,,auricular ,,confession and ,,popish   
,,nunneries  ,by ,william ,hogan  ,a    
,roman ,catholic ,priest  ,volume ,i4   
7of ,,ii47  #ahed4      ,,auricular     
,,confession and ,,popish ,,nunneries1  
,volume ,i4    ,,to ,,the ,,public4     
,the readers of the following work1 who 
have not any acquaintance with the      
author1 may wish to know who he is1 in  
order to enable them to ascertain what  
degree of credit is due to his          
statements4 ,we are permitted to publish
 the following documents1 which show    
that the author is a member of the      
,georgia bar1 and that his standing     
among his brethren is that of a moral1  
upright1 and honorable gentleman4 ,this 
is a high character--as high as any man 
can produce1 or any ,american citizen   
require--and entitles ,mr4 ,hogan's     
statements to full credit1 in the       
estimation of every honest man and      
impartial reader of this work4          
,certificate from ,judge ,wayne4 ,state 
of ,georgia4 ,at a ,superior ,court     

holden in and for the ,county of        
,effingham1 in ,november ,term1 #ahbg4  
,know all men by these presents1 that1  
at the present sitting of this ,court4  
,william ,hogan made his application for
 leave to plead and practise in the     
several ,courts of ,law and ,equity in  
this ,state3 ,whereupon1 the said       
,william ,hogan having given            
satisfactory evidence of good moral     
character1 and having been examined in  
open ,court1 and being found well       
acquainted and skilled in the laws1 he  
was admitted by the court to all the    
privileges of an ,attorney ,solicitor   
and ,counsellor1 in the several ,courts 
of law and ,equity in this ,state4  ,in 
,testimony whereof the presiding ,judge 
has hereunto set ,l4 ,s4 his hand1 with 
his seal annexed1 7there being no ,seal 
of ,court17 this first day of ,november1
 #ahbg4 ,jno4 ,chas4 ,ston1 ,clerk4     
,james ,m4 ,wayne4  ,certificate from   
,judge ,law4 ,i hereby certify that the 
within named ,william ,hogan1 has been  

at the bar of the ,eastern ,circuit of  
,georgia1 since ,november ,term1 #ahbg1 
the date of his admission1 and that he  
has conducted himself1 during my        
acquaintance with him at this bar1 as an
 ,attorney and ,counsellor at ,law1 with
 uprightness and integrity of character4
  ,william ,law1 ,judge ,sup4 ,courts1  
,east ,district1 ,georgia1 ,savannah1   
#beth ,june1 #ahcb4    ,savannah1 #beth 
,june1 #ahcb4  ,dear                    
,sir1--,understanding from you that it  
is your intention to leave the ,state1  
with a view to the practice of the law  
elsewhere2 it will1 ,i apprehend1 be    
necessary that the certificate of       
admission to our bar1 furnished you by  
the ,clerk1 should be accompanied by a  
certificate from myself as the presiding
 ,judge of the ,court in which you were 
admitted4 ,this is necessary to give it 
authenticity in another ,state4 ,it will
 afford me pleasure to append that      
verification to it1 if you will be      
pleased to send me the certificate4     

,permit me1 as you are about to leave   
us1 to offer you my humble testimony to 
your correct and upright deportment as  
an advocate at the bar of the ,superior 
,courts of the ,eastern ,district of    
,georgia1 since your admission to the   
practice of the law in the same4        
,wishing you success and prosperity     
wherever you may settle1 ,i am1 dear    
sir1 very respectfully1  ,your obedient 
servant1  ,william ,law4                
,recommendation from the ,georgia ,bar4 
,savannah1 ,june1 #ahcb4 ,we1 the       
undersigned members of the bar of       
,savannah1 having been informed that    
,wm4 ,hogan1 ,esq41 in consequence of   
ill health1 is about removing to a      
northern climate1 take leave to state   
that he has been admitted to practise as
 ,attorney1 ,solicitor and ,counsellor  
in all the ,courts of ,law and ,equity  
in this ,state4  ,mr4 ,hogan has been a 
resident of this city for some years1   
during which time1 we further feel a    
pleasure in stating that his            

professional standing among us1 has been
 that of a moral and honorable          
gentleman1 and as such1 recommend him to
 the professional attentions of the     
,honorable the ,judges and members of   
the bar generally1 wherever his health  
may induce him to locate himself4       
,thos4 ,u4 ,p4 ,charlton1 ,jno4 ,c      
,nicoll1 ,w4 ,w4 ,gordon1 ,rich4 ,w4    
,habersham1 ,k4 ,r4 ,cutler1 ,levi ,s4  
,d',lyon4     ,,introduction4  ,three   
score years and ten1 and those often    
full of care and anxiety1 seem to       
constitute the space of human life4 ,so 
it is said in that venerable volume1    
which never has been1 and never can be  
equalled1 in beauty of truth1 wisdom1   
and instruction4 ,this1 it would seem1  
ought to check all the vain and         
inordinate aspirations of poor1 weak    
man2 yet it has not1 and probably never 
will do so4 ,to a reflecting mind1      
nothing can ,appear stranger than this4 
,notwithstanding this solemn truth1 such
 is the presumption of man1 that lie has

 often dared1--and does so at this      
moment1--to set himself up as the       
viceroyal or vicegerent of the ,king of 
,heaven2 and fancies himself sent upon  
this earth for the purpose of rectifying
 or correcting any mi8 takes or defects 
which might have escaped the vigilance  
of the great ,i ,am1 in the organization
 and fitness of things ,this is truly a 
serious and melancholy reflection4  ,the
 population of this world of ours is    
supposed to amount to #hab1eec1gab4 ,of 
this vast number1 #acg1jjj1jjj are      
,roman ,catholics1 who now1 on the #aith
 of ,july1 #ahde41 bend the knee and bow
 down in homage to a weak1 helpless1 and
 worthless being1 the ,pope of ,rome2   
and thus1 if history does not deceive   
us1 proving themselves conspirators     
against the happiness of the human race4
  ,to meliorate the condition of this   
almost countless multitude of our       
fellow-creatures1 is among the first    
duties of every good man4 ,no one is    
exempted from it2 not the king nor the  

peasant2 not the sage nor the           
philosopher2 not the priest nor the     
layman2 for there are as many modes of  
discharging this duty1 as there are     
grades in the social system4  ,as a     
member of the human family1 and being   
once an instructor myself1 ,i feel that 
,i have too long neglected this common  
duty4 ,many suns1 and many shades1 too1 
have passed over me1 without doing much 
in the great work of promoting the      
happiness of my fellow-beings2 and if ,i
 can make any atonement for this        
omission1 by devoting the necessarily   
short period of the remnant of my life  
for the benefit of others1 ,i shall     
retire to my eternal home with feelings 
of happiness which ,i have not enjoyed  
for years4  ,with a clear and full view 
of my duty1 ,i have recently written a  
work entitled1 ,a ,synopsis of ,popery  
as it was1 and as it is4 ,it has been   
well received2 it awakened ,americans to
 a proper sense of their duty4 ,until   
then they saw not1 they felt not1 they  

dreamed not of the dangers which        
threatened their religion and their     
civil rights from the stealthy movements
 of the ,church of ,rome1 and her       
priests and bishops1 in this country4   
,americans have now a steady and        
watchful eye upon them4 ,this was       
necessary1 and so far1 ,i have done my  
duty4 ,the ,popish presses1 which1 until
 then1 had lulled ,americans into fatal 
repose by their misrepresentations1 have
 been1 in a measure1 silenced4 ,no one1 
before me1 dared to encounter their     
scurrilous abuse4 ,i resolved to silence
 them2 and ,i have done so4 ,the very   
mention of my name is a terror to them  
now2 though1 until the appearance of my 
book1 there was not a ,popish press in  
the ,united ,states1 which did not      
weekly1 almost daily1 abuse me in the   
most scurrilous manner2 and in my       
apprehension1 a stronger evidence cannot
 be given of the iniquity of ,popish    
priests and bishops who edit those      
presses1 than this very fact4           

,protestant writers in the ,united      
,states have long been kept in check by 
the bullying and vaporing of ,popish    
priests1 when some resolution and a     
little tact1 might at all times have    
silenced them4 ,i found no difficulty in
 muzzling the whole body2 and the mode  
of doing it was suggested to me by a    
little incident in my own life4 ,will   
the reader allow me to relate it8  ,as  
soon as ,i was admitted to the practice 
of law1 ,i went into partnership with a 
,mr4 ,gray1 a young gentleman of        
promising talents and gentlemanly       
manners4 ,our office was in one of the  
upper districts of ,south ,carolina1    
separated only by a narrow river1 from  
the ,state of ,georgia1 where ,i have   
resided ever since4 ,there was at the   
back of our office1 a swamp1            
containing1--if we may judge from the   
noise they made1--myriads of frogs1 ugly
 and filthy as the slime from which they
 sprung4 ,as soon as the sun of heaven  
retired to its home in the west1 and    

darkness covered the face of the earth  
and the waters1 these frogs set up a    
most hideous chorus1--just as ,papists  
have done for more than twenty years1   
against myself4 ,the noise became a     
perfect nuisance to me4 ,i felt at a    
loss how to silence these filthy frogs4 
,i purchased and borrowed every work ,i 
could get upon frogs1 to see if any     
remedy had been discovered to abate this
 nuisance2 but all to no purpose4 ,on   
they went1 night after night2 nothing   
could be heard but croak1 croak1 croak4 
,finally1 ,i became impatient1 when     
necessity1 which is properly called1 the
 mother of invention1 suggested to me   
the following remedy1 which1 ,i believe1
 might have been tried before4 ,i       
procured a well-lighted lantern1        
concealed it under a thick overcoat1    
went down to the pond1 sat patiently on 
its bank until the frogs commenced their
 evening chorus2 but just as they were  
upon their highest notes1 ,i uncovered  
my lantern1 and threw its full blaze of 

light over the whole surface of the     
pond4 ,instantly1 as if by magic1       
,every frog was at rest1      ,and ,i   
heard not a sound4  ,it occurred to me1 
that a similar experiment might1 with   
equal advantage1 be made upon ,popish   
priests and confessors4 ,i knew no other
 living animal or creeping thing1 so    
closely resembling these frogs in       
repulsiveness1 as a ,romish priest or   
bishop who hears confessions4 ,i        
resolved to throw light upon them1 and  
show them to each1 other and to the     
world1 in their native deformity4 ,i    
published my book on ,popery2 ,i threw  
the light-of my experience as a ,popish 
priest1 upon the whole body4 ,the result
 has been entirely satisfactory4 ,never1
 since then1 has a ,popish priest1      
,popish bishop1 or ,popish press1       
published a single sentence against me4 
,how truly is it said in holy writ1     
,resist the devil1 and he will flee from
 you4 ,i have resisted ,popish priests2 
they have fled from me2 and if the      

reader will do me the honor of perusing 
the following pages1 he will see that #a
 am still pursuing them in full chase2  
nor do ,i feel disposed to abandon my   
pursuit1 until they renounce allegiance 
to the ,pope of ,rome1 and become true1 
peaceable1 moral1 and well-behaved      
citizens of the ,united ,states4        
,,william ,,hogan4     ,,auricular      
,,confession ,,and ,,popish ,,nunneries4
  ,when a writer acknowledges1 in       
advance1 that he cannot relate the whole
 truth1 his position is far from being  
enviable4 ,it augurs badly for what he  
writes1 and so far plages him in a      
disadvantageous light before the public4
 ,this is1 however1 precisely the       
condition in which ,i now find myself4  
,such is the nature of the subject on   
which ,i feel it my duty to write1 that 
,i shrink with native abhorrence from   
relating1 at least1 the whole truth4 ,it
 is repugnant to my feelings1 to my     
taste1 and at variance with the general 
tone of my conversation1 ever since the 

,god of purity enabled me to disentangle
 myself from the society of ,romish     
priests and bishops1--men whose private 
lives and conversation with each other  
and with their penitents in the         
confessional1 breathe nothing but the   
grossest licentiousness and foetid      
impurities4  ,i do not wantonly and     
without provocation make any expose of  
the iniquities of ,popery4 ,my entire   
life1 since ,i left them1 is evidence of
 this2 but they have pursued me with    
such persevering malignity and demoniac 
malice1 that further silence would be   
criminal and disrespectful to my        
,protestant fellow-citizens1 from whom1 
notwithstanding the malice of papists   
towards me1 ,i have always experienced  
kind attentions and hospitality4 ,nor   
should ,i1 even now1 allow the subject  
of ,popery to occupy my mind1 or taint  
the current of my thoughts1 if ,i did   
not see it striding with fearful        
rapidity over the fair face of this my  
adopted country1 infusing itself into   

every political nerve and artery of our 
government1 while its members are asleep
 and dreaming of its future glories4    
,it is not pleasant to me to contend    
with papists1 who look upon it as a     
matter of duty1 and as a fundamental    
article of their faith1 to persecute    
myself and all other heretics4 ,that    
they should dislike me1 is not a matter 
of surprise2 that men whose confessions 
,i have heard1 and who have heard mine1 
should even dread me1 is not to be      
wondered at4 ,many of these men deserve 
7,i speak of bishops and priests        
exclusively7 not only public censure1   
but the gibbet1 the dungeon and the     
gallows4 ,i cannot blame men1 under     
these circumstances1 for detesting my   
very name4 ,they are in my power--they  
tremble in my presence--and were ,i to  
blame them for some degree of opposition
 and dislike to me1 ,i should be        
quarrelling with that instinct which    
teaches the profligate and debauchee to 
shun the society of a virtuous and      

upright man4 ,while ,i live among       
papists they are naturally afraid that  
,i should lift the veil1 which conceals 
from the eyes of ,americans the         
deformities of ,popery4 ,they are in    
momentary fear that ,i shall show to    
their ,american converts1 which ,bishop 
,fenwick of ,boston says he is daily    
making from the first families1 the ,old
 ,lady of ,rome in her dishabille4 ,they
 have long hidden from them her         
shrivelled1 diseased1 distorted1 and    
disgusting proportions1 and they are    
unwilling that this painted harlot      
should be now seen by ,americans4 ,this 
is good policy1 and hence much of their 
opposition to me4 ,a curse seems to have
 rested upon ,rome since its very       
foundation4 ,pagan1 as well as modern   
,rome1 seemed always to delight in deeds
 of darkness4  ,we are told in history  
of a singular practice illustrative of  
this in ancient ,rome4 ,i mention it    
merely to show the apparent natural     
fondness of ,romanists1 ancient as well 

as modern1 for deeds of darkness4 ,it is
 trifling in itself1 and may be deemed1 
perhaps1 irrelevant2 but it may be      
interesting to the historian1 whose     
curiosity extends further than that of  
theologians or moralists4  ,the ancient 
,romans were epicures4 ,some say they   
were greater gluttons than those of the 
present day4 ,poultry1 of all kinds1 was
 a favorite dish with them1 and how to  
fatten fowl most expeditiously1 became a
 question of vital importance with the  
philosophers of the ,eternal ,city4     
,after several experiments1 it was found
 that the best plan was to close up the 
eyes of geese1 turkeys1 ducks1 and all  
other kinds of poultry1 and1 in that    
condition1 cram and stuff them with     
food4 ,this succeeded admirably4 ,the   
fowls fattened in less than half the    
time4  ,it seems that man was always1 as
 well as now1 a progressive animal1 and 
accordingly1 as soon as ,popery fixed   
its head-quarters at ,rome or at        
,antioch1 no matter which for the       

present1 popish bishops commenced a     
similar experiment upon man4 ,anxious   
for his conversion to the infallible    
church1 they determined to close his    
eyes and compel him to receive from     
themselves1 as so many turkeys and geese
 would from their feeders1 such food as 
they pleased to give them4 ,they were   
not to question its quality1 but1 like  
so many blinded geese1 swallow-all that 
was given them4 ,the practice continues 
to the present day in the ,romish       
church2 even ,american converts to      
,romanism are not to question the       
quality of the food1 or spiritual       
instructions1 which popish priests      
please to give them4 ,blind obedience is
 a necessary article of spiritual diet  
for a convert to ,popery2 and whether   
his priest tells him that he must       
worship ,god1 the ,virgin ,mary1 ,st4   
,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 or the wafer     
which he carries in his pocket and calls
 the body and blood of ,christ1 he must 
obey without murmur or inquiry4  ,this  

unreasonable1 unscriptural1 and impious 
doctrine1 is inculcated especially in   
the confessional4 ,no man1 not even a   
papist1 dare preach in public such a    
dogma as blind obedience in anything1 or
 to any man4 ,i have always been        
instructed1 while a ,catholic priest1   
never to intimate in public that the    
,romish church ever required            
unconditional submission to her will1   
unless ,i was morally certain that all  
my hearers were by birth and education  
,roman ,catholics2 but my orders were   
positive1 and under pain of losing my   
sacerdotal faculties1 never to lose an  
opportunity of inculcating this in the  
confessional4 ,there and there alone do 
,romish priests teach and fasten upon   
the minds of their penitents all the    
iniquities which the church of ,rome    
sanctions4  ,if ,i can satisfy          
,americans that ,auricular ,confession  
is dangerous to their liberties2 if ,i  
can show them that it is the source and 
fountain of many1 if not all1 those     

treasons1 debaucheries1 and other evils1
 which are now flooding this country1 ,i
 shall feel that ,i have done an        
acceptable work1 and some service to the
 ,state4 ,i fear1 however1 that ,i shall
 fail in this2 not because what ,i state
 is not true1 and even admitted to be   
so1 but because ,americans seem         
determined1--,i would almost say        
fated1--to political and moral          
destruction4  ,for twenty years ,i have 
warned them of approaching danger1 but  
their politicians were deaf1 and their  
,protestant theologians remained        
religiously coiled up in fancied        
security1 overrating their own powers   
and undervaluing that of ,papists4 ,even
 though they see and feel1 and often    
blush at the logical triumph1 which     
popish controversialists have gained1   
and are gaining over them in every      
intellectual combat in which they       
engage2 yet such is their love of ease  
or love of money1 or something else1    
that they cannot be roused until the    

enemy falls upon them with an           
annihilating force4 ,it is painful to me
 to see this indifference upon their    
part4 ,they are better able than ,i am  
to contend with ,papists4 ,they possess 
more talents1 and have more friends than
 ,i have to sustain them4 ,this is the  
land of their birth4 ,it is not mine1   
but not the less dear to me4 ,the       
religion of this country is the religion
 of their forefathers1 and of the       
,bible2 it is peculiarly their duty to  
defend both4  ,nothing could induce me  
to undertake the present work but the   
universal approbation which my recent   
book on ,popery has received from the   
journals of the country4 ,i should leave
 it to be done by ,protestant           
theologians4 ,the notices which my book 
on ,popery received were flattering4    
,they gave me credit for talents1       
candor1 and frankness4 ,but ,i am in    
reality entitled to no credit for that  
book4 ,the utterance of the truths      
contained in it was a spontaneous       

emotion4 ,it was1 if ,i may use such    
language1 but the breaking up of some   
moral iceberg1 which for years lay      
heavily on my soul4 ,it was a sort of   
inspiration fanned into a blaze by an   
irresistible consciousness that ,i had  
too long neglected a duty which ,i owed 
to my adopted country4 ,but ,i now feel 
relieved and willing to enlist in the   
cause of moral and civil rights4  ,the  
following pages1 ,i apprehend1 will     
appear to some of a rather random and   
fugitive character4 ,it will be said    
that much of the matter is              
irrelevant--that ,i fly too rapidly from
 one subject to another4 ,to such men ,i
 will say1 that they know very little of
 ,romish intellectual tactics4 ,a well  
trained reverend ,romish soldier cares  
little about the polish of his armor1 or
 whether he aims his blows according to 
the system of this or that commander4   
,he steps into the battle arena in his  
lightest armor1 and with his sharpest   
weapon4 ,a ,protestant theologian meets 

him1 with a face as solemn as if he was 
accompanying to the grave all that was  
dear to him1 wearing his heaviest coat  
of mail1 and armed with claymores and   
battle-axes4 ,while the latter is       
wasting his strength upon the desert    
air1 and aiming his harmless blows at   
every spot but the right one1 the       
,papist goads him to death1 and seldom  
fails to obtain the crown of victory    
from the spectators4 ,many ,protestants 
who are in the habit of contending with 
,papists in this manner will disapprove 
of this book2 but ,i trust that in      
differing from them in my mode of       
warfare with ,papists1 they will on     
reflection see that1 although they may  
be right1 ,i am not wrong4 ,i shall1    
therefore1 beg leave to pursue my own   
course4 ,i will give my ideas to the    
public just as they strike me1 fresh    
from my own mind1 with no regard        
whatever to style1 ornament1 or         
criticism2 and ,i am vain enough to wish
 that all controversialists1 and even   

all ,protestant and ,popish writers     
should pursue a similar course4 ,we     
should then have more truth in          
controversy2 more soul and more sterling
 morality in religion4 ,all that is     
pedantic would be exploded1 and truth1  
fresh and warm from the heart1 would be 
substituted in their place4  ,as ,i have
 stated1 every crime which the ,romish  
church sanctions1 and almost all the    
immoralities of its members1 either     
originate in ,auricular ,confession1 or 
have some connection with it ,in order  
to explain this to my readers1 it will  
be necessary for me to go back and state
 the causes which first induced me to   
doubt the infallibility of the ,romish  
,church4  ,i have been often asked the  
following questions3 ,why did you leave 
the ,roman ,catholic ,church8 ,before ,i
 answer this question1 ,i may well      
exclaim1 in the language of the ancient 
poet1 omitting only one word1 ,oh6      
nefandum1 jubes1 renovare dolorem ,but  
however painful the relation may        

be--however offensive to the ears of the
 virtuous and chaste--however disgusting
 to the pious and moral portion of our  
community--however at variance with the 
elegancies and formalities of private   
life--however heavily such a narrative  
may fall upon ,romish priests and       
bishops1 and however disreputable it may
 be to ,nuns and ,nunneries1 ,i will    
answer the above question so often made4
  ,several causes have contributed to   
induce me to doubt the infallibility of 
the ,popish church1 and to renounce its 
ministry altogether4 ,among the first   
was the following3  ,when quite young   
and but just emerging from childhood1 ,i
 became acquainted with a ,protestant   
family living in the neighborhood of my 
birthplace4 ,it consisted of a mother 7a
 widow lady7 and three interesting      
children1 two sons and one daughter4    
,the mother was a widow1 a lady of great
 beauty and rare accomplishments4 ,the  
husband1 who had but recently died1 one 
of the many victims of what is falsely  

called honor1 left her1 as he found her1
 in the possession of a large fortune1  
and1 as far as worldly goods could make 
her so1 in the enjoyment of perfect     
happiness4 ,but his premature death     
threw a gloom over her future life1     
which neither riches nor wealth1 nor all
 worldly comforts combined together1    
could effectually dissipate4 ,her only  
pleasure seemed to be placed in that of 
her children4 ,they appeared--and ,i    
believe they really were--the centre and
 circumference of her earthly happiness4
  ,in the course of time the sons grew  
up1 and their guardian purchased for    
both1 in compliance with their wishes1  
and to gratify their youthful ambition1 
commissions in the army4 ,the parting of
 these children1 the breaking up of this
 fond trio of brothers and sister1 was  
to the widowed mother another source of 
grief1 and tended to concentrate1 if    
possible1 more closely all the fond     
affections of the mother upon her       
daughter4 ,she became the joy of her    

heart4 ,her education while a child was 
an object of great solicitude1 and      
having a fortune at her command1 no     
expense was spared to render it suitable
 for that station in life1 in which her 
high connections entitled her to move   
when she should become of age4 ,the     
whole family were members of the        
,protestant church1 as the ,episcopal   
church is called in that country4 ,as   
soon as the sons left home to join their
 respective regiments1 which were then  
on the continent1 the mother and        
daughter were much alone1 so much so1   
that the fond mother soon discovered    
that her too great affection for her    
child and the indulgence given to her   
were rather impeding than otherwise her 
education4 ,she accordingly determined  
to remove her governess1 who up to this 
period was her sole instructress1 under 
the watchful eye of the fond and        
accomplished mother herself1 and send   
her to a fashionable school for young   
ladies4 ,there was then in the          

neighborhood1 only about twenty miles   
from this family1 a ,nunnery of the     
order of ,jesuits4 ,to this nunnery was 
attached a school superintended by nuns 
of that order4 ,the school was one of   
the most fashionable in the country4    
,the nuns who presided over it1 were    
said to be the most accomplished        
teachers in ,europe4 ,the expenses of an
 education in it were extravagantly     
high1 but not beyond the reach of wealth
 and fashion4 ,the mother1 though a     
,protestant1 and strict and             
conscientious in the discharge of all   
the duties of her church1 and not       
without a struggle in parting with her  
child and consigning her to the charge  
of ,jesuits1 yielded in this case to the
 malign influence of fashion1 as many a 
fond mother does even in this our own   
land of equal rights and far-famed1     
though mock equality--sent her beautiful
 daughter1 her earthly idol1 to the     
school of these nuns4 ,let the result   
speak for itself4  ,up to the departure 

of the sons for the army1 and this      
daughter for the nunnery1 ,i had been   
ever from my infancy acquainted with    
this family1 and had for them the       
highest respect and warmest attachment4 
,the elder brother was about my own age1
 and only a few years between the eldest
 and the youngest child4  ,soon after   
the daughter was sent to school1 ,i     
entered the ,college of ,maynooth as a  
theological student1 and in due time was
 ordained a ,roman ,catholic priest by  
particular dispensation1 being two years
 under the canonical age4 ,an interval  
of some years passed before ,i had an   
opportunity of meeting my young friend  
again2 our interview was under peculiar 
circumstances4 ,i was ordained a ,romish
 priest1 and located where she happened 
to be on a visit4 ,there was a large    
party given1 at which1 among many       
others1 ,i happened to be present2 and  
there meeting with my friend and        
interchanging the usual courtesies upon 
such occasions1 she--sportively1 as ,i  

then imagined--asked me whether ,i would
 preach her reception sermon1 as she    
intended becoming a nun and taking the  
white veil4 ,not even dreaming of such  
an event1 ,i replied in the affirmative4
 ,i heard no more of the affair for     
about two months1 when ,i received a    
note from her designating the chapel1   
the day and the hour she expected me to 
preach4 ,i was then but a short time in 
the ministry1 but sufficiently long to  
know that up to the hour of my          
commencing to read ,popish theology1    
especially that of ,dens and ,antoine de
 ,peccatis1 ,i knew nothing of the      
iniquities taught and practised by      
,romish priests and bishops4  ,on the   
receipt of my friend's note1 a cold     
chill crept over me2 ,i anticipated1 ,i 
feared1 ,i trembled1 ,i felt there must 
be foul play somewhere4 ,however1 ,i    
went according to promise1 preached her 
reception sermon at the request of the  
young lady1 and with the special        
approbation of the ,bishop1 whom ,i had 

to consult on such occasions4  ,the     
concourse of people that assembled on   
this occasion was very great4 ,the      
interest created by the apparent        
voluntary retirement from the world of  
one so young1 so wealthy and so         
beautiful1 was intense1 and accordingly 
the chapel in which #a preached was     
filled to overflowing with the nobility 
and fashionables of that section of the 
country4 ,many and large were the tears 
which were shed1 when this beautiful    
young lady cut off her rich and flowing 
tresses of hair4 ,reader1 have you ever 
seen the description which ,eugene ,sue1
 in his ,wandering ,jew1 gives of the   
lustrous1 luxurious and rich head of    
hair worn by ,charlotte ,de ,cardoville1
 and shorn from her head by ,jesuits1   
under the pretence that she was insane8 
,if you have not1 take the ,wandering   
,jew1 turn over its pages till you find 
it1 and you will see a more accurate    
description of that shorn from the head 
of the young lady to whom ,i allude1    

than ,i can possibly give4  ,turn back  
to the picture given by this same       
,eugene ,sue1 of the personal beauty1   
piety1 charity1 and many virtues of     
,mademoiselle ,de ,cardoville1 and you  
will have a correct portrait of this    
young lady of whom ,i speak4 ,you may   
therefore easily judge1 from her        
immolation upon the altar of fanaticism1
 or1 more properly speaking1 her        
personal sacrifice to the idol of       
,popish and ,jesuit lust1 the nature of 
that feeling which such an event must   
have produced in the mind of every      
,christian believer4  ,having no        
clerical connection with the convent in 
which she was immured1 ,i had not seen  
her for three months following4 ,at the 
expiration of that time1 one of the lay 
sisters of the convent delivered to me a
 note4 ,i knew it contained something   
startling4  ,these lay sisters among    
,jesuits1 are spies belonging to that   
order1 but are sometimes bribed by the  
nuns for certain purposes4 ,as soon as  

,i reached my apartments1 ,i found that 
my young friend expressed a wish to see 
me on something important4 ,i1 of       
course1 lost no time in calling on her1 
and being a priest1 ,i was immediately  
admitted2 but never have ,i forgot1 nor 
can ,i forget1 the melancholy picture of
 lost beauty and fallen humanity1 which 
met my astonished gaze in the person of 
my once beautiful and virtuous friend4  
,i had been then about eighteen months a
 ,romish priest1 and was not without    
some knowledge of their profligate      
lives2 and therefore ,i was the better  
prepared for and could more easily      
anticipate what was to come4 ,after such
 preliminary conversation as may be     
expected upon occasions of this kind1   
the young lady spoke to me to the       
following effect1 if not literally so4  
,i say literally1 because so deep1 and  
strong1 and lasting was the impression  
made upon my mind1 that ,i believe ,i   
have not forgotten one letter of her    
words4  ,i sent for you1 my friend1 to  

see you once more before my death4 ,i   
have insulted my ,god1 and disgraced my 
family2 ,i am in the family way1 and ,i 
must die4 ,after a good deal of         
conversation1 which it is needless to   
repeat1 ,i discovered from her          
confession the parent of this pregnancy1
 and that the mother abbess of the      
convent advised her to take medicine    
which would effect abortion2 but that   
she knew from the lay sister who        
delivered me the note1 and who was a    
confidential servant in the convent1    
that the medicine which the mother      
abbess would give her should contain    
poison1 and that the procuring abortion 
was a mere pretext4 ,i gave her such    
advice as ,i could in the capacity of a 
,romish priest4 ,i advised her to send  
for the bishop and consult him4 ,i      
cannot do it1 said she4 ,my destroyer is
 my confessor4 ,i was silent ,i had no  
more to say4 ,i was bound by oath to be 
true to him4 ,in vain did the noble     
sentiment even of the ,pagan occur to   

me2 a sentiment sanctioned almost by    
inspiration itself4 ,it fled from my    
mind as smoke before the wind4 ,i was   
one of the priests of the infallible    
church1 and what was honor1 what was    
honesty to me1 where the honor of that  
infallible church was concerned8 ,they  
were of no account2 not worthy the      
consideration of a ,romish priest for a 
second4 ,the almost heavenly sentiment  
of the noble ,pagan1 ,fiat justitia1 mat
 coelum1 let justice be done even if the
 heavens were to fall1 fled from my     
mind4 ,i retired1 leaving my friend to  
her fate1 but promising1 at her request1
 to return in a fortnight4  ,according  
to promise1 ,i did return in a          
fortnight1 but the foul deed was done4  
,she was no more4 ,the cold clay        
contained in its dread embrace all that 
now remained of that being1 which1 but a
 few months before1 lived1 and moved in 
all the beauty and symmetry of          
proportion2 and that soul1 once pure and
 spotless as the dew-drop of heaven1 ere

 its contact with the impurities of     
earth1 which a fond mother confided to  
the care of ,jesuit nims1 had been      
driven in its guilt and pollution into  
the presence of a just but merciful     
,god4 ,all1 all1 the work of ,jesuits   
and ,nuns6  ,this was the first check my
 ,popish enthusiasm met with2 and now   
for the first time did a doubt of the   
infallibility of the church of ,rome    
enter my mind4 ,after witnessing these  
events ,i could not help asking myself1 
can a church which sanctions and        
countenances such flagitious iniquities 
as ,i have just witnessed1 be a         
,christian church8 ,can a body of men1  
who individually practise such deeds of 
blood1 treachery and crime as those     
which ,i have seen1 be1 collectively1   
infallible8 ,are these the men whom the 
,saviour commissioned1 in a particular  
manner1 to preach the gospel to every   
creature8 ,are these the men1 as a body1
 with whom he promised to be always1    
even to the consummation of the world8  

,are these the men who collectively     
constitute an infallible church8 ,if so1
 unprofitable indeed has been my life4  
,it is high time to come out from among 
them2 and if ,i cannot live the life of 
luxury and ease1 of sin and crime which 
a ,romish priest can live1 let me1 at   
least1 live that of an honorable man1   
and a useful member of society4  ,these 
were some of my reflections2 and        
accordingly1 that evening1 ,i called on 
the ,right ,reverend ,protestant bishop 
of--------1 with a view of making a     
public recantation of my belief in the  
doctrine of the ,roman ,catholic church4
 ,but as chance would have it1 he was   
out of town that week1 and when next ,i 
made an effort to see him ,i found that 
effort in vain4 ,i had not properly     
weighed the chains that bound me to     
,popery4 ,i knew not their length1 nor  
their strength4 ,they were stronger than
 adamant1 than steel4 ,they were chains 
woven for me1 in some measure1 by beings
 that ,i loved4 ,they were thrown around

 me and fastened to me by hands that ,i 
reverenced4 ,they were the chains of    
early education4 ,i could not break     
them2 they were too strong for me4 ,the 
force which alone could do this was the 
grace of ,god4 ,this ,i had not4 ,until 
then ,i went about without faith in the 
world4 ,i soon fell back1 in a measure1 
into my former belief1 but not without a
 resolution to examine more fully the   
nature of ,popery itself1 and the       
practices of its priests4 ,it is well   
said1 a drowning man will catch at      
straws4 ,it occurred to me that1        
perhaps1 all the crimes and iniquities  
committed by popes1 priests and bishops1
 and sanctioned by the church of ,rome1 
might be confined only to the old       
countries1 where use makes law1 and that
 by leaving the old and coming to the   
new world1 where the people made their  
own laws1 and the human mind had its    
full swing1 and thought is only bounded 
by its own interminable extent1 ,i might
 find a different state of things4 ,i   

fancied1 at any rate1 that man might    
worship ,god according to the dictates  
of his own conscience1 without the      
interference1 let or hindrance1 save the
 inherent power and sovereignty of the  
people4 ,i little supposed that a pure  
and enlightened people1 such as         
,americans boast themselves1 would      
sanction such institutions as those in  
which the young friend of whom ,i have  
spoken1 lost her virtue1 her honor and  
her life4 ,but alas6 how sadly have ,i  
been disappointed4  ,europe is not the  
only portion of the world that contains 
legalized ,sodoms4 ,its people are not  
the only people that support them4 ,its 
lawgivers are not the only men1 nor its 
lawmakers the only ones1 that make laws 
for them and give them charters4 ,its   
people are not the only people who      
contribute their time1 their lands1     
their moneys1 and who take almost from  
the necessaries of life1 to support monk
 houses and nunneries1 ,jesuits and     
,dominicans4 ,no1 no4 ,the new world1   

the new people1 if ,i may say so1 who   
boast of being the most enlightened     
people on the face of the earth1--these 
are the people who1 in proportion to    
their number1 contribute most to the    
support of ,popish brothels1 modestly   
called nunneries4  ,but it will be said 
that the young lady to whom #a have     
alluded1 has given no evidence of her   
being virtuous4 ,as far as you tell us1 
she has made no resistance1 and it is   
scarcely possible that one whom you have
 placed upon so high a prominence of    
virtue1 could have so suddenly fallen   
into the depths of vice4 ,this is all   
very plausible1 and naturally to be     
expected from those who know nothing of 
auricular confession1--a ,popish        
institution1 one of the most ingenious  
devices ever invented by the great enemy
 of man1 for the destruction of the     
human soul4  ,i am personally acquainted
 with several respectable ,protestant   
,americans1 both male and female1 whose 
ideas of confession in the ,romish      

church have often amused me1 though not 
unaccompanied with feelings of grief and
 sorrow1 at their unacquaintance with   
this1 what may be called mantrap1 or    
rather woman-trap in the ,romish church4
  ,american ,protestants suppose that   
,popish confession means little more    
than that public confession of sin1     
which is made in all ,protestant        
churches1 or that which we individually 
make to ,almighty ,god in our private   
chambers4 ,such may well inquire how    
this apparent sudden fall could have    
taken place4 ,these inquiries will cease
 when ,i state that the young lady      
became a convert to ,popery1 and give my
 readers some idea of what auricular    
confession is1 and how it is made4      
,every ,roman ,catholic believes that   
priests have power to forgive sins1 by  
virtue of which power any crime1 however
 heinous1 may be remitted4 ,but in order
 to effect this1 the sinner must confess
 to a priest each and every sin1 whether
 of thought1 word or deed1 with all the 

circumstances leading to it1 or         
following from it2 and every priest who 
hears confessions1 is allowed to put    
such questions as he pleases to his     
penitent1 whether male or female1 and he
 or she is bound to answer under pain of
 eternal damnation4  ,it is very        
difficult1 ,i admit1 to suppose that the
 daughter of a virtuous mother1 and that
 mother a protestant too1 brought up in 
the elegances of life1 from her birth1  
breathing in no other atmosphere than   
that of the purest domestic morality1   
should be precipitated1 in the short    
space of a year or two1 from a state of 
unsullied virtue and innocence1 to the  
veriest depth of crime2 and it is a     
melancholy reflection to suppose a state
 of society1 in which1 by any           
combination of human events1 the fond   
mother of a virtuous child could be made
 the instrument of that child's ruin4   
,such an event is scarcely possible in  
the eyes of ,protestant ,americans1 and 
,i feel a pride in believing1 from my   

acquaintance with many of them1 that if 
,american mothers were aware of the     
existence of a society among them1 whose
 object was to demoralize their         
children1 shut out from them the noonday
 light of the gospel1 and ultimately    
decoy them into the lecherous embraces  
of ,romish priests and ,jesuits2 they   
would1 to a woman1 rise in their        
appropriate strength1 and deliver our   
land from those legalized ,sodoms called
 nunneries4  ,i will here take the      
liberty of showing them how the young   
friend to whom ,i have alluded1 was     
debauched4 ,the nunnery to which she was
 sent1 as ,i have heretofore stated1 had
 attached to it a fashionable school2   
all nunneries have such4 ,the nuns who  
instruct in those schools in ,europe1   
are generally advanced in years1        
descendants from the first families1 and
 highly accomplished4 ,most1 if not all 
of them1 at an early period of life met 
with some disappointment or other4 ,one 
perhaps was the daughter of some decayed

 noble family1 reduced by political     
revolutions to comparative poverty1 and 
now having nothing but the pride of     
birth1 retired to a convent4 ,she could 
not work1 and she would not beg4        
,another1 perhaps1 was disappointed in  
love2 the companion of her own choice   
was refused to her by some unfeeling1   
aristocratic parent4 ,no alternative was
 left but to unite her young person with
 the remains of some broken-down        
debauchee of the nobility4 ,she prefers 
going into a convent with such means as 
she had in her own right4 ,another1     
perhaps1 like my young friend1--and this
 is the case with most of them1--was    
seduced1 by some profligate priest while
 at school1 degraded in her own eyes1   
unfitted even in her own mind to become 
the companion of an honorable man2      
seeing no alternative but death or      
dishonor1 she goes into a convent4      
,these ladies1 when properly disciplined
 by ,jesuits and priests1 become the    
best teachers4 ,but before they are     

allowed to teach1 there is no art1 no   
craft1 no species of cunning1 no        
refinement in private personal          
indulgences1 or no modes or means of    
seduction1 in which they are not        
thoroughly initiated2 and ,i may say    
with safety1 and from my own personal   
knowledge through the confessional1 that
 there is scarcely one of them who has  
not been herself debauched by her       
confessor4 ,the reader will understand  
that every nun has a confessor2 and here
 ,i may as well add1 for the truth must 
be told at once1 that every confessor   
has a concubine1 and there are very few 
of them who have not several4 ,let any  
,american mother imagine her young      
daughter among these semi-reverend      
crones1 called nuns1 and she will have  
no difficulty in seeing the possibility 
of her immediate ruin4 ,when your       
daughter comes among those women1 they  
pretend to be the happiest set of beings
 upon earth4 ,they would not exchange   
their situation for any other this side 

of heaven4 ,they will pray4 ,so do the  
devils4 ,they will sing4 ,so will the   
devils1 for aught ,i know4 ,their       
language1 their acts1 their gestures1   
their whole conduct while in presence of
 thee scholars1 or their visitors1 is   
irreproachable4  ,the mother abbess1 or 
superior of the convent1 who invariably 
is the deepest in sin of the whole1 and 
who1 from her age and long practice1 is 
almost constitutionally a hypocrite1    
appears in public the most meek1 the    
most bland1 the most courteous1 and the 
most humble ,christian4  ,she is        
peculiarly attentive to those who have  
any money in their own right3 she tells 
them they are beautiful1 fascinating1   
that they look like angels1 that this   
world is not a fit residence for them1  
that they are too good for it1 that they
 ought to become nuns1 in order to fit  
them for a higher and better station in 
heaven4 ,nothing more is necessary than 
to become a ,roman ,catholic and go to  
confession4 ,such is the apparent       

happiness1 cheerfulness1 and unalloyed  
beatitudes of the nuns1 that strangers  
are pleased with them4 ,they invariably 
make a favorable impression on the minds
 of their visitors4 ,the inference is   
that they must be truly pious and really
 virtuous4  ,i had recently the honor of
 a conversation with a lady1 who is     
herself one of the most accomplished and
 elegant women in the country1 and who a
 few weeks previously had paid a visit  
to the ,roman ,catholic nunnery         
at--------1 ,d4 ,c4 ,she spoke of the   
institution in the highest terms of     
commendation and was struck with the    
seeming content and cheerfulness of the 
lady managers1 and could scarcely see   
why it was not a good place for the     
education of young ladies2 but ,i will  
venture the assertion1 that had this    
interesting lady known1 as ,i do1 the   
heartlessness with which crime was      
committed within its walls1 she would   
fly from it1 as from a den of thieves1  
or a city of plague4 ,a peculiar        

coldness1 a heartlessness not to be     
found elsewhere1 nor under other        
circumstances1 exists in ,jesuit        
convents1 to which order that           
of---------belongs4 ,nothing like it can
 be traced out in the records of the    
world's doings4 ,and had ,i the talent  
to point it out1--could ,i fix it in a  
position1 so as to stand out solitary   
and alone in its naked deformity1 before
 heaven and before men1--instead of     
meriting the commendation of the        
accomplished mothers and daughters of   
our land1 they would soon be left       
without support1 and crumble to dust    
amid the brutalities which their silent 
walls alone have witnessed1 and would   
proclaim to the world1 had not the      
inanimate materials of which they are   
composed forbidden it4  ,when crimes are
 committed in open day1 there is some   
palliation for them2 but when committed 
in the dark1 and in recesses ostensibly 
dedicated to virtue1 they are marked    
with an atrocity1 which ,god1 or man1 or

 woman cannot witness without shudders  
of horror4 ,such are those committed in 
,jesuit nunneries1 and by those very    
,jesuit nuns who appear so happy1 and so
 chaste1 not only in the nunnery        
in--------1 but in every nunnery        
throughout the world4  ,this it will be 
said1 and has often been said1 even by  
,christian mothers and ,christian       
daughters1 cannot be4 ,they suppose that
 a sinner can never be happy1 or even   
appear so4 ,how little these people know
 of human nature6 ,how perfectly        
unacquainted they are with the power of 
discipline1 or force of education6 ,yet 
it would seem as if they should know    
better than to conclude hastily1 that   
because nuns are cheerful and happy in  
appearance1 they must be also chaste and
 virtuous4 ,many ol our ,american ladies
 have been in the ,east2 some of them   
have been in ,constantinople4 ,i believe
 that one or two have visited the harem 
of the ,emperor of ,constantinople1 and 
might have seen there numbers of ladies1

 accomplished in their own way1 covered 
with crime and sin1 yet cheerful and    
apparently happy4 ,but show me the      
,christian lady1 who ever witnessed     
this1 that will not weep at the bare    
mention of the fact1 that will not sigh 
for the conversion of the ,turk and     
,mahomedan1 who will not mourn the fate 
of her sisters--for sisters they are of 
the same family--thus degraded and still
 content3--all the result of            
circumstances1 education and want of    
pure religion4  ,but these sympathizers 
with ,turks1 ,mahomedans and ,pagans    
have not a tear to spare for their      
sisters of the ,united ,states4 ,not a  
sigh escapes them for their relief4 ,not
 a dollar can they give to remove from  
our land that accursed thing1           
,popery--the primary and sole cause of  
all those evils4 ,on the contrary1 if   
,jesuits want to build a nunnery1 the   
husband has no peace from his wife1 the 
father from the daughter1 the brother   
from the sister1 the lover from his     

betrothed1 until they make up money to  
build a nunnery for the poor nuns4      
,well1 indeed1 may ,i apply to such     
individuals the language of the ,jesuit 
,rodin1 in the ,wandering ,jew3--,fools1
 dolts1 double dolts4 ,but ,rodin was   
wrong4 ,he was entirely premature in the
 use of these expressions2 and ,i am not
 at all pleased with his depriving me of
 the opportunity of being first to apply
 those sweet-sounding terms to ,american
 ,protestants1--a people who have done1 
and are still doing1 more to merit them1
 than any other of the past or present  
age4  ,i find1 though ,i have not the   
merit of intending it1 that ,i am       
strictly performing my promise to my    
readers1 viz41 that ,i will go entirely 
upon my own hook1 pay no attention to   
order1 style1 or to what critics may    
say1 but give them my ideas at random of
 things and facts1 just as ,i saw them1 
and precisely as they struck me at the  
time4 ,this1 ,i must confess1 is rather 
a ,tristramshandish mode of writing1    

particularly to ,americans1 who are a   
most precise1 systematic and business   
people2 but it is a free country1 and1  
as the poet said1 ,cur ego invidior si  
pauca querere possim c4  ,but to return 
to the causes which induced me to leave 
the ,romish church4  ,the young lady of 
whom ,i have spoken in a previous page1 
was sent to school1 as ,i have stated1  
to a ,popish nunnery4 ,she was a        
,protestant when she entered2 so are    
many young ladies in this country when  
they enter similar schools4 ,the nuns   
immediately set about her conversion4   
,the process by which such things are   
done is sometimes slow1 but always sure4
 ,it is often tedious1 but never fails2 
though the knowledge ,european          
,protestants have of such institutions1 
renders the process of conversion more  
tedious than in this land of freedom and
 ,popish humbuggery4 ,the work of her   
conversion proceeded with the usual     
success1 until she finally joined the   
,romish church4 ,the next step1 in such 

cases1 is to choose a confessor4 ,this  
is done for the young convert by the    
mother abbess of the nuns2 and now      
commences the ruin of the soul and the  
body of the hitherto guileless1         
guiltless scholar1 and convert from     
,protestant heresy4 ,she goes to        
confession2 and recollect1 ,american    
reader1 that what ,i here state is      
,mutata fabula de te ipso narratur4     
,every word of what ,i am about to state
 is applicable to you4 ,this confession 
is1 literally speaking1 nothing but a   
systematic preparation for her ruin4 ,it
 is said that there is1 among the       
creeping things of this earth1 a certain
 noxious and destructive animal1 called 
,anaconda4 ,it is recorded of this      
animal1 foul1 filthy and ugly as he is1 
that when he is hungry1 and seizes upon 
an object which he desires to destroy   
and subsequently devour1 he takes it    
with him carefully to his den1 or place 
of retreat4 ,there1 at his ease1 unseen 
and alone with his prey1 he is said to  

cover it over with slime1 and then and  
there swallow it4 ,i now declare1 most  
solemnly and sincerely1 that after      
living twenty-five years in full        
communion with the ,roman ,catholic     
church1 and officiating as a ,romish    
priest1 hearing confessions1 and        
confessing myself1 ,i know not another  
reptile in all animal nature so filthy1 
so much to be shunned1 and loathed1 and 
dreaded by females1 both married and    
single1 as a ,roman ,catholic priest1 or
 bishop1 who practises the degrading and
 demoralizing office of auricular       
confession4  ,let me give ,american     
,protestant mothers just a twilight     
glance at the questions which a ,romish 
priest puts to those females1 who go to 
confession to him1 and they will bear in
 mind that there is no poetry in what ,i
 say4 ,it contains no undulations of a  
roving fancy2 there is nothing dreaming1
 nothing imaginative about it2 it is    
only a part of a drama in which ,i have 
acted myself4 ,i may truly say of all   

that occurs in ,popish confession1      
,quorum magna pars fui4  ,illustration3 
,a young lady confessing to a priest    
p#bfe  ,the following is as fair a      
sketch as ,i can1 with due regard to    
decency1 give of the questions which a  
,romish priest puts to a young female1  
who goes to confession to him4 ,it is1  
however1 but a very brief synopsis4 ,but
 first let the reader figure to himself1
 or herself1 a young lady1 between the  
age of from twelve to twenty1 on her    
knees1 with her lips nearly close       
pressed to the cheeks of the priest1    
who1 in all probability1 is not over    
twenty-five or thirty years old--for    
here it is worthy of remark1 that these 
young priests are extremely zealous in  
the discharge of their sacerdotal       
duties1 especially in hearing           
confessions1 which all ,roman ,catholics
 are bound to make under pain of eternal
 damnation4 ,when priest and penitent   
are placed in the above attitude1 let us
 suppose the following conversation     

taking place between them1 and unless my
 readers are more dull of apprehension  
than ,i am willing to believe1 they will
 have some idea of the beauties of      
,popery4  ,confessor4 ,what sins have   
you committed8  ,penitent4 ,i don't know
 any1 sir4  ,con4 ,are you sure you did 
nothing wrong8 ,examine yourself well   
,pen4 ,yes2 ,i do recollect that ,i did 
wrong ,i made faces at school at ,lucy  
,a4  ,con4 ,nothing else8  ,pen4 ,yes2  
,i told mother that ,i hated ,lucy ,a4  
and that she was an ugly thing4  ,con4  
7,scarcely able to suppress a smile in  
finding the girl perfectly innocent7    
,have you had any immodest thoughts8    
,pen4 ,what is that1 sir8  ,con4 ,have  
you not been thinking about men8  ,pen4 
,why1 yes1 sir4  ,con4 ,are you fond of 
any of them8  ,pen4 ,why1 yes2 ,i like  
cousin ,a4 or ,r4 greatly4  ,con4 ,did  
you ever like to sleep with him8  ,pen4 
,oh1 no4  ,con4 ,how long did these     
thoughts about men continue8  ,pen4 ,not
 very long4  ,con4 ,had you these       

thoughts by day1 or by night8  ,pen4    
,by----66666  ,in this strain does this 
reptile confessor proceed till his now  
half-gained prey is filled with ideas   
and thoughts1 to which she has been     
hitherto a stranger4 ,he tells her that 
she must come to-morrow again4 ,she     
accordingly comes1 and he gives another 
twist to the screw1 which he has now    
firmly fixed upon the soul and body of  
his penitent4 ,day after day1 week after
 week1 and month after month does this  
hapless girl come to confession1 until  
this wretch has worked up her passions  
to a tension almost snapping1 and then  
becomes his easy prey4 ,i cannot as ,i  
before stated1 detail the whole process 
by which a ,romish confessor debauches  
his victims in the confessional1 but if 
curiosity1 or any other motive creates  
in the public mind a desire to know all 
the particulars about it1 ,i refer them 
to ,antoine's ,moral ,theology1 which ,i
 have read in the college of ,maynooth1 
or to ,den's treatise1 ,de ,peccatis    

which ,i have read in the same college1 
and in the same class with some of the  
,romish priests now in this country1    
hearing confessions perhaps at the      
moment ,i write1 and debauching their   
penitents1 aye even in ,new ,england1   
the land of the pilgrims6 ,in those     
books ,i have mentioned1 they will find 
the obscene questions which are put by  
priests and bishops of the ,romish      
church1 to all women1 young and old1    
married or single2 and if any married   
man1 or father1 or brother1 will1 after 
the perusal of these questions1 allow   
his wife1 his daughter1 or his sister1  
ever again to go to confession1 ,i will 
only say that his ideas of morality are 
more vague and loose than those of the  
heathen or the ,turk4 ,christian he     
should not be called1 who permits these 
deeds in our midst4 ,i beg here to lay  
before my readers an extract from a     
work1 recently published in ,paris1     
entitled1 ,auricular ,confession and    
,direction4 ,the work is written by ,m4 

,michelet1 one of the most distinguished
 writers in ,france4 ,it has been       
noticed in the last number of the       
,foreign ,quarterly ,review1 and in that
 admirably conducted press1 the ,boston 
,courier4  ,the following is given as   
the mysterious opening of the book366666
  ,the family is in question2  ',that   
home where we would all fain repose1    
alter so many useless efforts1 so many  
illusions destroyed4  ',we return home  
very wearied--do we find repose there8  
',we must not dissimulate--we must      
frankly confess to ourselves the real   
state of things4 ,there exists in the   
bosom of society--in the family         
circle--a serious dissension1 nay1 the  
most serious of all dissensions4  ',we  
may talk with our mothers1 our wives or 
our daughters1 on all those matters     
about which we talk with our            
acquaintances3 on business1 on the news 
of the day1 but not at all on matters   
nearest the heart1 on religion1 on ,god1
 on the soul4  ',take the instant when  

you would fain find yourself united with
 your family in one common feeling1 in  
the repose of the evening1 round the    
family table2 there1 in your home1 at   
your own hearth1 venture to utter a word
 on these matters2 your mother sadly    
shakes her head1 your wife contradicts  
you1 your daughter1 although silent1    
disapproves4 ,they are on one side of   
the table1 you on the other1 alone4     
',it would seem as if in the midst of   
them1 opposite to you1 sat an invisible 
man to contradict what you say4'  ,the  
invisible enemy here spoken of1 is the  
priest4 ,the reviewer proceeds66666     
',the priest1 as confessor1 possesses   
the secret of a woman's soul2 he knows  
every half-formed hope1 every dim       
desire1 every thwarted feeling4 ,the    
priest1 as spiritual director1 animates 
that woman with his own ideas1 moves her
 with his own will1 fashions her        
according to his own fancy4 ,and this   
priest is doomed to celibacy4 ,he is a  
man1 but is bound to pluck from his     

heart the feelings of a man4 ,if he is  
without faith1 he makes desperate use of
 his power over those confiding in him4 
,if he is sincerely devout1 he has to   
struggle with his passions1 and there is
 a perilous chance of his being defeated
 in that struggle4 ,and even should he  
come off victorious1 still the mischief 
done is incalculable and irreparable4   
,the woman's virtue has been preserved  
by an accident1 by a power extraneous to
 herself4 ,she was wax in her spiritual 
director's hands2 she has ceased to be a
 person1 and is become a thing4'  ,there
 is something diabolical in the         
institution of celibacy accompanying    
confession4 ,paul ,louis ,courrier has  
painted a fearful picture of the        
priest's position as an unmarried       
confessor2 and as ,courrier's works are 
far less read than they deserve to be1  
we make no scruple of transferring his  
powerful sentences to our pages4  ',what
 a life1 what a condition is that of our
 priests'8 ,love is forbidden them1     

marriage especially2 women are given up 
to them4 ,they may not have one of their
 own1 and yet live familiarly with all1 
nay1 in the confidential1 intimate      
privity of their hidden actions1 of all 
their thoughts4 ,an innocent girl first 
hears the priest under her mother's     
wing2 he then calls her to him1 speaks  
alone with her1 and is the first to talk
 of sin to her1 before she can have     
known it4 ,when instructed1 she marries2
 when married1 he still confesses and   
governs her4 ,he has preceded the       
husband in her affections1 and will     
always maintain himself in them4 ,what  
she would not venture to confide to her 
mother1 or confess to her husband1 he1 a
 priest1 must know it1 asks it1 hears   
it1 and yet shall not be her lover4 ,how
 could he1 indeed8 is he not tonsured8  
,he hears whispered in his ear1 by a    
young woman1 her faults1 passions1      
desires1 weaknesses1 receives her sighs 
without feeling agitated1 and he is     
five-and-twenty6  ',to confess a woman6 

imagine what that is4 ,at the end of the
 church a species of closet or          
sentry-box is erected against the wall1 
where the priest awaits in the evening1 
after vespers1 his young penitent whom  
he loves1 and who knows it2 love cannot 
be concealed from the beloved person4   
,you will stop me there3 his character  
of priest1 his education1 his vow4444 ,i
 reply that there is no vow which holds 
good1 that every village cure just come 
from the seminary1 healthy1 robust1 and 
vigorous1 doubtless loves one of his    
parishioners4 ,it cannot be otherwise2  
and if you contest this1 ,i will say    
more still1 and that is1 that he loves  
them all1 those at least of his own age2
 out he prefers one1 who appears to him1
 if not more beautiful than the others1 
more modest and wiser1 and whom he would
 marry2 he would make her a virtuous1   
pious wife1 if it were not for the      
,pope4 ,he sees her daily1 and meets her
 at church or elsewhere1 and sitting    
opposite her in the winter evenings1 he 

imbibes1 imprudent man6 the poison of   
her eyes6  ',now1 ,i ask you1 when he   
hears that one coming the next day1 and 
approaching the confessional1 and when  
he recognizes her footsteps1 and can    
say1 ',it is she2' what is passing in   
the mind of the poor confessor8         
,honesty1 duty1 wise resolutions1 are   
here of little use1 without peculiarly  
heavenly grace4 ,i will suppose him a   
saint3 unable to fly1 he apparently     
groans1 sighs1 recommends himself to    
,god2 but if he is only a man1 he       
shudders1 desires1 and already          
unwillingly1 without knowing it1        
perhaps1 he hopes4 ,she arrives1 kneels 
down at his knees1 before him whose     
heart leaps and palpitates4 ,you are    
young1 sir1 or you have been so2 between
 ourselves1 what do you think of such a 
situation8 ,alone most of the time1 and 
having these walls1 these vaulted roofs1
 as sole witnesses1 they talk2 of what8 
alas6 of all that is not innocent ,they 
talk1 or rather murmur1 in low voice1   

and their lips approach each other1 and 
their breaths mingle4 ,this lasts for an
 hour or more1 and is often renewed4    
',do not think ,i invent4 ,this scene   
takes place such as ,i describe it2 is  
renewed daily by forty thousand young   
priests1 with as many young girls whom  
they love1 because they are men1 whom   
they confess in this manner1 entirely   
tete-a-tete1 and visit1 because they are
 priests1 and whom they do not marry1   
because the ,pope is opposed to it4'    
9999999999  ,the priest has the         
spiritual care of her he loves2 her soul
 is in his hands4 ,he is connected with 
her by the most sacred ties2 his        
interest in her he disguises to himself 
under the cloak of spiritual anxiety4   
,he can always quiet the voice of       
conscience by an equivoque4 ,the mystic 
language of love is also the mystic     
language of religion1 and what guilt is 
shrouded under this equivoque1 the      
history of priestcraft may show4 ,parler
 l'amour c'est faire l'amour1 is a      

profound truth4 ,from the love of ,god1 
it is easy to descend to the love of    
man2 especially when this man is a      
priest1 that is to say1 a mediator      
between the woman and ,god1 one who     
says1 ',god hears you through me2       
through me he will reply4' ,this man    
whom she has seen at the altar1 and     
there invested with all the sacred robes
 and sacred associations of his office2 
whom she has visited in the             
confessional1 and there laid bare her   
soul to him2 whose visits she has       
received in her boudoir1 and there      
submitted to his direction2 this man1   
whom she worships1 is supposed to be an 
idea1 a priest2 no one supposing him to 
be a man1 with a man's passions6  ,m4   
,michelet's book contains the proofs of 
what ,i have just said2 but they are too
 numerous to quote4 ,i shall only borrow
 from his work the passages he gives    
from an unexceptionable authority1      
,llorente4  ',llorente1 a contemporary1 
relates 7t4 hi41 ch4 #bh4 article #b1   

ed4 #ahag7 that when he was secretary to
 the ,inquisition1 a capuchin was       
brought before that tribunal1 who       
directed a community of beguines1 and   
had seduced nearly all of them1 by      
persuading them that they were not      
leaving the road to perfection4 ,he told
 each of them in the confessional that  
he had received from ,god a singular    
favor3 ,our ,lord1 he said1 has deigned 
to show himself to me in the ,sacrament1
 and has said to me1 ,almost all the    
souls that thou dost direct here are    
pleasing to me1 but especially such a   
one1 7the capuchin named her to whom he 
spoke47 ,she is already so perfect1 that
 she has conquered every passion1 except
 carnal desire1 which torments her very 
much4 ,therefore1 wishing virtue to have
 its reward1 and that she should serve  
me tranquilly1 ,i charge thee to give   
her a dispensation1 but only to be made 
use of with thee2 she need speak of it  
to no confessor2 that would be useless1 
as with such a dispensation she cannot  

sin4 ,out of seventeen beguines1 of     
which the community was composed1 the   
intrepid capuchin gave the dispensation 
to thirteen1 who were discreet for some 
length of time2 one of them1 however1   
fell ill1 expected to die1 and          
discovered everything1 declaring that   
she had never been able to believe in   
the dispensation1 but that she had      
profited by it4  ',i remember1' said    
,llorente1 'having said to him3 ,but1   
father1 is it not astonishing that this 
singular virtue should have belonged    
exactly to the thirteen young and       
handsome ones1 and not at all to the    
other four1 who were ugly or old8 ,he   
coolly replied1 ,the ,holy ,spirit      
inspires where it listeth4  ',the same  
author1 in the same chapter1 while      
reproaching the ,protestants with having
 exaggerated the corruption of          
confessors1 avows that1 ,in the         
sixteenth century1 the ,inquisition had 
imposed on women the obligation of      
denouncing guilty confessors1 but the   

denunciations were so numerous1 that the
 penitents were declared dispensed from 
denouncing4'  ,i should not have laid   
the above extract before the public1    
were ,i not well aware that such is the 
extraordinary infatuation of ,americans 
on the subject of ,popery and           
confession1 that they may suspect my    
statements of exaggeration4 ,this alone 
could induce me to give more than my own
 assertion for the truth of my          
statements1 as no writer upon ,popery   
knows more1 or can relate more of       
,auricular ,confession and ,direction1  
than ,i can myself1 of my own knowledge1
 and from my own personal experience4 ,i
 shall not1 however1 ask ,american      
,protestants to take my naked word for  
anything which ,i may say on ,popery4 ,i
 shall substantiate all ,i assert by    
proofs from history4  ,the title of     
,christian land should not be given to  
this country1 nor to any country1 which 
legalizes institutions where deeds of   
darkness are sanctioned1 and the foul   

debauchers of our youth1 of our wives   
and our sisters1 find a shelter4  ,shall
 the cowl shelter the adulterous monk in
 this land of freedom8 ,are the sons of 
freemen required to countenance1 nay1   
asked to build impassable walls around a
 licentious1 lecherous1 profligate horde
 of foreign monks and priests1 who      
choose to come among us1 and erect      
little fortifications1 which they call  
nunneries1 for their protection8 ,shall 
they own by law and by charter places   
where to bury1 hidden from the public   
eye1 the victims of their lust1 and the 
murdered offspring of their             
concupiscence8 ,beware1 ,americans6     
,there are bounds1 beyond which sinners 
cannot go4 ,bear in mind the fact that  
the same ,god who can limit the sphere  
of an individual's crimes1 can also     
limit those of a nation4 ,you have      
flourished4 ,take heed lest you begin to
 decay before you come to full maturity2
 and ,i regret to say1 that symptoms of 
this are now apparent4 ,already can ,i  

see the hectic flush of moral           
consumption upon the fair face of       
,america4 ,already can ,i see a demon   
bird of ill omen plunging its poisoned  
beak into the very vitals of your       
national existence1 stopping here1 and  
stopping there only to dip his wings in 
the life streams of your national       
existence1 with the sole view of giving 
its spread more momentum1 until it      
encompasses the whole length and        
breadth1 centre and circumference of    
your country4  ,infidelity is now fast  
careering and sporting over the whole   
face of our land1 and if history has not
 deceived us1 and our own personal      
experience has not been vain1 it never  
moves1 it never travels1 it never       
exists1 unaccompanied by political as   
well as moral death4 ,look at ancient   
,rome1 how it fell in its pride6 ,look  
at ,france--how often it has tottered   
and stumbled in its beauty6 ,look at    
,england at the present moment1--see how
 she trembles even in her strength4     

,think you that all these things were   
brought about by the causes to which the
 world would attribute them8 ,what      
signifies the ,texas question in the    
sight of ,god8 ,what the ,oregon        
difficulties8 what the trade with       
,china8 what the repeal brawlings8 ,such
 things would have happened if our      
mother's cat had but kittened1 and we   
ourselves had ne'er been born4  ,the    
decay of nations1 the fall of thrones1  
are brought about by infidelity1 by     
national insults to the ,god of nations1
 by the sins of the people against the  
,king of glory2 and how can this        
country1 deeply steeped as it is1 and   
darkly stained as it is1 with the crime 
of aiding ,popery1 idolatry1 and        
auricular confession2 how can it expect1
 ,i repeat the words1 that the moral    
breezes of heaven should breathe upon   
her1 and restore to her again that      
strong and healthy constitution1 which  
her ancestors have left to her sons8    
,no1 no4 ,it cannot be4 ,you must1 as   

the lawyers would say1 stand rectus in  
curia1 before your ,god4 ,withdraw your 
countenance and your support from       
,popery4 ,touch not the unclean thing4  
,then1 and not until then1 can you raise
 clean hands and pure hearts to the     
throne of ,god1 and ask for a blessing  
upon the ,united ,states and its        
territories4  ,but it may be replied1   
all you say of ,popery in the old       
countries may be true1 but it is a      
different thing altogether in the       
,united ,states4 ,this is a great error 
on the part of ,americans1 and ,i feel  
it my duty to correct it if possible4 ,i
 am not surprised that1 ,americans      
should entertain ideas of this kind4 ,i 
was once partly of that opinion myself1 
and1 as ,i stated in a former page1 ,i  
determined to visit this new and free   
country1 in the hope--alas6 it was a    
vain one--of finding true religion1 and 
purity of life1 even in the ,roman      
,catholic church4 ,i remember well1     
having consulted a friend on the        

propriety of such a course1 he strongly 
dissuaded me from it1 assuring me that  
,i would find ,popery here essentially  
the same that it was in ,europe1 with   
this difference only1 that the crimes   
and private lives of priests and bishops
 were more grossly immoral1 and1 though 
indirectly1 more effectually sanctioned 
by the laws of the land4 ,this1 however1
 did not satisfy me1 and accordingly1   
having received from my then            
ecclesiastical superior1 what in church 
parlance is called an ,exeat1 7the      
document is in my possession1 if any one
 wishes to see it17 or1 as ,american    
theologians would term it1 a regular    
dismission from the church where ,i     
officiated1 ,i arrived in ,new ,york1 in
 ,nov41 #ah----4 ,but the reader may    
well judge of my disappointment1 when ,i
 found1 on my arrival there1 not        
altogether such ,romish priests and     
bishops as ,i had left behind me1--for  
many of them were gentlemen by birth1   
and paid some regard to public decency1 

even in their profligacies2 but a set of
 coarse1 vulgar1 half educated1 ,i may  
say1 half civilized1 ,irish and ,french 
brutes1 most of whom might be seen daily
 lolling in grog-shops1 and             
electioneering among the lowest dregs of
 society4 ,i have met but one exception 
to this1 and that was the ,reverend ,wm4
 ,taylor1 who was then in ,new ,york4   
,having stated to ,taylor my object in  
coming over1 ,i shall never forget the  
sad and sorrowful smile which but dimly 
lit up his naturally kind and cheerful  
countenance4 ,my friend1 said he1 all   
your hopes in coming to this country    
will be disappointed4 ,you must not stay
 in this city4 ,go into the country4 ,go
 to ,albany2 you may there see less of  
those scenes from which you have fled2  
and as ,i perceive your introductions   
from ,europe to ,de ,witt ,clinton1 are 
numerous and of the best kind1 you will 
find much pleasure in the society of    
that excellent gentleman1 and make up   
your mind either to leave this country1 

or to retire from the ,romish church    
altogether4 ,the latter ,i will do      
myself1 but not without an effort to    
correct the abuses of ,popery4 ,this    
effort he has made1 as ,i have stated in
 my ,synopsis of ,popery1 as it was and 
as it is2 but he lacked moral as well as
 physical courage to carry it through4  
,i lost no time in retiring to ,albany4 
,the legislature of the ,state of ,new  
,york was then commencing its annual    
session1 and though an entire stranger1 
so high were my testimonials1 both from 
the ,romish bishops1 as a priest1 and   
from private individuals1 as a man of   
honor and correct deportment1 that ,i   
was unanimously elected chaplain to the 
legislature1 without any application on 
my part for such an appointment4 ,i will
 not allude to the flattering attentions
 which were paid to me by the people of 
,albany1 during my residence among them1
 which was only about six months4 ,the  
public presses in that city1 while ,i   
was there1 bear witness to the fact4    

,even the ,roman ,catholics1 some of    
whom were native ,americans1 left       
nothing undone to render me happy4 ,my  
salary was more than ,i desired1 and    
more than ,i wanted of them4 ,as a body1
 ,i have no complaint to make against   
them1 so far as money was concerned4    
,why then1 it will be said1 did you     
leave them8 ,this too is a sad tale4    
,but1 as some of them are now living1   
justice even to them demands that ,i    
should state the cause which forced me  
to leave them4  ,the ,roman ,catholics  
of ,albany had1 during about two years  
previous to my arrival among them1 three
 ,irish priests alternately with them1  
occasionally preaching1 but always      
hearing confessions4 ,i know the names  
of these men2 one of them is dead1 the  
other two living1 and now in full       
communion in the ,roman church1 still   
saying mass and hearing confessions4 ,as
 soon as ,i got settled in ,albany1 ,i  
had of course to attend to the duty of  
auricular confession1 and in less than  

two months found that those three       
priests1 during the time they were      
there1 were the fathers of between sixty
 and one hundred children1 besides      
having debauched many who had left the  
place previous to their confinement4    
,many of these children were by married 
women1 who were among the most zealous  
supporters of those vagabond priests1   
and whose brothers and relatives were   
ready to wade1 if necessary1 knee deep  
in blood for the holy1 immaculate       
infallible church of ,rome4 ,there is a 
circumstance connected with this1 that  
renders the conduct of these priests    
almost frightfully atrocious4 ,there are
 in many of the ,roman ,catholic        
churches1 things1 as ,michelet properly 
calls them1 like sentry-boxes1 called   
confessionals4 ,these are generally     
situated in the body of the church1 and 
priests hear confessions in them1 though
 the priest and lady penitent are only  
separated by a sliding board1 which can 
be moved in any direction the confessor 

pleases1 leaving him and the penitent   
ear to ear1 breath to breath1 eye to    
eye1 and lip to lip1 if he pleases4     
,there were none of these in the ,romish
 church of ,albany1 and those priests   
had to hear confessions in the sacristy 
of the church4 ,this is a small room    
back of the altar1 in which the         
,eucharist1 containing1 according to the
 ,romish belief1 the real body and blood
 of ,jesus ,christ1 is kept1 while mass 
is not celebrating in the chapel4 ,this 
room is always fastened by a lock and   
key of the best workmanship1 and the key
 kept by the priest day and night4 ,this
 sacristy1 containing the wafer1 which  
the priests blasphemously adore1 was    
used by them as a place to hear         
confessions1 and here they committed    
habitually those acts of immorality and 
crime of which ,i have spoken4  ,these  
details must be unpleasant to the       
reader2 but not more so than they are to
 me4 ,i see not1 however1 any other mode
 in which ,i can give ,americans        

anything like a correct idea of that    
state of society which must be expected 
in this country1 should the period ever 
arrive when ,popery and ,popish priests 
shall be in the ascendant4 ,there are   
portions of ,europe1 and of ,south      
,america1 where parents well know that  
the children1 who take their name1 whom 
they are obliged to support1 are only   
their legalized1 but not their          
legitimate offspring2 but so entirely   
brutalized are their feelings and       
notions of morality by the predominance 
of ,popery among them1 that these things
 are considered matters of little       
moment4 ,i saw an instance of this very 
recently at a place called ,hailappa1 in
 ,mexico4 ,i met there a gentleman1 a   
man of wealth1 some distinction1 and one
 who had travelled a good deal4 ,knowing
 that ,i intended leaving the place next
 day1 he said he would introduce me to  
two ,dominican friars1 who were going to
 ,vera ,cruz1 and were to travel in the 
same stage with me4 ,in the course of   

conversation ,i observed to him1 that   
the reputation of ,dominican friars and 
,jesuits for morality1 was not good in  
some parts of ,europe which ,i had      
visited1 and ,i wished very much to know
 how it stood in ,mexico4 ,he frankly   
replied1 in very good ,latin1--a        
language more familiar to me than the   
,spanish1 or perhaps any other1--they   
are not considered as a body very moral 
men in ,mexico1 but these reverend      
gentlemen to whom ,i will introduce you1
 bear a high character for morality4    
,they do not trouble their neighbors'   
wives and daughters2 they have for years
 kept their female friends1 and provided
 for their children4 ,are they married1 
sir8 said ,i2 though ,i of course knew  
the reverse from the fact of their being
 priests4 ,oh no1 sir1 replied my       
,mexican acquaintance2 our holy church  
does not allow that1 but they are chaste
 men4 ,what do you mean by chastity8    
said ,i4 ,living an unmarried life1     
answered he promptly4 ,in the course of 

that evening1 ,i met with a respectable 
,american citizen1 a native of ,new     
,jersey2 ,i asked him whether he knew   
these priests1 naming them4 ,he told me 
he did2 that one of them kept three     
sisters1 the eldest not over twenty-five
 years old1 and that he had children by 
each of them1 but was still reputed a   
good priest1 and was1 as far as he could
 discover1 one of the best of them4 ,the
 next day ,i obtained an introduction to
 these worthies1 and travelled with them
 to ,vera ,cruz4 ,they were dressed in  
their appropriate garb of sanctity1 the 
crown of their heads being shaved close1
 and bearing marks of sanctimoniousness4
 ,it is well known that in the city of  
,mexico1 and throughout that sham       
republic1 ,romish priests live          
habitually and publicly with the mother 
and daughter at the same time4  ,these  
are the men1 and their code of moral law
 is that which ,americans are fostering 
and encouraging1 by contributing their  
money to the building of convents and   

,romish chapels throughout the ,united  
,states4  ,previous to my leaving       
,albany1 many overtures were made to me 
by ,roman ,catholics to continue among  
them2 but ,i peremptorily declined4 ,the
 reader may well imagine the awkwardness
 of my position1 and state of my        
feelings on this occasion4 ,i could give
 the people no reason for my leaving    
them2 my lips were sealed1 my hands were
 bound1 my voice was silent4 ,i saw many
 worthy families on the brink of ruin1  
and ,i could not put forth a hand to    
save them4 ,i saw their children almost 
in the jaws of the lion1 but ,i dared   
not warn them of their danger4 ,i saw   
their foes1 in the garb of friends and  
moral guides1 leading them into the     
recesses of guilt and crime1 and ,i     
dared not utter a warning cry4 ,i knew  
all in the confessional1 and of course  
,i was silent4 ,the only resource left  
me was to leave these scenes1 where the 
occurrences which ,i have stated had    
taken place2 and ,i accordingly decided 

to make another trial of ,popery1 by    
proceeding on to ,philadelphia1 a city  
which1 at that time1 was preeminently   
distinguished for the virtues and       
morality of its people4  ,i expected    
that in a community so remarkably       
distinguished for the observance of all 
law1 human and divine1 as the city of   
,penn was1 that even ,papist priests and
 ,jesuits might1 at least1 observe the  
externals of correct deportment2 and1   
full of better hopes and brighter       
prospects1 ,i hastened among them1 and  
was received with a cordiality and      
hospitality truly flattering4           
,fortunately for this people1 they had  
no bishop for some time previous to my  
arrival4 ,the diocese was under the     
superintendence of a ,vicar-general1 a  
,jesuit1 ,i think from ,switzerland1    
named ,de ,barth4 ,this reverend        
gentleman had been settled in the       
interior of the ,state2 and having there
 a housekeeper and some nieces1 to whom 
he was attached1 he visited the city of 

,philadelphia but seldom2 owing to this 
circumstance1 and to the fact that three
 or four friars and one ,irish curate1  
who was in the city1 had their own way  
in everything1 the ,popish congregation 
was comparatively quiet4 ,american      
,protestants knew nothing of their      
private lives1 knew nothing of the plans
 and schemes which they were laying to  
entrap their children1 by suppressing   
the reading of the ,bible1 to perpetuate
 amongst them the seeds of moral death4 
,here1 at least1 ,i expected to find    
,popery as ,i fancied it before ,i was  
ordained a priest4 ,notwithstanding what
 ,i had witnessed immediately after my  
ordination in ,europe2 and though the   
death-knell1 which announced the        
departure to the grave of a young and   
virtuous friend1 had scarcely ceased to 
reverberate in my ears2 though the      
knowledge that a human soul was launched
 into eternity by ,jesuit lust and      
poison1 and that within the walls of a  
nunnery1 was yet fresh in my mind2      

though all that occurred in ,albany1    
under my own eye1 and witnessed by the  
testimony of my own senses1 the one     
twentieth of which ,i have not even     
alluded to2 ,i still expected that ,i   
might find ,popery what my early        
education represented to me1 or1 at     
least1 that ,i might contribute to      
render it so1 in this free country1 by  
casting to the winds the legends and    
silly traditions of the ,romish holy    
fathers1 and substituting in their place
 the ,word of ,god4  ,i little thought  
that there lived a ,romish priest or    
bishop1 who1 in a land of free thought  
and noble deeds1 such as this was then1 
would dare prohibit the circulation of  
the ,word of ,god4 ,i little dreamed    
that the first opposition ,i should meet
 in my efforts to circulate the ,bible  
should be in ,philadelphia4 ,who could  
even fancy that ,papists were so devoid 
of prudence1 or so utterly reckless of  
consequences1 as to proclaim1 in the    
city of ,penn1 we will have no ,bible8  

,though ,i knew well that ,popery boasts
 of being always the same1 that it never
 changes1 ,i also knew that the         
infallible church always yielded to     
expediency2 and ,i thought1 as a matter 
of course1 that ,americans were too     
courageous1 and too virtuous a people1  
to permit ,papists to proceed so far1 at
 that early period of ,american history1
 as to close up the fountain and the    
source even of their political existence
 as a nation1 and consequently that ,i  
should meet with no opposition from     
,papists in any effort which might bear 
upon the face of it any evidence of my  
intention to advance the cause of       
morals4 ,but ,i was mistaken4 ,americans
 were not then free4 ,they are1 not free
 now4 ,they had1 it is true1 shaken off 
the yoke of foreign dominion1 but even  
then they were tamely harnessing        
themselves in stronger chains to a      
heavier yoke2 even then they were       
passively submitting to the dictation of
 ,rome1 and to the insolent bravado of  

