inventions of the     
,devil4 ,both religions come from       
,satan1 for they equally substitute the 
magical power of vile creatures for the 
blood of ,christ to save the guilty     
children of ,adam4 ,they both ignore    
that the blood of the ,lamb alone       
cleanseth us from all sin4  ,yes6       
auricular confession is a public act of 
idolatry1 it is asking from a man what  
,god alone1 through ,his ,son ,jesus1   
can grant3 forgiveness of sins4 ,has the
 ,saviour of the world ever said to     
sinners1 ,go to this or that man for    
repentance1 pardon1 and peace8 ,no2 but 
,he has said to all sinners1 ,come unto 
,me4 ,and from that day to the end of   
the world all the echoes of heaven and  

earth will repeat these words of the    
merciful ,saviour to all the lost       
children of ,adam1 ',come unto ,me4'    
,when ,christ gave to ,his disciples the
 power of the keys in these words1      
,whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall
 be bound in heaven1 and whatsoever ye  
shall loose on earth shall be loosed in 
heaven 7,matt4 xviii4 #ah71 ,he had just
 explained ,his mind by saying1 ,if thy 
brother shall trespass against thee 7v4 
#ae74 ,the ,son of ,god ,himself in that
 solemn hour protested against the      
stupendous imposture of ,rome by telling
 us positively that that power of       
binding and loosing1 forgiving and      
retaining sins1 was only in reference to
 sins committed against each other4     
,peter had correctly understood his     
,master's words when he asked1 ,how oft 
shall my brother sin against me and ,i  
forgive him8  ,and in order that ,his   
true disciples might not be shaken by   
the sophisms of ,rome1 or by the        
glittering nonsense of that band of     

silly half-,popish sect called          
,tractarians1 or ,ritualists1 the       
merciful ,saviour gave the admirable    
parable of the poor servant1 which ,he  
closed by what ,he has so often         
repeated1 ,so likewise shall my         
,heavenly ,father do also unto you1 if  
ye from your hearts forgive not every   
one his brother their trespasses4       
7,matt4 xviii4 #ce74  ,not long before1 
,he had again mercifully given us his   
whole mind about the obligation and     
power which every one of ,his disciples 
had of forgiving ,for if ye forgive even
 their trespasses1 your ,heavenly       
,father will also forgive you3 but if ye
 forgive not men their trespasses1      
neither will your ,father forgive your  
trespasses 7,matt4 vi4 #ad1 #ae74  ,be  
ye therefore merciful as your father    
also is merciful1 forgive and ye shall  
be forgiven 7,luke vi4 #cf1 #cg74       
,auricular ,confession1 as the ,rev4    
,dr4 ,wainwright has so eloquently put  
it in his ,confession not ,auricular1 is

 a diabolical caricature of the         
forgiveness of sin through the blood of 
,christ1 just as the impious dogma of   
,transubstantiation is a monstrous      
caricature of the salvation of the world
 through ,his death4  ,the ,romanists   
and their ugly tail1 the ,ritualistic   
party in the ,episcopal ,church1 make a 
great noise about the words of our      
,saviour in ,st4 ,john3 ,whose soever   
sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto   
them3 and whose soever sins ye retain1  
they are retained 7,john xx4 #bc74  ,but
 again1 our ,saviour had ,himself1 once 
for all1 explained what ,he meant by    
forgiving and retaining sins--7,matt4   
xviii4 #ce2 ,matt4 vi4 #ad1 #ae2 ,luke  
vi4 #cf1 #cg74  ,nobody but             
wilfully-blind men could misunderstand  
,him4 ,besides that1 the ,holy ,ghost   
,himself has mercifully taken care that 
we should not be deceived by the lying  
traditions of men on that important     
subject1 when in ,st4 ,luke ,he gave us 
the explanation of the meaning of ,john 

xx4 #bc1 by telling us1 ,thus it behoved
 ,christ to suffer1 and to rise from the
 dead the third day3 and that repentance
 and remission of sins should be        
preached in ,his name among all nations1
 beginning at ,jerusalem4 7,luke xxiv4  
#df1 #dg74  ,in order that we may better
 understand the words of our ,saviour in
 ,st4 ,john xx4 #bc1 let us put them    
face to face with his own explanations  
7,luke xxiv4 #df1 #dg73--               
,,luke ,,xxiv4                          
,,john ,,xx4  #cc4 ,and they rose up the
 same hour1  #ah4 ,mary ,magdalene came 
and told and returned to ,jerusalem1 and
       the disciples that she had seen  
the found the eleven gathered together1 
,lord1 and that he had spoken these and 
them that were with them1        things 
unto her4  #cd4 ,saying1 ,the ,lord is  
risen indeed1 and hath appeared to      
,simon4444  #cf4 ,and as they thus      
spake1 ,jesus    #ai4 ,then the same day
 at evening1 himself stood in the midst 
of them1  being the first day of the    

week1 and saith unto them1 ,peace be    
unto   when the doors were shut where   
the you4                                
disciples were assembled for fear       
of the ,jews1 came ,jesus and stood #cg4
 ,but they were terrified and      in   
the midst1 and said unto them1          
affrighted1 and supposed that they      
,peace be unto you4 had seen a spirit4  
#ch4 ,and he said unto them1 ,why are ye
 troubled8 and why do thoughts arise in 
your hearts8  #ci4 ,behold my hands and 
my feet1     #bj4 ,and when he had so   
said1 he that it is ,i myself3 handle   
me1 and  shewed unto them his hands and 
his see2 for a spirit hath not flesh    
side4 ,then were the disciples glad1 and
 bones1 as ye see me have4        when  
they saw the ,lord4  #dj4 ,and when he  
had thus spoken1 he shewed them his     
hands and his feet4  #da4 ,and while    
they yet believed not for joy1 and      
wondered1 he said unto them1 ,have ye   
here any meat8  #db4 ,and they gave him 
a piece of a broiled fish1 and of an    

honeycomb4  #dc4 ,and he took it1 and   
did eat before them4  #dd4 ,and he said 
unto them1 ,these     #ba4 ,then said   
,jesus to them again1 are the words     
which ,i spake unto     ,peace be unto  
you3 as my ,father you1 while ,i was yet
 with you1 that  hath sent me1 even so  
send ,i you4 all things must be         
fulfilled1 which were written in the law
 of ,moses1 and in the prophets1 and in 
the psalms1 concerning me4  #de4 ,then  
opened he their             #bb4 ,and   
when he had said this1 he understanding1
 that they might       breathed on them1
 and saith unto understand the          
scriptures1           them1 ,receive ye 
the ,holy ,ghost3  #df4 ,and said unto  
them1 ,thus it is written1 and thus it  
behoved ,christ to suffer1 and to rise  
from the dead the third day3  #dg4 ,and 
that repentance and          #bc4 ,whose
 soever sins ye remit1 remission of sin 
should be preached  they are remitted   
unto them2 whose in his name among all  
nations1       soever sins ye retain1   

they are beginning at ,jerusalem4       
retained4  ,three things are evident    
from comparing the report of ,st4 ,john 
and ,st4 ,luke3--  #a4 ,they speak of   
the same event1 though one of them gives
 certain details omitted by the other1  
as we find in the rest of the gospels4  
#b4 ,the words of ,st4 ,john1 ,whose    
soever sins ye remit1 they are remitted 
unto them2 and whose soever sins ye     
retain1 they are retained1 are explained
 by the ,holy ,ghost ,himself1 in ,st4  
,luke1 as meaning that the apostles     
shall preach repentance and forgiveness 
of sins through ,christ4 ,it is just    
what our ,saviour has ,himself said in  
,st4 ,matt4 ix4 #ac3 ,but go ye and     
learn what that meaneth1 ,i will have   
mercy1 and not sacrifice3 for ,i am not 
come to call the righteous1 but sinners 
to repentance4  ,it is just the same    
doctrine taught by ,peter 7,acts ii4    
#ch73 ,then ,peter said unto them1      
,repent1 and be baptized every one of   
you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for   

the remission of sins1 and ye shall     
receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4   
,just the same doctrine of the          
forgiveness of sins1 not through        
auricular confession or absolution1 but 
through the preaching of the ,word3 ,be 
it known unto you therefore1 men and    
brethren1 that through this man is      
preached unto you the forgiveness of    
sins 7,acts xiii4 #ch74  #c4 ,the third 
thing which is evident is that the      
,apostles were not alone when ,christ   
appeared and spoke1 but that several of 
,his other disciples1 even some women1  
were there4  ,if the ,romanists1 then1  
could prove that ,christ established    
auricular confession1 and gave the power
 of absolution1 by what ,he said in that
 solemn hour1 women as well as men--in  
fact1 every believer in ,christ--would  
be authorized to hear confessions and   
give absolution4 ,the ,holy ,ghost was  
not promised or given only to the       
,apostles1 but to every believer1 as we 
see in ,acts i4 #ae1 and ii4 #a1 #b1 #c4

  ,but the ,gospel of ,christ1 as the   
history of the first ten centuries of   
,christianity1 is the witness that      
auricular confession and absolution are 
nothing else but a sacrilegious as well 
as a most stupendous imposture4  ,what  
tremendous efforts the priests of ,rome 
have made these last five centuries1 and
 are still making1 to persuade their    
dupes that the ,son of ,god was making  
of them a privileged caste1 a caste     
endowed with the ,divine and exclusive  
power of opening and shutting the gates 
of ,heaven1 when ,he said1 ,whatsoever  
ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
 ,heaven1 and whatsoever ye shall loose 
on earth shall be loosed in ,heaven4    
,but our adorable ,saviour1 who         
perfectly foresaw those diabolical      
efforts on the part of the priests of   
,rome1 entirely upset every vestige of  
their foundation by saying immediately1 
,again ,i say unto you1 ,that if two of 
you shall agree on earth as touching any
 thing that they shall ask1 it shall be 

done for them of my ,father which is in 
,heaven4 ,for where two or three are    
gathered together in my name1 there am  
,i in the midst of them 7,matt4 xviii4  
#ai1 #bj74  ,would the priests of ,rome 
attempt to make us believe that these   
words of the #aith and #bjth verses are 
addressed to them exclusively8 ,they    
have not yet dared to say it4 ,they     
confess that these words are addressed  
to all ,his disciples4 ,but our ,saviour
 positively says that the other words1  
implicating the so-called power of the  
priests to hear the confession and give 
the absolution1 are addressed to the    
very same persons--,i say unto you1 c41 
c4 ,the you of the #aith and #bjth      
verses is the same you of the #ahth4    
,the power of loosing and unloosing is1 
then1 given to all--those who would be  
offended and would forgive4 ,then1 our  
,saviour had not in ,his mind to form a 
caste of men with any marvellous power  
over the rest of ,his disciples4 ,the   
priests of ,rome1 then1 are impostors1  

and nothing else1 when they say that the
 power of loosing and unloosing sins was
 exclusively granted to them4  ,instead 
of going to the confessor1 let the      
,christian go to his merciful ,god1     
through ,christ1 and say1 ,forgive us   
our trespasses as we forgive them that  
trespass against us4 ,this is the       
,truth1 not as it comes from the        
,vatican1 but as it comes from ,calvary1
 where our debts were paid1 with the    
only condition that we should believe1  
repent1 and love4  ,have not the ,popes 
publicly and repeatedly anathematized   
the sacred principle of ,liberty of     
,conscience8 ,have they not boldly said1
 in the teeth of the nations of ,europe1
 that ,liberty of ,conscience must be   
destroyed--killed at any cost8 ,has not 
the whole world heard the sentence of   
death to ,liberty coming from the lips  
of the old man of the ,vatican8 ,but    
where is the scaffold on which the      
doomed ,liberty must perish8 ,that      
scaffold is the confessional-box4 ,yes1 

in the confessional1 the ,pope had his  
#ajj1jjj high executioners6 ,there they 
are1 day and night1 with-sharp daggers  
in hand1 stabbing ,liberty to the heart4
  ,in vain will noble ,france expel her 
old tyrants to be free2 in vain will she
 shed the purest blood of her heart to  
protect and save ,liberty6 ,true        
,liberty cannot live a day there so long
 as the executioners of the ,pope are   
free to stab her on their #ajj1jjj      
scaffolds4  ,in vain chivalrous ,spain  
will call ,liberty to give a new life to
 her people4 ,she cannot set her feet   
there except to die1 so long as the     
,pope is allowed to strike her in his   
#ej1jjj confessionals4  ,and free       
,america1 too1 will see all her so      
dearly-bought liberties destroyed the   
day that the confessional-box is reared 
in her midst4  ,auricular ,confession   
and ,liberty cannot stand together on   
the same ground2 either one or the other
 must fall4  ,liberty must sweep away   
the confessional1 as she has swept away 

the demon of slavery1 or she is doomed  
to perish4  ,can a man be free in his   
own house1 so long as there is another  
who has the legal right to spy all his  
actions1 and direct not only every step1
 but every thought of his wife and      
children8 ,can that man boast of a home 
whose wife and children are under the   
control of another8 ,is not that        
unfortunate man really the slave of the 
ruler and master of his household8 ,and 
when a whole nation is composed of such 
husbands and fathers1 is it not a nation
 of abject1 degraded slaves8  ,to a     
thinking man1 one of the most strange   
phenomena is that our modern nations    
allow all their most sacred rights to be
 trampled under feet1 and destroyed by  
the ,papacy1 the sworn enemy of         
,liberty1 through a mistaken respect and
 love for that same ,liberty6  ,no      
people have more respect for ,liberty of
 ,conscience than the ,americans2 but   
has the noble ,state of ,illinois       
allowed ,joe ,smith and ,brigham ,young 

to degrade and enslave the ,american    
women under the pretext of ,liberty of  
,conscience1 appealed to by the         
so-called ,latter-day ,saints8 ,no6 ,the
 ground was soon made too hot for the   
tender conscience of the modern         
prophets4 ,joe ,smith perished when     
attempting to keep his captive wives in 
his chains1 and ,brigham ,young had to  
fly to the solitudes of the ,far ,west1 
to enjoy what he called his liberty of  
conscience with the thirty women he had 
degraded and enchained under his yoke4  
,but even in that remote solitude the   
false prophet has heard the distant     
peals of the roaring thunder4 ,the      
threatening voice of the great ,republic
 has troubled his rest1 and he wisely   
speaks of going as much as possible out 
of the reach of ,christian civilization1
 before the dark and threatening clouds 
which he sees on the horizon will hurl  
upon him their irresistible storms4     
,will any one blame the ,american people
 for so going to the rescue of woman8   

,no1 surely not4  ,but what is this     
confessional-box8 ,nothing but a citadel
 and stronghold of ,mormonism4  ,what is
 this ,father ,confessor1 with few      
exceptions1 but a lucky ,brigham ,young8
  ,i do not want to be believed on my   
ipse dixit4 ,what ,i ask from serious   
thinkers is1 that they should read the  
encyclicals of the ,piuses1 the         
,gregorys1 the ,benoits1 and many other 
,popes1 ,de ,sollicitantibus4 ,there    
they will see1 with their own eyes1     
that1 as a general thing1 the confessor 
has more women to serve him than the    
,mormon prophets ever had4 ,let them    
read the memoirs of one of the most     
venerable men of the ,church of ,rome1  
,bishop de ,ricci1 and they will see1   
with their own eyes1 that the confessors
 are more free with their penitents1    
even nuns1 than husbands are with their 
wives4 ,let them hear the testimony of  
one of the noblest princesses of ,italy1
 ,henrietta ,carraciolo1 who still      
lives1 and they will know that the      