,irish priests and bishops4 ,i repeat   
it2 they were not free then4 ,they made 
their country free1 as we are told by   
history1 but it was not for themselves  
they made it free4 ,it was done for     
foreigners2 it was done for ,papists1   
for ,jesuits1 for ,dominicans1 and their
 courtesans1 ,popish nuns4 ,the day is  
not far distant1--,i may not live to see
 it1 nor do ,i desire to witness        
it1--when some historian may well apply 
to ,americans that sentence in ,virgil1 
which that beautiful pastoral poet      
applied to the yoked oxen3 ,sic vos non 
vobis jujum feratis boves ,well indeed  
may this be applied to ,americans2 they 
have borne the yoke1 they have toiled   
with it upon their necks in cultivating 
their fair fields of freedom1 but1 like 
the poet's oxen1 the crop is not theirs4
 ,it belongs to foreign ,papists and    
their lord1 the ,pope1 ,king of ,rome4  
,nor should ,i be in the least          
surprised1 if1 in less than thirty      
years1 that thing called the ,host1 made

 of flour and water1 and converted1 by  
the mumbling of a few ,latin words by a 
priest1 into the ,god of glory1 should  
be conveyed through that city1 under a  
canopy of satin1 supported by ,popish   
priests1 and guarded by a file of       
,popish dragoons1 preceded by a         
trumpeter1 announcing its approach1 in  
order that the populace may uncover     
their heads1 and fall upon their knees  
to adore this god of ,popish            
manufacture4 ,base idolatry6 ,and       
history will say of ,protestant         
,americans1--,base people1 to tolerate  
such profanations among you6  ,but1 on  
reflection1 why blame ,americans8 ,they 
knew little or nothing of ,popery1      
except from history1 and1 in some       
histories1 the picture given had two    
sides to it4 ,one was fair and          
seductive2 the other was stern and true4
 ,the former was exhibited with industry
 and care4 ,it was sought for and gazed 
at with pleasure4 ,the latter had       
comparatively but few worldly           

attractions1 had no admirers but the    
votaries of truth1 and1 alas6 they were 
but few4 ,under these circumstances1 how
 were ,americans to be blamed8 ,knowing 
them well1 ,i cannot become their       
accuser1 but ,i can1 without any        
disrespect towards them1 pity them1 and 
mourn over the delusion under which they
 labor1 even though that delusion should
 be in part well earned4  ,how1 for     
instance1 could it be expected that     
,american ,protestants should believe   
what is related of the capuchin friar by
 ,michelet1 whom ,i have quoted in one  
of the preceding pages8 ,can an         
,american ,protestant suppose it        
possible that a ,romish priest could    
persuade all the nuns in a convent that 
he had a revelation from ,god1          
commissioning him1 especially1 to tell  
those nuns individually1 that it was    
their duty to have a criminal connexion 
with himself1 under pain of eternal     
damnation8 ,such a thing would only     
excite the risible faculties of an      

,american ,protestant2 even the male    
portion of ,roman ,catholics will not   
believe such a thing possible4 ,there   
was a period when ,i would not believe  
it myself1 and when the idea of a       
,popish priest seducing a nun1 or       
administering poison to get possession  
of a man's wife1 or his daughter1 or his
 property1 was impossible1 though       
history informed me of such things being
 done in the ,romish church2 and1 had ,i
 not become a ,roman ,catholic priest1  
and been myself a confessor1 ,i should1 
until this day1 turn a deaf ear to the  
relation of such facts4 ,i should look  
upon ,popish priests and bishops1 who   
were charged with them1 as persecuted   
men1 and probably extend to them that   
sympathy and support1 which ,protestant 
,americans are now doing throughout this
 country4  ,were any one to come to me  
before ,i was a ,romish priest and      
confessor1 and tell me that the         
,protestant young lady to whom ,i have  
so often alluded1 should go to a school 

kept by ,popish nuns1--that they would  
convert her from the religion of her    
birth1 make her a ,papist1 cause her to 
go to confession1--that the confessor   
would seduce her1 and that the superior 
mother abbess would cause her death in  
trying to procure abortion1--,i would   
not have believed him4 ,i should have   
looked upon him as some fanatic1 or some
 evil-disposed person1 actuated by      
malice against ,romish priests and      
nunneries2 but after becoming a priest  
myself1 and a confessor1 ,i not only    
believed such a thing possible1 but     
witnessed it4 ,and though ,i could weep1
 ,i could not prevent it1 such was the  
nature of my sacerdotal oath of secresy2
 such were my obligations to support the
 ,pope and the honor of his infallible  
church4  ,poisoning is a practice of    
ancient date in the ,romish church3 and 
,i tell you1 ,americans1 it is still in 
full force1 and you will taste of its   
fruits before you are aware of it4 ,let 
me give you a well authenticated        

instance of this4 ,it is related in the 
fifth volume of ,sanuto1 an eminent     
,popish writer4 ,pope ,alexander the    
,sixth1 graciously condescended to      
inform one of his cardinals1 ,adrian de 
,corneto1 that he intended to visit him 
at his vineyard1 and that he1 the ,pope1
 would bring his supper with him4 ,the  
cardinal1 being himself a priest and a  
confessor1 suspected that the holy ,pope
 intended to poison him1 with a view of 
possessing his fortunes and a lovely    
sister of his4 ,the cardinal's fortune  
was great1 and the lady in question was 
beautiful4 ,he well knew his fate1      
unless something could be done to avert 
it1 and he knew of but one way of doing 
that4 ,he sent for the ,pope's carver1  
and prevailed upon him to accept and    
keep1 for his sake1 ten thousand ducats1
 with large sums beside1 which he had   
not then in cash1 but which he would    
have in a short time4 ,you know1 said   
the cardinal to the carver1 that the    
,pope has compassed my death by poison  

at your hand1 wherefore1 ,i beseech you1
 have pity on me1 and spare my life4    
,the carver1 yielding to compassion1    
promised to save him1 and explained the 
mode in which the holy ,pope1 the       
vicegerent of the ,lord of ,heaven1 and1
 as some ,catholics will have it1 not   
only the infallible1 but even the       
impeccable head of the church1 intended 
to put him to death4  ,the carver was   
instructed by the ,pope1 to have two    
boxes of lozenge confectionary prepared1
 and to present one to himself and the  
other to the cardinal4 ,that to the     
cardinal was to contain poison4 ,his    
holiness1 the ,pope1 according to       
engagement1 came to sup with the        
cardinal at his vineyard1 but matters   
being arranged between the carver and   
the latter1 the poison which the ,pope  
intended for the cardinal was given to  
himself2 he was taken sick and died4    
,this occurrence1 which took place      
centuries ago1 though it may appear     
incredible to many readers of this book1

 is as well authenticated by history1   
and is as demonstrable therefrom1 as it 
will be in some future generation1 that 
such a city as ,boston1 where this book 
is written1 had ever an existence4 ,but 
it will be said1 that such things might 
have existed in ancient times2 that     
popes might have poisoned cardinals2    
that cardinals might have poisoned      
popes1 and that popes might have        
poisonfed each other2 that priests might
 have seduced their penitents1 and then 
caused them to be poisoned1 to save the 
honor of the holy church2 but that no   
such thing has ever occurred in these   
,united ,states4 ,fatal delusion1 this2 
and thrice fatal will its consequences  
be to you1 ,american ,protestants1 as   
well as ,american ,catholics1 if you do 
not give ear to my statements1 and full 
credit to my word and warning1 when ,i  
tell you that such an event has taken   
place in the city of ,philadelphia1 to  
my own personal knowledge2 and that the 
reverend wretch1 who seduced1 and       

subsequently caused to be poisoned1 an  
innocent and virtuous orphan daughter of
 a worthy ,american citizen1 was a few  
months ago1 and is now1 for aught ,i    
know1 officiating as a ,romish priest   
and confessor in the city of ,dublin1   
,ireland4  ,no wonder1 ,i repeat it1    
that ,american ,protestants should not  
believe these things4 ,no wonder that   
,americans who have joined the ,popish  
church1 should not believe them4 ,no    
wonder that some honorable and          
high-minded young men in the ,united    
,states1 who have been decoyed by the   
sophistry1 apparent sanctity and        
liberality of ,romish priests1 from the 
faith of their ,protestant forefathers1 
should disbelieve those things1 and feel
 indignant against all who advance such 
accusations4 ,but let them pause4 ,let  
them not be too precipitate in judging  
of the motives of others4 ,some of these
 young men1 like myself1 in the days of 
my youth1 may take it into their heads  
to become ,romish priests1 and1 ,i      

understand that1 even now1 there are    
several of them in ,rome preparing to do
 so4 ,let them proceed4 ,they will soon 
find1 as ,i did1 that such facts as ,i  
here relate1 horrible and revolting as  
they seem1 are matters of daily         
occurrence in the ,church of ,rome4     
,during every vicissitude in the history
 of the ,popish church2 during every    
fluctuation1 and every rise and fall of 
successive popes2 during all the        
metamorphoses and changes that took     
place in their lives1 and successive    
pretensions to power1 their iniquitous  
practices were never abandoned4 ,let us 
raise the veil which hides the past from
 our eye2 we shall find1 if we do not   
permit ourselves to be misled by        
faithless historians1 that the only     
thing in which they never differed1 was 
the sanctioning of the crimes of plunder
 and rapacity for the aggrandizement of 
the power of ,rome1 and that murder1    
rape1 and even incest1 lost their       
atrocity when committed by priests and  

bishops of the infallible church1 who   
are her sworn and devoted supporters4   
,the power of the popes has often been  
shaken1 yet they have stood every shock4
 ,their system of policy is such1 that  
they have kept and are keeping the      
nations of the earth engaged in some    
civil or ecclesiastical broils among    
each other1 and thus divert their       
attention from the stealthy march of    
,papal power amongst them2 and while    
nations are thus engaged1 they are      
enveloping the people in ignorance and  
darkness1 so as to blind them to their  
own atrocities and crimes4  ,this       
country is now a fair field for ,popish 
manoeuvring4 ,rome has seen this for the
 last twenty years1 and has made her    
preparations accordingly4 ,while this   
new country was busy in forming her     
alliances abroad1 regulating her        
commerce1 and making her treaties with  
foreign powers2 while she was dividing  
her states1 settling her domestic       
territorial disputes1 regulating their  

laws1 and defining their boundaries2    
,rome was awake1--her spies were amongst
 you4 ,they walked carefully round the  
citadel of your freedom2 they saw that  
it was not sufficiently manned1 that it 
was accessible from many points1 and    
accordingly1 they poured into it platoon
 after platoon1 regiment after regiment1
 of the ,pope's troops1 until they had  
sufficient force to take possession     
whenever they deemed it necessary and   
they now tell ,americans that the ,pope 
is their legitimate sovereign1 and that 
,americans are but the cowardly sons of 
cowardly pirates4 ,they even go further2
 they perpetrate the grossest outrages  
upon every law1 moral and civil1 in     
utter defiance of ,american             
jurisprudence4 ,they keep their         
nunneries1 or rather seraglios1 in the  
very midst of them1 surround them with  
ramparts1 and not only deny to their    
civil magistrates the right of entrance1
 but defy them to do so4 ,this every    
,american citizen knows to be a fact2 at

 least1 it is known in the city of      
,boston1 where ,i now write4 ,no one was
 admitted within the walls of the       
,ursuline convent1 which an indignant   
populace reduced to ashes1 without      
special permission from the mother      
abbess1--allowing the nuns within to    
assume the appearance of decency and    
propriety before they showed themselves1
 however flagrant their conduct might   
have been4 ,time was given to them and  
to the priests to assume their usual    
sanctimoni-appearance2 but then all the 
cells were never seen at the same time4 
,many were reserved for hidden and      
criminal purposes1 and when some of     
those nuns were apparently cheerful and 
happy1 leaving on the visitor's mind an 
impression that nothing but happiness   
reigned throughout the whole nunnery1   
there were probably some of them1 unseen
 and unheard by strangers1 writhing in  
the agonies of childbirth4 ,this is no  
fancy sketch4 ,read ,llorenti's ,history
 of the ,inquisition1 and you will find 

that the picture ,i give is far short of
 the reality4 ,such was the profligacy  
of friars and nuns1 as ,llorenti informs
 us1 in the fifteenth century1 that the 
,pope1 from very shame1 had to take     
notice of it4 ,he had to invest the     
inquisition with special power to take  
cognizance of the matter4 ,the          
inquisitors1 in obedience to orders from
 their sovereign ,pope1 entered         
immediately upon the discharge of their 
duties4 ,they issued1 through their     
immediate superior1 a general order1    
commanding all women1 nuns and lay      
sisters1 married women and single women1
 without regard to age1 station in life1
 or any other circumstance1 to appear   
before them and give information1 if any
 they had1 against all priests1         
,jesuits1 monks1 friars and confessors4 
,the ,pope was not fully aware of what  
he did1 when he granted the aforesaid   
power to the inquisition4 ,he supposed  
that the licentiousness of his priests  
did not extend beyond women of ill fame2

 but in this his holiness was mistaken1 
as he subsequently discovered4 ,all were
 obliged to obey the summons of the     
inquisition4 ,disobedience was          
heresy--it was death4 ,the number who   
made their appearance1 to lodge         
information against the priests and     
confessors1 in the single city of       
,seville1 in ,spain1 was so great that  
the taking of depositions occupied      
twenty notaries for thirty days4 ,the   
inquisitors1 worn out with fatigue1     
determined on taking a recess1 and      
having done so1 they reassembled and    
devoted thirty days more to the same    
purpose2 but the depositions continued  
to increase so fast1 that they saw no   
use in continuing them1 and they finally
 resolved to adjourn and quash the      
inquiry4 ,the city of ,seville was found
 to be one vast area of pollution4 ,but 
,americans will still say1 this occurred
 in the fifteenth century2 no such thing
 can take place now4 ,the whole social  
system is different now from what it was

 then4 ,i tell you again1 ,americans1   
that you are mistaken in your inference4
 ,priests1 nuns and confessors are the  
same now that they were then1 all over  
the world4 ,many of you have visited    
,paris1 and do you not there see1 at the
 present day1 a lying-in hospital       
attached to every nunnery in the city8  
,the same is to be seen in ,madrid1 and 
the principal cities of ,spain4 ,i have 
seen them myself in ,mexico1 and in the 
city of ,dublin1 ,ireland4 ,and what is 
the object of those hospitals8 ,it is   
chiefly to provide for the illicit      
offspring of priests and nuns1 and such 
other unmarried females as the priests  
can seduce through the confessional4    
,but it will be said1 there are no      
lying-in hospitals attached to nunneries
 in this country4 ,true1 there are not2 
but ,i say1 of my own knowledge and from
 my own experience through the          
confessional1 that it would be well if  
there were2 there would be fewer        
abortions1 there would be fewer infants 

strangled and murdered4 ,it is not      
generally known to ,americans1 that the 
crime of procuring abortion1--a crime   
which our laws pronounce to be          
felony1--is a common every-day crime in 
,popish nunneries4 ,it is not known to  
,americans1--but let it henceforward be 
known to them1--that strangling and     
putting to death infants1 is common in  
nunneries throughout this country4 ,it  
is not known that this is done          
systematically and methodically1        
according to ,popish instructions4 ,the 
modus operandi is this4 ,the infallible 
church teaches that without baptism even
 infants cannot go to heaven4 ,the holy 
church1 not caring much now the         
aforesaid infants may come into this    
world1 but anxious that they should go  
from it according to the ritual of the  
church1 insists that the infant shall be
 baptized4 ,this being done1 and its    
soul being thus fitted for heaven1 the  
mother abbess gently takes between her  
holy fingers the nostrils of the infant1

 and in the name of the infallible      
church consigns it to the care of the   
,almighty2 and ,i beg here to state1    
from my own knowledge through the       
confessional1 that the father is1 in    
nearly all cases1 the individual who    
baptizes it2 thus literally verifying   
what ,erasmus has said in sheer         
irony1--,patres vacantur et ,sepe sunt4 
,i desire to assert nothing1 of a       
character so frightful and disgusting as
 this1 on my own unsupported authority4 
,i could give numberless instances of   
the truth of my assertions1 but let one 
suffice4  ,illustration3 ,the ,mother   
,abess ,strangling the ,infant p#bie    
,llorenti1 in his ,history of the       
,inquisition1--and the reader will bear 
in mind1 that ,llorenti is good         
authority with all ,roman               
,catholics1--relates the following fact4
 ,there was among the ,carmelite nuns of
 ,lerma1 a mother abbess1 called mother 
,agueda4 7,all the nunneries in the     
,united ,states have a mother abbess1   

like the nuns of ,lerma47 ,agueda was   
accounted a saint4 ,people came to her1 
from all the neighboring country1 to be 
cured of their respective diseases4 ,her
 mode of curing all diseases was this4  
,she had in her possession a number of  
small stones1 of which she said she was 
delivered1 in all the pains of          
childbirth4 ,she was delivered of them  
periodically1 for the space of twenty   
years1 according to her own statement   
and that of her biographer1 and by the  
application of those stones to any      
diseased person1 he was forthwith cured4
 ,rumor1 however1 got abroad that the   
mother abbess was no better than she    
ought to be1 and that1 in place of      
bringing forth stones1 she and the other
 nuns of the convent were bringing forth
 children for the friars of the         
,carmelite order1 who arranged all her  
miracles for her1 and enabled her for   
twenty-years to impose upon the public1 
as the lady prioress of a nunnery and   
fashionable boarding-school4 ,whenever  

she was confined and delivered of a     
child1 the holy nuns strangled it and   
buried it4 ,all the other nuns did      
likewise1 and probably would have       
continued to do so to this day1 through 
their successors in office1 had not a   
niece of the mother abbess and saint1 in
 a moment of anger1 arising from        
maltreatment1 let fall some observations
 which excited the suspicions of the    
public authorities4 ,the burying-ground 
of the nuns was examined1 the spot where
 the strangled infants were buried was  
pointed out by the niece of the mother  
abbess1 and the bodies found4  ,this    
fact is as well authenticated1 as that  
such a place as ,lerma has had          
existence1 or that such a wretch as     
,mother ,agueda has ever been born2 and 
,i will hazard the assertion1 that if   
the burying-grounds of the nunneries in 
the ,united ,states were dug open1      
hundreds of the bodies of strangled     
infants1 the offspring of nuns and      
,popish priests1 may be found in them1  

though it is said they have discovered  
some chemical process1 by which the     
bones1 as well as the flesh of infants1 
are reduced1 in a little time1 almost to
 perfect annihilation4  ,virtuous       
ladies1 into whose hands this book by   
chance may fall1 will exclaim1 on       
reading the above1 ,this cannot be true4
 ,i will not believe it4 ,such a thing  
is impossible4 ,if even nuns had        
witnessed such things1 however depraved 
they may be1 they would fly from such   
scenes2 or at all events1 no nun1 who   
has ever been once guilty of such       
crimes1 would commit them a second      
time4--,here1 again1 we see how little  
,americans know of ,popery1 and of the  
practices of its priests and nuns4  ,the
 fact is1 ,roman ,catholic laymen know  
almost as little of ,popery as          
,protestants4 ,they are not aware1 that1
 when a female goes to confession1 she  
virtually binds herself to answer every 
question which her confessor proposes1  
and that the concealment of any thought 

or deed1 which she committed1 was a     
mortal sin1 sufficient of itself to     
consign her soul to hell4 ,she believes 
that the priest sits in the             
confessional1 not as man1 but as ,god4  
,attend1 fellow-citizens1 to what ,i    
here state to you1 and you will easily  
conceive the possibility1 nay1 even the 
probability1 nay1 even further1 the     
truth of every word ,i relate to you in 
relation to the crimes of nuns and      
priests1 within the walls of nunneries4 
,the woman who goes to confession to a  
priest1 whether a nun or a lay-sister1  
whether married or single1 believes1    
that while in the sacred tribunal of the
 confessional1 he is divested of his    
humanity1 and acts1 not as man1 but as  
,god4 ,nothing1 then1 is easier1 if he  
has the least fancy for the penitent1   
than to persuade her that he is divinely
 commissioned to--------4 ,she does not 
doubt this1 and yields to his wishes4   
,there have been instances1--and there  
are now thousands of them in ,europe1   

and even in this country1--where a      
priest tells every good-looking woman   
who goes to confession to him1 that it  
is her duty to have children by him6 ,be
 not startled1 ,american husbands4 ,i   
make not these statements to hurt or    
outrage your feelings4 ,i make it in    
compassion for you1 and to prevent you1 
if possible from permitting your wives  
or your daughters to go in future to    
these dens of vice1 called              
confessionals4  ,i can easily fancy one 
of you saying to your neighbor1 who is  
also a ,roman ,catholic1 and whose wife1
 as well as yours1 goes to              
confession1--,well1 ,mr4 ,a41 ,i care   
not what may be said against our priest1
 or against auricular confession4 ,my   
wife goes regularly to confession1 and  
if she heard or saw anything bad on the 
part of the priests1 ,i should soon know
 it4 ,i have no doubt of it1 says ,mr4  
,b4 ,my wife goes also1 and so does my  
daughter1 and ,i suppose nobody will    
pretend to say that a priest could do   

anything wrong to them4 ,they know      
better than to be imposed upon4 ,there  
is no better woman in the world than my 
wife2 come over and dine with me4 ,my   
wife just told me that she asked the    
priest to dine with us1 and you must    
come4 ,i can not only fancy this1 but ,i
 have seen such meetings4 ,i have seen  
husbands unsuspiciously and hospitably  
entertaining the very priest who seduced
 their wives in the confessional1 and   
was the parent of some of the children  
who sat at the same table with them1    
each of the wives unconscious of the    
other's guilt1 and the husbands of both1
 not even suspecting them4 ,the husband 
of her who goes to confession has no    
hold upon her affections4 ,if he claims 
a right to her confidence1 he claims    
what he can never receive2 he claims    
what she has not to give4 ,she has long 
since given it to her confessor1 and he 
can never recover it4 ,she looks to her 
confessor for advice in everything4 ,she
 may appear to be fond of her husband2  

it is even possible that she may be so  
in reality4 ,she may be gentle1 meek1   
and obedient to her husband1--her       
confessor will advise her to be so2 but 
she will not give him her confidence2   
she cannot1--that is already in the     
hands of her confessor4 ,he stands an   
incarnate fiend between man and wife1   
mother and daughter4 ,all the ties of   
domestic happiness and reciprocal duties
 are thus violated with impunity through
 the instrumentality of auricular       
confession4  ,would to ,god ,i had never
 entered that tribunal myself6 ,would to
 ,god it was never in my power to relate
 as facts what ,i have now put to paper6
 ,but no such happiness was intended for
 me6 ,it was the will of ,providence    
that ,i was reserved to witness and     
relate those deeds of darkness and crime
 committed under the mask of ,popish    
religion1 from which my feelings and    
disposition shrink with horror4         
,voltaire1 ,rousseau1 ,raynal1 ,price1  
,priestley1 ,paine1 ,diderot1 and       

others1 have done evil by their infidel 
writings4 ,evils1 great and heavy evils1
 have been the consequence of their     
introduction into the ,united ,states2  
but ten-fold greater have been the evils
 which the introduction of ,popery and  
auricular confession amongst us have    
brought in their train4  ,the writings  
of these infidels have in them1 it is   
true1 many of the most exceptionable    
passages1 but1 as far as we know1 their 
private lives were generally good4 ,even
 in their writings1 there was much that 
was good4 ,they advocated the cause of  
civil liberty2 they pleaded1 and pleaded
 strongly and eloquently1 the cause of  
human rights1 and the liberties of man4 
,these were redeeming qualities4 ,these 
were noble doctrines1 and nobly pleaded4
 ,but what has ,popery brought amongst  
us8 ,what have ,popish priests          
introduced into this country8 ,idolatry1
 debauchery in every shape1 and of every
 hue4 ,yet ,americans will cast into the
 fire the works of those infidels1--they

 will not allow their children to read  
them1 lest they may corrupt their       
morals1 though the authors are cold in  
their graves4 ,but they will send them  
to ,popish schools1--they will allow    
them to drink lessons of depravity from 
the eyes of licentious nuns1 and hear   
them from the lips of ,popish priests4  
,strange inconsistency1 this6 ,infidels 
in theory are shunned as plagues1 while 
practical infidels are cherished amongst
 us4 ,it is well known to ,protestants  
even in the ,united ,states1 that it is 
a common practice of ,romish priests to 
seduce females in the confessional1 and 
it is1 or should be equally well known  
that these very priests hear the        
confessions of the very females whom    
they seduce4 ,it is an article of faith 
in the ,roman ,catholic church1 that the
 crimes of a priest do not disqualify   
him from forgiving the sins of his      
penitent1 and hence it is that their    
opportunities of demoralizing every     
community1 where they are in the        

ascendant1 almost exceed conception4    
,persuade a woman that if she sins1 you 
can forgive her as thoroughly and       
effectually as ,almighty ,god could     
forgive her1 and you take away every    
check from vice4 ,all restraint is      
removed4 ,the voice of true religion is 
silenced1 and sin prevails4  ,the       
iniquity of ,romish priests in the      
confessional can scarcely be imagined4  
,there is nothing else like it2 it is a 
thing by itself2 there is a chasm       
between itself and other crimes1 which  
human depravity cannot pass4 ,could ,i  
state them all1 as ,i have known them1  
my readers would feel themselves almost 
insulated2 an ocean and a sea of        
wonders1 and waters of grief and sadness
 for fallen humanity would ebb and flow 
around them4 ,just fancy an innocent    
female on her knees before an artful1   
unbelieving priest6 ,but why is she     
there8 ,why does not instinct warn her  
off8 ,why does not conscious innocence  
tell her to fly from him8 ,how often do 

we thank ,god that we are endowed with  
reason8 ,how often do we sing his       
praises1 and glorify his name1 because  
he has made us a little lower than the  
angels1 giving us reason for our guide1 
and thus raising us above all things    
that are created8 ,would it not appear  
as if things were not so2 as if the ,god
 of heaven were more bountiful to the   
beasts of the field1 and the birds of   
the air1 than to man8 ,would it not     
appear that the poet was mistaken1 when 
he said1 in the fulness of his heart1   
and depth of his belief in              
revelation166666  ,and to be innocent is
 nature's wisdom2 ,the fledge-dove knows
 the prowlers of the air1 ,feared soon  
as seen1 and flatters back to shelter2  
,and the young steed recoils upon his   
haunches ,the never-yet-seen adder's    
hiss first heard4 ,o surer than         
suspicion's hundred eyes ,is that fine  
sense1 which1 to the pure in heart1 ,by 
mere oppugnancy of their own goodness4  
,reveals the approach of evil4  ,would  

it not seem from this that the gift of  
reason was no bounty in reality to man8 
as if instinct was something superior to
 it8 ,why does not innocence1--native1  
conscious innocence1--if1 in reality1   
there is such a thing1--teach woman to  
flee from those incarnate demons1       
,romish confessors8 ,why will they      
entrust themselves1 alone and           
unprotected by father or mother1 brother
 or honorable lover1 with these         
scheming1 artful seducers8 ,why will    
mothers1 married women1 go to confession
 to these men1 or why will husbands be  
such inconceivable dupes as to permit   
it8 ,have husbands any idea of the      
questions which a confessor puts to     
their wives8 ,they have not even the    
remotest4 ,let me give them a few of    
these questions1 and ,i assure them1 as 
,i have more than once done before1 that
 ,i state nothing but what ,i know of my
 own knowledge4 ,the following are a few
 of them4 #ast4 ,have you been guilty of
 adultery or fornication1 and how often8

 #b;d4 ,have you desired to commit      
either1 and how often8 #c;d4 ,have you  
ever intended to commit fornication or  
adultery8 #dth4 ,have you ever taken    
pleasure in thinking upon these         
subjects8 #eth4 ,have you dwelt upon    
them for any length of time8 #fth4 ,have
 you ever endeavored to excite your own 
passions8 #gth4 ,have you ever taken    
indecent liberties with yourself1 or    
with your husband8  ,does any husband   
really know that when his wife goes to  
confession1--and probably she leans on  
his arm while she is going there1--that 
the above questions are put to her8     
,assuredly1 he does not4 ,otherwise1 we 
must suppose him a man of base          
principles in permitting such a thing4  
,but even should he suspect it1 and ask 
his wife whether they were put to her2  
should he call upon the priest1 and     
bring him and the wife face to face2    
should he ask them severally whether    
such interrogatories were put by the    
priest to the wife1 they will jointly   

and severally deny it under oath1 if    
required1 and in doing this1 they both  
feel justified2 or1 to speak more       
correctly and plainly1 the priest is    
laughing in his sleeve1 and the wife is 
his dupe4 ,the reason1 however1 for the 
course they pursue1 is this4 ,the       
infallible church teaches1 that when a  
priest is in the confessional1 he sits  
there as ,god1 and not as man2 and when 
he denies under oath that he put such   
questions1 he means that he did not put 
the questions as man1 but as ,god2 and  
when the penitent is asked whether such 
questions were put to her1 she will say 
on oath they were not1 because it was   
,god1 and not man1 that asked them4 ,i  
am well aware that this will appear     
strange to ,americans1 but it is not the
 less true4 ,i have asked such          
questions1 and given such reasons over  
and over again1 while acting as a       
,romish priest4 ,i have asked them1 till
 my soul sickened with disgust4 ,every  
priest in ,boston asks those questions  

daily2 there is not a priest in the     
,united ,states who does not ask them4  
,no1 not one1--from ,aroostook to       
,oregon1 nor from ,maine to ,louisiana4 
,judge1 then1 of the moral waste and    
wilderness which ,romish priests are    
effecting by hewing and clearing down   
everything that blooms or bears the     
fruit of virtue and holiness4  ,but can 
such things exist in a civilized        
country8 ,it is all the result of       
education1--of bad1 vicious1 and corrupt
 education4 ,let us suppose that a      
married man has a neighbor whom he      
believes to be honorable upright1 and   
correct in all his dealings1 so much so1
 that he never had occasion to doubt his
 word1 and would trust him with         
thousands1 nay1 millions if he had it4  
,suppose his wife had the reputation of 
a good and virtuous woman4 ,suppose she 
was considered so by the pious members  
of her own and every other church in    
this city4 ,suppose this individual1 to 
whom ,i have alluded1 should discover   

that his wife was in the habit of       
meeting his neighbor very frequently in 
some retired nook or corner1 and holding
 long and confidential conversation with
 him1--think you he would not suspect   
something wrong8 ,suppose he were to ask
 his wife what they were talking about1 
and she should say that he was giving   
her spiritual counsel1--think you that  
this would be satisfactory to him8      
,would he permit those interviews to    
continue8 ,surely not4 ,but why distrust
 the well-known prudence of his wife1   
and the honor of a man he has known for 
years8 ,is it wise in him to suspect a  
worthy man8 ,it is not only wise1 but it
 is proper4 ,it would even be criminal  
not to do so4 ,the man who would not    
forbid these interviews1 would be       
considered a low-spirited wretch1       
unworthy the society of all honorable   
men4 ,he would sink even in his own     
estimation2 and how comes it1 then1 that
 this very man1 so sensitive1 so        
distrustful of the virtue of an         

honorable neighbor1 will permit the same
 wife to hold private meetings1 and     
private conversations in confessionals  
and in private rooms1 with ,romish      
priests1--strangers1 some of them1 and  
foreigners1--notorious for the          
profligacies of the orders of monks and 
,jesuits to which they belong1 and the  
countries from which they came4 ,this1  
,i will frankly confess1 is a paradox1  
which my limited powers of ratiocination
 do not enable me to solve4 ,i will not 
say that some of those married ladies1  
who go to confession1 are not virtuous  
women1 but ,i will unhesitatingly say1  
that many of them have been ruined in   
the confessional1 that they run a       
fearful risk in going there at all1 and 
as it is truly said1 he that loves the  
danger1 shall perish therein4  ,let not 
married men1 or married women1 who      
belong to the ,roman ,catholic church1  
suppose that ,i mean to be disrespectful
 to them in what ,i have said or what ,i
 may say hereafter4 ,the reverse is the 

fact ,to them ,i have no personal       
enmity1 but ,i have for them the most   
sincere compassion4 ,i would rescue     
them1 if ,i could1 from those wolves in 
sheep's clothing1 ,romish priests4 ,it  
is my duty to do so as their            
fellow-citizen1 and it is peculiarly    
incumbent on me to do so1 as ,i feel    
that ,i am the only man in the ,united  
,states1 whose personal knowledge of    
facts fits him for such a task1 and     
whose peculiar circumstances enable him 
to do so without bias or prejudice4 ,i  
am aware they will raise a fresh hue and
 cry against me2 ,popish priests and    
bishops will give tongue1 and the whole 
,romish pack1 young and old1 married and
 single1 widows and maids1 will follow  
in full chorus4 ,they can do no more    
than they have done4 ,there is scarcely 
a law of this land which they have not  
accused me of violating1 ever since ,i  
presumed to say that the ,bible should  
be circulated among the poor ,roman     
,catholics1 and that the holy mother    

church was not infallible4 ,the         
accusations against ,luther1 ,zuingle   
and ,calvin1 were not greater or much   
more numerous1 than those which ,papists
 have brought against me1 month after   
month1 and year after year1 ever since  
,i left them4 ,they have indicted me for
 assault and battery1 for disturbing    
public worship1 by which they meant the 
crime of worshiping ,god otherwise than 
the ,pope directed4 ,they have indicted 
me for rape--keep your countenance1     
reader--those chaste1 moral priests of  
the ,romish church have indicted me for 
rape4 ,is not that a high idea1         
,americans8--scarcely anything equal to 
it to be found in antiquity1 except1    
perhaps it may be in the conduct of     
,claudius1 the ,roman emperor1 who1 like
 the priests of the ,romish church1 had 
a very great abhorrence of everything   
that was in the least degree unchaste4  
,claudius1 as the reader must know1     
succeeded the emperor ,caligula1 and    
that notorious wag1 though elegant poet 

and satirist1 ,juvenal1 tells us that he
 was much in the habit of accusing his  
subjects of the crime of adultery4      
,claudius accusat macchos1 says         
,juvenal2 whether he spoke ironically or
 not1 those who know the life of        
,claudius as well as ,i do the lives of 
,romish priests1 can tell best4 ,but    
this is not all4 ,they have accused me  
of robberies1 sending and receiving     
challenges to fight duels1 having two   
wives--,i know not but more--at the same
 time4 ,in all cases1 true bills of     
indictment have been found2 ,papists    
appeared before the grand juries in all 
cases1 and swore like true sons of the  
infallible church1 and as long as they  
had no one to contradict them1 the holy 
church triumphed4 ,in this country1     
however1 there happens1 as yet1 to be no
 inquisition1 and there are several who 
doubt not only the infallibility of the 
,romish church1 but even the            
impeccability of some of her beloved    
children2 and hence it happened that all

 their indictments evaporated into thin 
air4 ,these ,protestant ,americans1     
cowards1 as ,papists call them1 and sons
 of cowards and pirates have no faith in
 the infallible church1 and doubted the 
veracity of her pious children1 even    
upon oath ,the consequence was that ,i  
am left to write the history of my      
venerable but guilty mother1 the        
infallible church1 and am not without   
hope that ,i shall lead her back to the 
paths of virtue1 from which1 in very    
wantonness of crime1 idolatry1 brutality
 and wickedness she has long since      
departed4  ,it would be really amusing  
to see a correct list of the various    
accusations which ,papists have made    
against me1 with the various names and  
legal titles which they bore4 ,the      
infallible church alone could properly  
classify them4 ,there is euphony in the 
very sound of them2 there is a variety1 
nothing short of oriental1 in them4 ,but
 to be serious2 ,i never did1 nor do ,i 
now1 fear the persecution of ,papists1  

while in the discharge of a duty which  
,i owe to my ,maker and ,preserver4 ,i  
could always say with sincerity and with
 humble gratitude1 and ,i can say so    
now366666       ,let then1 earth1 sea   
and sky      ,make war against me6 ,on  
my heart ,i show      ,their mighty     
,master's seal4 ,in vain they try       
,to end my life1 that can but end its   
woe4      ,is that a death-bed where a  
,christian dies8      ,yes6 but not     
his--'t is death itself there dies4     
,but to return to the subject from which
 ,i have digressed1 without even the    
formality of taking leave of my reader2 
married ladies1 who are members of the  
,roman ,catholic church1 will bear with 
me a little longer1 ,i cannot consent to
 leave them without farther warning2 and
 should their husbands and myself ever  
meet--which probably cannot be1 till we 
meet in heaven--they will thank1 in     
place of blaming me1 for cautioning them
 against the seductive wiles and wicked 
intrigues of ,romish confessors4 ,it is 

probable the wearisome repetitions in my
 statements may give the reader a       
distaste to following them out1 and     
accompanying me through them4 ,it will1 
,i fear1 enfeeble the interest1 which he
 might otherwise take in the result4    
,besides1 a higher tone of thought1 of  
literary taste1 and intellectual        
feeling1 would undoubtedly be much more 
pleasant to him4 ,the nature of the     
subject will not admit of it1 and ,i    
cannot help1 in speaking upon a gross   
and indelicate subject1 doing so in a   
language as unpalatable to my own taste1
 as to that of the reader4 ,besides1 ,i 
am not master of any other words in the 
,english vocabulary1 better calculated  
to convey to those for whom this book is
 intended1 the full meaning and purport 
of the statements which ,i make4  ,there
 is taught in the ,romish church1 and it
 prevails to an extent broad and long as
 the land we live in1 a doctrine which  
,i feel it my duty to explain to        
,americans1 whether they are            

,protestants or converts to the church  
of ,rome4 ,when ,i say that it prevails 
over the extent of this country1 ,i     
believe ,i should qualify the assertion1
 as ,i know not fully and exclusively of
 my own knowledge1 that ,american       
converts to the ,romish church are aware
 that such a doctrine exists2 but ,i    
know that ,european ,catholic women1    
especially the ,irish1 are taught it by 
their priests1 and believe it as firmly 
as they do that their church is         
infallible4 ,it is a doctrine frightful 
even to think upon4 ,i know nothing1 in 
ancient or modern times1 in heathen1    
pagan1 or ,mahomedan creeds1 of equal   
turpitude4 ,it is calculated to overturn
 all laws1 human and divine4 ,it aims a 
fatal and deadly blow at the root of the
 whole social system4 ,it snaps1 it     
shatters1 it tears into shreds1 every   
cord that binds community to community1 
man to man1 wife to husband1 and child  
to parent4 ,it is this4 ,married women1 
who have no children and never had any1 

are taught by ,romish priests that1 in  
case they have no children1 the church  
has the power of giving them fecundity1 
and thus enabling them to comply with   
the great object of their creation1     
viz41 to increase and multiply4 ,the    
holy church1 in her wisdom1 or rather in
 her craft and deep knowledge of human  
nature1 knows full well that married    
ladies1 especially those who have       
property1 are often unhappy because they
 have no children2 and the priests1     
looking upon this as a fine opportunity 
not only to indulge their own passions  
but to make money1 tell such women1 in  
the confessional1 that they have the    
power1 specially delegated to them from 
,almighty ,god1 of giving them those    
children for which they are so anxious4 
,i well recollect an instance of this   
,romish infatuation--this worse than    
hellish belief4 ,it proved a source of  
much trouble to myself in after life1   
and ,i believe ,i may partly trace to it
 the very origin of my difficulties with

 the ,popish priests in this country4   
,while officiating as a ,roman ,catholic
 priest in---------1 ,i became          
acquainted with a ,roman ,catholic lady 
and gentleman1 of good character and    
considerable wealth4 ,the husband stood 
well in society1 and so did the wife1   
and ,i believe both deserved it4 ,there 
was but one barrier1 to all appearance1 
in the way of their happiness4 ,they had
 no children2 and having no blood or    
family alliances in the country1 this   
seemed a source of distress to the wife1
 though ,i could not help remarking that
 they were an extremely fond couple4    
,not very long after my acquaintance    
with them1 the wife called on me1 told  
me her grievance in not having children1
 and asked me how much it would cost her
 to purchase from the church1 her       
interference in the matter and the      
blessing of having children4 ,i forgot  
my usual caution4 ,indignation took the 
place of policy2 ,i forgot1 for a       
moment1 that ,i was bound to keep the   

secrets of the ,pope and the infallible 
church1 and to defend them both1 right  
or wrong4 ,i replied indignantly1       
,madam1 you are the dupe of priestcraft4
 ,there is no power in the church to    
countervail the will of ,god4 ,the lady 
retired2 and ,i cannot give the reader a
 better idea of the infatuation of      
,papist women1 or the consummate villany
 of ,romish priests in the confessional1
 than by relating what followed4 ,she   
called upon me the day following1 stated
 to me that since she saw me1 she called
 on the reverend ,mr4--------1 a        
,franciscan friar1 who lived only a few 
doors from me1 and having told him what 
,i said to her1 he raised his hands in  
pious astonishment1 and told her that he
 expected nothing better from me2 that  
he suspected me of heresy for some time 
past1 and had now a proof of it1 and    
that ,i should be cast out of the pale  
of the church1 as fit society only for  
the devils2 and accordingly in a few    
months after1 this holy friar and the   

holy ,romish bishop of the diocese1     
solemnly cursed me from the head to the 
toe-nails1 casting me into hell for such
 damnable heresies4 ,i understand that  
the lady of whom ,i have spoken is now  
blessed with an interesting family of   
children1 and the husband one of the    
happiest fathers in the world4 ,the     
friar is an exemplary and reverend      
servant of the infallible church1 still 
hearing confessions1 while ,i am a      
wicked heretic1 with no human chance of 
salvation4 ,sic transit gloria mundi    
,thus are the streams of domestic       
happiness and social life polluted in   
our very midst by ,romish priests2 and  
yet they are encouraged1 they are fed1  
they are sustained1 they are received   
into society by the very men whose wives
 and daughters they have ruined1 and    
with whose happiness they have sported  
and gambled4 ,i say sported1 because ,i 
know of my own knowledge1 that nothing  
affords the reverend young ,yahoos of   
the ,romish church1 especially those who

 come from ,europe1 more pleasure       
in-their private conversation1 than     
speaking of the gullible ,yankee        
heretics1 who fancy themselves a match  
for priests in the infallible church4   
,could ,americans witness the carousals 
of these infidel and idolatrous priests 
at their expense1 it would have a better
 effect upon them than all ,i can say or
 write2 but as time atone can effect    
this1 ,i must content myself with       
entreating my fellow-citizens to be upon
 their guard with ,romish bishops and   
priests1 or they will one day rue the   
consequences4 ,once more do ,i find     
myself far from the path in which ,i    
commenced these pages4 ,i intimated to  
the reader1 somewhere in the beginning  
of this book1 that ,i intended to give  
my reasons for leaving the ,romish      
church2 but it would seem as if ,i had  
forgotten it2 at any rate1 ,i have as   
yet but little more than half fulfilled 
it4 ,i have1 however1 the satisfaction  
to believe1 that the few ,i have given1 

up to the time of my arrival in         
,philadelphia1 are amply sufficient4    
,fresh proofs have there been given to  
me1 that the ,popish church was not     
infallible1 and that ,i could not1      
consistently with a correct sense of    
duty1 support her doctrines or          
countenance the practices of her        
priests2 but1 even there1               
notwithstanding all ,i had seen and     
witnessed1 such were the prejudices of  
education1 that ,i still tried to       
persuade myself that ,popery was        
religion2 though ,i tried to circulate  
the ,scriptures1 and believed in the    
necessity of so doing3 during four years
 that ,i spent in the college of        
,maynooth1 they formed no portion of the
 education of the students4 ,it is my   
firm conviction1 that out of the large  
number of students who received their   
education there for the ministry1 there 
was not one who read the four gospels   
through1 nor any portion of them1 except
 such as were found in detached         

passages1 in works of controversy       
between ,catholics and ,protestants4    
,until ,i went to college1 ,i scarcely  
ever heard of a ,bible4 ,i know not of  
one in any parish in ,munster1 except it
 may be a ,latin1 one1 which each priest
 may or may not have1 as he pleased4    
,but ,i studied closely the holy fathers
 of the church2 so did most of the      
students4 ,we were taught to rely upon  
them as our sole guide in morals1 and   
the only correct interpreters of the    
,bible4 ,a right of private judgment was
 entirely denied to us1 and represented 
as the source of multifarious errors4   
,the ,bible1 in fact1 we had no         
veneration for4 ,it was1 in truth1 but a
 dead letter in our college2 it was a   
sealed book to us2 though there was not 
an equal number of students who were    
obliged to study more closely the       
sayings1 the sophistry1 the metaphysics 
and mystic doctrines of those raving    
dreamers1 called holy fathers1 many of  
whom1 if now living1 would be deemed mad

 men and dealt with accordingly4 ,i     
looked back again to those fathers for  
proofs of the infallibility of the      
,romish church1 and for some evidence to
 satisfy me that ,i had no right to the 
exercise of my private judgment1 either 
in reading or interpreting the          
,scriptures1--but ,i looked in vain4    
,the fathers themselves were extremely  
obscure4 ,i found them often            
inconsistent and at variance with each  
other upon many of the fundamental      
articles1 as they are termed1 of the    
,popish creed4 ,on a re-perusal of those
 fathers1 ,i have found them often      
contradict each other4 ,nay1 more2 such 
frequently were the theological vagaries
 of these semi-deranged though well     
meaning men1 that a careful reader will 
often find the same father contradicting
 himself4 ,chrysostom1 whom the ,papists
 worship as a saint1 and ,tertullian1   
another saint of theirs1 flatly         
contradict themselves4 ,chrysostom says1
 in speaking of the real presence in the

 eucharist that ,christ gives himself   
bodily to be eaten1 and that those who  
receive him1 that is1 the consecrated   
wafer1 made of flour and water by a     
priest1 may see him1 touch him1 and if  
they wish1 fix their teeth in his flesh4
 ,in another place he says1 that the    
nature of the bread is not changed at   
all1 though it is worthy to be called   
the ,lord's body4 ,tertullian in one    
place maintains the same doctrine in    
relation to the real presence1 but in   
another place1 he tells us1 that the    
meaning of the ,scripture phrase1 this  
is my body1 is1 this is the             
representation of my body4 ,if these men
 were to live now1--if ,jerome and      
,chrysostom and ,tertullian were to     
utter such rhapsodical nonsense1 what   
should we think of them or their        
followers8 ,yet the ,romish church      
requires that the present generation    
shall forfeit all its advantages of     
education1 science1 and all the         
progressive advancement and expansion of

 intellect1 and take the writings of    
those men as the only correct           
interpretation of the ,word of ,god4 ,it
 occurred to me1 therefore1 on a second 
perusal of these works1 that ,i should  
reject them unconditionally4 ,i knew    
full well1 from my intimacy with the    
,romish church1 that it was a maxim with
 the fathers1 and expressly defended by 
them1 as it is now by modern ,papists1  
that fraud was sometimes justifiable for
 a holy end1 and that falsehoods were   
valuable auxiliaries to truth6 ,this    
doctrine is now avowed1 or at least     
taught in the confessional1 and in      
,catholic countries out of the          
confessional1 as well as in every       
,popish college in the universe4  ,from 
these ,i turned to my neglected ,bible1 
and in it ,i discovered no such maxims  
as were taught by the holy fathers1 and 
are now inculcated by the priests4 ,i   
have not found that any of the          
evangelists ever even intimated that    
fraud was justifiable1 or that it was   

ever lawful to do evil that good may    
come4 ,apart from all this1 it appeared 
to me not at all unlikely that the      
inspired men who wrote the ,scriptures1 
knew as well how to convey their own    
ideas to the world1 as the holy fathers 
or the infallible church did2 nor could 
,i see anything heterodox1 in supposing 
that if there was anything              
unintelligible or obscure in their      
language1 they would leave us some      
record or note of the fact4 ,they wrote 
by command1 and under the direct        
inspiration of ,god2 they wrote to      
instruct and enlighten the world2 and   
with all due deference to the infallible
 church1 and her holy fathers1 ,i think 
it is fairly to be presumed1 that their 
writings are less obscure1 and more     
entitled to universal credence1 than the
 rhapsodies of fathers and monks1 one   
half of whom were as crazy as so many   
,millerites4 ,it occurred to me1        
naturally1 as #a think it would to any  
man who was not clean daft1 that ,i     

might1 without presumption1 invoke the  
aid of the ,holy ,spirit1 take up the   
,bible1 read it prayerfully1 and        
interpret it honestly1 according to the 
best of my judgment1 the opinion of the 
holy fathers and the infallible church  
to the contrary notwithstanding4  ,up to
 this very moment ,i was negotiating    
with the holy church1 and the holy      
church negotiating with me1 through     
,bishop ,england1 of ,charleston1 and a 
very reverend divine now in ,new ,york1 
for an arrangement of our               
misunderstanding4 ,but we could not     
agree4 ,there was now a barrier between 
us1 which ,i could not pass4 ,it was now
 with me1 not a question of church or   
salaries1 of location or domestic       
associations4 ,the controversy now      
between me and the ,romish church       
assumed a grave character3 it was now a 
question with me of light or darkness1  
of life or death4 ,i might have gone to 
,rome1 fallen upon my knees1 kissed the 
,pope's toe1 and obtained the blessing  

of that poor old man4 ,i might have     
acknowledged the holy fathers were      
better authority and were safer guides  
in matters of faith1 and in all things  
that concerned eternal life1 than the   
holy ,scriptures4 ,it was an easy matter
 for me1 so far as human effort was     
necessary1 to cast aside the ,bible     
altogether1 and substitute in its place 
the sayings and opinions of the holy    
fathers1 whose vanity often led them to 
suppose themselves inspired4 ,nothing   
was easier for me than to reject the    
,bible as a rule of faith1 and permit   
myself to be governed by the babblings  
of popes and churchmen4 ,this language1 
perhaps1 may be deemed disrespectful1   
but it is not so4 ,i cannot apprehend   
how anything ,i say can be deemed       
disrespectful1 while ,i confine myself  
within the limits which the example of  
,south1 ,jeremy ,taylor and others have 
prescribed4 ,no theologian1 no one      
acquainted with history1 sacred or      
profane1 or with the eminent ,dr4       

,robert ,south1 one of the most learned 
divines of the seventeenth century1     
would accuse him of any intention to    
disparage the memory of the early       
,christians1 who deserve to be honored1 
nor any of the doctrines which they     
maintained1 unless they were universally
 admitted to be so absurd1 that no man  
of common sense could sustain them4 ,yet
 this eminent man1 speaking of the      
doctrine of transubstantiation1 as      
taught by ,chrysostom and ,tertullian1  
calls it the most stupendous piece of   
nonsense1 that ever was owned before a  
rational world4  ,dr4 ,jeremy ,taylor1 a
 distinguished ,irish theologian1       
speaking of transubstantiation1 as      
taught by the holy fathers1 says1 ,by   
this doctrine1 the same thing stays in a
 place and goes away from it2 it removes
 from itself and yet abides close by    
itself and in itself and out of itself2 
it is brought from heaven to earth1 and 
yet is nowhere in the way1 nor ever     
stirs out of heaven4 ,it makes a thing  

contained bigger than that which        
contains it1 and all ,christ's body to  
go into a part of the body2 his whole   
head into his own mouth1 if he did eat  
the eucharist1 as it is probable that he
 did41 and certain that he might have   
done4 ,but the real presence of the body
 and blood of ,jesus ,christ was not the
 only nonsense which these holy fathers 
taught4 ,they believed largely in the   
doctrine of miracles4  ,ambrose1 who was
 ,bishop of ,milan about the year #cej1 
has been always1 and is now1 considered 
by the ,popish church one of her best   
authorities4 ,papists tell us1 that     
while he lay an infant in his cradle1 a 
swarm of bees settled upon his lips as a
 presage of his future eloquence2 and ,i
 believe it is generally admit ted1 that
 if any of the fathers quoted by        
,papists is good authority in matters of
 faith1 he is among the best4 ,during my
 doubts whether ,i should take the      
fathers of the ,romish church1 or the   
holy ,bible for my guide1 ,i was led    

especially to the examination of the    
doctrines maintained by ,st4 ,ambrose   
and those taught in the ,bible1 and     
never before did ,i see that common1    
though vulgar saying1 comparisons are   
odious1 more strictly fulfilled4 ,i will
 take one1 for example4  ,among the many
 rhapsodies taught by ,st4 ,ambrose1 a  
belief in ,popish miracles was the most 
prominent ,he taught1 as ,i have stated 
above1 that the wafer which a ,romish   
priest gives to a communicant1 was the  
solid flesh of ,christ1 and so solid1   
that he who received it might stick his 
teeth into the flesh4  ,the following is
 another specimen of the miracles in    
which he believed4 ,the ,empress        
,justina asked ,st4 ,ambrose for one of 
the ,romish churches for the use of the 
,arian sect4 ,he refused her1 and was   
then about to consecrate that sumptuous 
basilic1 afterwards called ,st4         
,ambrose's church4 ,the people1 as we   
are told1 were anxious to deposit in the
 edifice the relics of some             

martyr1--relics were used by the holy   
father ,ambrose then1 as they are now by
 ,popish priests1--to cure all diseases4
 ,the people insisted upon having them1 
and accordingly the holy father promised
 that they should be procured4 ,paulinus
 and ,augustine tell us that he was     
favored with a vision of two martyrs1   
who were never before heard of1 named   
,gervusius and ,protusius1 who1 hearing 
in heaven of the holy father's design to
 build a ,popish church1 instantly fled 
from their place of repose1 and told him
 that they were murdered by infidel     
heretics in such a place1 and on such a 
day2 that if he would send men with     
spades and shovels to the place         
designated1 they would find their bones1
 and to have them removed and deposited 
in the new church4 ,the holy saint1 in  
compliance with this glorious           
information1 which he received in a     
vision1 sent a number of men with       
spades1 shovels1 pickaxes1 c41 and they 
soon found the bodies of two men of     

wonderful stature4 ,the heads were      
separate from the bodies1 and the ground
 all round was soaked with blood4 ,i use
 the language of the holy fathers       
themselves1 translated into ,english1   
which1 considering that all the flesh   
had already disappeared1 may be         
considered a complication of miracles1  
unless it can be supposed1 as the       
relator wickedly observes1 that it may  
be new created4 ,as the workmen         
proceeded down towards the martyrs'     
resting-place1 their skeletons began to 
bestir themselves in such powerful sort1
 that an urn was thrown with violence   
from its pedestal1 and rolled to the    
sacred spot2 and some of the possessed1 
who had been brought upon such a        
promising occasion to be exorcised1     
began to howl and scream in the most    
lamentable ways1 thus giving attestation
 to the power of glorious martyrs4 ,the 
relics1 blood and bones were carefully  
removed to the new basilica1 and on the 
road many miracles were wrought on      

diseased persons1 who were so happy as  
to touch them2 such was their virtue1   
that even to touch the pall which       
covered them was sufficient4 ,among     
others1 a butcher1 who had been a long  
time blind1 was restored to sight4 ,the 
blood of these martyrs was worked up    
into paste1 and distributed all over    
,christendom1 as an antidote against all
 diseases4  ,the writings of the holy   
fathers abound with legends of this     
kind4 ,we are told by them1 that one of 
the ,romish saints in ,egypt1 named     
,apia ,till1 suffered martyrdom1 after  
being cut to pieces ten times each day1 
for ten successive days1 by the tyrant1 
,maximin1 and was every night put       
together by the angel ,gabriel4 ,another
 tells us1 that he has a bottle in which
 are corked up carefully some of the    
rays of the star of ,bethlehem1 handed  
down to posterity by one of the wise men
 who went in search of the new-born     
,saviour4 ,another of those infallible  
lunatics tells us1 that he has sealed up

 in perfect preservation some of the    
sounds of the bells used at ,solomon's  
,temple4  ,among the innumerable        
miracles in which the holy fathers of   
the ,romish church believed1 or         
pretended to believe1 there are some so 
ridiculously incredible1 that humanity  
itself1 in the lowest depths of         
degradation1 into which it has fallen1  
blushes at their repetition4 ,it is     
gravely related by a ,roman ,catholic   
divine1--and no ,roman ,catholic in the 
,united ,states disbelieves it1--that   
the sacrament of the ,eucharist1 or1 to 
make it more intelligible to my readers1
 the wafer which the priest gives to the
 sick1 and elevates to the people while 
saying mass1 was conveyed into a        
bee-hive4 ,in all probability1 it       
dropped out of the pocket of some       
priest4 ,the bees were found dead1 and  
in the midst of them the wafer became an
 infant ,christ1 looking like other     
infants1 but more beautiful4 7,see      
,peter ,cluniac1 first book1 first      

chapter47 ,it is related by another     
,romish writer1 that a hive of bees was 
once heard singing most harmoniously4 ,a
 devout priest1 passing by1 happened to 
look in1 and saw among them the holy    
sacrament of the ,eucharist1 to which   
they were singing glory and praise4     
,there is scarcely an ,american         
traveller1 of any note1 who has not     
visited ,naples4 ,there are now in that 
city of worse than ,pagan idolatry1 some
 of those converts1 which ,bishop       
,penwick says he has made from the most 
respectable ,protestant families in     
,boston4 ,the bishop was right in one   
thing4 ,the families to which he        
alluded1 are highly and deservedly      
respectable2 their children are         
respectable1 and these parents can have 
no objection that ,i should appeal to   
them for the truth of any assertion ,i  
make4 ,i appeal to those ,american      
converts now in ,italy1 whether it is   
not believed there1 that ,saint         
,januarius1 on a certain day1 is invoked

 to be propitious to the people4 ,during
 this invocation1 in which the whole    
city1 and thousands upon thousands from 
the neighboring country1 unite1 certain 
ceremonies are performed1 bells are     
rung1 every one goes to confession1     
masses are said1 incense offered1 holy  
water is sprinkled profusely1 beads are 
counted relics are kissed1 and when all 
this is over1 a priest comes forth from 
the sacristy of the church1 preceded and
 followed by an immense train of boys1  
bearing lights1 c41 c4 ,the priest holds
 in his hand some of the blood of ,st4  
,januarius1 formed into a hard crust4   
,he calls upon the saint to be          
propitious1 and to grant his prayer4 ,if
 the saint is willing to be propitious1 
the crust of the saint's blood1 which   
the priest holds in his hand1 bubbles   
into a red liquid4 ,for a true account  
of this1 ,i refer the general reader to 
,dr4 ,moore's ,tour4 ,the doctor was the
 father of ,sir ,john ,moore1 and was an
 eye-witness of this mummery2 but ,i    

will refer those respectable            
,protest-ant families1 from whom the    
,jesuit ,bishop ,fenwick says he has    
made so many converts1 to their own     
children1 now in ,naples1 and who have  
been seduced by these arrant and        
designing knaves1--,popish priests and  
bishops1--to abandon their homes1 their 
country1 and their civil rights1 and    
give them in exchange for such degrading
 mummeries as they are now witnessing in
 ,italy4 ,their children will tell them 
that what ,i state is correct4 ,let     
these parents reflect1 that probably    
they themselves are the cause of the    
errors into which their children have   
been decoyed4 ,it was recently observed 
by an eminent divine of ,boston1 that   
the great prosperity of this country may
 be the cause of the many evils which   
threaten our people4 ,the sentiment     
appears strange to many1 but the        
eloquent gentleman was right4 ,the      
downfall of nations might always be     
traced to their superabundant wealth and

 prosperity4 ,the same may be applied to
 individuals4 ,reader1 did you ever see 
infidelity in a cottage8 ,never1 where  
the ,bible has found its way4 ,misery   
you will find there1 but that you will  
find in palaces4 ,the poor love the name
 and the religion of ,christ4 ,the      
puritan fathers of the nabobs of this   
land loved them1 and they had reason to 
do so4 ,to religion and to the ,bible   
they are indebted for all their worldly 
comfort1 their liberty1 and their civil 
rights2 and the parents who permit their
 children to be seduced from their      
tender care by ,jesuits1 notorious for  
centuries for nothing but fraud1        
deception1 seduction and avarice1 have a
 long account to settle with their      
,eternal ,master4 ,let them take heed1  
lest their wealth be the cause of the   
temporal and spiritual poverty of their 
beloved children4  ,be not startled1    
reader1 if ,i inform you that a miracle1
 more incredible than that of the blood 
of ,januarius1 has been wrought in these

 ,united ,states only a few years ago1  
if we are to believe a ,roman ,catholic 
bishop1 who was reputed to be one of the
 most talented men in the ,romish       
church4  ,who is it1 that does not      
recollect the notorious ,prince         
,hohenloe1 who1 a few years ago1 played 
so many fantastic tricks before high    
,heaven1 and who1 if we are correctly   
informed by his ,popish biographers1    
wrought more miracles in one month1 than
 the ,saviour of mankind did during the 
whole course of his ministerial life8   
,it appears that the ,popish priests and
 nuns of the ,united ,states have been  
for several years expecting1 or1 at     
least1 pretending to expect1 some       
miraculous evidence of divine favor in  
their behalf4 ,the nuns and sisters of  
charity in the convents of ,emmetsburg  
and ,georgetown felt jealous that their 
brothers and sisters in ,europe should  
be empowered to work and witness        
miracles almost daily1 and thereby      
enrich their convents1 while they       

themselves had not a single miracle     
among them1--at least1 of their own     
manufacture4 ,up to that time1 as far as
 ,i know1 no miracle was performed or   
witnessed by ,popish nuns and lay       
sisters in the ,united ,states4 ,this   
was deemed a serious calamity4 ,it was  
even a loss of revenue1 and this the    
priests and nuns knew full well4        
,something must be done2 revenue must be
 had from some source2 and the          
unprincipled priests and bishops of this
 country1 understanding well the        
weaknesses and imperfections of         
humanity1 knowing that human nature is  
the same in all nations and among all   
people1 and seeing the vast benefits1   
which1 in a pecuniary point of view1    
their church derived from the belief of 
their people in miracles1 resolved to   
try an experiment1 upon a small scale1  
upon brother ,jonathan4 ,accordingly1   
about the year #ahbh1 when ,st4         
,hohenloe was in all his glory1 his     
divine power shining in full blaze1 the 

bishops and priests of the ,roman       
,catholic church resolved upon having a 
miracle of their own1 instanter4 ,the   
following was their modus operandi3  ,a 
lay sister in the nunnery of ,emmetsburg
 or ,georgetown1 ,i forget which1 was   
taken ill4 ,she bore her indisposition1 
which was attended with excruciating    
pains8--risum tenia tis--with angelic   
resignation4 ,the best medical aid was  
always at hand1 but she grew worse and  
worse every day1 until her case became  
hopeless4 ,her recovery was pronounced  
impossible4 ,medical aid could do no    
more2 her whole time was devoted to     
prayer2 but1--miribile dictu1--one      
night1 as she lay in momentary          
expectation of death1 the spirit of     
,prince ,hohenloe paid her a visit1 bid 
her be of good cheer1 and directed her  
to have mass said for her in her room on
 a certain day1 and at a certain        
hour1--naming both1--and that1 when the 
priest raised up the wafer at mass1 she 
should look at it1 and would see the    

infant ,saviour in his hands1 body and  
blood1 soul and divinity1 and in shape  
and form like other infants4 ,she       
communicated this visit from the saint  
to her confessor4 ,he1 as is usual in   
these cases1 did not believe it at      
first2 but the saint visited him1 too1  
and reprimanded him for his incredulity4
 ,bishop ,england1 of ,charleston1 was  
immediately sent for4 ,the circumstance 
of the saint's visit was related to him2
 he pretended to disbelieve it also for 
a while1 but was finally convinced of   
its truth1 and consented to say mass on 
the appointed day and hour in the lay   
sister's sick room1 and1 almost         
incredible to relate1 this ,bishop      
,england1 a man of talent1 and a man of 
sense1 though the slave of the ,pope of 
,rome1 touches in a letter to the       
public1 through the ,catholic           
,miscellany1 which he himself then      
edited1 that the whole of this lay      
sister's falderal was true1--that the   
saint visited her1--that he said mass   

according to his instructions1 and that 
she saw in his hands1 not a little      
wafer1 made of flour and water1 but a   
full grown infant1 in all the natural   
proportions of humanity4  ,i regret     
extremely that ,i have not the ,catholic
 ,miscellany1 containing an account of  
this transaction by ,bishop ,england    
himself1 as it is hardly to be expected 
that ,americans can otherwise believe   
it2 but undoubtedly ,bishop ,hughs1 of  
,new ,york1 and ,bishop ,fenwick1 of    
,boston1 must have files of the         
,miscellany1 containing an account of   
this miraculous event4  ,is this not    
enough of itself to deter any man1      
endowed with the faculty of reason1 from
 holding any communion whatever with    
,roman ,catholic bishops and priests8 ,a
 degradation of the understanding like  
this1 and among a people like ours1     
cannot exist1 unaccompanied with        
depravity of heart4 ,the intellect      
cannot be darkened1 when the heart is   
pure and bright1 and such a heart cannot

 be possessed by a ,papist who remains  
so after a thorough knowledge of ,popish
 iniquities1 which all priests and      
bishops are supposed to have4 ,i declare
 it as my solemn conviction1 and from my
 perfect knowledge of ,popery1 that a   
thoroughly educated ,popish priest1 ,i  
mean thoroughly educated in ,popery1 can
 no longer retain the image of the      
,deity1 which the ,god of nature has    
stamped upon every created mind1        
undefiled or undebased1 while he has any
 connection with the church of ,rome4   
,that church is and ever has been the   
curse of the earth1 the scourge of all  
good governments1 and the greatest      
obstacle to the ,divine ,will4 ,under   
this conviction1 ,i have addressed      
myself to the public in this book4      
,under this conviction ,i have taken the
 liberty of appealing to ,protestant    
families1 and cautioning them against   
the intrigues of priests4 ,it was this  
conviction that induced me to disregard 
that ancient aphorism which says1 ,if   

the people will be deceived1 let them be
 deceived4 ,i felt that the people had  
no chance 99 to escape deception1 unless
 the truth were known and fairly        
explained to them4 ,when dust is thrown 
into the eyes of the people1 or even    
into those of private families1 it is   
the duty of every man1 and mine as well 
as that of others1 to remove and clear  
it away2 otherwise1 ,i should be        
undeserving of the blessings and        
privileges secured to me by the laws of 
this country4 ,could ,i rest supinely   
and see a body of men prevail by        
artifice1 who hate the very name of     
liberty1 without resisting them as far  
as in me lay1 ,i should be acting       
criminally4 ,it is bad enough to        
tolerate amongst us miracle-mongers and 
convicted idolaters2 but to allow them  
to continue in the practice and         
propagation of such deeds1 without      
warning our people and cautioning them  
against being drawn into the whirlpool  
of ,popish corruption1 which now foams  

and boils and bubbles over our land1    
would show in me an ingratitude towards 
this country1 to which ,i owe everything
 ,i am1 and which gives me as good a    
right as others to expect much more4    
,it is strange that we should have      
amongst us a society called ,puseyites1 
who believe as firmly as ,papists do in 
the long-exploded doctrine of           
miracles1--a doctrine upon which age    
after age has pronounced an unqualified 
verdict of censure and reprobation4 ,yet
 so it is4 ,allow me to give you an     
example of the long list of miracles in 
which they believe4  ,sixty confessors  
were made prisoners by ,humeric1 the    
tyrant king of the ,african ,vandals1 in
 the #dth century4 ,he ordered their    
tongues to be cut out1 even to the      
roots1 inclusively2 but notwithstanding 
this loss of their tongues1 roots and   
all1 they lived many years after1 and   
spoke more plainly than ever4  ,the     
reverend ,mr4 ,ward1 a distinguished    
friend of ,puseyism1 now living in      

,england1 and looked upon by the        
,puseyites in the ,united ,states as one
 of the most able advocates of their    
wild doctrine1 assures us with great    
gravity1 and on the authority of the    
holy fathers of the middle ages1 that   
the above fact is true1 and as much     
entitled to credit as anything related  
in the holy ,scriptures4 ,he even tells 
us that to attribute anything like      
idolatry1 or anything approaching it1 to
 such men as related the above and      
similar facts1 was a fearful            
approximation to blasphemy against the  
,holy ,ghost4  ,the ,mr4 ,ward to whom  
,i allude is well known to many literary
 men in this country1 as the author of a
 work recently published1 and called    
,wards ,ideal of a ,christian ,church1  
,the name of the work is assuredly an   
appropriate one4 ,his church must be    
ideal indeed4 ,it is something          
invisible1 intangible1 hitherto unknown 
and never heard of before4 either in    
scriptural or church history2 and where 

he found the materials1 out of which he 
formed this ideal of a ,christian       
church1 must be known only to himself4  
,but ,mr4 ,ward is a philosopher1--so   
say the ,puseyites1--and philosophers   
now-a-days have some strange dreams4    
,they had such in all times and in all  
ages of the ,christian1 as well as the  
heathen world4 ,oh6 there is a husk and 
shell1 ,yorick1 which grows up with     
learning1 which their un-skilfulness    
knows not how to fling away4 ,sciences  
may be learned by rote1 said my father  
to ,yorick4 ,yorick thought my father   
inspired4  ,whether ,puseyites think    
,mr4 ,ward inspired or not1 ,i am at a  
loss to know2 nor am ,i a judge2 but    
that he is a philosopher1 is beyond     
doubt4 ,nor do ,i feel the least        
hesitancy in saying that he will have1  
one day or another1 his name inscribed  
in the same niche1 and his ashes rest in
 the same urn1 with such distinguished  
men as ,joe ,smith1 ,hiram ,smith and   
,o4 ,brownson1 all conspicuously eminent

 philosophers4 ,the fact of my not      
understanding one word these eminent    
philosophers have uttered1 is no        
argument against their ideal churches1  
or their ideal theories4  ,i will enter 
into obligations this moment1 said my   
father1 to lay out all my ,aunt ,dinah's
 legacy in charitable uses1 if the      
corporal has any one determinate idea1  
annexed to any one word he has repeated4
 ,thus spoke the learned author of the  
,tristrapedia to ,trim2 but it by no    
means followed1 that ,trim was not a    
philosopher1 no more than it does that  
,mr4 ,ward and other ,puseyite doctors  
are not philosophers1 though not one of 
them has any one determinate idea       
annexed to any one word they have said  
or written4  ,thrice honored1 then1 be  
,monks1 ,mormonites1 ,millerites and    
,brownsonites4 ,all will have their day1
 and so will common sense4  ,i am       
apprehensive that some will accuse me of
 levity in my manner of alluding to     
,puseyism4 ,others will say that ,i     

should have mentioned no names1 or1 if  
,i did1 ,i should have treated them with
 respect and kindness4 ,far be it from  
me to treat a grave subject lightly2 but
 when ,i see the whole ,christian world 
represented as profligate and the       
,popish world alone represented as      
sinless and pure1 by the authors of     
,puseyism1 ,i can scarcely treat such a 
false representation and perversion of  
truth otherwise than with contempt and  
irony2 and when ,i bring before the     
public the names of some of the         
individuals who have merited this1 by   
exhibiting themselves as the authors and
 abettors of these gross outrages upon  
all that is sacred among men and among  
nations1 ,i only do them justice4 ,are  
acts alone1 and not their consequences1 
to be noticed8 ,are we to take          
cognizance of effects1 and pass by in   
silence their causes8 ,are we to wage a 
seven years' war against ,ward's ,ideal 
of a ,christian ,church1 and against    
other ideals of moonstricken dreamers1  

and say not a word of the dreamers      
themselves1 or the consequences that    
follow from them8 ,suppose we had here  
in ,boston1 or ,new ,york1 the          
hydrophobia2 suppose a citizen were in  
pursuit of the mad dog which introduced 
it2 would any of my readers say to the  
citizen1 never mind the dog1 let him go 
but take care of the hydrophobia8       
,assuredly not the name1 the color1 the 
appearance of the dog1 and the symptoms 
of his madness1 should be proclaimed to 
the public1 lest he might scatter the   
hydrophobia still further amongst them4 
,suppose an incendiary was seen on the  
streets of one of our large and populous
 cities1 say1 for instance1 ,boston or  
,new ,york1 and that our police officers
 were in pursuit of him2 let us fancy a 
crowd of sympathizers interfering and   
saying to the officers1 let that man    
alone2 pursue him no farther2 do not    
even mention that he is an incendiary2  
it may be the cause of sending him to   
gaol1 or1 perhaps1 to the state prison  

for life2 say nothing to any one against
 him1--but take care of fires4 ,see well
 to it that the city is not burned4     
,what1 under these circumstances would  
be thought of the sympathizers8 ,who    
would feel for them if the city was     
reduced to ashes8 ,who would feel for   
them if their homes were rendered       
desolate1 and their wives and children  
made houseless4 ,i would not check the  
generous or natural flow of human       
sympathy1 but ,i do not know that ,i    
should do wrong in saying1 that such men
 deserved no commiseration4  ,under     
these circumstances1 why should ,i be   
accused of treating a grave subject     
lightly or ironically8 ,never did the   
witty ,lord ,shaftsbury utter a plainer 
truth than when he said1 that ridicule  
is one of those principal lights or     
natural mediums by which things are to  
be viewed1 in order to a thorough       
recognition4  ,i am aware that there are
 many objections to the use of ridicule 
and irony1 in speaking on grave         

subjects2 but1 as ,fielding very        
properly observes1 there can be no      
objection to making use of its          
assistance in expelling and banishing   
all falsehood and imposture when once   
fairly detected2 and as this method is  
for my present purpose unexceptionable1 
,i think it will also prove efficacious4
  ,having perused the dreams1 or1 if the
 reader prefers it1 opinions of the holy
 fathers1 and taken a glance at those of
 a new sect amongst us called           
,puseyites1--which is but another name  
for ,popery1--,i could see no reason why
 ,i should believe them of higher       
authority than the ,scriptures1 or why  
,i should not prefer the latter for my  
rule of faith4 ,the holy fathers of the 
church of ,rome1 and her unbaptized     
children1 ,puseyites1 seem to me of     
equal authority4 ,i say unbaptized1     
because ,i know not that their reputed  
parents1 the ,pope and his spouse1 the  
church of ,rome1 ever thought of such a 
thing as ,puseyite4 ,i am rather        

inclined to think that the venerable    
couple are1 up to this moment1          
unconscious of having any paternity     
whatever in ,puseyism4 ,at any rate1    
their holy fathers1 such as ,mr4 ,ward1 
,newman and others1 appear to me as     
demented and clean daft as any that ever
 existed in the middle ages4 ,the       
,knight of ,cervantes1 as a late number 
of the ,london ,quarterly expresses it1 
never abandoned himself to delirious    
musings1 on the faded glories of        
chivalry1 more madly than these         
sentimentalists to visions of ,popish   
powers1 and the glories of the saints4  
,the ,bible was with them a matter of   
minor consideration4 ,i knew by         
experience that it was so2 and ,i know  
that it is so at the present day1 with  
every priest and bishop of the ,romish  
church4 ,i was aware then1 as ,i am now1
 that it was perfectly useless to       
attempt reasoning with them1 and ,i had1
 of course1 no alternative left but to  
cast from me their writings and         

doctrines1 as the veriest trash that    
ever was written1 and seek from the     
,bible1 the fountain of truth1          
instructions for my future life4 ,i     
looked upon the majority of the holy    
fathers either as notorious blockheads  
or dishonest knaves4 ,there is no       
alternative4 ,there is not even a       
medium4  ,but to return to the subject1 
from which ,i have so widely1 though    
unconsciously deviated4  ,soon after my 
arrival in ,philadelphia1 ,i became     
acquainted with a ,protestant family4 ,i
 had the pleasure of dining occasionally
 with them1 and could not help noticing 
a seemingly delicate young man who      
waited at the table4 ,there was         
something in the countenance and whole  
appearance of this individual which     
struck me as singular4 ,i could see no  
indication of positive wickedness or    
signal depravity in the external        
configuration of the young man's head4  
,the expression of the eye indicated    
meekness1 humility1 and habitual        

obedience1 rather than anything else2   
but ,i could see1 nevertheless1 in the  
closely-compressed lips and furtive     
glance1 which ,i could only occasionally
 catch1--and even then by a sort of     
stealth1--something that puzzled me4 ,i 
know not why1 but ,i could not like him4
 ,there was no cause1 as far as ,i could
 see1 why ,i should dislike the young   
man4 ,constitutionally1 ,i was myself   
rather fearless than otherwise4 ,i      
cannot recollect that1 with equal means 
of defence1 ,i ever before feared any   
one1 ,i do not desire to be considered a
 braggadocio1 nor do ,i make this       
assertion with any such view4 ,i have   
not in my composition1--if ,i know      
myself1--a single particle of bravery1  
neither do ,i covet its possession4 ,i  
have often seen men of bravery tremble  
at the roaring of a lion1 caged up and  
strongly chained in a menagerie4 ,i have
 often seen and heard a brave man       
whistle as he passed through a          
church-yard2 a brave man will shudder   

and quail at the very sight of his own  
shadow4 ,a bully1 a cut throat1 a       
highway robber1 a ,jesuit1 or a traitor1
 may be brave2 conspirators against the 
peace and prosperity of their country   
may be1 and have been1 brave men4 ,i    
desire not to belong to this class2 but 
,i desire sincerely to merit the high   
distinction of being considered a man of
 courage4 ,to this class all sincere    
,christians belong4 ,to this class all  
who were distinguished for virtue and   
morality1 even among the heathens1      
belonged4 ,witness the conduct of       
,cicero4 ,he sought to shelter himself  
against the violent assaults and        
personal attacks of the conspirator     
,catiline2 he wished no unnecessary1    
uncalled-for collision with this        
blood-thirsty villain1 when no good     
could follow1 and his duty did not      
require it4 ,but when the good of his   
country demanded it1 and the voice of   
conscience called upon him1 ,cicero came
 forth1 alone1 and met the conspirator1 

,catiline1 in the presence of the whole 
senate of ,rome1 and charged him1 face  
to face1 with his crimes1 his treason1  
and his conspiracy4 ,cicero was not a   
brave man1 according to the acceptation 
of the word bravery among the assassins 
and stiletto-bearers of his day1 nor    
would he be considered so in the        
acceptation of the word among the       
brawling repealers ,o',connellites1     
traitors and conspirators of the present
 day2 but he was a man of courage4      
,there is a wide difference between a   
brave man1 and a man of courage4 ,a     
brave man may stand at the mouth of the 
cannon1 while under the influence of    
some animal emotion1 and quail even at  
an imaginary danger2 but a courageous   
man smiles at all such things1 and      
calmly prepares1 and is always ready to 
meet those that are real4 ,a man may be 
brave1 and fear the whistling of the    
wind2 but a courageous man fears        
nothing1 not even the whistling of the  
cannon's ball4  ,luther was not a brave 

man1 in the modern acceptation of that  
term4 ,he rushed not among his foes2    
they hunted him like a wild beast1 but  
they turned him not from his path4 ,he  
met them face to face4 ,he unfurled the 
standard of ,christianity2 he took his  
stand1 and met them1 and fought them    
under that glorious banner4 ,he was not 
brave1 but he was a man of courage4     
,these are the men ,i should like to    
imitate1 and their courage1--,sic magna 
com parvis componere solebam--is that   
which ,popish priests and ,jesuits1     
traitors to their ,god and this country 
of my adoption1 will find ,i possess1 as
 far as my limited powers of mind or    
body will permit4  ,cicero looked       
,catiline in the face1 and told him he  
was a conspirator and a traitor4 ,luther
 looked the miracle and indulgence      
mongers of ,germany in the face1 and    
told them they were base idolaters2 and 
,i tell the minions of the ,pope in the 
,united ,states1 that they are worthless
 idolaters1 traitors and conspirators   

against the peace of this country1 and  
that their sovereign lord1 the ,pope of 
,rome1 should be made to feel that his  
bulls and insolent interference in the  
affairs of the ,united ,states1 shall   
soon meet that chastisement which is due
 to treason and its abettors4  ,but to  
return4 ,i could never find the eye of  
this man fixed upon me without an       
involuntary feeling of dread4 ,i met him
 often in the streets2 he always seemed 
neat and tidy in his person2 he was     
civil and respectful in his deportment2 
never seemed to forget that society had 
its grades1 and that circumstances had  
clearly designated his own4 ,with that  
he seemed well contented2 never1 as far 
as ,i could see1 seeming to feel the    
least desire of intruding upon that of  
others4 ,this being rather a rare case  
in the ,united ,states1 twenty years    
ago1 at any rate1 when it was difficult 
to get servants who knew their places1  
struck me as another singular feature in
 his manner and character1 and did not  

at all tend to remove the unpleasant    
impressions which his appearance made   
upon my mind4 ,not long after this1 a   
messenger called at my rooms to say that
 ,theodore------ was taken ill1 and     
wished to see me4 ,i was then           
officiating as a ,romish priest1 and    
calling to see him1 was shown up stairs 
to the door of a garret room1 into      
which1 after a loud rap and announcing  
my name1 ,i was admitted to the sick    
young man4 ,he had returned to his bed  
before ,i entered1 and was wrapped in a 
large overcloak4 ,i asked him whether he
 wanted to see me1 and for what purpose4
 ,he deliberately turned out of his bed1
 locked the door again1 very            
respectfully handed me a chair1 and     
asked me to sit down1 as he had         
something very important to tell me4 ,he
 wrapped himself again in his cloak1 lay
 on the outside of the bed1 and spoke to
 me in a firm1 decided tone to the      
following effect3  ,sir1 you have taken 
me for a young man1 but you are         

mistaken4 ,i am a girl1 but not so young
 as #a appeared to you in my boy's      
dress4 ,i sent for you1 because ,i want 
to get a character1 and confess to you  
before ,i leave the city4 ,i answered1  
,you must explain yourself more fully   
before you do either4 ,i moved my chair 
further from the bed1 and tightened my  
grasp upon a sword-cane which ,i carried
 in my hand4 ,feel no alarm1 said this  
now young woman2 ,i am as well armed as 
you are1--taking from under her jacket  
an elegant poignard1--,i will not hurt  
you4 ,i am a lay sister belonging to the
 order of ,jesuits in ,stonyhurst1      
,england1 and ,i wear this dagger to    
protect myself4 ,there was no longer any
 mystery in the matter4 ,i knew now     
where ,i was1 and the character of the  
being that stood before me4 ,i          
discovered from her that she arrived in 
,new4 ,orleans1 some time previous1 with
 all necessary recommendations to the   
priests and nuns of that city4 ,she had 
the necessary ,shibboleth from the      