,mormons have more respect for women    
than the greater part of the confessors 
have4 ,let them hear the lamentations of
 ,cardinal ,baronius1 ,saint ,bernard1  
,savanarola1 ,pius1 ,gregory1 ,st4      
,therese1 ,st4 ,liguori1 on the         
unspeakable and irreparable ruin spread 
all along the ways and all over the     
countries haunted by the ,pope's        
confessors1 and they will know that the 
confessional-box is the daily witness of
 abominations which would hardly have   
been tolerated in the lands of ,sodom   
and ,gomorrha4 ,let the legislators1 the
 fathers and husbands of every nation   
and tongue1 interrogate ,father         
,gavazzi1 ,hyacinthe1 and the thousands 
of living priests who1 like myself1 have
 miraculously been taken out from that  
,egyptian servitude to the promised     
land1 and they will tell you the same   
old1 old story--that the                
confessional-box is for the greatest    
part of the confessors and female       
penitents1 a real pit of perdition1 into

 which they promiscuously fall and      
perish4 ,yes2 they will tell you that   
the soul and heart of your wife and     
daughter are purified by the magical    
words of the confessional1 just as the  
souls of the poor idolaters of          
,hindoostan are purified by the tail of 
the cow which they hold in their hands  
when they die4 ,study the pages of the  
past history of ,england1 ,france1      
,italy1 ,spain1 c41 c41 and you will see
 that the gravest and most reliable     
historians have everywhere found        
mysteries of iniquity in the            
confessional-box which their pen refused
 to trace4  ,in the presence of such    
public1 undeniable1 and lamentable      
facts1 have not the civilized nations a 
duty to perform8 ,is it not time that   
the children of light1 the true         
disciples of the ,gospel1 all over the  
world1 should rally round the banners of
 ,christ1 and go1 shoulder to shoulder1 
to the rescue of women8  ,woman is to   
society what the roots are to the most  

precious trees of your orchard4 ,if you 
knew that a thousand worms are biting   
the root of those noble trees1 that     
their leaves are already fading away1   
their rich fruits1 though yet unripe1   
are falling on the ground1 would you not
 unearth the roots and sweep away the   
worms8  ,the confessor is the worm which
 is biting1 polluting1 and destroying   
the very roots of civil and religious   
society1 by contaminating1 debasing1 and
 enslaving woman4  ,before the nations  
can see the reign of peace1 happiness1  
and liberty1 which ,christ has promised1
 they must1 like the ,israelites1 pull  
down the walls of ,jericho4 ,the        
confessional is the modern ,jericho1    
which proudly and defiantly dares the   
children of ,god6  ,let1 then1 the      
people of the ,lord1 the true soldiers  
of ,christ1 rise up and rally around    
,his banners2 and let them fearlessly   
march1 shoulder to shoulder1 on the     
doomed city3 let all the trumpets of    
,israel be sounded around its walls3 let

 fervent prayers go to the throne of    
,mercy1 from the heart of every one for 
whom the ,lamb has been slain3 let such 
a unanimous cry of indignation be heard1
 through the length and breadth of the  
land1 against that greatest and most    
monstrous imposture of modern times1    
that the earth will tremble under the   
feet of the confessor1 so that his very 
knees will shake1 and soon the walls of 
,jericho will fall1 the confessional    
will disappear1 and its unspeakable     
pollutions will no more imperil the very
 existance of society4  ,then the       
multitudes who were kept captive will   
come to the ,lamb1 who will make them   
pure with ,his blood and free with ,his 
word4  ,then the redeemed nations will  
sing a song of joy3 ,babylon1 the great1
 the mother of harlots and abominations 
of the earth1 is fallen6 fallen6        
99       99       99       99       99  
,,chapter ,,viii4  ,,does ,,auricular   
,,confession ,,bring ,,peace ,,to ,,the 
,,soul8         99       99       99    

99       99  ,the connecting of ,peace  
with ,auricular ,confession is surely   
the most cruel sarcasm ever uttered in  
human language4  ,it would be less      
ridiculous and false to admire the      
calmness of the sea1 and the stillness  
of the atmosphere1 when a furious storm 
raises the foaming waves to the skies1  
than to speak of the ,peace of the soul 
either during or after the confession4  
,i know it2 the confessors and their    
dupes chorus every tune by crying       
,peace1 peace6 ,but the ,god of truth   
and holiness answers1 ,there is no peace
 for the wicked6  ,the fact is1 that no 
human words can adequately express the  
anxieties of the soul before confession1
 its unspeakable confusion in the act of
 confessing1 or its deadly terrors after
 confession4  ,let those who have never 
drunk of the bitter waters which flow   
from the confessional box1 read the     
following plain and correct recital of  
my own first experiences in auricular   
confession4 ,they are nothing else than 

the history of what nine tenths of the  
penitents#e of ,rome old and young are  
subject to2 and they will know what to  
think of that marvellous ,peace about   
which the ,romanists1 and their silly   
copyists1 the ,ritualists1 have written 
so many eloquent lies4  ,in the year    
#ahai1 my parents had sent me from      
,murray ,bay 7,la ,mal ,baie7 where they
 lived1 to an excellent school1 at ,st4 
,thomas4 ,i was then1 about ten years   
old4 ,i boarded with an uncle1 who1     
though a nominal ,roman ,catholic1 did  
not believe a word of what his priest   
preached4 ,but my ,aunt had the         
reputation of being a very devoted      
woman4 ,our ,school-master1 ,mr4 ,john  
,jones1 was a well educated ,englishman3
 and a staunch ,,protestant4 ,this last 
circumstance had excited the wrath of   
the ,roman ,catholic ,priest against the
 teacher and his numerous pupils to such
 an extent1 that they were often        
denounced from the pulpit with very hard
 words4 ,but if he did not like us1 ,i  

must admit that we were paying him with 
his own coin4  ,but let us come to my   
first lesson in ,auricular ,confession1 
,no6 ,no words can express to those who 
have never had any experience in the    
matter1 the consternation1 anxiety and  
shame of a poor ,romish child1 when he  
hears his priest saying from the pulpit1
 in a grave and solemn tone2 ,this week1
 you will send your children to         
confession4 ,make them understand that  
this action is one of the most important
 of their lives1 that for every one of  
them1 it will decide their eternal      
happiness or ruin4 ,fathers1 ,mothers   
and guardians of those children1 if1    
through your fault or theirs1 your      
children are guilty of a false          
confession3 if they do not confess every
 thing to the priest who holds the place
 of ,god1 ,himself1 this sin is often   
irreparable3 the ,devil will take       
possession of their hearts3 they will   
lie to their father confessor1 or rather
 to ,jesus ,christ1 of whom he is the   

representative3 ,their lives will be a  
series of sacrileges1 their death and   
eternity1 those of reprobates4 ,teach   
them therefore to examine thoroughly all
 their actions1 words1 thoughts and     
desires1 in order to confess every thing
 just as it occurred1 without any       
disguise4  ,i was in the ,church of ,st4
 ,thomas1 when these words fell upon me 
like a thunderbolt4 ,i had often heard  
my mother say1 when at home and my aunt1
 since ,i had come to ,st4 ,thomas1 that
 upon the first confession depended my  
eternal happiness or misery4 ,that week 
was1 therefore1 to decide the vital     
question of my eternity6  ,pale and     
dismayed1 ,i left the church after the  
service1 and returned to the house of my
 relations4 ,i took my place at the     
table1 but could not eat1 so much was ,i
 troubled4 ,i went to my room for the   
purpose of commencing my examination of 
conscience1 and to try to recall every  
one of my sinful actions1 thoughts and  
words6  ,although scarcely over ten     

years of age1 this task was really      
overwhelming to me4 ,i knelt down to    
pray to the ,virgin ,mary for help1 but 
,i was so much taken up with the fear of
 forgetting something or making a bad   
confession1 that ,i muttered my prayers 
without the least attention to what ,i  
said4 ,it became still worse1 when ,i   
commenced counting my sins1 my memory1  
though very good1 became confused3 my   
head grew dizzy3 my heart beat with a   
rapidity which exhausted me1 and my brow
 was covered with perspiration4 ,after a
 considerable length of time1 spent in  
those painful efforts1 ,i felt bordering
 on despair from the fear that it was   
impossible for me to remember exactly   
every thing1 and to confess each sin as 
it occurred4 ,the night following was   
almost a sleepless one3 and when sleep  
did come1 it could hardly be called     
sleep1 but a suffocating delirium4 ,in a
 frightful dream1 ,i felt as if ,i had  
been cast into hell1 for not having     
confessed all my sins to the priest4 ,in

 the morning1 ,i awoke fatigued1 and    
prostrate by the phantoms and emotions  
of that terrible night4 ,in similar     
troubles of mind were passed the three  
days which preceeded my first           
confession4  ,i had constantly before me
 the countenance of that stern priest   
who had never smiled upon me4 ,he was   
present to my thoughts during the days1 
and in my dreams during the nights1 as  
the minister of an angry ,god1 justly   
irritated against me1 on account of my  
sins4 ,forgiveness had indeed been      
promised to me1 on condition of a good  
confession2 but my place had also been  
shown to me in hell1 if my confession   
was not as near perfection as possible4 
,now1 my troubled conscience told me    
that there were ninety chances against  
one that my confession would be bad1    
either if by my own fault1 ,i forget    
some sins1 or if ,i was without that    
contrition of which ,i had heard so     
much1 but the nature and effects of     
which were a perfect chaos in my mind4  

,at length came the day of confession1  
or rather of judgment and condemnation4 
,i presented myself to the priest1 the  
,rev4 ,mr4 ,beaubien4  ,he had then1 the
 defects of lisping and stammering which
 we1 often turned into ridicule4 ,and as
 nature had unfortunately endowed me    
with admirable powers as a mimic1 the   
infirmities of this poor priest afforded
 only too good an opportunity for the   
exercise of my talent4 ,not only was it 
one of my favorite amusements to imitate
 him before the pupils amidst roars of  
laughter but also1 ,i preached portions 
of his sermons before his parishioners  
of villages1 with similar results4      
,indeed1 many of them came from         
considerable distances to enjoy the     
amusement of listening to me1 and they  
rewarded me1 more than once1 with cakes 
of maple sugar1 for my performances4    
,these acts of mimicry were1 of course1 
among my sins2 and it became necessary  
for me to examine myself upon the number
 of times ,i had mocked the priests4    

,this circumstance was not calculated to
 make my confession easier or more      
agreeable4  ,at last1 the dread moment  
arrived1 ,i knelt for the first time1 at
 the side of my confessor1 my whole     
frame trembled3 ,i repeated the prayer  
preparatory to confession1 scarcely     
knowing what ,i said1 so much was ,i    
troubled by fears4  ,by the instructions
 which had been given us before         
confession1 we had been made to believe 
that the priest was the true            
representative1 yea1 almost the         
personification of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the 
consequence was that ,i believed my     
greatest sin was that of mocking the    
priest--and ,i1 as ,i had been told that
 it was proper first to confess the     
greatest sins1 ,i commenced thus3       
,father ,i accuse myself of having      
mocked a priest6  ,hardly had ,i uttered
 these words1 mocked a priest1 when this
 pretended representative of the humble 
,jesus1 turning towards me1 and looking 
in my face1 in order to know me1 better1

 asked abruptly2 what priest did you    
mock1 my boy8  ,i would have rather     
chosen to cut my own tongue than to tell
 him to his face who it was4 ,i1        
therefore1 kept silent for a while1 but 
my silence made him very nervous1 and   
almost angry4 ,with a haughty tone of   
voice1 he said3 what priest did you take
 the liberty of thus mocking1 my boy8 ,i
 saw that ,i had to answer4 ,happily his
 haughtiness had made me bolder and     
firmer2 ,i said3 sir1 you are the priest
 whom ,i mocked6  ,but how many times   
did you take upon you to mock me1 my    
boy8 asked he angrily4  ,i tried to find
 out the number of times1 but ,i never  
could4  ,you must tell me how many      
times1 for to mock one's own priest is a
 great sin4  ,it is impossible for me to
 give you the number of times1 ,i       
answered4  ,well1 my child1 ,i will help
 your memory by asking you questions4   
,tell me the truth4 ,do you think you   
mocked me ten times8  ,a great many     
times more1 ,i answered4  ,have you     

mocked me fifty times8  ,oh6 many more  
still6  ,a hundred times8  ,say1 five   
hundred1 and perhaps more2 ,i answered4 
,well1 my boy1 do you spend all your    
time in mocking me8  ,not all my time3  
but unfortunately1 ,i have done it very 
often4  ,yes may you say3 unfortunately6
 for to mock1 your priest1 who holds the
 place of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 is a
 great sin and a great misfortune for   
you4 ,but tell me1 my little boy1 what  
reason have you for mocking me1 thus8   
,in my examination of conscience1 ,i had
 not forseen that ,i should be obliged  
to give the reasons for mocking the     
priest1 and ,i was thunderstruck by his 
questions4 ,i dared not answer1 and ,i  
remained for a long time dumb1 from the 
shame that overpowered me4 ,but1 with a 
harassing perseverance1 the priest      
insisted upon my telling why ,i had     
mocked him3 assuring me that ,i would be
 damned if ,i did not speak the whole   
truth4 ,so1 ,i decided to speak1 and ,i 
said3 ,i mocked you for several things4 

,what made you1 first mock me8 asked the
 priest4  ,i laughed at you1 because you
 lisp3 among the pupils of the school1  
and other people1 it often happens that 
we imitate your preaching to laugh at   
you1 ,i answered4  ,for what other      
reasons did you laugh at me1 my little  
boy6  ,for a long time ,i was silent4   
,every time ,i opened my mouth to speak1
 my courage failed me4 ,but the priest  
continued to urge me1 ,i said at last2  
,it is rumoured in town1 that you love  
girls3 that you visit the ,misses       
,r's----almost every night2 and this1   
often made us laugh4  ,the poor priest  
was evidently overwhelmed by my answer1 
and ceased questioning me on that       
subject4 ,changing the conversation1 he 
said3 what are your other sins8  ,i     
began to confess them according to the  
order in which they came to my memory4  
,but the feeling of shame which         
overpowered me1 in repeating all my sins
 to that man1 was a thousand times      
greater than that of having offended    

,god4 ,in reality1 this feeling of human
 shame1 which absorbed my thoughts1 nay1
 my whole being1 left no room for any   
religious feeling at all4  ,when ,i had 
confessed all the sins ,i could         
remember1 the priest began to put to me 
the strangest questions about matters on
 which my pen must be silent4444 ,i     
replied ,father1 ,i do not understand   
what you ask me4  ,i question you1 he   
answered1 on the the sins of the sixth  
commandment of ,god1 7the seventh in the
 ,bible7 ,do confess all1 my little boy1
 for you will go to hell if1 through    
your fault you omit any thing4  ,and    
thereupon he dragged my thoughts into   
regions of iniquity which1 thanks be to 
,god1 had been hitherto quite unknown to
 me4  ,i answered him again1 ,i do not  
understand you1 or ,i have never done   
those wicked things4  ,then1 skillfully 
shifting to some secondary matters1 he  
would soon slyly and cunningly come back
 to his favorite subject1 namely1 sins  
of licentiousness4  ,his questions were 

so unclean that ,i blushed and felt     
nauseated with disgust and shame4 ,more 
than once1 ,i had been to my great      
regret1 in the company of bad boys1 but 
not one of them had offended my moral   
nature so much as this priest had done4 
,not one of them had ever approached the
 shadow of the things from which that   
man tore the veil1 and which he placed  
before the eyes of my soul4 ,in vain ,i 
told him that ,i was not guilty of those
 things2 that ,i did not even understand
 what he asked me2 but he would not let 
me off4  ,like a vulture bent upon      
tearing the poor defenceless bird that  
falls into its claws1 that cruel priest 
seemed determined to defile and ruin my 
heart4  ,at last1 he asked me a question
 in a form of expression so bad that ,i 
was really pained and put beside myself4
 ,i felt as if ,i had received the shock
 from an electric battery3 a feeling of 
horror made me shudder4 ,i was filled   
with such indignation that speaking loud
 enough to be heard by many1 ,i told    

him3 ,sir1 ,i am very wicked1 but ,i was
 never guilty of what you mention to me3
 please don't ask me any more of those  
questions which will teach me more      
wickedness than ,i ever knew4  ,the     
remainder of my confession was short4   
,the stern rebuke ,i had given him had  
evidently made that priest blush1 if it 
had not frightened him4 ,he stopped     
short1 and gave me some very good advice
 which might have done me good1 if the  
deep wounds which his questions had     
inflicted upon my soul1 had not so      
absorbed my thoughts1 as to prevent me  
from giving attention to what he said4  
,he gave me a short penance and         
dismissed me4  ,i left the confessional 
irritated and confused4 ,from the shame 
of what ,i had just heard1 ,i dared not 
raise my eyes from the ground4 ,i went  
into a corner of the church to do my    
penance1 that is to recite the prayers  
which he had indicated to me4 ,i        
remained for a long time in the church4 
,i had need of a calm1 after the        

terrible trial through which ,i had just
 passed4 ,but vainly sought ,i for rest4
 ,the shameful questions which had just 
been asked from me1 the new world of    
iniquity into which ,i been introduced1 
the impure phantoms by which my childish
 head had been defiled1 confused and    
troubled my mind so strongly1 that ,i   
began to weep bitterly4  ,i left the    
church only when forced to do so by the 
shades of night1 and came back to my    
uncle's house1 with a feeling of shame  
and uneasiness1 as if ,i had done a bad 
action and feared lest ,i should be     
detected4 ,my trouble was much increased
 when my uncle1 jestingly1 said3 now    
that you have been to confess1 you will 
be a good boy4 ,but if you are not a    
better boy1 you will be a more learned  
one1 if your confessor has taught you   
what mine did when ,i confessed for the 
first time4  ,i blushed and remained    
silent4 ,my aunt said3 you must feel    
happy1 now that you have made your      
confession3 do you not8  ,i gave an     