,jesuits of ,stonyhurst1 to their       
brothers and sisters1 who were then1 and
 are now1 numerous in that city4 ,they  
received her with all due caution1 as   
far as could be seen by the public2 but 
privately in the warmest manner4        
,jesuits are active and diligent in the 
discharge of their duties to their      
superiors1 and of course1 this sister1  
who was chosen from among many for her  
zeal and craft1 lost no time in entering
 on her mission4 ,the ,sisters of       
,charity in ,new ,orleans took immediate
 charge of her1 recommended her as      
chambermaid to one of the most          
respectable ,protestant families in the 
city2 and having clothed her in an      
appropriate dress1 she entered upon her 
employment4 ,she was active1 diligent   
and very competent4 ,the young ladies of
 the family were delighted with her2 she
 appeared extremely pious1 but not      
ostentatiously so4 ,she seemed desirous 
to please in all things2 talked but     
seldom of religion1 but took good care  

that her devotional exercises should be 
noticed1 though she seemed to avoid such
 a thing4 ,her conduct was in every way 
unexceptionable4 ,so great a favorite   
did she become in the family1 that in a 
short time she became acquainted with   
all the circumstances and secrets1 from 
those of the father down to those of the
 youngest child4  ,according to a custom
 universally in vogue among the ,jesuit 
spies1 she kept notes of every          
occurrence which may tend to elucidate  
the character of the family1 never      
carrying them about her1 but depositing 
them for safe keeping with the mother   
abbess1 especially deputed to take      
charge of them4 ,she soon left this     
family under some pretext or other1     
obtained from them an unqualified       
recommendation for honesty and          
competency1 which1 with the previous and
 secret arrangements of the ,sisters of 
,charity1 obtained for her without delay
 a place in another ,protestant family4 
,here1 too1 she was without fault1      

active1 honest and industrious1 to all  
appearance4 ,little did these families1 
know that while they and their children 
were quietly reposing in the arms of    
sleep1 this apparently innocent         
waitingmaid or chambermaid was1 perhaps1
 in the dead hour of night1 reducing to 
paper their conversation of the day     
previous1 and preparing it1 at least as 
much of it as could answer any          
,jesuitical purpose1 to be recorded     
among the secret archives of the ,jesuit
 college of ,stonyhurst1 from which they
 were to be transcopied to those of the 
parent college in ,rome4  ,thus did this
 lay sister continue to go from place to
 place1 from family to family1 until she
 became better acquainted with the      
politics1 the pecuniary means1 religious
 opinions1 and whether favorable or not 
to the propagation of ,popery in this   
country1 than even the very individuals 
with whom she resided4 ,no one suspected
 her2 all believed her innocent and     
industrious2 the only fault they could  

find with her1 was that she seemed too  
fond of going from one place to another4
 ,for this1 however1 the ,sisters of    
,charity had some salvo or other4  ,this
 was not the best of the joke1 if joke  
it may be called4 ,this excellent       
chambermaid1 or another lay ,jesuit     
sister1 wished to leave ,new ,organs and
 come north to a better climate2 and    
how-do you think1 reader1 the means were
 raised to defray the expenses of       
travelling8 ,there was no difficulty in 
the matter4 ,americans can be gulled at 
all times4 ,the ,sisters of ,charity    
have always some friend in readiness to 
supply them with the means of performing
 corporal works of mercy4 ,this friend  
went round to these ,american families  
where this chambermaid lived from time  
to time2 told them that she wanted to   
come on as far as ,baltimore2 that it   
was a pity to have her travel as a      
steerage passenger2 a person of her     
virtue and correct deportment should not
 be placed in a situation where she     

might be liable to insult or rude       
treatment4 ,a cabin passage should be   
procured for her3 she should be         
introduced to some respectable family   
who were going north1 and would take    
charge of her4 ,the necessary funds were
 immediately collected for her2 the     
generous ,protestants with whom she     
lived1 pitying the poor girl1 told her  
she might want the little she had earned
 to support herself in the north1 until 
she could get a place4 ,a handsome purse
 was soon made up1 a cabin passage was  
engaged1 and the young ladies on whom   
she waited made her presents of every   
article of dress necessary for her      
comfort or convenience4 ,she was the    
depository of all their                 
love-stories1--she knew the names of    
their lovers1 she heard their           
love-sighs1 and probably witnessed many 
of their tears2 at all events1 if there 
were secrets among them1 they were known
 to her2 and having made herself        
acquainted with the state of things in  

,new ,orleans1 she started for          
,baltimore1 laughing in her sleeves at  
the success of her mission so far1 and  
at the credulity of ,american dolts1 as 
,jesuits very properly term them4  ,on  
arriving in ,baltimore1 she1 of course1 
called upon the nuns of that city1 who  
were prepared for her reception1 and had
 already a situation engaged for a      
chambermaid whom they expected from ,new
 ,orleans1 and who was coming highly    
recommended by some of the first        
families in that city4 ,she took        
possession of a place as soon as        
convenient1 spent several months in that
 city1 discharging all her duties       
faithfully1 no one finding any fault    
with her1 except her restlessness in not
 staying long with any family4 ,having  
now become acquainted with the secrets  
and circumstances of almost every       
,protestant family of note in           
,baltimore1 and made her report to the  
mother abbess of the nunnery of her     
order in that city1 she retired to the  

,district of ,columbia1 and after       
advising with the mother abbess of the  
convent1 she determined to change her   
apparent character and appearance4  ,by 
advice of that venerable lady1 the holy 
prioress1 on whom many of the wives of  
our national representatives1 and even  
grave senators1 look as an example of   
piety and chastity1 she cut short her   
hair1 dressed herself in a smart-looking
 waiter's jacket' and trowsers1 and1    
with the best recommendations for       
intelligence and capacity1 she1 in her  
new dress1 applied for a situation as   
waiter at ,gadsby's ,hotel in           
,washington city4 ,this smart and       
tidy-looking young man got instant      
employment2 and now we have the lay     
sister in quite a different character4  
,his intelligent countenance1--we must  
not say her in future1--soon attracted  
the notice of some of our most eloquent 
statesmen4 ,he appeared so humble1 so   
obedient and so unattentive to anything 
but his own business1 that those        

senators on whom he waited1 not         
suspecting that he had the ordinary     
curiosity of servants in general1 were  
entirely thrown off their guard1 and in 
their conversations with one another    
seemed to forget their usual caution4   
,such in a short time was their         
confidence in him1 that their most      
important papers and letters were left  
loose upon their tables1 satisfied with 
saying1 as they were going out1         
,theodore1 take care of my room and     
papers4  ,now the ,jesuit was in her    
glory4 ,now the lay sister had an       
opportunity of knowing many of our      
national secrets1 as well as the private
 characters of some of our eminent      
statesmen4 ,now it was known whether    
,henry ,clay was a gambler2 whether     
,daniel ,webster was a libertine2       
whether ,john ,c4 ,calhoun was an       
honorable but credulous man4 ,now it was
 known what value was put upon ,popish  
influence in this country1 and what were
 the hopes of ,papist foreigners in the 

,united ,states4 ,in fact1 this lay     
sister in male uniform1 and but a waiter
 in ,gadsby's ,hotel1 was thus enabled  
to give more correct information of the 
actual state of things in this country1 
through the ,general of the ,jesuit     
,order in ,rome1 than the whole corps   
diplomatic from foreign countries then  
resident at our seat of government4     
,after relating to me in her sick       
room1--as the family in which she lived 
fancied it was1--all these              
circumstances1 she deliberately said to 
me1 ,i want a written character from    
you4 ,you must state in it that ,i have 
complied with my duty2 and as it is     
necessary that ,i should wear a cap for 
a while1 having cut off my hair1 you    
must say that you visited me in my sick 
room1 that ,i confessed to you1 received
 the viaticum and had just recovered    
from a violent fever in which ,i lost my
 hair4 ,my business is not done yet1    
said she4 ,i must go to ,new ,york1     
where the ,sisters of ,charity will find

 a place for me as waiting-maid4 ,it is 
needless to say with what reluctance any
 man could comply with such a request as
 this2 and my having done so1 is a      
stronger evidence than ,i have          
heretofore given of the indomitable     
strength of early education4  ,the      
conduct of this emissary of ,satan1 was 
the embodyment of all that was          
iniquitous and dishonorable2 it was a   
violation of every tie that holds       
society together2 it was a part of a    
system of social1 political1 moral1     
public and private treachery1 which no  
other being than a devil or a ,jesuit   
could devise4 ,yet ,i was a ,popish     
priest4 ,my education1 my profession1 my
 oath1 compelled me to sanction it2 and 
,i did sanction it4 ,the lay sister     
retired to ,new ,york1 put on her female
 dress1 and during some months          
following1 acted as a chambermaid in    
several of the wealthiest ,protestant   
families in that city4 ,a few weeks     
after she obtained from me this         

character1 the ,rev4 ,mr4---------1 7,i 
will give his name in full if           
necessary17 ,president of the ,jesuit   
college in ,stonyhurst1 to which ,i have
 alluded1 and where this demon1 now in  
petticoats1 was a lay sister1 called on 
me in ,philadelphia4 ,we were old       
acquaintances1 he being ,vice ,president
 of the college of ,maynooth for about  
twelve months4  ,the misunderstanding   
between myself and the acting superior  
of the diocese of ,pennsylvania1 had    
just commenced1 and my friend1 the      
,jesuit1 thought it his duty to call    
upon me4 ,he hoped that ,i would abandon
 my schismatic course1--,i was not then 
a heretic1--and cease to circulate the  
,bible among the people4 ,he never      
alluded to the lay sister during our    
whole conversation1 though he was the   
very man who caused her to be sent out  
to this country1 and the one who first  
procured her the situation of lay sister
 at ,stonyhurst ,both were relatives1   
and both natives of ,dublin1 in         

,ireland4  ,whether the relation of this
 circumstance will have the effect of   
putting ,americans on their guard       
against ,jesuits and nuns1 ,i know not2 
and in truth1 such is their apathy on   
the general subject of ,popery1 that ,i 
am tempted to say1 ,i care not4 ,my     
impression is1 that until some attack is
 made upon an ,american's purse1 and    
,popery becomes a question of dollars   
and cents1 ,jonathan will never be      
roused from his apathy4 ,so far as ,i   
know ,americans1 as the antagonists of  
,popery1 they will listen to no argument
 upon the subject1 either in their      
national councils or in their pulpits1  
except to the one great argument1 the   
,argumentum ad crumonam4 ,i will only   
say1 ,qui vult descipatur4  ,it is      
unnecessary1 ,i presume1 to remark here1
 that the conduct of the modern fathers 
of the ,popish church1 in sending to    
this country the lay sister of whom ,i  
have been speaking1 and encouraging her 
as a spy amongst our citizens1 did not  

tend much to diminish my doubts about   
the veracity of the ancient fathers4    
,providentially1 however1 another       
circumstance occurred1 which finally    
decided me4 ,it is of so atrocious a    
character1 that if there were not       
several now living1 who witnessed the   
whole transaction1 ,i would scarcely    
mention it2 or if ,i did1 it could be   
with little or no hope of being believed
 by ,americans1 although some money is  
mixed up with the affair4  ,there lived 
in ,philadelphia1 about the year #ahbb  
or #ahbc1 a gentleman of high character 
as a sea captain and otherwise4 ,he     
commanded an ,east-,indiaman1 belonging 
to one of the wealthiest houses in that 
city4 ,one of the firm now lives there1 
though at an advanced period of life4   
,this captain of whom ,i speak1 was in  
the habit of visiting ,baltimore1       
whenever he returned from the ,east     
,indies4 ,he was a remarkably           
fine-looking man1 and believed to be    
worth from one hundred and fifty to two 

hundred thousand dollars4 ,he shipped   
largely upon his own account1 and was   
successful4  ,while in ,baltimore1 he   
formed an attachment for a ,roman       
,catholic lady of beauty1 but no        
fortune4  ,the ,reverend ,mr4 ,k------1 
the ,stonyhurst ,jesuit1 whom ,i        
mentioned1 happened to be there during  
one of the captain's visits to that     
city1 to see this lady4 ,the ,jesuit    
having discovered who the captain was1  
what he was1 and how much money he was  
worth1 obtained an introduction to him  
from this ,roman ,catholic lady4 ,he    
soon found that1 like most men whose    
lives have been spent upon the sea1 he  
was a frank1 open-hearted man4 ,a little
 further intimacy satisfied him1 that he
 was deeply in love with this ,popish   
lady4 ,his course was now clear4 ,the   
,jesuit serpent saw plainly that his    
prey was within striking distance2 that 
he need only coil himself into a proper 
attitude and spring upon it at his      
leisure4 ,he represented to the captain1

 that the lady to whom he was paying his
 attentions was one of the most amiable 
and excellent of her sex2 highly        
approved of the captain's taste and     
judgment2 with many other such          
observations4 ,the captain was more and 
more pleased with the object of his     
affections1 and urged his suit with     
increased assiduity4 ,the ,jesuit in the
 mean time was not idle2 his eye rested 
with a serpent-like fascinating gaze    
upon the movements and money of the     
captain4 ,he had private interviews with
 the lady4 ,he contrived to have her    
become his penitent1 and go to          
confession to him4 #ae  ,his control    
over her in future was boundless4 ,she  
lost her identity as a member of        
society4 ,she almost ceased to be a     
human being2 a rational one she could   
not be4 ,she became a thing1 a mere     
thing to be shaped and moulded as her   
holy father the ,jesuit directed4 ,he   
spoke to her of the captain1 of his     
great attachment to her1 and recommended

 to her to marry him1 but on condition  
that he should become a ,roman          
,catholic4 ,he talked eloquently of the 
awful consequences of having a member of
 the infallible church unite herself to 
a heretic1 whom she knew to be          
excommunicated and damned by the ,pope  
and the holy church1 as all heretics    
are1 and finally obtained from the young
 lady a solemn promise that she should  
never marry her suitor1 until he became 
a member of the church of ,rome4  ,when 
the captain next called to see her1 the 
lady told him that she had one          
objection1 and only one1 to marrying    
him2 unless that was removed1 she could 
never consent to do so2 and stated to   
him what that objection was4 ,the       
unsuspecting and frank sailor1 not being
 a professor of any religion1 and caring
 very little to what church he might go1
 replied1 that he would as soon be a    
,roman ,catholic as anything else4 ,all 
things were now arranged1 except the    
formality of uniting with the ,popish   

church4 ,the ,jesuit was sent for1 and  
it was agreed that the marriage should  
take place in a few weeks1 during which 
time the captain1 under the direction of
 the ,jesuit1 was to prepare himself for
 confession2 a necessary preliminary for
 joining the ,popish church4  ,it is a  
custom with ,jesuits1 and almost with   
all priests of the ,romish church1 to   
require of those who are about uniting  
with them1 to go into what they call a  
retreat2 viz4 to enter into some retired
 or secluded place1 where they will have
 an opportunity of communing with       
themselves1 without interruption from   
the world or its busy citizens4 ,the    
,jesuit recommended to his unfortunate  
dupe1 the captain1 to retire            
to--------convent1 where he might be    
alone as much as he pleased1 and where  
he would hear nothing but songs of      
praise to the ,most ,high ,god1 from    
blessed monks and nuns4  ,the captain1  
according to orders1 entered upon his   
retreat4 ,before ,i proceed further1 ,i 

will observe that this captain1 of whom 
,i am speaking1 had a remarkably        
beautiful set of teeth1 of which it was 
said he was extremely vain4 ,he was not 
many days upon his retreat1 when        
symptoms of derangement became evident2 
and one day1 while under the influence  
of some natural or artificial cause--the
 reader may guess which--the unfortunate
 gentleman went down to ,alexandria1    
called upon a dentist in that city or   
neighborhood1 and insisted that he      
should pull out seven teeth from each   
jaw4 ,in vain did the dentist           
remonstrate2 out they must come1 and out
 they did come4  ,the ,jesuit hastened  
to ,baltimore1 called upon the lady who 
was engaged to be married1 told her the 
captain was insane1 beyond recovery1 and
 that she should be thankful to the     
,virgin ,mary1 who caused this          
visitation in time to prevent her from  
being married to a madman4 ,judge you1  
,americans1 of the feelings of this lady
 on that occasion1 and say what ought to

 be the punishment of the incarnate     
fiend who occasioned them4 ,the poor    
captain1 though considerably recovered1 
continued to be partially deranged2 but 
it assumed a character of religious     
gloom and melancholy4 ,the ,jesuit      
returned to--------1 seeming to do all  
in his power to lighten the spiritual   
load which lay upon the captain's soul4 
,he became his confessor1 and soon      
persuaded him that the only way of      
saving his soul1 was to convey to the   
order of ,jesuits what property he      
possessed1 and to become a ,popish      
priest2 that he had a visit from the    
,virgin ,mary1 who ordered him to tell  
him--the captain--that he must take holy
 orders2 that there was a grand field   
opened for him to promote the cause of  
religion and the saints2 that he must go
 forthwith to ,philadelphia1 where an   
infamous heretic called ,hogan was      
spreading most damnable heresies4 ,will 
you believe it1 ,americans8 ,it is      
drawing almost too heavily upon you to  

do so4 ,he did come to ,philadelphia1   
and preached against the heretic ,hogan 
and ,hoganism1 a fact which fifty       
thousand people now living there can    
attest4 ,but quantum mutatus6 ,when he  
left it some time before1 he was a      
happy1 honorable and fine-looking man4  
,he was wealthy1 and he obtained his    
wealth by honest industry4 ,but how was 
he now1 the distorted shadow of what he 
was2 penniless1 toothless1 and a        
senseless fanatic1 drugged into madness1
 and by whom8--by nuns1 who act in the  
treble capacity of cooks1 teachers1 and 
prostitutes for ,jesuits4 ,this is harsh
 language indeed4 ,call it gross1 if you
 please1 reader2 but if you will figure 
to yourself for a moment an honorable   
man1 a native of these ,united ,states1 
a fine specimen of manly proportions and
 manly beauty1 and then conceive this   
individual reduced to the condition to  
which ,i and thousands now living have  
seen this noble-hearted sailor of whom  
,i have spoken1 reduced1 my language    

will appear neither harsh nor coarse4   
,what6 must we call ,jesuit assassins   
reverend gentlemen8 ,must we call       
robbers honest men8 ,must we call their 
accessories--nuns--ladies of virtue8    
,sympathizers may do so2 but ,i do not  
write for them alone4 ,i write for men  
of sense2 ,i write for lovers of their  
,god and their country2 ,i write not for
 advocates of ,puseyism1 or such        
exploded fooleries as they believe in4  
,whatever ,i say1 is intended for those 
alone who have the capacity of          
distinguishing between common sense and 
mental vagaries1 and who have the       
honesty to call things by their proper  
names4  ,the first sermon which this    
unfortunate man preached against me in  
,philadelphia1 was attended by crowds4  
,many had known him before he went to   
,baltimore4 ,he was then universally    
popular1 and on his return among them he
 was well received4 ,his friends saw the
 change--the fatal change--which had    
taken place in his whole external       

configuration2 but they knew not by what
 means it was effected4 ,some attributed
 it to self-denial1 others to           
fanaticism1 but none to the right cause4
 ,this was known only in the            
confessional2 and under all these       
circumstances1 it may be easily supposed
 that his discourses against me1 however
 unconnected they may be1 however       
fugitive and irrelevant as a whole1 had 
a powerful effect upon the public mind4 
,public sentiment1 which up to this     
period sustained me in my opposition to 
,popery1 and in my efforts to circulate 
the ,bible1 now began to flag4 ,popish  
priests and bishops went about          
industriously representing that this    
reverend convert to ,popery was         
inspired2 reported that he had visits   
from saints and angels1 attesting the   
fact of his inspiration4 ,there was no  
difficulty in persuading a man of his   
shattered constitution and now weak     
mind1 that such was the fact2 and he    
redoubled his efforts in trying to      

persuade those who attended my church1  
and who were becoming readers of the    
,bible1 never to do so again4 ,his      
disordered mind often saw me in hell1   
side by side with ,luther1 and the      
blessed ,virgin spitting in our face4   
,he often saw me with ,ignatius ,loyola1
 who was breaking me on the rack as a   
punishment for my heresies4 ,the        
utterance of those wild rhapsodies were 
not without their effect2 almost all the
 poor ,irish ,papists believed them2 and
 it required from me more bodily and    
mental labor than ,i was able to endure1
 to counteract the effects of this      
madman's rhapsodizing4  ,i am now so    
well acquainted with the character of   
,american ,protestants1 and even with   
,american converts to the ,romish       
church1 that ,i know it is difficult to 
persuade them that the ,romish priests  
of ,philadelphia1 or other parts of the 
,united ,states1 were so utterly        
abandoned to degeneracy1 as to give     
credence to these ,visions or visits    

from saints1 which ,i have just spoken  
of4 ,but let them recollect that        
practices upon popular credulity are now
 carried on1 and were then carried on1  
upon as large a scale1 as at any period 
in the existence of the ,romish church4 
,such impositions are encouraged all    
over the world1 even at the present day4
 ,the wildest extravagances of intellect
 have circulated freely for the last    
thirty years in the world4 ,read ,eugene
 ,sue4 ,he tells us of numerous         
instances of the kind4 ,read the last   
edition of ,genin1 page #hb1 and you    
will find an account of the ,medal of   
the ,immaculate ,conception of the      
,virgin ,mary1 struck only the other    
day1 #ahch4 ,over two hundred thousand  
copies of this medal have been already  
sold4 ,the story is this1 as now vouched
 for by the most eminent holy fathers of
 the infallible church3--,that the      
,virgin ,mary showed herself to one of  
the ,sisters of ,charity in ,france1 a  
branch of which holy sisterhood we have 

in this city of ,boston1 the capital of 
,new ,england1 and revealed to her the  
pattern of a medal to be struck for her2
 the dress she was to appear in1 and the
 kind of rings she was to wear4  ,this  
medal has cured1 and is now curing1     
according to the accounts we receive    
from the holy fathers1 all manner of    
diseases1 such as paralysis1 epilepsy1  
cancer1 and1 according to the belief of 
some ,puseyite moral philosophers1 it   
causes the blind to see1 the dumb to    
speak1 and the lame to walk4 ,a capital 
story is related of the potency of this 
medal4 ,it is too good to be omitted1   
especially as many of my ,puseyite      
friends believe it1 and no doubt will be
 glad to hear it repeated4  ,a ,sister  
of ,charity got acquainted with a       
married couple4 ,the wife was a ,papist 
of the most exemplary character1        
obedient to holy ,mother the church1 and
 her confessor1 in all things4 ,the     
husband had no faith1 especially in his 
wife's confessor4 ,he drank1 cursed and 

swore1 like all possessed4 ,the holy    
,sister of ,charity1 seeing him at the  
point of death1 and wishing to rescue   
his soul from hell1 called to see him1  
and slipped one of these medals between 
the sheets of this wicked man's bed1 and
 the next morning he gets up as well as 
ever and goes to confession4 ,another   
miracle which was performed by this     
medal in #ahch1 deserves notice1 and may
 prove invaluable1 if it finds its way  
into this country4 ,one ,marie          
,laboissiere1 aided by her lover1       
murdered her husband1 and forced her son
 to take part in the murder1 to prevent 
him from being witness against her4 ,the
 lady and her lover were1 however1      
arrested1 tried1 and found guilty of the
 murder4 ,they appealed to a higher     
tribunal4 ,during the interval between  
the sitting of the higher and lower     
courts1 one of the ,sisters of ,charity 
threw a medal round ,marie's neck1 and  
though the court and all saw that she   
was guilty1 and ought to be judicially  

declared so1 they could not do it4 ,the 
medal would not let them1 but obliged   
them to acquit her4 ,if the reader will 
take into consideration that such       
visions as the ,rev4 ,captain fancied he
 had1 were matters of every-day         
occurrence with pious ,papists1 and that
 a belief in them is encouraged and     
enforced by ,popish priests and bishops 
everywhere1 they will cease to be       
surprised that a man tortured into      
madness1 as my reverend antagonist was1 
should have visions such as those       
ascribed to him2 nor will they wonder at
 the effect of his preaching1 upon a    
congregation principally composed of    
,irish and ,french ,papists4  ,i was    
alone1 without a clerical friend2 not a 
,protestant preacher1 with the exception
 of one1 raised his hand or his voice in
 my support4 ,they seemed to like the   
fun1 as some of them expressed it1      
amongst the ,papists1--,i suppose they  
considered me one then1--but they came  
not to my aid4 ,they appeared to me     

pretty much like the wife when she saw  
her husband fighting with a bear1 and   
was expected to interfere1 but very     
coolly replied1 ,i don't care which of  
them gets licked4  ,under these         
circumstances1 ,i felt discouraged2     
became utterly disgusted with ,popery   
and its infamous practices1 with the    
holy fathers and their fooleries1 and   
resolved in future to have no more to do
 with ,popery4 ,i collected such volumes
 as ,i had of the holy fathers1 piled   
them up into one heap1 added to them the
 lives of the saints1 and placing on the
 top of the pile the ,pope's bull of    
excommunication1 which the poor old man 
thought would frighten me out of my     
wits1 ,i consigned them1 book by book1  
volume by volume1 together with the     
aforesaid bull1 to the warm embraces of 
a good hickory fire4 ,i knew the day was
 not far distant1 when ,americans would 
see something besides fun in ,popish    
quarrels2 and in the mean time1 ,i      
determined to employ myself in the study

 of ,blackstone1 ,chitty1 c42 a much    
more profitable employment1 in a        
pecuniary point of view1 than fighting  
in the cause of ,american ,protestants  
with ,european ,papists4  ,it was said  
of ,erasmus1 that he laid the egg of the
 reformation1 and that ,luther hatched  
it4 ,i trust it will not be deemed      
vanity in me to say that ,i have done as
 much for ,american ,protestants1 as    
,erasmus did in his day4 ,at least1 ,i  
have done all ,i could2 but whether they
 or any of them will do as ,luther has  
done1 time alone can decide4  ,in this  
connection1 it is not improper for me to
 state the ultimate fate of this        
reverend convert to the ,romish church4 
,after ,i retired from ,philadelphia1   
and ,hoganism was put down1 the ,jesuits
 measurably neglected their convert2 a  
thing very unusual with them1 to do them
 justice4 ,he felt the loneliness of his
 situation4 ,with a mind enfeebled by   
drugs1 a correct view of his situation  
could only strike him by glances2 but   

they were terrible and fearful4 ,he saw 
himself robbed of the one beloved object
 of all his earthly affections2         
plundered of a fortune1 the fruit of    
honorable toil and industry4 ,he saw in 
himself but the mutilated skeleton of   
what he once was1 and the dupe of crafty
 ,jesuits and licentious nuns4 ,he      
shrunk from the view1 and as if ,god1 in
 his mercy1 wished to hide it from him' 
by means which may appear to us         
incomprehensible1 he fell into fits of  
real madness1 from which he recovered   
but occasionally4 ,the last ,i have     
heard of him was that he was arrested   
somewhere near ,newcastle1 ,delaware1   
for attempting to commit a rape on a    
child nine years old2 but the poor      
maniac was acquitted on the ground of   
insanity4 ,several priests were called  
as witnesses in his behalf2 and well    
they may be witnesses4 ,it was they that
 caused him to be what he was2 it was   
they that maddened him4  ,those who are 
not familiar with crime1 whose hands are

 unstained by blood1 and whose          
consciences have not been seared and    
discolored by the blackness of guilt1   
may hesitate to give credence to these  
disgusting details4 ,comparatively short
 as our national existence is1 and      
though brief the period since we cut    
loose as a nation from what we deemed   
the polluted governments of ,europe1    
still there was a time1 even in these   
,united ,states1 when such deeds as ,i  
have related would not and could not be 
believed amongst us4 ,there was a time  
when the ancient ,romans did not think  
that there existed such a crime as      
patricide2 and hence it is4 that there  
was no law against it4 ,there was       
actually no punishment known to their   
laws for the commission of such a crime2
 and why1 reader8 ,did the ancient      
,romans encourage their children to kill
 their parents1 or to commit patricide8 
,no4 ,far from it4 ,no people in the    
world venerated their parents more than 
the ,roman children of the day to which 

,i allude4 ,they had no law against the 
crime1 because they did not believe it  
possible that such a crime could be     
committed4 ,nor is it to be wondered    
now1 that many ,americans should        
consider it almost impossible that such 
deeds as ,i have laid to the charge of  
,jesuits and nuns1 should be perpetrated
 amongst us4 ,but time1 that exponent of
 all things1 will soon satisfy our      
people--as it did the ,romans before    
us--that there is nothing impossible1 or
 even beyond the range of ,jesuitical   
iniquity4 ,the archives of ,jesuitical  
intrigue are now in a measure being     
thrown open to the world4 ,the diffusion
 of literature is so general1 and human 
curiosity1 at the present period1 so    
great1 that nothing can escape its      
searching inquiries4 ,it is therefore to
 be hoped that our people will not be   
much longer in ignorance of the         
iniquities of ,jesuits4 ,americans can  
now learn from historical evidence1     
which admits of no doubt1 that ,jesuits 

have been expelled1 successively1 from  
thirty-nine different governments2 they 
can also learn1 that by intrigue1       
deception1 perjury and poison1 they have
 survived each and every one of those   
expulsions4 ,they may see1--if they can 
see anything but money1--that the       
,jesuits are now making a final struggle
 for a settlement in this country2 and  
if they are not so stupid as not to see 
that similar causes must produce similar
 events1 they will infer that ,jesuits1 
who have successively and effectually   
introduced disunion1 discord1 and       
disorganization into thirty-nine        
governments1 cannot fail to do the same 
in ours4 ,if by poison and assassination
 they have dethroned the rulers of other
 countries2 if by debauchery and        
superstition in the confessional1 they  
have seduced their wives and daughters1 
can it be supposed that our rulers shall
 escape1 our government be secure1 or   
our wives and daughters safe from the   
daggers or subtle poisons of these      

notorious fiends8  ,let any ,american   
take the ,wandering ,jew1--let him read 
it attentively1 and reflect that the    
writer1 ,eugene ,sue1 is a ,roman       
,catholic now living in ,france1--and   
say whether there is any crime too      
daring for a ,romish priest or ,jesuit4 
,if he doubts what ,i relate of a young 
lady in the beginning of this book1 who 
was debauched by a ,romish priest1 and  
poisoned by a nun1 the mother abbess of 
a ,jesuit seminary of learning1 to get  
rid of her illicit offspring2 let him   
see the history of ,charlotte ,de       
,cordoville1 in the ,wandering ,jew4 ,he
 will see in the history of that young  
lady1 distinguished though she was for  
fortune1 beauty and charity1 how she was
 reduced to misery and unhappiness1 by  
the intrigues of ,jesuits4 ,you will see
 how her own aunt was made the          
instrument of all her misfortunes2 but  
the aunt was first made a ,jesuit1 and  
in that capacity she disregarded honor1 
truth1 the relationship of blood1 and   

all the alliances of natural friendship4
 ,she caused her to be imprisoned and   
maltreated4 ,she and her associate      
,jesuits caused herself and her lover to
 be poisoned or drugged into an insane  
stupor2--all for the glory of the       
infallible church1 and with a view of   
adding to its ill-gotten treasures4 ,for
 a full account of this transaction1 see
 ,eugene ,sue4  ,but ,romish priests    
will not permit their people to read    
,eugene ,sue2 it is a forbidden book2   
his royal holiness1 the ,pope1 has      
cursed the book and all who read it4 ,he
 has cursed all who presume to discuss  
fairly the merits of ,popery2 but even  
this will scarcely be believed by       
,americans4 ,strange infatuation6 ,will 
,americans read a report made to the    
,french ,chambers in ,paris1 by the     
,duke de ,broglie1 on the subject of    
public instruction and ,jesuitism8 ,will
 they further read a small work written 
by ,messrs4 ,michelet and ,quinet1      
professors in the ,french national      

college8 ,if they do1 it may open their 
eyes to consequences which may be       
apprehended from even tolerating        
,jesuits amongst us4 ,they will see that
 ,jesuits are the avowed enemies of     
liberal education1 and that they are    
sustained in their opposition to it by  
the curses of the ,pope4  ,professors   
,michelet and ,quinet1 in #ahdc1 were   
discussing1 in public1 the influence of 
the different religious orders4 ,they   
had1 as we are told1 commented upon that
 of the ,templars1 and were speaking of 
the society of ,jesuits1 its origin and 
its interference in political affairs2  
and though the professors themselves    
were ,roman ,catholics1 though they     
lectured in a ,roman ,catholic country  
and to ,roman ,catholic people1 under   
the sanction of a law of the land1 yet  
,jesuits attempted to disturb those     
lectures1 by creating an uproar among   
the audience2 just what they are doing  
in this country4 ,but what renders their
 conduct on this occasion more strange1 

is the fact1 that the very existence of 
,jesuits1 as a society is illegal in    
,france4 ,there is a law in ,france     
against secret associations1 and under  
this law they cannot exist4 ,how        
pregnant with instructions to ,americans
 is this single historical fact6 ,a few 
years ago1 ,charles ,x4 and his family  
had to fly from ,france1 because1 under 
the influence of ,jesuitism he violated 
his faith1 he broke his royal word and  
oath to the people4 ,the people of      
,france hunted him and the ,jesuits out 
of that country1 as they would so many  
wild beasts4 ,such then was the         
indignation of ,popish ,france against  
that infernal society1 the ,jesuits1    
that not one of them dared ta show his  
face in the streets of ,paris1 without  
trembling for his life4 ,like dastardly 
cowards1 as all dishonorable and bad men
 are1--,i never knew an                 
exception1--these wretches moved about  
like beasts of chase1 stealing from one 
cover to another2 the representatives of

 all that was base and dishonorable2 the
 embodiment of all that was vile1 false 
and treacherous2 the incarnation1 the   
sentiment and the sediment of all that  
was odious in fallen humanity4 ,but see 
them now1 in #ahdc and '#dd1 and see the
 conduct of these very ,french people   
towards them4 ,though the law forbids   
their existence1 they have the hardihood
 to interrupt the legitimate professors 
of the college of ,france1 in their     
inquiries into the spirit and influence 
of ,jesuitism2 and they are supported by
 a portion of the very people1 who1 but 
a few years ago1 pelted them with rotten
 eggs and dead cats1 through the streets
 of ,paris4 ,and what effected this     
extraordinary change in popular         
sentiment8 ,it is accounted for in      
various ways2 but ,i contend that the   
only fair solution of the problem is to 
be found in the fact1 that republican1  
democratic ,north ,america hats opened  
her hospitable doors1 and without       
suspicion1 or without dreaming that she 

was entertaining her deadliest foe1 has 
spread her tables to feed1 and opened   
her purse to build asylums for these    
scapegoats of the human family4  ,in    
#ahcj1 ,jesuits were crushed in ,france2
 they fled to the ,united ,states1      
collected together their broken         
phalanxes1 told brother ,jonathan they  
were a persecuted people1 prevailed on  
him to build colleges for them1 and they
 have risen again1 not only in this land
 of the brave1 but even in ,france1     
under the present king1 ,louis          
,philippe4  ,but notwithstanding these  
truths1 the inquiry is sometimes        
made1--the question has often been put  
even to myself1--,are there really any  
,jesuits in the ,united ,states8 ,do you
 believe that females are seduced into  
nunneries8 ,do you believe they attempt 
to tamper with our children or our      
wives8 ,i allude to the subject of      
privately tampering with the wives and  
daughters of ,americans thus frequently1
 because ,i think it is all-important   

that they should thoroughly understand  
the dangers to be apprehended from      
having any intercourse whatever with    
,jesuits and nuns4 ,many a man asks this
 question1 who accompanies it with      
saying1 the nunnery to which my daughter
 goes to school is not a ,jesuit        
nunnery4 ,the priest to whom my wife    
confesses is not a ,jesuit4 ,the priest 
to whom my daughter and servants go to  
confession is not1 and never was1 a     
,jesuit2 and consequently there is no   
danger from this source4 ,many a man    
asks this question1 and states these    
circumstances in good faith1 and feels  
secure that all is right1 as nothing in 
his opinion is to be feared but from    
,jesuits4 ,this is a delusion4 ,this    
man's wife is already-governed by       
,jesuits through her confessor4 ,it even
 happens sometimes that the confessor   
himself is unconscious of the part he is
 acting4 ,the confessor acts under the  
immediate advice of his bishop1 to whom 
alone1 in most cases1 the ,jesuits will 

entrust their plans1 unless the         
confessor is personally known to them2  
and unless the confessor professes and  
solemnly swears to observe1--,i use the 
words of the oath1--obedience1 courage1 
secrecy1 patience1 craft1 audacity1     
perfect union among ourselves1 having   
for our country1 the world2 for our     
family1 our order2 for our queen1 ,rome4
  ,few of the confessors in this        
country1 except the bishops1 are        
entrusted with the plans of the         
,jesuits2 perhaps not ten1 except they  
are of the ,jesuit order4 ,it is through
 those confessors1 that many of our     
,american youth1 both male and female1  
are seduced into ,popish schools1 where 
they become1 with few exceptions1       
spiritless1 false1 slaves of abject     
superstition1 and the victims of a      
superficial education4 ,no time is      
given1 no room left1 as a modern writer 
expresses it1 for the energies of the   
mind to develop themselves4 ,no         
sustenance is provided to nourish the   

finer feelings of the heart4 ,the       
intellect is checked1 the flow of       
imagination is stemmed1 and all the warm
 and generous affections of the soul are
 poisoned in their very bud4  ,for an   
instance of the fatal consequence of    
such an education as this1 ,i would call
 the attention of ,americans1 once more1
 to the ,wandering ,jew4 ,see the       
effects of a ,jesuitical education upon 
the noble and generous mind of ,gabriel1
 the adopted son of the honest          
,dagoberth4 ,what could be more lovely  
than the disposition of this young man4 
,his sentiments were as upright and as  
chaste as fallen humanity would permit4 
,but the ,jesuit society laid its impure
 hands upon him at an early period of   
life2 they persuaded his guileless      
adopted mother to go to confession1--not
 to a ,jesuit1--but to a ,cure of       
another order of priests2 and the bishop
 of this ,cure gave him his instructions
 how to manage the mother of ,gabriel4  
,the bishop knew that this adopted son  

of the virtuous and craftless wife of   
,dagoberth1 was one among other heirs of
 an immense estate1 and he directed the 
,cure to prevail upon this simple woman1
 while at confession with him1 to send  
,gabriel to a ,jesuit school1 and have  
him become a ,jesuit priest4 ,americans1
 read the sequel1 and in that you will  
find a warning1 stronger and louder than
 ,i can give you1 never to send a child 
of yours to a ,jesuit seminary4 ,let    
mothers read the history of ,dagoberth's
 wife1 and if1 after careful and honest 
perusal of it1 they will again commit   
their daughters to the care of a nurse  
who goes to confession1 ,i must only    
conclude that they are either infidels  
or mad1 or both4 ,quem ,deus vult       
perdere prius dementat4 ,gabriel1--the  
virtuous and good ,gabriel1--was nursed 
by ,dagoberth's wife4 ,from his infancy1
 it seems he had no inclination to      
become a ,jesuit2 he appeared to have an
 innate aversion to the order of        
,jesuits2 he struggled against uniting  

himself with them1 as far as a sense of 
gratitude and a feeling of affection for
 his adopted mother1 the nurse of his   
childhood1 would permit4 ,but all to no 
purpose2 the mother was the dupe of her 
confessor4 ,he was instructed to win    
over the youth by any and every means2  
and1 with the advice and cooperation of 
,jesuits1 the confessor of this really  
honest1 but deluded woman1 succeeded1 by
 perseverance and increased fondness for
 her adopted child1 in neutralizing his 
aversion towards ,jesuit priests4  ,in  
an evil hour he joined them2 their traps
 were too well laid1 and without being  
seen in the business themselves1 they   
accomplished their iniquitous purposes  
through the instrumentality of this     
affectionate and charitable woman4 ,all 
was done through the confessional4 ,how 
many similar cases have ,i witnessed    
myself1 in the course of my life1 but   
particularly while acting as a ,romish  
priest in the confessional6 ,how often  
have ,i known some of the best of women1

 belonging to the ,roman ,catholic      
church1 unconsciously made the dupes of 
priests6 ,how often have ,i seen women1 
who1 had they been properly educated1   
and under different circumstances1 would
 be an honor to any religious           
denomination1 made the instruments of   
all that was vile and flagitious1 by    
,popish confessors6 ,how often have ,i  
seen ,roman ,catholic servant-maids in  
,protestant families1 inveigled by their
 ghostly fathers1 in the confessional1  
into treachery1 deception and           
ingratitude1 towards their employers and
 benefactors6 ,how often1 as ,i have    
stated in my book on ,popery1 have these
 ,roman ,catholic servants stolen the   
infants from their ,protestant mothers1 
and brought them to myself to be        
baptized6  ,there is now1 in the state  
of ,massachusetts1 a young ,protestant  
clergyman1 distinguished for his talents
 and piety1 an honor to his profession  
as a minister of the gospel1 and to the 
state of ,massachusetts as a republican 

citizen1 who was baptized by myself in  
,philadelphia1 when acting as a ,roman  
,catholic priest4 ,the name of the      
gentleman and the date of his baptism   
were duly registered by me2 but the     
clerical ,goths and ,vandals1 who       
succeeded me in ,st4 ,mary's church in  
that city1 expunged the register which  
,i kept1 not deeming it safe to leave in
 existence1 if possible1 any records of 
the iniquities taught or practised in   
the ,romish church4  ,there are in all  
bodies and in all denominations of      
clergymen1 certain individuals by whom  
it becomes fashionable to get married   
and baptized2 and during my residence in
 ,philadelphia1 ,i held rather a        
conspicuous place among them4 ,the      
congregation of ,st4 ,mary's church was 
a large one4 ,notwithstanding my        
schismatic doctrines1--,i was not then  
deemed a heretic1--crowds attended the  
church1 and ,i believe1--though ,i      
cannot tell the exact number1--that ,i  
baptized more children than any         

clergyman in the city4 ,among these     
there were hundreds of ,presbyterians1  
,episcopalians1 ,methodists and         
,baptists1 brought to me for that       
purpose1 by their ,roman ,catholic      
nurses1 without the knowledge or consent
 of their ,protestant mothers4  ,this   
has ever been the treacherous practice  
of the ,romish church1 from the days of 
,hildebrand down to the present moment4 
,dagoberth's wife is not a solitary     
instance of the undue influence which   
,romish priests have over those women   
who go to confession to them4 ,show me  
the house of a ,protestant family in the
 ,united ,states where there is a ,roman
 ,catholic1 male or female1 who goes to 
confession and communion in the ,romish 
church1 and ,i will show you a watch1 a 
spy upon every act and deed and movement
 of that family4 ,there is not a letter 
that comes into such a family1 that is  
not watched by ,popish servants4 ,they  
soon know from whom it comes1 or whether
 anything is to be gained by            

intercepting it4 ,the confessor is      
immediately consulted1 and it is        
ascertained1 from some servant in the   
house where it was written or where it  
was received1 what was its purport1 or  
what it contained4  ,this practice of   
domestic espionage1 we all know1 is     
common in every country where auricular 
confession is taught and practised2 but 
it is carried on more generally here1 in
 proportion to the number of ,roman     
,catholics1 than in any other country in
 the world2 and the reason is obvious4  
,it is said that ,jews never cheat each 
other2 this is not because they will not
 cheat as well as others4 ,the reason   
is1 they will not trust each other4     
,they are always on the watch1 or1 as   
,yankees would express it1 on the       
look-out for each other4 ,neither is it 
because other countries or other people 
are less disposed to indulge in this    
species of espionage than we are1 that  
they have less of it3 it is because     
,catholic countries and ,catholics will 

not trust each other4 ,they are on the  
qui vive in all matters of intrigue1    
whether in domestic or national affairs1
 whether in morals or politics4 ,but    
poor ,jonathan1 with all his smartness  
and all his cleverness1 is probably the 
most gullible biped that crawls upon    
this earth4 ,i have known some poor     
servant-maids and servant-men1 who did  
not seem to have an idea beyond a       
,hottentot1 who1 after one month's      
proper training in the confessional by a
 ,romish priest1 could wheedle them out 
of all they possessed1 except their     
money2 and never have ,i known a ,romish
 confessor1 not even the simplest       
,reverend ,yahoo from the bogs of       
,ireland or flats of ,holland1 who could
 not filch from them whatever money he  
wanted for any given purpose4  ,the     
cunning of ,americans1 their knowledge  
of human nature and of things in        
general1 cannot be mentioned in the same
 category with the craft and knowledge  
of man which ,jesuit priests and        

confessors possess4 ,this is exemplified
 even in the case of ,american          
missionaries4 ,send an ,american        
missionary to ,france1 to ,spain1 or to 
any ,catholic country1 and without aid  
from home he will starve4 ,he has no    
,roman ,catholic to come to confession  
to him1 to give him money to build a    
church for him2 he has no servant-maid  
or servant-man1 through whom he can     
persuade1 to give him ten or twelve     
dollars for saying mass2 no dying man or
 woman will send for him1 and pay him   
well for taking out of his pockets a set
 of oil stocks1 for the purpose of      
greasing them over1 commencing on the   
forehead1 the tip of the nose1 eyelids1 
the lips1 the breast1 the loins and the 
soles of the feet4 ,he has no one to    
send for him and pay highly1 for putting
 his hand in his breeches pocket and    
pulling out a box full of gods1 viz41   
wafers made of flower and water1 and    
giving him one of them4 ,no4 ,he has    
none1 of these resources2 he starves    

amongst them until bread is sent to him 
from home4 ,talk of ,yankee cunning6 ,he
 is a simpleton compared with a ,jesuit4
 ,a ,jesuit comes amongst us1 or he goes
 to any ,protestant country1 without a  
dollar1 but he never travels without his
 jackals1 male and female4 ,he brings   
with him his lay sisters and his lay    
brothers2 they soon scent out prey for  
him2 they hire themselves1 as servant   
men and women1 to ,protestant ,yankees1 
and the first intimation we have of a   
,jesuit missionary amongst us1 is the   
alarm of some rich-toned bell1 which we 
hear from the steeple of a church built 
for him by ,protestant ,yankees4 ,in    
place of sending home for money to      
support him1 as the ,american missionary
 has to do1 a ,jesuit is sending home   
money to pay the passage of others to   
come out and help him4 ,he is purchasing
 some of the most valuable real estate  
that ,protestant ,yankees own1 with     
,yankee money1 and writes home to his   
royal holiness1 the ,pope1 that         

,americans are a simple1 gullible       
people4 ,persevere1 says the ,jesuit in 
,america to his ,pope2 already have you 
three millions of faithful troops from  
your own faithful allies of ,france and 
,spain and other ,roman ,catholic       
friendly governments1 among them4       
,besides this1 holy father1 your        
holiness will bear in mind that many of 
those ,american heretics1 are deserting 
their own churches and joining us2 and  
above all1 most holy father1 you will   
remember1--and ,i pray you will         
graciously condescend to take note of   
it1--that these ,americans are all      
politicians1 all fond of offices and    
would kiss your----66666 as well as your
 toe1 if your subjects will only aid    
them in keeping their offices1 which1 ,i
 am happy to inform your holiness1 we   
are very willing to do1 until we have   
numerical strength enough to turn all   
the heretical wretches out1 and fill up 
their places with your faithful         
subjects4 ,this1 with the aid of the    

blessed ,virgin ,mary1 we shall be able 
to accomplish in a very few years4      
,press on1 most holy father2 your       
subjects are coming in thousands per    
day4 ,send dispatches to your royal     
brothers of ,austria1 ,prussia and      
,spain2 urge upon them to send us help1 
and the glorious cause of your holy     
spouse1 the infallible church1 the      
,queen of heaven1 will triumph4  ,write 
to the greatest layman living1 ,daniel  
,o',connell1 whom your holiness intends 
shall receive from your hands a crown as
 king of ,ireland2 urge upon him the    
necessity of sending over to the ,united
 ,states all the repealers he can spare4
 ,let him persuade the ,irish1 that the 
union was the cause of all their        
grievances1--that they would have       
nothing to complain of1 if the union    
were repealed4 ,let not your faithful   
son1 ,d4 ,o',connell1 ever allude to the
 fact1--the poor ,irish would never     
dream of it1--that the union is not     
quite fifty years old1 and that1 for    

seven hundred years before its          
existence1 the ,irish were much more    
quarrelsome1 clamorous1 litigious than  
they are now4 ,it won't do to let them  
know this2 repeal would lose all its    
charms1 and the greatest layman living1 
would become1--between you and myself   
and the holy ,virgin ,mary1--what he    
really is1 the greatest scoundrel and   
the biggest poltroon living4 ,these     
heretical ,americans are trying to cause
 a division between your son ,daniel    
,o',connell and your subjects4 ,poor    
dolts6 ,how little they know about us4  
,we know what we are about ,your son    
need only go regularly to confession1   
and attend mass in some public place1   
such as at a mass meeting of repealers1 
and nothing can separate your subjects  
from him4 ,i trust the move which we    
made the other day in ,new ,york1       
through your faithful subject ,lord     
,bishop ,hughs1 was highly satisfactory 
to your holiness4 ,your royal holiness  
will be graciously pleased to remember1 

that the first murmurings of repeal     
thunder1 proceeded from the city of ,new
 ,york1 through that humble1 pious and  
zealous servant of the infallible       
church1 the ,lord ,bishop ,hughs4 ,he   
was among the first to call the people  
together1 and1 under pretence of        
desiring repeal in ,ireland1 he told    
them to organize1 to weigh well their   
own power and influence in the political
 balance4 ,he advised them to give their
 support to no man but a repealer1 and  
very judiciously instructed his         
confessors in private1 that it should be
 given only to those who were most      
favorable to your holiness' spouse1 the 
infallible church4 ,he succeeded well4  
,the ,american heretics swallowed the   
bait2 the ,president of the ,united     
,states for the time being1 was the     
first political gudgeon he caught4 ,next
 followed two young spawns of his4 ,they
 shouted repeal throughout the country4 
,your subjects promised to elect the    
three of them presidents in succession2 

but when the hour of election came1 as  
in duty and by oath of allegiance to    
your holiness bound1 we acted as we     
thought would best serve the interest of
 our holy church4  ,this may all seem   
like romance2 but is it so8 ,do not     
facts within the knowledge and almost   
view of my readers1 prove that it is the
 very reverse8 ,who is there that does  
not know1 that does not recollect1 or   
that can forget the events and          
circumstances of the last election for  
,president of the ,united ,states8 ,who 
is there that does not recollect the    
part1 which repealers played in that    
election8 ,can any man who has paid the 
least attention to passing events1      
forget the conduct of ,bishop ,hughs of 
,new ,york or of ,bishop ,fenwick of    
,boston1 or of any other bishop 7,romish
 bishops7 of the ,united ,states1 during
 the last political eventful year8 ,who 
ordered the ,irish ,catholics to turn   
out with a banner bearing upon it the   
treasonable inscription1 ,americans     

shan't rule us8 ,bishop ,hughs of ,new  
,york4 ,did not a band of traitorous    
repealers1 calling themselves democrats1
 parade the streets of ,new ,york1      
,buffalo and other cities1 under the    
jurisdiction of the ,lord ,bishop       
,hughs1 shaking this banner in the very 
faces of ,american citizens1 hurraing   
for ,daniel ,o',connell and repeal8 ,did
 not this bishop ,hughs order several   
hundred stands of fire-arms to be placed
 in the ,roman ,catholic churches of    
,new ,york1 with a view of firing upon  
the citizens should they even dare to   
show any dissatisfaction1 at these      
traitorous proceedings8 ,has not this   
,bishop ,hughs been in close            
correspondence with the traitor         
,o',connell1 ever since he sounded the  
first note of repeal8 ,and is not this  
demagogue ,hughs at this very moment    
corresponding with the confessors of    
,daniel ,o',connell1 and the other      
leaders of repeal in ,ireland8 ,yes1 ,i 
assert it1--he is4 ,there is a          

continuous line of correspondence1 as ,i
 have stated in my recent book on       
,popery1 between the ,propaganda in     
,rome1 the ,romish bishops of ,ireland1 
,daniel ,o',connell1 and the ,romish    
bishops of the ,united ,states4 ,the    
,propaganda of ,rome is the muddy and   
polluted source from which the various  
streams of treason1 which are inundating
 our country1 have proceeded4 ,their    
course is a sinuous one2 their gyrations
 are intricate in the extreme4 ,it takes
 in ,france1 ,austria1 ,russia1         
,switzerland1 the ,netherlands2 in fact 
all civilized ,europe1 besides ,south   
,america and ,mexico2 its fountain in   
,rome1 and emptying itself in the       
,united ,states4 ,yet we now hear this  
,lord ,bishop ,hughs telling his        
subjects in ,new ,york and              
elsewhere1--telling what1 my            
readers8--will you believe it1 should ,i
 inform you8 ,or will you not think me  
trifling with you1 and sporting with a  
grave subject8 ,he tells his subjects   

now1 after doing all the mischief he    
could1 after exciting family against    
family1 after creating disunion1        
dissension and discord1 after exciting  
peaceable fellow-citizens to imbrue     
their hands in each other's blood1 that 
he entirely disapproves of ,daniel      
,o',connell2 that he believes him a     
monarchist1 and that it is the duty of  
,papists to stand by the government that
 protected them4 ,this is unquestionably
 the boldest piece of impudence1 and the
 most clumsy attempt at imposition upon 
the credulity of ,americans1 that has   
ever been attempted in this country4 ,it
 has no parallel in the history of      
,popery in the ,united ,states2 and if  
ever there was a time or an occasion    
which calls upon ,americans to vindicate
 their honor1 and fling from them with  
indignation the imputation of being     
credulous dupes1 now is the day and now 
is the hour4 ,what is this insolent     
upstart ,hughs1--who but the other day  
as another expresses it1 was pitchforked

 from the potato-field into a           
palace1--that he dares thus insult the  
common sense of the free-born citizens  
of ,america8 ,he1 a foreigner1 a        
foundling for aught we know1 nursed and 
fed by ,jesuits into manhood1 their     
slave and their tool1 how dare he insult
 the very country that gives him an     
asylum8 how dare he outrage the feelings
 of the very people that give him bread 
to eat1 and clothes to his back8 ,i will
 give you1 ,americans1 some idea of who 
he is1 and who his brethren of the      
,popish mitre are4 ,they are            
individuals--and the ,lord ,bishop      
,hughs is preeminently conspicuous among
 them1--who1 stript of the false        
splendor which circumstances and place  
throw around them2 who1 if deprived of  
the drapery and mimic glories of        
,popery1 in which holy mother1 the      
church1 has enveloped them1 would appear
 among the meanest and most despicable  
members of society4 ,such men may be    
borne with1 while they abstain from     

insulting the common sense of the       
people2 but when their arrogance1       
insolence and vanity presume to trample 
upon the rights of the people1 and      
ridicule the understanding of the       
community1 they deserve something more  
than commiseration4  ,when1 in the      
plenitude of their vanity1 they cease to
 be content with the profits of office  
and the free exercise of their religion1
 and dare insinuate aught disrespectful 
to the understanding of their           
benefactors1 they cease to be objects   
even of toleration4 ,in ages of         
ignorance1 the trappings of ,popery may 
strike with awe4 ,those ages are gone   
by2 and if ,americans are true to       
themselves1 they will never revive in   
this country1 notwithstanding the       
insolent efforts of this ,lord ,bishop  
,hughs4 ,this reverend bully has long   
bid defiance to the unarmed arguments of
 ,americans4 ,he will not condescend to 
listen to the ,american theologian1 who 
brings into the arena of religious      

controversy1 truth without a sword1 and 
fair argument unbacked by bowie-knives  
and clubs2 he will not stoop to such a  
mode of warfare4 ,no4 ,this clerical    
rake would1 if he could1 ,gothicize this
 nation of freemen4 ,he would           
extinguish1 if he could1 among          
,americans1 the light of learning and   
philosophy4 ,nay1 he would1 and he has  
been trying to1 raise from the putrid   
pools of ignorance and superstition1    
fogs and evaporations1 and clouds and   
mists1 sufficiently thick to hide from  
the eyes of ,americans the pure1 the    
brilliant1 and the glorious light even  
of the ,bible itself4 ,it is not enough 
for him that his subjects should        
consider him their official superior2 it
 is not enough that some poor           
foreigners1--and ,i blush to own        
it1--even ,americans1 should look upon  
him and his brethren as their superiors 
in the church1 but they are required    
also to consider them their superiors in
 wisdom and virtue1 though they know    

them to be ,jesuits4 ,papists1 whether  
foreigners or ,americans1 are1 even in  
the ,united ,states1 little better than 
living automatons and self-acting tools1
 for the corrupt agents of his royal    
holiness1 the ,pope4  ,can this be8 the 
reader will say4 ,can it be1 that man1  
created a free agent1 living in a free  
country1 and governed by equal          
laws1---can he be made to obey the word 
of command given by ja ,popish bishop1  
as a wild beast would the lash or the   
whip of the keeper of a menagerie8 ,it  
is so1 reader2 and particularly with    
every human being1 male or female1 who  
goes to confession4 ,i care not how     
intelligent he may appear to be1 or what
 his acquirements or accomplishments may
 be2 if he is weak enough1 fool enough1 
or hypocrite enough and mean enough to  
go to confession to a ,romish priest1 he
 deserves not the name of a freeman4 ,he
 who bends the knee to a ,romish priest1
 and asks him to forgive his sins1      
submitting to such restrictions or      

discipline as the priests may be pleased
 to impose upon him1 becomes a          
degenerate being4 ,take1 for instance1 a
 bird1 one of the feathered citizens of 
the open air2 take a lion1 a proud      
denizen of the boundless forest2 compare
 him with one of those tamed1           
broken-down and whipped into obedience1 
by the keeper of a menagerie1 and how   
strongly1 how painfully marked is the   
contrast4 ,their very looks bespeak     
their degradation4 ,how great is the    
contrast between those who have broken  
loose from obedience to nature's laws1  
to the degrading servitude of obedience 
to man4 ,but the contrast is not greater
 nor their fall more humiliating1 than  
that of the man or woman1 who exchanges 
that obedience which he or she owes to  
reason1 to pure religion1 and the divine
 law of the gospel1 for the degraded    
servitude required from them by ,popish 
priests and confessors4  ,let us suppose
 a whole people thus tamed1 thus broken1
 thus snaffled1 bitted and bridled by   

skilful ,popish riders and ,jesuit      
jockeys1 will they not soon lose all    
ideas of liberty1 morals and individual 
man liness8 ,will they not soon be ready
 to exclaim1 in the language of         
inspiration1 ,why died ,i not from the  
womb8  ,but let us return to the ,lord  
,bishop ,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 and his  
sudden conversion from repeal and       
,o',connellism4 ,as ,i have stated      
before1 it is the boldest stroke that   
ever has been made to deceive a whole   
nation4 ,nothing equal to it1 that ,i   
know of1 in modern history1 except      
perhaps1 it may be that of the ,jesuit  
,rodin1 which we find related in the    
,wandering ,jew4 ,the only difference   
between the ,jesuit ,hughs and the      
,jesuit ,rodin1 is this1--that ,rodin's 
audacity1 hypocrisy and treachery1 were 
practised on a small scale1 when        
compared with that of this modern       
,jesuit1 ,lord ,bishop of ,new ,york4   
,there is1 however1 a strong similitude 
between these two illustrious           

individuals4 ,i need not inform my      
readers1--as ,i believe they have all   
read the ,wandering ,jew1--that ,rodin  
was a ,jesuit1 commissioned by the      
society of ,jesuits in ,rome1 to act as 
its agent1 ,,es with full powers to     
secure for the society of ,jesus1 it is 
nicknamed by them1 an immense estate1   
belonging1 in law and in justice1 to a  
,french family of the name of           
,rennepont4 ,he was empowered to secure 
this property to the society1 but he    
must use no violence4 ,it must be done  
solely by the play of action1 hypocrisy 
and deception4 ,the reader will         
remember1 as we are informed in the     
,wandering ,jew1 that the ,rennepont    
family had to fly from ,france1 after   
the king of that country1 at the        
instigation of the ,pope1 and by a      
violation of the most solemn compact1   
had broken the edict of ,nantz1 which   
secured to the ,protestants the quiet   
possession of their property4 ,after    
fighting their way through blood and    

,popish butcheries1 this noble family1  
with thousands of others1 had to fly    
from their homes1 friendless and        
pennyless4 ,only a few escaped the      
bloodhounds of ,popery4 ,their wives and
 daughters were dishonored1 and1 as we  
were told upon good authority1 their    
helpless infants were dashed against the
 corners of houses1 and their brains    
scattered upon the pavements4 ,nothing  
was left them4 ,they had to seek refuge 
in distant lands2 they went east and    
west1 north and south4 ,many of their   
descendants are now living in some of   
the ,southern ,states of this           
confederacy4  ,the general of the       
,jesuit order in ,rome discovered that  
some of the descendants of the          
,rennepont family had survived the      
disasters of the times1 and held in     
their possession proofs sufficient to   
establish claims to their patrimonial   
rights4 ,the ,jesuits determined to     
defeat them1 and if the reader's        
curiosity induces him to learn by what  

means they endeavored to do so1 and what
 agents they employed to effect it1 let 
him read the account given of the whole 
transaction in the ,wandering ,jew1 by  
that inimitable writer1 ,eugene ,sue4   
,they will find in that work proofs of  
the wickedness of ,jesuits4 ,they will  
find that auricular confession is       
something even worse than ,i have       
described it4 ,i have not talent to give
 a sufficiently accurate picture of this
 diabolical ,popish invention4  ,lord   
,bishop ,hughs has been for several     
years lecturing through the ,state of   
,new ,york1 as every man who has read   
the leading newspapers of the country   
must know2 he has represented           
,o',connell as one of the greatest and  
best men of the day1 and one of the most
 persecuted of men by the ,british      
government4 ,o',connell and genuine     
,popery are almost synonymous terms with
 this lord bishop4 ,as ,i have stated   
above1 he tried to enlist1--and has     
actually succeeded1--all foreign        

,papists1 and a vast number even of     
,americans1 in the cause of ,o',connell 
and ,irish repeal4 ,wherever this lord  
bishop went1 dissension and anarchy     
followed in his train2 but mark him now4
 ,mark the course of this ,bishop ,hughs
 for the last few years1 and you will be
 struck with the exact similitude which 
in every feature exists between itself  
and that of ,rodin4 ,the readers of the 
,wandering ,jew will recollect that     
,rodin established a press in ,paris1   
for the ostensible purpose of           
inculcating truth1 and advancing the    
public good4 ,the title of this press   
was1 ,love your neighbor4 ,the editor   
was one ,nini-,moulin1 a notorious      
drunkard1 ignorant and profligate in the
 extreme1 and1 personally1              
irresponsible1 either in a pecuniary or 
moral point of view4 ,if sued for any   
libellous matter contained in this      
press1 nothing could be recovered from  
him1 because he had nothing4 ,if thrown 
into jail for the immorality of the act1

 he could not suffer in his reputation1 
because he had none to lose2 he may     
continue editor still1 and all that was 
necessary1 was that ,rodin should supply
 him with something to eat and drink4   
,for the amusement of my readers1 ,i beg
 to give a brief description of the     
editor of ,rodin's paper4 #a take it    
from that given by one who knew him1 who
 was the mistress kept by this editor of
 ,rodin's paper1 one ,rose-,pompon4 ,she
 thus describes the editor--,a face as  
red as a glass of red wine1 and a nose  
all covered with pimples1 like a        
strawberry4 ,rodin1 describing him1     
gives a different character altogether4 
,he says that ,nini-,moulin is a very   
worthy man1 though1 perhaps1 a little   
fond of pleasure ,here is a precious    
specimen of ,jesuitism and ,popish      
morality2 a man living notoriously with 
a woman of the town1 bearing upon his   
face the marks of drunkenness and       
profligacy1 is pronounced by a ,romish  
priest to be a very worthy man1 though  

perhaps a little fond of pleasure4      
,suppose ,rodin and ,nini-,moulin were  
amongst us here1 in the city of ,boston1
 or in the city of ,new ,york1--who is  
there that would not shrink from a      
contact with either8 ,the ,jesuit       
,bishop ,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 and his  
brother ,fenwick1 of ,boston1 have      
presses in each of those cities1 and the
 wretches who ostensibly conduct them1  
are1 in point of fact1 of no higher or  
more worthy character than ,rodin's     
editor1 ,nini-,moulin4 ,no man1 who     
opposed ,jesuitism in ,paris1 or who was
 even suspected of being inimical to it1
 escaped the abuse of ,rodin's journal4 
,the fairest characters were blasted by 
it2 it defamed and bespattered with its 
scurrility1 some of the most honorable  
and high-minded citizens1 while the     
artful and cowardly hypocrite himself   
was hidden from observation4 ,is it not 
so with ,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 ,fenwick1
 of ,boston1 and the whole tribe of     
,popish bishops throughout the ,united  

,states'8 ,no man is safe1 no character 
is spared from the virulence of the     
presses which they own4 ,witness the    
,truth ,teller1 of ,new ,york1 owned by 
,bishop ,hughs1--though1 like ,rodin1 he
 denies the ownership of it1--what can  
be more vile than the language of that  
press8 ,it declares that ,americans     
shan't rule us--,papists ,it has for    
years been spewing forth its malicious  
tirades against ,protestant ,americans1 
while the real author of this           
scurrility1 ,bishop ,hughs1 is skulking 
behind the bush4  ,but ,i will tear off 
that masquerade dress which nides the   
moral deformities of this man2 and ,i   
trust that all ,protestants will sustain
 and pardon me1 in holding him1 and not 
the ,nini-,moulins who conduct his      
press1 responsible for its contents4    
,let no ,protestant notice the miserable
 beings who are the reputed editors of  
the ,truth ,teller1 ,bishop ,hughs'     
organ2 let the bishop himself be held   
responsible4  ,the ,jesuit bishop of    

,boston1 ,fenwick1 another ,rodin1 has  
also a press called the ,pilot1         
apparently edited by a silly-looking1   
,irish jackanape4 ,let not ,bostonians  
notice the abuse which this paper has   
heaped upon them for years2 or if they  
do1 let them hold ,bishop ,fenwick      
responsible for it2 he is the real      
author of its contents1 and not the     
little brainless gander1 its reputed    
editor4  ,i might quote a thousand      
instances of the similarity of thought  
and deeds which governed1 and which now 
govern1 the whole body of ,romish       
priests4 ,but enough4 ,it is time that  
,americans should vindicate their honor4
  ,having done all the mischief he      
could1 having inflicted upon the peace  
of our country a wound1 which1 in all   
probability1 can never be healed1 he    
adroitly turns round1--just as the      
hypocritical villain ,rodin1 the        
,jesuit1 did1--and tells ,americans that
 he was wrong in supporting ,o',connell2
 that he can support him no longer1     

because the said ,o',connell is a       
monarchist ,let us try and reconcile    
this with the solemn oath of this       
vaporing ,jesuit and canting patriot1   
,hughs4 ,the following is an extract    
from the oath which1 as a ,popish bishop
 and a ,jesuit1 he took at his          
ordination and consecration3            
,therefore1 to the utmost of my power1  
,i shall and will defend this doctrine1 
and his holiness' rights and customs1   
against all usurpers of heretical or    
,protestant authority whatsoever2       
especially against the now pretended    
authority and ,church of ,england1 and  
all adherents1 in regard that they and  
she be usurpal and heretical1 opposing  
the sacred mother church of ,rome4 ,i do
 renounce and disown any allegiance as  
due to any heretical king1 prince1 or   
state named ,protestant1 or obedience to
 any of their inferior magistrates or   
officers1 ,i do further declare the     
doctrine of the ,church of ,england1 and
 of the ,calvinists1 ,huguenots1 and of 

other of the name ,protestants1 to be   
damnable1 and they themselves are       
damned1 and to be damned1 that will not 
forsake the same4 ,i do further declare1
 that ,i will help1 assist1 and advise  
all1 or any of his holiness' agents in  
any place1 wherever ,i shall be1 in     
,england1 ,scotland and ,ireland1 or in 
any other territory or kingdom1 ,i shall
 come to2 and do my utmost to extirpate 
the heretical ,protestants' doctrine1   
and to destroy all their pretending     
powers1 regal or otherwise4 ,i do       
further promise and declare1 that       
notwithstanding2 ,i am dispensed with to
 assume any religion heretical for the  
propagation of the mother church's      
interest1 to keep secret and private all
 her agents' counsels from time to time1
 as they intrust me1 and not to divulge1
 directly or indirectly1 by word1       
writing1 or circumstance whatsoever1 but
 to execute all that shall be proposed1 
given in charge1 or discovered unto me1 
by you my ghostly father1 or by any of  

his sacred convent4 ,all which1 ,i1 ,a4 
,b41 do swear by the blessed ,trinity1  
and blessed ,sacrament1 which ,i am now 
to receive1 to perform1 and on my part  
to keep inviolably2 and do call all the 
heavenly and glorious host of heaven to 
witness these my real intentions to keep
 this my oath4  ,now1 ,mr4 ,bishop1     
suppose you and ,i reason together for a
 moment4 ,either this oath is binding   
upon your lordship or it is not4 ,if the
 former1 assuredly you can have no      
reasonable objection to supporting      
,o',connell1 either as a monarchist1 or 
as1 your ally in defending the rights   
and prerogatives of his royal holiness  
the ,pope4 ,if the latter1 that is1 if  
it is not binding on you1--if you will  
not defend the ,pope's power1 his throne
 and his prerogatives1--say so like an  
honest man4 ,until you do this1 we must 
look upon your denunciations against    
,o',connell1 as the veriest farce that  
ever was enacted by the veriest         
mountebank scoundrel that ever filched a

 dollar from the pockets of ,americans4 
,will you dare stand before me1 and tell
 me that the ,pope of ,rome it not      
himself a monarch8 ,will you dare look  
me in the face1 and say that you would  
not support him8 ,will you dare look me 
in the eye1 and say that you would not  
support his government8 ,recollect that 
,i understand the mysteries of ,popery  
as well as you do2 remember that ,i have
 studied its doctrines more deeply than 
ever you had an opportunity of doing2   
and ,i experience not the least emotion 
of vanity1 when #a assure your ,jesuit  
lordship that ,i am a much better       
general scholar than you are4 ,you will 
therefore be cautious in future2 ,i will
 watch you in your ecclesiastical and   
political gyrations1 and whenever you   
assert what is false in morals1 or      
dangerous to the institutions of my     
adopted country1 ,i will check you1 and 
that with no gentle hand2 though ,i     
shall do unto you and your brethren1 but
 that which you and your brethren have  

done unto me4 ,the truth is1 ,mr4       
,bishop1 you are an overrated man1 an   
inflated humbug1 and probably you would 
have passed for a learned one1 had you  
not1 without provocation1 interfered    
with me4 ,you1 a ,popish bishop1 tell   
,americans1 that you cannot support a   
monarchist6 ,have you ever read the     
works of ,salmeron1 a ,jesuit like      
yourself1 but a theologian of learning1 
which you are not8 ,either he was a     
liar1 or you are one4 ,listen to what he
 says of his monarch1 the ,pope4 ,the   
,pope has supreme power over all the    
earth2 over all kings and governments1  
and if they resist he must punish them4 
,salmeron was a native of ,toledo1 and  
was so thoroughly orthodox in ,popish   
belief1 that he wrote several           
commentaries on the ,scriptures1 which  
were approved of by the infallible      
church4 ,he died only about two hundred 
years ago4 ,can you blush1 my ,lord     
,bishop8 ,either you think ,americans an
 extremely ignorant people1 and unable  

to discern between flippancy1 repeal    
gab1 and solid historical information1  
or you must blush at your attempt to    
impose upon them4 ,the veriest child in 
knowledge of ecclesiastical history1    
knows that the ,pope is king and monarch
 of ,rome1 and that you are sworn1 by   
the most fearful oath1 to support him   
and his government in opposition to all 
others2 and yet1 forsooth1 you cannot   
support ,o',connell because he is a     
monarchist4  ,have you1 my ,lord ,bishop
 ,hughs1 ever read the life of ,pope    
,adrian8 ,was he not a monarch8 ,was he 
not1 to use his holiness' own words1 the
 monarch of all the islands upon which  
the sun hath shone8 ,are you ignorant of
 this fact1 ,mr4 ,bishop8 ,i beg leave  
to instruct you upon the subject1 by    
submitting to your lordship and to the  
poor1 unfortunate ,irish ,catholics1    
whom you are leading blindly by the nose
 in every species of mischief and error1
 the following bull sent by the         
aforesaid ,pope ,adrian1 to ,henry the  

,,ii41 in the year eleven hundred and   
fifty-four4 ,you will see from this     
bull1 that ,pope ,adrian was a monarch1 
and ,i believe it is not usual with you 
or your brother bishops1 to admit that  
there was ever any change in the power  
or prerogatives of the ,popes1 from the 
days of ,st4 ,peter down to the present 
moment4  ,adrian1 bishop1 servant of the
 servants of ,god1 to his dearest son in
 ,christ1 the illustrious king of       
,england1 health and apostolical        
benediction4 ,full laudably and         
profitably hath your magnificence       
conceived the desire of propagating your
 glorious renown on earth and completing
 your reward of eternal happiness in    
heaven1 while1 as a ,catholic prince1   
you are intent on enlarging the borders 
of the church1 instructing the rude and 
ignorant in the truth of the ,christian 
faith1 exterminating vice from the      
vineyard of the ,lord2 and for the more 
convenient execution of this purpose1   
requiring the counsel and favor of the  

apostolic ,see4  ,there is indeed no    
doubt1 as your highness also doth       
acknowledge1 that ,ireland and all the  
islands upon which ,christ1 the sun of  
righteousness1 hath shone1 do belong to 
the patrimony of ,st4 ,peter and the    
holy ,roman church4 ,therefore are we   
the more solicitous to propagate in that
 land the godly scion of faith4  ,you1  
then1 most dear son in ,christ1 have    
signified to us your desire to enter    
that land of ,ireland1 in order to      
reduce the people to obedience unto laws
 and extirpate the seeds of vice4 ,you  
have also declared that you are willing 
to pay for each house a yearly pension  
of one penny to ,st4 ,peter4  ,we1      
therefore1 with that grace and          
acceptance suited to your pious and     
praiseworthy design1 and favorable      
assenting to your petition1 do hold it  
right and good1 that1 for the extension 
of the borders of the church1 the       
restraining of vice1 the correction of  
manners1 the planting of virtue and     

increase of religion1 you enter the said
 island and execute therein whatever    
shall pertain to the honor of ,god and  
the welfare of the land2 and that the   
people of said land receive you         
honorably and reverence you as their    
lord4  ,if1 then1 you be resolved to    
carry this design into effectual        
execution1 study to form the nation to  
virtuous manners2 and labor1 by yourself
 and by others whom you may judge meet  
for the work1 in faith1 word and action1
 that the church may be there exalted1  
the ,christian faith planted1 and all   
things so ordered for the honor of ,god 
and the salvation of souls1 that you may
 be entitled to a fulness of reward in  
heaven1 and on earth to a glorious      
renown throughout all ages4  ,does it   
not appear1 ,mr4 ,bishop1 from the above
 bull1 that ,pope ,adrian was a monarch8
 ,and do you dare condemn your          
predecessors in office for supporting   
him as such1 or for being themselves    
monarchists8 ,i opine you would not4    

,pope ,adrian was an ,englishman1 and   
the only one who ever filled the office 
of ,pope4 ,the successor of ,adrian in  
the popedom was a native of ,sienna1 and
 a temporal monarch as well as ,adrian4 
,he gave away kingdoms and crowns1 as   
did all preceding and successive popes2 
and yet your lordship will not pretend  
to say that they did wrong4 ,you dare   
not do it4 ,it would cost you your      
mitre1 and the other paraphernalia with 
which the holy church has befooled and  
bedizened your sacred person4 ,let me   
give you an instance of the manner in   
which some of the holy popes have       
disposed of whole kingdoms4 ,i might    
give many1 but ,i shall content myself  
with one for your special edification1  
and that of your deluded followers1 the 
,irish in particular4 ,the following is 
the bull of ,pope ,alexander1 the       
successor of ,adrian1 confirming his    
transfer of the kingdom and people of   
,ireland to ,henry the 'second1 king of 
,england1 in the year #aeee4            