evasive answer1 but could not entirely  
conceal the confusion which overwhelmed 
me4 ,i went to bed early2 but ,i could  
hardly sleep4  ,i thought that ,i was   
the only boy whom the priest had asked  
these polluting questions3 but great was
 my confusion1 the next day when on     
going to school1 ,i learned that my     
companions had not been happier than ,i 
had been4 ,the only difference was that1
 instead of being grieved as ,i was1    
they laughed at it4  ,did the priest ask
 you this and that1 they would demand   
laughing boisterously2 ,i refused to    
reply1 and said3 are you not ashamed to 
speak of these things4  ,ah6 ,ah6 how   
scrupulous you are3 continued they1 if  
it is not a sin for the priest to speak 
to us on these matters1 how can it be a 
sin for us to laugh at it4 ,i felt      
confounded1 not knowing what to answer4 
,but my confusion increased not a       
little1 when soon after1 ,i perceived   
that the young girls of the school had  
not been less polluted1 or scandalized  

than the boys4 ,although keeping at a   
sufficient distance from us to prevent  
us from understanding every thing they  
had to say on their confessional        
experience1 those girls were            
sufficiently near to let us hear many   
things which it would have been better  
for us not to know4 ,some of them seemed
 thoughtful1 sad and shameful3 but      
several laughed heartily at what they   
had learned in the confessional box4  ,i
 was very indignant against the priest2 
and thought in myself1 that he was a    
very wicked man1 for having put to us   
such repelling questions4 ,but ,i was   
wrong4 ,that priest was honest2 he was  
only doing his duty1 as ,i have known   
since1 when studying the theologians of 
,rome4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,beaubien was a  
real gentleman1 and if he had been free 
to follow the dictates of his honest    
conscience it is my strong conviction he
 would never have sullied our young     
hearts with such impure ideas4 ,but what
 has the honest conscience of a priest  

to do in the confessional1 except to be 
silent and dumb8 ,the priest of ,rome is
 an automaton1 tied to the feet of the  
,pope by an iron chain4 ,he can move1 go
 right or left1 up or down2 he can think
 and act1 but only at the bidding of the
 infallible god of ,rome4 ,the priest   
knows the will of his modern divinity   
only through his approved emissaries1   
embassadors and theologians4 ,with shame
 on my brow1 and bitter tears of regret 
flowing just now1 on my cheeks1 ,i      
confess that ,i have had myself to learn
 by heart those damning questions1 and  
put them to the young and the old2 who  
like me1 were fed with the diabolical   
doctrines of the church of ,rome1 in    
reference to auricular confession4      
,some time after1 some people waylaid   
and whipped that very same priest1 when 
during a very dark night he was coming  
back from visiting his fair young       
penitents the ,misses ,rs4444 ,and the  
next day1 the conspirators having met at
 the house of ,dr4 ,stephen ,tache1 to  

give a report of what they had done to  
the half secret society to which they   
belonged1 ,i was invited by my young    
friend ,louis ,casault#f to conceal     
myself with him1 in an adjoining room1  
where we could hear every thing without 
being seen4 ,i find in the old          
manuscripts of my young year's          
recollections the following address of  
,mr4 ,dubord4  ,mr4 ,president--,i was  
not among those who gave to the priest  
the expression of the public feelings   
with the eloquent voice of the whip3 but
 ,i wish ,i had been1 ,i would heartily 
have co-operated to give that so well   
deserved lesson to the father confessors
 of ,canada1 and let me give you my     
reasons for that4  ,my child who is     
hardly twelve years old1 went to        
confess1 as did the other girls of the  
village1 some time ago4 ,it was against 
my will4 ,i know1 by my own experience1 
that of all actions1 confession is the  
most degrading of a person's life4 ,i   
can imagine nothing so well calculated  

to destroy forever one's self-respect1  
as the modern invention of the          
confessional4 ,now1 what is a person    
without self-respect8 ,especially a     
woman8 ,is not all forever lost without 
this8  ,in the confessional every thing 
is corruption of the lowest grade4      
,there1 the girl's thoughts1 lips1      
hearts and souls are forever polluted4  
,do ,i need to prove you this8 ,no6 for 
though you have given up1 long since    
auricular confession1 as below the      
dignity of man1 you have not forgotten  
the lessons of corruption which you have
 received from it4 ,those lessons have  
remained on your souls as the scars left
 by the red hot iron upon the brow of   
the slave to be a perpetual witness of  
his shame and servitude4  ,the          
confessional box is the place where our 
wives and daughters learn things which  
would make the most degraded woman of   
our cities blush6  ,why are all ,roman  
,catholic nations inferior to nations   
belonging to ,protestanism8 only in the 

confessional can the solution of that   
problem be found4 ,and why are ,roman   
,catholic nations degraded in proportion
 to their submission to their priests8  
,it is because the more often the       
individuals composing those nations go  
to confess1 the more rapidly they sink  
in the sphere of intelligence and       
morality4 ,a terrible example of the    
auricular confession depravity has just 
occurred in my own family4  ,as ,i have 
said a moment ago1 ,i was against my own
 daughter going to confession1 but her  
poor mother1 who is under the control of
 the priest1 earnestly wanted her to go4
 ,not to have a disagreeable scene in my
 house1 ,i had to yield to the tears of 
my wife4  ,on the following day of the  
confession1 they believed ,i was absent1
 but ,i was in my office1 with the door 
sufficiently opened to hear every thing 
which could be said by my wife and the  
child4 ,and the following conversation  
took place3  ,what makes you so         
thoughtful and sad my dear ,lucy1 since 

you went to confess8 ,it seems to me you
 should feel happier since you had the  
privilege of confessing your sins4  ,my 
child answered not a word1 she remained 
absolutely silent4  ,after two or three 
minutes of silence1 ,i heard the mother 
saying3 ,why do you weep1 my dear ,lucy8
 are you sick8  ,but no answer yet from 
the child6  ,you may well suppose that  
,i was all attention1 ,i had my secret  
suspicions about the dreadful mystery   
which had taken place4 ,my heart        
throbbed with uneasiness and anger4     
,after a short silence1 my wife spoke   
again to her child1 but with sufficient 
firmness to decide her to answer at     
last4 ,in a trembling voice1 she said3  
,oh ,i dear ,mamma1 if you knew what the
 priest has asked me and what he said to
 me when ,i confessed1 you would perhaps
 be sad as ,i am4  ,but what can he have
 said to you8 ,he is a holy man1 you    
must have misunderstood him1 if you     
think that he has said anything wrong4  
,my child threw herself in her mother's 

arms1 and answered with a voice half    
suffocated with her sobs3 ,do not ask me
 to tell you what the priest has        
said--it is so shameful that ,i can not 
repeat it--,his words have stuck to my  
heart as the leech put upon the arm of  
my little friend1 the other day4  ,what 
does that priest think of me1 for having
 put to me such questions8  ,my wife    
answered3 ,i will go to the priest and  
will teach him a lesson4 ,i have noticed
 myself that he goes too far when       
questioning old people1 but ,i had the  
hope he was more prudent with children4 
,i ask of you1 however1 never to speak  
of this to anybody1 especially2 let not 
your poor father know anything about it2
 for he has little enough of religion   
already1 and this would leave him       
without any at all4  ,i could not       
refrain myself any longer3 ,i abruptly  
entered the parlor4 ,my daughter threw  
herself into my arms3 my wife screamed  
with terror1 and almost fell into a     
swoon4 ,i said to my child3 ,if you love

 me1 put your hand on my heart1 and     
promise never to go again to confess4   
,fear ,god1 my child1 love ,him and walk
 in his presence4 ,for his eyes see you 
everywhere4 ,remember that ,he is always
 ready to forgive and bless you every   
time you turn your heart to him4 ,never 
place yourself again at the feet of a   
priest to be defiled and degraded4      
,this my daughter promised to me4  ,when
 my wife had recovered from her         
surprise1 ,i told her4  ,madame1 it is  
long since the priest is everything1 and
 your husband nothing to you6 ,there is 
a hidden and terrible power which       
governs you1 it is the power of the     
priest3 this you have often denied1 but 
it can not be denied any longer1 the    
,providence of ,god has decided1 to day1
 that this power should forever be      
destroyed in my house1 ,i want to be the
 only ruler of my family3 from this     
moment the power of the priest over you 
is forever abolished4 ,whenever you go  
and take your heart and your secrets to 

the feet of the priest1 be so kind as   
not to come back any more into my house 
as my wife4  ,this is one of the        
thousand and thousand specimens of the  
peace of conscience brought to the soul 
through auricular confession4 ,i could  
give many similar instances1 if it were 
my intention to publish a treatise on   
this subject1 but as ,i only desire to  
write a short chapter1 ,i will adduce   
but one other fact to show the awful    
deception practised by the ,church of   
,rome when she invites persons to come  
to confession under the pretext that    
peace to the soul will be the reward of 
their obedience4 ,let us hear the       
testimony of another living and         
unimpeachable witness about this peace  
of the soul1 before1 during1 and after  
auricular confession4 ,in her remarkable
 book ,personal experience of ,roman    
,catholicism ,miss ,eliza ,richardson1  
writes1 7,page #cd and #ce47  ,thus ,i  
silenced my foolish quibbling1 and went 
on to the test of a convert's fervour   

and sincerity in confession4 ,and here  
was assuredly a fresh source of pain and
 disquiet1 and one not so easily        
vanquished4 ,the theory had appeared1 as
 a whole1 fair and rational1 but the    
reality1 in some of its details1 was    
terrible6  ,divested1 for the public    
gaze1 of its darkest ingredients1 and   
dressed up1 in their theological works1 
in false and meretricious pretentions to
 truth and purity1 it exhibited a dogma 
only calculated to exert a beneficial   
influence on mankind1 and to prove a    
source of morality and usefulness4 ,but 
oh1 as with all ideals1 how unlike was  
the actual6  ,here1 however1 ,i may     
remark1 in passing1 the effect produced 
upon my mind by the first sight of the  
older editions of the ,garden of the    
,soul4 ,i remember the stumbling-block  
it was to me1 my sense of womanly       
delicacy was shocked4 ,it was a dark    
page in my experience1 when first ,i    
knelt at the feet of a mortal man to    
confess what should have been poured    

into the ear of ,god alone4 ,i cannot   
dwell upon this4444  ,though ,i believe 
my ,confessor was1 on the whole1 as     
guarded as his manners were kind2 at    
some things ,i was strangely startled1  
utterly confounded4  ,the purity of mind
 and delicacy in which ,i had been      
nurtured1 had not prepared me for such  
an ordeal2 and my own sincerity1 and    
dread of committing a sacrilege1 tended 
to augment the painfulness of the       
occasion4 ,one circumstance especially  
,i will recall1 which my fettered       
conscience persuaded me ,i was obliged  
to name4 ,my distress and terror1       
doubtless1 made me less explicit than ,i
 otherwise might have been4 ,the        
questioning1 however1 it elicited1 and  
the ideas supplied by it1 outraged my   
feelings to such an extent1 that1       
forgetting all respect for my           
,confessor1 and careless1 even1 at the  
moment1 whether ,i received absolution  
or not1 ,i hastily exclaimed1 ,i cannot 
say a word more1 while the thought      

rushed into my mind1 all is true that   
their enemies say of them4 ,here1       
however prudence dictated to my         
questioner to put the matter no further2
 and the kind and almost respectful tone
 he immediately assumed1 went far       
towards effacing an impression so       
injurious4 ,on rising from my knees1    
when ,i should have gladly fled to any  
distance rather than have encountered   
his gaze1 he addressed me in the most   
familiar manner on different subjects1  
and detained me some time in talking4   
,what share ,i took in the conversation1
 ,i never knew and all that ,i remember1
 was my burning cheek1 and inability to 
raise my eyes from the ground4  ,here ,i
 would not be supposed to be            
intentionally casting a stigma upon an  
individual4 ,nor am ,i throwing         
unqualified blame upon the priesthood4  
,it is the system which is at fault1 a  
system which teaches that things1 even  
at the remembrance of which degraded    
humanity must blush in the presence of  

heaven and its angels1 should be laid   
open1 dwelt upon1 and exposed in detail1
 to the sullied ears of a corrupt and   
fallen fellow-mortal who of like        
passions with the penitent at his feet1 
is thereby exposed to temptations the   
most dark and dangerous4 ,but what shall
 we say of woman8 ,draw a veil6 ,oh     
purity1 modesty6 and every womanly      
feeling6 a veil as oblivion1 over the   
fearfully1 dangerous experience thou art
 called to pass through6 7page #cg1 and 
#ch47  ,ah6 there are things that cannot
 be recorded6 facts too startling1 and  
at the same time1 too delicately        
intricate1 to admit a public portrayal1 
or meet the public gaze2 ,but the cheek 
can blush in secret at the true images  
which memory evokes1 and the oppressed  
mind shrinks back1 in horror1 from the  
dark shadows which have saddened and    
overwhelmed it4 ,i appeal to converts1  
to converts of the gentler sex1 and ask 
them1 fearlessly ask them1 what was the 
first impression made on your minds and 

feelings by the confessional8 ,i do not 
ask how subsequent familiarization has  
weakened the effects3 but when          
acquaintance was first made with it1 how
 were you affected by it8 ,i ask not the
 impure1 the already defiled1 for to    
such1 it is sadly susceptible of being  
made a darker source of guilt and       
shame2--but ,i appeal to the pure minded
 and delicate1 the pure in heart and    
sentiment4 ,was not your first          
impression one of inexpressible dread   
and bewilderment1 followed by a sense of
 humiliation and degradation1 not easily
 to be defined or supported8 7page #ci47
 ,the memory of that time 7first        
auricular confession7 will ever be      
painful and abhorent to me2 though      
subsequent experience has thrown1 even  
that1 far into the back ground4 ,it was 
my initiatory lesson upon subjects which
 ought never to enter the imagination of
 girlhood3 my introduction into a region
 which should never be approached by the
 guileless and the pure4 7page #fa7 ,one

 or two individuals 7,roman ,catholic7  
soon formed a close intimacy with me1   
and discoursed with a freedom and       
plainness ,i had never1 before          
encountered4 ,my acquaintances1 however1
 had been brought up in convents1 or    
familiar with them for years1 and ,i    
could not gainsay their statement4  ,i  
was reluctant to believe more than ,i   
had experienced the proof1 however1 was 
destined to come in no dubious shape at 
a no distant day4444 ,a dark and sullied
 page of experience was fast opening    
upon me2 but so unaccustomed was the eye
 which scanned it1 that ,i could not at 
all1 at once1 believe in its truth6 ,and
 it was of hypocrisy so hateful1 of     
sacrilege so terrible1 and abuse so     
gross of all things pure and holy1 and  
in the person of one bound by his vows1 
his position1 and every law of his      
church1 as well as of ,god1 to set a    
high example1 that1 for a time1 all     
confidence in the very existence of     
sincerity and goodness was in danger of 

being shaken1 sacraments1 deemed the    
most sacred1 were profaned2 vows        
disregarded1 vaunted secrecy of the     
confessional covertly infringed1 and its
 sanctity abused to an unhallowed       
purpose2 while even private visitation  
was converted into a channel for        
temptation1 and made the occasion of    
unholy freedom of words and manner4 ,so 
ran the account of evil and a dire      
account it was4 ,by it1 all serious     
thoughts of religion were well nigh     
extinguished4 ,the influence was fearful
 and polluting1 the whirl of excitement 
inexpressible3 ,i cannot enter into     
minute particulars here1 every sense of 
feminine delicacy and womanly feeling   
shrink from such a task4 ,this much1    
however1 ,i can say that ,i1 in         
conjunction with two other young        
friends1 took a journey to a confessor1 
an inmate of a religious house1 who     
lived at some distance1 to lay the      
affair before him2 thinking that he     
would take some remedial measures       

adequate to the urgency of the case4 ,he
 heard our united statements1 expressed 
great indignation1 and1 at once1        
commended us each to write and detail   
the circumstances of the case to the    
,bishop of the district4 ,this we did2  
but of course1 never heard the result4  
,the reminiscences of these dreary and  
wretched months seem now like some      
hideous and guilty dream4 ,it was actual
 familiarization with unholiest things6 
7page #fc47  ,the romish religion       
teaches that if you omit to name        
anything in confession1 however         
repugnant or revolting to purity1 which 
you even doubt having committed1 your   
subsequent confessions are thus rendered
 null and sacrilegious2 while it also   
inculcates that sins of thought should  
be confessed in order that the confessor
 may judge of their mortal or venial    
character4 ,what sort of a chain this   
links around the strictly conscientious 
,i would attempt to portray1 if ,i      
could4 ,but it must have been worn to   

understand its torturing character6     
,suffice it to say that1 for months     
past1 according to this standard1 ,i had
 not made a good confession at all6 ,and
 now1 filled with remorse for my past   
sacrilegious sinfulness1 ,i resolved on 
making a new general confession to the  
religieux alluded to4 ,but this         
confessor's scrupulosity exceeded       
everything ,i had1 hitherto1            
encountered4 ,he told me some things    
were mortal sins1 which ,i had never    
before imagined could be such3 and thus 
threw so many fetters around my         
conscience1 that a host of anxieties for
 my first general confession was        
awakened within me4 ,i had no resource  
then1 but to re-make that1 and thus ,i  
afresh entered on the bitter path ,i had
 deemed ,i should never have occasion   
again to tread4 ,but if my first        
confession had lacerated my feelings1   
what was it to this one8 ,words have no 
power1 language has no expression to    
characterise the emotion that marked it6