,alexander1 bishop1 servant of the      
servants of ,god1 to his dearly beloved 
son1 the noble king of ,england1 health1
 grace and apostolical benediction4     
,forasmuch as things given and granted  
upon good reason by our predecessors are
 to be well allowed of1 ratified and    
confirmed1 we1 well pondering and       
considering the grant and privilege for 
and concerning the dominion of the land 
of ,ireland to us appertaining and      
lately given by our predecessor1        
,adrian1 do in like manner confirm1     
ratify and allow the same2 provided     
there be reserved and paid to ,st4      
,peter1 and to the church of ,rome1 the 
yearly pension of one penny out of every
 house both in ,england and in ,ireland2
 provided1 also1 that the barbarous     
people of ,ireland be by your means     
reformed from their filthy life and     
abominable manners1 that1 as in name so 
in conduct and conversation1 they may   
become ,chris-' tians2 provided1        
further1 that that rude and disordered  

church being by you reformed1 the whole 
nation may1 together with the profession
 of the laith1 be in act and deed       
followers of the same4  ,the above bulls
 are recorded in the archives of the    
,roman ,church1#a in ,ireland4 ,they    
were publicly read at a ,roman ,catholic
 ,synod held in the ,cathedral of       
,cashal1 in ,ireland1 ,anno ,domini     
#aaga1 and are now to be found in almost
 every history of ,ireland1 that has    
ever been written since4 ,but           
notwithstanding these historical facts1 
the poor ,irish are told that they are  
indebted to the church of ,rome1 even   
for their nationality4 ,we have in this 
very city of ,boston1 a poor            
moonstricken changeling1 and would-be   
philosopher1 who has recently been hired
 by the ,jesuit ,bishop ,fenwick1 to    
make such an assertion1 and the ,irish  
,catholics to a man believe him4        
,unfortunate people6 ,how long will you 
remain the dupes of popes1 bishops1     
priests and their agents8  ,come out    

from among them2 fly from the darkness  
of ,popery2 come out of that deadly     
shade1 and seat yourselves with us in   
,god's own sunlight4  ,the ,lord ,bishop
 ,hughs of ,new ,york1 finding that it  
would not answer his purpose to support 
,o',con-nell any longer1 and feeling    
that he made his spring too violently   
and too soon2 knowing that he fell far  
short of his leap1 he turns round1 like 
the ,jesuit ,rodin1 and tells ,americans
 that he was altogether mistaken in the 
course he pursued1 and that he was truly
 their friend2 that they should rule1   
and by right ought to rule1 and that he 
and his subjects would be the first to  
aid them against ,england1 or           
,o',connell4 ,well done1 ,mr4 ,bishop4  
,impudent and barefaced as your         
assertion is1 more treacherous and false
 than even the ,jesuit ,rodin as you    
are1 ,i have not the least doubt but you
 will succeed4  ,it is curious to       
observe the similarity of sentiment and 
action which govern ,jesuits1 however   

far apart they may be4 ,we know from the
 ,wandering ,jew1 that the ,jesuit      
,rodin1 for several years1 never ceased 
to pursue and persecute the orphan      
descendants of the ,rennepont family4   
,he commenced his persecution of them in
 ,siberia2 he scented their track with  
the keenness of a bloodhound1 from that 
to ,dresden4 ,in ,dresden1 as we are    
told1 he had a fresh pack of            
bloodhounds1 who fell upon the innocent 
twin orphans of an exiled father1 and   
protected only by a faithful ,french    
trooper4 ,it is impossible to read the  
account given by ,sue1 of the           
ill-treatment which these children and  
their protector received from a         
ferocious brute1 named ,morok1 a lay    
,jesuit brother during the time they    
remained at the ,white ,falcon ,inn1    
without strong emotions of pity and     
commiseration4 ,from this they were     
pursued by the ,jesuit ,rodin1 by       
different agents and by different means1
 which the reader will find beautifully 

delineated in the ,wandering ,jew1 until
 their arrival in ,paris4  ,here1 it    
will be seen1 that new plots were       
formed1 and new schemes devised1 to     
defeat their just claims to their       
paternal inheritance1 by keeping them in
 total ignorance that any such claims   
were ever in existence4 ,unfeeling1     
indeed1 and cold as the marble slab     
which covers the house of the dead1 must
 be the heart of that man or woman1 who 
could unmoved witness the sufferings of 
these helpless orphans and the faithful 
servant1 ,dagoberth1 while in the city  
of ,paris2 all brought upon them by     
,jesuit priests and ,jesuit             
nuns1--fiends1 vipers1 vampires in human
 shape1 ,all their movements were       
watched and betrayed1 through the       
confessional4 ,but the eye of the ,lord 
seemed to rest upon them in a most      
extraordinary manner4 ,it would be wrong
 to diminish1 by anticipation1 the      
pleasure which my readers may find in   
reading for themselves this part of the 

,wandering ,jew4 ,let us1 therefore1    
pass on to ,rodin1 the ,jesuit1 and     
prototype of the ,lord ,bishop ,hughs of
 ,new ,york4 ,rodin1 finding that all   
his plans and schemes1 in trying to     
possess the vast estates of the         
,rennepont family1 were likely to fail1 
and would inevitably be frustrated1     
unless some new scheme were devised1    
retired within his own room1 deliberated
 on what was best to be done1 and       
suddenly springing from his chair1 thus 
soliloquized with himself3  ,never have 
,i had better hopes of success1 than at 
this moment2 the stronger reason for    
neglecting nothing4 ,a new thought      
struck me yesterday4 ,we will act here  
in concert4 ,i have it1--an ultra       
,catholic journal1 called ',love your   
neighbor as yourself4' ,it will be      
deemed the organ of ,rome4 ',i will     
originate the question of the liberty of
 teaching4 ,the common liberals will    
support us1--the idiots4 ,they admit us 
to common rights1 when our privileges1  

our immunities1 our influence through   
the confessional1 our obedience to      
,rome1--all put us beyond the pale of   
common rights1 of the very advantage    
which we enjoy4 ,double idiots6 ,they   
fancy us disarmed1 because they know    
themselves to be disarmed towards us4   
,that is as ,i would have it8'  ,this is
 precisely the course which the ,jesuit 
,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 has pursued      
towards ,americans4 ,rodin immediately  
acted upon the new idea which occurred  
to him2 he wrote to the general of the  
,jesuit order in ,rome1 who immediately 
advised him to cease apparently from    
further persecuting the heirs of the    
,rennepont inheritance2 to avow himself 
their warmest friend1 and to denounce   
all those who attempted to injure them  
in any way1 as plotters against their   
rights and their happiness4 ,having a   
previous understanding with his         
co-laborers in iniquity1 he denounced   
every one of them1 and by this act of   
apparent friendship and justice1 he     

wormed himself into the undivided       
confidence of all who heretofore looked 
upon him with fearful suspicion4 ,just  
so is ,bishop ,hughs trying to worm     
himself into the confidence of          
,americans1 by assuring them that he    
disapproves of the treachery of         
,o',connell1 and by recommending to his 
subjects and his dupes1 in ,new ,york   
and elsewhere1 to assemble in public1   
and declare that they are opposed to    
,o',connell's movements in ,ireland1 and
 that they are the friends1 of the      
,united ,states2 and accordingly we find
 that on ,monday1 the #afth of the      
present month1 ,june1 #ahde1 a meeting  
was called by the tools of the aforesaid
 ,bishop ,hughs1 for the ostensible     
purpose of expressing their             
disapprobation of ,o',connell1 the      
,pope's tool1 in ,ireland4 ,the bishop1 
knowing that the bitterest feelings have
 been aroused in the bosoms of          
,americans1 at seeing ,papists forming  
associations throughout the length and  

breadth of this land1 and collecting    
vast sums of money1 to be transmitted to
 ,ireland1 not for the purpose of       
feeding the half-starved population of  
that unfortunate country2 not to clothe 
the almost naked peasantry of that      
unhappy land2 not to relieve from       
bondage and worse than ,siberian        
slavery1 a people naturally brave and   
generous1 but to pamper and to forward  
the plans of a roaring1 brawling        
demagogue and coward1 ,daniel           
,o',connell4  ,the least observant among
 us1 is aware that the scenes of        
bloodshed1 which have been witnessed in 
this country1 may be traced to those    
associations1 which that ,irish ,jesuit1
 ,bishop ,hughs1 has fanned into        
existence1 by his inflammatory appeals  
to the worst passions in the hearts of  
his people1 and now1 alas6 too          
late1--even if he were serious1--he     
attempts to extinguish the flame which  
he has kindled4 ,but ,i tell you1       
,americans1 he is not serious4 ,if you  

depend upon ,his professions1 you will  
be deceived4 ,he is sworn1 on the most  
fearful oath1 to support the power1 the 
kingdom and the jurisdiction of the     
,pope of ,rome1 over all kings1         
potentates1 states and magistrates4     
,neither are his subjects in this       
country sincere2 and that very ,bishop  
,hughs1--,i accuse him of it in the face
 of the world1--,i accuse him of it on  
the authority of the ,roman ,catholic   
church1 of which ,i have been a priest  
myself1--teaches those very people1 that
 any oath of allegiance which they have 
sworn to this government1 is null1 void 
and of no effect4 ,when ,i was a ,roman 
,catholic priest1 it was my duty to     
absolve from their oath of allegiance1  
all those who came to confession to me4 
,while a priest1 ,i instructed the      
,irish to swear allegiance to the       
heretical government of the ,united     
,states2 but with a mental reservation1 
that the first allegiance was due to the
 ,pope of ,rome4 ,every ,roman          

,catholic1 who goes to confession to a  
,romish priest1 is a mere political     
automaton1 not to be trusted by a       
,protestant1 or ,protestant government1 
further than either would trust the     
priest to whom he con-fosses2 and how   
far a ,romish priest merits the         
confidence of an ,american ,protestant1 
time will tell4  ,the tools of ,bishop  
,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 at ,tammany      
,hall1 ,june #afth1 #ahde1 passed the   
following resolution3  ,resolved1 ,that 
there are thousands in this country1    
7meaning ,papists17 who would bare their
 breasts to any power1 7meaning         
,english17 that may invade this country4
 ,it was also resolved1 at the same     
meeting1 that they would defend the     
,american claims to ,oregon and to      
,texas4 ,it was further resolved by     
these self-same repealers1 the sworn    
subjects of ,bishop ,hughs and the      
,pope1 that the ,american eagle shall   
not be impeded by natives of ,ireland in
 this country4  ,if there was not       

something diabolically treacherous      
beneath the surface of those            
resolutions2 if a viper were not hidden 
and concealed under the fair and verdant
 foliage of these words1 they would be  
to me1 as well as others1 a source of   
pleasure4 ,but let us remove the leaves 
and brambles1 the blossoms and roses1   
which conceal the subtle and fatal      
poison1 and they are calculated to chill
 and to freeze those sympathies which1  
under other circumstances1 ,americans   
would feel for those people4 ,irish     
,papists bare their breasts in defence  
of the rights of ,protestant            
,americans1--and that by the advice and 
with the consent of a ,popish ,jesuit   
bishop6 ,monstrous insolence1 to impose 
thus upon hospitable and generous       
,americans4 ,the resolution1 in truth1  
amounts to this3 ,resolved1 ,that as our
 ,bishop ,hughs is permitted by the     
infallible church1 to act the hypocrite1
 we1 as professors of the same creed1   
are entitled to do the same4 ,resolved1 

,that1 as our bishops and priests are   
permitted to keep no faith with         
,protestant ,americans1 we shall pursue 
the same course1 until we gain entire   
possession of this ,protestant land4    
,the idea of foreign ,papists baring    
their breasts to ,english bayonets1 in  
defence of the rights of ,protestant    
,americans1 to ,oregon or ,texas1 is    
laughable2 it is farcical4 ,ireland     
contains nearly ten millions of         
souls1--,i should have said slaves1--and
 they will not bare their breasts to the
 trifling number of sixteen thousand    
troops1 which ,england deems fully      
sufficient to keep them in perfect      
subjection4 ,but ,i will tell you1      
,americans1 what those ,popish heroes   
will do1 and have been doing1 ever since
 the year sixteen hundred and           
forty-nine1 when the ruling ,pope sent  
,monsignor ,gio4 ,batista ,rinuccini1   
,archbishop of ,fermo1 as his nuncio and
 minister plenipotentiary to ,ireland1  
almost two hundred years ago4 ,they will

 bare their------to be kicked1 whenever 
,john ,bull may take a fancy to exercise
 his clumsy feet in that favorite       
amusement of his4 ,such slaves as these 
talk of baring their breasts in defence 
of ,american rights2 who1 numbering ten 
millions1 still permit themselves to be 
kicked1 cuffed1 buffeted and spit upon  
by sixteen thousand ,british soldiers6  
,pshaw6 ,where is the ,american1 who    
will not indignantly say1 in the        
language of a ,roman writer1 ,non tali  
auxilio nec defensoribtis istis4 ,bishop
 ,hughs and his myrmidons1 talk of      
defending the rights of ,texas6 ,poor   
priest-ridden1 pope-ridden dupes6 ,the  
,texans would spurn your aid2 they do   
not want you2 they would not have your  
aid4 ,the ,texans had not a thousand    
effective men when they declared their  
independence of ,mexico1 which was then 
able to raise an army of two hundred    
thousand men4 ,but that army was an army
 of priest-ridden slaves1 like          
yourselves1 and the gallant little band 

of ,protestant ,texas1 composed chiefly 
of ,americans1 defied their power2      
declared themselves independent1        
banished from among them the treacherous
 ,spanish priests1 who were in ,texas2  
they fought for their freedom and they  
won it4  ,irish repealers1 the slaves of
 ,o',connell and the scheming ,jesuit   
,hughs of ,new ,york1 resolve to defend 
the rights of ,texas6 ,the thing is too 
ludicrous4 ,i shall not dwell upon it4  
,let it not be inferred1 from what ,i   
have stated above1 that ,i believe the  
,irish ,papists to be naturally cowards4
 ,i will not do them this or any other  
injustice4 ,they are naturally a brave  
people4 ,unsubdued and untampered with  
by their profligate priests and ,popish 
superstition1 there is not a braver or  
more generous people in the world1 and  
the chains which now bind them to       
,british slavery1 would be snapped in   
six months1--ay1 ,i repeat it1 ,ireland 
would be free in six months1 were it not
 for the ulterior designs of the ,pope  

and his agents1 in urging upon them     
abject submission to a power which1 by a
 single effort of their native strength1
 they could crush never to rise again4  
,well does the ,pope know1 well do      
,jesuits and priests understand that if 
the ,irish nation freed itself from     
,english rule1 by its native arm1 as the
 ,united ,states did1 they would also   
free themselves from the dominion of his
 royal holiness the ,pope1 and the      
trammels of ,jesuitism and priestcraft2 
and hence arise the scruples of         
,o',connell1 about violating the        
,british constitution4 ,hence the       
exhortation of ,irish priests to their  
downtrodden ,irish slaves1 to do        
everything constitutionally which means 
nothing more or less than this3--let us 
priests1 bishops and pope1 act for you2 
we are afraid to risk our own precious  
necks2 we will negotiate matters for    
you4 ,you must feel indebted to us for  
everything you possess2 in the mean time
 come to confession to us regularly1    

bring us every dollar you earn1 and we  
will take care of your political as well
 as your spiritual interest4 ,your      
bodies and souls shall be taken care of 
by us4--,i can assure the ,irish        
,papists in this country and elsewhere1 
that ,daniel ,o',connell and the ,jesuit
 ,bishops ,hughs1 ,fenwick1 and their   
brethren in this country1 have no more  
idea of emancipating them1 than they    
have of renouncing the ,pope1 unless    
with the view of making them still      
greater slaves to the ,pope and the     
infallible church2 and it is with this  
view they are now forbidding the use of 
the ,bible1 knowing full well that the  
free perusal of its sacred pages would  
enlighten them not only on the subject  
of their everlasting1 but also on that  
of their civil rights4 ,well indeed may 
we apply to the ,pope1 and to the ,lord 
,bishop ,hughs1 and each of his brethern
 the words of the poet1       ,loyal his
 heart1 and church and ,pope his past2  
,he for religion might not warmly feel2 

,but for the church he had abounding    
zeal4  ,we might well fancy these right 
reverend gentlemen addressing us in the 
following words of the same poet4 ,they 
do so1 in fact1 every day4       ,why   
send you ,bibles all the world about2   
,that men may read amiss and learn to   
doubt8      ,why teach the children of  
the poor to read2      ,that a new race 
of doubters may succeed8      ,now can  
you scarcely lull the stubborn crew2    
,and what if they should know as much as
 you8  ,there is not in history one     
solitary instance to be found1 where the
 court of ,rome1 or ,romish priests as a
 body1 afforded aid to any people       
struggling for freedom1 unless with the 
ulterior view of subjecting them to     
their own dominion1--a dominion far more
 despotic in its principles and tyrannic
 in its exactions1 than any that has    
before been devised by human ingenuity2 
because that1 and that alone1 enslaves  
the soul as well as the body4  ,many    
instances might be quoted of the truth  

of this1 but ,i shall only refer to one 
of a recent date4 ,while ,poland was    
struggling for her liberty1 as we are   
told by a modern and beautiful ,french  
writer1 ,lamennais1 7,affaires de ,rome1
 p4 #aaj4 ,paguerre1 #ahdd17 and the    
success of the ,russians remained a     
doubt1 the official ,journal of ,rome1  
did not contain a word which could      
offend the victorious in so many        
combats2 but scarcely had they1 the     
,poles1 fallen1--scarcely had the       
atrocious vengeance of the ,czar begun  
the long punishment of a nation devoted 
to the sword1 to exile and to           
slavery1--when the same journal could   
find no terms sufficiently injurious1   
wherewith to stigmatize those1 the noble
 ,poles1 who had fallen victims to      
fortune4 ,cowardly ,rome trembled before
 the ,czar4 ,he said to ,rome1 would you
 live yet1 place yourself beside the    
scaffold to which ,i have consigned     
those rebellious ,poles1 who had the    
audacity to attempt to free themselves  

from my government1 and while they pass 
on their way to the gallows1 curse you  
the victims2--and ,rome did curse the   
,poles4  ,atrocious1 revolting as the   
conduct of the ,czar has been towards   
the suffering ,poles1 yet there is      
something noble1 something majestic in  
his treatment of ,rome4 ,he pays no     
regard to the insolent ecclesiastic of  
,rome1 who would be lord of the         
universe4 ,the ,czar does not comprehend
 the meaning of those cabalistic words1 
spiritual supremacy4 ,let us contrast   
the conduct of this sovereign of        
,russia1 with that of the sovereigns or 
executives of the ,united ,states1 and  
the contrast cannot fail to make a      
forcible impression upon our minds4     
,that of the ,autocrat of all the       
,russians is so far truly independent2  
while that of one of our executives1 in 
relation to the ,pope1 is truly         
spiritless and sycophantic4 ,witness the
 following letter of ,mr4 ,van ,buren1  
to the ,american consul at ,rome1 dated1

 ,department of ,state1 ,washington1    
,july the #bjth1 #ahcj4   ,your letters 
of the #aath of ,april and #eth of ,may1
 the first anticipating the favorable   
sentiments of his holiness the ,pope1   
towards the government and people of the
 ,united ,states1 and the last          
confirming your anticipations1 have been
 received at this department1 and       
submitted to the president2 by whom ,i  
am directed to tender his holiness1     
through the same channel1 an assurance  
of the satisfaction which he derives    
from this communication of the frank and
 liberal opinions entertained by the    
apostolic see towards the government and
 the people1 and of the policy which you
 likewise state his holiness has        
adopted1 and which is so worthy of the  
head of a great and ,christian church1  
assiduously to cultivate1 in his        
intercourse with foreign nations1 the   
relations of amity and good will1 and   
sedulously to abstain from all          
interference in their occasional        

difficulties with each other1 except    
with the benign view of effecting       
reconciliations between them4  ,you will
 accordingly seek an early opportunity  
to make known to the ,pope1 in terms and
 manner best suited to the occasion1 the
 light in which the president views the 
communication referred to1 and likewise 
you will assure him that the president  
reciprocates1 in their full extent and  
spirit1 the friendly and liberal        
sentiments entertained by his holiness  
towards the government of the apostolic 
see1 and the people of the states of the
 church2 and it is the president's wish 
that you should1 upon the same occasion1
 offer his congratulations to the holy  
father1 upon his recent succession to   
the ,tiara1 not from any hereditary     
claim on his part1 but from a           
preponderating influence1 which a just  
estimation of his talents and private   
virtues naturally had upon the          
enlightened councils by which that high 
distinction was conferred2 and which    

affords the pledge that his pontificate 
will be a wise and beneficent one4  ,you
 will take care1 likewise1 to assure his
 holiness1 in reference to the paternal 
solicitude which he expresses in behalf 
of the ,roman ,catholics of the ,united 
,states1 that all our citizens          
professing that religion1 stand upon the
 same elevated ground which citizens of 
all other religious denominations       
occupy1 in regard to the rights of      
conscience1 that of perfect liberty1    
contradistinguished from toleration2    
that they enjoy an entire exemption from
 coercion in every possible shape1 upon 
the score of religious faith1 and that  
they are free1 in common with their     
fellow-citizens of all other sects1 to  
adhere to1 or adopt the creeds and      
practise the worship best adapted to    
their reason1 or prejudices2 and that   
there exists a perfect unity of faith in
 the ,united ,states amongst            
religionists of all professions1 as to  
the wisdom and policy of that cardinal  

feature of all our constitutions and    
forms of government1 those of the       
,united ,states and separate states of  
the union1 by which this inestimable    
right is formally recognized1 and the   
enjoyment of it inviolably secured4  ,m4
 ,van ,buren4   ,i would especially     
invite the attention of my readers to   
the above letter4 ,a proper             
understanding of this correspondence    
between the executive of this country   
and the ,pope1 through their            
representatives1 will set at rest a     
question long mooted in every section of
 the ,united ,states1 viz41 whether the 
,pope is a temporal or spiritual        
potentate4 ,if the former1 ,mr4 ,van    
,buren and the ,president of the ,united
 ,states did but their duty in giving   
the assurances contained in the above   
letter4 ,this was due to him as an      
independent sovereign4 ,as king of      
,rome1 he was as well entitled to it as 
any of the sovereigns of ,europe2 and so
 far from blaming ,mr4 ,van ,buren1 for 

the respectful and courteous manner in  
which lie addressed his royal holiness1 
,i should be among the first to award   
him just praise4 ,the numerical weakness
 of a foreign potentate's subjects1 the 
paucity of their numbers1 or their      
intellectual degradation1 is1           
now-a-days1 no argument against the     
legitimacy of their independent         
sovereignty4 ,but if the latter1--if the
 ,pope of ,rome1 is not an independent  
and sovereign potentate1--if his        
sovereignty is only spiritual1 as the   
,jesuit ,hughs and all ,romish priests  
and bishops in the ,united ,states would
 persuade us1 then ,i contend1 that ,mr4
 ,van ,buren1 the ,president of the     
,united ,states1 or any other man who   
with his sanction1 writes such a letter 
as the above is a conspirator against   
this government1 and should be          
prosecuted as such4  ,among the foreign 
powers known to this government1 no such
 power as a spiritual one is enumerated4
 ,the constitution of the ,united       

,states recognizes no spiritual power1  
either at home or abroad2 and if ,mr4   
,van ,buren1 as the representative of   
this government1 has corresponded with a
 foreign spiritual potentate1 he did    
that which he was not authorized to do  
by our national charter1 and which the  
executive of the ,united ,states1 had no
 more right to order him to do1 than ,i 
had4 ,if the cabinet of his holiness1   
the king of ,rome1 have half the        
intelligence1 tact and management for   
which they get credit1 they must have   
felt highly amused at the simplicity and
 sycophancy of ,mr4 ,van ,buren's       
letter4 ,if the power of the ,pope1 in  
these ,united ,states1 be only          
spiritual1 what has he to do with this  
government1 or this government with him8
 ,the constitution of the ,united       
,states1 and the various constitutions  
of the respective ,states1 recognize no 
spiritual power whatever4 ,no court of  
law nor equity1 from one end of this    
country to the other1 understands what a

 spiritual power is2 nor have they made 
any provision to maintain or enforce it 
,what1 then1 is it8 ,where is it to be  
found8 ,is it visible8 ,is there any    
record of it8 ,is it tangible8 ,in whom 
is it centred8 ,no trace of it can be   
found among us1 and yet we are told it  
exists2 and three millions of ,papists  
in the ,united ,states1 are bound to    
obey this invisible and intangible      
thing1 or whatever it is4  ,we are told 
by ,bishop ,hughs1 that the ,pope claims
 only spiritual jurisdiction over this  
country4 ,i explained1 in my recent work
 on ,popery1 what ,papists mean by      
spiritual jurisdiction and spiritual    
power4 ,it would be a loss of time to   
refer to it again4 ,the legerdemain and 
humbuggery of the whole affair are too  
transparent to deceive any eye but that 
of a credulous ,american4 ,without this 
doctrine of spiritual allegiance to the 
,pope of ,rome1 ,popish priests could   
raise no money for his holiness1 in the 
,united ,states1 and they dare not      

openly claim for him any civil          
allegiance4 ,without it1 repealers could
 raise no money for that champion of    
,popery1 ,daniel ,o',connell4  ,had the 
,romanists of the present day the spirit
 of the ancient ,romans1 they would     
spurn this shameful exaction upon their 
credulity1 but especially upon their    
purse4 ,it is base to submit to it2 even
 a ,pagan ,romanist would spurn at it4  
,he did so once before1 and if his      
,pagan spirit was not broken by worse   
than ,paganism1--,popery1--he would do  
so again4 ,for ,i1 said ,brutus ,can    
raise no money by vile means3 ,by       
heavens1 ,i had rather coin my heart    
,and drop my blood for drachmas1 than to
 wring ,from the hard hands of peasants 
their vile trash ,by any indirection6   
,yes1 even a ,pagan would spurn and     
scorn the deception1 cupidity and       
hypocrisy of ,popish ,jesuits and       
priests4  ,was there ever upon the      
,papal throne1 since the days of        
,hildebrand1 a ,pope who did not claim  

sovereign and temporal jurisdiction over
 the kingdoms of the earth8 ,do the     
annals of mankind record so             
dispassionate and so solemn an act of   
treachery1 or so glaring an evidence of 
temporal power and despotism1 as that of
 ,hildebrand1 known as ,gregory1 over   
the ,emperor of ,germany8 ,the universal
 monarchy and sovereign power1 which he 
and ,rome wrung from a bleeding world1  
was never more absolute than that which 
the ,popes of ,rome wrung from the      
superstitions of mankind1 in almost     
every age of the world2 and now1 in the 
nineteenth century1 in #ahde1 the       
present ,pope has the unparalleled      
insolence1 through his agents in ,new   
,york1 ,boston1 and elsewhere1 to fasten
 upon our necks a yoke more galling than
 that which heathenism imposed upon the 
,romans4  ,this they cannot do by       
argument1 because1 to use argument with 
effect1 man must be in the right2 but to
 make the best possible use of bad      
arguments1 may be1 nevertheless1 the    

privilege of genius1 craft1 and         
intrigue4 ,hence the introduction of    
auricular confession4 ,hence it is1 that
 ,romish bishops and priests persuade   
their people to go to confession1 where 
they have the complete mastery over then
 feelings1 passions1 and judgment4 ,they
 know if they can debauch and seduce one
 female in a family1 the whole of the   
household is at their mercy4 ,it is in  
that accursed tribunal that they        
persuade the people1 first1 that it is  
abominable to maintain that men can work
 out their salvation1 under any form of 
creed whatever1 provided their morals   
are pure4 ,second1 that it is odious and
 absurd1 to grant to the people liberty 
of conscience4 ,third1 that it is       
impossible to hold the liberty of the   
press in too great detestation4 ,every  
,papist is compelled in the             
confessional1 to subscribe to these     
degrading concessions4 ,he must swear   
solemnly1 that these propositions are   
orthodox1 and that every government     

should be compelled to acknowledge them 
as such4 ,no man can die in the faith of
 the ,romish church1 until he           
acknowledges that these propositions are
 true4 ,no individual can be confirmed  
as a member of the ,romish church1 at   
least in ,catholic countries1 until he  
assents to them4 ,no one can be ordained
 a ,roman ,catholic priest1 until he    
solemnly swears to maintain them4  ,they
 familiarize the human mind to these    
infamous axioms of theirs1 from their   
very infancy2 and thus when they arrive 
at the age at which they are permitted  
to go to confession1 which is generally 
from eight to twelve1 there is no       
difficulty in confirming their people in
 the belief of these horrid principles4 
,the following passage may be found in  
the encyclic letter1 addressed by the   
actual ,pope1 to all the bishops of     
,france1 in #ahcb1 in order that they   
might conform1 they and their flocks1 to
 these instructions1 although they are  
in direct opposition to the laws of the 

country1 and the rights of its citizens4
 ,is it necessary to say that ,m4       
,lamennais protested1 with all the      
powers of his great soul1 against such  
odious maxims as these1 stated in all   
their ultramontane candor8  ,we now     
come1 says the holy father1 to another  
cause by which we lament to see the     
church afflicted at this moment4 ,to    
wit3 to that indifference or perverse   
opinion1 which has spread itself abroad 
on all sides1 by the artifices of evil  
men1 and in accordance to which1 men may
 attain everlasting ,,salvation ,,by    
,,the ,,profession ,,of ,,any ,,creed1  
,,provided ,,that ,,their ,,morals ,,are
 ,,pure4 ,it will not be difficult for  
you1 in a matter so clear and evident1  
to repel an error1 so fatal as this for 
the people4  ,is this clear enough8 ,a  
word to those of our number1 who are    
intrusted to the care of these pastors4 
,so here is an ,italian monk1 the       
ultramontane head of our bishops1 who   
annuls1 at a single dash of his pen1 one

 of our most sacred rights1 a right1 the
 maintenance of which has cost the      
country torrents of bloodshed in the    
religious wars1 like water4  ,from this 
corrupt course of indifference1 proceeds
 the holy father1 originates that absurd
 and erroneous opinion1 or madness      
rather1 which asserts that the liberty  
of conscience must be secured and       
guarantied to every one1 whomsoever4    
,the way is being cleared for this      
pernicious error by the liberty of      
opinions1 full and unbounded1 which     
spreads itself fai and wide1 to the ruin
 of civil and religious society4  ,it is
 evident1 that the holy father commands 
our bishops to inspire their flocks with
 a horror of one of the fundamental laws
 of our society4 ,let us conclude with  
an attack by the same holy father1 by no
 means less violent1 or less conclusive1
 against the dragon of the press4  ,with
 this is connected that fatal liberty1  
of which we cannot but stand in awe1 the
 liberty of libraries to publish any    

writing whatsoever2 a liberty which some
 persons still dare to solicit and      
extend with as much noise as ardor4     
,pope ,gregory the ,x,v,ith1 had        
scarcely ascended the pontifical throne1
 when he heard of the revolt of         
,bologna4 ,his first movement was to    
summon the ,austrians1 and excite the   
,sanfedistes4 ,the ,cardinal ,albani    
beat the liberals at ,cesena2 his       
soldiers pillaged the churches1 sacked  
the town1 ravished the women4 ,at       
,forli1 the bands committed             
assassinations in cold blood4 ,in #ahcb1
 the ,sanfedisles showed themselves in  
broad day1 wearing medals1 with effigies
 of the ,duke of ,modena1 and of the    
holy father1 letters patent1 in the name
 of the apostolical congregation1       
privileges and indulgences3 ,the        
,sanfedistes took the following oath    
liberally3 ',i swear to elevate the     
altar and the throne upon the bones of  
the infamous liberals1 and to           
exterminate them without pity for the   

cries of their children1 the tears of   
their old men and women4' ,the disorders
 committed by these brigands1 passed all
 bounds2 the court of ,rome made anarchy
 regular1 organized the ,sanfedistes    
into bands of volunteers1 and granted to
 these bands extraordinary              
privileges4--,the ,revolution and       
,revolutionists of ,italy4 ,review of   
the ,two ,worlds1 ,november #ae1 #ahdd4 
,this is a specimen of the spiritual    
supremacy of the ,pope1 as taught in    
this country2 and thus1 ,americans1     
would they erect altars upon your bones1
 heedless of the cries of your old men  
and your old women1 should the ,pope's  
spiritual power ever gain the ascendancy
 over your strong arms1--or should his  
priests1 by intrigue and by a play of   
passions1 7as ,rodin expresses it17 and 
excitement1 obtain the control of your  
hitherto clear intellects4 ,pause1      
,americans4 ,hesitate for a moment1 you 
young men and young ladies1 who1 under  
the influence of some momentary         

excitement1 may be tempted to unite     
yourselves with the ,romish church1 or  
to go into their nunneries4  ,the first 
advance you make1 the very first step   
you take to effect this1 is in itself   
utterly degrading to you4 ,it is the    
abandonment of your whole selves1 bodies
 and souls1 judgment1 intellect1        
understanding1 mind1 liberty and all1 to
 the guidance of a body of men whose    
political intrigues1 and public and     
private immoralities1 have blackened the
 pages of history for the last sixteen  
hundred years4  ,the ,roman ,catholic   
,bishop of ,strasburg1 in a letter to   
the ,paris ,constitutionnel1 has denied 
that such doctrines as those contained  
in the three propositions which ,i have 
quoted above1 are taught in ,popish     
colleges4 ,he pledges his honor in      
support of this assertion4 ,i have      
quoted from the ,casuists1 a work       
written by the fathers of the ,jesuit   
,society4 ,the bishop does not deny the 
doctrines positively1 but says that the 

work from which the quotations are made1
 was written1 not by ,jesuits1 but by a 
,rev4 ,dr4 ,moulet1 a secular priest4   
,if any other proof were necessary1 to  
show the iniquity of ,jesuit doctrines1 
and the truth of every word ,i have     
said1 and others before me have said1   
against ,jesuit intrigue and            
tergiversation1 this admission of the   
,bishop of ,strasburg1 would be         
sufficient4  ,what is the difference    
between a ,jesuit father1 and a secular 
priest8 ,it is simply this4 ,jesuits are
 limited in the sphere of their duties1 
by the general of their order2 and      
whenever a ,jesuit makes his appearance 
in the diocese of any ,popish bishop1 he
 is subject1 while there1 to the said   
bishop4  ,the ,strasburg professor may  
succeed in imposing upon those who know 
not the difference between a secular    
priest and a ,jesuit4 ,the matter is not
 mended1 or the difficulty removed1 by  
having the book written by a secular    
priest2 it is so much the worse4 ,an    

evil deed1 for instance treason1 when   
committed by a servant1 is bad enough2  
but it is much worse when committed by  
his master4 ,an act of perfidy or       
immorality committed by a priest1 under 
the jurisdiction of a bishop1 merits    
execration1 and should receive it2 but  
if committed by the bishop himself1     
would become still more execrable4  ,i  
presume that when the ,bishop of        
,strasburg pledged his honor that the   
crimes imputed by others1 as well as    
myself1 to him and his tools1 were not  
sanctioned in his college1 or by the    
writings of ,jesuits1 he had ,brother   
,jonathan in view4 ,his letter to the   
,paris ,constitutionnel was intended    
exclusively for ,americans1 whom        
,jesuits know by the name of dolts1     
double dolts4  ,let us now see how far  
the word and honor of this ,jesuit      
,strasburg bishop are entitled to       
credit4 ,it is proper to do so1 as his  
letter has found its way into several of
 our presses in the western country4  ,i

 pronounce the ,bishop of ,strasburg's  
assertion an unqualified1 deliberate1   
and unmitigated falsehood4 ,an issue is 
now made between myself and the bishop4 
,the question is one of veracity1       
between us2 and ,i am willing to leave  
the decision to a jury of the public4   
,the bishop is a ,jesuit1 and bound1 by 
his oath of allegiance to the ,pope1 to 
support him and the doctrines of his    
church1 at the expense of all           
,protestant governments4 ,he is bound by
 his oath to hold no faith with         
heretics4 ,he is bound by his oath to   
destroy them4 ,he is no citizen of this 
country4 ,he has nothing in common with 
,americans1 but the external            
configurations of humanity4 ,he is not  
personally known to any ,american1 as   
far as ,i am acquainted2 and under these
 circumstances1 he comes before the     
,american public with the naked1        
unsupported assertion1 that what history
 has handed down1 and ,i1 a             
fellow-citizen of their own1 have       

confirmed and declared to be true1 is   
false4 ,is he to be believed in         
preference to me1 even if history was   
silent8  ,i have lived in this country  
more than twenty-five years1 and though 
a foreigner by birth1 ,i will venture   
the assertion1 that no ,roman ,catholic 
priest ever came to ,america with higher
 recommendations than ,i did4 ,some of  
them are from ,roman ,catholic bishops1 
and are now in my possession2 but ,i    
will not ask ,americans to give them any
 credit1 because a ,romish bishop or    
,jesuit would recommend the devil       
himself1 who takes the necessary oath of
 allegiance to ,rome1 and swears to     
overthrow1 by all possible means1 the   
heretical government of the ,united     
,states1 which sanctions1--,i use the   
very words of the ,pope1--that fatal    
liberty of the press of which we cannot 
but stand in awe1 the liberty of        
libraries to publish any writing        
whatsoever2 a liberty which             
some--,americans--dare to solicit with  

noise and ardor4  ,i will not insult    
,americans by asking them to give me    
credit for veracity on the strength of  
recommendations from ,popish bishops in 
,europe1 men who are the sworn enemies  
of everything dear to freemen4 ,i       
brought with me1 from other sources1    
testimonials of the highest             
respectability1 not as a ,popish priest1
 but as a man4 ,among them were         
introductions to that eminent patriot1  
,de ,witt ,clinton of ,new ,york1 who   
immediately1 on my arrival at his       
hospitable residence in ,albany1 and    
during the session of the ,legis-ture1  
had me appointed chaplain to the senate4
 ,but ,i will not ask ,americans to give
 me credit for veracity on account of   
any connections or acquaintances which  
,i formed while ,i was a ,popish priest 
,the very fact of my being a priest was 
in itself contamination4 ,it should     
disqualify a man from being considered  
anything that was candid1 frank or      
virtuous4 ,but ,i will ask ,americans to

 credit me1 in preference to the ,bishop
 of ,strasburg1 or any other ,jesuit    
priest1 upon the testimony of ,american 
citizens1 men known to themselves1 men  
of honor1 probity and patriotism4  ,i   
have been a member of the bar of the    
,states of ,south ,carolina and         
,georgia1 for nearly twenty years1 until
 ill health obliged me to change my     
residence temporarily2 and ,i value the 
following letter which has been sent to 
me by ,william ,law1 ,esq41 then judge  
of the superior court of ,georgia1 more 
highly than all the documents1          
testimonials and recommendations1 which 
the ,pope of ,rome1 or the whole college
 of his cardinals and ,jesuits1 could   
furnish4  ,savannah1 #beth ,june1 #ahcb4
  ,dear ,sir1--,understanding from you  
that it is your intention to leave the  
,state1 with a view to the practice of  
law elsewhere1 it will ,i apprehend be  
necessary that the certificate of       
admission to our bar furnished you by   
the clerk1 should be accompanied with a 

certificate from myself1 as the         
presiding judge of the court in which   
you were admitted4 ,this is necessary to
 give it authenticity in another ,state4
 ,it will afford me pleasure to append  
that verification to it1 if you will be 
pleased to send me the certificate4     
,permit me1 as you are about to leave   
us1 to offer you my humble testimony to 
your correct1 upright deportment as an  
advocate at the bar of the superior     
courts of the eastern district of       
,georgia1 since your admission to the   
practice of law in the same4  ,wishing  
you success and prosperity wherever you 
may settle1 ,i am1 dear sir1 very       
respectfully1  ,your obedient servant1  
,william ,law4  ,judge ,law resides now 
in ,savannah4 ,he has retired from the  
bench1 and practises law in             
copartnership with senator ,berrien1 of 
,georgia4 ,i need not say who ,judge    
,law is4 ,he is well known1 as one of   
the most eloquent and learned advocates 
of the ,american bar2 nor is he more    

distinguished for his legal knowledge1  
than for his ,christian virtues and     
exemplary life4 ,he is at present1 and  
has been for many years1 an elder of the
 ,presbyterian church1 in that city4 ,i 
believe that ,i have the honor and the  
friendship of this worthy man1 up to the
 moment ,i write4 ,every earthly        
interest ,i have is in this country4    
,its prosperity will advance mine4 ,the 
overthrow of its government would bury  
in its ruins all ,i have to support me4 
,who then is to be believed by          
,americans1--the ,jesuit bishop of      
,strasburg1 whose country is the world1 
whose queen is the ,popish church1 and  
whose kindred are monks and ,romish     
priests8 ,am ,i unreasonable1 under     
these circumstances1 in asking a jury of
 ,americans for a verdict in favor of my
 veracity1 my word and my honor1 in     
preference to the honor of a foreign    
,jesuit bishop of ,strasburg1 or any    
other ,popish priest or bishop in the   
,united ,states8 ,you1 ,americans1 are  

the best judges4 ,in addition to these  
facts and circumstances1 ,i will take   
the liberty of stating that nearly the  
whole delegation to ,congress from the  
,state of ,georgia1 where ,i have so    
long resided1 have borne testimony to my
 correct conduct1 by recommending me to 
high and lucrative offices under this   
government4 ,among these were the names 
of the ,hon4 ,j4 ,m',pherson ,berrien1  
then a next door neighbor of mine1 the  
,hon4 ,thomas ,butler ,king1 ,william   
,c4 ,dawson1 and the lamented ,richard  
,w4 ,habersham1 of ,savannah4 ,this last
 named gentleman is no more1 but he has 
not left behind him one whose confidence
 and friendship ,i valued more4 ,he was1
 indeed1 the noblest work of ,god1 an   
honest man4 ,his name is now revered in 
,georgia1 and will be there venerated as
 long as she has records to preserve it4
 ,i have in my possession the most      
friendly and affectionate letters from  
this ,christian patriot up to within a  
few weeks of his death1 which occurred  

about two years since4 ,i may further   
add to these distinguished names1 that  
of the ,hon4 ,wm4 ,c4 ,preston1 of      
,south ,carolina1 the ,hon4 ,isaac      
,holmes1 of the same ,state1 and the    
,hon4 ,judge ,wayne1 of ,savannah1 one  
of the judges of the ,supreme ,court of 
the ,united ,states4 ,i have evidence in
 my possession1 up to a few weeks ago1  
of the personal friendship of that      
elegant and accomplished gentleman      
,judge ,wayne4 ,i have studied law more 
than twenty years ago with the ,hon4    
,mr4 ,holmes1 and never since has his   
friendship towards me been interrupted4 
,as a literary man and finished         
classical scholar ,mr4 ,holmes has      
scarcely a superior in the country4     
,with such testimonials as these of my  
,americanism1 honor and veracity1 ,i    
dread not the verdict of an ,american   
jury in the case now pending between me 
and the ,jesuit bishop of ,strasburg4   
,but before you make up your verdict1 ,i
 beg to submit to you the following     

sketch of a debate1 which took place the
 #eth of last ,march1 in the ,swiss     
,diet in ,switzerland1 on the subject of
 ,jesuits in that country4 ,it is taken 
from a speech of the ,hon4 ,mr4         
,neuhaus1 a representative from ,berne4 
,the debate commenced by the chancellor 
laying before the assembly petitions    
from the people of ,switzerland1 signed 
by #abj1jjj persons1 praying that the   
,jesuits might be expelled from that    
country4  ,neuhaus said that the        
question of the ,jesuits1 which was     
raised last year1 had made great        
progress since that time1 and its       
importance might be estimated by the    
impression which it had produced on the 
population1 the anxiety with which the  
result of the deliberations of the diet 
was looked forward to1 and the care     
taken by all the great councils of the  
cantons to have their opinions duly     
represented4 99 99 ,according to the    
eighth article of the federal compact1  
the diet took all the measures necessary

 for the internal and external safety of
 ,switzerland4 ,that right on the part  
of the diet was incontestable1 and had  
been put in force on former occasions   
within memory4 ,the question1 therefore1
 was not whether the diet had a right to
 take steps against the ,jesuits1 but   
whether the ,jesuits had compromised and
 were compromising the safety of        
,switzerland4 ,it was therefore the     
question of fact only that he would     
approach4 ,were the ,jesuits dangerous  
or not8 ,were they particularly         
dangerous as respected ,switzerland8    
,yes1 the ,jesuits were dangerous4  #a4 
,because of their morality4 ,they taught
 the people to commit1 without remorse  
of conscience1 the most culpable        
actions4 ,their morality necessarily    
exercised on those exposed to their     
influence a deleterious effect2 and a   
writer of the eighteenth century had    
said1 with great truth1 that he detested
 the ,jesuits because they were an order
 aboutissant4 ,but in republics morality

 was wanted above all things4  #b4 ,the 
,jesuits were dangerous because they    
made use of the ecclesiastical character
 to carry disorder into families1 and to
 divide the members of them1 in order   
the more easily to govern them4         
,examples abounded1 and1 if necessary1  
he could cite many4  #c4 ,they were     
dangerous because the order required of 
all its members a blind obedience1 an   
absolute submission4 ,he who was a      
member of the society1 whether he were a
 ,jesuit properly so called1 or merely  
belonged to the order under another     
denomination1 could no longer have      
either opinions or will4 ,as soon as the
 leaders gave orders1 those who were    
enrolled in that militia were obliged to
 obey1 without examination2 and if the  
chief ordered the members and their     
associates to work in secret to subvert 
republican governments1 they were       
obliged to obey1 without examination1   
whether they thought it right or wrong4 
,but what was necessary to the people of

 ,switzerland1 if they wished to        
maintain their independence1 was the    
sentiment of liberty and moral force1   
and that sentiment the ,jesuits         
annihilated4  #d4 ,the ,jesuits were    
dangerous because they had neither      
family nor country4 ,as soon as a ,swiss
 citizen entered the order of the       
,jesuits1 he only belonged to that body4
 ,on this account the governments of the
 cantons would do well to make a law    
that any one entering the order of the  
,jesuits should lose his natural rights4
 ,when a man was obliged to lay aside   
his feelings of family1 to disown his   
cantonal as well as federal country1 he 
was no longer a ,swiss2 he as nothing   
but a ,jesuit and a stranger to every   
country4 #e4 ,the ,jesuits were         
dangerous because they endeavored       
everywhere to seize upon power4 ,in     
despotic and monarchical governments1   
where the head was invested with        
extended authority1 they might be       
tempted to make use of the ,jesuits as  

auxiliaries4 ,as long as the ,jesuits   
did not dominate1 they would consent to 
serve a master2 but when they had       
attained their end1 they took advantage 
of services which they had rendered to  
establish then domination over those who
 had recourse to them4 ,this was what   
made all the governments of ,europe     
banish them from their states4 ,they    
were dangerous to monarchies1 and still 
more to republics1 where the authorities
 did not possess the elements necessary 
to counterbalance their pernicious      
influence4 #f4 ,they were especially    
dangerous to ,switzerland1 because one  
of the principal ends of the order was  
to extirpate ,protestantism4 ,without   
doubt1 the ,swiss ,catholics had a right
 that their ,protestant brethren should 
respect their religious convictions2 but
 the ,protestants had also rights which 
should be respected by the ,catholics2  
and the deputies of the canton of ,berne
 would demand1 if those ,catholic       
cantons which tolerated1 and even       

invited into their bosoms an order1 the 
object of which is the extirpation of   
,protestantism1 conducted themselves    
like good confederates towards the      
reformed cantons2 if they fulfilled the 
federal duties1 and if those states had 
not the right to say to the states which
 received the ,jesuits1 ',we have no    
congregation which labors for the       
extirpation of ,catholicism1 and we ask 
of you not to tolerate a corporation so 
hostile to us as the ,society of        
,jesus4' ,these were the principal      
reasons which made the canton of ,berne 
consider the ,jesuits as dangerous2 but 
there were many others which he could   
state1 and among others1 the recent     
events in the country were a strong     
proof of the danger of the ,jesuits4    
,the only legal way to settle the       
question was1 by taking the opinions of 
the cantons in the diet1 and if twelve  
of the cantons voted that the ,jesuits  
were dangerous1 the others must submit4 
,m4 ,neuhaus concluded by reading his   

instructions from his canton1 which were
 to demand a decree for the expulsion of
 the ,jesuits from every part of        
,switzerland4  ,the action of the diet  
is already known4 ,the reader may see   
from the above1 proofs almost positive  
of the truth of every crime with which  
,i have charged ,popish ,jesuits4 ,the  
,hon4 ,m4 ,neuhaus1 a representative    
from a people proverbially generous1    
distinguished as a nation for honesty   
and simply integrity4 ,switzerland and  
chivalry are almost synonymous since the
 days of ,william ,tell4 ,switzerland1  
honesty1 virtue and piety are understood
 to be almost one and the same thing4   
,even among ourselves1 in the ,united   
,states1 a ,swiss ,protestant emigrant  
needs no recommendation but a           
certificate of his nativity4 ,we trust  
him2 we confide in him1 because he is   
honest2 we believe him because he is    
truth himself4 ,all the finer qualities 
of uncorrupted humanity seem to be his  
by birthright4 ,one hundred and twenty  

thousand of these honorable men         
petitioned their ,legislature to pass a 
law for the expulsion of ,jesuits from  
their country1 and their representative1
 ,m4 ,neuhaus1 the embodiment of their  
virtue and integrity1 supports the      
prayer of their petition1 charging those
 ,jesuits to their teeth1 proving from  
the history of their past and present   
lives1 that they are collectively and   
individually immoral and treacherous    
men1 the sworn enemies of freedom and   
disturbers of the peace4 ,he accuses    
them of being leagued together1 and     
bound by the most awful oaths1 to       
overthrow the government and exterminate
 the ,protestants of ,germany4 ,he      
accuses them of maintaining spies in    
,protestant families1 of tampering with 
their children1 and introducing         
disobedience and disorder amongst them4 
,i regret extremely that ,i have not his
 whole speech1 but if there is a file of
 the ,swiss papers in the city1 it will 
be found in those of last ,march4  ,i am

 ready now1 fellow-citizens1 for your   
verdict4 ,i submit the case between the 
,jesuit ,bishop of ,strasburg and       
myself1 to you without further argument4
  ,if ,i am correct in my charges       
against ,jesuits2 if the various crimes1
 with which ,eugene ,sue charges them1  
be well founded1--and ,i declare1 on the
 honor of an ,american citizen and a    
member of the ,american bar1 that they  
are1--,i ask my fellow-citizens of the  
,united ,states for a verdict in my     
favor4  ,but it will be said1 for the   
hundreth time1 that the constitution of 
this country protects our people against
 dangers from ,jesuits1 or any other    
foreign source2 and that our            
representatives will never betray the   
trust which the people repose in them2  
or even if they did betray it1 the      
constitution provides for such a        
contingency4 ,true1 it does4 ,but let me
 observe1 that our constitution never   
supposed nor made any provision for such
 a contingency as that the people would 

betray themselves2 and still this case  
is as plain to me as the noon-day4 ,it  
is not only possible that the people of 
this country could betray themselves1   
but they are actually doing it at the   
present moment4  ,i will admit that a   
courageous people1 such as our citizens 
are1 can be neither cozened nor bullied 
out of their liberty2 but it must be    
also admitted1 that an intelligent and  
generous people may cease to be such2   
they may abet and admit amongst them the
 sworn enemies of their constitution1   
under false ideas of toleration and     
liberty2 they may want the wisdom and   
judgment necessary to discern their     
danger in time2 and in the necessarily  
downward progress of degeneracy1 it is  
not even impossible1--such things have  
been before now1--that they may want    
courage to ward off the evil when it    
stares them in the face4  ,look back1   
,americans1 to the history of by-gone   
days4 ,the ,tarquins were expelled1 and 
,rome resumed her liberty4 ,caesar was  

murdered1 and his whole race            
exterminated2 but ,rome remained in     
bondage4 ,in the days of ,tarquin1 the  
,roman people were not entirely corrupt2
 in the days of ,caesar1 they were      
thoroughly so4 ,you1 ,americans1 may be 
betrayed1 though perhaps you may never  
betray yourselves voluntarily4 ,but take
 heed1 ,i entreat you1 of ,jesuits4 ,our
 constitution makes it difficult1 if not
 impossible1 to destroy our liberty by  
any sudden outbreak of popular fury1 or 
even by the treachery of a few4 ,but if 
you1 as a people1 or the majority of    
you1 will concur with the few2 if you   
will deliberately suffer them to acquire
 a majority1 your constitution is       
nothing better than a piece of          
parchment1 with a bit of red sealing-wax
 dangling from it4 ,it ceases to be     
yours2 it becomes the constitution of   
foreigners2 it is the property of       
,jesuits and ,popish priests1 the moment
 they get the majority of voters2 you1  
,americans1 have nothing to do with it  

,it secures no rights for you1 nor      
should it be longer called the ,american
 constitution4 ,recollect that ten or   
fifteen years will give ,papists a      
majority of voters in the ,united       
,states1 nor should ,i be surprised if1 
within half a century1 the ,pope of     
,rome was seen in ,new ,york or the city
 of ,boston1 as he is now in ,rome1 on  
,palm ,sunday1 mounted upon an ass1 in  
blasphemous imitation of the ,saviour   
entering ,jerusalem1 with thousands and 
tens of thousands of ,papists spreading 
palms upon the streets1 and shouting    
,hosanna to our ,lord ,god1 the ,pope4  
,this subject1 ,americans1 is worthy of 
your serious consideration1 to say the  
least of it4 ,you are jealous of your   
charters and your privileges2 perhaps   
sufficiently so4 ,but you seem          
indifferent to the peril with which your
 liberty is threatened by ,romish       
priests1 inculcating treason in their   
confessionals1 up to your very beards4  
,what avail your laws against treason1  

implied treason and constructive        
treason8 ,what avail your bills of      
rights1 either national or state1 when a
 priest1 at your very door1 aye1 under  
your very roofs1 is insidiously         
instilling into the ears of his         
penitents at the confessional1 treachery
 to your government1 to your laws1 to   
your religion1 and even to each other8  
,what avails your trial by jury1 when   
oaths lose their sanctity1 and a ,jesuit
 teaches his penitent that no faith is  
to be held with ,protestants2 while     
there are amongst you nearly three      
millions of people1 who are taught to   
disregard your laws1 whose rulers1--the 
priests1--connive at its infringement1  
and refuse themselves to be amenable to 
your civil or criminal courts8 ,do not  
be startled at my telling you that they 
refuse to be amenable to your courts4   
,this is probably new to many of you2   
but as ,i make no statement which ,i    
cannot prove1 ,i refer you to the case  
of the ,romish priest1 ,carbury1 in ,new

 ,york4 ,it occurred some years ago1 and
 is duly reported4  ,this priest1       
,carbury1 peremptorily refused          
answering1 while on the stand as a      
witness1 any questions put to him by the
 court1 in a case of great importance   
affecting the government of the ,state  
of ,new ,york4 ,he defied the judge on  
the bench1 the sheriff1 and all other   
officers of the court ,he contended that
 the constitution of the ,united ,states
 guarantied to him the free exercise of 
his religion1 and1 by implication1 the  
right of hearing confession1 and giving 
and receiving in the confessional such  
counsel and advice as his church        
required of him to give4 ,and such was  
the sway which foreign ,papists had in  
,new ,york at that time1 that the court 
did not and dare not commit him to      
prison for contempt2 though1 under      
similar circumstances1 the officers of  
the court would drag an ,american       
citizen to jail1 as they would a common 
felon4 ,but the priest ,carbury did no  

more than he was ordered to do by his   
church4  ,the ,popish council of        
,lateran declares it unlawful for a     
civil magistrate to require any oath    
from a ,roman ,catholic priest4 ,a work1
 called the ,corpus ,juris ,canonici1   
containing all the revised statutes of  
the ,council of ,trent1 the last held in
 the ,popish church1 has issued the     
following proclamation to all monks1    
priests1 bishops1 and ,jesuits3 ,we     
declare it unlawful for civil           
magistrates to require any oath of the  
clergy1 and we forbid all priests from  
taking any such oath4 ,the ,council of  
,lat-eran declares and announces to the 
,popish priesthood1 as well as to the   
whole world1 that all magistrates1 who  
interpose against priests in any        
criminal cause1 whether it be for murder
 or high treason1 shall be              
excommunicated2 and if he condemn any   
priest for murder1 or any other crime1  
he shall be excommunicated4  ,thus we   
see that in our very midst1 a ,romish   

priest has but to go into his           
confessional1 and there he may become   
accessory before or after the fact1 to  
treason1 arson1 murder1 or other crimes1
 and hold our laws and our magistrates  
in utter contempt and utter defiance4   
,this they have done before1 in the     
neighboring city of ,new ,york1 and this
 they will do again1 whenever it suits  
their plans and purposes4  ,pour in     
amongst us a few more millions of a     
people who believe and sanction this    
doctrine2 flood our country with a      
population subject to a priesthood      
maintaining such doctrine as this1 and  
what must be the consequence8 ,vice1    
ignorance and laziness2 just what it is 
in every country where ,romish priests  
are permitted to exist and exercise     
their pernicious principles4 ,there is a
 defect of moral principle and moral    
honesty wherever the ,popish            
confessional is to be found4 ,i know the
 reverse of this is believed by         
,americans1 and not without some        

apparent reason4 ,here ,i do not blame  
them4 ,they are deceived1 and often have
 ,i wished1 often and often have ,i     
resolved to undeceive them in this      
particular4  ,many and many a time have 
,i resolved to be no longer a party to  
this shameful imposition upon           
,americans4 ,many and many a time1 have 
,i determined shake off from my soul any
 participation1 directly or indirectly1 
in fastening upon the minds of ,american
 ,protestants that the ,romish          
confessional was the means of making    
,roman ,catholic laborers and servants  
more honest than they otherwise would   
be4 ,it is not so4 ,protestants know not
 the plans or schemes of ,popish        
priests1 in anything4 ,fraud and        
imposition are reduced to a science in  
the ,romish church4 ,let me explain how 
the impression has got among            
,protestants1 that confessing sins to   
the priests is a very good thing for the
 ignorant ,irish4 ,it keeps them honest4
 ,i can scarcely refrain from laughing1 

when ,i hear this observation4 ,it has  
been made to me by some of the most     
amiable1 benevolent1 and charitable     
ladies and gentlemen in this city of    
,boston1 and elsewhere2 and though ,i   
understood the deception played upon    
them1 ,i felt almost unwilling to remove
 so charitable but delusive a dream4    
,there is an old proverb1 it is better  
late than never4 ,let me do so now4     
,justice to ,protestants1 and even to   
the ,roman ,catholic laborers and       
domestics themselves1 requires this at  
my hands4  ,the modus operandi of       
,romish priests is as follows3 ,when a  
,popish or ,jesuit priest settles in a  
city or town1 he looks about him and    
ascertains what the character1          
circumstances1 politics and religion of 
the different families are4 ,if he      
discovers that any particular           
,protestant family is wealthy1 entirely 
unacquainted with ,popery1 and liberally
 disposed1 he takes a note of the fact1 
and determines1 by some means1 to form  

an acquaintance with the head of that   
family4 ,this is sometimes not easily   
done4 ,it is not often that men of      
wealth are desirous of the personal     
acquaintance of clergymen of any        
denomination4 ,they know that1 pretty   
generally speaking1 there is little to  
be gained1 so far as worldly goods are  
concerned1 from a personal intimacy with
 them4 ,of this ,romish priests are well
 aware1 and act accordingly4 ,when one  
of them desires an acquaintance with the
 head of a family1 he unceremoniously   
calls upon him1 hands him some          
money1--more or less according to       
circumstances1--and without any         
explanation tells him it is his1 and    
seems no way desirous of further        
conversation4 ,the gentleman or lady1   
who receives the money1 of course1      
detains the priest or ,jesuit1 and asks 
what he wishes him or her to do with    
this money2 whether he deposited it for 
safe-keeping1 or whether he wished it   
paid over to some one4 ,the answer of   

the ,jesuit is1 sir1 or madam1 the money
 is yours4 ,i received it in the        
discharge of my duty as a priest1 and he
 departs4  ,the result of this piece of 
,jesuit acting is obvious4 ,the         
gentleman mentions the circumstance to  
his family1 the merchant to his         
neighboring merchants1 the mother       
mentions it to her children1 and to     
every mother on her list of visitors1   
and all finally come to the conclusion  
that the money has been received in the 
confessional2 that some poor ,roman     
,catholic in their employment had stolen
 it1 and that the priest in the         
confessional caused restitution to be   
made2 that1 after all1 this going to    
confessional was a good thing1--it kept 
the ,catholic servants honest2 and if it
 were not for it1 there would be no     
safety in giving them employment4 ,the  
husband tells his wife to throw no      
obstacles in the way of her domestics   
going to confession1 as he believed it  
was a check upon their dishonesty1 and  

makes up his mind that it is at least   
good policy to sustain ,popery and      
,popish priests4 ,he calls upon the     
,jesuit bishop or priest1 touches his   
hat for him should he meet him upon the 
streets1 tells him he would be happy to 
see him at his house2 and thus1 by this 
tedious1 though sure process1 does a    
reverend ,jesuit priest gain his end4   
,the family is now at his mercy2 and the
 best recommendation a domestic can     
bring to this family1 or any of their   
acquaintances1 is that of a scheming    
deceitful ,popish priest or bishop1 with
 whom1 if properly known1 no respectable
 man would be seen walking the streets4 
,often have ,i done this while a ,romish
 priest4  ,this process1 by which       
,popish priests and ,jesuits often      
insinuate themselves into the confidence
 of some of our most respectable        
,protestant families1 has in it         
something ineffably mean1 contemptible  
and wicked4 ,there is something         
worm-like and vampire-like in the whole 

process4 ,the bold robber is an         
honorable man1 compared with a skulking 
,jesuit priest4 ,the robber runs some   
risk in gaining possession of his booty2
 he has1 at least1 the redeeming quality
 of personal bravery4 ,the eagle1 which 
takes his prey to the very pinnacle of  
the loftiest rock1 though that prey     
should be the infant of the fondest     
mother1 and there devours it before the 
eyes of its agonized parent1 must claim 
more or less admiration for its         
boldness4 ,there is a majesty in its    
flight which diminishes the atrocity of 
the act3 by one bound the noble bird    
gains his point ,but the ,jesuit1 like  
the worm1 like the loathsome reptile1   
gains his by beginning at the root1 at  
the base of domestic happiness and      
virtue1 and creeps and gnaws his way    
until he reaches its summit1 and then   
laughs as he sees it mouldering under   
his feet4 ,but this is not all4 ,the    
,protestant family with whom he forms an
 acquaintance by these dishonorable     

means1 are not the only sufferers4      
,injustice is done to the ,catholic     
domestics in ,protestant families4 ,a   
palpable imputation of dishonesty is    
thrown upon the whole body of them4 ,an 
implied impression is left upon the     
minds of ,protestants that they are all 
dishonest1--that they would all rob1    
pilfer and steal1 if they were not      
forbidden and compelled to make         
restitution in the confessional4 ,but   
what signifies it to a ,jesuit priest1  
what ,protestants think of poor ,roman  
,catholics8 ,if they only believe that  
priests and ,jesuits are saints1 that is
 all they care for4 ,if priests can only
 manage to cause ,protestants to        
attribute the honesty of ,papists to    
themselves1 and can cause the ,catholics
 to hate and despise ,protestants for   
suspecting them of dishonesty1 their    
point is gained1 though at the expense  
of injustice both to ,protestant and    
,catholic4 ,it is peculiarly unjust     
towards ,catholic domestics1 who are    

really as honest as other people1 if    
their priests will let them be1 and who 
might be as good citizens as others1    
were it not for priests and ,jesuits4   
,do away with the supremacy of the ,pope
 and auricular confession1 and the      
foreigners who come among us from       
,ireland and other ,catholic countries1 
would be as peaceable1 as industrious   
and as worthy citizens as any we have1  
but never can these poor people enjoy   
the blessings of freedom here or        
elsewhere1 while they have any          
connection with priests1 confessionals1 
or popes4 ,americans are not inimical to
 foreigners who conduct themselves with 
propriety1 and pay a due respect to the 
laws of their country2 but they are     
inimical1--and it is their duty to be   
so1--to all who traitorously interfere  
with their civil rights2 and it is not a
 little jugular1 that among the millions
 of foreigners which have fled to this  
land of freedom1 none but ,papists have 
interfered with their laws1 their       

institutions1 or their customs4 ,i have 
resided in the ,united ,states for      
thirty years or thereabouts1 and never  
have #a heard a ,protestant say that he 
has been ill-treated or unkindly dealt  
with by ,americans1 on account of his   
foreign birth2 and ,i can declare1 with 
equal sincerity1 that ,i have never     
known a ,roman ,catholic satisfied with 
our republican form of government1 and  
who did not avow1--when he could do so  
without being heard by                  
,protestants1--that he wished a ,raman  
,catholic government established in its 
place4 ,it is a strange circumstance1   
but nevertheless true1 that ,americans  
have no difficulties with any foreigners
 amongst them except the ,roman         
,catholics ,there are various           
denominations of foreigners in the      
,united ,states1 but all others enjoy   
the blessings of liberty1 quietly and   
thankfully4 ,papists alone are          
dissatisfied2 they alone refuse to hear 
to reason1 and seem inclined to govern  

by force4 ,no ,protestant priest in the 
,united ,states has ever been known to  
be controlled in the discharge of his   
duty by a foreign potentate4 ,none of   
them were ever known to harangue their  
flocks and march them through ,american 
cities1 with banners bearing the        
treasonable motto1 written in           
conspicuous letters1 ,americans shan't  
rule us ,popish bishops and ,papists    
alone1 have dared to do this4  ,i have  
always been1 and ,i trust ,i am now1 the
 advocate of peace2 but ,i will confess1
 that ,i am at a loss to know whether   
there is to be found in any code of     
political1 or even moral ethics1 a      
single passage which can justify        
,americans in permitting this outrage   
upon their laws and upon their national 
character4 ,it may be a salutary        
inconsistency1 a laudable apostasy1 on  
the part of ,americans1 to permit this  
insult to their country and to the      
memory of their noble and patriotic     
ancestors2 but if these ancestors1 who  

now sleep in their graves1 were living1 
and saw this ,popish flag with this     
,popish motto1 paraded by foreign       
,papists over their graves1 ,i will only
 say1 the insult should never be        
repeated2 there would be no one left to 
bear the standard4  ,i do not believe1  
that1 from the days of ,cain to the days
 of ,bishop ,hughs1 of ,new ,york1 there
 has ever been witnessed so insolent1 or
 so inflated a condensation of treason1 
as was contained in that solitary       
,popish motto1 ,americans shan't rule   
us2 and it ,americans were not a people 
of singular forbearance1 they would have
 levelled to the ground every ,popish   
church1 and put to the sword every      
,popish priest and bishop in the        
country4  ,the poor ,irish ,papists who 
marched through our cities1 waving in   
the very face of ,americans1 the flag   
which bore this treasonable motto to    
which ,i have alluded1 are not so much  
to be blamed2 a majority of them are but
 the children of impulse1 whose passions

 are played upon by designing priests4  
,i repeat it1--and again and again ,i   
have repeated it1--the ,irish are       
naturally a well-disposed people4 ,they 
would be true to this country1 and      
faithful to its laws and constitution1  
if their priests and church would let   
them4 ,this is evident in the contrast  
which is visible between the ,papists   
and ,protestants of ,ireland4 ,there are
 not in this country better men or more 
faithful citizens than the ,protestants 
of ,ireland4 ,where can we find a man   
who values character more highly than an
 ,irish ,protestant8 ,where is there to 
be found a man1 who contributes more1 by
 his own example and that of his family1
 to the preservation of virtue and      
morality1 than a ,protestant ,irishman1 
in the ,united ,states8 ,i can say from 
my own knowledge of ,protestant         
,irishmen in particular1 that they are  
temperate1 frugal1 industrious1 and     
eminently sincere in their professions  
and attachments4 ,i mean not any        

invidious comparison when ,i say there  
is no finer character than a ,protestant
 ,irishman4 ,he is in earnest in        
everything1 in his words and in his     
actions4  ,americans1 give him the hand 
of friendship2 give him your confidence2
 he will not betray you4 ,in the hour of
 danger1 he will stand by yourselves1   
your laws1 and your constitution4 ,he   
will defend them with his strong arm and
 brave heart2 his religion teaches him  
to do so4 ,but not so the ,irish        
,papist4 ,trust him not at least until  
he renounces his religion1 which tells  
him that you are heretics1 and should be
 extirpated1 and that your constitution 
shall not rule him4  ,i am little       
inclined to moralize1 but it is to me a 
sad reflection1 to see this contrast    
between the ,protestant and ,roman      
,catholic ,irish2 all occasioned by that
 accursed thing called ,popery4  ,even  
the ,christian ,league1 so grossly      
abused by ,papists1 seem to entertain no
 other feelings than those of           

hospitality towards them2 but in truth  
nothing is to be feared by ,papists from
 that association4 ,as far as ,i know   
them by reputation1 they are men of     
zeal1 piety1 and fine talents2 but they 
are no match for the trained bands of   
the ,popish army4 ,they want discipline4
 ,it is true ,i know-nothing of them but
 through their speeches1 some of which  
have been published in our leading      
religious journals4 ,these ,i have read1
 and the ,league itself could not give  
me credit for taste or judgment1 did #a 
not pronounce them pointless1 pithless1 
powerless1 almost useless4 ,they        
evidently overrate themselves or        
undervalue the force of their opponents4
 ,the latter ,i have reason to know is  
the fact4  ,it is true his holiness has 
condescended to curse them4 ,he sent    
recently a bull formally excommunicating
 them as a set of damned heretics4 ,i am
 glad of this4 ,it may arouse them to a 
greater concert of action4  ,but what if
 this ,league should succeed in that    

which seems to be after all their       
leading object1 the circulation of the  
,bible in ,italy8 ,suppose they even    
succeeded in suppressing ,jesuitism     
altogether in that country1 what then8  
,would ,popery cease to exist8 ,or has  
the ,christian ,league counted the cost 
at which this may be done8 ,have they   
reflected that while they are mowing    
down the withered weeds of ,popery in   
the morally barren fields of ,italy1    
that ,jesuits are carefully collecting  
its seeds and roots1 and planting them  
in the new and rich fields of their own 
country1 where1 in the homely but       
expressive language of our farmers1 one 
acre will produce more than ten in      
,italy8 ,the whole course of this       
,league1 as far as ,i am able to judge1 
is injudicious1 and for the one moral   
good that will be the consequence1 fifty
 evil ones must follow4 ,not a single   
member of this learned association would
 apply their rule of action1 in relation
 to ,italy1 to the management of any    

other transaction in life4 ,what farmer1
 for instance1 would waste his time in  
cultivating a sandy barren field on his 
farm1 and leave uncultivated a rich1    
loamy and productive one8 ,or would he  
try to cultivate both without sufficient
 hands to do either well8 ,assuredly1 no
 judicious man would do so2 or if he    
did1 a failure and poverty would be the 
necessary consequence4 ,if the ,league  
desire success1 they must strike at the 
root of the evil of which they complain4
 ,who1 for instance1 that had a tree in 
his garden1 whose fruit and blossoms    
were poisonous1 would spend his time1   
every spring and autumn1 in plucking off
 those blossoms and gathering up this   
fruit1 with a view of getting rid of    
this troublesome and destructive tree8  
,would you1 gentlemen of the ,christian 
,league1 not smile at the individual    
whom you saw thus employed8 ,would you  
not1 in charity1 say to him1--sir1 you  
should root out that tree altogether    
from your garden2 but especially should 

you take care that if any of its seeds  
has found its way into a richer garden  
or more valuable soil of yours1 to      
extirpate the latter first1 as the      
poison which that will emit will be much
 more rank1 subtle and to greater       
quantity4  ,if ,jesuitism were now      
confined to ,italy alone1 the members of
 the ,christian alliance may1 perhaps1  
be right4 ,if there was but one tree in 
the farmer's garden1 and its seeds had  
not taken root in any of his more       
valuable domains1 he might take his own 
time in removing the tree1 either by    
cutting it down1 or by gathering up its 
fruits and blossoms to suit his taste1  
fancy or eccentricity4 ,but when the    
seed of this tree has taken root and    
begins to flourish luxuriantly1 in the  
only spot of land from which he expected
 support for himself and family1 he is a
 thriftless farmer that would not       
extirpate this tree root and branch1    
fruit and blossom1 from this valuable   
spot on which his own support and that  

of a numerous family depended4  ,let    
this rule be applied to the individual  
members of the ,christian alliance1 or  
rather let each member apply it to      
himself4 ,he cannot but see that the    
poisonous seed of ,popery has found its 
way to this country1 and taken deep root
 in some of its most verdant fields4 ,i 
am aware that these gentlemen will pay  
but little attention to my remonstrances
 or warnings4 ,men entrenched behind the
 pride of opinion will seldom yield to  
the summons of reason4 ,for more than   
twenty years ,i have warned             
,protestants1 but to no effect1 of an   
approaching foundation of ,popish       
priests and ,jesuit principles4 ,suppose
 a fire should rage through one of our  
most populous cities2 suppose it should 
have extended to the very middle of its 
lengthiest streets2 would it be wise to 
go and try to check its progress by     
seeking for the spot where it began8    
,the whole force of the fire companies  
and citizens should be concentrate it   

the extreme point at which it extended2 
every effort should be made to prevent  
its progressing together4 ,palaces1     
houses1 hovels1 goods1 all should be    
pulled down at every risk of individual 
property to stop the conflagration4     
,suppose a prairie were on fire2 suppose
 that prairie belonged to the ,christian
 alliance2 suppose the loss of it       
involved their own ruin and the ruin of 
their posterity1--would they1 or any one
 of them1 go to look for the spot where 
the fire originated8 ,not they4 ,it     
would be madness to do so4 ,each and    
every one of them would turn up their   
sleeves and never cease to labor until  
they cut a ditch deep and wide enough to
 prevent the progress of the flames4    
,why do they not pursue the same course 
in relation to ,popery8 ,they see       
,popery burning1 blazing1 whizzing1 and 
devastating this whole land1 and in     
place of cutting a ditch1 or throwing up
 such a barrier as will check its       
further advance1 they go by a sort of   

retro-progressive movement1 back to     
,italy1 to begin this work4 ,pardon me1 
fellow-citizens4 ,though ,i disapprove  
of the course of your proceedings in    
trying to prevent the further spread of 
,popery1 ,i am willing to acknowledge   
that in talents1 zeal1 piety1 and       
general learning1 you infinitely excel  
me2 but ,i believe ,i am not vain in    
saying that in the knowledge of ,popery 
and ,jesuit intrigue1 ,i am not inferior
 to you4 ,you are evidently in the dark 
in practical acquaintance with ,popery1 
and ,i hesitate not to tell you now1    
that until you unite with me heart and  
hand in my efforts to extirpate it from 
this country1 you will be laughed at by 
every ,romish priest and ,bishop in the 
,united ,states2 well knowing1 as they  
do1 that while you are converting one   
,italian to ,protestantism1 they are    
converting five hundred ,americans to   
,popery2 and that while you are         
distributing one little tract1 which one
 ,italian in a thousand1--even if he    

could1 would not read1--they are        
building one hundred colleges1          
nunneries1 and monk houses1 in your very
 midst1 and at your very doors4 ,you    
will find1 by-and-by1 that this very    
country of yours1 this very land of     
freedom1 will supply even ,italy with   
,jesuits and priests enough to drive    
you1 your ,bibles and tracts1 beyond    
their boundaries4 ,stand upon your own  
soil2 let ,americans never engage in any
 foreign religious or political war4    
,you have not now the moral power to    
wage an offensive religious war2 that   
day is gone by4 ,i warned you of it     
twenty-five years ago1 but you heeded me
 not2 you were deaf4 ,you have quite    
enough to do now to defend your own     
soil1 and much more1 ,i fear1 than you  
will be able to accomplish1 with all    
your zeal and talents4  ,one of the     
members of the ,christian ,league1 at   
its late convention in ,boston1 has     
stated1 if ,i am not mistaken1 that the 
,pope read one of its tracts1 and looked

 very sad4 ,for the word sad1 should be 
substituted glad4 ,if he read the tract 
at all1 which ,i doubt1 it must have    
been extremely gratifying to him4 ,it   
showed him clearly that he had succeeded
 in humbugging ,americans even farther  
than he expected2 and with due deference
 to each and every member of the        
,league1 ,i must say1 that this is the  
only inference which any man1 versed in 
a knowledge of ,popery1 or even of human
 nature1 would or could draw from that  
circumstance4  ,the ,romish church has a
 vast interest in this country2 an      
interest so deep that no line can sound 
it2 an interest of such magnitude1 that 
the power of numbers can scarcely       
calculate it1 and of such altitude1 that
 it scarcely admits of a measurement2   
and the ,pope's object is to divert the 
attention of the ,christian ,league1 and
 all other ,american ,protestants1 from 
this country to ,italy1 which1 if given 
to us with all its relics1 ,jesuits1    
monks and nuns1 would not enrich us much

 in a pecuniary point of view1 and would
 be only the means of flooding us with  
infidelity and immorality4  ,it is sound
 policy in the ,pope1 to attract the    
attention of ,american ,protestants to  
,italy4 ,he knows well1 that the citadel
 of our liberties can never be taken1   
without this or some other similar plot4
 ,let him but succeed in turning the    
eyes of ,americans from the altar of our
 own liberty1 on which the ,god of      
freedom sits enthroned1 to ,italy1 and  
pour in upon us his vassals at the rate 
of two thousand in forty-eight          
hours1--we are told was done in ,new    
,york1 last week1--and freedom's ,god   
will soon be dishonored1 and the image  
of some ,popish vagabond1 called saint1 
will be seated in its place4  ,the whole
 country must form itself into one      
,protestant alliance1 and swear upon the
 altar of freedom1 that no man shall be 
admitted to the rights of an ,american  
citizen1 until he forswears all         
allegiance1 spiritual and temporal1     

civil and religious1 without mental     
reservation or equivocation1 to the     
,pope of ,rome ,every appeal to the     
,pope of ,rome1 from the citizens of    
this country1 or from any man living    
within its limits1 for the purpose of   
settling any difficulties between them  
about church rights1 civil rights1 or   
any other rights whatever1 should be    
considered treason2 and the individual  
or individuals who shall make such      
appeals1 whether a ,popish archbishop1  
bishop1 priests1 ,jesuits1 or laymen1   
should be prosecuted as felons1 and     
subjected to the most ignominious       
punishment known to our laws4  ,this1   
and this alone1 can effectually arrest  
the progress of ,popery in these ,united
 ,states4 ,no ,papists can complain of  
this1 and no honest man will object to  
it4 ,such a law is not at variance with 
our constitution2 it prevents no man    
from worshipping ,god according to the  
dictates of his own conscience4 ,on the 
contrary1 it only guaranties even to the

 ,papist1 in still stronger terms than  
our constitution now does1 the right of 
worshipping ,god as he pleases1 and     
relieves him from the degrading         
obligation of being obliged to worship  
him according to the dictates of the    
conscience of a foreign tyrant1 the     
,pope of ,rome1 and his insolent minions
 in this country4  ,i believe there is  
not even an ,irish ,catholic in this    
country who will not support such a law4
 ,a little reflection will satisfy them 
that nearly all the evils they suffer1  
and have borne patiently for centuries  
back1 have been brought upon them by the
 ,church of ,rome4 ,they will soon      
perceive1 if they only take the trouble 
of examining the question1 that there is
 not1 and never was1 such a system of   
general1 permanent1 and unlimited       
slavery1 as that to which the ,romish   
church has reduced them4 ,it is         
irreconcilable with happiness1 good     
order1 public and private tranquillity2 
and there cannot possibly exist a more  

singular anomaly1 than to see a whole   
people willing to ,submit to such a     
system1 and preferring it to the        
rational freedom which they enjoy in    
this country4  ,far be it from me1 and  
foreign indeed is it from ray thoughts1 
to say1 or do1 or write anything that   
may injure the true welfare of the poor 
,irish ,catholics4 ,i would serve them1 
and1 in the full flow of my affection   
for them1 ,i would beg of them to pause 
and look seriously into their condition4
 ,the year before last1 #ahdc1 the      
,irish people paid to ,o',connell       
twenty-eight thousand pounds4 ,this was 
called the ,o',connell tribute4 ,in the 
same year1 they paid repeal rent1       
amounting to the enormous sum of        
seventy-eight thousand five hundred     
pounds sterling2 amounting in all1 to   
one hundred and six thousand five       
hundred pounds ,british money4 ,the     
above1 ,i take from the accounts and    
estimates of the repeal journals4 ,let  
us add to the above sum the amount which

 the ,irish in the ,united ,states have 
sent over to ,ireland1 and some idea may
 be formed of the grinding tyranny which
 the ,romish church and her agents      
exercise over their deluded victims here
 and elsewhere4  ,under these           
circumstances1 is it not my duty1 is it 
not the duty of every friend of         
humanity1 to appeal to the good sense of
 the ,irish1 to their sober second      
thought1 and ask them1 why submit to    
such imposition as this8 ,why not resist
 these tyrannical exactions of the      
,church of ,rome8 ,for they know well1  
that it is not ,irish repeal or         
,american repeal1 that the ,pope and his
 priests have in view2 but church       
repeal4 ,what have the ,irish received  
in exchange for the vast sums which they
 have given1 and the blood which they   
have shed1 to effect this ,irish1 or    
rather church repeal1 and the loss of   
that confidence and esteem1 which they  
might otherwise have from ,americans8   
,nothing4 ,emphatically nothing4        