  ,the difficulty ,i felt in making a   
full and explicit avowal all that       
distressed me1 furnished my confessor   
with a plea for his assistance in the   
questioning department1 and fain would  
,i conceal much of what passed then1 as 
a foul blot on my memory4 ,i soon found 
that he made mortal sins of what my     
first confessor had professed to treat  
but lightly1 and he did not scruple to  
say that ,i had never yet made a good   
confession at all4 ,my ideas therefore  
became more complicated and confused as 
,i proceeded1 until1 at length1 ,i began
 to feel doubtful of ever accomplishing 
my task in any degree satisfactorily3   
and my mind and memory were positively  
racked to recall every iota of every    
kind1 real or imaginary1 that might1 if 
omitted1 hereafter be occasion of       
uneasiness4 ,things heretofore held     
comparatively trifling were recounted1  
and pronounced damnable sins3 and as1   
day after day1 ,i knelt at the feet of  
that man1 answering questions and       

listening to admonitions calculated to  
bow my very soul to the dust1 ,i felt as
 though ,i should hardly be able to     
raise my head again6 7page #fc47  ,this 
is the peace which flows from auricular 
confession4 ,i solemnly declare that    
except in a few cases1 in which the     
confidence of the penitents is bordering
 on idiocy1 or in which they have been  
transformed into immoral brutes1        
nine-tenths of the multitudes who go to 
confess1 are obliged to recount some    
such desolate narrative as that of ,miss
 ,richardson1 when they are sufficiently
 honest to say the truth4  ,the most    
fanatical apostles of auricular         
confession cannot deny that the         
examination of conscience1 which must   
precede confession1 is a most difficult 
task2 a task which1 instead of filling  
the mind with peace1 fills it with      
anxiety and serious fears4 ,is it then  
only after confession that they promise 
such peace8 ,but they know very well    
that this promise is also a cruel       

deception 444 for to make a good        
confession1 the penitent has to relate  
not only all his bad actions1 but all   
his bad thoughts and desires1 their     
number1 and various aggravating         
circumstances4 ,but have they found a   
single one of their penitents who was   
certain to have remembered all the      
thoughts1 the desires1 all the criminal 
aspirations of the poor sinful heart8   
,they are well aware that to count the  
thoughts of the mind for days and weeks 
gone by1 and to narrate those thoughts  
accurately at a subsequent period1 are  
just as easy as to weigh and count the  
clouds which have passed over the sun1  
in a three days storm1 a month after    
that storm is over4 ,it is simply       
impossible1 absurd6 ,this has never     
been1 this will never be done4 ,but     
there is no possible peace so long as   
the penitent is not sure that he has    
remembered1 counted and confessed every 
past sinful thought1 word and deed4 ,it 
is then impossible1 yes6 it is morally  

and physically impossible for a soul to 
find peace through auricular confession4
 ,if the law which says to every sinner3
 ,you are bound1 under pain of eternal  
damnation1 to remember all your bad     
thoughts and confess them to the best of
 your memory1 were not so evidently a   
satanic invention1 it ought to be put   
among the most infamous ideas which have
 ever come out from the brain of fallen 
man4 ,for1 who can remember and count   
the thoughts of a week1 of a day1 nay1  
of an hour of his sinful life8  ,where  
is the traveller who has crossed the    
swampy forests of ,america1 in the three
 months of a warm summer1 who could tell
 the number of musquitoes which have    
bitten him and drawn the blood from the 
veins8  ,what should that traveller     
think of the man who1 seriously1 would  
tell him3 ,you must prepare yourself to 
die1 if you do not tell me1 to the best 
of your memory1 how many times you have 
been bitten by the musquitoes1 the last 
three summer months1 when you crossed   

the swampy lands along the shores of the
 ,mississippi and ,missouri ,rivers8    
,would he not suspect that his merciless
 inquirer had just escaped from a       
lunatic asylum8  ,but it would be much  
more easy for that traveller to say how 
many times he has suffered from the     
bitings of the musquitoes1 than for the 
poor sinner to count the bad thoughts   
which have passed through his sinful    
heart1 through any period of his life4  
,though the penitent is told that he    
must confess his thoughts only according
 to his best recollection1--he will     
never1 never know if he has done his    
best efforts to remember everything3 he 
will constantly fear lest he has not    
done his best to count and confess them 
correctly4  ,every honest priest will at
 once admit that his most intelligent   
and pious penitents1 particularly among 
women1 are constantly tortured by the   
fear of having omitted to disclose some 
sinful deeds or thoughts4 ,many of them1
 after having already made several      

general confessions1 are constantly     
urged by the pricking of their          
conscience1 to begin afresh1 in the fear
 that their first confessions had some  
serious defects4 ,those past            
confessions1 instead of being a source  
of spiritual joy and peace1 are1 on the 
contrary1 like1 so many ,damocles'      
swords1 day and night suspended over    
their heads1 filling their souls with   
the terrors of an eternal death6        
,sometimes the terror-stricken          
consciences of those honest and pious   
women tell them that they were not      
sufficiently contrite2 at another time1 
they reproach them for not having spoken
 sufficiently plain on some things      
fitter to make them blush4  ,on many    
occasions1 too1 it has happened that    
sins which one confessor had declared to
 as venial1 and which had long ceased to
 be confessed1 another more scrupulous  
than the first would declare to be      
damnable4 ,every confessor thus knows   
perfectly well that he proffers what is 

flagrantly false every time he dismisses
 his penitents1 after confession1 with  
the salutation3--,go in peace1 thy sins 
are forgiven thee4  ,but it is a mistake
 to say that the soul does not find     
peace in auricular confession3 in many  
cases1 peace is found4 ,and if the      
reader desires to learn something of    
that peace1 let him go to the           
grave-yard1 open the tombs1 and peep    
into the sepulchres4 ,what awful        
silence6 ,what profound quiet6 ,what    
terrible and frightful peace6 ,you hear 
not even the motion of the worms that   
creep in1 and the worms that creep out1 
as they feast upon the dead carcase6    
,such is the peace of the confessional6 
,the soul1 the intelligence1 the honor1 
the self-respect1 the conscience1 are   
there sacrificed4 ,there they must die6 
,yes1 the confessional is a veritable   
tomb of human conscience1 a sepulchre of
 human honesty1 dignity and liberty2 the
 grave-yard of human soul6 ,by its      
means1 man1 whom ,god hath made in his  

own image1 is converted into the        
likeness of the beast that perishes2    
woman1 created by ,god to be the glory  
and help-mate of man1 is transformed    
into the vile and trembling slave of the
 priest4 ,in the confessional1 man and  
woman attain to the highest degree of   
popish perfection3 they become as dry   
sticks1 as dead branches1 as silent     
corpses1 in the hands of their          
confessors4 ,their spirits are          
destroyed1 their consciences are stiff1 
their souls are ruined4  ,this is the   
supreme and perfect result achieved1 in 
its highest victories1 by the ,church of
 ,rome4  ,there is1 verily1 peace to be 
found in auricular confession--yes1 but 
it is the peace of the grave6         99
       99       99       99       99    
,,chapter ,,ix4  ,,the ,,dogma ,,of     
,,auricular ,,confession ,a             
,,sacrilegious ,,imposture4         99  
99       99       99       99  ,both    
,roman ,catholics and ,protestants have 
fallen into very strange errors in      

reference to the words of ,christ3      
,whose soever sins ye remit1 they are   
remitted unto them2 and whose soever    
sins ye retain1 they are retained4 7,st4
 ,john xx4 #bc47  ,the first have seen  
in this text the inalienable attributes 
of ,god of forgiving and retaining sins 
transferred to sinful men2 the second   
have most unwisely granted their        
position1 even while attempting to      
refute their errors4  ,a little more    
attention to the translation of the #crd
 and #fth verses of chapter xiii4 of    
,leviticus by the ,septuagint would have
 prevented the former from falling into 
their sacrilegious errors1 and would    
have saved the latter from wasting so   
much time in refuting errors which      
refute themselves4  ,every one knows    
that the ,septuagint ,bible was the     
,bible that was generally read and used 
by ,jesus ,christ and the ,hebrew       
people1 in our ,saviour's days4 ,its    
language was evidently the one spoken by
 ,christ and understood by his hearers4 

,when addressing his apostles and       
disciples on their duties towards the   
spiritual lepers to whom they were to   
preach the ways of salvation1 ,christ   
constantly followed the very expression 
of the ,septuagint4 ,it was the         
foundation of his doctrine and the      
testimonial of his divine mission to    
which he constantly appealed3 the book  
which was the greatest treasure of the  
nation4  ,from the beginning to the end 
of the ,old and the ,new ,testament1 the
 bodily leprosy1 with which the ,jewish 
priest had to deal1 is presented as the 
figure of the spiritual leprosy1 sin1   
the penalty of which our ,saviour had   
taken upon himself1 that we might be    
saved by his death4 ,that spiritual     
leprosy was the very thing for the      
cleansing of which he had come to this  
world--for which he lived1 suffered and 
died4 ,yes6 the bodily leprosy with     
which the priests of the ,jews had to   
deal1 was the figure of the sins which  
,christ was to take away by shedding his

 blood1 and with which his apostles were
 to deal till the end of the world4     
,when speaking of the duties of the     
,hebrew priests towards the leper1 our  
modern translations say3 7,lev4 xiii4 v4
 #f47 ,they will pronounce him clean or 
7v4 #c;d47 ,they will pronounce him     
unclean4  ,but this action of the       
priests was expressed in a very         
different way by the ,septuagint ,bible1
 used by ,christ and the people of his  
time4 ,instead of saying1 ,the priest   
shall pronounce the leper clean1 as we  
read in our ,bible1 the ,septuagint     
version says1 ,the priest shall clean   
7katharei17 or shall unclean 7mianei17  
the leper4  ,no one had ever been so    
foolish1 among the ,jews1 as to believe 
that because their ,bible said clean1   
7katharei7 their priests had the        
miraculous and supernatural power of    
taking away and curing the leprosy3 and 
we nowhere see that the ,jewish priests 
ever had the audacity to try to persuade
 the people that they had ever received 

any supernatural and divine power to    
cleanse the leprosy1 because their ,god 
through the ,bible1 had said of them3   
,they will cleanse the leper4 ,both     
priest and people were sufficiently     
intelligent and honest to understand and
 acknowledge that by that expression1 if
 was only meant that the priests had the
 legal right to see if the leprosy was  
gone or not1 they had only to look at   
certain marks indicated by ,god         
,himself1 through ,moses1 to know       
whether1 or not1 ,god had cured the     
leper before he presented himself to his
 priest4 ,the leper1 cured by the mercy 
and power of ,god alone1 before         
presenting himself to the priest1 was   
only declared to be clean by that       
priest4 ,thus the priest was said1 by   
the ,bible1 to clean the leper1 or the  
leprosy2--and1 in the opposite case1 to 
unclean4 7,septuagint1 ,leviticus xiii4 
v4 #c4 #f47  ,now1 let us put what ,god 
has said1 through ,moses1 to the priests
 of the old law1 in reference to the    

bodily leprosy1 face to face with what  
,god has said1 through his ,son ,jesus1 
to his apostles and his whole church1 in
 reference to the spiritual leprosy from
 which ,christ has delivered us on the  
cross4    ,septuagint ,bible1 ,levit4   
xiii4        ,new ,testament1 ,john xx41
 #bc4                                   
,and the ,priest shall look on the      
,whose soever sins ye remit1 they       
plague1 in the skin of the flesh1       
are remitted unto them2 and whose and   
when the hair in the plague is    soever
 sins ye retain1 they are turned white1 
and the plague in       retained4 sight 
be deeper than the skin of     his      
flesh1 it is a plague of                
leprosy3 and the priest shall look   on 
him and ,,unclean ,,him 7mianei74       
,and the ,priest shall look on him      
again the seventh day1 and if the       
plague is somewhat dark and does     not
 spread on the skin1 the ,priest   shall
 ,,clean ,,him 7katharei73 and    he    
shall wash his clothes and ,,be         

,,clean1 7katharos47                    
,the analogy of the diseases with which 
the ,hebrew priests and the disciples of
 ,christ had to deal1 is striking3 so   
the analogy of the expressions          
prescribing their respective duties is  
also striking4  ,when ,god said to the  
priests of the ,old ,law1 ,you shall    
clean the leper1 and he shall be        
cleaned1 or1 you shall unclean the      
leper1 and he shall be uncleaned1 ,he   
only gave the legal power to see if     
there were any signs or indications by  
which they could say that ,god had cured
 the leper before he presented himself  
to the priest4 ,so1 when ,christ said to
 his apostles and his whole church1     
,whose soever sins ye shall forgive1    
shall be forgiven unto them1 ,he only   
repeated what ,moses had said in an     
analagous case3 ,he only gave them the  
authority to say when the spiritual     
lepers1 the sinners1 had reconciled     
themselves to ,god1 and received their  
pardon from ,him and ,him alone1        

previous to their coming to the         
apostles4  ,it is true that the priests 
of the ,old ,law had regulations from   
,god1 through ,moses1 which they had to 
follow1 by which they could see and say 
whether1 or not1 the leprosy was gone4  
,if the plague spread not on the skin   
444 the priest shall clean him 444 but  
if the priest see that the scab spread  
on the skin1 it is leprosy3 he shall    
unclean him4 7,septuagint1 ,levit4 xiii4
 #c4 #f47  ,so ,christ had given to his 
apostles and his whole church equally1  
infallible rules and marks to determine 
whether1 or not1 the spiritual leprosy  
was gone1 that they might clean the     
leper and tell him1     ,i clean thee1  
,i forgive thy sins1          or        
or   ,i unclean thee4      ,i retain thy
 sins4  ,i would have1 indeed1 many     
passages of the ,old and ,new           
,testaments to copy1 were it my         
intention to reproduce all the marks    
given by ,god ,himself1 through his     
prophets1 or by ,christ and apostles1   

that ,his ambassadors might know when   
they should say to the sinner that he   
was delivered from his iniquities4 ,i   
will give only a few4  ,first3 ,and he  
said unto them1 go ye into all the world
 and preach the gospel to every         
creature3  ,he that believeth and is    
baptised1 shall be saved3 but he that   
believeth not shall be damned4 7,mark   
xvi4 #ae1 #af47  ,what a strange want of
 memory in the ,saviour of the world6   
,he has entirely forgotten that         
,auricular ,confession1 besides ,faith  
and ,baptism are necessary to be saved6 
,to those who believe and are baptised1 
the apostles and the church are         
authorised by ,christ to say3 ,you are  
saved6 your sins are forgiven6 ,i clean 
you6  ,second3 ,and when ye come into an
 house1 salute it4  ,and if the house be
 worthy1 let your peace come upon it3   
but if it be not worthy1 let your peace 
return to you4  ,and whose soever shall 
not receive you1 nor hear your words1   
when ye depart out of that house or     

city1 shake off the dust of your feet4  
,verily1 verily ,i say unto you1 it     
shall be more tolerable for the land of 
,sodom and ,gomorrha1 in the day of     
,judgment1 than for that city4 7,math x4
 #ab-ae47  ,here again the ,great       
,physician tells his disciples when the 
leprosy will be gone1 the sins forgiven1
 the soul purified4 ,it is when the     
lepers1 the sinners1 will have welcomed 
his messengers1 heard and received their
 message4 ,not a word about auricular   
confession3 this great panacea of the   
,pope's was evidently ignored by        
,christ4  ,third3 ,if ye forgive men    
their trespasses1 your heavenly ,father 
will also forgive you--,but if ye       
forgive not men their trespasses1       
neither will your ,father forgive your  
trespasses4 7,math vi4 #ad1 #ae47  ,was 
it possible to give a more striking and 
simple rule to the ,apostles and the    
,disciples that they might know when    
they could say to a sinner3 ,thy sins   
are forgiven6 or1 ,thy sins are         

retained8 ,here the double keys of      
heaven are most solemnly and publicly   
given to every child of ,adam6 ,as sure 
as there is a ,god in heaven and that   
,jesus died to save sinners1 so it is   
sure that if one forgives the trespasses
 of his neighbor for the dear ,saviour's
 sake1 his own sins have been forgiven6 
,to the end of the world1 then1 let the 
disciples of ,christ say to the sinner1 
,thy sins are forgiven1 not because you 
have confessed your sins to me1 but for 
,christ's sake2 the evidence of which is
 that you have forgiven those who had   
offended you4  ,fourth3 ,and behold1 a  
certain one stood up and tempted him1   
saying3 ,master1 what shall ,i do to    
inherit eternal life8  ,he said unto    
him3 ,what is written in the law8 how   
readest thou8  ,and he1 answering1 said3
 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god    
with all thy heart1 and with all thy    
soul1 and with all thy strength1 and    
with all thy mind1 and thy neighbor as  
thyself4  ,and ,he said unto him1 thou  

hast answered right2 this do and thou   
shalt live4 7,luke x4 #be-bh47  ,what a 
fine opportunity for the ,saviour to    
speak of auricular confession as a means
 given by him to be saved6 ,but here    
again1 ,christ forgets that marvellous  
medicine of the ,popes4 ,jesus1 speaking
 absolutely1 like the ,protestants1 bids
 his messengers to proclaim pardon1     
forgiveness of sins1 not to those who   
confess their sins to a man1 but to     
those who love ,god and their neighbor4 
,and so will his true disciples and     
messengers do to the end of the world6  
,fifth3 ,and when he 7the prodigal son7 
came to himself1 he said3 444 ,i will   
arise and go to my father and ,i will   
say unto him1 ,father1 ,i have sinned   
against ,heaven and before thee3 and ,i 
am not worthy to be called thy son3 make
 me as one of thy hired servants4  ,and 
he arose and came to his father4 ,but   
when he was yet a great way off1 his    
father saw him and had compassion and   
ran2 and he fell on his neck and kissed 

him4  ,and the son said1 ,father1 ,i    
have sinned against heaven and in thy   
sight1 and am not worthy to be called   
thy son4  ,but the father said to his   
servants3 ,bring forth his best robe1   
and put it on him3 put a ring on his    
hand and shoes on his feet1 and bring   
hither the fat calf4 ,for this my son   
was dead1 and he is alive again1 he was 
lost and he is found4 7,luke xv1        
#ag-bd47  ,apostles and disciples of    
,christ1 wherever you will hear1 on this
 land of sin and misery1 the cry of the 
,prodigal ,son3 ,i will arise and go to 
my ,father every time you see him1 not  
at your feet1 but at the feet of his    
true ,father1 crying3 ,father ,i have   
sinned against thee1 unite your hymns of
 joy to the joyful songs of the angels  
of ,god2 repeat into the ears of that   
redeemed sinner the sentence just fallen
 from the lips of the ,lamb1 whose blood
 cleanses us from all our sins2 say to  
him1 ,thy sins are forgiven4  ,sixth3   
,come unto me all ye who labour1 and are

 heavy-laden1 and ,i will give you rest4
 ,take my yoke upon you1 and learn of   
me1 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart1  
and ye shall find rest unto your souls2 
for my yoke is easy and my burden is    
light4 7,math4 xi1 #bh-cj47  ,though    
these words were pronounced more than   
#ahjj years ago1 they were pronounced   
this very morning2 they come at every   
hour of day and night from the lips and 
the heart of ,christ to every one of us 
sinners4 ,it is just now that ,jesus    
says to every sinner1 ,come to me and ,i
 will give ye rest4 ,christ has never   
said and he will never say to any       
sinner3 ,go to my priests and they will 
give you rest6 ,but he has said1 ,come  
to me and ,i will give you rest4  ,let  
the apostles and disciples of the       
,saviour1 then1 proclaim peace1 pardon1 
rest1 not to the sinners who come to    
confess to them all their most secretly 
sinful thoughts1 desires1 or actions1   
but to those who go to ,christ and ,him 
alone1 for peace1 pardon and rest4 ,for 

,come to me1 from ,jesus lips1 has never
 meant1 it will never mean1 ,go and     
confess to the priests4  ,christ would  
never have said3 ,my yoke is easy and my
 burden light if he had instituted      
auricular confession4 ,for the world has
 never seen a yoke so heavy1 humiliating
 and degrading as auricular confession4 
,seventh3 ,as ,moses lifted up the      
serpent in the wilderness1 even so must 
the ,son of man be lifted up2 that who  
soever believeth in him should not      
perish1 but have eternal life4 7,john   
iii4 #ad47  ,did ,almighty ,god require 
any auricular confession in the         
wilderness1 from the sinners1 when ,he  
ordered ,moses to lift up the serpent8  
,no6 ,neither did ,christ speak of      
auricular confession as a condition of  
salvation to those who look to ,him when
 ,he dies on the ,cross to pay their    
debts4 ,a free pardon was offered to the
 ,israelites who looked to the uplifted 
serpent4 ,a free pardon is offered by   
,christ crucified to all those who look 

to ,him with faith1 repentance and love4
 ,to such sinners the ministers of      
,christ1 to the end of the world1 are   
authorised to say3 ,your sins are       
forgiven--we clean your leprosy4        
,eighth3 ,for ,god so loved the world1  
that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1  
that whosoever believeth in him should  
not perish1 but have eternal life4  ,for
 ,god sent not ,his ,son to condemn the 
world1 but that the world1 through him1 
might be saved4  ,he that believeth in  
him is not condemned3 but he that       
believeth not1 is condemned already1    
because he hath not believed in the name
 of the only begotten ,son of ,god4     
,and this is the condemnation1 that     
light is come into the world and man    
loved darkness rather than light1       
because their deeds were evil4 ,for     
every one that doeth evil1 hateth the   
light1 neither cometh to the light1 lest
 his deeds should be reproved4  ,but he 
that doeth truth1 cometh to the light1  
that his deeds may be manifest1 that    

they are wrought in ,god4 7,john iii1   
#af-ba47  ,in the religion of ,rome1 it 
is only through auricular confession    
that the sinner can be reconciled to    
,god2 it is only after he has heard a   
most detailed confession of all the     
thoughts1 desires and actions of the    
guilty one that he can tell him3 ,thy   
sins are forgiven4 ,but in the religion 
of the ,gospel1 the reconciliation of   
the sinner with his ,god is absolutely  
and entirely the work of ,christ4 ,that 
marvellous forgiveness is a free gift   
offered not for any outward act of the  
sinner3 nothing is required from him but
 faith1 repentance and love4 ,these are 
marks by which the leprosy is known to  
be cured and the sins forgiven4 ,to all 
those who have these marks1 the         
ambassadors of ,christ are authorized to
 say1 ,your sins are forgiven1 we clean 
you4  ,ninth3 ,the publican1 standing   
afar off1 would not lift up so much as  
his eyes to heaven1 but smote upon his  
breast1 saying3 ,god6 be merciful to me 

a sinner6  ,i tell you1 this man went   
down to his house1 justified4 7,luke    
xviii #ac1 #ad474 ,yes6 justified6 and  
without auricular confession6           
,ministers and disciples of ,christ1    
when you see the repenting sinner       
smiting his breast and crying3 ,oh1     
,god6 have mercy upon me a sinner6 shut 
your ears to the deceptive words of     
,rome who tells you to force that       
redeemed sinner to make to you a special
 confession of all his sins1 to get his 
pardon4 ,but go to him and deliver the  
message of love1 peace and mercy1 which 
you received from ,christ3 ,thy sins are
 forgiven6 ,i clean thee6  ,tenth3 ,and 
one of the malefactors which were       
hanged1 railed on him1 saying3 ,if thou 
be ,christ1 save thyself and us4  ,but  
the other1 answering1 rebuked him1      
saying3 ,doest not thou fear ,god1      
seeing thou art in the same             
condemnation8 and we indeed justly1 but 
this man hath done nothing amiss4  ,and 
he said unto ,jesus3 ,remember me1 when 

thou art in thy ,kingdom4 ,and ,jesus   
said unto him3 ,verily1 ,i say ,unto    
thee3 to-day1 shalt thou be with me in  
,paradise4 7,luke xxii1 #ci-dc47  ,yes1 
in the ,paradise or ,kingdom of ,christ 
without auricular confession6 ,from     
,calvary1 when his hands are nailed to  
the cross1 and his blood is poured out1 
,christ even then protests against the  
great imposture of auricular confession4
 ,jesus will be to the end of the world 
what he was there on the cross3 the     
sinner's friend2 always ready to hear   
and pardon those who invoke his name and
 trust in him4  ,disciples of the       
gospel1 wherever you hear the cry of the
 repenting sinner to the crucified      
,saviour3 ,remember me when thou comest 
to thy ,kingdom1 go and give the        
assurance to that penitent and redeemed 
child of ,adam that his sins are        
forgiven--clean the leper4  ,eleventh3  
,let the wicked forsake his way and the 
unrighteous man his thoughts3 and let   
him return to the ,lord2 and he will    

have mercy upon him and to our ,god1 for
 ,he will abundantly pardon4 7,isa4 lv4 
#g4 #h47  ,wash you1 and make you clean1
 put away the evils of your doings from 
before mine eyes3 cease to do evil1     
learn to do well2 seek judgment1 relieve
 the oppressed2 judge the fatherless1   
plead for the widow4  ,come now1 and let
 us reason together1 saith the ,lord3   
though your sins be as scarlet1 they    
will be as white as snow2 though they be
 red like crimson1 they shall be as     
wool4 7,isa4 i1 #af-ah47  ,here are the 
landmarks of the mercy of ,god1 put by  
his own almighty hands6 ,who will dare  
to remove them in order to put others in
 their place8 ,has ever ,christ touched 
those landmarks8 ,has he ever intimated 
that anything but faith1 repentance and 
love1 with their blessed fruits1 were   
required from the sinners to secure his 
pardon8 ,no--never4  ,have the prophets 
of the ,old ,testament or the apostles  
of the ,new ever said a word about      
auricular confession as a condition for 

pardon8 ,no--never4  ,what does ,david  
say8 ,i confess my sins unto thee1 and  
mine iniquity have ,i not hid4 ,i said1 
,i will confess my transgression unto   
the ,lord1 and thou forgavest the       
iniquity of my sin4 7,psalm xxxii1 #e47 
,what does the ,apostle ,john say8 ,if  
we say that we have fellowship with     
,him1 and walk in darkness1 we lie1 and 
do not the truth4  ,but if we walk in   
the light1 as he is in the light1 we    
have fellowship with one another1 and   
the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his son    
cleanseth us from sin2  ,if we say that 
we have no sin1 we deceive ourselves and
 the truth is not in us4  ,if we confess
 our sins1 ,he is faithful and just to  
forgive our sins and to ,,cleanse us    
from all unrighteousness4 7i4 ,john i1  
#f-i47  ,this is the language of the    
prophets and apostles4 ,this is the     
language of the ,old and the ,new       
,testament4 ,it is to ,god and ,him     
alone that the sinner is requested to   
confess his sins4 ,it is from ,god and  

,him alone that he can expect his       
pardon4  ,the apostle ,paul writes      
fifteen epistles1 in which he speaks of 
all the duties imposed upon human       
conscience by the laws of ,god and the  
prescriptions of the ,gospel of ,christ4
 ,a thousand times he speaks to sinners 
and tells them how they may be          
reconciled to ,god4 ,but does he say a  
word about auricular confession8 ,no1   
not one6  ,the apostles ,peter1 ,john1  
,jude address six letters to the        
different churches--in which they state 
with the greatest detail what the       
different classes of ,christians have to
 do4 ,but again1 not a single word comes
 from them about auricular confession4  
,st4 ,james says1 confess your faults   
one to another4 ,but this is so         
evidently the repetition of what the    
,saviour had said about the way of      
reconciliation between those who had    
offended one another1 and it is so far  
from the dogma of a secret confession to
 the priest1 that the most zealous      

supporters of auricular confession have 
not dared to mention that text in favour
 of their modern invention4  ,but if we 
look in vain in the ,old and ,new       
,testament for a word in favour of      
auricular confession as a dogma1 will it
 be possible to find that dogma in the  
records of the first thousand years of  
,christianity8 ,no6 for the more one    
studies the records of the ,christian   
church during the first ten centuries1  
the more he will be convinced that      
auricular confession is a miserable     
imposture1 of the darkest days of the   
world and the church4  ,we have the life
 of ,paul1 the hermit1 of the third     
century1 by one of the early fathers of 
the church4 ,but not a word is said in  
it of his confessing his sins to any    
one1 though a thousand things are said  
of him which are of a far less          
interesting character4  ,so it is with  
the life of ,st4 ,mary1 the ,egyptian4  
,the minute history of her life1 her    
public scandals1 her conversion1 long   

prayers and fastings in solitude1 the   
detailed history of her last days and of
 her death1 all these we have2 but not a
 single word is said of her confessing  
to any one4 ,it is evident that she     
lived and died without ever having      
thought of going to confess4  ,the      
deacon ,pontius wrote also the life ,st4
 ,cyprien1 who lived in the third       
century2 but he does not say a word of  
his ever having gone to confession1 or  
having heard the confession of any one4 
,more than that1 we learn from this     
reliable historian that ,cyprien was    
excommunicated by the ,pope of ,rome1   
called ,stephen1 and that he died       
without having ever asked from any one  
absolution from that excommunication2 a 
thing which has not seemingly prevented 
him from going to ,heaven1 since the    
infallible ,popes of ,rome1 who         
succeeded ,stephen1 have assured us that
 he is a saint4  ,gregory of ,nyssa has 
given us the life of ,st4 ,gregory of   
,neo-,caesarea1 of the #crd century1 and

 of ,st4 ,basil1 of the #dth century4   
,but neither speak of their having gone 
to confess1 or having heard the         
confession of any one4 ,it is thus      
evident that those two great and good   
men1 with all the ,christians of their  
times1 lived and died without ever      
knowing any thing about the dogma of    
auricular confession4  ,we have the     
interesting life of ,st ,ambrose1 of the
 #dth century1 by ,paulinus2 and from   
that book it is as evident as two and   
two make four1 that ,st4 ,ambrose never 
went to confess4  ,the history of ,st   
,martin of ,tours1 of the #dth century  
by ,severus ,sulpicius of the #eth      
century1 is another monument left by    
antiquity to prove that there was no    
dogma of auricular confession in those  
days2 for ,st4 ,martin has evidently    
lived and died without ever going to    
confess4  ,pallas and ,theodoret have   
left us the history of the life1        
sufferings and death of ,st4            
,chrysostom1 bishop of ,constantinople1 

who died at the beginning of the #eth   
century1 and both are absolutely mute   
about that dogma4 ,no fact is more      
evident1 by what they say1 than that    
holy and eloquent bishop lived and died 
also without ever thinking of going to  
confess4  ,no man has ever more         
perfectly entered into the details of a 
,christian life1 when writing on that   
subject1 than the learned and eloquent  
,st ,jerome1 of the #eth century4 ,a    
great number of his admirable letters   
are written to the priests of his day1  
or to some ,christian ladies and        
virgins1 who had requested him to give  
them some good advices about the best   
way to lead a ,christian life4 ,his     
letters1 which form five volumes1 are   
most interesting monuments of the       
manners1 habits1 views1 morality1       
practical and dogmatical faith of the   
first centuries of the church2 and they 
are a most unanswerable evidence that   
auricular confession1 as a dogma1 had   
then no existence1 and is quite a modern

 invention4 ,would it be possible that  
,jerome could have forgotten to give    
some advices or rules about auricular   
confession1 to the priests of his time  
who asked his counsel about the best way
 to fulfil their ministerial duties1 if 
it had been one of their duties to hear 
the confessions of the people8 ,but we  
challenge the most devoted modern priest
 of ,rome to find a single line in all  
the letters of ,st ,jerome in favour of 
auricular confession4 ,in his admirable 
letter to the priest ,nepotianus1 on the
 life of priests1 vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #bjc1   
when speaking of the relations of       
priests with women1 he says3 ,solus cum 
sola1 secreto et absque arbitrio vel    
teste1 non sedeas4 ,si familiarus est   
aliquid loquendum1 habet nutricem       
majorem domus1 virginem1 viduam1 vel    
maritatam2 non est tam inhumana ut      
nullum praeter te habeat cui se audeat  
credere4  ,never sit in secret1 alone1  
in a retired place1 with a female who is
 alone with you4 ,if she has any        

particular thing to tell you1 let her   
take the female attendant of the house1 
a young girl1 a widow1 or a married     
woman4 ,she can not be so ignorant of   
the rules of human life as to expect to 
have you as the only one to whom she can
 trust those things4  ,it would be easy 
to cite a great number of other         
remarkable passages where ,jerome shows 
himself the most determined and         
implacable opponent of those secret     
tete-a-tete between a priest and a      
female1 which1 under the plausible      
pretext of mutual advice and spiritual  
consolation1 are generally nothing but  
bottomless pits of infamy and perdition 
for both4 ,but this is enough4  ,we have
 also the admirable life of ,st4        
,paulina1 written by ,st4 ,jerome4 ,and 
though in it he gives us every          
imaginable detail of her life when      
young1 married and widow1 though he     
tells us even how her bed was composed  
of the simplest and rudest materials1 he
 has not a word about her ever having   

gone to confess4 ,jerome speaks of the  
acquaintances of ,st4 ,paulina and gives
 their names2 he enters into the        
minutest details of her long voyages1   
her charities1 her foundations of       
monasteries for men and women1 her      
temptations1 human frailties1 heroic    
virtues1 her macerations and her holy   
death3 but he has not a word to say     
about the frequent or rare auricular    
confessions of ,st4 ,paulina2 not a word
 about her wisdom in the choice of a    
prudent and holy 787 confessor4  ,he    
tells us that after her death1 her body 
was carried to her grave on the         
shoulders of bishops and priests1 as a  
token of their profound respect for the 
saint4 ,but he never says that any of   
those priests sat there in a dark corner
 with her1 and forced her to reveal to  
their ears the secret history of all the
 thoughts1 desires1 and human frailties 
of her long and eventful life4 ,jerome  
is an unimpeachable witness that his    
saintly and noble friend ,st4 ,paulina  