,suppose they succeeded in overthrowing 
the constitution2 suppose they reduced  
to sad reality the words of their daring
 and treasonable motto1 ,americans      
shan't rule us and the ,american        
constitution were trampled under their  
feet2 suppose the ,protestant heretics  
of the ,united ,states were extirpated  
and exterminated1 qui bono1 whose       
advantage would it be8 ,would it be     
yours1 poor1 warm-hearted1 but deluded  
,irish ,catholics8 ,would your new      
,popish rulers give you a better        
constitution8 ,would your new ,popish   
signers to your constitution be men of  
more piety1 liberality1 or patriotism1  
than the signers of the ,declaration of 
the ,independence of these ,united      
,states8 ,let the civilized world answer
 the question4 ,i shall not record it4  
,it should be registered only in heaven4
  ,poor ,papists6 ,you are not only     
slaves1 but you are denied the privilege
 of choosing your own master4 ,your     
task-master1 the ,pope1 and his         

overseers the bishops1 will not even    
allow you to choose your own teachers1  
or have priests of your choice4 ,they   
will not even give you a voice in the   
choice of your pastors4 ,do you call    
this freedom of conscience8 ,a bishop1  
some insolent tool of the pope1 tells   
you to build a church2 puts his hand in 
your pockets1 takes out the last dollar 
some of you have1 builds a magnificent  
chapel1 and when you want a priest1 whom
 you believe most competent to instruct 
yourselves and your children1 you cannot
 have him2 and if you insist upon your  
just right to choose him1 you are told  
by your tyrant overseer1 the bishop1 to 
be silent1 or he will lock up the       
church1 and curse you1 and every one    
belonging to you4 ,call you this freedom
 of conscience8 ,call you this the right
 of worshipping ,god according to the   
dictates of your own conscience8 ,yes4  
,such is your infatuation4 ,i ask you1  
,irish ,papists1 whether ,i am          
exaggerating or even discoloring the    

truth1 in what ,i here state8  ,about   
the year #ahah1 the ,roman ,catholics of
 ,norfolk1 ,virginia1 had for their     
priest a man supposed by them to be     
among the best of the order4 ,they      
wished him continued among them2 but    
their bishop would not allow it2 and    
when they murmured1 he threatened to    
curse them2 they sent a remonstrance to 
the ,pope of ,rome1 but he did not deign
 to notice it2 they had to submit4 ,here
 was liberty of conscience with a       
vengeance6 ,the ,roman ,catholics of    
,philadelphia1 ,new ,orleans1           
,charleston1 and ,new ,york1 sent       
similar remonstrances to his royal      
holiness1 the ,pope2 but in place of    
redress1 he reprimanded them for their  
insolence1 and threatened to curse them1
 if they exhibited any further symptoms 
of contumacy2 and they crouched like so 
many whipped spaniels1 perfectly content
 with the privilege of paying out their 
money and building magnificent churches 
for the ,pope's agents4  ,a similar case

 occurred in this city of ,boston1 if ,i
 am correctly informed1 only a short    
time ago4 ,a large majority of one of   
the most respectable ,roman ,catholic   
congregations in this city1 wished to   
have x for their pastor1 a priest whom  
they believed to be a man of talents2   
but their ,bishop1 ,fenwick1--a         
practical ,jesuit1 with talents below   
mediocrity1 but possessing all the      
craft1 cunning and intrigue of his      
order1--had the unparalleled assurance  
to tell them that they should not have  
the pastor of their choice2 that they   
had no voice in the matter2 that he was 
the church within the limits of his     
diocese2 that they who did not hear the 
church were worse than heathens and     
publicans2 and that if they did not shut
 up their mouths1 he would shut up their
 church at once1 and curse them if they 
became contumacious4 ,is this freedom of
 conscience8 ,and yet we hear this very 
majority1--this insulted1 downtrodden   
majority1--talk of the right of         

worshipping ,god according to the       
dictates of their own conscience4       
,shameful proceedings these1 in a free  
country6 ,base tyranny over a generous  
people6 ,why not say to this would-be   
despot1 ,fenwick1 we acknowledge you our
 bishop2 we will hear to any objections 
which you have to make against the      
pastor of our choice2 but if you have   
none to make1 we shall have him2 the    
church is our property2 and you and your
 interdicts1 curses and all such        
raw-heads and bloody-bones1 may go to   
,rome2 we want you not in a             
free-country4 ,no longer shall we submit
 in blind obedience to you1 or to a     
foreign ,pope4  ,the great mass1 of     
,irish ,catholics1 on whom the arts of  
delusion and chicanery are chiefly      
practised1 do not understand the meaning
 of the word freedom4 ,they are taught  
by priest and ,jesuits in the           
confessional1 to misapply that term     
altogether4 ,freedom or liberty means in
 its true sense1 a faithful and         

conscientious adherence to law and the  
constitution of the country in which we 
live1 and of which we are members4 ,it  
is the obedience of duty1 and           
anticipates compulsion4 ,it is not a    
blind obedience1 such as that taught by 
,popish priests1 and which favors the   
extension of their power4 ,priests and  
bishops would1 if they could1 limit the 
comprehensive term1 liberty1 to the     
privilege of bowing to his holiness the 
,pope1 and building churches for him4   
,but even ,papists are beginning to     
doubt the legitimacy of this application
 of the term1 and ,i am much mistaken if
 there are not1 even now1 thousands of  
them in the city of ,boston1 ,new ,york1
 and elsewhere1 who will unite with     
,americans in petitioning ,congress to  
pass a law1 making it treason1 in any   
man in the ,united ,states1 whether     
native or foreigner1 to hold any        
correspondence1 or to avow any          
allegiance of any kind or under any name
 or title1 spiritual or temporal1 with  

the ,pope of ,rome1 knowing as they do  
that he is a temporal potentate4 ,let   
the whole people1 ,christian ,league1   
,natives1 ,odd-fellows1 ,freemasons1    
,whigs1 ,democrats1 ,conservatives1 and 
all unite in one great1 national        
petition to the ,congress of the ,united
 ,states1 and in one fervent and loud   
prayer to the ,god of mercy1 that he may
 give the said ,congress a correct view 
of their duty1 and cause them to hear   
and grant our prayer4 ,this1 with such  
improvements as wiser heads may suggest1
 is the course ,i would advise to be    
pursued in the present posture of our   
national and moral condition4 ,the time 
seems propitious2 our executive is said 
to be a ,christian4 ,god send he may    
prove so1 and that the blandishments of 
office may not blind him to a sense of  
his duty to ,god and his country6       
,,destruction ,,of ,,the ,,inquisition  
,,in ,,spain4  ,in #ahji1 ,col4         
,lehmanowsky was attached to the part of
 ,napoleon's army which was stationed in

 ,madrid4 ,and while in that city1 said 
,col4 ,l41 ,i used to speak freely among
 the people what ,i thought of the      
,priests and ,jesuits1 and of the       
,inquisition4 ,it had been decreed by   
the ,emperor ,napoleon that the         
,inquisition and ,monasteries should be 
suppressed1 but the decree1 he said1    
like some of the laws enacted in this   
country1 was not executed4 ,months had  
passed away1 and the prisons of the     
,inquisition had not been opened4 ,one  
night1 about #aj or #aa o'clock1 as he  
was walking one of the streets of       
,madrid1 two armed men sprang upon him  
from an alley1 and made a furious       
attack4 ,he instantly drew his sword1   
put himself in a posture of defence1 and
 while struggling with them1 he saw at a
 distance1 the lights of the            
patroles1--,french soldiers mounted1 who
 carried lanterns1 and who rode through 
the streets of the city at all hours of 
the night1 to preserve order4 ,he called
 to them in ,french1 and1 as they       

hastened to his assistance1 the         
assailants took to their heels and      
escaped1 not however before he saw by   
their dress that they belonged to the   
guards of the ,inquisition4  ,he went   
immediately to ,marshal ,soult1 then    
,governor of ,madrid1 told him what had 
taken place1 and reminded him of the    
decree to suppress this institution4    
,marshal ,soult replied that he might go
 and destroy it4 ,col4 ,l4 told him that
 his regiment 7the #ith of the ,polish  
,lancers7 was not sufficient for such a 
service1 but if he would give him two   
additional regiments1--the #aagth1 and  
another1 which he named1 he would       
undertake the work4 ,the #aagth regiment
 was under the command of ,col4 ,de     
,lile1 who is now1 like ,col4 ,l41 a    
minister of the gospel1 and pastor of an
 evangelical church in ,marseilles1     
,france4 ,the troops required were      
granted1 and ,i proceeded 7said ,col4   
,l47 to the ,inquisition1 which was     
situated about five miles from the city4

 ,it was surrounded with a wall of great
 strength1 and defended by a company of 
soldiers4 ,when we arrived at the walls1
 ,i addressed one of the sentinels1 and 
summoned the holy fathers to surrender  
to the imperial army1 and open the gates
 of the ,inquisition4 ,the sentinel1 who
 was standing on the wall1 appeared to  
enter into conversation for a moment    
with some one within1 at the close of   
which he presented his musket1 and shot 
one of my men4 ,this was the signal of  
attack1 and ,i ordered my troops to fire
 upon those who appeared on the walls4  
,it was soon obvious that it was an     
unequal warfare4 ,the walls of the      
,inquisition were covered with the      
soldiers of the holy office2 there was  
also a breast work upon the wall1 behind
 which they partially exposed themselves
 as they discharged their muskets4 ,our 
troops were in the open plain1 and      
exposed to a destructive fire4 ,we had  
no cannon1 nor could we scale the walls1
 and the gates successfully resisted all

 attempts at forcing them4 ,i could not 
retire and send for cannon to break     
through the walls without giving them   
time to lay a train for blowing us up4  
,i saw that it was necessary to change  
the mode of attack1 and directed some   
trees to be cut down and trimmed1 to be 
used as battering rams4 ,two of these   
were taken up by detachments of men1 as 
numerous as could work to advantage1 and
 brought to bear upon the walls with all
 the power which they could exert1 while
 the troops kept up a fire to protect   
them from the fire poured upon them from
 the walls4 ,presently the walls began  
to tremble1 a breach was made1 and the  
imperial troops rushed into the         
,inquisition4 ,here we met with an      
incident1 which nothing but ,jesuitical 
effrontery is equal to4 ,the inquisitor 
general1 followed by the father         
confessors in their priestly robes1 all 
came out of their rooms1 as we were     
making our way into the interior of the 
,inquisition1 and with long faces1 and  

their arms crossed over their breasts1  
their fingers resting on their          
shoulders1 as though they had been deaf 
to all the noise of the attack and      
defence1 and had just learned what was  
going on1 they addressed themselves in  
the language of rebuke to their own     
soldiers1 saying1 ,why do you fight our 
friends1 the ,french8  ,their intention1
 no doubt1 was to make us think that    
this defence was wholly unauthorized by 
them1 hoping1 if they could make us     
believe that they were friendly1 they   
should have a better opportunity1 in the
 confusion of the moment1 to escape4    
,their artifice was too shallow1 and did
 not succeed4 ,i caused them to be      
placed under guard1 and all the soldiers
 of the ,inquisition to be secured as   
prisoners4 ,we then proceeded to examine
 all the rooms of the stately edifice4  
,we passed through room after room2     
found all perfectly in order1 richly    
furnished1 with altars and crucifixes1  
and wax candles in abundance1 but could 

discover no evidences of iniquity being 
practised there1 nothing of those       
peculiar features which we expected to  
find in an ,inquisition4 ,we found      
splendid paintings1 and a rich and      
extensive library4 ,here was beauty and 
splendor1 and the most perfect order on 
which my eyes had ever rested4 ,the     
architecture1 the proportions were      
perfect4 ,the ceiling and floors of wood
 were scoured and highly polished4 ,the 
marble floors were arranged with a      
strict regard to order4 ,there was      
everything to please the eye and gratify
 a cultivated taste2 but where were     
those horrid instruments of torture of  
which we had been told1 and where those 
dungeons in which human beings were said
 to be buried alive8 ,we searched in    
vain4 ,the holy father assured us that  
they had been belied2 that we had seen  
all2 and ,i was prepared to give up the 
search1 convinced that this ,inquisition
 was different from others of which ,i  
had heard4  ,but ,col4 ,de ,lile was not

 so ready as myself to give up the      
search1 and said to me1 ,colonel1 you   
are commander to-day1 and as you say1 so
 it must be2 but if you will be advised 
by me1 let this marble floor be         
examined4 ,let water be brought and     
poured upon it1 and we will watch and   
see if there is any place through which 
it passes more freely than others4 ,i   
replied to him1 ,do as you please1      
colonel1 and ordered water to be brought
 accordingly4 ,the slabs of marble were 
large and beautifully polished4 ,when   
the water had been poured over the      
floor1 much to the dissatisfaction of   
the inquisitors1 a careful examination  
was made of every seam in the floor1 to 
see if the water passed through4        
,presently ,col4 ,de ,lile exclaimed    
that he had found it4 ,by the side of   
one of these marble slabs the water     
passed through fast1 as though there was
 an opening beneath4 ,all hands were now
 at work for further discovery2 the     
officers with their swords1 and the     

soldiers with their bayonets1 seeking to
 clear out the seam and pry up the slab2
 others with the butts of their muskets 
striking the slab with all their might  
to break it1 while the priests          
remonstrated against our desecrating    
their holy and beautiful house4 ,while  
thus engaged1 a soldier1 who was        
striking with the butt of his musket1   
struck a spring1 and the marble slab    
flew up4 ,then the faces of the         
inquisitors grew pale as ,belshazzar1   
when the handwriting appeared on the    
wall2 they trembled all over4 ,beneath  
the marble slab1 now partly up1 there   
was a stair-case4 ,i stepped to the     
altar1 and took from the candlestick one
 of the candles four feet in length1    
which was burning1 that ,i might explore
 the room below4 ,as ,i was doing this1 
,i was arrested by one of the           
inquisitors1 who laid his hand gently on
 my arm1 and with a very demure and holy
 look said1 ,my son1 you must not take  
those lights with your bloody hands1    

they are holy4--,well1 ,i said1 ,i will 
take a holy thing to shed light on      
iniquity2 ,i will bear the              
responsibility6 ,i took the candle1 and 
proceeded down the staircase4 ,as we    
reached the foot of the stairs we       
entered a large square room1 which was  
called the ,hall of ,judgment4 ,in the  
centre of it was a large block1 and a   
chain fastened to it4 ,on this they had 
been accustomed to place the accused1   
chained to his seat4 ,on one side of the
 room was one elevated seat called the  
,throne of ,judgment4 ,this the         
,inquisitor ,general occupied1 and on   
either side were seats less elevated1   
for the holy fathers when engaged in the
 solemn business of the ,holy           
,inquisition4  ,from this room we       
proceeded to the right1 and obtained    
access to small cells1 extending the    
entire length of the edifice2 and here  
such sights were presented as we hoped  
never to see again4  ,these cells were  
places of solitary confinement1 where   

the wretched objects of inquisitorial   
hate were confined year after year1 till
 death released them from their         
sufferings1 and there their bodies were 
suffered to remain until they were      
entirely decayed1 and the rooms had     
become fit for others to occupy4 ,to    
prevent this being offensive to those   
who occupied the inquisition1 there were
 flues or tubes extending to the open   
air1 sufficiently capacious to carry off
 the odor4 ,in these cells we found the 
remains of some who had paid the debt of
 nature2 some of them had been dead     
apparently but a short time1 while of   
others nothing remained but their bones1
 still chained to the floor of their    
dungeon4  ,in other cells we found      
living sufferers of both sexes and of   
every age1 from three score years and   
ten down to fourteen or fifteen         
years--all naked as when born into the  
world6 and all in chains6 ,here were old
 men and aged women1 who had been shut  
up for many years4 ,here1 too1 were the 

middle aged1 and the young man and the  
maiden of fourteen years old4 ,the      
soldiers immediately went to work to    
release these captives from their       
chains1 and took from their knapsacks   
their overcoats and other clothing1     
which they gave to cover their          
nakedness4 ,they were exceedingly       
anxious to bring them out to the light  
of day2 but ,col4 ,l41 aware of the     
danger1 had food given them1 and then   
brought them gradually to the light1 as 
they were able to bear it4  ,we then    
proceeded1 said ,col4 ,l41 to explore   
another room on the left4 ,here we found
 the instruments of torture1 of every   
kind which the ingenuity of men or      
devils could invent4 ,col4 ,l4 here     
described four of these horrid          
instruments4 ,the first was a machine by
 which the victim was confined1 and     
then1 beginning with the fingers1 every 
joint in the hands1 arms1 and body1 were
 broken or drawn one after another1     
until the victim died4 ,the second was a

 box1 in which the head and neck of the 
victim were so closely confined by a    
screw that he could not move in any way4
 ,over the box was a vessel1 from which 
one drop of water a second fell upon the
 head of the victim--every successive   
drop falling upon precisely the same    
place on the head1 suspended the        
circulation in a few moments1 and put   
the sufferer in the most excruciating   
agony4 ,the third was an infernal       
machine1 laid horizontally1 to which the
 victim was bound2 the machine then     
being placed between two beams1 in which
 were scores of knives so fixed that1 by
 turning the machine with a crank1 the  
flesh of the sufferer was torn from his 
limbs all in small pieces4 ,the fourth  
surpassed the others in fiendish        
ingenuity4 ,its exterior was a beautiful
 woman1 or large doll1 richly dressed1  
with arms extended1 ready to embrace its
 victim4 ,around her feet a semi-circle 
was drawn4 ,the victim who passed over  
this fatal mark1 touched a spring1 which

 caused the diabolical engine to open2  
its arms clasped him1 and a thousand    
knives cut him into as many pieces in   
the deadly embrace4  ,col4 ,l4 said that
 the sight of these engines of infernal 
cruelty kindled the rage of the soldiers
 to fury4 ,they declared that every     
inquisitor and soldier of the           
inquisition should be put to the        
torture4 ,their rage was ungovernable4  
,col4 ,l4 did not oppose them2 they     
might have turned their arms against    
him1 if he had attempted to arrest their
 work4 ,they began with the holy        
fathers4 ,the first they put to death in
 the machine for breaking joints4 ,the  
torture of the inquisitor put to death  
by the dropping of water on his head was
 most excruciating4 ,the poor man cried 
out in agony to be taken from the fatal 
machine4 ,the inquisitor general was    
brought before the infernal engine      
called ,the ,virgin4 ,he begs to be     
excused4 ,no1 said they you have caused 
others to kiss her1 and now you must do 

it4 ,they interlocked their bayonets so 
as to form large forks1 and with these  
pushed him over the deadly circle4 ,the 
beautiful image instantly prepared for  
the embrace1 clasped him in its arms1   
and he was cut into innumerable pieces4 
,col4 ,l4 said1 that he witnessed the   
torture of four of them--his heart      
sickened at the awful scene--and he left
 the soldiers to wreak their vengeance  
on the last guilty inmate of that       
prison-house of hell4  ,in the mean time
 it was reported through ,madrid that   
the prisons of the ,inquisition were    
broken open1 and multitudes hastened to 
the fatal spot4 ,and oh1 what a meeting 
was there6 ,it was like a resurrection6 
,about a hundred who had been buried for
 many years were now restored to life4  
,there were fathers who found their long
 lost daughters2 wives were restored to 
their husbands1 sisters to their        
brothers1 and parents to their children2
 and there were some who could recognize
 no friend among the multitude4 ,the    

scene was such as no tongue can         
describe4  ,when the multitude had      
retired1 ,col4 ,l4 caused the library1  
paintings1 furniture1 c41 to be removed1
 and having sent to the city for a wagon
 load of powder1 he deposited a large   
quantity in the vaults beneath the      
building1 and placed a slow match in    
connection with it4 ,all had withdrawn  
at a distance1 and in a few moments     
there was a most joyful sight to        
thousands4 ,the walls and turrets of the
 massive structure rose majestically    
towards the heavens1 impelled by the    
tremendous explosion1 and fell back to  
the earth an immense heap of ruins4 ,the
 ,inquisition was no more6--,phil       
,christ4 ,obs4       ,,auricular        
,,confession and ,,popish ,,nunneries1  
,volume ,,ii4  ,by ,william ,hogan      
#ahed4     ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,second
 ,,volume4  ,a close observer of the    
past and present religious and political
 condition of this country1 cannot fail 
to see an evident and manifest change in

 both1 especially during the last ten or
 twenty years4 ,it may not appear as    
plain to those who have always resided  
upon the soil1 as it does to others1 who
 have only been naturalized or          
incorporated amongst them4 ,this is not 
to be wondered at ,it is almost natural 
that it should be so4 ,a parent1 who is 
accustomed to see his child every day1  
and perhaps every hour in the day1      
cannot always perceive how fast he grows
 in height and size4 ,a stranger1 who   
only sees him at distant intervals1 will
 perceive the change much sooner4 ,the  
child will grow1 and acquire almost the 
attitudes and proportions of manhood1   
before the parents can realize the fact 
that he is no longer a child1 but a full
 grown man4 ,it is undoubtedly upon some
 similar principle1 we can account for  
the fact that ,americans do not see1 as 
soon as others among them1 the fatal    
change which is progressively1 but      
steadily and surely1 taking place in the
 political and religious condition of   

this country4  ,if ,i am correct in my  
own observations upon events as they    
whirl past me with almost dazzling      
rapidity1 there is something wrong      
amongst us1--something is rotten in     
,denmark1--some cogs are out of place1  
or out of proportion1 in the machinery  
of our moral and political systems4     
,some foreign elements must have been   
surreptitiously thrown in and mixed up  
with them1 which have deranged all their
 operations4  ,it is1 in my             
apprehension1 the duty of every man who 
values freedom of thought1 freedom of   
speech1 and the free exercise of        
religion1 to examine and see what is the
 cause of this derangement1 which       
retards and disturbs our happiness1 as  
,christians and as citizens4 ,what has  
swelled and rendered turgent and muddy  
those sweet and gently-flowing streams  
of peace and brotherly love1 on the     
banks of which1 the early settlers of   
this country used to sit for days       
undisturbed1 singing praises and        

hallelujahs to ,jehovah1 who delivered  
them1 in his great mercy1 from lands of 
bondage1 tyranny1 and idolatry4  ,i have
 looked into the subject2 ,i have       
examined1 with all the care and         
diligence in my power1 the reasons and  
causes why free-born ,americans were not
 advancing more rapidly both in         
political science and practical piety2  
and the result of my most anxious1      
diligent1 and impartial inquiry is1 that
 it is attributable solely to the       
introduction of ,popery among them1 and 
the consequent direct and indirect      
interference of the ,court of ,rome with
 our government ,the royal ,pope of     
,rome1 7as ,i have heretofore           
demonstrated to the satisfaction of     
every man whose eyes and ears were not  
closed against truth17 claims           
jurisdiction1 spiritual and temporal1   
over the kingdoms of this world2 and his
 untiring and obstinate efforts to      
obtain an universal acknowledgment of   
this mad and presumptuous claim1 has    

occasioned1 and is now producing1 7even 
in this country17 more strife1 and      
contributes more to the decay of        
religious and even political ethics1    
than any other circumstance recorded in 
the history of the human race4  ,there  
have been but few1 if any1 on the long  
list of ,popes and ,anti-,popes1 who    
were not themselves dabblers and        
traffickers in politics2 and there is   
scarcely one among them whose private   
history does not show him to be an      
abettor and an accomplice in the vilest 
crimes and immoralities2 so much and so 
deeply so1 that we are astounded at the 
single inquiry how such characters could
 ever have obtained influence over any  
portion of their fellow-beings4 ,this1  
however1 is not a matter of surprise to 
me1 nor does such an inquiry form any   
considerable portion of the following   
pages2 but what more than astounds me1  
is1 how ,romish ,popes and priests      
could1 by any species of jugglery or    
legerdemain1 deceive and impose upon the

 cool1 reflecting1 and calculating      
citizens of the ,united ,states3 but    
reflection might have taught me better4 
,so expert and versed in moral and      
political jugglery are ,popes1 bishops1 
and priests1 that they must be closely  
watched1 otherwise their artful         
practices will deceive the most         
intelligent spectators2 unless there may
 be amongst them1 perchance1 some       
individual who has been trained himself 
to a knowledge of their arts4 ,a ,popish
 juggler cannot deceive me4 ,i          
understand the whole of his operations1 
as well as he does himself4 ,he may     
astonish the natives by his wonderful   
feats1 but with all his legerdemain he  
cannot deceive me in any of his         
movements4  ,under these circumstances1 
,i felt it my duty to raise the curtain 
behind which ,i knew were concealed     
those secret springs by which the       
machinery of ,popery is moved in these  
,united ,states4 ,the most complicated  
part of the whole machine1--and the part

 most difficult to be understood1--is   
that which is called ,auricular         
,confession4 ,his ,royal ,holiness of   
,rome has obtained a patent1 or         
something like it1 for this particular  
wheel within a wheel of the machine4 ,in
 almost all ,catholic countries1 no one 
dare examine or take a model from it4   
,if he does1 he incurs the penalty of   
being cursed by the ,pope4 ,an awful    
excommunication is immediately issued   
against him4 ,every thing the ,pope does
 is awful ,if he gives his blessing1 it 
is awful2 his curse is awful2 his person
 is awful2 he cannot be approached      
unless with profound reverence4 ,his big
 toe is awful2 no one can kiss it1      
unless on bended knees1 and after the   
performance of sundry puerilities1 as   
,bishop ,eastburn1 of ,boston1 very     
properly calls all such fooleries4  ,it 
does not appear as yet1 that his        
,holiness has taken out any patent for  
,auricular ,confession in this country2 
and as ,i know not how soon he may gull 

,american heretics to grant him one1 ,i 
have taken the liberty of exhibiting a  
model of it1 for public inspection4     
,there are parts of this model which may
 appear revolting to the delicate       
sensibilities of my readers2 but let    
them reflect that the original is formed
 and put together by the sacred hands of
 ,his ,holiness the ,pope and his pious 
priests4 ,i act only in the capacity of 
an artist1 or a sculptor1 who is        
permitted1 event by the rules of good   
taste and delicacy1 to give likenesses1 
in painting and statuary1 of the most   
deformed and unsightly objects4 ,they   
are only required to be true and        
faithful to nature and the originals    
from which the likenesses are taken4 ,i 
have done no more than this1 in the     
model or picture which ,i have drawn of 
,auricular ,confession2 and those who do
 not choose to examine it1 are1 of      
course1 at perfect liberty to pass it by
 unnoticed4 ,the day is not far distant 
when it will be found in every family in

 the ,united ,states4  ,i have the honor
 to remain the public's humble servant1 
,,william ,,hogan4     ,,auricular      
,,confession ,,and ,,popish ,,nunneries4
  ,it has been observed by an eminent   
writer1 that book-making is something   
like pouring water from one vessel into 
another1 and then pouring it back again4
 ,there is much truth in the            
observation2 this is obvious to every   
general reader4 ,there is scarcely a    
work issued from the press1 which is not
 substantially a copy of something that 
has been written before upon the same   
subject ,the old water-casks1 which have
 been as it were fixtures for centuries1
 are now being dug out of their places1 
and the waters contained in them are    
changed into new casks1 having a more   
sightly appearance1 and a more polished 
exterior4 ,this1 however1 is more apt to
 be the case in the writings of         
theologians1 than in those of any other 
body of men4 ,limited as my own reading 
has been1 ,i do not recollect ever      

having perused a volume upon theology1  
especially from the pen of an ,american 
theologian1 which ,i had not seen or    
read 7at least in part7 before4 ,how to 
account for this ,i know not4 ,assuredly
 this land of freedom has among its     
theologians and controversialists men of
 the finest minds--minds like their own 
rivers1 overflowing with the deepest1   
the clearest1 most limpid and purest    
streams of thought--minds in which the  
ever-rolling ocean of time has had1 as  
yet1 scarcely an opportunity of         
depositing much of its accumulated      
impurities--minds which1 if their great 
powers were evolved and brought to bear 
on the moral and civil condition of our 
fellow citizens1 would give us a new era
 or a new world of thought and          
morals--strong1 permanent1 diffusive1   
progressive--and as different from those
 of olden times1 as our new and         
beautiful republic is from some of the  
aged1 faded1 sickly and consumptive     
governments of former days4  ,it is     

difficult2 ,i own1 to form a new system 
of any kind1 especially a new system of 
thought or morals2 but still such a     
thing is not impossible4 ,there never   
was1 and never will be1 a system        
constructed without having to encounter 
great and almost insuperable obstacles2 
first1 in its formation1 and secondly1  
in its application and various bearings4
  ,it was difficult1 for instance1 to   
form our own system of civil government4
 ,its very conception was for some time 
looked upon as a wild theory4 ,such a   
thing was not dreamed of in any work    
upon political ethics taught in our     
seminaries or schools1 in the days of   
its founders1 yet the system was        
established1 and has hitherto fully     
answered all the expectations of its    
friends2 but even if our comparatively  
new form or system of government did not
 entirely succeed--if it even failed and
 tumbled to atoms1 that would not be a  
sufficient argument against making the  
experiment1 for even in its ruins1      

fragments may be found which may be     
useful to posterity4 ,yes1 as the poet  
beautifully expresses it1       ,you may
 break--you may ruin the vase1 if you   
will1      ,but the scent of the roses  
will hang round it still4  ,the failure 
of any system1 as ,i have observed1 is  
not a sufficient argument against its   
practicability1 or its ultimate         
usefulness2 and hence it appears to me  
strange that ,american minds1 so fertile
 in all expedients to advance the       
temporal interests of man1 should be so 
barren and unproductive of any system of
 thought or morals exclusively their    
own1 and entirely independent of the    
corrupt and vitiated systems which have 
bewildered ,europe and its moral        
philosophers for so many centuries4 ,it 
is passing strange that the theologians 
and professors of moral theology in this
 ,new ,world of ours--if they can do no 
better--do not unite upon some plan to  
exclude from among them institutions    
which all admit to be calculated to     

demoralize the rising generation4  ,i am
 happy to find that there is now a      
system of thought and morals1 or        
something like it1 to be found amongst  
us1 which is peculiarly ,american2 it is
 denominated or called the ,christian   
,league4 ,let me be understood1 when ,i 
use the term system4 ,by system ,i mean 
an arrangement of objects or purposes so
 as to make them agree and unite4 ,the  
,christian ,league ,i believe may be    
called a system2 its members are united 
in the accomplishment of given objects4 
,but if not strictly speaking a system  
itself1 it has within it materials out  
of which a noble one of thought and     
morals can be formed4 ,it is yet in its 
chrysalis1 but the sun of righteousness1
 which ,i trust the dark clouds of      
superstition that now portentously hang 
over us shall never be permitted to hide
 from our view1 will soon warm it into  
maturity1 and give it wings to fly and  
carry with it wherever it goeth1 glad   
tidings of salvation4 ,i do not agree   

with the leading members of the         
,christian ,league1 in their modus      
operandi4 ,i have taken the liberty of  
suggesting to them a different course of
 action from that which they have been  
pleased to adopt2 but ,i am with them1  
heart and soul4 ,i shall support their  
measures1 as far as ,i find them        
calculated to check the progress of     
,popery in the ,united ,states4 ,if ,i  
cannot agree with them in their plan to 
effect this1 ,i shall only say--and ,i  
say it with the utmost respect to each  
and every member of the ,christian      
,league66666       ,if a better system  
thine1      ,impart it frankly1 or make 
use of mine4  ,i have suggested to the  
members of the ,christian ,league1 to   
throw away from amongst them all        
appearance of sectarianism2 but ,i know 
not that they have done so2 the name or 
the society would indicate that they    
had2 but do facts warrant such an       
inference8 ,the very reverse is the     
case4 ,their prominent speakers all     

belong to one denomination2 there may be
 a few exceptions1 but there are not    
many2 the public presses which advocate 
the proceedings of the ,league1 are     
generally supported by those of a       
particular creed4 ,what is the          
inference8 ,it is this3 either other    
presses and other denominations of      
,christians are indifferent about the   
success of the ,league1 or the members  
of the ,league are unwilling to hold any
 communion with them4 ,the former cannot
 be the case2 the latter must be1 of    
course4 ,this is not right1 and if      
persevered in1 must ultimately          
neutralize all the measures of an       
association which1 if properly          
conducted1 might evolve and mature one  
of the finest systems of thought and    
moral government that has ever been     
discovered4 ,i have suggested to the    
members of the ,christian ,league1 that 
they should have but one base1 or one   
great moral trunk4 ,i have advised them 
to partition this trunk2 and divide it  

into branches1 to be spread equally     
among all the followers of the law of   
,god1 and all the friends of civil      
rights4 ,then let every man do his duty2
 let no man fancy that because of his   
elevation in the ,church1 or higher     
salary1 his nature has been             
metamorphosed1 or refined by any        
chemical process2 let him not suppose   
himself sublimated by the sunshine of   
personal popularity1 which is fleeting  
as the wind2 let each individual        
suppose--and history1 as well as my own 
personal experience1 enables me to      
assure him that he may do so without    
injustice--that the cause of morals and 
civil rights has one common enemy in the
 ,united ,states1 which must be not only
 defeated1 but annihilated--yes1        
annihilated4 ,while that enemy lives1   
the cause of morality cannot flourish1  
and the civil rights of man are in      
danger4 ,need ,i tell the reader who or 
what that enemy is8 ,it is ,popery4 ,a  
healthy state of morals1 and ,popery    

cannot exist in any country1 any        
kingdom1 or any clime2 the air which    
gives vitality to ,popery1 and sustains 
its existence1 is death to              
morality--aye1 that very morality which1
 as ,americans1 we boast of1 and        
consider to be the very incarnation even
 of our civil rights4 ,it is true1 that 
under the guidance of reason1 several   
forms of government have been           
established1 but all have been imperfect
 and unsatisfactory to man in the       
various stages and mutations of the     
social system4 ,if we look back and     
examine the history1 the nature and     
character of those improvements which   
have been made in society ever since its
 genesis1 we shall find that the finger 
of religion1 ever true to its purpose1  
invariably pointed and invited the      
attention of man to them2 we shall find 
also that whenever or wherever this has 
not been the case1 the people have not  
prospered2 we find in every thing truly 
valuable to man1 whether in his social  

or individual capacity1 the hand of     
religion1 and the almost omnipotency of 
moral principle4 ,this is eminently     
conspicuous at the present day1 and     
perhaps as much so in this as any       
country in the world1 and hence it is   
that we should be peculiarly grateful   
and vigilant in removing from among us  
any and every cause which may directly  
or indirectly have a tendency to injure 
the morals of our people2 for amid the  
ruin of our morals shall surely be found
 the elements of our national downfall4 
,i have alluded to this subject         
heretofore1 in my books on ,popery4 ,i  
did not expect that all would approve of
 those books4 ,i was aware that many1   
even among ,protestants1 would find     
fault with several of the expressions   
used in the small volume which ,i have  
recently written1 entitled ,auricular   
,confession to which these pages are a  
sequel4 ,that ,papists should find fault
 with all that ,i have written1 does not
 at all surprise me2 but that           

,protestants should find any--though ,i 
am happy to find that very few have     
found any--is a matter of some surprise 
to me4 ,it must be owing to the fact    
that they know not and understand not   
what auricular confession is1 or how it 
is made4 ,that ,americans in general    
should know nothing upon this subject1  
and be horrified at the bare relation of
 its iniquitous details1 is a fact which
 can be easily understood and explained4
 ,they have never made auricular        
confession the subject of their study1  
and hence the horror they feel at its   
iniquitous and private abominations4 ,i 
must frankly confess1 however1 that it  
is a matter of surprise that ,american  
theologians should be so entirely       
unacquainted with the writings of popish
 doctors and popish priests1 as not to  
find all the apparently objectionable   
expressions in my books in common use   
among them4 ,there is not to be found a 
single volume among the writers of the  
,popish ,church1 on the subject of      

auricular confession1 in which my       
statements are not corroborated1 and    
that in language far more objectionable 
than mine--language so gross and        
indelicate that ,i could not in justice 
to public taste and delicacy introduce  
it into my books4 ,those who have read  
my book on auricular confession1 may    
recollect the questions which ,i have   
accused ,popish bishops and priests of  
putting to their young female penitents1
 and which some liberal ,protestants say
 could not have been the case4 ,i now   
assert1 without any qualification       
whatever1 and without any mental        
reservation or equivocation1 that there 
is not in the ,united ,states a priest  
nor bishop1 who has heard the           
confessions of married or single women1 
without asking them such questions as ,i
 have given in my book4 ,i ask ,bishop  
,fenwick of this city1 or any other     
,roman ,catholic priest or bishop       
living1 to contradict me if he can4 ,i  
challenge those females1 young or old1  

who have ever been in the habit of      
confessing their sins to priests1 to    
come forward and say1 ,we have been at  
confession1 and such questions as those 
contained in ,hogan's book have never   
been put to us4  ,the charges ,i have   
made against ,romish priests are of a   
serious character4 ,if false they can be
 refuted4 ,i am alone2 there are nearly 
three millions of ,roman ,catholics in  
the ,united ,states1 and if there is    
among this vast multitude1 an individual
 who can say and give such evidence of  
the truth of his statement1 as will     
satisfy any ,court of ,equity1 that ,i  
have done injustice to popes1 priests or
 bishops1 in charging them with         
tampering with their female penitents in
 the confessional1 in order the more    
easily to debauch them1 ,i will publicly
 acknowledge that ,i am guilty of       
slander1 and have wronged them4 ,i trust
 that after this1 ,protestant           
theologians will take more pains in     
reading the works of ,popish moralists1 

with which1 as far as ,i have the honor 
of their acquaintance1 they are         
lamentably unacquainted4 ,i saw a strong
 instance of this the other evening4 ,i 
chanced to meet at the house of a mutual
 friend1 with one of the most learned   
and pious theologians of the            
,presbyterian ,church in this or any    
other country in the world4 ,he very    
courteously observed that he did not    
question my veracity1 but that it       
appeared incredible to him that ,popish 
priests or bishops1 would put such      
questions to married or single women    
while confessing to them as ,i have     
accused them of4 ,i listened in silent  
wonder to this great and good man2 for  
the moment ,i knew not what to say4     
,here was a venerable ,american         
theologian--himself a living1 moving    
theological library--the embodiment of  
,american ,protestant theology1         
doubting1 or at least hesitating to     
credit the fact1 that ,romish bishops   
and priests put to their female         

penitents the gross1 licentious1        
libidinous questions contained in my    
book on confession4 ,the past1 the      
present and the future1 seemed to rise  
and rush before me in imagination1 and  
,i could not help exclaiming in my own  
mind1 woe be to this land of my         
adoption1 woe be to its generous and    
hospitable people1 if even its          
patriarchs and wise men1 such as he who 
now stands before me1 and whose life has
 been a beautiful comment upon the      
purity and simplicity of the ,christian 
religion1 cannot fully understand1 even 
at this late period1 the corruptions    
which the drag nets of ,popery are      
bringing amongst us and strewing on the 
paths of our hitherto virtuous mothers  
and chaste daughters4  ,it is impossible
 to find a work on confession written by
 a ,popish priest in full communion with
 his church1 which does not contain     
almost the very language ,i have used4  
,i finally satisfied my learned friend  
that ,i was correct in all my           

statements2 ,i explained to him the     
position of a ,romish priest in the     
confessional1 and that of a young lady  
confessing to him1 and never shall ,i   
forget the remarks of the venerable     
gentleman on that occasion4 ,if1 said   
he1 my wife or daughter were dressed in 
the finest silk1 and then put into a    
hogshead of mud and rolled down a hill1 
,i should as soon expect to find their  
dresses without a stain1 as find their  
minds and morals pure and chaste1 after 
going any length of time to confession  
to a ,romish priest4 ,and he was right2 
the principles of popery1 as taught in  
,romish confessional1 and those of      
purity1 are antagonist principles4  ,we 
are supposed to have about thirty-six   
millions of papists--as ,i have         
heretofore stated--in the world4 ,look1 
,american ,protestants1 at the condition
 of these your brethren1 and tremble    
lest their present condition be yours at
 some future period2 look over the      
world1 boundless almost as it is1 and   

great1 and glorious1 and moral as its   
inhabitants might be2 what is it now1   
when it seems to be undergoing1 as it   
were1 a process of self                 
regeneration1--when its hitherto hidden 
treasures1 almost impatient of          
restraint1 seem to leap and bound into  
existence1 to offer themselves to the   
uses and purposes of man1 at the mere   
bid and beck of science8 ,what is the   
condition of man in this glorious world 
or ours1 under the influence of popery8 
,the largest1 the widest1 and most      
fertile portion of the globe is under   
,popish influence2 the soil of these    
countries which ,papists inhabit is     
rich1 their fields are fair1 and their  
valleys beautiful2 all the products of  
nature thrive in them2 the sun of heaven
 shines over them in all its luminous   
magnificence2 every thing seems to be   
sent from heaven1 for man's use2 every  
thing seems to aspire to heaven and to  
be happy4 ,man alone decays in these    
,popish countries2 man alone is unhappy2

 the longings and heavenward aspirations
 of his immortal soul are checked1 and  
he withers and degenerates into a being 
less happy than the beast of the field1 
and far more degraded1 because acquired 
and superinduced inferiority1 is much   
more degrading than that which is native
 and original ,the moral degeneracy     
which we see in those countries where   
,popery1 with its confessions1 extreme  
unctions1 and other debasing fooleries1 
prevail1 is not to be attributed to any 
decay in the natural vigor of the human 
mind4 ,we have no reason to suppose that
 the mind was created in a less vigorous
 state in countries where ,popery       
prevails1 than in others where it does  
not ,i have frequently conversed with   
anatomists of distinguished eminence1   
who have visited all the countries      
inhabited by ,catholics1 as well as     
those inhabited by ,protestants1 and ,i 
have learned from all that there is no  
difference in the anatomical            
construction of their hearts and brains2

 still1 it is evident to all1 at least  
to every man of science and observation1
 that there is a difference in the      
mental faculties of those who are born  
and live under ,popish domination1 and  
those who are born and live under a free
 government of civil rights4 ,let us1   
for instance1 take a ,papist fresh from 
,italy1 ,spain1 ,mexico1 or even        
,ireland2 place him in the same         
condition with a free-born ,american    
,protestant1 and see the difference     
between them2 the latter is active1     
quick1 intelligent1 full of thought1    
full of life and enterprise2 the former 
in nine cases out of ten1 is inactive1  
of sluggish mind1 and rarely aspires to 
excellence in any thing really useful4  
,see1 for instance1 a ,papist when he   
lands upon our shores2 so tame and so   
accustomed to ,popish tyranny has he    
been1 that he crouches beneath the nod  
or frown of a priest the moment he sees 
him4 ,fear1 of course1 must become the  
predominant passion of all people and   

countries where ,popery prevails1 and   
yet1 unaccountable as it may appear1    
this new world of ours is not only      
admitting but inviting ,popery and its  
adherents into it1 and offers them the  
rights of freemen1 with a full knowledge
 of the fact that they are the subjects 
of a foreign king1--the ,pope of ,rome4 
,popery--that sink of the universe1 as  
an elegant writer1 who is himself a     
,roman ,catholic1 expresses it1--is     
invited into the ,united ,states1 and   
its votaries cherished by a free1       
generous1 but unsuspecting people4 ,i   
have often conversed with ,american     
,protestants of distinction upon this   
subject1 and regret finding that many of
 them--especially those of the          
,unitarian creed--are strong advocates  
of ,popery1 and in favor of its         
introduction among our people4 ,their   
arguments are plausible1 and no doubt   
appear to the superficial reader worthy 
of all consideration4 ,whatever1 say    
,unitarians1 or liberal ,christians1    

have been the vices1 profligacies1 or   
ambition1 of ,popes and ,papists in     
former ages1 they should be overlooked1 
in consideration of the great and grand 
objects which they had in view1 and the 
vast and mighty interests which were    
then at stake4 ,religion--the ,christian
 religion--say the liberals of the      
present day1 was then in its infancy1   
without any other protection save that  
which its own god-like purity threw     
around it2 it was committed to the care 
of early fathers or papas--from which   
the word ,pope takes its origin--of the 
church2 the struggle between them and   
the priests of ,paganism was fierce2 it 
was terrible2 and well did the former do
 their duty--nobly and faithfully did   
they struggle for the ascendancy of     
,christianity1 and its establishment    
among the nations of the north4 ,to do  
this effectually1 and to establish a    
hierarchy exclusively their own1        
independent of any other1 was           
indispensable4 ,to effect this1 was one 

of the most momentous and grandest      
projects that ever entered the mind of  
man at that early period of society4 ,we
 all know from history1 the difficulties
 which the early ,papas or ,popes--not  
of the ,romish church1 but of the       
,christian church--had to encounter1 in 
their contest with ,paganism4 ,we also  
know--and no man who believes in the    
,christian religion doubts it--that     
great credit is due to them1 for what   
they have done against the ,turks4 ,they
 have left on record many evidences of  
their ardent zeal1 sincere piety1 and   
deep humility4 ,but does it follow1 that
 because the fathers of the ,christian  
church have done so much for            
,christianity1 by being the depositories
 of its principles1 and active defenders
 of its faith---does it follow1 ,i say1 
that ,romish ,popes or ,romish ,papas1  
are equally entitled to our respect1    
support1 and confidence8  ,do these     
liberal ,christians know that there is  
as wide a difference between the ,papas 

of the early ,christian church1 and     
those of the modern ,romish church1 as  
there is between the notorious ,himes1  
of the ,millerite church1 and the       
learned ,dr4 ,gannett1 of the ,unitarian
 society8 ,is it sound logic to infer   
that because the fathers of the         
,christian church were good men1 and    
should be welcomed wherever they went1  
that the present fathers of the ,romish 
,church are also good men and must be   
received into this country1 with their  
interminable retinue of monks1 nuns1    
friars1 and other mock reverend and     
semi-reverend male and female vagabonds1
 who precede and follow them8  ,liberal 
,christians will pardon me when ,i say1 
that nothing but a total unacquaintance 
with history1 with man's nature1 with   
man's rights1 and unacquaintance with   
all that tends to promote human         
happiness1 and to elevate man in the    
scale of creation1 could force them to  
such a conclusion4  ,the inference is   
not to be found in the premises2 ,it is 

bad logic2 it is not warranted by facts1
 or by history1 sacred or profane2      
indeed1 ,i much fear1 that he who knows 
any thing of the history of ,popery in  
ancient or modern times1 and yet        
encourages its growth in this country1  
might without uncharitable-ness1 or any 
sectarian prejudice1 be classed with    
infidels and traitors4 ,the man who1    
with the pages of history open before   
him1 can encourage a system nicknamed   
religion1 and embodying within its      
fundamental articles of faith1 the duty 
of auricular confession as essential to 
salvation1 has no claim to the name of  
,christian2 nor can he who would cheer  
on the mad followers of ,popery to rend 
this union to pieces1 and substitute in 
its stead a ,popish monarchy1 be a true 
patriot4 ,he is a traitor1 in the       
broadest1 fullest1 and most unqualified 
sense of the word4  ,i have shown1 in   
the first volume of this book1 that     
,popery does those things to which ,i   
have just alluded2 the accusations which

 ,i have brought against ,popery1 have  
been of such serious magnitude and      
traitorous character1 that ,americans   
could scarcely credit them1 and some    
have looked upon them as only           
ebullitions of anger1 which reflection  
would mitigate2 and that reason1 the    
legitimate monarch of all the           
intellectual faculties1 would in due    
time restrain them within proper bounds2
 but ,i again reiterate the charges1 and
 assure my readers that all ,i have said
 against ,popery1 as a corrupt system of
 policy and morals1 is not only true1 as
 we see in history1 but falls short of  
what ,i know of my own knowledge1 and   
which ,i believe with the certainty of  
faith4  ,i have patiently1 laboriously1 
and diligently1 examined the doctrines  
and practices of the ,popish ,church1   
especially since the days of            
,hildebrand1 and the result of my       
serious inquiries has been1 that the    
church and its bishops have been1 up to 
this day1 abusing the credulity of      

mankind1 and trying how they could best 
play upon the passions and degrade the  
human intellect4  ,history hands down to
 us the names of about three hundred    
popes and anti-popes1 and ,i would      
challenge even that morbid liberalism1  
which seems to be gaining ground1 and is
 now ycleped philosophy1 whether        
,paganism in its darkest days1 or its   
history in its vilest pages1 ever       
exhibited to its followers any system of
 religion or morals so revolting as that
 which each of those ,popes has in      
succession endeavored to enforce and    
impose upon mankind4 ,it will be said by
 some of those philosophers to whom ,i  
allude1 that ,i have gone too far in my 
writings against the ,popish church and 
,popish priests---that ,i proved too    
much1 and1 according to that well       
received action---quod nimis probat     
nihil probat8--proved nothing2 that ,i  
have colored my landscape too highly1 c4
 ,the reverse is the case2 ,i have not  
seen ,popery at a distance1 as these    

liberalists have1 nor as a traveller    
might see a landscape4 ,the latter may  
be deceived1 he may see or fancy that he
 sees a brilliant hue upon the summit of
 a distant mountain1 just as the        
liberalists see ,popery at a distance2  
but upon a nearer approach and closer   
examination1 he will find that no such  
thing exists1 but that it is produced   
perhaps by the reflection of the sun1   
which gives it some unreal appearance4  
,that mountain top1 which at a distance 
may seem to the traveller so sublimely  
beautiful1 often on examination is found
 to be but a vast crater1 frightful to  
look at1 emitting nothing but some      
disgusting substance which carries with 
it death1 destruction1 and sorrow1      
wherever it goes4 ,will the liberalists1
 philosophers1--or whatever else they   
must be called--please to recollect1 in 
their comments upon my books1 that ,i   
have not viewed ,popery at a distance2  
,i have seen ,it in its roseate as well 
as in its darkest colors2 the former ,i 

found unreal and transient as that with 
which a beautiful setting sun invests   
the mountain's cold snow-top2 the latter
 ,i found to be true in every color1    
even to the minute touch4 ,will these   
philosophers examine ,popery as ,i have 
done3 let them stand upon its summit as 
,i have done1 and then look into that   
unfathomable crater1 the court of ,rome1
 from which it vomits and spews forth   
its corruptions1 its confessions1 its   
indulgences1 its penances1 its masses1  
its purgatories1 its pilgrimages1 its   
transubstantiations1 its beads1 its     
,jesuits1 its treasons1 its poisons1 its
 recipes for compounding the best and   
most subtle poisons1 its modes of       
procuring abortion and checking female  
fecundity--let him keep a close watch on
 the movements of ,popish bishops in    
this country1 especially ,hughes of ,new
 ,york1 and ,fen-wick of ,boston1 and   
others1 as ,i have done for years1 and  
they shall find that1 frightful as is   
the picture which ,i have given of      

,popery1 it falls short--far short of   
the reality4 ,i have scarcely touched   
upon those features of ,romanism1 which 
are most abhorrent to the morals1 and   
dangerous to the civil rights of our    
citizens2 but it is not too late2 it can
 be done yet2 ,i owe them much1 and if  
,god spares me ,i will pay them by      
instalments2 ,i have enlisted without   
bounty or service money into the ranks  
of the ,christian opponents of          
,popery--not for any given time1 but    
during the war1 or for life4 ,while ,i  
live1 ,popery has in me an opponent1 who
 can neither be bribed nor intimidated2 
but ,i regret to see that there are many
 who call themselves ,protestant        
,christians1 exhibiting a wavering and  
craven spirit1 in this general war      
against ,popery which has at length     
commenced--afraid to come out openly    
against ,popish doctrines1 and yet      
feeling it their duty to do so4 ,i pity 
such men--from my soul ,i pity them2    
church honors and church distinctions   

seem to be more sought for now1 than    
those of heaven4 ,hundreds of           
,protestant clergymen are daily         
bedizening themselves with ,d4 ,d4's and
 other such fooleries1 while the great  
enemy of religion and civil rights is   
surrounding them1 and ready1 when the   
,pope of ,rome gives the word of        
command1 to fall upon them with         
destructive slaughter4  ,already ,i find
 myself 7sicut meus est mos7            
imperceptibly drifting from the point ,i
 set sail for1 nor have ,i the least    
doubt that ,i shall find myself out of  
my reckoning frequently1 before ,i      
arrive at the end of my voyage4 ,this1  
however1 will only have the effect of   
rendering it more tedious1 but ,i trust 
it will add some value to my            
observations and discoveries during my  
voyage4  ,i commenced this second volume
 with the single view of defining more  
clearly1 the iniquities practised in the
 ,romish church1 under cover of         
auricular confession1 and within the    

walls of ,popish nunneries4 ,i would now
 resume the subject1 and show my fellow 
citizens1 that the crimes and           
profligacies which #a have imputed to   
the ,romish church1 have not been       
peculiar to any epoch or age of its     
existence--that it has been always      
corrupt--is now while ,i write corrupt1 
that its very elements are founded on   
corruption1 and that any contact with   
it1 or between itself and our citizens1 
cannot fail to be ruinous to the morals 
and interests of our people4 ,i have a  
double object in pursuing this course4  
,the first is this3 ,papists admit that 
there have been corruptions in the      
,romish church1 but say that they were  
only local1 and never sanctioned by the 
church authoritatively2 secondly1 they  
assert that my books on ,popery are all 
old lies1 culled from ancient heretical 
writers1 and that such deeds as ,i have 
imputed to their holy and infallible    
church1 and immaculate bishops and      
priests in this country1 have never     

taken place4  ,i will here show1 in a   
few words1 that the evil deeds and      
corruptions1 with which ,i have charged 
the ,popish church1 were not local1 but 
general2 and secondly1 ,i propose to    
show that they were not peculiar to any 
age in the church1 but have always      
existed and do exist at the present     
moment1 not only in ,europe and         
elsewhere1 but in these ,united ,states4
  ,that ,papists and myself may         
understand each other clearly1 and that 
the public may understand both of us1 ,i
 propose to the ,papist to name any age 
of the ,church he pleases1 or any ,pope 
he pleases1 and ,i will show him that in
 that very age1 and under that very     
,pope1 nearly all the iniquities of     
which ,i have accused his ,church1 were 
justly charged1 and sanctioned          
authoritatively by her then ruling      
executive1 or infallible head1 just as  
she pleased to call it1 whether that    
infallible head was a ,pope or a        
,general ,council ,i say ,pope1 or      

,general ,council1 because the question 
is not yet settled between ,popish      
theologians1 whether their boasted      
infallibility be invested in the ,pope1 
speaking ex cathedra1 or in a ,general  
,council legitimately--according to     
their understanding of the              
term--convened4  ,come on1 ,mr4 ,popish 
,bishop or ,priest2 advance1 ,mr4       
,bishop ,hughes1 of ,jesuit and intrigue
 notoriety2 hold up your head1 thou     
demure1 plotting dunce1 ,bishop         
,fenwick1 of ,boston4 ,let us select the
 latter end of the eleventh1 and        
beginning of the twelfth centuries4     
,this is as favorable an epoch in the   
,infallible ,church as you can possibly 
choose1 to show the purity1 loveliness1 
morality1 and chastity1 of her ,popes   
and bishops4  ,you recollect1 right     
reverend and immaculate gentlemen1 that 
,lothair ,conti1 afterwards called      
,innocent ,,iii41 was then ,pope2 now1  
gentlemen1 ,i ask you1 and ,i pray you  
may answer me fairly and honestly1      

whether your infallible church was1 even
 in that age1 exempt from the           
abominations of which ,i have accused   
her8 ,be honest1 for once in your life2 
let me be able to record1 in my future  
writings1 one instance of truth being   
found among ,jesuits and ,popish        
priests1 when speaking upon church      
affairs4  ,are you prepared to deny the 
fact that your church was then filled   
with the grossest abominations1 and that
 every one of those abominations were   
sanctioned by ,pope ,innocent ,,iii48   
,if you are prepared to deny this fact1 
,i am prepared to brand upon the        
forehead of each of you1 in letters     
which can never be erased1 the words    
wilful and deliberate liar4 ,you both1  
right reverend gentlemen1 already know  
that ,i do nothing by halves2 and if ,i 
convict you of falsehood1 you may rely  
upon it1 that the iron with which ,i    
will brand you with the above letters1  
shall be heated to the very point of    
fusion1 so that you shall be known as   

the sworn enemies of truth1 religion1   
and the rights of man4 ,innocent ,,iii4 
is looked upon in the ,roman ,church1   
and by you1 of course1 as a perfect     
model of what a ,popish bishop or priest
 ought to be2 any deviation from the    
faith which he professed1 or example    
which he gave1 in morals or politics1   
would be1 and is now considered1 by     
every true son of the ,infallible       
,church1 as heresy and treason against  
,popery4 ,let us now see what the faith 
of this inimitable model was2 we can    
best judge of it by his works2 the tree 
is known by its fruits4 ,a very         
beautiful modern writer gives us the    
true character of ,innocent ,,iii4 ,it  
is fair to judge of all the ,popes as   
this man has been judged2 he is a       
correct model of the whole1 and ,i doubt
 not but1 taking him all and all1 he is 
the best model that has been given of a 
,romish ,pope4 ,his greatest admirers   
admit its correctness2 the picture is   
true to the life1 and if that ancient   

axiom1 ex ano disce omnes be true1 that 
is1 if we can judge of all by one1 a    
precious model of morals and policy is  
this ,pope ,innocent ,,iii4  ,i call the
 attention of my readers to the         
character of this man1 or if ,papists   
will have it so1 of this god ,pope1 as  
given by an elegant writer of the       
present age3  ,in his actions1          
principles1 and the effects produced by 
both1 we scarcely recognize a human     
being4 ,he takes a stand wholly above   
that class of figures which form the    
ordinary pattern of history4 ,the       
circumstances of his time1 and the      
faculties of his nature1 make us seek   
rather for his resemblance in one of    
those wanderers from some higher star1  
or spirit dropped by accident among us1 
and in the garb of a man allowed to     
follow his original propensities1 and to
 do evil which throws human malignity   
into the shade1 by some power which in  
all cases exceeds the dimensions of     
human nature4 ,without charging the     

,pope with being altogether a devil1 it 
must be acknowledged1 that in many of   
his actions he nearly resembles that    
character4  ,the pontificate of         
,innocent ,,iii41 which we can find1    
upon examination11 closely resembles    
that of all other ,popes1 is worthy the 
serious attention of statesmen of this  
country4 ,here our presidents1 cabinets1
 senators1 representatives1 and         
governors1 may learn how temporal power 
and ,popish functions may be united     
together2 they will see the nature1 and 
understand better what is meant by that 
spiritual allegiance which ,papists1    
even in this country1 swear to the ,pope
 of ,rome1 and which for twenty odd     
years ,i have been appealing to         
,americans to crush2 or deprive of the  
rights of citizenship1 or punish as     
traitors every man who avowed such      
allegiance to a foreign king1 which the 
,pope of ,rome is acknowledged to be4   
,will ,americans hear to the definition 
which ,pope ,innocent ,,iii4 gives of a 

,romish ,pope8 ,it is admitted to be a  
correct definition1 by every ,roman     
,catholic1 whether bishop1 priest1 or   
layman1 in the ,united ,states4 ,hear   
you1 then1 ,americans6 listen1 you      
republicans--whigs1 democrats1 and      
all--and know ye henceforth1 that a     
,pope is defined to be the vicegerent of
 ,christ4 ,if less than ,god1 he is     
greater than man2 the luminary of day2  
the civil authority being only the pale 
orb of night ,how would you1 ,americans1
 like to have such a man at your head8  
,take heed--there are three millions now
 of his subjects amongst you1 and about 
thirty-three millions besides all over  
the world4 ,ask yourselves whether it is
 not at least possible that they may    
gain an ascendency in these ,united     
,states1 and wrest from you and your    
posterity the inheritance which your    
forefathers left you8 ,do not forget--,i
 entreat of you never to forget--the    
alarming fact that during the last      
sixteen years1 #gca1chj foreigners have 

arrived at the port of ,new ,york alone4
 ,three-fourths of these may be presumed
 to be ,papists1 and sworn to maintain  
the supremacy of their king1 the ,pope4 
,let it not be forgotten by ,american   
statesmen1 that ,papists have been at   
the bottom of every crusade that has    
ever been formed against the civil      
rights of men4 ,was it not a ,pope1 and 
that ,pope no less a personage than     
,innocent ,,iii41 that tried to dethrone
 ,king ,john of ,england8 ,was it not a 
,pope that fomented a crusade against   
the ,hungarians1 and endeavored to      
overthrow the ,king of ,norway8 ,and    
finally1 was it not a ,pope1 and that   
,pope the infallible ,innocent          
,,iii4--whom ,bishops ,hughes1 ,fenwick1
 and myself1 have agreed upon as a fair 
sample from about three hundred ,popes1 
who preceded and succeeded him--that    
waged a war of extermination against the
 unoffending and blameless ,waldenses8  
,was it not a ,pope1 and that ,pope     
,innocent ,,iii41 who in one year1 by   

virtue of his divine authority1 gave    
away three royal crowns8 ,this ,innocent
 ,,iii4 employed the infernal           
inquisition against the ,albigenses4    
,will ,americans take all these         
historical truths into consideration4   
,let them read my books again1 and then 
say whether ,i have done the ,pope1     
bishops1 and priests of the ,romish     
,church any injustice4 ,i declare1 in   
the language of another1 that there is  
not to be found in the whole range of   
history1 any body of men1 who have      
inflicted upon humanity a greater amount
 of evil1 than the ,popes of ,rome and  
their allies3 and the grand instrument  
which enabled them to accomplish all    
this with impunity1 and without         
detection1 was the infamous and         
diabolical practice of auricular        
confession4 ,to rivet the chains of     
slavery1 as another expresses it1 on    
souls as well as the bodied of men1 too 
firmly to be thrown off1 private1 or as 
it is called1 auricular confession of   

sins to a priest1 was made an imperative
 duty of all ,papists1 at certain       
seasons of the year4 ,of all the        
practices of the ,romish ,church1 says  
the same writer1 this is the one which  
has proved most injurious2 and if it be 
regarded in connection with the celibacy
 of the clergy1 will explain why the    
cause of morals is always worse in      
,popish than in ,protestant countries4  
,the uses of conscience were at an end1 
when given for safe keeping to a ,romish
 confessor2 actions were no longer      
measured by the standard of right and   
wrong1 but by a casuistry and a         
pernicious process of reasoning1 by     
which it was intended to make man       
satisfied with himself4 ,the result of  
this has been1 and is at the present    
moment1 even in these ,united ,states1  
that law is the only restraint upon a   
,papist2 he is taught to believe that by
 confessing his crimes to a ,romish     
priest1 he can obtain pardon4 ,the      
blackest murderer1 if he can escape the 

hangman or the penitentiary1 is no      
farther concerned about the deed2 he    
believes his priest can forgive him1 and
 all is at rest4  ,this was a doctrine  
which ,pope ,innocent tried with all his
 might to enforce upon his people4 ,the 
reader has now a fair specimen of a     
,romish ,pope4 ,voila ,rome4 ,look1     
,americans1 and examine this faultless  
picture of a ,pope1 and perfect model of
 a ,romish priest6 ,do you desire that  
an engraving should be made of it1 and  
scattered through the land8 ,do you     
desire to establish in your midst1      
colleges and schools for the purpose of 
bringing up your children in the faith  
and practices of ,pope ,innocent8 ,i    
tell you1 if you do1 the rising         
generation will be without religion or  
morals1 and this glorious republic will 
die in the arms of despotism4 ,i am     
aware that ,americans will say--at least
 it will be said by a portion of them1  
who are not ,christians indeed--that    
such a man as ,innocent ,,iii4 could not

 live in this country2 that he would be 
plunged into the next river1 if he dared
 to interfere in the administration of  
our laws4 ,facts do not warrant         
,americans in jumping at this           
conclusion4 ,who1 at least in ,boston1  
forgets the destruction of the ,ursuline
 ,convent8 ,did not ,bishop ,fenwick and
 his nuns publicly boast that they had  
twenty thousand stout ,papists ready at 
their beck1 to reek their vengeance on  
the peaceable citizens of ,boston8      
,might not the ,pope's agent--had he not
 crouched before a superior force--have 
said to this twenty thousand madmen1 as 
,innocent ,,iii4 said to his ,french    
followers1 when they landed in ,england1
 ,sword1 sword1 leap from thy scabbard6 
sword1 whet thyself for vengeance6 and  
would not those men have obeyed him1 had
 he not had the prudence to see their   
comparative weakness1 and advise them to
 keep the peace1 under pain of being    
cursed by him8 ,had there been force    
enough upon the spot to have put to the 

torture and to death every ,protestant  
in ,boston1 it would have been done4    
,and why1 or for what8 ,merely because  
the people thought proper to pull down a
 legalized house of prostitution1       
surreptitiously erected in their midst6 
,will it be said that ,i am also        
incorrect in my charges against the     
,ursuline nuns of ,charlestown1         
,massachusetts8  ,bishop ,fenwick       
represents them as models of purity and 
chastity1 and recently assures his      
,holiness the ,pope1 that he is making  
converts from the first families of     
,boston to the religion and pure faith  
of these nuns4 ,i have something to say 
of two1 at least1 of those nuns1 who    
were in that convent when an indignant  
people leveled it to the ground4 ,i knew
 two of those nuns personally1 and ,i   
knew them both far advanced in the      
family way1 in their own country1 when  
,i left it4 ,they were both seduced1 and
 their seducer was their confessor1--a  
,roman ,catholic priest of the order of 

,st4 ,augustine4 ,that priest is now    
living1 and those ladies whom he        
seduced1 and who fled from their native 
country to the ,ursuline ,convent in    
,charlestown1 are now living1 ,i        
believe1 in ,quebec ,do those           
sympathizing ladies in ,boston1 some of 
whom have been educated by these two    
sisters--not of charity1 but of         
crime--wilful1 constant1 persevering    
crimes--wish to hear their names8 ,i am 
tempted to give them1 and ,i would do   
so1 if ,i thought it might have the     
effect of opening the eyes of           
,protestant mothers1 and prove a warning
 to them not to send their daughters1 in
 future1 to be educated in a ,popish    
nunnery1 or to confession to a ,popish  
priest ,but to return3 ,protestants have
 no mercy to expect from ,papists4 ,a   
true ,catholic is not allowed to hold   
any communion with a ,protestant1 nor   
will his bishop or priest permit him to 
be buried in the same ground with a     
,protestant ,he is not allowed to go to 

the funeral of a ,protestant3 and if he 
does go1 he commits a sin which the     
priest is not allowed to forgive him1   
without a special license from the      
,church4 ,in the technical language of  
the ,romish ,church1 the case of a man  
who attends a ,protestant funeral is a  
reserved case2 that is1 a case or a     
crime which no ordinary priest can      
forgive1 without a particular license to
 do so4 ,going into a ,protestant       
church1 and hearing a ,protestant       
minister preach1 is another reserved    
case4 ,saluting or speaking to a        
,protestant1 or heretic1 is also among  
the reserved cases4 ,speaking1 for      
instance1 to ,eugene ,sue1 the author of
 the ,wandering ,jew1 whom--horribile   
dictu--the ,roman ,catholic ,bishop of  
,lyons1 in ,france1 has excommunicated1 
is another reserved case1 which no one  
except the aforesaid ,bishop of ,lyons1 
or some person delegated by him1 can    
pardon or forgive4 ,speaking to any     
member of the ,christian ,league--that  

arch heretic1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,kirk1 for     
instance--is a reserved case1 which no  
priest in ,boston1 except ,bishop       
,fenwick1 or some one delegated by him1 
can pardon or forgive2 for be it known  
to all the inhabitants of the world1    
that he1 and his brother colleagues of  
the ,christian ,league1 have been       
excommunicated by the present ,pope4 ,it
 is a reserved case to speak to me4     
,speaking to me is a crime of peculiar  
atrocity1 and can be forgiven by no     
power1 save the ,pope of the ,infallible
 ,church4 ,i have accused the ,pope of  
sin1 of folly1 and depravity4 ,this is  
altogether inadmissible1 and deserves   
eternal damnation2 the idea that a ,pope
 of ,rome can commit sin1 or can do     
wrong1 is inconsistent and incompatible 
with true religion1 as ,papists         
understand that term4  ,the ,pope of    
,rome1 according to ,papists1 cannot    
sin2 he is not only infallible1 as the  
most eminent ,popish writers assert1 but
 impeccable2 see ,belarmine1 a standard 

writer in the ,popish ,church4 ,but ,i  
will no longer detain the reader on this
 particular subject of reserved cases1  
and ,popish follies of ancient times4   
,bishop ,fenwick1 and the rest of the   
right reverend brethren3 of the ,popish 
,church1 will say that my statements are
 all old lies2 that the holy ,roman     
,catholic ,church never did1 nor does it
 now1 prevent her subjects from speaking
 to heretics1 or those who differ from  
her in their belief4 ,i will venture the
 assertion1 that if any ,protestant     
theologian call upon any ,roman         
,catholic bishop in the ,united ,states1
 he will deny this fact1 or give an     
equivocal answer1 though there is not to
 be found a solitary work on ,popery in 
any library in the ,united ,states1 or  
elsewhere1 which does not sustain me in 
the assertions ,i have made4 ,but we    
will not go to ancient times for        
authority4 ,i will state to the reader a
 case to the point1 which occurred about
 the year #ahbb1 and to the truth of    

which thousands of our fellow citizens  
in ,philadelphia can bear testimony4    
,when ,i first opposed ,popery in that  
city1 by recommending that the ,bible   
should be circulated among the people1  
and that the children of the poor       
,catholic ,irish should be sent to      
school to be educated in its pure and   
unsullied doctrines1 the ,roman         
,catholic ,bishop of that city1 a poor1 
little1 irritable ,irishman1 by the name
 of ,conwell1 prohibited his people1 or 
his subjects1 as he called them1 from   
speaking to me1 the heretic ,hogan1 or  
his followers1 ,hoganites2 and the most 
amusing part of it was1 that by way of  
giving his subjects good example1       
whenever we passed each other1 even on  
opposite sides of the street1 his       
lordship took off his hat and crossed   
himself1 repeating the ,,ave ,,maria6   
,this he never failed to do1 wherever we
 passed1 much to the amusement of the   
,protestant inhabitants of that city1   
and to the great edification of the     

,papists4 ,it may appear exceedingly    
strange or amusing to ,bostonians1      
should ,i tell them that a similar      
belief in the criminality of speaking to
 heretics is taught in ,boston1 the     
capital of ,new ,england2 but this is a 
fact1 and if ,papists term it a new lie1
 it cannot be helped1 for what ,i am    
about to state occurred only the other  
day4 ,i chanced to meet1 in a book store
 in ,washington street1 a convert to    
,popery1 just fresh from the hand of    
,bishop ,fenwick4 ,i had never seen the 
gentleman but once before1 and he was   
then1 as well as during most of his     
previous life1 one of those men in whose
 faith ,i had not the least confidence4 
,i did not know that he was present when
 ,i entered the store1 and was in the   
act of inquiring for a vile thing1      
called ,brownson's ,quarterly ,review1  
which he published in the month of      
,july1 #ahdj4 ,during my inquiries for  
this ,review1 the author1 ,brownson1    
addressed me1 as nearly as ,i can       

recollect1 in the following words3 ,i   
know you1 sir2 you once owned a whig    
press in ,savannah2 you criticized my   
,review4 ,i marked you--but ,i am not   
allowed by my ,church to speak to a     
heretic4 ,i looked around me in some    
astonishment ,i did not expect to hear  
such language on the land of the        
,puritans2 but sure enough1 there stood 
,brownson1 a ,roman ,catholic1 fresh    
from the anvil of ,popery6 ,there he    
stood1 totus teres adque rotundus1      
full-blooded and fully developed2 the   
very ,brownson himself1 who has been    
consistent in nothing but infidelity and
 unbelief1 now a good ,roman ,catholic2 
the very ,brownson who has never been   
true to either his ,maker or to his     
church1 now a good ,roman ,catholic1    
whose church and whose conscience would 
not allow him to speak to a heretic6 ,i 
never noticed the man much before1 but  
now ,i fixed my eye upon him1 and ,i    
shall not easily forget his countenance4
 ,on first intuition1 ,i could scarcely 

imagine it was the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,brownson 
who stood before me4 ,my imagination    
presented to me a different character4  
,i could not suppose that one who was   
once a clergyman would entertain the    
sentiments which ,i had the misfortune  
of subsequently hearing him utter4 ,i   
was1 however1 mistaken4 ,it was the     
,rev4 gentleman4 ,he strongly reminded  
me of characters between whom and       
himself there existed a strange         
similitude2 but comparisons might offend
 the delicate sensibilities of some of  
my readers4  ,i looked at him a second  
time1 and ,i could not restrain the     
involuntary exclamation--,popery1 thou  
child of sin1 treachery1 and intrigue1  
bad as thou art1 is it come to          
this--that thou must take by the hand as
 thine advocate and supporter this      
wretched being1 who for thirty years has
 been sporting with the attributes of   
the great ,god1 alternately extolling   
and ridiculing them1 as best suited the 
ungovernable bent of his unstable mind1 

which thou mightest read in the         
demoniac-looking face of this man8 ,but 
this is one of the secrets by which     
,popery spreads itself all over the     
,united ,states4 ,the ,popish ,church   
will admit any men or women1 be they    
saints or devils1 into full communion   
with them1 if they swear allegiance to  
the ,pope of ,rome4 ,this is one of the 
grand causes of the success of          
,jesuitism in this country4 ,how        
different is it in some of the          
,protestant ,churches6 ,it requires some
 tact and church generalship in any man 
who has not been brought up a           
,protestant1 to obtain admission into   
them upon any terms4 ,far be it from me 
to insinuate that ,protestants should   
follow the example of the ,papists1 in  
admitting such things as ,brownson into 
communion with their ,churches3 ,nor    
should ,i mention the fact of the       
admission of ,brownson at all1 into the 
,romish ,church1 if ,i did not look upon
 this circumstance as a prominent       

instance of the corrupt evils of its    
infamous practices1 and an irrefragable 
argument against its alleged good4 ,but 
,brownson has been purified from all his
 sins by some ,popish chemical process2 
he has gone to confession1 is no longer 
a sinner1 and therefore he is too pure1 
too immaculate1 and too strong in the   
faith of the ,popish ,church1 to render 
it otherwise than sinful in him to speak
 to a heretic6 ,it is said that the     
,pope has recently given his subjects in
 the ,united ,states a dispensation1 by 
which they are allowed to transact      
business with heretics1 and speak to    
them in case of necessity4 ,wonderful   
condescension this6  ,such statements as
 ,i here make1 must appear incredible to
 ,american ,protestants4 ,many will     
suppose that ,i am dealing in           
fables--that such rigmarole and such    
silly pretences as ,i have charged the  
,papists with1 have never been          
countenanced in any age or among any    
people1 much less ,american freemen2 but

 let us see what are the facts in the   
case4 ,i would not ask the reader to    
take my word for it4 ,in #aeee1 ,pope   
,paul ,,iv1 in his famous bull against  
heretics1 supports me in every assertion
 ,i make2 charging ,papists with deeming
 it unlawful and criminal1 to hold any  
intercourse with ,protestants4 ,will the
 reader be pleased to attend to what    
this infallible ,pope says1 and that1   
only between three and four hundred     
years ago8 ,i call upon our civil       
authorities to ponder and weigh well the
 import of his words1 and never to      
forget1 that there is no ,catholic in   
this country or elsewhere1 who will dare
 to say that the decretals and commands 
of ,paul ,,iv41 are of less force or    
less binding upon them than those of the
 present ,pope4 ,all heretics1 viz4     
,protestants1 be they kings or subjects1
 are accursed4 ,mind that1 ,mr4 ,polk1  
,president of the ,united ,states6      
attend to it1 you ,governors and        
,magistrates6 you are each and every one

 of you accursed1 and none of our       
citizens are allowed to speak to you #ba
 without a dispensation from the present
 ,pope4 ,that identical ,pope1 ,innocent
 ,,iii41--of whom ,i have just been     
speaking1 and who has1 without any      
objection from either party1 been       
selected1 by ,bishops ,hughes1 and      
,fenwick1 and myself1 out of about three
 hundred ,popes1 as a fair sample of a  
good ,pope1--has declared it to be      
unlawful for any ,protestant ,executive1
  whether ,king or ,president1 to       
require any allegiance from a ,roman    
,catholic4 ,take heed1 ,mr4 ,president  
,polk6 it is said you are a             
,presbyterian2 ask no allegiance from a 
,roman ,catholic2 he is not allowed by  
the present ,pope1--who of course       
follows in the footsteps of his         
illustrious predecessors1 ,paul ,,iv4   
and ,innocent ,,iii41--even to speak to 
you without a dispensation4 ,it is      
utterly useless to multiply cases of    
this kind4 ,no article of the ,romish   

faith is better established1 than that  
which teaches them to hold no communion 
with heretics1 and try by every means in
 their power to overthrow all           
,protestant governments4 ,will this     
statement too be called an old lie8 ,if 
it is a lie1 it is assuredly a very old 
one1 and a very new one too4 ,will the  
reader go back with me1 to the history  
of ancient times8 ,it will afford me    
pleasure if he does4 ,the source of     
truth is as open and accessible to him  
as to me1 and if he thirsts for it      
sincerely and honestly1 he can slake it 
to his heart's content at its very      
fountain4  ,the general reader knows    
that at a very early period of          
,christianity1 a considerable number of 
native ,christians was found in the     
,peninsula of ,india2 ,i believe they   
were first discovered by the            
,portuguese4 ,they have been represented
 as harmless1 guileless1 and gentle in  
the extreme4 ,they professed the pure   
doctrines of the bible4 ,even the       