lived and died without having ever      
thought of going to confess4  ,possidius
 has left us the interesting life of    
,st4 ,augustine1 of the fifth century2  
and again it is in vain that we look for
 the place or the time when that        
celebrated bishop of ,hippo went to     
confess1 or heard the secret confessions
 of his people4  ,more than that1 ,st4  
,augustine has written a most admirable 
book1 called3 ,confessions1 in which he 
gives us the history of his life4 ,with 
that marvellous book in hand1 we follow 
him1 step by step1 wherever he goes2 we 
are the witnesses of what he does and   
thinks2 we attend with him those        
celebrated schools1 where his faith and 
morality were so sadly wrecked2 he takes
 us with him into the garden where1     
wavering between heaven and hell1 bathed
 in tears1 he goes under the fig-tree   
and cries1 ,oh ,lord6 how long will ,i  
remain in my iniquities6 ,our soul      
thrills with emotions1 with his soul1   
when we hear1 with him1 the sweet and   

mysterious voice3 ,tolle6 lege6 take and
 read4 ,we run with him to the places   
where he had left his gospel book2 with 
a trembling hand1 we open it1 and we    
read3 ,let us walk honestly as in the   
day 444 put ye on the ,lord ,jesus      
,christ444 7,rom4 xiii1 #ac1 #ad47      
,that incomparable book of ,augustine   
makes us weep and shout with joy with   
him2 it initiates us into all1 his most 
secret actions1 to all his sorrows1     
anxieties and joys1 it reveals and      
unvails his whole life4 ,it tells us    
where he goes1 with whom he sins1 and   
with whom he praises ,god2 it makes us  
pray1 sing and bless the ,lord with him4
 ,is it possible that ,augustine could  
have been to confess without telling us 
when1 where and to whom he made         
confession8 ,could he have received the 
absolution and pardon of his sins from  
his confessor1 without making us        
partakers of his joys1 and requesting us
 to bless that confessor with him4      
,but1 it is in vain that you look in    

that book for a single word about       
auricular confession4 ,that book is an  
unimpeachable witness that neither      
,augustine nor his saintly mother       
,monica1 whom it mentions so often1     
lived and died without ever having been 
to confess4 ,that book may be called the
 most crushing evidence to prove that1  
the dogma of auricular confession is a  
modern imposture4  ,from the beginning  
to the end of that book1 we see that    
,augustine believed and said that ,god  
alone could forgive the sins of men1 and
 that it was to ,him alone that men had 
to confess in order to be pardoned4 ,if 
he writes his confession1 it is only    
that the world might know how ,god had  
been merciful to him1 and that they     
might help him to praise and bless the  
merciful ,heavenly ,father4 ,in the     
tenth book of his ,confessions1 chapter 
,,iii1 ,augustine protests against the  
idea that men could do anything to cure 
the spiritual leper1 or forgive the sins
 of their fellow-men2 here is his       

eloquent protest3 ,quid mihi ergo est   
cum hominibus ut audiant confessiones   
meas1 quasi ipsi sanaturi sint languores
 meas8 ,curiosum genus ad cognoscendam  
vitam alienam2 desidiosum ad            
corrigendam4  ,what have ,i to do with  
men that ,i might be obliged to confess 
my sins to them1 as if they were able to
 heal my infirmities8 ,oh ,lord6 that   
human race is very fond of knowing the  
sins of their neighbors2 but they are   
very neglectful in correcting their own 
lies4  ,before ,augustine had built up  
that sublime and imperishable monument  
against auricular confession1 ,st4 ,john
 ,chrysostom had raised his eloquent    
voice against it1 in his homily on the  
#ejth ,psalm1 where1 speaking in the    
name of the ,church1 he said3 ,we do not
 request you to go to confess your sins 
to any of your fellow-men1 but only to  
,god6  ,nestorius1 of the #dth century1 
the predecessor of ,john ,chrysostom1   
had1 by a public defense1 which the best
 ,roman ,catholic historians have had to

 acknowledge1 solemnly forbidden the    
practice of auricular confession4 ,for1 
just as there has always been thieves1  
drunkards and malefactors in the world1 
so there has always been men and women  
who1 under the pretext of opening their 
minds to each other for mutual comfort  
and edification1 were giving themselves 
to every kind of iniquity and lust4 ,the
 celebrated ,chrysostom was only giving 
the sanction of his authority to what   
his predecessor had done when1          
thundering against the newly born       
monster1 he said to the ,christians of  
his time1 ,we do not ask you to go and  
confess your iniquities to a sinful man 
for pardon--but only to ,god4 7,homily  
on #ejth ,psalm47  ,auricular confession
 originated with the early heretics1    
especially with ,marcion4 ,bellarmin    
speaks of it as something to be         
practiced4 ,but let us hear what the    
contemporary writers have to say on the 
question3  ,certain women were in the   
habit of going to the heretic ,marcion  

to confess their sins to him4 ,but1 as  
he was smitten with their beauty1 and   
they loved him also1 they abandoned     
themselves to sin with him4  ,listen now
 to what ,st4 ,basil1 in his commentary 
on ,ps4 xxxvii1 says of confession3  ,i 
have not to come before the world to    
make a confession with my lips4 ,but ,i 
close my eyes1 and confess my sins in   
the secret of my heart4 ,before thee1 ,o
 ,god1 ,i pour out my sighs1 and thou   
alone art the witness4 ,my groans are   
within my soul4 ,there is no need of    
many words to confess3 sorrow and regret
 are the best confession4 ,yes1 the     
lamentations of the soul1 which thou art
 pleased to hear1 are the best          
confession4  ,chrysostom1 in his homily3
 ,de paenitentia1 vol4 ,,iv41 col4 #ija1
 has the following3 ,you need no        
witnesses of your confession4 ,secretly 
acknowledge your sins1 and let ,god     
alone hear you4  ,in his homily ,v41 ,de
 incomprehensibili ,dei natura1 vol4 ,i1
 he says3 ,therefore1 ,i beseech you1   

always confess your sins to ,god6 ,i in 
no way ask you to confess them to me4   
,to ,god alone should you expose the    
wounds of your souls1 and from him alone
 expect the cure4 ,go to him1 then2 and 
you shall not be cast off1 but healed4  
,for1 before you utter a single word1   
,god knows your prayer4  ,in his        
commentary on ,heb4 xii41 hom4 xxxi41   
vol4 xii41 p4 #bhi1 he further says3    
,let us not be content with calling     
ourselves sinners4 ,but let us examine  
and number our sins4 ,and then1 ,i do   
not tell you to go and confess them1    
according to the caprice of some2 but ,i
 will say to you1 with the prophet3     
,confess your sins before ,god1         
acknowledge your iniquities at the feet 
of your ,judge2 pray in your heart and  
your mind1 if not with your tongue1 and 
you shall be pardoned4  ,in his homily  
on ,ps4 ,i41 vol4 ,v41 p4 #ehi1 the same
 ,chrysostom says3 ,confess you sins    
every day in prayer4 ,why should you    
hesitate to do so8 ,i do not tell you to

 go and confess to a man1 sinner as you 
are1 and who might despise you if he    
knew your faults4 ,but confess them to  
,god1 who can forgive them to you4  ,in 
his admirable homily ,,iv41 ,de ,lazaro1
 vol4 ,i41 p4 #geg1 he explains3 ,why1  
tell me1 should you be ashamed to       
confess your sins8 ,do we compel you to 
reveal them to a man1 who might1 one    
day1 throw them into your face8 ,are you
 commanded to confess them to one of    
your equals1 who could publish them and 
ruin you8 ,what we ask of you1 is simply
 to show the sores of your soul to your 
,lord and ,master1 who is also your     
friend1 your guardian and physician4    
,in a small work of ,chrysostom's1      
intitled3 ,catechesis ad illuminandos1  
vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #baj1 we read these      
remarkable words3 ,what we should most  
admire1 is not that ,god forgives our   
sins1 but that he does not disclose them
 to any one1 nor wishes us to do so4    
,what he demands of us1 is to confess   
our transgressions to him alone to      

obtain pardon4  ,st4 ,augustine1 in his 
beautiful homily on the #cast ,ps41     
says3 ,i shall confess my sins to ,god1 
and he will pardon all my iniquities4   
,and such confession is made not with   
the lips1 but with the heart only4 ,i   
had hardly opened my mouth to confess my
 sins1 when they were pardoned2 for ,god
 had already heard the voice of my      
heart4  ,in the edition of the ,fathers 
by ,migne1 vol4 #fg1 p4 #fad1 #fae1 we  
read3 ,about the year #cij1 the office  
of penitentiary was abolished in the    
church1 in consequence of a great       
scandal given by a woman who publicly   
accused herself of having committed a   
crime against chastity with a deacon4   
,the office of penitentiary was this3 in
 every large city1 a priest or minister 
was specially appointed to preside over 
the church meetings where the members   
who had committed public sins were      
obliged to confess them publicly before 
the assembly1 in order to be reinstated 
in the privileges of their membership2  

and that minister had the charge of     
reading or pronouncing the sentence of  
pardon granted by the church to the     
guilty ones1 before they could be       
admitted again to communion4 ,this was  
perfectly in accordance with what ,st4  
,paul had done with regard to the       
incestuous one of ,corinth1 that        
scandalous sinner1 who had cast obloquy 
on the ,christian name2 but who1 after  
confessing and weeping over his sins1   
before the church1 obtained his         
pardon--not from a priest in whose ears 
he had whispered all the shocking       
details of his incestuous intercourse1  
but from the whole church assembled4    
,st4 ,paul gladly approves the ,church  
of ,corinth in thus receiving again in  
their midst a wandering but repenting   
brother4  ,there is as much difference  
between such public confessions and     
auricular confessions1 as there is      
between heaven and hell1 between ,god   
and his great enemy1 ,satan4  ,public   
confession1 then1 dates from the time of

 the apostles1 and is still practised in
 protestant churches of our day4 ,but   
auricular confession was unknown by the 
disciples of ,christ2 as it is rejected1
 to-day1 with horror by all the true    
followers of the ,son of ,god4          
,erasmus1 one of the most learned ,roman
 ,catholics which opposed the           
,reformation in the #afth century1 so   
admirably begun by ,luther and ,calvin1 
fearlessly and honestly makes the       
following declaration in his treaty3 ,de
 ,paenitantia1 ,dis #e4 ,this           
institution of penance began rather of  
some tradition of the ,old or ,new      
,testament4 ,but our divines1 not       
advisedly considering what the old      
doctors do say1 are deceived3 that which
 they say of general and open           
confession1 they wrest by and by to this
 secret and privy kind of confession4   
,it is a public fact1 which no learned  
,roman ,catholic has ever denied1 that  
auricular confession became a dogma and 
obligatory practice of the church only  

at the council of ,lateran in the year  
#abae1 under the ,pope ,innocent ,,iii4 
,not a single trace of auricular        
confession1 as a dogma1 can be found    
before that year4  ,thus1 it has taken  
more than twelve hundred years of       
efforts for ,satan to bring out that    
master-piece of his inventions to       
conquer the world and destroy the souls 
of men4  ,little by little1 that        
imposture had crept into the world1 just
 as the shadows of a stormy night creep 
without any one being able to note the  
moment when the first rays of light give
 way before the dark clouds4 ,we know   
very well when the sun was shining1 we  
know when it was very dark all over the 
world1 but no one can tell positively   
when the first ray of light faded away4 
,so saith the ,lord3  ,the ,kingdom of  
heaven is likened unto a man which sowed
 good seed in his field4  ,but while men
 slept1 his enemy came and sowed tares  
among the wheat and went his way4  ,but 
when the blade was sprung up1 and       

brought forth fruit1 there appeared the 
tares also4  ,so the servants of the    
house-holder came and said unto him3    
,sir1 dist not thou sow good seed in the
 field8 ,from whence then hath it tares8
  ,he said unto them3 ,the enemy hath   
done this4 7,mat4 xiii1 #bd-bh47  ,yes1 
the ,good ,master tells us that the     
enemy sowed those tares in his field    
during the night--when men were         
sleeping4  ,but he does not tell us     
precisely the hour of the night when the
 enemy cast the tares among the wheat4  
,if any one likes to know how fearfully 
dark was the night which covered the    
,kingdom1 and how cruel1 implacable and 
savage was the enemy who sowed the      
tares1 let him read the testimony of the
 most devoted and learned cardinal whom 
,rome has ever had1 ,baronius1 ,annals1 
,anno #ijj3  ,it is evident that one can
 scarcely believe what unworthy1 base1  
execrable and abominable things the holy
 ,apostolical ,see1 which is the pivot  
upon which the whole ,catholic ,church  

revolves1 was forced to endure1 when    
princes of the age1 though ,christians1 
arrogated to themselves the election of 
the ,roman ,pontiffs4 ,alas1 the shame6 
alas1 the grief6 ,what monsters1        
horrible to behold1 were then intruded  
on the ,holy ,see6 ,what evils ensued6  
,what tragedies they perpatrated6 ,with 
what pollutions was this ,see1 though   
itself without spot1 then stained6 ,with
 what corruptions infected6 ,with what  
filthiness defiled6 ,and by these things
 blackened with perpetual infamy6       
7,baronius1 ,annals1 ,anno #ijj47  ,est 
plane1 ut vix aliquis credat1 immo1 nec 
vix quidem sit crediturus1 nisi suis    
inspiciat ipse oculis1 manibusque       
contractat1 quam indigna1 quamque       
turpia1 atque deformia1 execranda1      
insuper et abominanda sit coacta pati   
sacrosancta apostolica sedes1 in cujus  
cardine universa ,ecclesia catholica    
vertitur1 cum principes saeculi hujus1  
quantumlibet christiani1 hac tamen ex   
parte dicendi tyranni saevissimi1       

arrogaverunt sibi tirannice electionem  
,romanorum pontificum4 ,quot tunc ab    
eis1 proh pudor6 proh dolor6 in eandem  
sedem1 angelis reverandam1 visu horrenda
 intrusa sunt monstra6 ,quot ex eis     
oborta sunt mala1 consummatae tragediae6
 ,quibus tunc ipsam sine macula et sine 
ruga contigit aspergi sordibus1         
putoribus infici1 quinati spurcitiis1 ex
 hisque perpetua infamia denigrari6     
99       99       99       99       99  
,,chapter ,x4  ,,god ,,compels ,,the    
,,church ,,of ,,rome ,,to ,,confess     
,,the ,,abominations ,,of ,,auricular   
,,confession4         99       99       
99       99       99  ,romish priests   
will resort to various means in order to
 deceive the people on the immorality   
resulting from auricular confession4    
,one of their favorite stratagems is to 
quote some disconnected passages from   
theologians1 recommending caution on the
 part of the priest in questioning his  
penitents on delicate subjects1 should  
he see or apprehend any danger for the  

latter of being shocked by his          
questions4 ,true1 there are such prudent
 theologians1 who seem to realize more  
than others the real danger for the     
priest in confession4 ,but those wise   
counsellors resemble very much a father 
who would allow his child to put his    
fingers in the fire while advising him  
to be cautious lest he should burn his  
fingers4 ,there is just as much wisdom  
in the one case as there would be in the
 other4 ,or what would you say of a     
brutal parent casting a young1 weak1 and
 inexperienced boy among wild beasts1   
with the foolish and cruel expectation  
that his prudence might save him from   
all injury8  ,such theologians may be   
perfectly honest in giving such advice1 
although it is anything but wise or     
reasonable4 ,but those are far from     
being honest or true who contend that   
the ,church of ,rome1 in commanding     
every one to confess all his sins to the
 priests1 has made an exception in favor
 of sins against chastity4 ,this is only

 so much dust thrown in the eyes of     
ignorant people to prevent them from    
seeing through the frightful mysteries  
of confession4  ,when the council of    
,latran decided that every adult1 of    
either sex1 should confess all their    
sins to a priest1 at least once a year1 
there was no provision made for any     
special class of sins1 not even for     
those committed against modesty or      
purity4 ,and the council of ,trent1 when
 ratifying or renewing the previous     
decision1 no exception was made1 either1
 of the sins in question4 ,they were    
expected and had to be confessed1 as all
 other sins4  ,the law of both councils 
is still unrepealed and binding for all 
sins1 without any exception4 ,it is     
imperative1 absolute2 and every good    
,catholic1 man or woman1 must submit to 
it by confessing all his or her sins at 
least once a year4  ,i have in my hand  
,butler's ,catechism1 approved by       
several bishops of ,quebec4 ,on page    
#fa1 it reads that all penitents should 

examine themselves on the capital sins1 
and confess them all1 without exception1
 under penalty of eternal damnation4    
,therefore1 the young and timid girl1   
the chaste and modest woman must think  
of shameful deeds and fill their minds  
with impure ideas1 in order to confess  
to an unmarried man whatever they may be
 guilty of1 however repugnant may be to 
them such confession1 or dangerous for  
the priest who is bound to hear1 and    
even demand it4 ,no one is exempt from  
the loathsome and often polluting task4 
,both priest and penitent are required  
and compelled to go through the fiery   
ordeal of contamination and shame4 ,they
 are bound1 on every particular1 the one
 to ask1 and the other to answer1 under 
penalty of eternal damnation4  ,such is 
the rigorous1 inflexible law of the     
,church of ,rome with regard to         
confession4 ,it is taught not only in   
works on theology or from the pulpit1   
but in prayer-books and various other   
religious publications4 ,it is so deeply

 impressed in the minds of ,romanists as
 to have become a part of their         
religion4 ,such is the law which the    
priest himself has to obey1 and which   
puts his penitents at his own           
discretion4  ,but there are husbands    
with a jealous disposition1 who would   
little fancy the idea of bachelors      
confessing their wives1 if they knew    
exactly what questions they have to     
answer in confession4 ,there are fathers
 and mothers who don't like much to see 
their daughters alone with a man1 behind
 a curtain1 and who would certainly     
tremble for their honor and virtue if   
they knew all the abominable mysteries  
of confession4 ,it is necessary1        
therefore1 to keep the people1 as much  
as possible1 in ignorance1 and prevent  
light from reaching that empire of      
darkness1 the confessional4 ,in that    
view1 confessors are advised to be      
cautious on those matters2 to broach    
these questions in a sort of covert way1
 and with the greatest reserve4 ,for it 

is very desirable not to shock modesty1 
neither frighten the penitent nor grieve
 her4 ,sins1 however1 must be confessed4
  ,such is the prudent advice given to  
the confessor on certain occasions4 ,in 
the hands or under the command of       
,liguori1 ,father ,gury1 ,scavani1 or   
other casuists1 the priest is a sort of 
general1 sent1 with his army1 during the
 night1 to storm a citadel or a strong  
position1 having for order to operate   
cautiously and before daylight4 ,his    
mission is one of darkness and cunning1 
violence and cruelty2 for when the pope 
commands1 the priest1 as his loyal      
soldier1 must be ready to obey4 ,but    
many a time1 after the place has been   
captured by dint of strategy and        
secrecy1 the poor soldier is left1 badly
 wounded and completely disabled1 on the
 battle-field4 ,he has paid dearly for  
his victory2 and the conquered citadel  
has received an injury from which it may
 never recover4 ,but the crafty priest  
has gained his point3 he has succeeded  

in persuading his lady penitent that    
there was no impropriety1 that it was   
even necessary for them to have a parley
 on things that made her blush a few    
moments before4 ,she is so well         
convinced that she would swear that     
there is nothing wrong in confession4   
,truly this is a fulfilment of the      
words3    ,abyssus abyssum invocat4     
,have the ,romish theologians ,gury1    
,scavani1 ,liguori1 etc41 ever been     
honest enough1 in their works on        
confession1 to say that the ,most ,holy 
,god could never command or require     
woman to degrade and pollute herself and
 the priest in pouring in the ear of a  
frail and sinful mortal1 words unfit    
even for an angel8 ,no2 they were very  
careful not to say so2 for from that    
very moment1 their shameless lies would 
have been exposed2 the stupendous but   
weak structure of auricular confession  
would fall to the ground with sad havoc 
and ruin to its upholders4 ,men and     
women would open their eyes1 and see its

 weakness and fallacy4 ,if ,god1 they   
might say1 can forgive our most grievous
 sins1 against modesty1 he can and will 
certainly do the same with those of less
 gravity2 therefore there is no         
necessity or occasion for us to confess 
to a priest4  ,but those shrewd casuists
 know too well that by such frank       
confession1 they would soon lose their  
hold on ,catholic populations1          
especially on women1 by whom1 through   
confession1 they rule the world4 ,they  
much prefer to keep their gripe on      
benighted minds1 frightened consciences1
 and trembling souls4 ,no wonder1 then1 
that they fully endorse and confirm the 
decisions of the councils of ,latran and
 ,trent ordering that all sins must be  
confessed such as ,god knows them4 ,no  
wonder that they try their best or worst
 to overcome the natural repugnance of  
women for making such confessions1 and  
to conceal the terrible dangers for the 
priests in hearing the same4  ,but ,god1
 in ,his infinite mercy1 and for the    

sake of truth1 has compelled1 as it     
were1 the ,church of ,rome to           
acknowledge the moral dangers and       
corrupting tendencies of auricular      
confession4 ,in ,his eternal wisdom1 he 
knew that ,roman ,catholics would close 
their ears to whatever might be said of 
the demoralizing influence of that      
institution2 that they would even reply 
with insult and fallacy to the words of 
truth kindly addressed to them3 as the  
,jews of old returned hatred and insult 
to the good ,saviour who was bringing to
 them the glad tidings of a free        
salvation4 ,he knew that ,romish        
devotees1 led astray by their priests1  
as were the poor blinded ,jews1 would   
call the apostles of truth liars1       
seducers1 possessed of the devil1 as    
,christ was constantly called a         
demoniac1 an impostor1 and finally put  
to death by his false accusers4  ,but   
,god1 just as compassionate now as he   
was then for the poor benighted and     
deluded souls1 has wrought a real       

miracle to open the eyes of their minds1
 and compel them1 as it were1 to believe
 us1 when we say1 on his authority1 that
 auricular confession was invented by   
,satan to ruin both the priest and his  
female penitents1 for time and eternity4
 ,for1 what we would never have dared to
 say of ourself to the ,roman ,catholics
 with regard to what frequently happens 
between their priests and their wives   
and daughters1 either during or after   
confession1 ,god has constrained the    
,church of ,rome to acknowledge herself 
in revealing things that would have     
seemed incredible had they come simply  
from our mouth or our pen4 ,in this1 as 
in other instances1 that apostate church
 has unwittingly been the mouth-piece of
 ,god for the accomplishment of his     
great and merciful ends4  ,listen to the
 questions that the ,church of ,rome1   
through her theologians1 puts to every  
priest after he has heard the confession
 of your wives or daughters3  #a4 ,nonne
 inter audiendas confessiones quasdam   

proposui questiones circa sextum        
decalogi praeceptum cum intentione      
lubidinosa8 7,miroir du ,clerge1 p4     
#ehb47  ,while hearing confessions1 have
 ,i not asked questions on sins against 
the sixth 7the seventh in the           
,decalogue7 commandment with the        
intention of satisfying my evil         
passions8  ,such is the man1 ,o mothers 
and daughters1 to whom you dare to      
unbosom the most secret as well as the  
most shameful actions4 ,you kneel down  
at his feet and whisper in his ear your 
most intimate thoughts and desires1 and 
your most polluting deeds2 because your 
church1 by dint of cunning and          
sophistry1 has succeeded in persuading  
you that there was no impropriety or    
danger in doing so2 that the man whom   
you chose for your spiritual guide and  
confident could never be tempted or     
tainted by such foul recitals4 ,but that
 same church1 through some mysterious   
providences1 is made to acknowledge1 in 
her own books1 her own lies4 ,in spite  

of herself1 she admits that there is    
real danger in confession1 both for the 
woman and for the priest2 that willingly
 or otherwise1 and sometimes both       
unawares1 they lay for each other       
dangerous snares4 ,the ,church of ,rome1
 as if she had an evil conscience for   
allowing her priest to hold such close  
and secret converse with a woman1 on    
such delicate subjects1 keeps1 as it    
were1 a watchful eye on him while the   
poor misguided woman is pouring in his  
ear the filthy burthen of her soul2 and 
as soon as she is off1 questions the    
priest as to the purity of his motives1 
the honesty of his intentions in putting
 the requisite questions4 ,have you not1
 she asks him immediately1 under the    
pretence of helping that woman in her   
confession1 put to her certain questions
 simply in order to gratify your lust1  
and with the object of satisfying your  
evil propensities8  #b4 ,nonne munus    
audiendi confessione suscepi1 aut peregi
 ex prava incontinentiae appeta8 7,idem1

 p4 #ehb47  ,have ,i not repaired to the
 confessional and heard confessions with
 the intention of gratifying my evil    
passions8  ,o1 ye women1 who tremble    
like slaves at the feet of the priests1 
you sometimes admire the patience and   
charity of those good 787 priests1 who  
are willing to spend so many long and   
tedious hours in hearing the confession 
of your secret sins2 and you hardly know
 how to express your gratitude for so   
much kindness and charity4 ,but hush6   
,listen to the voice of ,god speaking to
 the conscience of the priest1 through  
the ,church of ,rome6 ,have you not she 
asks him1 heard the confession of women 
simply to foster or gratify the         
groveling passions of your fallen nature
 and corrupt heart8  ,please notice1 it 
is not ,i1 or the enemies of your       
religion1 who put to your priests the   
above questions3 it is ,god himself who1
 in his pity and compassion1 compels    
your own church to ask such questions2  
that your eyes may be opened1 and that  

you may be rescued from all the         
dangerous obscenities and the           
humiliating and degrading slavery of    
auricular confession4 ,it is ,god's will
 to deliver you from such bondage and   
degradation4 ,in his tender mercies1 he 
has provided means to drag you out of   
that cess-pool called confession2 to    
break the chains which bind you to the  
feet of a miserable and blasphemous     
sinner called confessor1 who1 under the 
presence of being able to pardon your   
sins1 usurps the place of your ,saviour 
and your ,god6 ,for while you are       
whispering your sins in his ear1 ,god   
says to him1 through his church1 in     
tones loud enough to be heard3 ,in      
hearing the confession of these women1  
are you not actuated by lust1 spurred by
 evil passions8  ,is this not sufficient
 to warn you of the danger of auricular 
confession8 ,can you now with any sense 
of safety or propriety1 come to that    
priest1 for whom your very confession   
may be a snare1 a cause of fall or      

fearful temptation8 ,can you with a     
particle of honor or modesty willingly  
expose yourself to impure desires or    
shameful deeds8 ,can you1 with any sort 
of womanly dignity consent to entrust   
that man with your inmost thoughts and  
desires1 your most humiliating and      
secret actions1 when you know that that 
man may not have any higher object in   
listening to your confession than a     
lustful curiosity or a sinful desire of 
exciting his evil passions8  #c4 ,nonne 
ex auditis in confessiones occasionem   
sumpsi paenitentes utriusque sexus ad   
peccandam sollicitandi8 7,idem1 p4 #ehb7
  ,have ,i not availed myself of what ,i
 heard in confession to induce my       
penitents to commit sin8  ,i would run a
 great risk of being treated with the   
utmost contempt1 should ,i dare to put  
to your priests such a question4 ,you   
would very likely call me a scoundrel   
for daring to question the honesty and  
purity of such holy men4 ,you would     
perhaps go as far as to contend that it 

is utterly impossible for them to be    
guilty of such sins as are alluded to in
 the above question2 that never such    
shameful deeds have been perpetrated    
through confession4 ,and you would1     
maybe1 emphatically deny that your      
confessor has ever said or done anything
 that might lead you to sin or even     
commit any breach of propriety or       
modesty4 ,you feel perfectly safe on    
that score1 and see no danger to        
apprehend4  ,let me tell you1 good      
ladies1 that you are altogether too     
confident and in the most fatal         
delusion4 ,your own church1 through the 
merciful and warning voice of ,god      
speaking to the conscience of your own  
theologians1 tells you that there is a  
real and eminent danger where you fancy 
yourself in perfect security4 ,you may  
never have suspected the danger1 but it 
is there1 within the walls of the       
confessional2 nay1 more1 it is lurking  
in your very hearts and that of your    
confessor4 ,he may hitherto have        

refrained from temptations2 he may1 at  
least1 have kept within the proper      
limits of outward morality or decency4  
,but nothing warrants you that he may   
not be tempted2 and nothing could shield
 you from his attempts on your virtue   
should he give way to temptation2 as    
cases are not wanting to prove the truth
 of my assertion4 ,you are sadly        
mistaken1 in a false and dangerous      
security4 ,you are perhaps1 although    
unawares1 on the very brink of a        
precipice1 where so many have fallen    
through their blind confidence in their 
own strength or their confessor's       
prudence and sanctity4 ,your own church 
is very anxious about your safety2 she  
trembles for your innocence and purity4 
,in her fear1 she cautions the priest to
 be watchful over his wicked passions   
and human frailty4 ,how dare you pretend
 to be stronger and more holy8 ,why     
should you so wilfully imperil your     
chastity or modesty8 ,why expose        
yourself to danger1 when it could be so 

easily avoided8 ,how can you be so rash1
 so devoid of common prudence and       
modesty as to shamelessly put yourselves
 in a position to tempt and be tempted1 
and thereby incur your temporal and     
eternal perdition8  #d4 ,nonne extra    
tribunal1 vel in ipso confessionis actu1
 aliquia dixi aut egi cum intentione    
diabolica has personas seducendi8       
7,idem1 idem47  ,have ,i not1 either    
during or after confession1 done or said
 anything with a diabolical intention of
 seducing my female penitents8  ,what   
arch-enemy of our holy religion is so   
bold and impious as to put to our       
saintly priests such an impudent and    
insulting question8 may ask some of our 
,roman ,catholic readers4 ,it is easy to
 answer4 ,this great enemy of your      
religion is no less than a justly       
offended ,god1 admonishing and reproving
 your priests for exposing both you and 
themselves to dangerous allurements and 
seductions4 ,it is his voice speaking to
 their consciences1 and warning them of 

the danger and corruption of auricular  
confession4 ,it says to them3 ,beware6  
for ye might be tempted1 as surely you  
will1 to do or say something against    
honor and purity4 ,husbands and fathers1
 who rightly value the honor of your    
wives and daughters more than all       
treasures1 who consider it too precious 
a boon to be exposed to the dangers of  
pollution1 and who would prefer to lose 
your life a thousand times than to see  
those you love most on earth fall in the
 snares of the seducer1 read once more  
and ponder what your church asks the    
priest after he has heard your wife or  
daughter in confession3 ,have you not1  
either during or after confession1 done 
or said anything with a diabolical      
intention of seducing your female       
penitents8  ,if your priest remains deaf
 to these words addressed to his        
conscience1 you cannot help giving heed 
to them and understanding their full    
significance4 ,you can not be easy and  
fear nothing from that priest in those  

close interviews with your wives and    
daughters1 when his superiors and your  
own ,church tremble for him1 and        
question his purity and honesty4 ,they  
see a great danger for both the         
confessor and his penitent2 for they    
know that confession has many a time    
been the pretence or the cause of the   
most shameful seductions4  ,if there was
 no real danger for the chastity of     
women1 in confessing to a man their most
 secret sins1 do you believe that your  
popes and theologians would be so stupid
 as to acknowledge it and put to        
confessors questions that would be most 
insulting and out of place1 should there
 be no occasion for them8  ,is it not   
presumption and folly on your part to   
think that there is no danger1 when the 
,church of ,rome tells you positively   
that there is danger1 and uses the      
strongest terms in expressing her       
uneasiness and apprehension8  ,why1 your
 church sees the most pressing reasons  
to fear for the honor of your wives and 

daughters1 as well as for the chastity  
of her priest3 and still you remain     
unconcerned1 indifferent to the fearful 
peril to which they are exposed6 ,are   
you like the ,jewish people of old1 to  
whom it was said2 ,hear ye indeed1 but  
understand not2 and see ye indeed1 but  
perceive not8 7,isa4 vi1 #i74  ,but if  
you see or suspect the danger you are   
warned of2 if the eye of your           
intelligence can fathom the dreadful    
abyss where the dearest objects of your 
heart are in danger of falling1 then it 
behoves you to keep them from the paths 
that lead to the fearful chasm4 ,do not 
wait till it is too late1 when they are 
too near the precipice to be rescued4   
,you may think the danger to be far off1
 while it is near at hand4 ,profit by   
the sad experience of so many victims of
 confession who have been irretrievably 
lost1 irrecoverably ruined for time and 
eternity4 ,the voice of your conscience1
 of honor1 of ,god himself1 tells you   
that it may become too late to save them

 from destruction1 through your neglect 
and procrastination4 ,while thanking    
,god for having preserved them from     
temptations that have proved fatal to so
 many married or unmarried women1 do not
 lose a single moment in taken the      
necessary means to keep them from       
temptation and falls4  ,instead of      
allowing them to go and kneel at the    
feet of a man to obtain the remission of
 their sins1 lead them to the cross1 the
 only place where they can secure pardon
 and peace everlasting4 ,and why1 after 
so many unfruitful attempts1 should they
 try any longer to wash themselves in a 
puddle1 when the pure waters of eternal 
life are offered them so freely1 through
 ,christ ,jesus1 their only ,saviour and
 ,mediator8  ,instead of seeking their  
pardon from a poor and miserable sinner1
 weak and tempted as they are1 let them 
go to ,christ1 the only strong and      
perfect man1 the only hope and salvation
 of the world4  ,o poor deluded         
,catholic woman6 listen no longer to the