,portuguese who discovered them1        
admitted that their lives were          
blameless1 and that they were true      
,christians in every respect1 except    
that they did not believe in the        
infallibility of the ,pope and the      
supremacy of the ,romish church4 ,here  
was an opportunity for the ,romish      
church1 of showing her charity1 if she  
or her pioneers had any4 ,these native  
,indians never did them any harm2 they  
never before heard of a ,pope or a      
,romish church2 they believed in the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ and in the         
all-sufficiency of his atonement for the
 sins of man1 but never heard of a      
,pope2 such a word was not found in     
their simple1 native vocabulary2 this   
was a crime not to be forgiven by their 
ignorant ,popish discoverers2 and how   
were these simple people treated by     
them8 ,i refer the reader to that       
admirable work1 written by ,lacroze1 for
 a full account of the manner in which  
they were treated by these jackals who  

discovered them4 ,suffice it to say that
 they were at once reduced to obedience 
to the ,pope of ,rome1 to acknowledge   
the ,pope's church as infallible1 and   
compelled to worship the images of a set
 of vagabonds called saints and virgins1
 who if living now-a-days amongst us1   
should be considered fit subjects for   
our penitentiaries and work houses4 ,the
 reader will also see an account of the 
condition and character of this people  
in ,buchanan's ,researches4  ,i refer to
 the case of those primitive ,christians
 as corroborative of my charges against 
,popery1 and to show that her corrupt   
and persecuting spirit has always been  
the same1 and that nothing better could 
be expected from the great changelings  
,brownson1 or any other convert to her  
dogmas1 than a compliance with all her  
injunctions4 ,unfortunate ,brownson6    
while you tried to support yourself and 
family1 by alternately lecturing and    
publishing your sceptical and           
unintelligible theories1 the community  

in which you lived1 and who knew your   
circumstances1 felt a kind and deep     
sympathy for you4 ,they knew--and every 
man knows--that theoretical scepticism1 
and some sentiments of honor1 are not   
always incompatible4 ,a man may be a    
sceptic and not entirely destitute of   
honor4 ,a man may be a sceptic and yet  
an honest man4 ,your fellow citizens    
imagined that you might have been among 
that class of people2 but now they know 
you4 ,they know that for twenty or      
thirty years1 you have not only been a  
sceptic in theory1 but a practical      
doubter1 saying yes to one thing1 and   
again yes to the contrary4 ,you must    
not1 of course1 be surprised at seeing  
yourself sink in morals and principles1 
until you lose all claims to the        
sympathies of society4 ,if any          
individual should think it an object    
worth his notice or time1 to satirize or
 lampoon you1 the best and bitterest way
 would be1 to bind up into one volume1  
all the twattle you have written upon   

religion1 morals and metaphysics1 and   
send it to you4 ,i could with sincerity 
reproach myself for having thus deviated
 from the subject of these pages1 to    
notice this unhappy individual1         
,brownson1 for ,i believe there is not a
 well-informed gentleman in the ,united 
,states1 who does not know that there   
never was a period in the history of    
,popery1 when the ,pope and ,papists    
were not the implacable enemies of      
,protestants4 ,even ,papists themselves 
offer no defence against this charge1   
but that ,stale and hackneyed falsehood1
 ,popery is not now what it was in old  
times2 this seems plausible to          
,americans1 but let us see what are the 
facts in the case4 ,let us inquire      
whether ,popery is1 at all different    
now1 from what it was in the days of    
,paul ,,iv4 and ,innocent ,,iii4 ,is its
 persecuting spirit the same8 ,are its  
tenets more liberal1 its doctrines more 
mild1 and its ,popes1 from the last     
century up to the present moment1 less  

ambitious and more tolerant8 ,papists   
say they are2 ,bishop ,hughes of ,new   
,york1 and ,bishop ,fen-wick of ,boston1
 say they are2 and their ,corporal      
,trim1 ,brownson of ,boston1 touches his
 hat and nods his head4 ,i say they are 
not ,we are now at issue4 ,the question 
between us is one of veracity4 ,the     
,bishops and ,trim are liars1 or ,i am  
one1 in this matter4 ,how are the public
 to know which8 ,there is but one mode  
of ascertaining this4 ,let us appeal to 
history1 and to facts4 ,one of the best 
and ,i believe the most recent          
authorities to which we both can appeal1
 is a work recently written by ,wm4 ,s4 
,gilli1 ,d4 ,d41 and published in       
,london4 ,i call it one of the best     
authorities1 because many of the truths 
which he gives us1 confirm my assertion1
 and are matters of profane history1 and
 connected1 indirectly1 with national   
treaties1 with which we are all more or 
less acquainted4 ,this connexion throws 
an additional light on1 and gives more  

force to the statements of ,dr4 ,gilli2 
besides1 it gives a strength and        
momentum to my charges against ,popery1 
which no ,popish casuistry can check4   
,the work which ,i allude to1 is        
entitled ,the ,waldensian ,researches4  
,this excellent work commands great and 
deserved popularity among all parties1  
religious and political1 in ,europe4 ,it
 is a matter of historical truth1 that  
as early as #afij1 and on the #bjth of  
,october of that year1 a treaty was made
 between ,holland and ,england1--then   
the two-great ,protestant powers of     
,europe1--securing to the ,vaudois1 or  
,waldenses1 the free exercise of their  
religion and safe enjoyment of their    
property1 ,this treaty was assented to  
by all the powers of ,europe4 ,the      
,vaudois were a small community of      
,christians1 living in the valleys at   
the foot of the ,alps1 whose origin is  
involved in some obscurity4 ,they give  
us1 themselves1 no record of their      
antiquity1 prior to the ninth century1  

but are supposed by antiquarians to have
 been the descendants of a band of      
,apostolic ,christians1 who fled from   
,italy to escape the fury of barbarians1
 which had overrun that country during  
the decline of the ,roman empire1 and   
who sought for shelter in the secluded  
valleys of the ,alps1 in the western    
part of ,piedmont2 though1 as far as we 
know1 they have in a measure escaped the
 mad and bloody fury of the northern    
barbarian1 in their lonely valleys1 they
 had not been able to escape that of a  
still more bloody barbarian1 the ,pope  
of ,rome4 ,all ,europe1 who had any     
knowledge of this people in their lonely
 valleys1 felt great sympathy for them4 
,they were comparatively few in number1 
their wants few and easily supplied by  
their own industry2 their valleys were  
to them a second paradise1 but they were
 not long so1 when the great serpent of 
,rome entered it1 and brought upon them 
such an amount of misery1 hardships and 
persecutions1 as probably never were    

heard of before in the annals of        
history4 ,i will refer to this          
hereafter4 ,let us first see what       
becomes of the treaty to which ,i have  
alluded4 ,it was solemnly made and      
formally sanctioned2 they were promised 
full protection1 by his royal holiness  
the ,pope1 only about one hundred and   
forty years ago4 ,how did the ,pope act8
 ,how did he keep his faith with this   
poor harmless people8 ,history tells the
 tale4 ,he summoned the ,inquisition1   
and threatened ,victor ,amadeus1 a good 
,roman ,catholic1 with excommunication1 
if he did not violate his treaty in     
favor of the ,vaudois1 and renounce all 
treaties which he had ever made with the
 heretics2 and he called upon his       
subjects1 that is1 upon all ,catholics1 
,bishops and ,inquisitors1 to proceed   
against heretics1 and look upon all     
compacts and treaties made with heretics
 as null and void4 ,passing over1 for   
the present1 the sufferings of the      
,waldenses in former times1 let us see  

what their condition is now4 ,this will 
satisfy the reader that the church still
 persecutes heretics1 and refuses to    
hold any communion with them4 ,it proves
 also that ,popish bishops1 who assert  
that ,popery is different now from what 
it was formerly1 and that ,hughes and   
,fenwick1 of ,new ,york and ,boston1    
together with their ,corporal ,trim1    
,brownson1 have deliberately misstated  
facts4 ,hear to what ,mr4 ,gilli says of
 the spirit of ,popery as it existed the
 other day4  ,the son of a ,waldenesean 
soldier1 who served under the           
conscription of ,napoleon1 being born in
 a garrison where there was no          
,protestant minister1 was baptized by a 
,roman ,catholic ,priest4 ,he was       
shortly afterwards brought home to the  
valleys1 was educated as a ,protestant1 
in the communion of his forefathers1    
attended ,protestant worship and        
received the sacrament in a ,waldensean 
,church4 ,he was married to a           
,waldensean woman1 by a ,waldensean     

pastor1 but this marriage is now called 
a mixed marriage1 under the allegation  
that he is an apostate ,roman ,catholic1
 and a process with all its penalties   
hangs over the family4 7,grievances1 p4 
#ac47 ,now ,messrs4 ,bishops ,hughes and
 ,fenwick1 do you approve of the manner 
in which your ,popish church has treated
 this ,waldensean soldier8 ,do you see  
any difference manifested here towards  
heretics1 and that which the ,popes have
 always shown towards them8 ,would you  
not1 if you could1 persecute every      
heretic in the ,united ,states8 ,do you 
not believe that every marriage between 
,catholics and ,protestants in the      
,united ,states and elsewhere1 is       
invalid and not binding in the sight of 
,god8 ,does not your ,pope1 your church1
 and do you not1 yourselves1 teach that 
the parties in such marriages are living
 in a state of adultery8 ,do you not    
teach that if a ,catholic lady marries a
 ,protestant1 without a dispensation    
from your church1 she is an adulteress  

and ought to be treated accordingly by  
your church1 which1 in the plenitude of 
her mildness1 consigns her body to the  
holy inquisition1 to be broken on the   
rack1 and her soul to hell to perish    
everlastingly4 ,do ,i state the truth1  
reverend gentlemen8 ,will either of you 
contradict me8 ,if you do1 ,i will lay  
before you ,antoine's ,moral ,theology1 
,de ,matrimonio1 which some of your     
priests and myself studied in the same  
class1 in the college of ,maynooth1     
,ireland4 ,is this persecuting heretics 
or not8 ,did ,paul ,,iv41 or ,innocent  
,,iii41 ever show an instance of greater
 intolerance than you do1 under your    
present ,pope1 even in these ,united    
,states8 ,but what would you do had you 
the power8 ,the past history of your    
predecessors can best answer this       
question4 ,look at yourselves1 you      
impostors of the present day2 view      
yourselves in the mirror of truth1 and  
if you are not too far gone in falsehood
 and hypocrisy1 you must blush at the   

deceptions and impositions which you are
 trying to practise upon the citizens   
and government in this country4 ,you    
will perhaps say that in #agid1 all the 
edicts in force against the ,vaudois1 or
 ,waldenses1 were repealed by the king  
of ,sardinia4 ,it is more than probable 
that the soft-headed and brainless      
minister now at that court from the     
,united ,states1 may inform you1 if you 
have not the fact from any other source1
 that the ,vaudois have full liberty of 
conscience in the full exercise of their
 religion and the education of their    
children4  ,our present minister1 ,wm4  
,h4 ,stiles1 ,georgia1 at that court1   
who is nothing better than a living     
libel upon diplomacy1 was elected to    
,congress by the votes of ,irish        
,papists4 ,he had just tact enough--no  
fool is without more or less of it--to  
ingratiate himself with ,president      
,polk1 and obtain the appointment of    
,charge to ,sardinia1 ,in him you have a
 pliant tool1 who will tell you the king

 of ,sardinia has issued orders to      
prevent the taking away children1 with a
 view of obliging them to embrace the   
,catholic religion1 and requiring also1 
that those children which have been     
taken away1 shall be restored4 ,this    
proves two important facts which cannot 
be doubted1 as the ,king of ,sardinia   
cannot even be suspected of any want of 
allegiance or respect for his royal     
brother1 the ,pope of ,rome4 ,it proves1
 in the first place1 that the ,roman    
church has authorized its members to go 
into the ,alpine valleys1 and steal from
 their ,protestant brethren their       
beloved children1 with a view of        
proselytizing them to the               
infamous-doctrines of ,popery4 ,it      
shows1 in the second place1 that the    
cries of their bereaved parents for     
their restoration1 have been disregarded
 by those ,popish robbers1 otherwise the
 royal order for their restoration need 
not have been issued4  ,in spite of     
these edicts1 children are now taken    

away1 as ,gilli informs us1 under       
pretence of their being illegitimate4   
,two lamentable and heart-rending cases 
occurred in the year1 #ahbh4 ,mind1 take
 notice1 ,messrs4 ,bishops1 of the date4
 ,this is not an old lie1 as you have   
been pleased to call many of the        
statements in my books4 ,if it be a lie 
at all1 it is a new one4 ,the case ,i   
refer to is this4 ,a ,popish priest     
demanded from a poor ,protestant woman1 
her infant child1 in order that it might
 be brought up in the faith of the      
infallible church4 ,she refused1 of     
course1 to do so1 but clung to it the   
more closely1 pressing it to her bosom  
with a fondness such as a mother only   
can feel or describe1 and fled to the   
mountains1 preferring to perish with it 
there1 rather than to have it brought up
 in the idolatries of ,popery4 ,and what
 was the consequence8 ,i blush to relate
 it1 for the honor of humanity4 ,this   
,popish priest1 in obedience to the     
commands of his holy church1 did        

precisely what any ,popish priest in the
 ,united ,states would do under similar 
circumstances4 ,he ordered a small guard
 of carabineers to pursue her1 and bring
 her1 that she might be dealt with      
according to ,popish laws4 ,for many    
weeks she lived a miserable life1 flying
 from place to place1 until the         
sufferings of the mother and child      
excited the pity of the ,popish monsters
 who issued the order for her           
apprehension4 ,the order was withdrawn1 
but not revoked1 and the woman's fears  
and anxieties continue1 while she       
remains exposed to the same severity4   
,will you1 ,messrs4 ,bishops1 after     
this1 presume to say that the ,popish   
church does not sanction the persecution
 of heretics8 will you dare assert that 
she does not sanction their total       
extirpation8 ,you cannot do so1 and ,i  
risk nothing in saying1 that you1       
,messrs4 ,fenwick and ,hughes1 would be 
the first to strike the blow1 should a  
favorable opportunity offer4  ,in #ahdj1

 as ,gilli tells us1 a fraternity of    
eight missionaries1 of the order of ,st4
 ,morris and ,st ,lazare1 was instituted
 at ,latorre1 one of the largest towns  
of the ,vaudois4 ,the object of this    
institution is to go about making       
proselytes4 ,to this1 as the ,london    
,review very properly remarks1 there can
 be no objection4 ,we admit missionaries
 into the ,united ,states4 ,the ,popish 
jackals are among our own valleys1 as   
well as on the tops of our mountains4   
,no ,american citizen can go many miles 
from his home1 without finding himself  
in the vicinity of one of those ,popish 
dens called monk-houses1 or nunneries4  
,this we cannot1 nor are we disposed to 
prevent2 our ,constitution allows it2 we
 recognize the right of ,papists to send
 missionaries among us2 but it might be 
questioned still1 whether we ourselves  
are right1 or whether the framers of our
 ,constitution have not committed a     
great error1 ,in the mode of wording    
that part of our ,constitution1 granting

 any right or privilege to any nation1  
or people1 or government1 or religion1  
which was not founded on strict         
reciprocity4 ,did it ever occur to      
,jefferson1 ,washington1 ,madison1 or   
the other eminent men who framed our    
,constitution1 that in giving to a      
,roman ,catholic sovereign1 king1 or    
potentate1 the right of sending         
missionaries into the ,united ,states1  
they forgot the securing to the ,united 
,states a reciprocal right8 ,the ,papist
 is allowed to invade our country2 but  
are we allowed to invade ,papal ,states1
 and build churches there for divine    
worship1 as the ,papists are in the     
,united ,states8 ,the ,catholic priest  
can come here from ,rome and build a    
church1 teach a school1 and preach      
whatever and whenever he pleases2 but if
 an ,american citizen and ,protestant   
freeman go to the city of ,rome1 or any 
strictly ,catholic country1 he is under 
a legal disability to build his church1 
or teach or preach4 ,is this fair8 ,is  

there any thing reciprocal in this8 ,is 
it not rather a disgrace1 and a lasting 
lampoon upon ,american freedom1 to      
tolerate this violation of the first    
principles of reciprocal rights8 ,let   
our people take this matter into their  
own hands2 let them call upon their     
representatives1 and demand from them an
 immediate redress for this national    
humiliation1 which has been entailed    
upon us by some unaccountable want of   
foresight on the part of the framers of 
our ,constitution4 ,but1 say the ,popish
 bishops in this country1 our church    
never persecutes1 she never disturbs    
heretics1 she loves ,protestants as     
brethren1 and is willing to pay the most
 implicit obedience to their laws and   
institutions4 ,this is the language of  
that notorious demagogue and disturber  
of the peace1 ,bishop ,hughes of ,new   
,york2 this is the language of ,bishop  
,fenwick1 of ,boston1 to which          
,brownson1 his ,corporal ,trim1         
invariably says yes4 ,these are the men 

whom ,i have accused of                 
falsehood--wilful and deliberate        
falsehood4 ,have ,i satisfied my readers
 that ,i have stated the truth1 and1    
though not the whole truth1--nothing but
 the truth8 ,have ,i satisfied them that
 the ,popish ,church and ,papists have  
ever been the sworn enemies of          
,protestants8 ,they admit themselves1   
that great cruelties have1 in ancient   
times1 been inflicted by ,roman         
,catholics upon ,protestants2 but in    
order to deceive ,americans1 they very  
blandly assert that those times have    
gone by1 and that such cruelties do not 
now exist4 ,is the reader satisfied yet 
that this is not correct1 and that the  
only object of these men is further     
deceit and deeper treachery8 ,let me    
again call the reader's attention to    
another passage from ,gilli2 it will    
show more clearly1 if possible1 than it 
has hitherto been done1 that the        
malignant hatred of ,popery towards     
,protestants burns now as brightly as it

 did at any period of ,christian        
history4 ,they are1 says ,gilli1        
speaking of the ,protestant ,waldenses1 
absolutely forbidden by ,roman          
,catholics to exert their parental      
authority over their own children1 if   
these children1 7girls above ten1 and   
boys above twelve years17 are tempted to
 forsake their faith4 ,in #ahcf1 a child
 was taken from a family at ,lucerne1   
and in #ahdb1 another from a family at  
,st4 ,germain1 upon the pretext of an   
inclination expressed by those children 
to turn ,roman ,catholics1 there being  
no difficulty in tempting a poor1       
half-starved boy of twelve1 or a girl of
 ten1 to receive instruction offered    
with a crucifix in one hand1 and a loaf 
or a fish in the other4 ,thus the       
parent's heart is to be doubly pierced2 
first1 by encouraging a pretended       
exercise of judgment on the part of his 
child1 before the understanding is      
matured2 and secondly1 by a legalized   
abduction of the child so tampered with4

 ,on the #b;d of ,may1 #ahci1 the child 
of ,jaques ,dalmais de ,david1 and      
,margarite his wife1 having been torn   
from them on the pretence of being      
illegitimate1 was sent to the foundling 
hospital at ,pignerol1 although the     
parents were both natives of ,vaudois1  
born in the commune and parish of       
,villar ,bobi1 and lawfully married in  
that parish1 by the pastor thereof4     
,upon the first abduction1 the father   
took away the infant from the nurse to  
whose charge it had been committed      
previously to its being carried to the  
hospital2 and for his refusal to attend 
the summons of the commandant of the    
province1 he and his wife were thrown   
into prison1 and there remained several 
days4 ,the child1 however1 was restored 
to its parents1 after an investigation  
which lasted many months2 the legitimacy
 of its birth having been fully proved4 
,in the month of ,august1 #ahdb1 the    
,prefect of ,pignerol ordered a ,bible  
lecture and prayer meeting which was    

held in a school room at ,latour1 on    
,sunday afternoon1 to be discontinued4  
,on the #ahth of ,january1 of the       
following year1 a similar order had been
 issued by the ,intendent of the        
province4 ,the order appeared in the    
following words3 ',the ,royal ,secretary
 of ,state for the ,interior1 having    
been informed that every ,sunday some   
,waldenses1 ,protestants1 held          
congregations in a school house1 and    
that many persons of every age and sex  
met together to sing psalms aloud1 the  
said ,royal ,secretary of ,state has    
communicated to me that the places being
 appointed wherein the ,waldenses shall 
worship1 no innovation1 or increase of  
the number of the same1 can be admitted1
 and they must be enjoined to           
discontinue those meetings1 or in case  
of contumacy1 the government will adopt 
measures to prevent them4' ,accordingly 
the ,sunday services were discontinued4 
,this is a cruel state of things2 and it
 may well be asked1 whether ,protestant 

communities were1 or ought to be1       
considered the friends of civil rights8 
,ought they not to interfere in         
correcting such a state of things8 ,and 
is it not the duty of this country in   
particular1 to be the very first to do  
so8 ,shall it be said by any future     
historian1 that republican ,america     
shall be outdone in philanthropy and    
sympathy for the oppressed1 by the      
despots of ,europe8 ,shall it be said   
that ,england1 in almost every reign1   
has done more for the advancement of    
free principles and religious           
toleration1 than republican ,america8   
,even ,cromwell1 despot as he is        
represented to have been1 interfered in 
behalf of the persecuted ,protestants of
 ,vaudois4 ,george ,i4 of ,england also 
interfered in their behalf4 ,cromwell   
told the ,pope1 through his ambassador  
at ,rome1 that if he did not silence his
 canons in the valleys of ,piedmont1    
against the ,protestant inhabitants     
thereof1 he would silence them himself  

by his own brass cannons at the gates of
 the ,vatican4 ,and shall it be said    
that the freemen of ,america shall      
witness the oppressions of their        
,protestant brethren without a word or a
 threat in their behalf8 ,the following 
petition or memorial1 in behalf of the  
,protestants1 the ,vaudois1 was sent1 in
 #ahdb1 by a committee appointed in     
,london1 for their relief4 ,the         
,archbishop of ,canterbury has          
immortalized his name by being at the   
head of this committee4 ,it reads in the
 following words3  ,to the ,earl of     
,aberdeen1 ,her ,majesty's principal    
,secretary of ,state for ,foreign       
,affairs4  ,winchester ,house1 ,st4     
,james ,square1  ,april #ith1 #ahdb4 ,my
 ,lord1  ,we the undersigned1 members of
 the ,london ,committee1 instituted in  
#ahbe1 for the relief of the ,vaudois of
 ,piedmont1 earnestly entreat your      
,lordship to submit to ,her ,majesty the
 ,queen our humble entreaty that ,her   
,majesty will be graciously pleased to  

intercede in behalf of that ancient     
community1 with their sovereign1 the    
,king of ,sardinia4 ,the sufferings of  
,vaudois have often excited the sympathy
 of this nation1 and our sovereigns     
have1 from time to time1 been pleased to
 exercise their beneficent offices in   
the privileges and rights of the        
,vaudois ,church1 which have been       
threatened2 and this they have done out 
of compassion for the afflicted4  ,among
 other aggrievances1 it has been        
represented to us that the ,vaudois have
 now to complain that children are taken
 from their parents by the priests and  
local authorities1 when one of the      
parents is said to be a ,roman          
,catholic1 under pretence of their being
 illegitimate2 that their religious     
services are interrupted2 that their    
intercourse and traffic with their      
fellow countrymen1 beyond certain       
limits1 are placed under grievous       
restrictions2 that some of them are     
deprived of the means of their          

subsistence1 being forbidden to         
purchase1 to farm1 or to cultivate      
lands1 except within boundaries too     
narrow for their population2 and that   
others1 to their great disadvantage and 
detriment1 have been ordered to sell    
property which they have legally        
acquired beyond the territories to which
 they are confined4  ,if these alleged  
severities were inflicted on the        
,vaudois for acts of turbulence or      
dangerous fanaticism1 we should not     
presume to entreat ,her ,majesty's      
gracious interposition4 ,but it does not
 appear that any thing can be laid to   
their charge1 except the profession of  
religion differing from that of the     
,roman ,catholic ,church1 and similar1  
in many particulars of faith and        
discipline1 to the reformed churches in 
,europe1 c4  ,this petition has been    
signed by the following gentlemen3 ,w4  
,cantuar1 ,w4 ,r4 ,hamilton1 ,c4 ,t4    
,london1 ,wm4 ,cotton1 ,c4 ,r4 ,winton1 
,t4 ,d4 ,acland1 ,geo4 ,h4 ,rose1 ,w4   

,s4 ,gilly4 ,r4 ,h4 ,inglis4  ,england1 
as a ,christian nation and a ,christian 
people1 has done well on this occasion4 
,she has given the world evidence that  
whatever may have been the crimes or    
errors of her former rulers1 she still  
retains within the breasts of her people
 some sense of that great commandment1  
,love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,what    
have we1 ,american citizens1 done for   
our ,protestant brethren in the ,alpine 
valleys8 ,we see and know them to be    
oppressed and ground to the dust--for   
what8 ,because they are ,protestants4   
,is there any things else laid to their 
charge6 ,nothing4 ,was there ever any   
thing else laid to their charge1 in     
justification of the cruelties which1   
century after century1 the ,pope of     
,rome and the blood-hounds of his church
 have inflicted upon them6 ,i have      
diligently examined the history of this 
people4 ,i was induced to do so at an   
early age1 believing it almost          
impossible that humanity was capable of 

enduring such sufferings as history     
informs us were inflicted upon them by  
the ,romish ,church2 and ,i am compelled
 to say1 in truth and honesty1 that ,i  
cannot discover any reason or any cause 
for their persecution by ,roman         
,catholics1 except that they did not    
believe in the supremacy of the ,pope1  
and the abominations of the ,romish     
,church4 ,and why1 under these          
circumstances1 are not ,protestant      
,americans doing something for these    
their brethren8 ,it is in the power of  
this country to do much in any just     
cause4 ,such an advocate as this        
government might prove itself to be     
against the spirit of ,popery1 even in  
the ,piedmont valleys1 would carry      
gladness to the hearts of many an       
oppressed brother among them4 ,we have  
money1 which we are throwing away in    
charity to those who have but few claims
 upon us2 we have genius1 which we are  
scattering all over the country in      
ranting and ravings and metaphysical    

discussions1 unproductive of any thing  
useful to man4 ,why not employ this in  
espousing the cause of liberty and of   
our oppressed brethren the ,vaudois1--a 
poor people1 who have no standing       
armies1 no treasury1--nothing but their 
,protestant religion and a good cause to
 support them4 ,why is not the genius of
 our people--why have not their fine    
minds and fine talents been employed in 
holding up before the broad light of    
heaven the villainies1 iniquities1      
abominations and corruptions of the     
,romish ,church8 ,why are not such      
imposors and deceivers of the public as 
the ,roman ,catholic ,bishops of ,new   
,york and ,boston1 together with their  
man ,trim ,brownson--singled out from   
among our people8 ,why does not public  
opinion write in italics on the         
countenance-of each of these men1 the   
words deceiver and traitor1 that our    
children may avoid them when they see   
them in the streets8 ,why do we not     
teach even our little ones to pray that 

the ,lord may rescue our brethren the   
,vaudois from the cruelties of ,popery8 
,why does not every ,christian teach his
 child to exclaim1 in the beautiful     
language of the immortal poet of        
,england1 who was himself a true friend 
of the ,vaudois1       ,avenge1 ,o      
,lord1 thy slaughtered saints1 whose    
bones      ,lie scattered on the ,alpine
 mountains cold2--      ,even them who  
kept thy truth so pure1 of old1         
,when all our fathers worshipped stocks 
and stones1 ,forget not4  ,why do       
,americans allow their children to go to
 the schools1 kept professedly for the  
propagation of such doctrines as those  
taught and practised by the ,romish     
church8 ,i myself tremble lest there may
 be something wrong in the construction 
of the social system in our republican  
government4 ,assuredly1 nothing else    
could induce us to violate the first law
 of nature1 which is self-preservation4 
,our natural affections1 and sympathy   
with each other1 are the sweetest       

ingredients---and perhaps the only sweet
 ones which ,providence has thrown into 
the cup of life1 undoubtedly for the    
holy purpose of rendering it at all     
palate-able4 ,take them away and life   
would be bitter indeed4  ,a state of    
society1 such as the ,popish church1    
through her agents in this country1     
desires to introduce amongst us1 tends  
to no better purpose1 than to divest man
 of humanity itself4 ,it would harden   
his heart and swell him with the morbid 
humors of vanity1 ambition1 bigotry1 and
 persecution4 ,it would increase i our  
natural misery1 and leave us no anodyne1
 but that  filthy and abominable one1   
auricular confession and ,i ,popish     
pardons4 ,does not this deserve the     
execration of the virtuous and pious of 
all denominations8 ,and are you         
prepared1 fellow citizens1 for such a   
state of things8 ,i am aware that there 
are some amongst us1 ready to tear from 
their bosoms1 for base and selfish      
purposes1 every thing good1 which the   

,god of glory through the merits of his 
,son1 has planted there4 ,there is      
nothing so absurd that pride and        
selfishness will not adopt and maintain 
it4 ,it is said that ,alexander did     
really believe himself to be a god4 ,the
 vilest and most profligate of the      
,caesars demanded ,divine honors4 ,some 
of the ,popes of the ,romish church1    
even when rotting and dropping to       
pieces1 from the effects of disease1    
brought upon them by licentiousness and 
dissipation1 would have the world       
believe that they were infallible1 and  
even impeccable2 so says ,balarmine1 an 
authority not to be disregarded by      
,papists4  ,bishop ,hughes tells us that
 in this country1 we cannot prosper as a
 people1 unless we adopt the religion of
 the ,pope1 and encourage the ,pope's   
subjects to overthrow this government1  
and not to be ruled by its laws or its  
people4 ,americans shant rule us1 is a  
,popish motto now borne aloft by        
,papists through the streets of ,new    

,york1 and other cities in the ,union4  
,such language as the above resembles   
rather the ravings of some poor lunatic1
 than that of a sober1 honest           
republican1 and appears to be more like 
that of a maniac1 sitting in some       
desolate cell1 with a crown of straw1   
swaying a sceptre of the same material1 
and fancying himself an ,emperor1 than  
any thing else2 but to me there is      
nothing inconsistent and strange in such
 language or such conduct2 ,i know the  
pride of a ,popish ,bishop4 ,i have been
 too long among them1 not to understand 
well their vanity and arrogant          
pretensions2 and though their conduct   
may not be such as to fit them for a    
lunatic asylum1 still it never fails to 
unfit them for all the uses and purposes
 of civil life1 and renders them        
dangerous citizens4 ,there is nothing   
extraordinary in this2 it seems to be   
the natural consequence even of the     
physical organization of man4           
,inordinate ambition and false pride1   

are said by anatomists to have a        
powerful effect in turning the brains of
 man2 but it is truly strange that1     
shocking as madness is in itself1 and   
terrible as are its consequences1 it    
sometimes affects people in such a      
manner as to turn our pity into         
laughter4 ,we have an instance of       
this1--and a very prominent one1--in the
 case of the unfortunate changeling1    
,brownson1 who1 but the other day1 was  
admitted by ,bishop ,fenwick into full  
communion with the ,popish church4 ,but 
nothing else could be expected by those 
who understand ,popery1 and see the     
broad difference between its system of  
morality1 and that of pure              
,christianity4 ,modern ,popery is made  
up from the philosophy of the ancient   
,pagans1 and some ,german writers4 ,it  
has man attractions in the eyes of      
superficial ,christians2 has many       
aspects1 and some of them of an         
attractive character4 ,unsophisticated  
people1 such as many ,american          

theologians are1 see1 in the morality of
 ,popery1 apparently1 much philanthropy 
and practical ,christianity1 and these  
so judiciously blended together by      
,popish cunning and ,jesuitical craft1  
that its true character--nay even the   
deeds themselves--are entirely          
forgotten1 in their admiration of the   
brilliant though false light1 in which  
they appear4  ,for instance1 to take    
that miserable man1 ,brownson1 by the   
hand1 and raise him from a state of     
utter destitution1 to which his own     
follies and imprudence reduced him1 had 
in it much apparent philanthropy and    
practical ,christianity2 the ,popish    
,fenwick found him in great want1 every 
religious society shunned him1 as if the
 brand of ,cain were upon him4 ,there   
was not even to be found a political    
party that would have any thing to do   
with him2 he betrayed and left them all 
in rapid succession1 and they in turn   
left him alone and unaided ,all the     
powers of his mind 7it is said that he  

once possessed some7 were broken and    
crushed2 there was no peace1 no resting 
place for him4 ,both theologians and    
politicians raised their hands and      
pointed at him the finger of scorn--the 
former1 as a rebel against the ,king of 
,glory--the latter1 as a traitor to the 
puny king of their respective parties4  
,such was the condition in which the    
,jesuit ,bishop1 ,fenwick1 found him    
here in ,boston2 and what1 to all       
appearance1 could be more philanthropic1
 what more practically ,christian--what 
more benevolent deed could the ,pope's  
agent do1 for effect--than take this man
 by the hand and supply him with the    
necessaries of life4 ,and what1 under   
these circumstances1 could be expected  
from the changeling1 ,brownson1 than    
that he would devote all his mind to the
 justification of any falsehood or any  
errors1 which his benefactors might     
desire to propagate4 ,i find no fault   
with ,bishop ,fen-wick for relieving the
 temporal wants of ,brownson2 on the    

contrary1 ,i freely admit1 that the act 
is1 in itself1 and abstractedly         
considered1 an act of benevolence and   
charity4 ,we are bound to recognize in  
every human creature and every human    
face1 the features of a brother and a   
neighbor4 ,i would not1 willingly1 even 
question the motives of the ,bishop2    
they are known only to his ,god4 ,it    
would not be fair nor judicious in a    
physician1 to take a body apparently    
sound and in health1 and dissect it1 for
 the purpose of ascertaining whether    
there were any hidden disease in it ,he 
should take it for granted--as a general
 rule--that when all appearances were   
good and healthy1 there existed no      
physical defect2 and ,i think and       
believe it the duty of ,christians to   
take it for granted1 that1 generally    
speaking1 the motives of a brother are  
good1 when his actions bear upon their  
face no indication of being otherwise4  
,but when any man or any church1 holds  
up to the view of a whole people or     

nation1 one who has been for years and  
years an advocate of moral evil1 as an  
object not only of pity and pardon1 but 
of admiration--as ,bishop ,fenwick does 
the infidel1 ,brownson--every true      
,christian must tremble1 and every true 
lover of civil rights must shudder1 lest
 each sound that he hears should prove  
to be the death-knell of our religion   
and the civil rights of man4            
,unfortunate ,brownson6 why prostitute  
thyself to the base purposes of ,popery8
 ,thou mightest have been in want2      
,protestants might have neglected thee2 
but what of that8 ,what of the          
sufferings of this transitory and       
fleeting world8 ,let me tell you1 and   
let the sound of my words ring forever  
in your ears1 that1       ,life can but 
little more supply      ,than just to   
look about us and to die4  ,the above   
beautiful sentiment of the poet1 has1 ,i
 fear1 but seldom occurred to you2      
assuredly it has made no lasting        
impression on your mind4 ,it is probable

 that the following stanza1 part of a   
famous monkish ditty1 has in it beauties
 and substantial sentiments1 far more   
congenial to your tastes and thoughts3  
,hang up sorrow1 banish care2      ,the 
,pope is bound to find me4  ,but a truce
 with poor ,brownson1 for a moment2 his 
days will soon be over4 ,like the great 
,mr4 ,shandy1 he has been so long       
dancing his white bear forward1 that he 
must soon commence dancing him back     
again4 ,he has already professed all the
 religious creeds in this country1 and  
it is fairly to be presumed that he will
 profess all of them back again2 and    
thus afford himself fresh and full room1
 for displaying1 in connection with     
them1 any additional political or       
religious vagaries which may spring up  
in his moonstricken imagination4 ,he may
 address himself to his patron1 parson  
,fenwick1 as ,mr4 ,shandy did ,parson   
,yorrick4 ,yorrick1 said ,mr4 ,shandy1  
you see that by this means--that is by  
going backwards and forwards--every     

thesis and hypothesis have an offspring 
of propositions--and each proposition   
has its consequences and conclusions2   
every one of which leads the mind back  
again1 into fresh tracks of inquiries   
and doubtings4 ,the force of this       
engine--observed ,mr4 ,shandy1 in great 
triumph--is incredible1 in opening      
heads4 ,brother ,shandy1 said my ,uncle 
,toby1 it is enough to burst them into  
splinters4  ,had ,brownson1 in the      
,jesuit parson1 ,fenwick1 a guide1      
simple1 sinless1 and guileless1 as      
,parson ,yorrick or my uncle ,toby1     
there might be some hopes that he could 
yet be brought to see and feel the full 
force of truth4 ,but ,brownson will     
stick to the ,jesuit as long as he gives
 him bread1 and the ,jesuit appreciates 
his value too highly not to supply him  
plentifully4 ,the ,jesuit knows well1   
that the little smattering of theology1 
which ,brownson possesses1 can be made  
useful to him4 ,it is of the ,german    
,school4 ,the ,germans are wild in their

 theories upon morals and theology1 and 
yet they carry with them the appearance 
of much honest and persevering research1
 and never fail--unless in very         
unskilful hands--to make a strong and   
terrible impression wherever they are   
preached or inculcated4 ,brownson1      
though1 in truth and reality1 no        
scholar1 knows enough of this theology1 
and of ,popish ,quietism1 such as was   
taught by raving monks and nuns in the  
sixteenth century1 to see that by       
working them up together1 and declaiming
 this undigested and #bb acrid mass1    
before an audience unprepared to analyze
 it1 that he can produce just such an   
effect upon the public mind as ,popish  
priests desire4 ,it helps to create     
infidelity1 and1 of course1 adds to the 
number of ,papists in our country4      
,there is a great similitude between the
 modern ,german1 and the ,popish moral  
philosophy4 ,a popular writer very truly
 and very beautifully says1 in each we  
find the same senseless1 useless1 and   

aimless encouragement of the mixed      
produce of the natural mind--the same   
indiscriminate worship of the good and  
bad it may please to throw up--every    
lawless thought1 every idle dream1 every
 dangerous imagination suffered to run  
their unhealthy course1 to end in folly 
and in impurity--piety professed without
 religion1 and virtue without           
principle--the dictates of their        
respective creeds1 their theory2 and the
 dictates of their hearts1 their        
practice2 and wild work between them4   
,brownson has some vague notion of this 
compound philosophy2 he has1 beside1    
taken great pains to make himself       
acquainted with those sesquipidalia1 or 
long-legged words--if ,i may use such a 
term--which most mixed audiences mistake
 for learning4 ,the ,jesuit1 ,hughes1   
soon measured ,brownson2 he looked into 
his past life and soon found him        
treacherous to every party and to every 
principle4 ,this is the man for me1 says
 the ,jesuit--the ,holy ,church must    

have him1 though we should be obliged to
 feed and clothe him for life4 ,the     
infidel soon closed with the ,jesuit1--a
 bargain was instantly made2 but my     
observations upon human nature have been
 very unprofitable to me1 if the ,jesuit
 does not soon find that he has made a  
bad trade1 as a ,yankee would express   
it2 that ,brownson is not the man he    
took him for1 nor the scholar he took   
him for2 that he is but an unprincipled 
infidel1 and a kind of monomaniac       
rhapsodist on subjects which he does not
 understand himself2 in a word1 he will 
find out in time that he can make       
nothing of him4 ,can the ,jesuit1       
,hughes1 make any thing else than what  
it is8 can he make the lily a rose1 or  
the rose a lily8 can he make the oak a  
vine1 or the vine an oak8 ,when he can  
do those things1 and not a second       
before1 can he make a hardened infidel  
an humble ,christian1 or a treacherous  
politician a safe citizen4  ,i find     
myself1 once more1 not only drifting    

from my destined port1 but1 it would    
seem1 that ,i had turned from it        
altogether4 ,i intended to devote these 
pages1 almost exclusively1 to giving an 
expose of the abominations of auricular 
confessions and ,popish nunneries1 but  
having by some accident or another1 come
 athwart the great changeling1          
,brownson1 who now acts as trumpeter to 
,bishop ,fenwick of ,boston1 and is     
recognized by him and the ,popish       
,church of the ,united ,states1 as an   
authorized expounder of their sentiments
 and doctrines1 ,i felt it my duty to   
notice him briefly4 ,this man1          
,brownson1 is now sent as a ,popish     
missionary or lecturer throughout the   
,united ,states2 and speaks upon all    
subjects connected with ,popery1 ex     
authoritate4  ,i find in the ,january   
number of ,brownson's ,review1 of the   
present year1 the following effusion1   
which1 for effrontery and shameless     
falsehood1 equals any thing ,i have ever
 seen4 ,we dare affirm1 says ,brownson1 

in his ,review1 ,january1 #ahde1 page   
#ab1 that no period in the history of   
our race1 of equal length1 can be       
pointed out1 so remarkable for its      
intellectual and literary activity1 as  
the thousand years1 dating from the     
beginning of the sixth century1 and     
extending to the commencement of the    
sixteenth4 ,now1 continues ,brownson1 in
 order to judge fairly1 what the church 
has done for the human race2 whether in 
reference to religion1 morals1          
literature1 or science1 we must         
ascertain what it actually effected4    
,she 7that is the church7 at the        
beginning of the sixth century1 sets to 
work to establish schools1 the great    
monasterial schools1 cathedral or       
episcopal schools4 ,in the beginning of 
the sixth century1 arose the cathedral  
schools1 in ,spain4 ,all the great1     
renowned universities1 were founded     
prior to the ,reformation4 ,nearly all  
the monasteries were graced and enriched
 by valuable libraries4 ,in each        

monastery was a scriptorium1 and a      
number of monks employed in copying and 
binding manuscripts4 ,there is much     
plausibility in the language of         
,brownson1 now the jackal of ,popery in 
the ,united ,states4 ,i am willing to   
admit that a vast number of colleges and
 renowned universities1 were established
 before the ,reformation1 in ,rome1     
,italy and even ,england4 ,i would also 
admit that there were scriptoriums and  
that monks were employed in copying     
manuscripts and binding books2 but has  
the illustrious changeling1 ,brownson1  
told us for what purposes these great   
universities were established1 prior to 
the ,reformation8 ,far be it from me to 
deny their existence1 that would indeed 
show that ,i was but a poor historian1  
and that ,i knew but very little of the 
corruptions of the ,romish ,church4     
,sixtus ,,iv41 one of the infallible    
,popes of ,rome1 established whole      
colleges at once1 and much as ,i have   
said against ,popery and its            

corruptions1 ,i have not1 as yet1       
exhibited so flagrant an instance of    
,popish turpitude1 baseness and avarice1
 as ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv4 leaves on       
record1 by the single act of building   
these universities4 ,he established     
offices and titles in each college1     
which were put up for sale by him1 and  
were sold for sums1 varying from one    
hundred1 to one thousand and twenty     
thousand ducats4 ,it was this           
illustrious and infallible ,pope1       
,sixtus ,,iv41--and ,i pray you will    
bear it in mind1 thou great             
changeling1--that established a college 
of a hundred janizaries1 and nominated  
these janizaries for the trifling sum of
 one hundred thousand ducats4 ,and how1 
think you1 reader1 did he pay them their
 salaries8 ,was it out of the bonus of a
 hundred thousand ducats1 which he      
received for chartering or sanctioning  
the college8 ,far from it4 ,he paid them
 some trifling compensation1 derived    
from the proceeds of the sales of bulls4

 ,these janizaries were subsequently    
suppressed4 ,innocent ,,iii41--and you  
will recollect1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 that he 
was ,pope of ,rome between the sixth and
 sixteenth centuries1--founded a        
university for a bonus of sixty thousand
 scudi2 7a scudi1 ,i believe1 is a      
fraction less than a dollar47 ,the      
reader may form some idea of the        
magnitude and splendor of this          
university1 when ,i inform him1 that    
this college had twenty-six secretaries1
 and a proportionable number of other   
officers2 every one of whom paid in     
proportion to his means1 for the office 
he held4  ,pope ,alexander ,,vi41 who1  
as you know1 was born between the sixth 
and sixteenth centuries1 and whom the   
changeling's friend ,daniel ,o',connell1
 would call a broth of a boy1           
established a university1 and to showed 
his zeal for the great cause of learning
 and advancement of morals1 he nominated
 eighty writers of ,popish briefs1 each 
of whom had to pay eight hundred and    

fifty scudi for his appointment4 ,this  
very ,pope1 ,alexander ,,vi41 was one of
 the greatest debauchees of his age1 and
 died by poison administered by the hand
 of his own son4 ,pope ,julius ,,ii41   
who also lived between the sixth and    
sixteenth centuries1 added to these     
offices one hundred writers or copyists 
of archives1 each of whom had also to   
pay seven hundred and fifty scudi4 ,i   
have taken ,brownson at his word4 ,he   
affirms that no period in the history of
 our race1 of equal length1 can be      
pointed out1 so remarkable for          
intellectual activity1 as that which    
occurred between the sixth and sixteenth
 centuries4 ,i have and do hereby       
affirm1 that there has been no period1  
in the history of ,christianity1 so     
remarkable for intellectual depravity   
and ,popish ignorance1 as that very     
self-same period4 ,i have appealed to   
history and proved my assertion by      
facts1 not taken from prejudiced        
writers1 but facts recorded and gloried 

in by ,popes themselves and ,popish     
writers4  ,it is said by ,papists and   
authoritatively asserted by their       
mouth-piece in the ,united ,states1 that
 the colleges and universities built by 
,papists1 in the interval between the   
sixth and sixteenth centuries1 were     
pulled down by the ,protestants1 ,goths 
and ,vandals1 who have lived since that 
period4 ,admitting that they have been1 
what then1 ,mr4 ,brownson8 ,what man or 
what people1 in their sober senses1     
would tolerate the colleges established 
by ,pope ,sixtus in #adhb1 where offices
 were put up at auction1 and that under 
the sacred name of religion2 where      
nothing was taught but the grossest     
idolatry1 and nothing practised but     
simony and immorality1 almost as bad as 
that of the heathens4 ,would any man at 
the present day1 with the fear of ,god  
before his eyes1 or who duly appreciated
 the blessings of civil liberty1        
tolerate amongst ourselves1 a university
 such as one of those over which ,popes 

,paul and ,sixtus presided1 even in the 
palmiest days of ,christianity8         
,according to ,brownson1 himself1       
assuredly not4 ,we should pull it down  
were it amongst us2 we should scatter to
 the winds these ,popish brief s1       
decretals and bulk1 which thousands of  
monks were employed in copying and      
binding4 ,we should vest in some        
factory1 those thousands and hundreds of
 thousands of scudi1 which were given to
 ,popes for chartering universities of  
learning--don't laugh1 reader--yes1     
reader1 they were called universities of
 learning--and we would send the lazy1  
crazy monks1 who were by thousands      
employed in them1 to work on our fields 
or in our factories4  ,it was between   
the sixth and sixteenth centuries1 that 
,alexander ,,iii41 presiding in his     
official capacity over a synod held at  
,tours1 in #aafg1 pronounced the        
,protestant religion of the ,vaudois a  
damnable heresy of long standing4 ,do   
you call this any evidence of the great 

mental activity which the ,popish       
,church displayed1 and for which she and
 her members were so remarkable1 prior  
to the sixteenth century8 ,there was    
another synod at ,lavoux1 in the same   
year1 where the ,pope gives another     
instance of the remarkable intellectual 
and literary activity of the thousand   
years between the sixth and sixteenth   
centuries4 ,the ,popish ,senate at      
,lavoux sent a memorial to the reigning 
,pope1 to exterminate the ,vaudois1 an  
heretical pest1 generated in olden      
times1 of enormous growth and great     
antiquity4 ,i believe it was in         
#aecf--recollect1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 it is 
within your period of that thousand     
years1 when1 according to yourself1     
,popery flourished in the full blaze of 
her glory and love of literature--that  
the poor ,protestants1 the ,vaudois1    
sent a number of petitions to ,francis  
,i41 praying that he would tolerate     
them1 and allow them to worship ,god as 
they pleased4 ,francis ,i4 consulted the

 ,pope's legate1 who was then at his    
court1 and immediately returned for     
answer to these poor ,protestants1 ,i am
 not burning heretics in ,france1 to    
foster them among the ,alps4 ,remarkable
 instance of the literary activity of   
the ,popish ,church6 ,we have another   
strong instance of that intellectual and
 literary activity of which ,brownson   
speaks1 in ,philip ,,ii4 of ,spain1 who1
 to show his zeal for the holy ,catholic
 faith1 determined--with a view1 ,i     
presume1 of leaving some evidence of his
 ,popish literary activity of mind--to  
despatch an army1 under the command of  
one ,d',oppede1 with instructions to put
 to the sword every ,protestant man1    
woman and child whom he might find in   
the ,vaudois valley2 and faithfully did 
he discharge his duty4 ,he has left us1 
as the changeling ,brownson would term  
it a remarkable instance of ,popish     
intellectual activity99 ,not a man1     
woman1 or child1 was spared by this     
,popish army4 ,anquetil1 a ,roman       

,catholic himself and in full communion 
with the ,popish ,church1 gives us a    
vivid picture of the remarkable         
intellectual activity of this           
,d',oppede1 and his ,popish army4 ,the  
reader will pardon me for quoting the   
passage in the writings of ,anquetil1   
containing this picture2 it certainly   
shows a remarkable intellectual and     
literary activity of ,popish minds1     
during ,brownson's thousand years of    
their unsullied fame as scholars4 ,after
 the ,king of ,france granted permission
 to his ,roman ,catholic ,general       
,d',oppede1 and his soldiers1 to take   
arms against the ,vaudois1 says         
,anquetil1 twenty-two towns and villages
 were burned or pillaged1 with an       
inhumanity of which the history of the  
most barbarous nations scarcely affords 
an example4 ,the wretched inhabitants1  
surprised in the night1 and hunted from 
rock to rock by the light of the flames 
which were consuming their habitations1 
frequently escaped one snare only to    

fall into another4 ,the pitiful cries of
 the aged1 the women and the children1  
instead of softening the hearts of the  
soldiers1--maddened with rage1 like     
their leaders1--only served to guide    
them in the pursuit of the fugitives1   
and to indicate the points against which
 to direct their fury4 ,voluntary       
surrender did not exempt the men from   
slaughter1 nor the women from brutal    
outrages at which nature revolts4  ,it  
was forbidden under pain of death to    
afford them harbor or succor4 ,in one   
town alone1 more than seven hundred men 
were butchered in cold blood2 and the   
women who had remained in their houses1 
were shut up in a barn containing a     
great quantity of straw1 which was set  
on fire1 and those who endeavored to    
escape from the windows1 were driven    
back by swords and pikes4 ,according to 
orders1 these specimens of ,popish      
intellectual literary activity          
demolished all the houses1 cut down the 
wood1 uprooted the fruit-trees1 and left

 nothing behind them but an uninhabited 
waste4 ,the war-cry of the ,papists1 as 
this ,roman ,catholic writer1 whose     
authority no ,papist will question1     
asserts1 was1 ,kill6 kill6 ,dr4 ,gilli  
relates an instance of great heroism in 
one of those poor ,protestants1 who was 
among the persecuted4 ,one ,aymond ,de  
,la ,voye went through the villages1    
exhorting his brethren to stand firm in 
the faith of their forefathers4 ,he was 
soon discovered by the members of the   
,inquisition4 ,the first question put to
 him was1 ,who are your associates8 ,my 
associates1 he answered1 are those who  
know and do the will of my ,heavenly    
,father1 whether they be nobles1        
merchants1 peasants1 or in any other    
condition4 ,let it not be forgotten1    
that this occurred before the sixteenth 
century1 and before the ,goths and      
,vandals of the ,reformation1 as        
,brownson calls them1 had any existence4
 ,one of the ,councillors of the ,holy  
,inquisition asked this intrepid man and

 pious ,christian ,protestant1 ,who is  
the head of the ,church8 ,he answered1  
,jesus ,christ ,is not the ,pope the    
head of the church8 inquired the        
inquisitor4 ,no1 was the answer4 ,is not
 the ,pope the successor of ,st4 ,peter8
 ,yes1 answered ,la ,voye1 if he is like
 ,st4 ,peter1 but not else4 ,but such   
was the remarkable intellectual activity
 of the infallible ,church1 that no     
other questions were deemed necessary1  
and he was immediately consigned to a   
tormenting death4 ,but the persecutions 
of these ,protestant ,christians did not
 stop here4 ,so remarkable was the      
intellectual and literary activity of   
,papists1 between the sixth and         
sixteenth centuries1--that golden age of
 ,popery1--in dispensing its blessing   
all over the world1 that while          
enormities like those ,i have related   
were being perpetrated on the western   
side of the ,alps1 a fresh storm was    
brewing over their brethren of          
,piedmont4  ,will the reader think me   

tedious1 if ,i give him a more explicit 
account1 taken from ,moreland's history 
of those people1 than ,i myself can     
give8 ,i take it from ,gilli's appendix4
  ,there is a certain valley in the     
county of ,piedmont1 within five or six 
miles of ,mount ,vesulo1 which1 from the
 town of ,lucerna1 is called the valley 
of ,lucerna2 and in it there is a little
 valley1 which1 from ,angrogna1 a small 
river running through it1 is called the 
valley ,angrogna4 ,next adjoining to    
this are two other valleys2 that is to  
say1 the valley of ,perosa1 so called   
from the town of that name1 and the     
valley of ,s4 ,martino4 ,in these there 
lie divers little towns and villages1   
whose inhabitants1 assisted by the      
ministers of ,god's word1 do make open  
profession of the gospel4  ,moreover1 ,i
 suppose that there are near eight      
thousand faithful souls inhabiting in   
this place4 ,but among the men1 who are 
bred up to endure labor1 seeing they    
have from their childhood been inured to

 husbandry1 you will find very few who  
know how to engage in combat4 ,from     
hence it comes to pass that very few of 
them are ready upon any urgent occasion 
to defend themselves against public     
injuries4 ,yea1 and the valleys         
themselves lie so remote from each      
other1 that they cannot help one another
 till it be too late4 ,and although     
these towns and villages have their     
counts or lords1 yet the ,duke of ,savoy
 is lord over them all4  ,this duke1    
before he came from ,nice into          
,piedmont1 diligently took order with   
those counts and lords of places1 that  
they should admonish the inhabitants to 
submit to him and the ,pope2 that is1   
that1 casting off their ministers1 they 
should admit ,popish preachers and the  
abominable mass4 ,whereupon our people  
sent petitions unto the prince1         
beseeching him that he would take it in 
good part if they were resolved rather  
to die than to lose the true religion of
 ,jesus ,christ4444 but they shall be   

ready to amend their errors1 if any     
there were1 in case it should be        
manifested to them out of the word of   
,god1 to which alone they are to submit 
in this business2 and as to what        
concerneth them in matters of behavior  
and tributes1 and other things due both 
to him and their other lords1 that he   
would send and make diligent inquiry    
whether they have at any time committed 
any offence1 that so due punishment may 
be inflicted on them1 because he should 
assuredly know they are willing to      
approve themselves with due reverence   
most obedient to him in all things4     
,these petitions came to the hand of the
 prince1 but availed nothing with him1  
who was become a sworn enemy with       
,antichrist against ,christ4 ,thereupon 
he sent forth edicts1 declaring that    
those who should be present at the      
sermons of the ministers of the valley81
 if but once1 should be fined at one    
hundred crowns1 and if a second time1   
then they should be condemned to the    

galleys forever4 ,orders also were given
 to a certain judge to ride circuit up  
and down to put the penalties in        
execution1 and to bind ,christians and  
imprison them4 ,the lords also and      
magistrates of places had the same power
 given them1 and at length the godly    
were by this most impotent prince       
utterly given up to be plundered by all 
sorts of villains1 and afflicted with   
most grievous calamities4  ,he sent also
 a certain collateral judge of his own1 
first to ,carignan1 there to act inhuman
 butchery upon the faithful ones of     
,christ2 whereupon he caused one        
,marcellinus1 and ,joan his wife1 he    
being a ,frenchman1 but she a woman of  
,carignan1 to be burnt alive with fire1 
four days after they had been           
apprehended4 ,but in this woman ,god was
 pleased to manifest an admirable       
example of constancy2 for1 as she was   
led to execution1 she exhorted her      
husband1 saying1 ',well done1 my        
brother1 be of good courage2 this day   

doubtless we shall enter together into  
the joys of heaven4' ,some few days     
after this1 there was apprehended also  
one ,john ,carthignan1 an honest1 plain 
man1 and truly religious1 who1 after    
three days of imprisonment1 endured the 
torments of fire with very great        
constancy4 ,who is able to reckon up the
 several incursions1 slaughters1        
plunders and innumerable miseries1      
wherewith this most savage generation of
 men did daily afflict all pious men1   
because1 being exhorted by their        
ministers to patience1 they took no     
course to defend themselves against     
injuries6 ,not long after also they     
apprehended one ,john1 a ,frenchman1 and
 a minister1 at a town called ,st4      
,germano1 and1 carrying him to a certain
 abbey near ,pinerolo1 there burnt him  
alive1 who left a noble example of      
,christian constancy4 ,the like was done
 also to the minister of the town of    
,maine1 who was put to death at ,susa by
 a slow fire1 while he in the mean time 

stood as it were immovable1 and not     
being touched with any sense of so      
incredible a cruelty1 having his eyes   
fixed upon heaven1 breathed out his     
happy soul4  ,therefore1 when things    
were come to this pass1 and these       
miseries were increased every day more  
and more1 and seeing that the patience  
and extreme misery of our people could  
not in any measure allay the fury and   
rage of these most merciless brutes1    
they at length resolved by force1 as    
well as they could1 to free themselves  
and their wives and children from that  
barbarous usage4 ,and although some of  
our ministers declared it was not well  
done1 yet no admonitions could keep the 
people from resolving to defend         
themselves by arms4 ,hereupon it came to
 pass that1 several encounters falling  
out1 there fell within a few days about 
sixty of the plunderers4 ,when news     
hereof was brought to the tyrant1 he    
commanded his men to forbear1 and sent  
two of his noblemen that so they might  

bring matters to an accommodation with  
our people2 but when it was perceived   
that all their drift was that our       
ministers might be cast out and the     
,pope received1 the people would by no  
means yield to it ,wherefore1 when the  
prince came into ,piedmont1 and resided 
at ,versello1 about the kalends of      
,november1 #affj1 with intent to destroy
 all in the valleys by fire and sword1  
he sent an army of about four thousand  
foot and two hundred horse1 under the   
command of the duke count de la         
,trinite4  ,the writer then relates the 
submissions made by certain deputies    
whom the ,vaudois sent to the duke4     
,these false brethren1 in design to     
serve their own private ends1 persuaded 
the people1 though almost all the       
ministers cried out against it1 that too
 easily giving credit to the most false 
promises of their enemies1 laying down  
their arms1 and sending deputies to the 
prince to promise obedience1 they might1
 for sixteen thousand crowns1 redeem    

both themselves and their religion4 ,as 
soon as all these things were yielded to
 and promised by the too credulous      
people1 through a vain hope of obtaining
 peace and religion1 and when our       
deputies arrived at ,versello1 they were
 thence carried by the ,lord de la      
,trinite to a certain cloister1 there to
 abide for two months' space1 7to the   
end there might be time for collecting  
the moneys17 and at length1 casting     
themselves down at the feet of the      
prince and of the ,pope's legate1 7who  
were both there1 attended by a great    
number of the nobility1 and men of      
inferior rank17 they were constrained to
 supplicate the prince first1 then the  
,pope's legate1 that they would take    
pity on the people from whom they were  
sent1 and to promise them1 by an oath1  
that they would be ready to do all      
things that should be commanded by them4
  ,the prince therefore growing         
confident upon this most solemn promise1
 immediately sent persons to command our

 people to receive and embrace that     
horrid idol of the mass2 whereupon1     
considering the inconstancy of their    
deputies1 and the deceit or rather      
extreme perfidiousness of the tyrants   
being discovered1 they plainly refused  
to yield that those things should be    
ratified which their deputies had       
unadvisedly transacted1 through their   
own levity1 not with the consent of     
people4444 ,then the tyrant1 as soon as 
he came to understand this1 was much    
more inflamed than ever before with     
anger1 or rather outrageous fury1       
against our people2 and1 collecting a   
rabble of an army1 he gave command to   
the ,lord de la ,trinite to waste and   
destroy all by fire and sword1 without  
any regard of sex or age4 ,hereupon     
houses were every where set on fire1 nor
 is there any kind of mischief which was
 not acted by those most wretched       
villains2 by which means they forced our
 people1 with their wives and children1 
to have recourse to the more craggy     

places of the mountains2 a thing very   
lamentable to be seen4 ,for1 at the very
 first assault1 they were in a manner   
astonished1 because1 being spoiled both 
of their arms and goods1 living in      
extreme want of all things1 they did not
 see by what means they might be able to
 undergo so great and troublesome a war4
  ,but at length1 taking heart and      
trusting in the mercy and help of ,god1 
of the goodness of their cause1 and     
being confident1 because of the impiety 
and treachery of their adversaries1 they
 resolved once again to defend          
themselves4 ,to this end they appointed 
their guards and garrisons1 fortified   
several places1 blocked up passages1 and
 were wholly resolute upon this point1  
to die rather than they would in any    
measure obey a perfidious and wicked    
prince in so abominable a matter4 ,but  
what need many words8 ,things were come 
to such a pass1 that in several fights  
above nine hundred of the enemy were    
slain1 whereas1 on our side1 hardly     

fifteen were wanting4  ,such was the    
spirit of ,popery during ,brownson's    
thousand years of remarkable            
intellectual and literary activity6 ,do 
you1 ,americans1 wish that the next     
thousand years of your existence as a   
nation should be distinguished by a     
similar intellectual preeminence in     
mental activity and ,christian          
literature8 ,but1 continues ,brownson1  
in his ,review of ,january1 #ahde1 all  
these things were altered4 ,what things 
does ,brownson mean8 ,the universities8 
or the remarkable activity of ,popish   
minds between the sixth and sixteenth   
centuries8 ,who denies the former8 ,no  
one who is acquainted with history1 or  
who knows that the world1 a large       
portion of which was then under ,popish 
dominion1 needed to be purified from the
 idolatrous and disastrous doctrines of 
,popery4 ,the insolence of ,brownson is 
assuredly unequalled4 ,either that1 or  
his ignorance of history1 is            
unpardonable4 ,at the period of the     

,english ,revolution1 says this         
consummate hypocrite1 ,brownson1 the    
mass of the ,english people were buried 
in the grossest ignorance4 ,even long   
after1 when the ,wesleys first started1 
they talked of the ignorance even of the
 people of ,london1 as they would of the
 ,south ,sea ,islanders4 ,this1 as we   
say up here in ,new ,hampshire1 beats   
all4 ,was it not about this very period 
that the world gave birth to the        
illustrious ,milton8 ,was it not at this
 period that ,dryden was born8 ,was it  
not at this period that the brightest   
lights of literature that ever illumined
 the world were shining in all their    
glory8 ,i might here give as many names 
of illustrious men and illustrious minds
 as ever adorned humanity2 men whose    
lives were an honor1 not only to        
science1 but to religion1 to            
,christianity1 and true piety4 ,did not 
,erasmus live before the ,english       
,reformation8 ,was he grossly ignorant8 
,did not ,luther live before the        

,reformation8 ,neither of those were    
,papists1 but they knew ,papist         
doctrines so well as to break loose from
 them and appeal to the ,christian world
 to rise as one man and pull down and   
raze to the ground ,popish universities 
and colleges1 as calculated only to     
cover the world with darkness1 by       
substituting the legends of monks for   
true science1 and the decretals of      
,popes for the ,word of ,god4  ,from the
 eleventh century1 says ,brownson1 down 
to the sixteenth1 literature and science
 received no check4 ,review of #ahde1   
,jan4 ,no4 p4 #ag4 ,hear1 reader1 to    
this modern ,esau1 ,according to him1   
literature received no check from the   
years #aajj to #afjj4 ,this assertion is
 made without any qualification or      
exception4 ,does this ,brownson believe 
that his readers are all a parcel of    
ignoramuses8 ,it cannot be so2 he must  
be aware that he states an untruth1 and 
no man who has ever read history can    
think otherwise4 ,it would be difficult1

 ,i apprehend1 to meet a school boy in  
the ,united ,states--,i may venture the 
assertion1 that it would be impossible  
to find a child in ,america1 over the   
age of ten or twelve years1--who does   
not know that the illustrious ,galileo  
was born during that very period1 and   
who could not tell1 that his glorious   
discovery of the motion of the earth1   
not only met with opposition from the   
,church of ,rome1 but1 that the ruling  
,pope countenaced his incarceration in  
the dungeons of the inquisition4 ,did   
not the ,romish ,church claim and enjoy 
the exclusive honor of striking the     
first blow at a man and a mind such as  
the world never saw before8 ,did not    
,pope ,urban ,,viii41 in #afbc1 declare 
and pronounce the motion of the earth to
 be perverse in the highest degree8 ,it 
was about this time1 as a living writer 
observes1 that the whole ,catholic      
,church looked upon all the earth as a  
condemned world4 ,this absurdity was    
rejected by ,galileo4 ,he established an

 equality between heaven and earth4 ,he 
showed that the latter is subject to the
 same laws and floats in the same       
splendor as the former2 he put serenity 
and life in the place of mystical       
theory4 ,for this he was opposed by     
,popish priests1 the sworn enemies of   
science and literature4 ,see1 as the    
same writer observes1 this venerable    
man1 ,galileo1--this good man1 seventy  
years old1 on his knees1 barefooted and 
stripped to his shirt1 before the       
officers of the holy inquisition2 and   
for what8 ,he tells you himself1 in a   
letter to one of his friends4 ,they--the
 inquisitors--look upon my book as more 
abominable and pernicious to the ,church
 than the writings of ,luther4 ,look at 
him6 you ,brownson1 thou contemptible   
cat's-paw of ,popery1 and say--if your  
heart has not been seared against the   
truth with something hotter than the    
hottest iron--whether literature and    
science did not receive a check1 in the 
persecutions which your infallible      

church inflicted upon this great man8   
,the four hundred years which preceded  
the ,reformation1 says ,brown-son1 were 
ages of prodigious activity4 ,in them we
 meet with the great name of ,abelard1  
under whom ,heloisa studied philosophy4 
,mr4 ,brownson forgot1 ,i presume1 to   
inform us that he also taught ,heloisa  
moral philosophy4 ,in this latter       
science she was eminently skilful1 and  
left the world some evidence1 at least1 
of her not being an inapt scholar in the
 doctrines of genuine ,popery4 ,the     
great changeling1 ,brownson1 could not  
give more illustrative examples of the  
beauties of ,popery and of the          
advantages to be derived from a course  
of education at their schools1 than that
 of ,abelard and ,heloisa2 but he need  
not have gone so far from home for      
examples of this kind4 ,there are       
hundreds of them to be found in the     
,united ,states4 ,we have schools1 such 
as that which ,abelard kept1 and to     
which1 ,brownson tells us1 great flocks 

fled for education4 ,one of these       
schools1 my readers may recollect1      
recently flourished on ,mount ,benedict1
 ,charlestown1 ,mass4 ,abelard1 as every
 reader must recollect1 lived in the    
twelfth century--at the very period1    
when1 according to the great            
changeling--the ,popish ,church         
displayed her remarkable activity of    
mind in science and literature4 ,abelard
 was a learned doctor in the ,church of 
,rome4 ,he was1 of course1 a confessor2 
he boarded in the house of a ,popish    
canon in ,paris1 whose name was         
,fulbert4 ,this canon had a niece called
 ,heloisa1 whom he was anxious to send  
to a fashionable school and bring up in 
the doctrines of the infallible ,church 
of ,rome4 ,accordingly he sent ,heloisa 
to attend the lectures of the pious and 
,god-like ,abelard1 just as many of our 
,american mothers1 with the advice and  
consent of their lords and masters1 send
 their children in this country to be   
educated1 to ,popish seminaries1 kept by

 pious priests and saint-like nuns4     
,heloisa had not gone long to           
confession1 when ,abelard1 her          
confessor1 seduced her and prevailed    
upon the poor unthinking girl to become 
his mistress4 ,in order to conceal this 
atrocious conduct and finding his dupe  
likely to become a mother1 he sent her  
to a sister of his who lived at a       
considerable distance1 where she was    
delivered of a son4 ,it is said1 that to
 appease ,fulbert1 the uncle of this    
victim of seduction and priestcraft1    
,abelard consented to marry his victim  
privately2 but no sooner was he married 
and the anger of the uncle partially    
appeased1 than he sent her to a         
monastery or nunnery and compelled her  
to take a religious habit2 thus adding  
treachery to crime and requiting a pure 
and simple-minded girl's love1 by       
additional ingratitude and villany4 ,but
 the poor girl had many friends besides 
the uncle1 who1 seeing the cruel manner 
in which ,abelard treated her1          

determined upon revenge1 and they had it
 ,they surrounded his chamber at night1 
and took from his bed this man whom     
,brownson would hold up to ,americans as
 a model teacher of morality1 and had   
him emasculated4 ,all this was done in  
the twelfth century4 ,this was one of   
the great men whom the church produced  
in ,brownson's golden age of ,popery4   
,but what else could be expected of this
 ,brownson8 ,what else could be expected
 from any man who would hold and profess
 such sentiments as the following1 which
 we find in his ,review of #ahdj4 ,for  
our part1 says the great changeling1    
,brownson1 we yield to none1 in our     
reverence for science and religion2 but 
we confess that we look not for the     
regeneration of the race from priests   
and pedagogues4 ,very respectful        
language1 especially from one who has   
been a priest and pedagogue himself6    
,they1--the priests1 continues          
,brownson--have had a fair trial4       
,they1--the priests--cannot construct   

the temple of ,god4 ,they--the          
priests--cannot conceive its plan4      
,they--the priests--know not how to     
build it ,they--the priests--daub with  
untempered mortar1 and the walls they   
erect tumble down if so much as a fox   
attempt to go up thereon4 ,we have no   
faith in priests and pedagogues1 says   
,brownson2 they merely cry peace1 when  
there is no peace and there can be none4
 ,again the same traitor to ,god and    
religion1 thus spews forth his ,popish  
hatred to pure ,christianity4 ,one might
 as well undertake to dip the ocean dry 
with a clam shell1 as to undertake to   
cure the evils of the social state by   
converting men to ,christianity4 ,for   
our part1 continues ,brownson1 in       
another page of his ,review1 we are     
disposed to seek the cause of the       
inequality of the conditions of which we
 speak1 in religion1 and to charge it to
 the priesthood4 ,rarely do we find1 in 
any age or country1 a man feeling       
himself commissioned to labor for a     

social reform1 who does not feel that he
 must begin it by making war upon the   
priesthood4 ,indeed it is felt at once1 
that no reform can be effected without  
resisting the priests and emancipating  
the people from their power4 ,historical
 research1 we apprehend1 will be found  
to justify this instinct1 and to        
authorize eternal hostility to the      
priesthood4 ,again1 when once the       
class--that is1 the class of            
priests--has become somewhat numerous1  
it labors to secure to itself           
distinction1 and increases them4 ,hence 
the establishment of priesthoods or     
sacerdotal corporations1 such as the    
,egyptian1 the ,braminical1 the         
,ethiopian1 the ,jewish1 the            
,scandinavian1 the ,druidical1 the      
,mexican and ,peruvian4 ,fie6 fie6 ,mr4 
,brownson1 the ,mexicans belong to the  
,infallible ,church1 and like yourself1 
are strict members thereof4 ,these      
sacerdotal corporations1 continues      
,brownson1 are variously organized1 but 

everywhere organized for the purpose of 
monopolizing power and profit4 ,the real
 idea at the bottom of these            
institutions1 is only to enslave the    
mass of the people to the priests1 who1 
by pretending1 honestly or not1 to      
possess the secret of rendering the gods
 propitious1 are able to reduce the     
people to the most wretched subjection1 
and keep them there1 at least for a     
time4 ,at page #chd1 of ,brownson's     
,review1 of ,july1 #ahdj1 we find the   
following sweeping anathema against the 
,christian priesthood--not in the       
,united ,states alone1 but all over the 
world--and ,i would defy the most       
learned historian or impatient infidel  
upon earth1 to produce any thing more   
blasphemous or more calculated to       
disturb the peace of man or the good    
order of society4 ,but1 having traced   
the inequality we complain of1 to its   
origin1 we proceed to ask again1 what is
 the remedy8 ,the remedy is first to be 
sought in the destruction of the priest4

 ,the bad must be removed before the    
good can be introduced--conviction and  
repentance precede regeneration2        
,christianity is the sublimest protest  
against the priesthood ever uttered1    
either by ,god or man4 ,in the person of
 ,jesus1 both ,god and man protest      
against the priesthood4 ,what was the   
mission of ,jesus but a solemn summons  
to judgment1 and of the human race to   
freedom4 ,he--,jesus--instituted himself
 no priesthood1 no form of religions    
worship4 ,he recognized no priest but a 
holy life1 and commanded the            
construction of no temple but that of a 
pure heart4 ,take care1 ,brownson6 don't
 let the ,pope hear you4                
,he---,jesus--preached no form of       
religion4 ,take heed again6 ,did he not 
preach the religion of the ,romish      
,church1 think you8 ,have a care6 you   
will commit yourself1 unless ,i         
occasionally caution you4               
,he--,jesus--enjoined no creed4 ,what1  
sir6 not even that of the ,pope of      

,rome8 ,he--,jesus--set apart no day for
 religious worship4 ,not a single one of
 those numerous holy days which the     
,infallible ,church sanctions8 ,the     
priest is universally a tyrant1         
universally the enslaver of his         
brethren1 and therefore it is that      
,christianity condemns them4            
,christianity could not prevent the     
establishment of a hierarchy1 but it    
prepared for its ultimate destruction by
 insisting on the celibacy of the       
clergy4 ,really1 friend ,brownson1 ,i am
 beginning to tremble for your safety in
 the ,popish ,church4 ,again1 says      
,brownson1 in his ,review of the same   
year1 page #ccf1 we insist upon         
it--remember1 reader1 that ,brownson is 
the mouth-piece to ,popery in the       
,united ,states1--that the complete and 
final destruction of the priestly order 
in every practical sense of the word    
priest1 is the first step to be taken   
towards elevating 'the laboring' classes
 ,pray1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 what shall we do

 with the ten thousand ,romish priests  
which are to be found at the present    
time in the city of ,mexico alone8 ,has 
the infallible ,church concluded to ship
 them to our western ,states8 ,priests1 
says ,brownson1 are necessary enemies to
 freedom2 all reason demonstrates this1 
and all history proves it4 ,look out1   
sir6 you 're committing yourself again4 
,where are all those colleges you speak 
of as having been established between   
the sixth and sixteenth centuries1 and  
in which you say was displayed a        
remarkable activity in science and      
literature8 ,nothing better than asylums
 or schools1 for the education of men in
 such sciences as were calculated to    
overthrow the freedom of man4 ,i told   
you so a while ago1 and proved it too4  
,all reason demonstrates this and all   
history proves it4  ,again1 ,brownson   
says1 in the same page of his ,review1  
,there must be no class of men set apart
 and authorized1 either by law or       
fashion1 to speak to us in the name of  

,god1 or to be the interpreters of the  
word of ,god4 ,is it so1 indeed1 ,mr4   
,brownson8 ,i thought the ,pope was     
authorized to do so1 and that he and his
 church were especially empowered1 to   
the exclusion of all1 without           
distinction1 to interpret the word of   
,god4 ,the word of ,god1 you say again1 
never drops from the priest's lips4     
,what6 do you mean to say that the word 
of ,god never drops from the ,pope's    
lips8 ,rest assured1 my worthy friend1  
that if you repeat that again to ,bishop
 ,fenwick1 he will put you on short     
allowance4 ,the priests were always a   
let and hindrance to the spread of      
truth4 ,assuredly you cannot mean the   
,romish priests4 ,you tell us1 in your  
,review of this year1 that the four     
hundred years which preceded the        
,reformation were ages of prodigious    
activity1 and that during that time     
,abelard1 ,st ,bernard1 ,albert the     
,great1 and ,thomas ,aquinas1 were      
remarkable men4 ,all these were priests2

 yet you say that priests have always   
been the enemies of freedom1 and a let  
and hindrance to the spread of truth4   
,you thought1 the other day1 that these 
were good men and learned men1          
especially ,abelard4 ,what do you think 
of them1 now that you have become a     
,roman ,catholic8 ,you believe all of   
them to be saints1 and you know many of 
them have been canonized4 ,we have not  
your opinion of them since ,july1 #ahdj4
 ,let us hear what you thought of them  
then4 ,we quote from page #chg of your  
,quarterly of that year4 ,you ask the   
following question yourself1 and you    
also answer it4 ,here are your words1   
viz3 ,what are the priests of           
,christendom1 as they now are8          
,miserable panders to the prejudices of 
the age2 loud in condemning sins nobody 
is guilty of1 but miserable cowards when
 it is necessary to speak out for ,god4 
,they are dumb dogs2 as a body1 they    
never preach a truth till there is no   
one whom it will indict2 the imbecility 

of an organized priesthood1 and its     
power to demoralize the people1 is      
beginning to be seen2 we have had enough
 of ,christianity ,have you1 indeed1    
,mr4 ,brown-son8 ,well1 we have not2    
therein you and ,i differ4              
,christianity1 says ,brownson1 in the   
next line1 is powerless for good1 but by
 no means powerless for evil2 it now    
unmans us1 and hinders the growth of    
,god's kingdom4 ,it is high time1       
brother ,fenwick1 that ,i should wish   
you joy4 ,you have an acquisition to    
your church1 in the great changeling    
,brownson1 and you show a depth of      
wisdom rarely to-be found now-a-days1   
except among ,jesuits1 in sending your  
convert ,brownson all over this country1
 to preach the pure and unsullied       
doctrines of your ,infallible ,church2  
your apostle ,brownson is assuredly a   
fit man for your purposes4 ,history does
 not inform us that there is a solitary 
instance since the establishment of your
 church1 of any government having       

escaped its machinations2 and worse than
 purblind indeed must that mail be1 who 
cannot see at a glance that the primary 
object which ,popish bishops have in    
commissioning this heartless1           
unprincipled infidel ,brownson to go    
abroad lecturing among the happy people 
of this country1 is to disturb the      
present order of society1 and finally to
 overthrow this government1 and erect   
upon its ruins the ,papal throne4  ,this
 ,brownson is unquestionably an object  
of great pity1 or well-merited contempt 
,i could turn from the bare mention of  
his name with nausea and disgust ,it is 
but a few months since that he          
represented the whole system of         
,christianity as a gross imposition upon
 mankind1 and our holy religion one of  
the blackest impositions that ever was  
practised upon our race4 ,but now he has
 become a ,roman ,catholic4 ,now that he
 is in the pay of the ,pope and his     
,jesuits1 like another ,esau he turns   
round1 betraying everything that he ever

 professed1 and pretends to discover    
that in the ,church of ,rome are to be  
found all the elements of pure          
,christianity2 that her priests are an  
exception to the great body of those    
priests against whom he pronounced his  
anathema a while ago4  ,how many months 
is it1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 since you became 
a ,papist1 and found out that you had   
been all your life a victim of delusion 
and ,protestant priestcraft8 ,ten1      
twelve1 or eighteen1 is it8 ,well1      
suppose it is4 ,is that enough to give  
you a thorough knowledge of ,popery1 and
 to satisfy you that the ,popish ,church
 is composed of purer materials than any
 of those numerous churches in which you
 have believed successively and         
alternately for the last thirty years1  
and from each of which you have been    
successively expelled and               
excommunicated8 ,for1 as you tell us    
yourself1 in your ,quarterly ,review1 so
 infamous and infidel were your         
principles1 that even the ,universalists

 could not tolerate you amongst them1   
and excommunicated you from their       
communion without one dissenting voice4 
,so notoriously profligate and abandoned
 did they consider you1 in mind1        
sentiment1 thought1 and language1 that  
although their doctrine teaches them    
that ,christ died for all1 and that all 
are to be saved through him1 they       
excepted you1 and you alone1 as far as  
,i am aware4 ,wide as the range of that 
belief is1 all-comprehensive as their   
charity is1 and all-sufficient for the  
salvation of man as they believe the    
death of ,christ to be1 yet they could  
not believe that you were entitled to   
any benefit from it1 and accordingly    
they formally excommunicated you4 ,i can
 tell you1 ,mr4 ,brownson1 that you have
 taken a false step1 in your last move2 
you have plunged thoughtlessly into the 
labyrinth of ,popery1 without knowing   
any thing of its intricacies1 certainly 
not enough to say much for or against4  
,as yet you have scarcely been admitted 

behind the curtain of this vast theatre 
in which you have engaged to play a     
character4 ,and believe me when ,i      
assure you that if you have undertaken  
any other part than that of a buffoon1  
you will be hissed off the boards before
 long4 ,you may1 perhaps1 soon be let   
into the green room of the vast ,popish 
theatre where you have made a short     
engagement1 and there some of the       
machinery of ,popery may be opened to   
your view4 ,but mind what ,i tell you2  
when you see the hidden and concealed   
springs1 the wheel within wheel1 and the
 dirty workmen who set them in motion1  
you will behold sights and experience a 
stench which will strike you with an    
offensiveness as loathing and disgusting
 as if you had put your head into a     
common sewer4 ,nothing will you see     
there but covetous-ness1 the weakest    
vanity1 and the most unrestrained       
indulgence of the vilest passions--one  
general system of artifice and intrigue 
for power and opportunities for         

debauching females4 ,never before could 
,i realize the belief that man was so   
entirely and totally corrupt as he is1  
until ,i was admitted as a ,popish      
priest into the theatre and great       
machine-shop of ,popery4  ,i have       
already given to the public some of     
those scenes which were witnessed by me 
in the ,romish ,church4 ,they were new  
to some1 and--as ,i expected--incredible
 to many ,americans3 but ,americans--at 
least the well-informed amongst         
them--ought to know that ,i have related
 nothing new1 or at least very little4  
,my revelations have had1 in point of   
fact and substantially1 full publicity  
many years before my birth4 ,the very   
facts ,i have stated had long been      
registered in the archives of           
literature1 and might have been found on
 the shelves of the libraries of our own
 country4 ,some of them have been       
published by me with the sole view of   
scattering them amid our people in such 
form and at such a price as may be      

acceptable and accessible to all4 ,many 
of my statements might have seemed dark 
and cloudy1 but truth and justice compel
 me to say that they were nothing in    
comparison with those which are to come4
 ,they bear no more likeness to what ,i 
shall give hereafter1 than the fleeting 
clouds which we see floating here and   
there1 denoting the approach of a storm1
 bear to the storm itself4 ,but alas6 ,i
 fear that it is perfectly useless for  
me to attempt to awaken the ,american   
mind to a due sense of the dangers to be
 apprehended from the introduction of   
,popery among us4 ,the general answer   
which ,i receive to all my warnings is1 
,we care not for what ,papists can do2  
we are a free people4 ,it would be      
useless to reply to such childish       
argument as this1 nor shall ,i attempt  
it2 but ,i feel really humiliated at    
seeing such a people as the free        
citizens of the ,united ,states         
permitting themselves to be deluded1 and
 the minds of their children poisoned by

 such doctrines as are preached by the  
infidel ,brownson1 now employed by the  
,pope of ,rome1 as the apostle of       
,popery in this country4 ,it is also a  
source of deep regret to me to see      
,roman ,catholics1 especially the poor  
,irish1 who owe this country more than  
any other people in the world1 become   
its deadliest foes1 and ready at the    
beck of their tyrant priests and bishops
 to trample under foot its glorious     
constitution1 which guarantees to them  
what they never had before1 freedom of  
speech1 freedom of religion1 and equal  
rights4 ,americans shant rule us1 say   
this poor1 misguided people1 the ,irish4
 ,this drives me1 nolens volens1 to a   
farther exposure of some of the         
deceptions practised upon them and upon 
mankind in general1 by faithless ,romish
 priests1 trusting1 in the mercy of     
,providence1 that if ,i can show them   
that they are deceived in one way by    
their priests1 it may put them on their 
guard in future against further         

deception4  ,i will now return to1 or   
rather resume the consideration of1 the 
doctrine of auricular confession1 which 
formed in part the subject of the first 
volume of this work4  ,before ,i enter  
on the disgusting subject of auricular  
confession1 let me give the reader an   
idea of how it is made4 ,and lest it may
 be questioned whether the form ,i      
herein give is correct1 ,i shall give it
 first in ,latin1 and then in ,english1 
and appeal to any ,roman ,catholic      
priest or bishop in the world1 whether  
so far ,i misstate or misrepresent      
facts4 ,the following is the form3      
,confiteor ,deo omnipotenti beatas      
,marias semper ,virgini1 beato ,michaeli
 ,archangelo1 beato ,johanni ,baptistae1
 ,sanctis ,apostolis ,petro et ,paulo1  
omnibus ,sanctis et 7tibi ,pater7 quia  
peccavi nimis cogitatione verbo et opere
 7pectus7 mea culpa1 mea culpa1 mea     
maxima culpa4 ,ideo precor beatam       
,mariam semper ,virginem1 beatum        
,michaelum ,archangelum1 beatum         