 deceiving words of the ,church of      
,rome1 who has no pardon1 no peace for  
you1 but only snares2 who offers you    
thraldom and shame in return for the    
confession of your sins6 ,but listen    
rather to the invitations of your       
,saviour1 who has died on the cross that
 you might be saved1 and who alone can  
give rest to your weary souls4  ,harken 
to ,his words when he says to you3 ,come
 to me1 ,o ye heavily laden1 crushed1 as
 it were1 under the burden of your sins1
 and ,i shall give you rest4444 ,i am   
the physician of your souls4444 ,those  
who are well have no need of a          
physician1 but those who are sick4444   
,come then to me and ye shall be        
healed4444 ,i have sent back nor lost   
none who have come to me4444 ,invoke my 
name4444 believe in me4444 repent4444   
love ,god and your neighbor as yourself1
 and you shall be saved4444 ,for all who
 believe in me and call upon my name1   
shall be saved4444 ,when ,i am raised up
 between heaven and earth1 ,i shall draw

 every one to me4444  ,o1 mothers and   
daughters1 instead of going to the      
priest for pardon and salvation1 go to  
,jesus1 who is so pressingly inviting   
you1 and the more so as you have more   
need of divine help and grace4 ,even if 
you are as great a sinner as ,mary      
,magdalene you can1 like her1 wash the  
feet of the ,saviour with the flowing   
tears of your repentance and your love1 
and like her1 receive the pardon of your
 sins4  ,to ,jesus then1 and to him     
alone for the confession and pardon of  
your sins3 for there only you can find  
peace1 light1 and life6         99      
99       99       99       99  ,,chapter
 ,,xi4  ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,matters ,,on
 ,,which ,,the ,,priest ,,of ,,rome     
,,must ,,question ,,his ,,penitents4  ,a
 ,,chapter ,,for ,,the ,,consideration  
,,of ,,legislators1 ,,husbands1 ,,and   
,,fathers4         99       99       99 
99       99  ,dens wants the confessors 
to interrogate on the following         
matters3--  #a4 ,peccant uxores1 quae   

susceptum viri semen ejiciunt1 vel      
ejicere conantur4 7,dens1 tom4 vii4 p4  
#adg74  #b4 ,peccant conjuges           
mortaliter1 si copula incepta1 cohibeant
 seminationem4  #c4 ,si vir jam         
seminaverit1 dubium fit an femina       
lethaliter peccat1 si se retrahat a     
seminando2 aut peccat lethaliter vir non
 expectando seminationem uxoris4 7p4    
#aec74  #d4 ,peccant conjuges inter se  
circa actum conjugalem4 ,debet servari  
modus1 sive situs2 imo ut non servetur  
debitum vas1 sed copula habeatur in vase
 praepostero1 alioquoque non naturali4  
,si fiat accedendo a postero1 a latere1 
stando1 sedendo1 vel si vir sit         
succumbus4 7p4 #aff74  #e4 ,impotentia4 
,est incapacitas perficiendi copulam    
carnalem perfectam cum seminatione viri 
in vase se debito1 seu1 de se1 aptam    
generationi4 ,vel1 ut si mulier sit     
nimis arcta respectu unius viri1 non    
respectu alterius4 7vol4 vii4 p4 #bgc74 
#f4 ,notatur quod pollutio1 in          
mulieribus possit perfici1 ita ut semen 

earum non effluat extra membrum         
genitale4  ,indicium istius allegat     
,billuart1 si scilicet mulier sensiat   
seminis resolutionem cum magno          
voluptatis sensu1 qua completa1 passio  
satiatur 7vol4 iv4 p4 #afh74  #g4 ,uxor 
se accusans1 in confessione1 quod       
negaverit debitum1 interrogetur an ex   
pleno rigore juris sui id petiverit     
7vol4 vii4 p4 #afh74  #h4 ,confessarius 
poenitentem1 qui confitetur se peccasse 
cum sacerdote1 vel sollicitatam ab eo ad
 turpia1 potest interrogare utrum ille  
sacerdos sit ejus confessarius1 an in   
confessione sollitaverit 7vol4 vi4 p4   
#bid74  ,there are a great many other   
unmentionable things on which ,dens1 in 
his fourth1 fifth1 and seventh volumes1 
requires the confessor to ask from his  
penitent1 which ,i omit4  ,now let us   
come to ,liguori4 ,that so-called       
,saint1 ,liguori is not less            
diabolically impure than ,dens1 in his  
questions to the women4 ,but ,i will    
cite only two of the things on which the

 spiritual physician of the ,pope must  
not fail to examine his spiritual       
patient3--  #a4 ,quaerat an sit semper  
mortale1 si vir immitat pudenda in os   
uxoris8444  ,verius affirmo quia1 in hoc
 actu1 ob calorem oris1 adest proximum  
periculum pollutionis1 et videtur nova  
species luxuriae contra naturam1 dicta1 
irruminatio4  #b4 ,eodem modo1 ,sanchez 
damnat virum de mortali1 qui1 in actu   
copulae1 immiteret digitum in vas       
praeposterum uxoris2 quia1 ut ait1 in   
hoc actu adest affectus ad ,sodomiam    
7,liguori1 tom4 vi4 p4 #ice74  ,the     
celebrated ,burchard1 ,bishop of ,worms1
 has made a book of the questions which 
had to be put by the confessors to their
 penitents of both sexes4 ,during       
several centuries it was the standard   
book of the priests of ,rome4 ,though   
that work to-day is out of print1 ,dens1
 ,liguori1 ,debreysne1 c41 c41 have     
ransacked its polluting pages1 and given
 them to study to the modern confessors1
 in order to question their penitents4  

,i will select only a few questions of  
the ,roman ,catholic bishop to the young
 men3--  #a4 ,fecisti solus tecum       
fornicationem ut quidam facere solent2  
ita dico ut ipse tuum membrum virile in 
manum tuam acciperes1 et sic duceres    
praeputium tuum1 et manu propria        
commoveres1 ut1 sic1 per illam          
delectationem semen projiceres8  #b4    
,fornicationem fecisti cum masculo intra
 coxas2 ita dico ut tuum virile membrum 
intra coxas alterius mitteres1 et sic   
agitando semen funderes8  #c4 ,fecisti  
fornicationem1 ut quidem facere solent1 
ut tuum virile membrum in lignum        
perforatum1 aut in aliquod hujus modi   
mitteres1 et1 sic1 per illam commotionem
 et delectationem semen projiceres8  #d4
 ,fecisti fornicationem contra naturam1 
id est1 cum masculis vel animalibus     
coire1 id est cum equo1 cum vacca1 vel  
asina1 vel aliquo animali8 7vol4 i4 p4  
#acf47  ,among the questions we find in 
the ,compendium of the ,right ,rev4     
,burchard1 ,bishop of ,worms1 which must

 be put to women1 are the following 7p4 
#aae73--  #a4 ,fecisti quod quaedam     
mulieres solent1 quoddam molimen1 aut   
machinamentum in modum virilis membri ad
 mensuram tuae voluptatis1 et illud loco
 verendorum tuorum aut alterius cum     
aliquibus ligaturis1 ut fornicationem   
faceres cum aliis mulieribus1 vel alia  
eodem instrumento1 sive alio tecum8  #b4
 ,fecisti quod quaedam mulieres facere  
solent1 ut jam supra dicto molimine1 vel
 alio aliquo machinamento1 tu ipsa in te
 solam faceres fornicationem8  #c4      
,fecisti quod quaedam mulieres facere   
solent1 quando libidinem se vexantem    
extinguere volunt1 quae se conjungunt   
quasi coire debeant et possint1 et      
conjungunt invicem puerperia sua1 et    
sic1 fricando pruritum illarum          
extinguere desiderant8  #d4 ,fecisti    
quod quaedam mulieres facere solent1 ut 
cum filio suo parvulo fornicationem     
faceres1 ita dico ut filium tuum supra  
turpidinem tuam poneres ut sic          
imitaberis fornicationem8  #e4 ,fecisti 

quod quaedam mulieres facere solent1 ut 
succumberes aliquo jumento et illud     
jumentum ad coitum qualicumque posses   
ingenio1 ut sic coiret tecum8  ,the     
celebrated ,debreyne has written a whole
 book1 composed of the most incredible  
details of impurities1 to instruct the  
young confessors in the art of          
questioning their penitents4 ,the name  
of the book is ,moechiology1 or treaty  
on all the sins against the six 7seven7 
and the nine commandments1 as well as on
 all the questions of the married life  
which refer to them4  ,that work is much
 approved and studied in the ,church of 
,rome4 ,i do not know that the world has
 ever seen anything comparable to the   
filthy and infamous details of that     
book4 ,i will cite only two of the      
questions which ,debreyne wants the     
confessor to put to his penitent4  ,to  
the young men 7page #ie7 the confessor  
will ask3--  ,ad cognoscendum an usque  
ad pollutionem se tetigerint1 quando    
tempore et quo fine se tetigerint2 an   

tunc quosdam motus in corpore experti   
fuerint1 et per quantum temporis        
spatium2 an cessantibus tactibus nihil  
insolitum et turpe acciderit2 an non    
longe majorem in corpore voluptatem     
perceperint in fine tactuum quam in     
eorum principio2 an tum in fine quando  
magnam delectationem carnalem senserunt1
 omnes motus corporis cessaverint2 an   
non madefacti fuerint8 c41 4  ,to the   
girl the confessor will ask3--  ,quae   
sese tetigisse fatentur1 an non aliquem 
pruritum extinguere tentaverit1 et utrum
 pruritus ille cessaverit cum magnam    
senserint voluptatem2 an tunc1 ipsimet  
tactus cessaverint8 c41 c4  ,the ,right 
,rev4 ,kenrick1 late ,bishop of ,boston1
 ,united ,states1 in his book for the   
teaching of confessors on what matters  
they must question their penitents1 has 
the following1 which ,i select among    
thousands as impure and damnable to the 
soul and body3--  ,uxor quae1 in usu    
matrimonii1 se vertit1 ut non recipiat  
semen1 vel statim post illud acceptum   

surgit1 ut expellatur1 lethaliter       
peccat2 sed opus non est ut diu resupina
 jaceat1 quum matrix1 brevi1 semen      
attrahat1 et mox1 arctissime claudatur  
7vol4 iii4 p4 #cag74  ,puellae patienti 
licet se vertere1 et conari ut non      
recipiat semen1 quod injuria ei         
immittitur2 sed1 exceptum1 non licet    
expellere1 quia jam possessionem        
pacificam habet1 et haud absque injuria 
naturae ejiceretur 7tom4 iii4 p4 #cag74 
,conjuges senes plerumque coeunt absque 
culpa1 licet contingat semen extra vas  
effundi2 id enim per accidens fit ex    
infirmitate naturae4 ,quod si vires adeo
 sint fractae ut nulla sit seminandi    
intra vas spes1 jam nequeunt jure       
conjugii uti 7tom4 iii4 p4 #cag74       
99       99       99       99       99  
,notes  #a ,to avoid fornication1 let   
every man have his own wife1 and let    
every woman have her own husband4 7#a   
,cor4 vii4 #b47  #b ,a silver box       
containing consecrated bread1 which is  
believed to be the real body1 blood1 and

 divinity of ,jesus ,christ4  #c ,and   
remark that all their religious authors 
who have written on that subject hold   
the same language4 ,they all speak of   
those continual degrading temptations2  
they all lament the damning sins which  
follow those temptations2 they all      
entreat the priests to fight those      
temptations and repent of those sins4   
#d ,he is dead long ago4  #e ,by the    
word penitents1 ,rome means not those   
who repent1 but those who confess to the
 priest4  #f ,he died many years after  
when at the head of the ,laval          
,university4         99       99        
99       99       99   ,corrections made
 to printed original4  ,chapter ,i4     
,para4 #i4 ,i do here publicly challenge
 the whole ,roman ,catholic priesthood -
 'hear' in original4  ibid4 ,para #ac4  
everywhere they struggle nerve          
themselves with a superhuman courage -  
'stuggle' in original4  ,chapter ,,ii4  
,para4 #a4 ,the terrible and mysterious 
cause of her death was known - 'known'  

in original4  ,chapter ,,iii4 ,para #i4 
he suspects that nobody but his         
co-sinner brethren - 'brethern' in      
original4  ,chapter ,v4 ,para #ab4 a    
good1 honest1 ,christian1 and godly     
thing - ',christain' in original4  ibid4
 ,para #cf4 particularly if high        
education has added to her natural      
shrewdness4 - 'particulary' in original4
  ,chapter ,,vi4 ,para #cj4 humiliation 
and opprobrium of the questionable      
privileges of an uncertain paternity4 - 
'questioable' in original  ibid4 ,para  
#ci4 it is nothing else than a school of
 immorality4 - 'im-' at end of one line 
is not completed in original1 this      
completion seems best to fit the sense  
of the next paragraph4  ,,chapter ,,vii4
 ,heading - ',,chapter ,,viii4' in      
original4  ibid4 ,para #ab4 the         
obligation and power which every one of 
,his disciples had of forgiving -       
'desciples' in original4  ,chapter ,,ix4
 ,para #hj4 secreto et absque arbitrio -
 'and' for 'et' in original4 aliquid    

loquendum habet - 'loquem dum' in       
original  ibid4 ,para #hi4 ,curiosum    
genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam2 -  
'cognescendam' in original  ibid4 ,para 
#aba4 ex hisque perpetua infamia        
denigrari6 - 'hisgue' in original       
,chapter ,,xi4 ,para #bj4 which must be 
put to women - 'womem' in original4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,works ,published by ,f4 ,e4 ,grafton1  
,,publisher1 ,,bookseller ,,and         
,,stationer1  ,montreal4         99     
99       99       99       99   ,,song  
,,life1  ,over #bej of the best ,hymns  
and ,tunes 444 ,price #ej cts4  ,,the   
,,hymnal4  ,a collection of ,hymns for  
,prayer ,meetings and ,evangelistic     
services1 #aj cts4 each1 444 #h per #ajj
  ,,the ,s4 ,s4 ,,melodist4  #ajj ,hymns
 and ,tunes 444 #i per #ajj  ,,the      
,,children',s ,,messenger4  ,a ,monthly 
,sabbath ,school ,paper at #ae cts4 per 
copy per annum1 when #aj or more copies 
are taken to one address4  ,,hand-,,book
 ,,of ,,scripture ,,geography4  ,this   

useful work should be in the hands of   
every ,bible ,student4 ,it contains     
sixteen maps with nearly #bjjj questions
 and answers 444 #de cts4  ,,the        
,,scripture ,,atlas4  ,sixteen maps and 
diagrams illustrating ,scripture        
,geography1 444 ,price #be cts4         
,,tracts ,,on ,,giving4  ,tracts        
explaining and enforcing the duty of    
giving weekly4 ,four different sorts1   
444 #ej cts4 per #ajj  ,,father         
,,chiniquy ,,on ,,the ,,confessional4   
,the ,priest1 the ,woman and the        
,confessional4 ,one ,dollar4         99 
99       99       99       99  ,,books  
,,and ,,tracts ,,on ,,romanism1  ,,for  
,,sale ,,by ,f4 ,e4 ,,grafton1          
99       99       99       99       99  
,,blakeneys ,manual of the ,romish      
,controversy1               #ge;c4 ,the 
,protestant ,catechism1                 
#ab;c4 ,popery in its ,social ,aspect1  
#fj;c4 ,the ,protestant ,missionary's   
,catechism1                    #ae;c4   
,will you give up your ,lantern8 or the 

,bible and           #ae;c4 the ,church 
of ,rome1 ,,elliott',s ,delineation of  
,roman ,catholicism              #c4ej4 
,,rule',s ,history of the ,inquisition1 
#b4ej4 ,,history of the ,jesuits1       
#ej;c4 ,,three ,,years in the ,church of
 ,rome1 what ,i saw1 and        #cj;c4  
why ,i left it1 ,,was ,,peter ever at   
,rome1 a discussion held in ,rome       
#ag;c4 between ,r4 ,c4 ,priests and     
,protestants ,,how ,i ,,came out of     
,rome1 by a ,romish ,priest1            
#ge;c4 ,,secret ,,history of ,romanism  
#a4aj4 ,,the ,,council and              
,infallibility1 by ,dr4 ,merle          
#aj;c4 ,d',aubigne ,,the ,,hammersmith  
,discussion between ,mr4 ,french and    
#a4ej4 ,dr4 ,cumming ,,tracts ,,on      
,,romanism4 ,a packet of #be different  
#ae;c4 ,tracts1                         
,protestant ,magazines and ,papers4     
,,the ,,bulwark4--,a ,monthly ,magazine1
                      per an4           
#a4 ,,the ,,armory4--,a ,magazine of    
,facts and ,arguments1      #a4jj per   

annum4 ,,the ,,true                     
,,catholic4--,monthly1                  
#de;c4 ,,the ,,rock4--,a ,weekly        
,newspaper1                       #b4ej 
per                                     
annum4