,johannem ,baptistam1 sanctos ,apostolos
 ,petrum et ,paulum1 omnes sanctos et   
7,pater7 orane pro me ad ,dominum ,deum 
nostrum4  ,translation of the ,above3   
,i confess to ,almighty ,god1 to blessed
 ,mary ever virgin1 to blessed ,michael 
the ,archangel1 to blessed ,john the    
,baptist1 to the holy ,apostles ,peter  
and ,paul1 to all the saints1 and to    
you1 father1 that ,i have sinned        
exceedingly1 both in thought1 in word1  
and deed1 through my fault1 through my  
fault1 through my most grievous fault4  
,therefore ,i beseech the blessed ,mary 
ever virgin1 blessed ,michael the       
,archangel1 blessed ,john the ,baptist1 
the holy ,apostles ,peter and ,paul1 and
 all the saints1 and you father1 to pray
 to our ,lord ,god for me4  ,such is the
 form of confession made by every ,roman
 ,catholic who goes into a confessional 
box1 or who in any other place confesses
 to a priest4  ,it is not my intention  
here1 to show that no such form of      
confession as the above was ever used in

 the ,christian ,church for more than   
half a century after its establishment4 
,the whole prayer of this confession is 
an innovation unknown to the early      
,christians4 ,it is an impure deposit in
 the sacred fountains of ,christianity1 
thrown into them and mixed up with them1
 by the unclean hands of the ,romish    
,popes and priests4 ,who or which of the
 primitive ,christians1 was ever known  
to pray to saints8 ,name him1 ,papists1 
and ,i will give you credit for the     
discovery4 ,you contradict yourselves   
and some of your most fundamental       
doctrines in praying to saints4 ,even   
the ,council of ,trent1 which you       
consider infallible1 goes no farther    
than to say1--,it is good and profitable
 to invoke the prayers of the saints4   
,and how do you1 ,popish priests1       
justify yourselves in imposing on your  
deluded people1 the idolatrous practice 
of praying to saints8 ,answer the       
question yourselves4 ,as ,i stated      
before1 it is not my intention here1 to 

enter into the merits or demerits of    
your form of confession4 ,i shall       
confine myself1 almost exclusively1 to  
pointing out some of the fatal          
consequences to society1 of introducing 
such a practice as that of auricular    
confession1 amongst any people4 ,the    
reader will pardon me1 if ,i quote      
largely from ,michellet1 an admirable   
writer of the present day1 and which    
cannot fail to be very satisfactory to  
the reader1 from the fact1 that he is a 
,roman ,catholic and1 of course1        
entitled to credit1 as it is not to be  
presumed that any man will bear witness 
against himself or against the doctrines
 which he avowedly professes4 ,the      
language of ,michellet is beautiful1 as 
the ,protestant ,quarterly ,review      
expresses it ,he gives a graphic        
portraiture of a ,french wife4 ,the     
reader will keep in mind that ,michellet
 is a ,frenchman1 that he looks upon    
,france as the world and that therefore 
his portraiture of a ,french wife1 is a 

portraiture of any woman in the same    
position4 ,the fact that ,michellet's   
work is approved of by the ,quarterly   
,review1 of the ,american ,protestant   
,association1 is the highest encomium   
that can be passed upon it4 ,the ,review
 is edited by the ,rev4 ,rufus          
,griswold1 one of the most elegant1     
chaste and beautiful writers of the day1
 and whose commendation ,michellet's    
work could not have1 were it not        
eminently entitled to it ,we have few   
such writers among our ,american        
controversialists as the ,rev4 ,mr4     
,griswold1 and ,i know not that ,i am   
hazarding truth1 when ,i say1 that we   
have not a more patriotic citizen1 a    
more accomplished scholar1 nor a more   
humble and devoted ,christian4 ,i shall 
here quote from ,mr4 ,griswold's        
translation of ,michellet1 page #bhg of 
the ,quarterly ,review of the ,american 
,protestant ,association4  ,when ,i     
think of all that is contained in the   
words confession1 direction1--those     

little words1 that great power1 the most
 complete in the world1--when ,i essay  
to analyze all that is in it1--,i am    
alarmed4 ,it appears to me that ,i am   
descending by an infinite spiral line1 a
 deep and dark mine4 ,i have had pity   
heretofore for the priest2 now1 ,i dread
 him4 ,we must not be alarmed1 we must  
look it in the face4 ,let us frame with 
simplicity the language of the          
confessor4 ,the reader must suppose     
here1 a priest sitting in the           
confessional with a young lady kneeling 
by his side1 #b whose lips almost press 
his4 ,i know by experience1 having often
 myself heard confessions1 that this is 
the exact position of the parties4 ,the 
lady is supposed1 by ,michelet--and he  
supposes so correctly--to be addressed  
by the priest in the following words4   
',god hears thee2 hears thee through me2
 by me ,god will reply to thee2 but thou
 tremblest1 thou darest not tell to this
 terrible ,god thy weak and childish    
acts4' 7,the reader will not forget     

here1 that the young lady penitent and  
the priest are both young47 ',well1     
then1 tell them to thy father1 a father 
has a right to know the secrets of his  
child1--an indulgent father who wishes  
to know them in order to absolve them4  
,he is a sinner1 like thyself2 has he   
the right then to be severe8 ,come then1
 child1 come and speak4 ,that which thou
 hast never dared to whisper in thy     
mother's ear1 tell me2 who will ever    
know it8' ,then1 among sighs from the   
swelling1 throbbing breast1 the fatal   
word mounts the lips2 it escapes and is 
concealed4 ,he who has heard it has     
acquired a great advantage1 which he    
will preserve4 ,god grant that he does  
not abuse it ,he who has heard it--be   
careful--is not wood1 the black oak of  
the old confessional2 he is a man of    
flesh and blood4 ,and this man now knows
 of this woman what the husband has     
never known in the long outpouring of   
the heart by night and day4 ,that which 
a mother does not know--who believes    

that she knows her entirely1 having held
 her so often naked on her knees--this  
man knows2 he will know4 ,do not fear   
that he forgets2 if the avowal is in    
good hands so much the better1 for it is
 forever4 ,she also knows well that she 
has a master over her inmost thoughts4  
,she will never pass before that man    
without lowering her eyes4 ,the day on  
which this mystery was made common1 he  
was very near her2 she felt his         
presence4 ,seated above her1 he weighed 
her down by an invisible ascendancy4 ,a 
magnetic force conquered her1 for she   
did not wish to speak1 and yet she spoke
 in spite of herself4 ,she was          
fascinated1 like the bird before the    
serpent4  ,up to this point there was1  
perhaps1 no art on the side of the      
priest4 ,the force of things did all2   
that of the religious institution and   
that of nature4 ,as a priest he received
 her at his knees1 at the listening box4
 ,then1 master of her secret1 of her    
thought1--of the thought of a woman1--he

 was discovered himself to be a man2 and
 without wishing it--without perhaps    
knowing it--he has placed on her1 feeble
 and disarmed1 the heavy hand of a man4 
,and the family now6 the husband6 who   
will dare to say that his situation is  
the same as before8 ,every one who      
reflects1 knows very well1 that thought 
is1 in a person1 that which most        
controls him4 ,the master of the        
thoughts is he to whom the person       
belongs4 ,the priest holds the soul as  
soon as he has the dangerous gauge of   
the first secrets1 and he will hold it  
faster and firmer4 ,an entire division  
is made between the husband and wife1   
for now there are two2 the one has the  
soul1 the other the body4 ,note1 that in
 this division1 one of the two has      
everything2 the other1 if he keeps      
anything1 keeps it by grace4 ,thought1  
from its very nature1 is dominant1      
absorbing4 ,the master of the thought1  
in the natural progress of his sway1    
will go on constantly subjecting the    

part which remains to the other4  ,it   
will be already much1 if the husband1   
widowed of the soul1 reserves the       
involuntary1 inert1 and dead possession4
  ,humiliating thing1 only to obtain    
your own but by permission and          
indulgence6 to be seen1 followed into   
the most intimate intimacy1 by an       
invisible witness1 who regulates you1   
and assigns to you your part--to meet in
 the street a man who knows better than 
yourself your most secret acts and      
weakness1--who humbly salutes you1 turns
 aside and laughs4  ,who can read the   
above extract from ,michelet on         
auricular confession1 without fancying  
that it is nothing more than one of     
those effusions with which rich fancies 
like his frequently abound8 ,men        
unacquainted with anything but the      
ordinary business of life1 cannot fancy1
 much less realize1 truth in the above4 
,is there even a ,roman ,catholic to be 
found1 who can realize or believe the   
fact1 that while he supposes himself the

 only possessor of his wife1--that she  
is his own--heart and soul--whole and   
undivided1 yet is not so8 ,it is well   
perhaps for those who have the          
misfortune to be ,roman ,catholics      
themselves1 or equally unfortunate in   
having ,roman ,catholic wives1 that they
 have no idea of the influence which a  
,roman ,catholic ,confessor has over    
woman4 ,could any man live in happiness 
or enjoy the pure blessings of          
matrimony1 if he knew that all the      
intimacies and secrets1 which existed   
between him and his wife1 were far      
better known to the priest to whom the  
wife confesses1 than to himself8 ,it is 
well then perhaps1 after all1 that while
 such reptiles as ,popish confessors are
 allowed a place in society1 that the   
secrets of the confessional should be   
confined to themselves alone4  ,but     
there is no untruth in the beautiful    
extract which ,i have taken from        
,michelet ,the picture which he gives is
 neither over-drawn or over-colored4    

,the wife who goes to confession1 is1 in
 reality1 more the wife of the priest   
than the wife of her married husband4   
,her soul is the priest's1 her thoughts 
are the priest's1 and the priest        
controls all her actions4 ,how          
beautifully has ,michelet expressed the 
priest's control over her ,he has placed
 on her1 feeble and disarmed1 the heavy 
hand of a man4  ,many instances of the  
influence which the priest exercises    
over married women in the confessional  
have come to my own knowledge1 while ,i 
was a ,popish confessor4 ,the reader    
will bear with me while ,i relate one or
 two1 from hundreds1 which ,i have      
witnessed in the course of my life4  ,in
 the year #ahbb1 and in the city of     
,philadelphia1 an elegant carriage1 with
 servants in livery1 drove up to my     
door1 in ,fourth street1 between ,walnut
 and ,spruce1 where ,i then lived2 and a
 lady1 dressed in the extreme of        
fashion1 unceremoniously stepped up to  
my door and opened it without rapping1  

announcing herself a stranger who wished
 to see me on particular business4 ,i   
knew1 almost by intuition1 what this    
particular business was4 ,i asked no    
questions and of course received no     
answers4 ,the lady1 however1 said she   
wanted to confess and get absolution4   
,my duty was plain1 ,i was a ,popish    
priest ,but you have not the worst of it
 yet1 reader2 so far1 there was nothing 
evil in the matter save the infatuation 
of the lady in believing that a man     
could forgive her sins1 and my worse    
than infatuation and weakness in        
believing that ,i had such power4 ,the  
substance of this confession was the    
following1 which fully verifies the     
truth of ,michelet's statement ,this    
lady had been in the habit of going to  
confession to a ,popish bishop1 who     
lived in a neighboring state1 and       
frequently had criminal intercourse with
 him1 going to his room whenever he     
directed her1 under pretence of going to
 confession1 though at the time she was 

a married woman4 ,it will be asked why  
she came to me4 ,the reason was this3   
her paramour being a bishop1 was        
unwilling to have his crimes known to   
any priest in his own diocese1 and      
directed her to come to another2 and    
believing1 as all ,catholics do1 that   
one priest can forgive sins as well as  
another1 she selected me1 as ,i was then
 comparatively a stranger in the        
country4 ,but the worst of the tale is  
not told yet4 ,that part of it which    
corroborates the statement of ,michelet 
remains still to be heard4  ,soon after 
the departure of this lady from my      
house1 an ,english gentleman1 with whom 
,i had the pleasure of an acquaintance  
some years previously in ,london1 and   
with whom ,i occasionally dined at a    
well-known and fashionable              
boarding-house1 not far from my own     
house1 called on me and insisted that ,i
 should dine with him that day1 holding 
out as a particular inducement the      
pleasure of introducing me to a lady and

 gentleman of the highest               
respectability1 whom ,i should meet at  
dinner4 ,i accordingly went to dine2 and
 the reader may imagine my surprise at  
finding the very identical lady who had 
been at confession with me a few hours  
before1 and her husband--the respectable
 lady and gentleman to whom my friend   
promised an introduction4 ,respectable  
they truly ,were1 as far as this world  
is capable of appreciating              
respectability2 and happy they were     
also1 to all appearance2 but was not    
,michelet right in saying of a woman who
 goes to confession to a priest1 ,she   
will never pass before that man without 
lowering' her eyes8 ,could that lady    
pass before me without lowering her     
eyes8 or could ,i1 if hardened in the   
iniquitous practice of hearing          
confession much longer than ,i was then1
 pass that lady without lowering mine8  
,did ,i not1 as ,michelet expresses it1 
hold the soul of that lady8 ,did ,i not1
 were ,i iniquitously disposed1 as her  

bishop was1 hold her body also8 ,but    
when ,i looked at the husband of this   
lady--the elegant1 accomplished1 and    
gentlemanly husband--when ,i reflected  
on his humiliating position--when ,i    
reflected that this elegant man was     
widowed1 not only of the soul1 but      
partly of the body1 of his beautiful1   
and as ,i can easily fancy1 once        
innocent and virtuous wife1 by a ,popish
 bishop in the confessional1 ,i could   
almost have cursed the hour that gave me
 birth in a land of ,popery4 ,my very   
soul froze within me1 and ,i almost     
regretted that ,god in his mercy had not
 made me something else than a being who
 could have broken the cords of that    
pure and unmingled love between that    
elegant man who sat before me1 and his  
once elegant and virtuous wife4         
,humiliating indeed1 as ,michelet said1 
must be the condition of that man whose 
wife goes to the confessional4 ,when he 
walks the streets1 he is met by the     
confessor of his wife1 who1 as ,michelet

 properly says again1 salutes him       
humbly1 turns aside1 and laughs4 ,o1 how
 true this is6 and would to ,god ,i     
could brand it upon the heart of every  
man whose wife goes to confession4 ,is  
it true that ,god lives8 is it true that
 the earth moves8 is it true that man   
has a soul8 is it true that mind is not 
matter8 is it true that the sun rises   
and sets8 ,o6 it is still more true1 if 
possible1 that there are such things as 
,popish priests--saints in appearance1  
but demons in practice1--who laugh at   
the ruin and division they have made    
between man and wife4 ,i do not know    
that ,i was ever so lost to every       
feeling of honor1 when a ,romish priest1
 as1 when ,i passed through the streets1
 to laugh at the husband whose wife was 
persuaded and fascinated away from him  
in the confessional2 but ,i have often  
walked the streets with ,romish priests1
 in ,europe especially1 where ,popery   
predominates1 and there is no sort of   
amusement upon those occasions which    

they enjoy more than calling each       
other's attention to some of their      
neighbors1 as they pass along1 and      
whispering into each other's ears1 ,look
 at that gentleman2 how fond he seems1  
of his wife4 ,it was yesterday she was  
at the confessional with me2 poor fool6 
,this chit-chat terminates in a hearty  
laugh1 all at the expense of the        
husband4 ,the reader1 ,i trust1 will not
 think me tedious1 if ,i give him       
another instance of the evils of ,popish
 confession4 ,it will be borne in mind  
that the fact which ,i am about to state
 is not taken from history1 though      
history abounds with similar cases4 ,it 
is one within my own knowledge4  ,a     
short time previous to my coming to this
 country1 and soon after my being       
installed as confessor in the ,romish   
,church1 ,i became intimately acquainted
 with a ,popish family of great         
respectability4 ,this family consisted  
of a widowed father and two daughters   
and never in my life have ,i met two    

more interesting young ladies than the  
daughters were4 ,these ladies lived not 
far from the church where ,i officiated1
 and were frequently in the habit of    
going to mass to my church1 and calling 
upon me when service was over1 to take  
breakfast with them at their father's   
house4 ,this custom of having young     
ladies call upon ,roman ,catholic       
clergymen to accompany them home to     
breakfast after mass is over1 is very   
prevalent in ,europe1 among the most    
fashionable members of the ,popish      
,church2 it is particularly so in the   
city of------1 where ,i then officiated1
 and where the melancholy circumstance  
which ,i am about to relate took place4 
,the father of the two young ladies to  
whom ,i have alluded1 was a gentleman of
 about the age of fifty-five1           
distinguished for his charity and       
benevolence4 ,he was wealthy2 and       
whenever any object which might advance 
the good of his fellow beings was       
suggested or proposed1 he was among the 

first to advocate and support it4 ,his  
influence and his money were never      
wanting1 when either could promote the  
happiness of his fellow beings4 ,it may 
easily be imagined that the daughters of
 such a gentleman were well educated and
 accomplished4 ,it may also be supposed 
that their home1 being a home of plenty 
and abundance1 was one of peace1        
happiness1 charity1 and domestic love4  
,it was truly so1 when ,i had the honor 
of first knowing the family4 ,but the   
serpent found its way into this little  
garden of happiness4  ,in less than two 
months after my first visit to this     
family1 at their peaceful and hospitable
 breakfast table1 ,i observed the chair 
which had been usually occupied by the  
elder of the two sisters1 occupied by   
the younger1 and that of the latter     
vacant ,i inquired the cause1 and was   
informed by the father that he had just 
accompanied her to the coach which left 
that morning for ,dublin1 and that she  
went on a visit to the sister of the    

,rev4 ,b4 ,k4 ,i1 of course1 made no    
further observations1 but ,i suspected  
that something was wrong2 ,i also knew  
full well1 that whatever the cause was1 
,i should learn the particulars of it in
 my capacity as confessor4 ,as time     
advanced1 ,i made the usual inquiries   
for this young lady1 who was then only  
about eighteen years old4 ,the answers  
were such as any one acquainted with the
 world might expect1 and entirely       
satisfactory to all who knew nothing of 
the iniquitous practices encouraged and 
fostered in the ,romish confessional4   
,i will here pass over an interval of   
about three months4 ,a detail of the    
private occurrences in any particular   
family can have no general interest4 ,at
 or about the expiration of that period1
 the younger sister complained of       
indisposition1 and it was found         
necessary to send her also on a visit to
 ,dublin4  ,now the whole truth broke   
upon me at once4 ,i knew there was foul 
play somewhere1 and soon enough did the 

fact in all its particulars come to my  
ear4 ,it seems that both the daughters  
of whom ,i have spoken1 went to a school
 attached to the ,ursuline ,nunnery in  
the city of--------4 ,the confessor1    
whose duty it was to hear the           
confessions of the pupils of this       
institution1 was one ,rev4 ,mr4 ,b4 ,k41
 a friar of the ,franciscan order1 who1 
as soon as his plans were properly laid1
 and circumstances rendered matters ripe
 for execution1 seduced the elder lady2 
and finding that the fact could no      
longer be concealed1 arranged matters   
with a friend in ,dublin1 so that the   
victim of his iniquity might be         
concealed and privately supplied with   
all the usual attendants which her      
situation required4  ,she was confined  
at the house of his friend1 and her     
illicit offspring given to the managers 
of the ,foundling ,hospital in ,dublin4 
,but the most horrible part of the story
 remains yet to be told4 ,no sooner was 
this elder lady provided for1 than this 

incarnate demon1 ,b4 ,k41 commenced the 
seduction of the younger lady4 ,he      
succeeded1 and ruined her1 too4 ,but    
there was no difficulty in providing for
 them2 both became nuns4 ,and here1 you 
people of ,massachusetts in particular1 
be it known to you1 fathers and mothers1
 who have sent your daughters to be     
educated in the ,ursuline ,convent1     
,charlestown1 ,massachusetts--,i mean   
that which you felt it your duty to pull
 down1 a few years ago1 and which was   
situated upon ,mount ,benedict--that    
both these nuns held high stations in   
the convent which you pulled down1 and  
that at the very period of its          
destruction4 ,pools1 dolts1 double      
dolts1 as the ,jesuit ,rodin calls all  
who contribute to the support of ,popish
 nunneries1 are you not ashamed of      
yourselves8 ,are females who have been  
the prostitutes of priests in foreign   
countries1 and who in nine cases out of 
ten continue to be so here1 the only    
teachers competent to instruct your     

daughters8 ,are there no ,american      
ladies--no ,protestant ladies--capable  
of teaching your children8 ,must        
,american parents go to ,europe1 and    
take from the #edf purlieus of ,popish  
convents1 instructors for their         
children8 ,a poor compliment to         
,american ,protestant ladies1 and a sad 
commentary it is upon the total         
ignorance of ,american theologians      
respecting ,popish morals in ,europe4   
,here we have a case in point ,this is  
not an old lie1 as ,popish priests and  
their supporters call all accusations   
against them2 it is a new one1 if a lie 
at all2 it is one which ,i know myself1 
and can prove4 ,i knew these nuns       
personally1 before they came to this    
country4 ,i was acquainted with them    
before they became nuns4 ,i saw them in 
the convent at ,mount ,benedict4 ,they  
were great favorites of ,bishop         
,fenwick4  ,they were spoken of by some 
of the first families in the city of    
,boston1 as models of piety2 and to my  

own knowledge1 two or three young       
ladies--and these the daughters of ,new 
,england ,protestants--were counselled  
by their mothers to take particular     
notice of the manners of those two nuns 
in particular1 and imitate them1 as     
nearly as possible4 ,nor can any one be 
surprised or scandalized1 if ,i         
acknowledge my weakness in stating that 
,i could not resist an involuntary      
impulse to laugh at them in my sleeve4  
,does ,bishop ,fenwick desire the names 
of these two nuns8 ,it is true1 they    
might be ,magdalens1 but credat ,judeas 
,apella1 sed non ego4  ,when these      
things are permitted in the very centre 
of ,new ,england--when they are         
permitted to exist in the enlightened   
city of ,boston--the capitol of a ,state
 whose people1 as a body1 ,i may venture
 to say1 are not equalled in the world1 
for intelligence and general            
information--what can save the people of
 the ,united ,states from corruption1   
and from gradually declining into its   

very depth8 ,when the impure waters of  
,popery are permitted to flow into our  
lakes and fresh streams1 must not all be
 contaminated1 in time8 ,must not the   
atmosphere of our freedom be impregnated
 with immorality1 disease1 and final    
death8 ,what1 under these circumstances1
 can save us8 ,god alone may do it ,he  
alone can do it1 and he will do it2 but 
we must ask him for his interposition2  
we must humbly pray that he would save  
us1 for he has promised us nothing      
without asking for it ,and so sure as we
 ask him in a proper spirit1 we shall   
receive4 ,he has himself made us this   
promise--the word of the ,great ,i ,,am 
is pledged--,he will redeem it4  ,it is 
with great reluctance that ,i dwell any 
longer on these impure subjects1 but a  
sense of duty compels me to do so4 ,it  
is useless to do otherwise2 the         
impurities of ,popery must be known2    
they have been comparatively hidden in  
this country--they have been long buried
 in the cells1 pits1 and caves1 of the  

,romish ,church--they must be dug up1   
even if the whole superstructure of the 
nation should be undermined thereby2 for
 what is a nation without morals8 ,who1 
if he had a house partly built1 and only
 then discovered that the foundation was
 not a secure one1--who1 ,i say1 under  
these circumstances1 would not arrest   
the progress of the workmen thereon1 and
 order them to undo what they had       
already done8 ,no prudent man would     
hesitate in such a case1 even at the    
expense of levelling to the ground what 
he had already accomplished4 ,and why   
should a nation act differently from an 
individual1 in many circumstances1 at   
least8  ,an eminent philosopher of olden
 times exclaimed1 and not without much  
indignation1 ,quid leges sine moribus8  
and might we not say with equal         
propriety1 ,quid republica sine moribus8
 ,if our ,republic1 or any part of it1  
is based upon a hollow or unsafe        
foundation1 or if there be any part of  
that foundation defective1 or likely to 

give way1 to the imminent danger of the 
superstructure1 should not that defect  
be entirely removed8 ,undoubtedly2      
prudence and economy would require it2  
and when worldly prudence and all       
temporal concerns require such a course1
 should not the great moral interests of
 the country require it at the hands of 
the people as a duty1 to lay their      
foundation on nothing but what is sound1
 and to allow no substance to be        
introduced into any portion of the      
superstructure1 which may be in any way 
defective1 or in any way endanger its   
permanency8  ,popery now seems to form  
an ingredient1 if not a part of our     
national structure of morals1 and until 
that rotten and defective part is       
removed1 the superstructure can never be
 raised with safety to its proper and   
legitimate height4 ,this is the only    
consideration which induces me to dwell 
longer1 or even so long as ,i have done1
 upon the obscene subject of auricular  
confession4 ,all ,i have said on the    

subject might have been comprised within
 a more narrow space than ,i have       
allotted to it1 and thus many disgusting
 sights might have been hidden from the 
eye of the reader4 ,there are some1 ,i  
am aware1 who wish to hear the truth1   
the whole truth1 and nothing but the    
truth2 but even among those1 ,i find    
many who1 though they admit the truth of
 my statements1 still contend that the  
cases ,i have stated are isolated1 and  
endeavor to show that ,i draw general   
conclusions from particular premises4   
,even ,popish priests admit--because    
they cannot do otherwise--that many of  
my statements cannot be questioned1 but 
contend that though these may be true1  
it does not follow that ,popish priests 
or nuns can1 as a body1 be accused of   
immorality4 ,a particalari ad generate  
non valit conclusion say these profound 
logicians4 ,but suppose ,i admit that   
thus far they are right1 and that there 
are exceptions to the sweeping          
accusations which ,i have made against  

them as a body2 does this prove any     
thing for them8 ,is the general rule or 
general principle to be denied because  
there are exceptions to either8 ,surely 
not2 were there a thousand exceptions to
 a general rule2 were there a million of
 exceptions1 to one single and general  
principle1 it would not falsify the rule
 itself1 or invalidate the principle4   
,papists are doing much to justify their
 doctrines4 ,that unfortunate ,brownson1
 to whom ,i have alluded heretofore1 is 
recognized by them as their apostle and 
the expounder of their faith in the     
,united ,states2 but the crowd of words 
which he uses in his discourses and     
lectures1 in justification of ,popery   
and on the morality of its priests and  
nuns1 is too thick and too dense for a  
single idea1 much less a single fact1 to
 be dragged from it1 and it so happens  
that he does more harm than good4 ,nor  
can it be otherwise2 a net woven too    
thick is useless to the fishermen2 a    
tree with too many leaves and blossoms  

seldom has any fruit1 and is            
unproductive to the husbandman2 so it is
 with the lectures and teachings of     
,papists and their apostle4 ,they are   
made up of words meaning nothing1       
proving nothing1 and in reality aiming  
at nothing but deception1 which         
ultimately must fail1 for we are told   
upon high authority1 and every man's    
experience adds force to the saying1    
truth must prevail4  ,it is therefore my
 duty to state facts generally true1 no 
matter how numerous the exceptions may  
be4 ,i therefore hesitate not to        
reiterate the general charge1 that      
,popish priests and nuns are corrupt and
 immoral almost beyond conception4  ,i  
must ask the reader's indulgence once   
more4 ,he will1 ,i trust1 not feel      
fatigued or impatient1 while ,i relate  
to him another instance of immorality   
perpetrated by a ,popish priest1 and    
sanctioned1 at least1 by three of the   
most respectable ,popish bishops in the 
,united ,states1 and by the whole body  

of an order of nuns in the ,united      
,states1 called sisters of charity4 ,the
 case which ,i am about to relate is one
 which ,i give not upon hearsay1 nor    
even upon the positive testimony of     
others2 it is one within my own         
knowledge2 ,i know the parties to this  
whole transaction2 ,i have known them   
for years back2 they are now living1 and
 if ,bishop ,hughes or ,fenwick has the 
least curiosity upon the subject1 ,i    
will furnish him with the names of the  
principal actors in this tragedy4       
,would that ,i could write so that what 
,i write should become visible to the   
eye1 and musical to the ear6 ,o6 that ,i
 could only leave behind me a correct   
picture of what ,i have known of        
,popery6 ,could ,i scatter it before me1
 dash it around me1 and fling it behind 
me--would ,protestants aid me1 so as to 
place it where no one could miss seeing 
it--,americans would shrink from it as  
they would from a frozen corpse4  ,but  
as ,i cannot do all that ,i should wish 

to do1 and as ,americans seem so wrapped
 up in their present wants as to care   
but little for their posterity1 ,i must 
only do what ,i can under existing      
circumstances1 and leave the event in   
the hands of ,providence4  ,soon after  
my arrival in ,philadelphia1 and just   
about the time that ,papists disapproved
 of my endeavors to circulate the ,bible
 among the poor1 a ,roman ,catholic     
priest of the name of ,o4 ,s4 called on 
me1 and showed me letters of            
recommendation which he had from ,bishop
 ,t4 of--------1 ,ireland1 and          
countersigned by the ,roman4 ,catholic  
,bishop of ,new ,york1 to ,bishop       
,england1 of ,south ,carolina1 ,he      
stated to me that he was in want of     
money and clothing1 and asked me to lend
 him fifty dollars and pay his passage  
to ,charleston1 ,south ,carolina1       
assuring me that he would immediately   
remit me any amount that ,i might expend
 on his account1 by the first           
opportunity4 ,i took him with me to my  

tailor's and gave him an order for such 
clothes as he might want1 amounting1    
cloak and all1 to one hundred and ten   
dollars4 ,from that ,i took him down to 
one of the packets which then ran       
betwixt ,philadelphia and ,charleston1  
and commanded1 ,i think1 by ,captain    
,crofts2 paid fifty dollars for his     
passage1 and bespoke the kind attentions
 of the worthy ,captain1 who1 ,i        
understood afterwards1 left nothing     
undone to render the voyage as          
comfortable as possible4 ,he arrived in 
,charleston in due time1 and was well   
received by ,bishop ,england1 who1 to do
 him justice1 possessed many of the     
kindest feelings of the human heart1 and
 exhibited through life one of the      
strangest mixtures of religion and      
infidelity1 of charity and bigotry1 of  
republicanism and toryism1 of           
,christianity and idolatry1 and of      
humility and intolerance1 that perhaps  
ever existed in the ,popish ,church in  
this country4 ,but1 nihil de mortuis    

nisi bonum he and ,i have had some      
severe sparring at each other2 we were  
friends in private1 but enemies in      
public2 he knew ,i was right1 but was   
afraid to acknowledge it2 he wished me  
well1 but dared not avow it2 he loved   
his mitre1 but ,i despised it1 and      
though ,i would cherish the head that   
wore it1 ,i would kick in the dust the  
,popish gewgaw itself4 ,but1 adrem      
,bishop ,england1 soon after the arrival
 of the priest ,o4 ,s41 advised him to  
enter on a retreat1 in order to prepare 
himself for the mission on which he was 
about to send him4 ,he did so2 and after
 a due course of instruction upon the   
arduous and delicate duties of a        
confessor1 he appointed him parish      
priest of--------1 in one of the ,stales
 over which he1 as he modestly termed   
it1 had spiritual jurisdiction4  ,there 
lived in the parish to which this now   
,rev4 confessor was appointed1 a        
gentleman of respectability and wealth4 
,bishop ,england supplied this new      

missionary with strong letters of       
introduction to this gentleman1 advising
 him to place his children under his    
charge1 and assuring him that they      
should be brought up in the fear of ,god
 and love of religion4 ,the family was  
large1--there were several daughters1   
some partly grown up1 and others quite  
young4 ,those alone who know the joyous 
and happy life of a planter's family1 in
 good circumstances1 can form any       
adequate idea of the bliss and happiness
 that reigned among these children4     
------ ,,missing ,,pages ---- #eec-eed  
------  ,his conscience would not permit
 him to call upon me4 ,i had just       
renounced the ,pope of ,rome as the     
beast spoken of in the scriptures4 ,i   
was a heretic1 and no good ,popish      
,christian was permitted even to pay me 
my just debts4 ,he passed on1 and what1 
think you1 ,americans1 were the fruits  
of his mission8 ,he prevailed upon the  
eldest daughter of the respectable      
gentleman to whom he was introduced1 to 

go to confession to him1 and the next ,i
 heard of him was1 that he had been seen
 passing at full speed1 in a light      
sulky1 through the village where ,i kept
 my office2 and what1 think you1 was the
 cause of this speed8 what drove him in 
such haste from his parochial residence8
 ,do you not know reader8 can you not   
anticipate8 ,has not the insight which  
,i have given you into the immorality of
 ,popish priests1 already suggested to  
you that this individual was a fugitive 
from some crime1 and that its avenger   
was in pursuit of him8 ,it was so1      
reader4  ,,illustration3 ,the ,father in
 pursuit of the ,priest p#eff  ,this    
,reverend ,popish wretch seduced the    
eldest daughter of his benefactor1 and  
the father1 becoming aware of the fact1 
armed himself with a case of pistols and
 determined to shoot the seducer4 ,but  
there was in the house a good ,catholic 
servant1 who advised the seducer to fly4
 ,he did so1 in the manner ,i have      
stated1 with the insulted father in full

 pursuit of him2 but the fugitive was in
 time to take steam and thus eluded his 
pursuer4 ,he soon arrived in            
,charleston1 the ,right ,reverend       
,bishop understood his case1 advised him
 to go to confession1 absolved him from 
his sin1 and having washed him white and
 immaculate as a snow-drop1 sent him on 
to ,new ,york to preach morality to the 
,gothamites1 who enjoy the superlative  
beatitude of being under the spiritual  
jurisdiction of ,bishop ,hughes4  ,but  
this is only the beginning of the tale1 
and distasteful as it must be to you1   
,right ,reverend guardians of the       
morality of the ,popish ,church1 you    
must sit still awhile4 ,i am well aware 
of your impatience3 you dislike control 
of any kind2 so do all people of rude   
manners1 narrow intellects1 and sour    
tempers1 such as all ,popish bishops1   
with whom ,i have been acquainted1      
possess4 ,one single happy recollection 
of the past1 a single grateful feeling1 
has never elevated nor sweetened the    

life of a ,popish bishop1 as far as ,i  
have ever known2 and it is perhaps      
requiring too much of you1 my beloved   
brethren1--brethren you know we are1 in 
spite of what heretics can do1--to ask  
you to sit down patiently and hear me   
out ,you will have to do it though1 and 
,i trust it may be for your benefit     
hereafter4  ,as soon as your erring     
brother disgraced and debauched the     
daughter of an ,american citizen1 and   
obtained remission for so doing from his
 ghostly father1 in the confessional1   
his victim1 after a little time1 having 
given birth to a fine boy1 goes to      
confession herself and sends her child  
of sin to the ,sisters of ,charity      
residing in --------1 to be taken care  
of as 'nullius filius64' ,as soon as    
this child was able to walk1 a ,roman   
,catholic lady1 who knew the whole      
transaction1 adopted the child as her   
own2 and states now1 as she has done all
 along1 to her acquaintances1 that it   
was a poor unknown orphan whom she found

 in the streets1 without father or      
mother to claim it4 ,but the very gist  
of the story is to come yet4 ,the real  
mother of the child soon after removed  
to the city of--------1 told the whole  
transaction in confession1 to the ,roman
 ,catholic ,bishop of--------1 who1     
knowing that she had a handsome         
property1 introduced her to a highly    
respectable ,protestant gentleman1 who  
soon after married her4 ,nor is this all
 the kind ,bishop has done4 ,he soon    
after introduced to this gentleman the  
sister of charity who had provided for  
the illicit offspring of this priest1   
concealing its parentage and            
representing it as having no father nor 
mother living4 ,the gentleman was       
pleased with the boy1' and the holy     
,bishop finally prevailed upon him and  
his wife to adopt the child as their    
own4 ,here is a pretty specimen of      
,jesuitism6 ,the boy is the child of a  
priest1 the wife is the mother of the   
child1 and the husband is the dupe of   

the ,bishop1 adopting as his own child  
that of a priest by his own wife4 ,here 
is a pretty specimen of a ,jesuit web4  
,would that ,i had the talent of a      
,eugene ,sue to unravel it and stretch  
it from one end of this country to the  
other4 ,look at the affair yourselves1  
,americans2 examine it in all its       
atrocious bearings1 from beginning to   
end1 and say if you have ever heard or  
read of a more brutal outrage upon      
morality and domestic happiness4 ,a     
,popish bishop sends one of his priests 
on a mission1 with the ostensible view  
of converting ,american citizens from   
the evil of their ways1 and the errors  
of their ,protestant doctrines4         
,americans receive him hospitably2 he   
selects from among them one of their    
most fascinating daughters2 seduces her 
in the confessional1 the ,infallible    
,church makes provision for the illicit 
offspring of the seduction2 the crime   
and the consequence are both concealed  
by the bishop4 ,he induces a respectable

 man to marry this prostitute1 and      
contrives1 by the secret machinery of   
,popery1 to dupe him still farther1 by  
prevailing on him to adopt the offspring
 of his prostituted wife as his own son2
 and the whole of this is effected1 at  
least so far as the adoption of the     
child is concerned1 through the         
instrumentality of a sister of charity  
now living and residing in the city     
of--------4 ,the mother knew at the     
time1 that the child whom her deceived  
husband adopted as a destitute orphan   
was her own4 ,the husband is now living1
 a worthy and respectable man1 and the  
scoundrel priest1 who brought sorrow    
into the house of his father-in-law and 
sent him prematurely to his grave1 has  
been frequently a guest at his table4   
,do ,bishops ,hughes and ,fenwick desire
 the names of the parties to this tragic
 and villanous outrage upon ,american   
credulity8 ,they are known to me        
personally4 ,the seduction took place   
about eighteen years ago1 and the       

,reverend ,popish seducer has been1 not 
long since1 and perhaps is now1 located 
somewhere in the vicinity of ,worcester1
 ,mass4  ,dolts1 double dolts1 as the   
,jesuit ,rodin1 of ,eugene ,sue         
notoriety1 observed of all who are the  
dupes of ,papists1--how long will you   
permit yourselves to be the dupes of    
,popish priests and ,jesuits8 ,you are  
now building a college--aye1 a ,jesuit  
college--in the very centre of ,new     
,england1--,worcester1 ,mass4 ,you do   
not wish1 ,i presume1 that the race of  
,jesuits should be extinct amongst you2 
and if you cannot obtain them otherwise 
than by importation1 you are naturally  
fearful that such may be the case2 hence
 it is1 perhaps1 that you are liberally 
contributing your money to build        
colleges for the education of priests1  
and schools for sisters of ,charity4    
,your great anxiety for encouraging     
domestic manufactures might have        
influenced you in this respect1 and you 
may rest assured--or even take my word  

for it--that as long as you have ,popish
 colleges and ,popish nunneries side by 
side1 your semi-annual dividends of     
,jesuits and nuns1 amongst the ,states  
of the ,union1 will be entirely         
satisfactory to you4 ,but1 to be        
serious1 if ,popery be studied as it    
should be by ,americans1 it will prove a
 useful lesson to the rising generation4
  ,for twenty years this country has    
been more imposed upon than any other1  
for the same length of time1 by ,popish 
priestcraft2 so much so that the people 
are now become accustomed to the        
repetition of their enormous frauds1 and
 are no longer surprised at them4 ,i    
confess that it is the gross impostures 
which ,i saw practised upon ,americans1 
that first prompted me to expose them4  
,i have tried1 and am now trying1 to    
give some rational account of the       
extraordinary phemomenon that ,popery   
should predominate among a people almost
 proverbial for their intelligence and  
inquiring disposition4 ,i thought1 and  

do now think1 that nothing can be more  
acceptable and valuable to ,americans1  
than a well-authenticated statement of  
some of the practices adopted by        
,papists to impose upon the ,protestants
 of this country2 nor did ,i see any    
other manner of removing the almost     
national insanity of our citizens1 in   
relation to the ,romish ,church1 than by
 laying before them facts and acts1 to  
many of which ,i have been myself an    
eye-witness4 ,how ,american ,protestants
 could continue for any length of       
time--even for a month or week--ignorant
 of the schemes of the ,church of ,rome1
 or her de99 signs for the overthrow of 
this republic1 has often been to me a   
matter of no little surprise2 it can    
only be accounted for by a supposition  
almost as extravagant1 viz41 that       
,popery has never been properly studied 
by ,americans4 ,i have proposed all     
along1 and ,i now repeat the proposal to
 ,americans1 to accompany me in the     
study of ,popery4 ,if the ,romish       

,church be studied as it ought to be1 by
 the young and the old of our citizens1 
it will prove a useful lesson to the    
present and coming generations1--but    
that lesson must be studied well4 ,it   
must not be run over carelessly2 its    
elements must be examined in order to   
understand the whole machinery of       
,popery2 the whole plan of it must be   
remodelled2 and in order to effect this1
 it must be taken to pieces1 and every  
piece carefully and separately examined4
 ,it has been long hidden from the      
public eye2 it has been along time      
considered a treasure exclusively       
belonging to the ,popish priests4 ,they 
have buried it for safe keeping in the  
dark and dreary vaults of corrupt ,rome4
 ,these vaults must be opened1 the      
gilded columns with which they are      
surrounded must be torn down1 and all   
must be laid bare to the naked eye4 ,the
 divine laws or systems of morality1    
intended for the government of man1     
should be always open to his inspection1

 and nothing short of the steady effort 
of our people can effect this or rescue 
ourselves or our country from the evils 
with which we are now threatened by the 
machinations of the ,popish ,church4    
,the crimes and immoralities of ,romish 
priests have long been crying to heaven 
for vengeance2 they now cry for it from 
every quarter of the globe4 ,i have said
 that they have been crying for         
vengeance1 for centuries back4 ,i have  
proved the fact to the satisfaction of  
any man who is not wilfully blind to    
truth4 ,but ,i shall not rest here2 ,i  
will give you other proofs4 ,cardinal   
,campaggio1 who was sent to ,england to 
arrange the divorce of ,queen           
,catharine1 informs us--every ,english  
historian knows this fact--that a       
priest1 who marries1 commits a greater  
sin than if he kept many concubines4    
,here is a specimen of pure ,popish     
morality1 promulgated by a ,cardinal1 a 
man next in office to the ,pope himself 
with the full sanction of the said      

,pope1 and the whole conclave of        
,cardinals of which he was a member2 and
 yet the religion of this man1 and that 
of ,bishop ,hughes1 and ,bishop         
,fenwick1 is the very religion which    
,americans are now endeavoring to       
introduce into this country1 and fasten 
upon the souls and consciences of our   
people4  ,let us now see what ,st       
,bernard says1--and here ,i entreat the 
reader1 to keep in mind the fact1 that  
,st ,bernard lived between the sixth and
 sixteenth centuries2 that very time1 at
 which the ,popish ,church in the       
,united ,states tells us1 through its   
apostle ,brownson1 that it displayed a  
remarkable degree of activity4 ,st      
,bernard lived in the twelfth century1  
and as ,bishop ,hughes1 ,bishop         
,fenwick1 and their mouthpiece1 the     
infidel ,brownson1 inform us1 was one of
 the greatest and best men of the age4  
,there was no appeal1 in his day1 from  
the opinion of ,st4 ,bernard2 he was    
looked up to by the whole ,romish       

,church1 as a model for the imitation of
 the ,romish clergy1 and it is not at   
all likely that he would calumniate1    
traduce1 or do any injustice to a body  
of men of which he was himself a member4
 ,what does ,st ,bernard say of the     
priests of his day8 ,hear it1           
,americans6 hear it1 you sympathisers6  
you who can scarcely read my accusations
 against the priests of the ,united     
,states4 ,listen6 all you who bow the   
knee1 and kiss the hands1 the rings1 the
 robes and the other gewgaws worn by    
these angels1 ,hughes and ,fen wick2    
listen6 all of you1 to what ,st4        
,bernard says4 ,priests commit such acts
 of turpitude in secret as it would be  
scandalous to express4 ,chamancis1 a    
,romish priest and an orthodox writer1  
well known to ,bishops ,hughes and      
,fenwick--if they know any thing besides
 political intriguing--declares1 and    
calls the attention of his readers to   
the fact1 that the adultery1 impiety1   
and obscenity of priests ,romish is     

beyond description1 ,they crowd1 says   
he1 into houses of ill fame2 in gambling
 and in dancing1 they are seen to pass  
from the company of infamous women1 from
 the altar to the mass4 ,to veil a woman
 in these convents1 continues           
,chamancis1 is synonymous with          
prostituting her1 ,this distinguished   
writer1 and virtuous reprover of the    
,popish priesthood1 died about the      
middle of the fourteenth century1 just  
at the period when1 according to ,popish
 writers in the ,united ,states1 ,popery
 flourished in all its glory4 ,mezerey1 
a ,french historian1 and as good        
authority as ,papists can desire1 he    
being a ,papist himself1 assures us1    
that before the ,english ,reformation1  
the whole body of the ,romish priesthood
 were fornicators4  ,what say the       
sympathisers of ,popery to this8 ,has   
,mezerey told an old lie8 ,has          
,chamancis told an old lie in telling us
 that it was a common practice in       
,popish countries1 for ,catholic bishops

 and priests to pass from houses of ill 
fame1 and from the company of infamous  
women1 to the altar and to the mass4    
,this will not be believed in the       
,united ,states4 ,there is not a word of
 truth in it1 says the professed        
infidel4 ,i will not believe a word of  
it1 says the busy ,puseyite1 ,prude2 it 
cannot be that the dear priests would be
 guilty of such things4 ,i will frankly 
confess that it is difficult to believe 
statements so entirely abhorrent to     
human nature as those given by ,popish  
priests against their own brethren1 and 
,i will not deny1 that it took me a long
 time1 before ,i could yield more than a
 reluctant assent to many of them2 nor  
did ,i ever fully give them sanction    
until ,i had made a personal examination
 into their truth4 ,but1 now that ,i    
have made that examination1 ,i declare  
most solemnly1 upon the honor of a man1 
that1 as ,chamancis expresses it1 it is 
a common practice for priests1 in all   
the ,roman ,catholic countries in which 

,i have been1 to go direct from houses  
of ill fame to the altar and to the     
mass4 ,this ,i have seen and witnessed  
myself4  ,but it will be asked1 how do  
you know8 you must have been in those   
places yourself4 ,i plead guilty to the 
charge1 if charge the enemy of morality 
will make of it4 ,while in the cities of
 ,mexico and ,havana1 about two years   
ago1 at considerable personal expense1  
,i visited many of the dens frequented  
by ,popish priests1 especially in1 the  
city of ,mexico4 #a went there for the  
benefit and better information of my    
fellow beings4 ,i did not then1 neither 
do ,i now1 accuse myself of any         
violation of the first principles of    
morality2 ,i believe1 on the contrary1  
that ,i am entitled to some degree of   
commendation from my ,protestant fellow 
citizens1 for the efforts which ,i have 
made1 in ,mexico and ,havana1 to        
ascertain the truth or falsehood of     
those complaints which we daily hear    
against the immoralities of ,popish     

bishops1 priests1 and nuns4 ,how many   
have we seen plunging themselves into   
the midst of disease1 contagion1 and    
death1 for the good of their fellow     
beings1 and for the sole purpose of     
advancing the science of medicine6 and  
is nothing to be done1 or shall nothing 
be done for the science of morals8 ,must
 we stand and fold our arms while the   
malaria of ,popery is stalking all over 
our land1 carrying death and disease    
with it wherever it goes8 ,paralyzed be 
that arm which would fold itself in such
 a case6  ,i have often seen men who    
were ornaments to society1 who were the 
pride1 the comfort1 and perhaps the sole
 support of their wives and children1   
whom they loved and almost adored1      
plunging themselves into the midst of   
yellow fever1 or perhaps ,asiatic       
,cholera1 for the benefit of mankind and
 almost at the certain peril of their   
own lives2 and shall a man who loves    
religion and the cause of morals1 do    
nothing to exalt1 to glorify the great  

cause of salvation8 shall he not risk   
something1 to confirm the statements    
which are crowding upon us day after    
day1 in relation to the immorality of   
,popish priests8  ,during my residence  
in ,mexico1 the following circumstance  
occurred1 to my own knowledge3 an       
,english gentleman1 then1 and ,i believe
 now residing in ,mexico1 met me by     
appointment1 at my hotel1 soon after    
dusk in the evening4 ,the object of his 
calling upon me was to comply with a    
request1 which ,i had previously made1  
that he would accompany me to one of the
 most fashionable houses of ill fame and
 gambling1 where he knew the higher     
orders and dignitaries of the ,roman    
,catholic ,church were in the habit of  
visiting1 and making assignations1 with 
the wives and daughters of the members  
of their respective congregations4 ,he  
stated that an entrance to the house    
where he was going to carry me would    
cost me a doubloon1 and that if ,i      
wished to become thoroughly acquainted  

with the mysteries of the place and     
obtain access to it in future1 ,i should
 spend two or three more doubloons at   
the game of ,monte1 a favorite game of  
priests and women of loose habits in    
,mexico4 ,chamancis immediately occurred
 to me2 ,i recollected the account which
 he had given of the priests of the     
,romish ,church4 ,here was an           
opportunity of testing the accuracy of  
his statements2 here was a chance of    
knowing1 from the testimony of my own   
senses1 whether ,popish priests were or 
were not the incarnate demons which he  
and others represented them to be2 and  
,i determined to avail myself of an     
opportunity which might never again     
occur4 ,accordingly ,i accompanied my   
friend1 and1 by his advice1 took notes  
of the transactions of that evening of  
my life4 ,it will not be expected1 ,i   
presume1 that ,i should give here1 a    
transcript of those notes2 it would be  
improper to do so2 delicacy forbids it2 
it probably might do more harm than     

good4 ,there is such a thing as driving 
a screw too far2 it may be forced so as 
to split the timber it was designed to  
secure4 ,i shall avoid this1 if         
possible1 but there is a circumstance   
which it is my duty to mention1 and     
which shows in a clearer light than any 
other ,i could adduce1 the utter        
degradation1 and worse than idolatry1 of
 those unfortunate beings who are       
strictly educated in the practices of   
,popery1 but particularly in ,popish    
confession4  ,let the reader fancy to   
himself one of the most splendid        
residences in the city of ,mexico2 let  
him further place himself in imagination
 in a gorgeously furnished suit of      
rooms1 occupied by a number of the most 
lascivious-looking females1 most of them
 wearing veils4 ,let him further fancy a
 ,romish priest entering those rooms1   
and one of those women advancing to meet
 him1 and then prostrating herself on   
her knees to ask his blessing and kiss  
the hem of his garment ,let him further 

fancy this debased wretch of a priest   
imparting his blessing to this daughter 
of sin and error1 and he will form a    
better idea of the immorality of ,popish
 priests1 and the incalculable evils    
which1 under the mask of sanctity1 they 
are capable of doing1 than it is in my  
power to give him4 ,let the reader1 if  
he will1 fill up the space between the  
entrance of this solemn-looking villain 
into the synagogue of ,satan1 and his   
departure from it1 and then say whether 
,chamancis exaggerated the enormities of
 those sins and hidden crimes committed 
and sanctioned by ,popish priests4 ,i   
kept my eye upon one of those priests1  
from the moment he entered this house of
 ill fame until twelve o'clock at night4
 ,at the moment the clock struck twelve1
 he and ,i were drinking champagne1 and 
,i sat with him from that until four    
o'clock in the morning1 when ,i         
accompanied him to mass4 ,he had no idea
 of my being a ,protestant2 and         
believing me to be a ,roman ,catholic1  

all restraint was laid aside1 and thus  
,i enjoyed the sorrowful pleasure1 if ,i
 may so say1 of witnessing ,popery in   
puris naturalibus4 ,revolting and       
repugnant as the scene which ,i         
witnessed appeared to me1 there was     
still something in it which struck at my
 heart a heavier blow than that which   
met my eye4 ,ignorance--,popish         
ignorance--was at the bottom of all     
this4 ,what but ignorance--ignorance of 
her rights--of nature's                 
rights--ignorance of all that tends to  
elevate nature1 could induce those women
 to go and prostrate themselves before a
 common partner in their guilt1 and ask 
his blessing8 ,oh6 the sceptre which    
,popish ignorance sways over mankind is 
an iron sceptre4 ,popery sways it over  
some of the finest regions inhabited by 
man4 ,witness-,mexico4 ,under its icy   
influence there can arise no generous1  
no daring spirit of adventure in the    
cause of ,god2 subjection and fear soon 
become the predominant passions of      

humanity2 all the noble faculties of man
 are chilled and frozen4 ,robe ignorance
 in purple1 as it is in the ,romish     
,church1 and everything must wither     
before its march2 there can be no       
contemplative delights or pleasures     
where ,popery rules4 ,there can be      
nothing pure1 nothing intellectual1 to  
raise man from the mire of sensuality to
 any degree of excellence1 dignity1 or  
honor2 all must be reduced to that state
 in which we now find the people and    
priests in ,mexico4 ,without knowledge  
or the means of obtaining it1 the mind  
of man necessarily falls into a state of
 weakness and imbecility4 ,education1   
and that the education of the ,bible1 is
 to the mind of man what food is to the 
body4 ,have you ever observed1 reader1  
that a mind destitute of a ,bible       
education invariably acquires a sort of 
low cunning8 ,it is intent upon no      
higher purpose than something mean and  
selfish4 ,is it not so in the whole     
population of ,mexico8 and ,i ask the   

candid historian if it is not so in     
every country where ,popery prevails8   
,a degradation of the understanding1 and
 an ignorance like that which we now see
 in ,mexico1 among the poor ,irish1 and 
among the poor of all ,catholic         
countries1 is in all cases accompanied  
by what is worse than ignorance1 if     
possible1--great wickedness and         
depravity of heart4 ,they are not able  
in ,mexico1 or in those other countries 
under ,popish sway1 to occupy themselves
 in the energies of thought1 in         
honorable action1 in refined manners and
 conversation1 in trade1 in learning1 in
 national improvements1 in navigation1  
manufactures1 canals1 and railroads4    
,no2 the very reverse is the fact ,i    
appeal to history to sustain the        
assertion4 ,the dupes of ,popery in     
,mexico1 ,spain1 ,ireland1 ,italy1 and  
elsewhere1 are engaged in mischievous   
trifles1 wanton habits1 and wickedness1 
which render them the most useless and  
troublesome citizens in the whole circle

 of society4  ,fallen indeed they are1  
from what they ought to be4 ,who can    
recognize--notwithstanding their        
external configuration--in the ,papists 
of the present day1 their lineal descent
 from the ,egyptians1 ,grecians1        
,romans1 and ,maletians1--the glory of  
their times1 the instructors of the     
world1 and the benefactors of humanity4 
,god stamped his image upon these men4  
,he stamped it upon every created being 
at the hour of his birth4 ,he created   
man in little less than the angels2 but 
the glorious image seems obliterated2   
the divine stamp seems to have been     
broken1 and man can scarcely now be     
known by his resemblance to his ,maker4 
,popery1 that curse of the earth1 that  
scourge of mankind1 that source of moral
 evil and fountain of death and sin1 has
 been allowed to flow in upon us1 and   
thus the great land-marks of humanity   
have been removed1--the divine stamp    
almost ceases to be visible4  ,popery   
has in its spirit something malignant1  

something hateful and hostile to all who
 profess a different creed4 ,all        
acquainted with the history of ,popery1 
can bear testimony to the fact that     
there is an undying hope and wish in the
 mind of all ,catholics1 that the       
,protestant religion should be entirely 
extirpated4 ,there may be1 and there    
undoubtedly are1 exceptions to this     
rule2 so there are to every other rule2 
but there is no denying the general     
truth1 that the extirpation of the      
,protestant religion1 and of the whole  
,protestant race1 together with the     
confiscation of ,protestant property1   
and the overthrow of all ,protestant    
governments1 are among the fondest hopes
 of the ,popish ,church4 ,this cannot be
 disguised1 at least from those who have
 been educated in the doctrines of the  
,popish church4 ,many ,catholics there  
are1 ,i admit1 who would be glad1 and   
who even endeavor to disguise this from 
themselves2 but they cannot do it2 it is
 a truth as well established as any     

other2 it is as plain as the sun in the 
heavens1 however they may try to conceal
 it ,this1 like other truths1 will be   
denied in the ,united ,states2 but it is
 perfectly useless to conceal the fact  
from our people4 ,watch the progress of 
,popery in a neighboring country2 see   
the efforts which ,o',connell is making 
in ,ireland1 under the immediate        
sanction of the ,pope of ,rome1 to      
overthrow the ,protestant government of 
,england1 and to reduce that country to 
obedience to the court of ,rome2 look at
 the proceedings of the bishops of the  
,romish ,church in this country1 and ask
 yourselves what they are aiming at4    
,ireland for the ,irish1 says           
,o',connell1 the ,pope's agent at the   
other side of the ,channel4 ,americans  
shant rule us1 say the ,pope's agents in
 the ,united ,states4 ,can language be  
plainer than this8 ,can treason be      
expressed in stronger or more emphatic  
language8 ,o',connell means ,ireland for
 the ,pope4 ,bishop ,hughes of ,new     

,york1 and the other ,popish agents in  
this country1 clearly mean1 and wish to 
be understood so--the ,united ,states   
for the ,pope4 ,i ask any man whether   
the language of ,o',connell and the     
,pope's agents in this country1 is even 
susceptible of any other interpretation8
 ,what meaning can we attach to the     
words of ,bishop ,hughes1 who is the    
,pope's organ in the ,empire ,state of  
,new ,york1 except that which is plain  
and obvious--,americans shant rule us4  
,who1 then1 does this ,popish agent want
 to rule them8 ,obviously the ,pope of  
,rome4 ,i can scarcely suppose him or   
his brother bishops subject to such     
lunacy as to fancy for a moment that he 
could bring this great nation into      
subjection to the ,pope of ,rome2 but   
must we not admit1 at the same time1    
that his language1 and the entire       
political course of his ,popish         
brethren1 during the last year or two1  
have looked very much like it4 ,have not
 ,papists all over the world1 during the

 last few years1 assumed a more daring  
and menacing attitude8 ,have not their  
language and measures1 even in this     
country1 become more turbulent and      
insurrectional8 ,let ,americans ponder  
well upon this4 ,it is not long since   
,o',connell1 the ,pope's mouth-piece for
 this country1 as well as ,ireland1     
addressed the deluded ,irish in the     
following language2 and remember1       
,americans1 that ,i tell you ,bishop    
,hughes of ,new ,york1 and every other  
,popish bishop in the ,united ,states1  
will soon make use of similar words to  
their respective flocks in this country3
 ,force and violence are not to be used4
 ,if the time for using them were to    
come1 there is one here will tell you   
that the time has come4 ,you will also  
recollect1 ,americans1 that ,i tell you 
that they will receive for answer that  
which the ,pope's agent received in     
,ireland--we will follow ,popish bishops
 and priests will preach peace to their 
people1 but let not ,americans forget   

that they have confessionals1 where they
 can infuse into their minds the poison 
of rebellion and treason4 ,when a       
,popish bishop preaches peace1 he means 
it not2 he means war to the knife with  
heretics and heresy4 ,robespierre1      
shortly before the ,french ,revolution1 
delivered a series of lectures against  
capital punishment2 and sooner should ,i
 trust him for sincerity1 than ,i would 
a ,popish priest when he cries peace    
with heretics4 ,that blood-thirsty and  
sanguinary villain1 ,robespierre1       
exhorted his followers not to confiscate
 the property of those who might be     
found guilty of opposition to the       
people2 but much safer should ,i        
consider the property or estate of him  
who incurred the displeasure of         
,robespierre1 than ,i should that of an 
,american ,protestant citizen who fell  
into the hands of the ,pope's agent and 
executioner in the ,united ,states4     
,murat1 a character well known to the   
readers of the history of the ,french   

,revolution1 lectured loudly against    
capital punishment2 but what was his    
conduct8 ,he consigned more to the      
guillotine than any other man in        
,france4 ,his hands were stained with   
blood2 but bloody as his hands were1 and
 thirsty for more blood as his heart    
was1 much sooner would ,i have trusted  
myself to him1 and much safer should a  
,protestant feel himself in such hands1 
than in those of a ,popish bishop or    
priest4 ,but it is not my present       
purpose to expatiate upon the cruelties 
of ,popery2 ,i will only state          
incidentally that the ,protestant       
citizens of this country have much to   
fear from the influx of ,papists amongst
 them1 not only in a moral1 but a       
political point of view4 ,nearly the    
whole body of ,irish ,roman ,catholics  
have resolved to migrate to this        
country4 ,they will do so1 if that      
treacherous disturber of their peace and
 happiness1 ,daniel ,o',connell1 does   
not succeed in overthrowing the         

,protestant government in ,england4     
,extensive preparations are already     
being made in this country for their    
reception1 together with their leader1  
if they can effect his escape from the  
gallows4 ,the ,catholic population of   
,ireland is at present #f1fbj1jjj4 ,this
 immense body are united1 to a man1 in  
that abominable belief4 ,heretici       
destraindi sunt4 ,this is a fundamental 
article of ,popish faith4  ,no faith is 
to be kept with heretics4 ,it is firmly 
believed by the six millions and upward 
of ,irish ,roman ,catholics1 that the   
,pope is the lawful head of their       
church4 ,disguise this as they may1     
entangle it as they can1 in ,popish     
sophistry1 the fact is not the less     
true4 ,assuming it to be so1 ,americans 
can easily fancy the inevitable danger  
of admitting ,catholics among them      
without strong and safe restrictions4   
,many there are1 and those1 too1 men of 
great moral worth1 who do not deem it   
necessary or proper to impose any       

restrictions whatever on the admission  
of ,papists amongst us2 they seem to    
think1 and maintain their opinion with  
some show of reason1 that ,popery may   
now1 as in former times1 prove          
advantageous to society4 ,these         
philanthropists evidently mistake       
,popery for ,christianity4 ,i have had  
occasionally many interesting           
conversations with some of my fellow    
citizens1 on the subject1 and have found
 that not a few of them have taken up   
the strange idea1 that because ,popery1 
or rather ,christianity1 was greatly    
instrumental in checking the first      
inroads of martial power and barbarity  
upon civil society and ,christian peace1
 its progress in this country1          
comparatively new1 must be accompanied  
by similar blessings4 ,papists          
frequently and tauntingly ask           
,protestants ,where would be your       
,bible1 were it not for our ,church8 and
 let it be understood1 that they        
invariably mean1 by our ,church1 the    

,church of ,christ4 ,many of the poor   
followers of the ,pope are sincere in   
asking this question2 and so totally    
ignorant are they of the very elements  
of ,christianity1 that they really      
believe the ,bible could not exist1 if  
their church were overthrown4  ,it is   
questioned by statesmen1 and by many    
political philosophers1 whether it is   
good policy to disturb thia delusion4   
,european statesmen contend that it is  
not1 and it is much to be regretted that
 many of our ,american statesmen seem to
 incline to the same opinion4 ,the      
,french philosophers--at least their    
political philosophers--seem all of one 
mind upon the subject1 and contend1 with
 great plausibility1 that opinions which
 have stood the test of time for a given
 number of years1 had better be left    
undisturbed4  ,many have gone even so   
far as to say that ignorance is bliss2  
but this sentiment1 and such philosophy1
 is too stale for the present           
generation4 ,it has had its day2 ,popery

 lent to it its powerful aid in the     
middle ages1 and bitter indeed were its 
fruits4 ,the ,popish church1 too1 has   
had its day2 so had the ,jewish church1 
and much is due to both for the good    
which they have done4 ,many in both     
those churches1 and during their        
respective influence1 could see no      
farther than that ignorance was bliss to
 the savage hordes who first formed the 
nucleus of social and civil society4    
,did they know in their savage state the
 extent of their animal power1 without  
mind to direct its force and capability 
of evil1 the consequences would be1 not 
social order or distributive justice1   
but universal chaos and general         
confusion4 ,ignorance may be said to    
have been bliss to these unlettered     
hordes and savages2 science and         
literature1 had they blazed upon them in
 their full noon brilliancy1 would not  
have been appreciated by them1 they     
would only have dazzled and confounded  
them still more4 ,it would be dangerous 

to place within the reach of a thirsty  
savage a bowl of ,prussic acid2 he might
 drain to the dregs the fatal poison1   
and thus that which1 in the hands of    
science1 might have been useful and     
legitimate1 would become the instrument 
of death4  ,it would be unsafe to place 
a lighted torch in the hand of a        
sportive child1 and send him to play    
with it in a powder magazine2 the       
consequence might be death to him and to
 all around him4 ,it was probably so at 
one time with science and learning4 ,it 
was perhaps1 in a great measure1 bliss  
to be without them1 until the human mind
 was prepared to make a proper use of   
both2 it is so even in the animal and   
vegetable world1 and why should it not  
be so in the world of mind and thought8 
,who1 for instance1 would place on a    
horse a harness which youth and want of 
exercise did not enable it to carry8    
,who would sow wheat in a soil          
unprepared to receive it8 ,no prudent   
man would do either2 and certainly much 

credit is due to those early            
,christians1 and even to ,jews and      
,papists1 for what they have done1 and  
for anything they have effected in      
preparing the minds1 especially those of
 northern barbarians1 for the reception 
of the sciences1 but particularly the   
glorious science of the ,christian      
religion1 with all its saving truths and
 holy principles4  ,infinite indeed are 
the obligations under which our         
ancestors have placed us1 in opening our
 minds and preparing them for the       
reception of so many moral and          
scientific truths2 and if the ,popish   
church has contributed in any measure to
 this1 ,i am as willing to thank her and
 give her full credit for all she has   
done1 as the most hypocritical ,jesuit  
that ever lived1 or the most liberal    
,christian that practically denies human
 #be depravity4 ,but are there no more  
truths to be evolved1 ether in moral or 
civil science1 than those which have    
seen open to our view in the infancy of 

the ,romish church1 and for which ,i1   
for one1 am willing to give her credit  
in all that she has done8 ,were there   
not many sources opened1 even in the    
days of the glories of the ,jewish      
,church1 and ,romish ,church1 too1 which
 lave been closed up1 and must remain   
closed forever8 ,was not the ,jewish    
religion1 when it first dawned upon that
 devoted people1 like the early beams of
 some fresh morning1 fragrant and       
cheering to the captive in his cell8    
,but that religion has passed away4 ,it 
was glorious in its time2 but does it   
follow1 did it follow1 or can it follow1
 that we should now embrace it8 ,must we
 hug the shadow1 when the substance     
ceases to exist8  ,the outward form of  
the ,romish church was once attractive  
and beautiful in the extreme2 its       
gorgeous ceremonies1 its high masses1   
the vestments of its priests1 its music1
 its processions1 its indulgences1 its  
semi-pagan1 or rather worse than pagan1 
idolatries1 had in them much that was   

imposing1 and well suited to their      
times2 they were calculated to overawe  
northern barbarians1--then the enemies  
of ,christianity and of civil rights4   
,the ,church of ,rome did much to       
prevent the few among these barbarians  
from trampling to the dust the rights of
 their serfs1 who constituted a vast    
majority of the people1 and for this ,i 
am as willing as any other to give her  
credit2 but the ,church of ,rome has    
done her work long since2 her days of   
glory are numbered--her sun has long    
since set-not in triumph1 but in        
blood--not in victory1 but in death4    
,but ,popery seems now to be gathering  
up her energies--at least she is        
endeavoring to do so--and looks upon    
this new country as a proper field to   
make the experiment2 and there are      
serious doubts upon the minds of some1  
whether she will not succeed1 at least  
in a measure1 in partially              
re-establishing her ancient power in    
this new country4 ,she is disposed to   

struggle hard for it ,already has the   
tocsin of war been sounded along her    
lines--her recruiting officers are      
abroad--she has her depots here and     
there and everywhere--her paymasters and
 spiritual recruiting sergeants are to  
be met with at all points4 ,go to the   
woods of ,oregon1--travel along its     
meandering and fertilizing streams1--and
 you will find them there1 preaching    
freedom1 liberty of conscience1 and     
equal rights4 ,go into the swamps of    
,texas1 and you find them there1 too1   
advocating civil rights1 liberty of     
conscience1 and perpetual slavery4 ,in  
,oregon and ,new ,england we find       
,papists shouting ,o',connell1 the      
,pope1 and the abolition of slavery4 ,in
 the ,southern ,states of the ,union and
 in ,texas1 they hurrah for             
slavery--slavery not for a day1 for a   
year1 or a term of years--but forever6  
,in the ,northern ,states they brand the
 slaveholders with the                  
epithets--robbers1 slave-breeders1 and  

stealers of men4 ,in the ,south and in  
,texas1 they denounce the ,northerners  
as fanatics1 pirates1 and sons of       
pirates4 ,how long ,americans will      
tolerate these wolves in sheep's        
clothing among them1 it is difficult to 
say2 but one thing ,i fear is certain1  
that as long as they have oats1 and     
,americans countenance among them       
,barn-burners1 ,but-,enderst ,repealers1
 and ,empire ,clubs1 under the popular  
name of ,democrats1 the evil to which ,i
 allude will continue4  ,it is said that
 ,popery is on the increase in the      
,united ,states1 and there are not      
wanting some arguments to prove it4 ,but
 though #a have taken some pains1 and   
perhaps as much as any other man in the 
country1 to ascertain the truth of this 
assertion1 ,i am still unconvinced on   
the subject ,it is also asserted that   
,popery is on the increase all over the 
world1 and must continue to increase4   
,upon this1 too1 ,i have doubts2 ,i even
 believe that the contrary is the fact4 

,if by the increase of ,popery is meant 
the number of square miles1 or the      
extent of country which they own or     
occupy1 it may be said1 with some       
propriety1 that if ,popery is not       
advancing1 it is not retrograding2 but  
if by the increase of ,popery is meant  
that its creed and idolatrous doctrines 
are gaining ground1 ,i flatly deny the  
assertion4 ,as another expresses it1 a  
system that degrades can never advance4 
,and that the doctrines of the ,church  
of ,rome do degrade1 ,i think ,i have   
already proved4 ,the ,romish ,church and
 its doctrines have crushed the spirit1 
and deadened the life of every country1 
and every people1 that ever believed or 
maintained it2 and shall our free       
spirits and bold intellects1 in the     
nineteenth century1 be broken and bowed 
down like those in ,popish countries8   
,it can never be4 ,but this is not the  
question1 exactly4 ,the question is1 or 
ought to be1 ,is the ,popish religion on
 the increase8 ,does it gain upon the   

,protestant religion1 or is it going    
ahead of it1 as some even in these      
,united ,states will have it8 ,this     
question can be easily answered2 and for
 that answer1 which ,i am about to give1
 ,i acknowledge myself much indebted to 
an anonymous but elegant writer in the  
,protestant ,quarterly ,review for the  
month of ,january1 #ahdf4 ,ask          
yourselves which religion1--,protestant 
or ,popish1--will spread widest in an   
age of science and knowledge--which is  
best fitted to the growth of the human  
mind8 ,in all ,protestant countries1    
wealth1 intelligence1 and a high        
civilization6 are everywhere seen2 in   
all ,catholic countries1 dead-ness and  
decay rest upon everything which nature 
made beautiful4 ,under ,protestantism1  
every department of science has made    
rapid progress4 ,the very spirit of     
freedom breathes through the ,newtonian 
and ,baconian philosophy4 ,everywhere1  
from the harsh1 barren soil of northern 
nations1 sprang up life and light       

,england1 ,scotland1 ,prussia1 in men of
 strong intellect1 are superior to any  
of the older nations1 in any preceding  
age4 ,mathematics1 natural philosophy1  
metaphysics1 ethics1 commerce1          
agriculture1 legislation--the whole     
extent of modern civilization--date from
 the ,reformation1 and exist only in    
,protestant countries4 ,and those       
nations of ,europe which caught but a   
glimmer of liberal opinions1 but which  
in the ,catholic or ,popish reaction    
were again subjected to ,rome1 are far  
in advance of those countries1 beautiful
 as they are1 in the ,south of ,europe1 
which never saw ,protestantism4 ,a      
single glance into the history of modern
 science1 literature1 and politics1 will
 fully convince any candid mind of this4
 ,the entire spirit of northern         
institutions1 their great progress1     
their growing intelligence1 are all     
owing to ,protestantism4 ,they date     
their birth from it1 they are thoroughly
 imbued with its spirit1 they must live 

still in its spirit ,firm governments   
and wise laws2 just and liberal rulers2 
free and intelligent people2 nobler     
views of man2 nobler views of ,god2 more
 knowledge2 more liberty2 more          
faith2--these have the genius of        
,protestantism imparted1 and in their   
ever-growing life it will live4 ,how    
different from this is the condition of 
the old ,catholic ,states6 ,the noble   
palaces of ,italy are deserted2 banditti
 infest the beautiful shores of         
,campania4 ,the ,dantes1 the ,petrarchs1
 the ,tassos1 are gone forever4 ,the    
poetry1 the chivalry1 the bright        
southern romance1 the fiery southern    
valor1 have passed away2 miserable want 
and beggary1 vagabond recklessness1 and 
sullen1 obstinate1 threadbare pride1 are
 the remains of fair ,italy4 ,ireland   
with her poetry and merriment is silent 
and desponding2 her laughter has        
mournfully died away2 her sweet         
melodies1 equally beautiful1 whether    
sung sadly or gaily1 are chanted by lips

 quivering with emotion and parched by  
hunger and thirst ,popery has degraded  
and saddened her very soul4  ,austria1  
tyrannous and bigoted1--an enemy to all 
freedom1 whether of thought or          
action1--with her degrading             
institutions1 and decaying principles1  
is rather worse than poor ,ireland4 ,it 
is better to die than to kill ,spain1   
the birth-place of ,loyola2 the valiant 
opponent of the crescent and turban1 for
 near eight hundred years2 the land of  
brave knights and fair ladies2 of song  
and dance2 of literature1 refinement1   
and elegant culture1--is wretched       
indeed4 ,squalid1 seditious1 fiercely   
proud and cruel1 it now excites little  
compassion1 still less of hate or fear4 
,how are we to account for this         
immeasurable difference between the     
realms of ,protestantism and those of   
,catholicism8 ,are the ,italians        
inferior by nature to the ,scotsmen1 or 
the ,spanish to the ,danes8 ,we cannot  
admit this2 all history and philosophy  

disprove it4 ,yet now1 in their         
degradation1 they can scarcely          
appreciate their ancient grandeur2 while
 the heavy nations of the north1 have   
suddenly leaped far beyond their utmost 
limit ,the only cause which can be      
assigned for this1 is the vast          
difference in the genius of the two     
religious influences3 ,catholicism has  
blighted1 ,protestantism has advanced   
and strengthened4 ,can this ever be     
undone8 ,has all modern science been    
preaching a lie8 ,have the last three   
centuries been pushing forward in the   
face of truth1 and acting out the lie8  
,can the onward sweep of civilization be
 retarded8 and must the work pause1 and 
wait till the huge car of ,rome can     
rumble slowly up and bear it onward into
 the caves of night again8 ,forbid it   
,heaven1 ,i cannot believe it4  ,but the
 ,papist will say1 it is evident1 from  
the recent course of events in ,france1 
,spain1 ,italy1 ,ireland1 nay1 to some  
extent1 in the ,united ,states1 that    

,popery is gaining ground and making    
extraordinary efforts to insure ultimate
 success4 ,be it so4 ,even admitting    
that they are attempting and strenuously
 trying to advance1 that does not insure
 victory or final success1 ,there are   
two broad and undeniable facts1 which   
forbid this result4 ,one is1 that from  
the beginning of the world to the       
present hour1 man has steadily advanced 
in progressive intelligence2 and the    
other is1 that the roman mind has never 
been known to run backwards4 ,papists   
will say1 and it is now said from their 
pulpits1 in these ,united ,states1 that 
,popery can accommodate1 and will suit  
itself to the advancing acquirements of 
man1 and finally conform to our free    
institutions4 ,let us look at this      
question1 and fairly examine its truth  
or falsehood4 ,upon a correct           
understanding of this subject1 and upon 
it alone1 can be founded a correct      
estimate or view of the ultimate fate of
 ,popery in the ,united ,states4 ,i     

flatter myself that ,i have proved1 to  
the satisfaction of all ,americans who  
have done me the honor of reading my    
books1 that ,popery has not changed in  
its doctrine or discipline2 or1 that if 
any change has been effected in either1 
it is decidedly for the worse4 ,a recent
 ,french writer1 well known to the      
readers of history--,la ,mennais--has   
tested the doctrines of ,popery by the  
principles of intellectual advancement4 
,he proved that ,popery and civil rights
 were incompatible with each other1 and 
could not co-exist under any government 
nor under any form or state of society4 
,no argument could be more beautiful1   
more eloquent1 or more convincing1 than 
that by which he demonstrated to the    
world that human liberty and ,christian 
liberty are antagonistic to ,popery4 ,he
 required no more from the ,church of   
,rome than to conform to the simple     
principles of ,christian freedom4 ,his  
works are now extant1 and ,i believe are
 to be had in all well furnished        

libraries in the ,united ,states4 ,they 
can be seen and read by our fellow      
citizens1 and they will find in perusing
 them that what ,i state is correct ,the
 writings of ,la ,mennais soon came to  
the ears of the ,pope and his           
,inquisitors1 and they were not long in 
discovering that if the principles      
contended for by ,la ,mennais were      
admitted1 the ,popish ,church must fall4
 ,there was no medium2 either that1 or  
every other doctrine must be denied1 and
 all arguments in favor of the civil    
rights of man had no foundation in fact4
 ,how did his ,holiness1 the ,pope1 act 
on this occasion8 ,i do not allude here1
 to any ,pope of ancient times1 ,i      
allude to the ,pope who now lives1 and  
presides over the ,infallible ,church4  
,he cursed ,la ,mennais2 he damned him  
and his writings4 ,he insisted that ,la 
,mennais should write no more on the    
subject1 and ,i blush for the honor of  
humanity1 of mind1 of talents1 of       
genius1 and liberty of thought1 to state

 that ,la ,mennais submitted to this    
tyrant ,pope1 and that only the other   
day1 in #ahcc1 though he declared to his
 friends1 that1 while he bowed to the   
,pope's1 supremacy1 he felt that he was 
putting his name to the blasphemous     
admission that the ,pope was ,god4  ,the
 ,popish bishops of this country have   
the hardihood to say1 that ,popery is   
the friend and advocate of pure         
democracy1 and that miserable tool of   
theirs1 ,brownson1 says amen4 ,they     
depute him to lecture upon this subject 
in almost all the large cities          
throughout the ,union4 ,he may do some  
injury to the morals of our people1 but 
his reign cannot be of long duration2   
such is the character of the man1 that  
whatever he says cannot fructify4 ,he   
is1 among our fellow citizens1 what the 
ant is among a heap of corn2 it takes it
 to its winter store house to feed      
itself alone1 but whoever will carefully
 examine the grain or corn which it     
takes from others1 will find that it has

 no bud2 it destroys that1 and thus     
selfishly and mischievously prevents    
#be99 the grain from fructifying and    
enlarging4 ,brownson takes with him1 and
 appropriates to himself1 many plausible
 arguments from the works of eminent    
men1 but the slightest contact1 on his  
part1 with the purest characters1 is    
sufficient to destroy their vitality4   
,if he were even to carry with him into 
the pulpit1 the soundest principles of  
morality1 his very presence1 and past   
infidel life1 would destroy their force2
 and a correct examination of them would
 show the ,christian who might examine  
them1 that they had no bud or vital     
principle within them and could produce 
no fruit ,it is said that some men come 
into this world with two left hands1 two
 crooked eyes1 a good deal of brains1   
and little or no organization of its    
faculties4 ,brown-son is one of those   
characters4 ,he has two left hands1 and 
was never known to do anything right2   
whatever he touches he is sure to       

despoil and disfigure4 ,both his eyes   
are crooked2 he has never yet been known
 to see anything straight2 so crooked   
are they1 that he sees things only      
through the eyes of others4 ,hence it   
is1 perhaps1 that he never writes       
anything which is his own1 but upon all 
subjects gives us the views of others1  
and as no two think alike1 in general1  
,brown-son's writings invariably        
contradict themselves4 ,add to this that
 great defect of order in his brain1 and
 we cannot apprehend that his lectures  
will do much permanent injury4 ,this    
,brownson has appeared to me1 during the
 short time ,i have been noticing his   
movements and opinions1 to be1 in       
reality1 a shallow-pated bombastic      
pretender to science and literature4 ,he
 seems to know books just as some people
 know great men1 they only learn their  
names1 and then boast of an intimate    
acquaintance with them4 ,he talks very  
fluently about his intimacy with ,tasso1
 ,dante1 ,petrarch1 ,boccacio1 and      

others4 ,he and ,boccacio seem to be as 
intimate as pickpockets 7to use a common
 though vulgar phrase47 ,i wonder if    
,mr4 ,brownson recollects any of those  
anecdotes related by ,boccacio about    
certain nuns1 who lived in the vicinity 
of his lather's residence8 ,will the    
illustrious changeling permit me to     
bring one or two to his recollection8   
,one probably will be enough1 as my     
readers may already have had sufficient 
information concerning the amusements   
practised by nuns and sisters of        
,charity in their convents4  ,it seems  
there was a large establishment of nuns 
in the neighborhood were ,boccacio      
resided4 ,the mother ,abbess was of     
noble descent1 a fine fair-haired girl1 
young and beautiful4 ,there happened to 
be1 adjoining the nunnery1 a friary2    
among these friars1 as ,boccacio tells  
us1 in a work of his1 which has since   
been suppressed by the ,popes1 was a    
young man of fine personal appearance1  
and who possessed1 in a remarkable      

degree1 the power of assuming any       
character he pleased4 ,he was1 besides1 
a ventriloquist1 and could thus         
personate and imitate any character or  
any voice he chose4 ,the mother ,abbess 
took an extraordinary fancy to this     
young friar1 and tried by every means in
 her power to have him appointed        
confessor and spiritual guide to the    
nuns4 ,but the ,superior of the friary  
was not easily deceived4 ,he            
peremptorily refused to listen to the   
most pious entreaties of the mother     
,abbess1 and positively declined giving 
the friar faculties to hear her         
confession4  ,what was to be done in    
this case8 ,the holy nun soon hit upon  
an expedient4 ,she sent for the friar1  
who always had admission to an iron     
grating in the wall1 which separated    
these holy nuns from this sinful world6 
,she told the friar that her            
establishment was much in want of a     
gardener1 and advised him to change his 
whole appearance1 assume the character  

of a very old and feeble man1 imitate   
his voice1 and come the next day1 with  
his spade on his shoulder1 to apply for 
the situation of gardener to the        
nunnery4 ,he accordingly came the next  
morning1 thoroughly-metamorphosed1 and  
in the most doleful and piteous tones of
 distress and want1 begged of the holy  
mother ,abbess1 for the love she bore   
the blessed virgin ,mary1 to give him   
employment1 whereby he might support    
himself and his poor half-starved and   
bed-ridden wife4 ,the holy nun moved by 
charity1 and nothing else1 of course1   
employed him as gardener2 and moved by  
compassion for the weak and feeble old  
man1 she occasionally sent for him to   
her cell to nourish him with some wine  
and water4 ,verbum sat4 ,the ,protestant
 reader will not forget that ,boccacio  
was a ,roman ,catholic and is quoted by 
,brownson1 in his ,review1 as one of    
those luminaries which adorned the      
,popish ,church between the sixth and   
sixteenth centuries4  ,there was        

another1 among the luminaries who       
flourished betwixt the sixth and        
sixteenth centuries1 named ,rabalais4 ,i
 am rather surprised that ,brownson has 
not quoted him1 as a model of a         
,christian bishop4 ,he was a ,roman     
,catholic bishop1 and died in full      
communion with the ,romish ,church4 ,he 
was laid in his coffin dressed in his   
episcopal robes4 ,the works of ,rabalais
 are very little read now-a-days1 nor   
could ,i conscientiously recommend them 
to the attention of any ,christian      
reader2 ,i allude to him with the sole  
view of giving ,popish advocates the    
full advantage of the testimony and     
example of a ,roman ,catholic bishop in 
their favor4  ,there was not1 perhaps1  
in all ,france1 a more obscene writer   
than ,rabalais4 ,he was remarkable      
however for the depth and keenness of   
his satire4 ,he felt the degradation of 
his position as a ,popish bishop1 but he
 wanted moral courage enough to renounce
 so advantageous a position in society  

as that which the ,romish ,church       
assigned him4 ,the only alternative left
 him1 under these circumstances1 was to 
try to effect some reform in his ,church
 and the morals of its priests4 ,he     
turned against them the arrows of his   
ridicule1 and though the wounds and     
scars1 which they left behind them1 were
 broad and painful1 yet there was so    
much justice in all his statements1 that
 the ,infallible ,church dared not raise
 a finger against him4 ,i refer ,bishops
 ,hughes1 ,fenwick1 and their corporal1 
,brownson1 to his writings4 ,they may1  
in all probability1 find some similitude
 between themselves1 their ,popes1 and  
other bishops1 to those illustrious     
characters1 ,carragantua1 ,pantagruel1  
,trippet1 and others so conspicuously   
alluded to in the works of ,rabalais4 ,i
 expect nothing else than censure for   
the bare mention of some of those       
writers to whom ,i have referred-,it    
seems to have become quite fashionable  
now-a days with pulpit orators1 to      

censure anything like gen-real reading2 
at any rate1 no fault must be found with
 the sins of the times4 ,i have seldom  
heard a discourse or lecture1 from      
infidels of the present day1 where they 
have not found fault with all those     
writings in which sin and immorality are
 denounced in plain scriptural language4
 ,there are1 among our modern ,liberal  
,christians1 many who seem shocked at   
the idea that ,eugene ,sue1 for         
instance1 should have dared to satirize 
,popery1 or that ,guinet1 or ,michelet1 
should presume to denounce ,jesuitism or
 warn mankind against giving it any     
encouragement amongst them4 ,the        
argument used by these ,liberal         
,christians or philosophers--for they   
are all philosophers1 every one of      
them--is this2 if evangelical           
,christians should succeed in           
suppressing ,popery1 we philosophic1 and
 ,liberal ,christians1 shall be their   
next victims2 ergo1 ,eugene ,sue1       
,michelet1 ,gui-net1 and all who write  

against ,popery1 deserve no             
encouragement from us4 ,admirable       
logicians1 these ,liberal ,christians6  
,profound and deep historians1 these    
modern philosophers6 ,evangelical       
,christians have never persecuted       
,liberal ,christians4 ,i would challenge
 them to produce an instance where they 
have ever acted upon the offensive4 ,let
 them analyze the creed of evangelical  
,christians2 let them dissect it2 let   
them break it up1 word by word1 and cut 
each word into the most minute          
fractions2 and if they can show me1     
among those words or fractions1 a       
solitary particle1 or an isolated idea1 
which teaches them to persecute any man 
on account of his religious opinions1 ,i
 will acknowledge that ,liberal         
,christians are right in preferring the 
ascendancy of ,popery to that of        
evangelical ,christianity4 ,but how is  
it in the ,popish creed8 ,let these     
,liberal ,christians turn back to the   
pages of history1 and they will find    

that the creed and canons of ,popery1 as
 well as the decretals of its ,church1  
all teach that ,liberal ,christians are 
to be dealt with by civil law1 and that 
by civil law is to be understood the    
,inquisitorial law1 which consigns every
 one of them to the sword1 fire1 and    
faggot4 ,do these gentlemen recollect   
the fate of ,arius and his followers8   
,do they forget thar the disciples of   
,arius were all ,liberal ,christians1   
and numbered1 at one time1 a vast and   
large portion of those who professed any
 belief in the doctrines of ,christ1    
either as ,god or man8 ,pause1          
gentlemen1 ,i entreat of you1--recollect
 that the reason why ,papists are silent
 in relation to your doctrines1 is      
simply this3 they look upon you as      
damned1 beyond a possibility of         
salvation4 ,they place you and the ,jews
 on the same level1 and consider both as
 blasphemers of the name of ,christ1 and
 as altogether beneath the notice of all
 men who profess the ,christian religion

 in any form whatever2 and rely upon it1
 when ,i assure you1 that ,i myself1 who
 have been a ,popish priest1 have       
studied the doctrines of that ,church to
 little purpose1 if you are not the very
 first whom ,papists will destroy1 and  
whose property they will confiscate to  
the use of their ,infallible ,church1   
should they ever have the power to do   
so4  ,it is a question with me1 whether 
many of the lecturers of the present    
day1 in their unqualified anathemas     
against modern literature and general   
reading1 are not doing more harm than   
good4 ,assuredly they are injuring1 more
 or less1 the cause of liberty1 and     
giving all the advantages they possess1 
to arbitrary power2 especially to the   
factious1 despotic1 and violent power of
 the tyrant court of ,rome4 ,those      
lecturers who denounce the writings of  
,eugene ,sue1 ,guinet1 and others1      
against the ,popish ,church1 are        
bringing upon this                      
country--unconsciously1 ,i believe--all 

the evils of foreign tyranny1 without   
any consolation4 ,they are helping to   
destroy themselves1 and must be         
destroyed in time by a superior power4  
,charity obliges me to suppose these    
lecturers sincere1 and if they were     
equally discreet1 might be useful       
auxiliaries in promoting the moral and  
political interests of our country4     
,they are the instruments of            
cool-headed1 dispassionate politicians1 
who see nothing1 and care to see        
nothing1 but their own private          
interests4  ,besides all this1 these    
declaimers against modern literature and
 general reading are injuring the cause 
of science4 ,he who from his pulpit1 or 
in a lyceum hall1 disapproves of the    
writings of ,eugene ,sue against ,popish
 domination1 merely because he relates  
many facts and circumstances which are  
not proper to be seen or read by some of
 his hearers1--aims his blows at many of
 the noblest sciences which ,god has    
permitted man to study1 and for reasons 

which could scarcely be satisfactory to 
a child1 viz3 because some passages in  
his writings are rather indelicate4     
,this is certainly as strong a reason as
 ,dr4 ,sangrado1 of ,quixotic notoriety1
 gave to his patient1 when asked why he 
did not prescribe cold water2 ,i have1  
said the ,doctor1 already prescribed hot
 water4 ,the reason given for not       
reading ,eugene ,sue may apply with     
equal force against the study of        
surgery2 and ,i should not be in the    
least surprised1 if before long some of 
those gentlemen denounced and forbade   
the study of the noble and almost       
heavenly science of anatomy4 ,assuredly1
 beautiful1 symmetrical1 and lovely as  
the human frame is externally1 it       
presents to the human eye1 when         
dissected and exposed1 in its native and
 naked proportions1 no very pleasing    
object to contemplate4 ,but does it     
follow that the science of anatomy      
should not be studied8 ,does it follow  
that works upon that science should not 

be read8 ,certainly not2 and he who     
would contend for the contrary would be 
well suited by assigning to him an abode
 in some lunatic asylum4  ,i admit that 
there are some passages in the writings 
of ,eugene ,sue1 ,guinet1 and others1   
against ,popery1 that seem rather       
indelicate4 ,but is that a reason why   
the moral anatomy and structure of the  
body ,papal should not be dissected8    
,the external body of ,popery1 like the 
human body1 may be fair to the eye1     
lovely to the senses1 and beautiful to  
the imagination2 but like the human     
body1 it has its deformities1 and ,i see
 no reason why its defects should not be
 anatomized1 studied1 and exposed1 if   
necessary to the moral welfare of the   
human family4 ,how can the evils of     
,popery be known1 unless they are       
exposed to public view1 and seen by     
those who are competent to judge of     
their evil tendencies8 ,and who are more
 competent to form a correct estimate of
 their nature and character1 than such  

men as ,eugene ,sue1 ,guinet1 and       
others1 who have studied ,popery8       
,guinet and ,michelet are now living4   
,they are both ,roman ,catholics by     
birth and education4 ,they understand   
the doctrines of ,popery thoroughly4 ,it
 is idle--it is worse than idle--for    
,american ,protestant writers to attempt
 to prevent the circulation of          
,michelet's works1 or those of ,eugene  
,sue1 in the ,united ,states4 ,but it   
will be said1 and it is said1 that there
 is much romance about them1 and that   
many passages are to be found1 in       
,guinet especially1 savoring strongly of
 infidelity4 ,admitting even this to be 
the case1 it does not follow1 by any    
means1 that the enemies of ,popery1     
which some ,protestant journals and     
lecturers pretend to be1 should reject  
and censure the many and undeniable     
truths which they contain on the subject
 of ,popery4 ,the fact is--and ,i regret
 that it is so--many of the journals    
which come out with flaming notices of  

their determination to stand by the     
,protestant religion1 and oppose the    
introduction of ,popery into this       
country1 are not always sincere in their
 professions4 ,many of them are         
theorists4 ,i may add here1 en passant1 
that few of those heroes of discussion  
meetings1 and editors of newspapers1 are
 at all qualified for the task which    
they undertake4 ,it is1 however1 a      
source of consolation to me1 that there 
axe some public lecturers and editors of
 ,protestant newspapers1 who are sincere
 and disinterested in their opposition  
to ,popery2 who see its destructive     
fruits now springing up in the fairest  
fields of our ,republic2 who know that  
,popery is corrupt in itself1 that      
corruption of mind and morals is the    
natural result to be expected from its  
prevalence amongst our people ,these    
worthy men and well-informed editors of 
many of our presses1 are determined1    
cost what it will1 that ,popery shall be
 fully understood in this country3 that 

it shall no longer be hid in a corner1  
and that those ,jesuit wolves who       
profess it shall no longer be permitted 
to appear in sheep's clothing4  ,among  
the presses which now boldly stand forth
 in defence of the ,protestant religion 
and the civil rights of man1 ,i am happy
 to enumerate the ,boston ,recorder1 the
 ,olive ,branch1 and others1 among the  
various presses in the city of ,boston4 
,there are also many among the political
 presses in our country1 which are doing
 good service to the cause of           
,protestantism and the civil rights of  
man4 ,j4 ,t4 ,buckingham1 of the ,boston
 ,courier1 has generously and           
disinterestedly thrown himself and his  
fine talents between the intrigues of   
,papists and their designs upon our     
institutions1 and the civil rights of   
his countrymen4 ,these presses have not 
blushed to quote largely from ,eugene   
,sue2 they have not tried to hide from  
their readers1 nor prevented them from  
reading1 the faithful expose which      

,eugene ,sue1 ,guinet1 ,la ,manais1     
,michelet1 and others1 have given of the
 iniquities and treasonable designs of  
,popish priests and ,jesuits against    
,protestant governments and the civil   
rights of man4 ,these presses have not  
put their hands to the plow and looked  
back4 ,they love their ,god and their   
country too well to crouch before the   
puerilities--as the learned ,bishop     
,eastburn of ,boston expresses it--or   
the treasonable designs of ,jesuits4    
,the reader will here indulge me1 and ,i
 trust the editors of the ,boston       
,recorder will pardon me1 for quoting   
largely from their paper of ,january    
#aeth1 #ahdf4 ,m4 ,pascal1 a devoted    
member of the ,romish ,church1 has set  
forth in his provincial letters the     
opinions of several distinguished       
,jesuits1 as to the duty of loving ,god1
 and especially in answer to the        
question1 ',when and at what time is a  
man obliged to have an actual love or   
affection for ,god8' ,one ,jesuit1      

,saurez1 says1 ',it is enough if we love
 him a little before we die1 without    
fixing any time4' ,another1 ,vasquez1   
says that 'it is enough to love him at  
the point of death4' ,we marvel at such 
answers4 ,but this is ,jesuitism seeking
 to relieve itself of the painful       
obligation of loving ,god4 ,no order of 
men1--no society that ever existed1 has 
been so universally execrated as that of
 the ,jesuits4 ,everywhere intriguing1  
plotting1 and dangerous1 they have been 
everywhere dreaded1 hated1 and opposed4 
,and not by ,protestants alone4 ,the    
society of ,jesuits has been at         
different periods expelled from all the 
,states of ,europe2 and last of all1    
,france has denounced and rejected it   
,the order1 as every one knows1 began   
with ,loyola1 in the beginning of the   
sixteenth century1 and was intended as a
 spiritual crusade against heresy2 the  
particular heresy aimed at being the    
,reformation1 under ,luther1 who was    
contemporary with ,loyola4 ,in #aggc1   

the institution of the ,jesuits was     
suppressed by a bull of ,clement ,,xiv4 
,they were accused of 'too great avidity
 of terrestrial goods1' of 'criminal    
plots1' of having in their favor only   
the exterior of regularity1 disgraced in
 their maxims1 and to render themselves 
more powerful1 given up to commerce1    
stock-jobbing1 and politics4'  ,but the 
time came when ,rome needed the arms of 
the ,jesuits1 and their society was     
re-established in #ahad4 ,the ,romish   
,church still defends the ,jesuits1 and 
stands before the world as their        
accomplice4 ,the ,recorder continues1   
and indirectly severely censures those  
presses and those timid and irresolute  
editors who seem to think that they     
cannot conscientiously read1 or permit  
their readers to receive into their     
houses1 the writings of ,eugene ,sue or 
,michelet1 against the degrading and    
traitorous doctrines of ,popery4  ,the  
attempt of the ,jesuits1 continues the  
pious and talented editor of the        

,recorder1 to get the control of        
education in ,france1 aroused some      
powerful spirits1 among whom the most   
distinguished were ,michelet and        
,guinet1 ,professors in the ,college of 
,france4 ,these men are ,catholics1 but 
too excellent and conscientious to      
receive the appellation in its bad      
sense4 ,they are high authority1 and we 
quote a few of their opinions1 publicly 
uttered in college lectures within the  
last year or two4 ,what think you of the
 above language1 you editors of the     
would-be evangelical ,protestant        
presses8--you who have pledged your     
sacred honor and fortunes to stand by   
the ,church and the ,gospel of ,christ1 
and still censure ,michelet1 ,guinet1   
and even my own humble efforts to oppose
 the spread of ,popery among mankind4   
,michelet1 continues the ,recorder1     
calls the spirit of ,jesuits the spirit 
of intrigue--of holy detraction4 ,god   
give us1 he says1 political tyranny1    
military tyranny1 and all other         

tyrannies1 ten times over1 rather than  
that such a police--that of the         
,jesuits--should sully our ,france4     
,will the reader permit me to add my    
petition to this1 and will he join me in
 beseeching the ,throne of ,grace to    
receive it graciously8 ,god give us1    
,american citizens1 political tyranny1  
military tyranny1 and all other         
tyrannies1 ten times over1 rather than  
that ,jesuitism should disfigure the    
fair face of our beautiful ,republic    
,the ,recorder continues his            
observations on the writings of         
,michelet4 ,he 7,michelet7 challenges   
men to study1 and tells them that at the
 end of ten years they will find in the 
history of ,jesuits but one meaning--the
 death of liberty4 ,this bold lecturer1 
7,michelet7 continues the ,recorder     
still1 bounds in passages like the      
following3 ',what is the nature of the  
,jesuit8 ,he has none2 he is fit for    
everything4 ,the ,jesuits are a         
formidable machine for war1 invented for

 the most vile combat in the sixteenth  
century4 ,the simple and natural means  
which have generally succeeded with the 
,jesuits is to catch wild birds by means
 of tame ones8 ,i speak1 says ,michelet1
 of ,jesuitesses1 polished and gentle1  
adroit and charming1 who always1 going  
before the ,jesuits1 put everywhere oil 
and honey1 smoothing the way4 ,how true 
this is2 and is it not strange1 beyond  
account1 that ,americans cannot see it8 
,when ,jesuits first came into ,boston1 
they sent before them ,jesuitesses1     
young1 polished1 gentle1 and charming4  
,these tame ,popish birds were not long 
amongst us1 when they caught whole      
flocks of our wild ,yankee birds1 and   
are now catching them in almost every   
,state in the ,union4 ,but the ,yankee1 
with all his cuteness1 cleverness1 and  
supposed cunning1 will be caught ,he is 
no match for the ,jesuit4 ,the ,jesuits1
 says ,michelet1 again1 have employed   
the instrument of which ,jerome         
speaks--poor little women1 all covered  

with sins4 ,he alludes to the ,sisters  
of ,charity1 the ,ladies of the ,sacred 
,heart1 the ,mother ,abbesses1 c41 all  
which are directed and governed by the  
,jesuits4  ,was there ever a truer      
picture of the operations of ,jesuits   
than this8 ,and the ,americans who      
cannot see its truth and fidelity1 must 
be blinder than the bats which flutter  
in the caves and caverns of their       
mountains4 ,had we not1 the other day1  
on ,mount ,benedict1 in the vicinity of 
,boston1 the capital of ,new ,england1  
some of those poor little women1 covered
 with sins--meek1 and gentle1 and       
angelic-looking little beings8 ,sweet   
little innocents6 ,they had a nunnery   
there1 too4 ,they had a fashionable     
school attached to it4 ,and our         
,protestant ,jonathans--poor dolts--sent
 their daughters to these poor little   
women--these ,sisters of ,charity--to be
 educated in the principles of          
,christianity6 ,true it is that none are
 so blind as those who will not see4    

,the reader will bear with me in quoting
 a few more passages1 which the ,boston 
,recorder selects from the writings of  
,guinet1 on the subject of ,jesuitism4  
,the nations which are sickest in       
,europe1 those which have least credit  
and authority1 are those in which the   
society of ,jesuits has its hearth4 ,the
 mission of ,jesuitism1 in the sixteenth
 century1 was to destroy the            
,reformation2 the mission of ,jesuitism1
 in the nineteenth century1 is to       
destroy the ,revolution1 which supposes1
 includes1 and envelopes1 the           
,reformation4 ,what cannot fail to      
strike you1 is the rapidity with which  
this society has degenerated4 ,where    
shall we find any thing like it in any  
other order8 ,the public voice has been 
raised against it from its very cradle4 
,already the society was driven out from
 a part of ,spain in #aefe1 from the    
,low ,countries and ,portugal in #aegh1 
from all ,france in #aeid1 from ,venice 
in #afjf1 from the ,kingdom of ,naples  

in #afbb4 ,i speak only of ,catholic    
countries4 ,we may add1 that ,france    
condemned the ,jesuits in #agfb1 and    
actually drove them from the kingdom1   
and that she has since repeated her     
sentence of reprobation in #ahde4  ,now 
let it be considered1 says the          
,recorder--and ,i look upon that        
venerable journal1 and its editors1 as  
high authority--that these very         
,jesuits1 dreaded and loathed1 in the   
old countries1 looked upon as the       
offscouring of all things1 the dregs    
even of ,catholic states1 are coming to 
this country by hundreds1 ,the ,recorder
 might have said by hundreds of         
thousands seeking here a field for their
 horrid operations1 determined to regain
 all and more than they have8 lost at   
home4 ,it is well understood that the   
,catholic officials who profane our     
soil1 are of the ,jesuit                
order1--desperate men1 'fit for         
everything1' whose very breath is the   
'death of liberty4' ,their mission is to

 deceive and victimize the ,american    
people4 ,the people1 therefore1 ought to
 be aware of their character and        
operations4  ,some will say1 continues  
the ,recorder1 farther1 it is not       
so1--there is no danger--these priests  
are a very harmless people4 ,in this    
provoking stupidity lies our danger4    
,before they get their eyes open1 the   
language of ,michelet will be           
applicable4 99,are these ,jesuits8 ,a   
man asks this question1 whose wife they 
already govern by a confessor of their  
own--the wife the house1 table1 hearth1 
bed4 ,to-morrow they will have her      
child4' ,there is little reason to      
suppose that ,jesuits will be forcibly  
expelled from this country4 ,so much the
 greater is the necessity that they     
should be watched1 exposed1 and         
resisted4 ,their movements here1 are of 
special moment to ,americans4 ,we are   
called upon to watch around the 'altar  
of our liberty4' ,the ,jesuits and the  
,pope1 would rejoice to see us directing

 our attention to ,italy1--to draw our  
attention there1 even while they are    
choosing and fortifying their position  
here4 ,mr4 ,hogan may be right in       
suggesting that this is their 'plot4'   
,if so1 while they are plotting1 let the
 ,americans be adopting vigorous means  
of self-protection--such means          
especially1 as religion and education   
can best furnish4 ,thus speaks that     
truly evangelical and independent press1
 the ,boston ,recorder1 of ,jesuitism1  
and the writings of ,sue1 ,michelet1 and
 ,gurnet4 ,and it is to me a source of  
consolation and cheering encouragement1 
to find that it does not disapprove of  
my own humble efforts upon the same     
subject1 nor of any of those authorities
 which ,i have called to my aid4  ,i    
fully agree with the ,recorder1 that    
education--biblical education--is the   
best means and defence we can make      
against the intrigues of ,jesuitism in  
this country4 ,our sole and only hope of
 success against them1 is the general   

diffusion of education1 and that        
education must be of a scriptural       
character4 ,until the people can read1  
they cannot think2 and until they can   
think1 they cannot reason1 nor          
consequently distinguish between error  
and truth4 ,a vast number of the        
citizens of this country are foreigners1
 from ,popish countries1 who have no    
education but such as they received from
 their priests2 and the history of the  
world informs us of the wretched        
character of that instruction which they
 have received from that source4 ,we all
 can see the condition of the poor      
,irish1 who for centuries back1 have    
been walking by the light of some 'magic
 lantern1 held by their priests4' ,we   
can see how prevalent the influence of  
,popish priests has been1 in the        
education--or rather want of education  
of the ,irish1--by referring to a       
,report of ,commissioners appointed to  
take the census of ,great ,britain and  
,ireland in #ahda4 ,i here quote from   

the ,london ,quarterly ,review for      
,june1 #ahde4 ,on the present state of  
,irish education1 and its previous      
progress1 the ,commissioners have taken 
great pains to collect and communicate  
information1 of which the result is1    
that the diminution of ignorants1 that  
is1 of persons unable to read and write1
 is1 during the last fifty years1 from  
forty-eight to thirty-five per cent1 of 
males1 and from sixty to forty-five per 
cent1 of females4 ,what must have been  
the condition of this poor people       
previous to the last fifty years1 when  
they were educated exclusively by       
bishops1 priests1 monks1 and nuns8 ,and 
how grateful should they feel to the    
,protestants of ,great ,britain and     
elsewhere for the great diminution which
 has since taken place in the number of 
males and females who could then neither
 read nor write4 ,it is creditable to   
government--the ,protestant government  
of ,great ,britain--that out of the     
number of ,irish1 which are now in the  

military service of ,great ,britain1    
sixty per cent1 of those between the    
ages of sixteen and twenty-five can both
 read and write4 ,how is this to be     
accounted for8 ,popish priests have     
nothing to do with the education of the 
children of those who are in the service
 of ,great ,britain4 ,they are indebted 
to ,protestant teachers1 and ,protestant
 officers1 for the blessings of         
education which they enjoy4 ,how are the
 people educated in ,popish ,france8 ,we
 can learn from the lectures of         
,michelet1 ,professor of ,literature in 
the ,college of ,france2 it is wretched 
in the extreme4 ,but some of our        
sympathizers and mawkish journalists may
 question the authority of the          
gentleman4 ,i would refer them to other 
authority ,m4 ,boulay tells us that more
 than half the population of ,france can
 neither read nor write4 ,he assures us 
this is a fixed fact--and he is no      
contemptible authority4 ,what does      
,bishop ,fenwick's ,corporal ,trim think

 of this8 ,he assured us1 the other day1
 on his honor and consistency1 that the 
inhabitants of ,catholic countries were 
the best educated people in the world   
,ah6 ,corporal1 thou shalt never die    
while imposture and ,popery live in the 
,united ,states4 ,let us compare the    
condition of the ,irish1 who are        
educated by ,popish priests and         
,jesuits1 with that of ,americans1 who  
have received their education from      
,protestant teachers1 and we shall      
see--as the ,london ,quarterly ,review  
expresses it--in strong contrast1 the   
effect of an almost total1 and a very   
partial ,papal eclipse4 ,taking the     
whites--in ,america--as the analogous   
population1 we find that persons above  
the age of twenty years1 who can neither
 read nor write1 are not quite four per 
cent 7#c4hg47 ,to make this1 however1 a 
fair subject of comparison1 we must     
consider that the numbers under twenty  
are not half the whites1 7#a4ch17 so    
that we must reckon the ignorants to be 

eight pet cent1 of the whole4 ,how      
different this from the forty per cent  
of the ,irish ,papists1 and the fifty or
 sixty per cent of the ,french ,papists1
 all of whom are educated by ,jesuits   
and ,papists6 ,what becomes here1 of    
,corporal ,brownson's assertion1 that   
the people are better educated1 in      
general1 in ,popish than ,protestant    
countries8 ,the fact is1 my friend      
,brownson1 you had better shut up shop2 
you are a man of no bottom2 you possess 
no solid and useful information2 and    
easily humbugged1 as you and your       
brethren the ,jesuits think the         
,american people to be1 no man can      
retain long among them1 the character of
 a learned and honest man1 if he have   
not some solid bottom of his own to     
stand upon4 ,it is a bold attempt on the
 part of ,jesuits1 to try to persuade   
the ,american people1 by means of their 
agent ,brownson1 that the mass of       
,papists are better educated than       
,protestants4 ,but1 as the learned ,dr4 

,south expresses it1 there is1 in the   
effort to do what is glaringly false1   
such a mixture of the fool1 as quite    
spoils the project of the knave4 ,and ,i
 am much mistaken if the knavish        
,jesuits who infest this country1 do not
 soon find that the observation of ,dr4 
,south is correct4  ,jesuits and their  
agents in the ,united ,states1 have     
taken and are now taking1 great pains to
 persuade our ,protestant citizens1 that
 ,papists are not only better educated  
than ,protestants1 but better provided  
for in every other respect ,they have   
always charged ,protestants with        
neglecting the poor1 and over-working   
them in every department of labor4 ,some
 of the ,puseyite philosophers of the   
present day1 unite with ,jesuits in     
urging this charge against ,protestants4
 ,this is peculiarly worthy of the      
attention of the ,americans1 and shows  
as clearly as any other circumstance    
can1 the extent and depth of ,jesuit    
intrigue amongst us4 ,the great mass of 

the people1 in every country1 is        
composed of the laboring classes1 or1 as
 we term them1 operatives4 ,and ,jesuits
 know full well that if they can        
persuade the great body of ,americans1  
that ,popery gives more encouragement to
 labor1 and requires less of it for a   
given price1 than those who profess     
,protestantism1 it is an important point
 gained2 in truth1 if this be           
admitted1--if the ,popish ,church gives 
more encouragement and better pay to    
laborers1 than the ,protestant ,church1 
,i1 for one1 would not and could not    
withhold from her my full and hearty    
commendation thus far4 ,if it be        
true1--as that great ,idealist and      
,puseyite1 ,mr4 ,ward1 of ,england1     
contends1--that the poor and neglected  
and oppressed1 in those countries where 
,protestant government prevails1 are    
much better provided for under ,popish  
governments1 the fact ought to be well  
understood1 and in place of wishing to  
overthrow these governments and prevent 

the farther growth of ,popery1 we should
 pause1 and look seriously into the     
question4  ,but is it true that labor is
 more encouraged and better paid1 under 
,catholic than ,protestant governments8 
,is it true that operatives--say for    
instance those who work in              
factories--are more humanely dealt with1
 better paid1 and not required to work  
as many hours1 under ,popish as under   
,protestant governments8 ,i call the    
attention of ,american ,protestants to  
this question4 ,it is one of vital      
importance4  ,both ,puseyites and       
,jesuits allege this as positive1 ,we   
have them here on the platform of       
unequivocal allegation of fact4 ,we have
 them on the hip4 ,i am now willing to  
grapple with ,jesuits and ,puseyites    
upon this question4 ,it cannot be evaded
 by them4 ,it must be yes or no4 ,jesuit
 sophistry can avail them nothing1 and  
if ,i can show our operatives1 and      
laborers in our factories1 that those   
,jesuits and ,puseyites who are now     

overspreading our ,republic1 are trying 
to deceive them and reduce them to      
farther hardships1 ,i trust they will   
rise as a body1 men1 women1 children1   
and all1 and hoot them from our shores4 
,it is wrong to deceive any one2 and no 
honest man or true ,christian will do   
so2 but it is cruel to deceive the poor 
laborer or operative1 who lives by the  
sweat of his brow4  ,if the reader will 
accompany me across the ,atlantic1 ,i   
will show him the condition of the      
operatives in some of those countries   
where the government is ,popish1 and    
where the religion of the people is that
 of ,jesuits and priests4 ,let us visit 
,france1 a ,catholic country4 ,let us   
examine a ,report made by ,m4 ,delambre1
 the head of the department of          
,manufactures1 in the office of the     
,minister of ,commerce1 in #ahch4 ,from 
that ,report it appears1 that the actual
 work of children1 in factories1 is     
never less than twelve hours1 and       
extends from that minimum amount1 to    

fourteen hours1 in the twenty-four4 ,it 
is also stated by him1 that in the chief
 manufactories1 it is not unusual with  
them to work all ,saturday night and    
,sunday morning4 ,so much for ,popish   
clemency and ,jesuit lenity to the poor 
operative4 ,let us cross over the       
,channel to ,england1 a ,protestant     
government and a ,protestant country4   
,how is it with operatives and children 
in factories there8 ,i refer the reader1
 for an answer1 to ,horner on the       
,employment of ,children in ,factories1 
page #bh4 ,in ,england1 under a         
,protestant government1 no child under  
thirteen can be employed for more than  
eight hours a day2 nor can any young    
person1 just emerged from childhood1 be 
employed more than twelve hours a day4  
,on ,saturday the hours of work were    
only nine1 when ,mr4 ,horner wrote1 and 
,i am informed by the ,london ,quarterly
 ,review1 of ,january1 #ahde1 to which  
,i am indebted for much of the          
information which ,i here give on the   

subject of factory laborers1--that a new
 ,act of ,parliament1 fixing the maximum
 of labor1 for children1 at six and a   
half hours per day1 has recently been   
passed4 ,what becomes1 now1 of the      
assertions of ,puseyites and ,jesuits on
 the subject of ,popish charity and     
humanity to the poor8 ,the truth is1    
that ,i may challenge them to show me   
mankind1 in any condition or any        
situation1 or any clime or country1     
under ,catholic or ,protestant          
government1 where they are not more     
oppressed1 more degraded1 more abused1  
and more ignorant under ,catholic than  
,protestant governments4 ,how then can  
it be1 with this fact before their eyes1
 that ,americans--,protestant           
,americans--give any countenance to     
,popery and ,jesuits in the ,united     
,states8 or how can we account for the  
still more extraordinary fact1 that one 
of the most learned ,christian          
,associations that ever have been       
established in this country--,the       

,christian ,league---does not devote its
 whole and undivided energies to the    
removal of ,jesuits and ,jesuitism from 
amongst us4 ,i cannot account for the   
fact ,i have conversed with a learned   
member of this ,association1 a gentleman
 of distinguished talents and deserved  
popularity4 ,i asked him why the        
,association did not spread its forces1 
extend its lines1 and devote its funds  
of intellect1 as well as of money1      
exclusively to the removal of ,jesuitism
 from our happy country4 ,his answer    
was1 we do not deem it prudent to do so2
 we cannot fail to kill ,jesuitism in   
,italy1 and there will be an end of it4 
,gendemen of the ,christian ,league6 ,i 
once before entreated you to withdraw   
your troops from ,italy4 ,you can do no 
good in that country4 ,but suppose you  
did kill ,popery in ,italy--suppose that
 ,jesuitism was dead and buried in that 
ill-fated country--,i tell you that it  
will rise in this1 and that in the shape
 of a tremendous1 unformed spectre1 in a

 far more terrific guise than ever      
before overpowered the imagination of   
man4 ,i may not live to see it2 many of 
you may not live to witness it2 but that
 does not alter the truth of my         
prediction4  ,i have deviated far and   
wide from the point for which ,i set out
 at the commencement of this book4 ,as  
usual1 ,i have paid no attention to     
order1 literary style1 or argumentative 
consecutiveness4 ,let this1 however1 not
 be attributed to any want1 on my part1 
of due respect for the good opinion of  
my readers4 ,my sole object in writing  
this book was to state facts1 a         
knowledge of which ,i deemed necessary  
and useful to my fellow citizens2 and as
 ,i knew full well that it was perfectly
 immaterial to the majority of them1 how
 or in what manner these facts were     
stated1 provided they were true1 ,i have
 given them at random1 just as they     
occurred to me--currente calamo4        
,besides this1 ,i am pretty much of the 
opinion of ,swift1 and value not the    

rules of art as high as others do3      
,nature1 ,i thought1 performed too mean 
a part1 ,forming her movements to the   
rules of art4  ,i will now return to the
 subject of auricular confession1 and   
the gross immorality practised by       
priests in the ,popish confessionals4   
,but ,i must say1 as ,i have often done 
before1 that it is impossible to prove  
to the ,protestant inhabitants of the   
,united ,states all1 or even many of the
 particulars of those various           
accusations which ,i have advanced      
against ,popish bishops and priests4    
,the system of confession itself1 and   
the manner in which it is made1 render  
the thing impossible4 ,no one can       
understand the doctrine of ,popish      
confession1 except those who have been  
,popish priests1 and have acted         
themselves in the capacity of           
confessors4 ,the man who has not been a 
,free ,mason1 for instance1 may accuse  
that ancient society of ,free and       
,accepted ,masons of sanctioning1 or    

even perpetrating crimes1 but all his   
accusations will go for nothing1 if he  
has not been a ,mason himself1 for the  
very obvious reason that he knows       
nothing1 and could know nothing of      
,masonry1 from his own knowledge2 and   
hence it is that we find ,jesuit priests
 and ,popish presses turning into       
ridicule1 and not without some cause1   
many ,protestant writers and ,protestant
 newspapers for accusing them of things 
they know nothing at all about4 ,here ,i
 have had the advantage of ,popish      
priests and ,popish presses1 and hence  
it probably is that my books against    
,popery have had such extensive         
circulation1 and have silenced1 as it   
were by magic1 almost every ,roman      
,catholic ,press in the ,united ,states4
 ,and let it not be deemed vanity in me1
 should ,i recommend to those editors   
who have established presses with the   
avowed intention of exposing ,popery1 to
 be cautious in their charges against   
the ,papists1 for one unfounded charge  

is apt to destroy the weight of a       
thousand which may be true2 and ,i am   
sorry to see that many such charges are 
made by pious men1 and even by learned  
men on other subjects1 but who seem far 
in advance of their prudence4 ,no man   
can detect a flaw in an argument sooner 
than a ,jesuit1 and no press can turn it
 into more bitter ridicule than a       
,jesuit press4 ,no matter who the       
reputed editor of the press may be1     
every article in it is revised and      
corrected by a ,jesuit bishop or his    
deputy1 before it meets the public eye2 
and hence1 perhaps1 arises much of the  
popularity of my books4 ,i have never   
advanced a charge against ,jesuits or   
,popish priests1 which ,i did not know  
to be true2 ,i have never accused them1 
as a body1 of being guilty of a crime in
 the confessional1 which ,i did not     
know1 of my own knowledge1 to be        
undeniably true2 and to do them justice1
 they have never denied it4  ,that the  
,romish confessionals are sinks of      

unparalleled corruption1 seduction1 and 
the most revolting impurities1 is but   
too well understood in ,papal countries4
 ,michelet understands it in ,france1 so
 does ,eugene ,sue2 but still far better
 does ,john ,ronge understand it in     
,switzerland1 because he has been1 but  
the other day1 a ,roman ,catholic priest
 himself4 ,the ,catholic priests in     
almost all ,germany understand this1 and
 seem now determined1 through their     
fearless champion ,ronge1 to lay before 
the view of mankind the wicked          
impurities practised in the ,romish     
confessional2 and indeed it is a matter 
of astonishment that any people should  
sanction amongst them the practice of   
sending young females to confession to  
priests who are taught and commanded by 
their church to question them on        
subjects so indelicate and gross that of
 necessity impure thoughts must arise in
 their young minds4 ,i can of my own    
knowledge say1 that if it had been the  
intention of any body of men to corrupt 

the morals of the human race1 to        
habituate the children of both sexes to 
impurity1 filth and profligacy1 it would
 be impossible to devise a scheme more  
completely adapted to produce that      
effect than the practice of confessing  
to priests1 and the establishment of    
,popish nunneries amongst them4 ,the    
common sense of mankind1 the ordinary   
feelings of morality1 would have made it
 impossible to carry into effect such a 
project1 unless it had assumed the mask 
of a religious duty to ,god4  ,it is    
said in the ,united ,states that if     
priests were so immoral as ,i have      
represented them to be1 and in the habit
 of taking such liberty with females at 
the confessional as ,i have accused them
 of1 that virtuous females--and there   
must be some such among ,roman          
,catholics--would not continue long to  
go to confession to those priests who   
take indelicate liberties with them4    
,one would suppose that such females    
would leave the church altogether4 ,how 

little--,i repeat it for the hundredth  
time--do ,americans know of the wheels  
within wheels in the great machine of   
,popery6 guilty priests who have made   
attempts to seduce virtuous females at  
the confessional1 and found that they   
could not succeed1 understand how to    
manage their case well4 ,the church1 in 
her infallible wisdom1 has made         
provision for such events4 ,it is well  
known in ,europe1 and let it be         
henceforward known in the ,united       
,states1 that there are two distinct and
 separate orders of priests--seculars   
and regulars4 ,the secular order is     
composed chiefly of parish priests and  
their curates1 whose duty it is to hear 
the confessions of their parishioners4  
,the order of regulars is composed of   
friars1 who are sub-divided into several
 minor orders1 and who have no parochial
 duties to discharge1 unless especially 
deputed to do so by the ,bishop or his  
deputy of the diocese in which they may 
be located4 ,it is so arranged by the   

secular priests1 that whenever they fail
 in seducing their penitents1 and are   
detected by them1 that one of these     
friars shall immediately be at hand to  
hear the confessions of all such        
females1 and forgive them their sins on 
condition that they shall never reveal  
to mortal being the thoughtless         
peccadillo of their parish priest1 who  
for the moment forgot himself and whose 
tears of repentance now moisten the     
ground on which he walks6  ,let me make 
this more plain by supposing a case or  
two1 by way of illustration4 ,suppose   
the ,popish bishop of ,new ,york were a 
young1 athletic1 amorous man2 suppose he
 fixed his eye upon a young married     
woman1 or some fascinating lady of his  
flock--the supposition is a very wild   
one1 ,i admit--suppose he try to seduce 
one or either at the confessional1 and  
she reject his criminal overtures1--how 
would his ,popish lordship act on this  
occasion8 ,he always has at his elbow   
some friar1 and that friar a foreigner1 

whom he directs to go1 instanter1 and   
hear the confession of those ladies4    
,the friar knows his duty too well to   
disobey the orders of the ,pope's       
viceroy in ,new ,york1 and the whole    
affair is hushed up1 perfectly to the   
satisfaction of the ladies1 who are     
absolved from their sins1 and entirely  
to that of his lordship1 who ,knows full
 well that the affair will never be     
heard of again4 ,this friar is a sort of
 spiritual rover1 and as soon as he has 
done his business in ,new ,york1 is     
despatched to ,boston1 or elsewhere1    
until he visits perhaps every diocese in
 the ,union4 ,he then returns home to   
,rome1 never to visit this country      
again4 ,another is sent in his place1   
and thus the work of seduction and      
immorality goes on1 from year to year1  
in ,popish confessionals1 and almost    
under our very eyes1 without our        
knowledge1 while the guilty monsters1   
priests and bishops1 are rioting at our 
hospitable tables1 feasting upon our    

richest viands1 and sipping our oldest  
wines4 ,things are so arranged in the   
,popish church1 that the crimes of the  
priests in or out of the confessional1  
are seldom known to the great mass of   
the people4 ,such are the means adopted 
by the church of ,rome to cloak and     
conceal from the public eye the         
profligacies of her priests and bishops1
 that it is almost impossible to detect 
these culprits and bring them to legal  
punishment4 ,if1 for instance1 a priest 
commit a crime in ,boston1 which the    
representative of the ,popish church in 
that city thinks may1 by possibility1   
come to light1 and throw any discredit  
upon the church1 or diminish his own    
personal influence in that city1 funds  
are placed in his hands by the church1  
to meet the expenses of removing him to 
any part of the world he chooses1 and   
the guilty priest needs only what is    
technically called an exeat1 to insure  
him a warm reception from any ,popish   
bishop in the universe4 ,it is a general

 practice of the bishops in the ,romish 
church1 to exchange guilty priests with 
each other2 they are very punctual in   
reciprocating such favors4 ,when nuns or
 ,roman ,catholic females commit crimes 
in convents1 which can no longer be     
concealed1 the holy and infallible      
church provides means for their instant 
removal to a different diocese4 ,but    
should they still persevere in their    
iniquities1 and should it be found      
impossible to prevent further illicit   
intercourse between them and their      
confessors1 means are provided to send  
them to some foreign country4 ,we have  
now several foreign nuns in the ,united 
,states4 ,by foreign nuns ,i do not mean
 foreigners who became nuns in this     
country4 ,i mean those who became nuns  
in foreign countries1 and who have been 
sent amongst us as such1 for the purpose
 of educating our children1 and         
educating them in the doctrines of their
 pure religion4 ,and ,i positively      
assert1 to the best of my own belief1   

and partly of my own personal knowledge1
 that there is not to be found among    
them an individual1 much of whose       
previous life has not been spent in     
criminal intercourse and illicit        
connexion with their confessors and     
priests4 ,this is no random assertion of
 mine4 ,i make the allegation with shame
 and sorrow1 but the cause of truth     
demands it2 and justice to my fellow    
citizens who are in the habit of sending
 their children to school to these      
consummate hypocrites1 renders it       
imperative upon me that ,i should       
declare the truth1 however unpalatable  
it may be4  ,will the reader indulge me1
 while ,i quote a passage or two from   
the ,london ,quarterly ,review1 for     
,june1 #ahdd8 ,the editors of that      
periodical are gentlemen of great       
respectability1 and men of              
well-established veracity1 whose        
statements confirm some of my           
assertions4 ,the heads of the ,church   
themselves1 admit the liability of abuse

 through the confessional1 and frequent 
exhortations are published1 desiring all
 women1 who have improper solicitations 
made to them there1 to denounce the     
confessor2 but a moment's consideration 
will show the inutility of this         
exhortation2 and one instance1 which we 
shall give1 must suffice for all4 ,an   
,italian gentleman of our acquaintance1 
removed with his family1 from the place 
of his nativity1 to a town in another   
,state2 soon after their arrival the    
wife went to the confessional1 in the   
parish church1 where improper proposals 
were made to her2 she ran home and      
acquainted her husband2 he made a formal
 complaint to the proper authorities1 in
 her name2 a day was appointed for the  
examination of the charge2 and when the 
time arrived1 the lady naturally        
declined to appear4 ,it is obvious that 
just in proportion as the person        
offended1 is delicate1 and the offence  
gross1 there will be the greater        
difficulty in inducing the complainant  

to come forward4 ,the truth of this is  
obvious to all1 and here lies one great 
security against detecting a licentious 
and criminal priest4 ,were it not for   
this1 our citizens would hoot at them as
 they walked our streets4 ,were it not  
for this1 ,popish priests and confessors
 would never be admitted into their     
houses1 or occupy a seat at the table of
 any decent or virtuous family4 ,i know 
so well1 of my own knowledge1 the nature
 of those questions and solicitations1  
that are offered by ,popish priests to  
women in the confessional1 that ,i can  
scarcely believe any woman could be     
found1 who would appear in the presence 
of men1 or before any tribunal1 civil or
 ecclesiastical1 and repeat the language
 by which her ears have been insulted4  
,popish priests understand human nature 
well2 they know the timid and shrinking 
disposition of a virtuous woman4 ,they  
feel that they are safe from public     
prosecution1 so long as their           
solicitations and criminal overtures are

 known only to women of reputation4 ,if 
it were not for this1 our criminal      
courts could not contain the number of  
those reverend wretches1 among ,popish  
priests1 who should appear before our   
criminal tribunals4 ,even ,roman        
,catholic laymen1 of rank and           
intelligence1 have no idea of the       
enormities committed by their priests4  
,effectual means are taken1 by the      
,church of ,rome1 to conceal their      
enormities from the public eye4 ,the    
extent of immorality is so great in     
,catholic countries1 in ,germany1       
,france1 and1 sub rosa1 in ,ireland1    
that it is considered an evidence of    
prudence1 in a priest1 to keep a        
mistress1 rather than be a public       
scandal4 ,it is thought by the ,irish   
that their priests are peculiarly chaste
 and virtuous2 they boast of this4 ,i   
know the ,irish priests as well as any  
other man living2 ,i have lived among   
them2 ,i was one of them2 ,i acted as a 
confessor among them1 and held in that  

capacity a higher position than any of  
my age in the country2 and ,i solemnly  
declare1 that ,i never knew a chaste man
 among them4 ,every parish priest that  
ever ,i knew in ,ireland1 kept a        
mistress whom he called a housekeeper1  
or some female whose duty or whose      
apparent business it seemed to be1 to   
superintend his wardrobe or some such   
thing2 but such is the credulity of the 
poor ,irish1 and such their idolatrous  
veneration for their priests1 that ,i   
really believe1 if they detected one of 
them in flagranti crimine1 they would   
not credit the testimony of their own   
senses4 ,it occurs1 sometimes1--though  
very seldom1--that one of those ,irish  
priests is detected2 the punishment1 in 
that case1 is simply his removal to     
another parish4 ,i have known           
immoralities committed in the houses of 
,irish parish priests1 so heinous that  
they cannot be put to paper2 and yet the
 poor ,irish ,catholics1 who seem fated 
to be the victims of every species of   

delusion and imposture1 look upon their 
priests as perfect models of piety-2 and
 consider their agent1 ,daniel          
,o',connell1--that enemy of peace and   
happiness1--as one of the most perfect  
specimens of patriotism that ever basked
 in the pure air of freedom4 ,the poor  
,irish believe1 most implicitly1 in the 
necessity of ,auricular ,confession2 and
 such is their delusion1 that many of   
them1 even in this country1 will not be 
persuaded1 at this day1 that their      
priests take any pay for absolving them 
from their sins and forgiving their     
crimes4 ,it is not many days ago since a
 respectable physician in ,boston told  
me that an ,irish ,roman ,catholic1 in  
that city1 offered to bet him five      
hundred dollars that ,roman ,catholic   
priests demanded no pay for pardoning   
sins4 ,can this be delusion1 or         
infatuation1 or is it a species of      
witchery that thus deceives1 enchains1  
and blinds a people1 in all other       
respects of quick imagination and       

natural talents8 ,i am free to confess1 
that ,i know not how to account for it  
myself4 ,i am perfectly at a loss what  
to call it2 but there it is1 strange as 
it may appear4  ,i would ask that       
gentleman who offered to make the above 
bet1 or any other ,roman ,catholic who  
ever lived in ,ireland1 whether he has  
heard of such a thing as stations of    
confession1 which are held two or three 
times a year by every parish priest in  
,ireland2 or whether he has ever heard  
of such a thing as the ,viaticum1 which 
is given to the sick1 after confession1 
and in arliculo mortis4 ,i cannot       
suppose that there is1 in this country1 
an ,irish ,roman ,catholic who has not  
seen and heard of both1 and who does not
 know that these are modes and practices
 adopted by ,irish priests for the      
purpose of collecting payment for the   
pardon of sins4 ,there are regulations  
published in each diocese in ,ireland1  
and put forth among the priests1 by     
episcopal authority1 regulating clerical

 dues4 ,specific sums are laid down for 
mass1 and for auricular                 
confession1--which the ,church of ,rome 
calls a sacrament1 by the name of       
penance1--for marriage1 for baptism1    
extreme unction1 c4 ,the parish priest  
selects two or more houses in each      
parish1--invariably those the most      
wealthy among the farmers1--and gives   
notice from the altar1 the ,sunday      
previous1 that on a certain day1 of the 
coming week1 he will hold a station of  
confession at the house of ,a--------2  
this notice is equivalent to            
saying1--and is understood in no other  
sense1 all of you who have not come to  
confession for a certain time1 or who   
wish to go to confession now1 come      
forward and pay me my dues4 ,the wily   
priest never says1 come and pay me for  
pardoning your sins2 that would never   
do4 ,protestants may hear it1 and it    
would surely go abroad that ,irish      
priests were not entirely disinterested1
 and that they could no more live by    

prayer alone than other people4 ,i have1
 by order of the parish priest1 for whom
 ,i acted as curate during a short time1
 held many of those stations of         
confession1 and never did a ,yankee     
pedler drive a harder bargain with his  
customers1 than ,i was compelled to make
 with those who came to confession to   
me1 for payment for pardoning their     
sins2 'crediti amici1' however strange  
the declaration may appear to you2 ,i   
have been ordered by the same ,popish   
priest1 in ,ireland1 to administer what 
is called1 in ,popish parlance1 the     
,sacrament of ,extreme ,unction1 and to 
give to the dying patient the ,viaticum2
 ,i have done so hundreds of times1 but 
never until1 by order of the same       
priest1 payment was made to me in       
advance1 whenever there was the least   
doubt of the ability of the patient or  
his friends to pay4 ,before the         
,viaticum is given1 or permitted to be  
given by the ,irish bishops1 it is      
required that the dying sinner should   

confess2 for be it known1 the poor      
,irish ,catholic is persuaded1 that this
 ,viaticum or wafer1 made of flour and  
water1 is the great ,god himself4 ,the  
,viaticum is contained in a small box1  
called a pixis1 and large enough to     
contain from ten to fifty of these      
wafers or ,gods1 and is carried in the  
breeches pocket of the priest4 ,do not  
laugh1 ,american ,protestants1 or       
imagine that ,i am dealing in fables2 ,i
 have gone1 hundreds of times1 to hear  
the confessions of dying ,irish         
,papists1 and given them one of these   
,viaticums or ,gods1 fifty or sixty of  
which1 ,i have often carried at a time  
in my pocket ,my orders were1 upon all  
occasions1 never to give absolution or  
the ,viaticum1 to any one1 until payment
 was first insured to me2 otherwise ,i  
had to pay the parish priest out of my  
own funds4 ,scenes which take place on  
such occasions1 are truly heart-rending4
 ,the poor sick and simple ,irish       
,catholic1 believes that he shall be    

damned to all eternity1 if he is not    
anointed and forgiven his sins by the   
priest4 ,he would cheerfully pay him if 
he had the means2 he would cheerfully   
sell the blanket that shelters him from 
the cold blasts of winter1 to pay the   
hard-hearted priest2 but the blanket is 
often worth nothing1 is often but a     
filthy1 lousy rag1 such as no ,american 
can form the least conception of1 though
 the well-fed priest lives in luxury4 ,i
 have known some curates in ,ireland1   
who had no means of their own1 to take  
the chickens1 the ducks1 or turkeys of  
poor men whom they anointed1 and who had
 no money to pay the priest for         
pardoning their sins1 and tie the legs  
of those fowls together1 throwing them  
across their saddles1 and carrying them 
home to pay the parish priest ,the poor 
curate perhaps was not worth a dollar1  
and dare not return to the priest       
without bringing with him his dues4  ,it
 is extremely unpleasant to dwell upon  
the disgusting scenes which are daily   

witnessed in the sick rooms of the      
,irish peasantry4 ,the idea of dying    
without obtaining absolution and extreme
 unction from a ,roman ,catholic priest1
 is agonizing and intolerable to a poor 
,irish ,papist1 and it is considered as 
an everlasting stigma even upon his     
posterity4 ,every effort is therefore   
made to procure a shilling1 which is the
 minimum charge made by a priest for    
administering extreme unction4 ,any man 
may judge of the feelings and mental    
distress of a dying man who believes    
that he has not an hour longer to live1 
and that his eternal salvation depends  
upon the absolution of his sins and the 
application of extreme unction1 or      
blessed oil1 by his priest4 ,but the    
dying individual is not the only one who
 suffers2 the wife1 the children1 and   
grandchildren1 participate in his mental
 sufferings2 and those warm-hearted     
creatures would give1 and do give1 the  
last potato from their table1 or the    
last basket of turf in their possession1

 to a priest1 rather than witness any   
longer the sufferings of the dying      
parent4 ,it must seem strange that this 
people should not make some effort to   
shake off the chains with which their   
priests have bound them to the car of   
,popery2 but they will not4 ,such is the
 influence of superstition over their   
minds1 that they will suffer on forever1
 unless ,protestant ,christians do      
something to relieve them4 ,the         
,protestant government of ,great        
,britain would willingly break those    
chains which bind this generous and     
warm-hearted people to ,popery1 but they
 will not have them broken4 ,the ,popish
 bishops of ,ireland have recently      
refused to accept the provision which   
the ,protestant government of ,great    
,britain seems willing to make for the  
support of the ,roman ,catholic church  
and priests in ,ireland4 ,that demon in 
human shape--that traitor in the guise  
of a patriot and ,christian--,daniel    
,o',connell1 advises the ,roman         

,catholic bishops of ,ireland not to    
accept the state provision which ,great 
,britain is willing to make for the     
priests of the ,irish ,catholic church4 
,this man's drafts upon the credulity of
 mankind are very large--so large that  
,i believe they cannot be honored much  
longer4 ,why do ,irish priests refuse   
the state provision which ,great        
,britain is willing to make for them8   
,why do they not accept it from that    
source1 rather than drag it from the    
poor1 in shillings1 in chickens1 ducks1 
turkies1 barrels of potatoes1 pounds of 
butter1 cishes of turf1 c4 c48 ,why does
 ,daniel ,o',connell advise them1 in his
 traitorous harangues1 not to receive   
the liberal provision which the ,british
 government seems willing to make for   
them8 ,the reason is plain to the most  
careless and superficial thinker4 ,the  
traitor knows very well that the        
ultimate success of all his ambitious   
designs depends upon the cooperation of 
the ,popish church and its priests in   

,ireland4 ,he knows full well that if   
the priests were paid by the ,state1    
they would lose their influence with the
 people1 and that he would lose the     
cooperation of both in his treacherous  
designs to overthrow ,protestant        
governments and ,protestant religion in 
,england and elsewhere4 ,disguise it as 
he may1 cover it over with ,jesuitical  
varnish of what thickness or depth be   
pleases1 it is evident that the         
overthrow of ,protestantism in ,church  
and ,state is the grand object which    
,o',connell and the ,popish church have 
in view1 in their present movements1    
both in ,ireland and in the ,united     
,states4 ,the ,popish bishops and       
,o',connell are aware that the moment   
the parish priests and curates of       
,ireland were paid their dues1 they 7the
 bishops and ,o',connell7 must lose     
their influence with the great mass of  
the people4 ,this is evident to myself4 
,but what sort of influence would they  
lose8 ,must they lose that influence    

which a ,christian minister of the      
gospel would like to possess over his   
flock1 and which every good man likes to
 see in all evangelical religions8 ,i   
answer in the negative1 and ,i challenge
 fair contradiction4 ,they could lose   
nothing which a pious ,christian or a   
good citizen would desire to retain4    
,they could only lose their influence as
 rebels to ,god and traitors to the     
rights of man4  ,will ,americans reflect
 for a moment that we have about three  
millions of the disciples of ,o',connell
 and ,popish bishops in this country8   
,let every lover of our constitution    
ponder seriously upon this fact4  ,how  
do ,popish bishops persuade their people
 to blind submission to their will1 and 
to the will of the traitor ,o',connell8 
,it is done through the confessional4   
,that is the channel through which the  
poison of treason and idolatry is       
infused into the minds of ,papists4 ,but
 let that ,o',connell take heed1 lest   
the fate of ,dante1 once as good a      

,roman ,catholic as himself1 should     
overtake him4 ,apropos1 ,corporal       
,brownson1 ,bishop ,fenwick's           
mouth-piece in ,boston1 makes a boast of
 the fact that ,dante was a ,roman      
,catholic1 and assures us that he was an
 honor to the ,popish ,church4 ,i wonder
 whether the ,corporal has ever read    
,dante's poem on ,hell8 ,if he has1 ,i  
would advise him to have written on the 
door of every ,popish confessional1 that
 caution which ,dante recommended to be 
posted on its portals4 ,i have not a    
copy of ,dante in my possession1 but it 
was something to this effect1 ,pause    
before you enter this gate ,this caution
 should be written in large letters upon
 the door of every ,romish confessional 
in the civilized world4 ,i can assure   
those who enter that accursed tribunal1 
that they may as well enter the hell    
described by ,dante4 ,i owe an apology  
to the public for the frequent mention  
of the name of ,brownson1 in these      
pages2 but he has proved to me so great 

and prolific a source of mixed sadness  
and merriment1 that ,i could not avoid  
frequent allusion to his name4 ,i verily
 believe that were it not for him1 ,i   
could scarcely write the present volume4
  ,without thee ,corporal ,browson      
nothing lofty could ,i sing2 ,come1     
then1 and with thyself thy genius bring4
  ,the ,corporal1 ,i understand1 is now 
lecturing in ,philadelphia1 on the      
infallibility of the ,romish            
church1--and the simple purity of its   
democratic form of government4          
,according to ,brownson1 who never      
utters a word until it is first approved
 by the ,roman ,catholic bishops in the 
,united ,states1 no form of government  
should be allowed1 but such as that now 
established and sanctioned by the ,pope 
of ,rome4 ,the ,pope's subjects1 and    
they alone1 as ,brownson assures us1 are
 fit to bear aloft the standard of      
liberty4 ,no hands should be permitted  
to touch or embroider the flag of       
freedom1 but those of chaste nuns and   

sisters of charity in the ,popish       
church2 and no arms should be allowed   
the honor of defending that flag1 but   
the valorous ones of those who have been
 pardoned their sins at the holy        
tribunal of confession4 ,is this really 
the state of things8 ,if so1 thrice     
welcome the sisters of charity amongst  
us1 and ten thousand welcomes to those  
,popish patriots who have confessed     
their sins and been pardoned by their   
priests4 ,but what if the government of 
the ,court of ,rome should be found not 
to be1 in reality1 all that our ,popish 
bishops recommend1 and all that         
,brownson represents it8 ,what if it    
should be found that the ,pope is not an
 angel1 and that his government is far  
from being perfect8 ,how would it be if 
his ,royal ,holiness the ,pope1 were    
proved to be a weak and licentious old  
profligate1 unable to rule1 and         
unwilling to obey8 ,what if his         
government were proved to be one of the 
most corrupt1 avaricious1 tyrannical1   

that ever existed upon earth8 ,this     
would entirely change the position of   
affairs1 and could not fail to tinge    
with a blush the cheeks of our citizens 
who are weak enough to listen to the    
ranting declamations of the hired       
infidel ,brownson4 ,i have before me the
 last number of the ,westminster        
,review1 a work of great talent and     
popularity1 widely differing in tone and
 style1 and respectability1 from a thing
 called ,brownson's ,democratic ,review4
 ,the reader will easily pardon me for  
quoting a few extracts from it1 which   
will tend to throw some light on the    
beauties of that ,popish republicanism  
which the bishops of the ,catholic      
church are desirous of introducing into 
the ,united ,states4 ,i beg the         
particular attention of my readers to   
it4 ,there is more of good sense1 sound 
judgment1 truth1 and good taste1 in it1 
than in all the clishmaclaver which has 
been issued from the ,popish presses and
 ,jesuit quarterly reviews in the       

,united ,states1 during the last half   
century4 ,we are not here to treat of   
the ,pope1 that nominal head of the     
,state--all-powerful for                
evil--absolutely impotent for #bg good4 
,as a general rule1 he may be set down  
as an old imbecile1 thrust into power by
 a faction of the ,cardinals1 who share 
among them the spoils2 or as a veteran  
trafficer in ambition1 who settles with 
his electors the price of his elevation 
to the ,papacy1 and who is compelled1 at
 the risk of his life1 to observe the   
conditions of the compact4 ,the real    
chief is the ,secretary of              
,state--,sacretario di ,stado--this is  
he who is the leader of the faction in  
the conclave4 ,he stands above all      
authority4 ,he is supposed to receive   
the responses of the ,papal oracle1 and 
to utter them in the name of laws4 ,a   
few strokes of the pen1 forwarded to a  
tribunal1 enable him to annihilate1     
without publicity1 statutory enactments4
 ,how would our ,western citizens1      

,wolverines1 ,suckers1 ,hoosiers1 and   
,squatters1 like such a ,secretary of   
,state8 ,how would the citizens of      
,tennessee1 and ,illinois1 like such    
gentlemen1 as ,secretaries for their    
respective ,states8 ,how many votes1    
reader1 do you suppose such a man would 
receive1 were he a candidate for        
re-election as ,secretary of ,state1 in 
,vermont or ,new ,hampshire8 ,very few1 
,i apprehend2 and yet the infidel       
,brownson1 who is a native of           
,vermont--if ,i am correctly            
informed--is trying to establish amongst
 us a religion which would force upon us
 the duty of supporting such characters 
for the highest offices in our          
government4  ,next to the ,secretary of 
,state1 continues the ,westminster      
,review1 comes a ,cardinal4 ,his titles 
confer upon him the ,presidency of the  
,apostolic ,chamber1 and the management 
of the customs and the mint4444 ,his    
titles would lead one to infer that the 
general direction of the postal         

department was intrusted to him1 though 
he has nothing to do with it ,the posts 
are under a separate and independent    
jurisdiction4444 ,more definite in duty1
 but equally unaccountable as to        
performance1 is the ,treasurer ,general1
 who completes a supreme triumvirate of 
the ,papal ,states4 ,he is the real     
minister of finance1 though with the    
usual rule of misrule1 several branches 
of that head are entirely independent   
,he attends to the collection of the    
revenue1 and appoints the provincial    
receivers2 he contracts loans1 and      
orders the sale of public property4 ,he 
never gives account to any one of his   
administration1 nor of the distribution 
of the funds that enter the treasury2   
neither has any one a right to demand an
 account4 ,he can only be dismissed from
 his office by being promoted to the    
office of ,cardinal2 he then leaves on  
his desk a key1 supposed to be that of  
the treasury1 being the only formality  
that is indispensable4 ,this is taking  

the responsibility1 with a vengeance6   
,the reason why the ,popish ,church     
gives this unlimited power to the       
secretary of her treasury1 deserves     
peculiar notice4 ,americans should view 
it closely4 ,all ,protestant governments
 and ,protestant countries should       
examine it attentively4 ,the ,pope and  
his government are aware that if their  
,secretary of the ,treasury were        
compelled to give a correct account of  
the monies he received1 and the uses for
 which they were appropriated1 their    
plans1 their bribes1 their subornation  
of witnesses1 their intrigues1 and      
various modes of overthrowing           
,protestant governments and ,protestant 
churches1 could not fail to be          
discovered1 and then the ,unanimous     
voice of mankind would cry aloud1 ,down 
v with ,popery6 down with the ,beast6   
down with the old harlot of ,rome6 ,if  
the ,pope's treasurer were compelled to 
account for the millions upon millions  
which ,jesuits and ,popish priests wring

 from the hard earnings of mankind1 the 
,romish church could not exist an hour  
longer1 and there is not a ,protestant  
government upon earth1 that would allow 
within its jurisdiction a ,popish       
college1 bishop1 seminary1 nunnery1 or  
monk-house4 ,were the treasurer of the  
,romish church obliged to give a fair   
account of the uses to which he         
appropriated the funds received and     
expended by him1 ,americans could soon  
know where ,bishop ,hughes of ,new ,york
 receives the vast sums of money which  
he has been expending for several years 
back1 in erecting colleges and          
nunneries1 into which he may decoy the  
children of ,protestant ,americans4 ,it 
would then be known where ,bishop       
,purcel of ,ohio1 obtained the funds    
with which he clandestinely1 and without
 giving them any notice1 purchased the  
buildings occupied by the ,misses       
,beecher and others1 in the city of     
,cincinnati1 as a seminary for the      
education of young ladies4 ,the ,popish 

,bishop ,hughes of ,new ,york never     
owned a dollar of his own2 it is but a  
few years since he was employed as a    
gardener in the college of ,georgetown  
or ,emmetsburg1 ,i forget which4 ,bishop
 ,purcel of ,ohio was equally poor and  
destitute2 but now these right reverend 
,jesuits have at their command any      
amount of money which they in their     
judgment may deem necessary to          
proselytize ,american heretics1 and     
overthrow their republican form of      
government4  ,could we but know how the 
treasurer of the ,pope disposed of the  
funds of his church1 the ,jesuit ,bishop
 ,fenwick of ,boston1 could no longer   
conceal from the citizens of            
,massachusetts1 where he found means to 
build a ,popish college at ,worcester2  
to which1 ,i understand1 he soon intends
 adding an extensive nunnery and a      
,foundling' ,hospital1 in which         
fatherless orphans1 or rather the       
bastard children of ,jesuits1 are to be 
provided for4  ,it is sound policy1 in  

the ,popish ,church1 not to require from
 the ,pope's treasurer1 any account of  
the mode or manner in which he disposes 
of the funds entrusted to his charge4   
,and ,i cannot withhold from them due   
credit for this admirable stroke of     
policy1 wicked and demoralizing as it is
 in reality4  ,yet lower1 beneath the   
class of principals and subalterns1     
swarms1 as reptiles in filth1 a hideous 
race1 not to be hinted at in good       
society1 but whose abnormal existence   
must be proclaimed in our effort to make
 intelligible the nature of papal       
government--a race of varlets1          
parasites1 prostitutes1 trafficers in   
vice1 legions of familiar demons1 who   
crawl from the basement to the very     
summit of the edifice4 ,the celibacy of 
the clergy1--the occupiers of every     
avenue to power1--is the source of their
 influence4444444 ,for ages past1 the   
interior corruption1 and the power      
exercised at ,rome by domestics and     
women of gallantry1 has been notorious2 

but before the time of ,pius ,,vi4      
7,pius died only about fifty years ago7 
the profligacy of the priests1 though   
more brazen1 had not1 in general at     
least1 stained the family hearth4 ,the  
natural children of ,popes ,cardinals1  
and ,bishops1 impudently recognized1 by 
their elevation to the highest          
dignities1 were not the offspring of    
their neighbors' wives4444 ,at a later  
period1 the depravity general in        
,europe1 during the sixteenth and       
seventeenth centuries1 the examples set 
by ,cardinals ,richlieu1 ,mazarin1 and  
,alberoni1 and the morale of theology   
disseminated by ,jesuits1--masters in   
the art of inciting the human passions1 
to turn them in the end to their own    
account1 and of fostering covert infamy1
 to lord it over their penitents by the 
possession of their secrets 7in the     
confessional17--taught1 by ,roman       
,cardinals and ,bishops1 that it was    
more convenient1 and less scandalous1 to
 insinuate their seduction1 where it was

 the interest of all parties to conceal 
it1 ,the ,westminster ,review is good   
authority upon any subject2 but ,i have 
adopted a general rule1 in my           
controversy with ,papists1 never to     
quote from ,protestant authorities1     
except when ,i know1 of my own          
knowledge1 that the facts stated by them
 are true1 and susceptible of proof4    
,this is not--as the reader may easily  
imagine--because ,i doubt the veracity  
of ,protestant writers1 but because     
,jesuits will persuade their followers1 
that my statements are only a repetition
 of old lies1 fabricated by heretics4 ,i
 have unqualifiedly accused the ,roman  
,catholic priests and bishops of this   
country1 and elsewhere1 of using the    
confessional for the infamous purpose of
 seducing1 females4 ,i have charged upon
 nunneries1 that they were nothing      
better than legalized houses of         
prostitution1 and established among us1 
by the ,pope of ,rome and his bishops1  
for the sole purpose of affording them  

better opportunities and greater        
security in their immoralities and      
high-handed profligacies2 and ,i appeal 
to ,americans1 of all denominations1    
whether ,i have or have not established 
my charges against them4 ,i ask any     
well-read ,american1 who is acquainted  
with the private history of ,cardinal   
,richlieu1 whether he was not one of the
 greatest profligates of his day8 ,is it
 not well known1 that ,cardinal ,mazarin
 was so notorious a profligate1 that no 
man's wife was safe in his society1 or  
proof against his political influence   
and extravagant expenditures4 ,he was   
,prime ,minister to ,louis ,,xiv4 of    
,france2 he had1 in his gift1 nearly all
 the offices under the government2 and  
it was well understood1 throughout all  
,france1 that it was perfectly useless  
for any man whose wife was not young and
 beautiful1 to apply to him for office4 
,there is not to be found1 a well       
informed man1 who has not read the life 
of ,cardinal ,de ,retz1 and who does not

 know that his house1 and his soirees1  
were places of rendezvous for gay women1
 and especially for that portion of them
 whose character for chastity was not   
the best ,let it be observed here1 that 
the parish priests and cures were all in
 the pay of these ,cardinals1 and       
employed to procure and select for them1
 through the confessional1 the most     
beautiful and desirable women in ,paris2
 and faithfully did these ,popish pimps 
discharge their commissions4 ,but still1
 the ,jesuits of this country1 and that 
miserable outcast mouth-piece of theirs1
 ,brownson1 talk of the infallibility of
 the ,romish ,church1 and the superior  
beauties of its democratic form of      
government4 ,can it be possible that the
 enlightened ,republicans of the ,united
 ,states1 have patience to listen to the
 diatribes of this man against          
,protestant governments and ,protestant 
,churches8 ,yet so it is2 and ,i have   
not the least doubt1 that many of the   
indignant expressions1 which ,i make use

 of in speaking of him and ,jesuits1    
will be found fault with1 as they have  
been before1 by many of the mawkish     
sympathizers with ,popery1 in the       
,united ,states4  ,there are to be      
found1 among the good and virtuous of   
our ,protestant people1 many who think  
that ,i should use milder language than 
much of that contained in my            
books1--that some of it is too          
harsh1--that it shows a bad spirit1 a   
bad temper1 and is--pro tanto--an       
indirect evidence1 that ,i possess not a
 ,christian feeling towards ,popery or  
its advocates4 ,that ,i am not what a   
,christian ought to be1 in thought1     
word1 and deed1 #a will freely admit4   
,but those sympathizers1 whether        
,infidels or ,christians1 who think that
 ,i should use milder language in my    
controversy with ,papists1 know but very
 little--as ,i have often told them     
before--of the spirit and elements of   
,popery1 or the mode of warfare adopted 
by its ,jesuits2 and hence it is1 that  

whenever they themselves enter the lists
 of controversy with ,popish priests1   
and ,jesuit presses1 they are invariably
 and ingloriously defeated4 ,i would ask
 these gentlemen1 who find fault with   
the apparent asperity of my language1   
whether they could1 collectively or     
individually1 silence the howlings of a 
northeast storm by softly whistling     
,yankee ,doodle1 or humming ,hail       
,columbia8 ,when they can do this--but  
,i doubt much if it can be done         
sooner--then they can silence scurrilous
 ,jesuits in their abuse of ,protestant 
religion1 and check the efforts of the  
,popish presses in the ,united ,states1 
by using mild1 charitable1 and          
gentlemanly language1 in all            
controversies with them4 ,the fact is1  
,protestants and ,protestant theologians
 too1 must alter their mode of warfare  
with ,papists4  ,the ,popish press in   
the ,united ,states1 has always         
endeavored1 and never failed in the     
attempt--as far as ,i know--to place our

 ,protestant presses in a position of   
defence4 ,a single thrust from their    
journals1 inflicts a wound which        
requires months to heal2 the            
prescription alone1 which is necessary  
for a cure1 occupies whole columns of   
our presses and periodicals1 and thus   
they have a great advantage over their  
,protestant opponents4 ,i have never    
given them this advantage1 and until my 
,protestant fellow laborers in the      
glorious cause of religion and civil    
rights1 follow my example1 in their     
controversies with ,papists1 they may as
 well 'pile arms' at once1 and retire   
from the arena4 ,i have carried the war 
with ,papists1 into ,africa1 but not    
until all overtures for peace proved    
ineffectual4 ,i have inflicted upon them
 wounds1 which it will require some time
 to heal4 ,the result has shown the     
policy of my course towards them4 ,it is
 scarcely twelve months1 since repeal   
meetings1--which in reality were        
meetings held for the ill-disguised     

purpose of overthrowing the ,protestant 
,church and government in this          
country1--were held in every hall and   
place of public meeting in our cities4  
,i have exposed the covert intentions of
 those meetings1 in pure ,saxon         
language4 ,i have called the priests and
 ,jesuits who encouraged them1 as well  
as the presses which advocated          
them1--traitors1 and enemies to religion
 and the civil rights of our people4    
,what has been the consequence8 ,we     
scarcely hear now1 of a repeal #bg99    
meeting4 ,its advocates have been       
silenced1 and they are obliged to       
abandon the cause1 or support it under  
some other name or title1 which ,i      
understand they are doing now1 in       
,boston1 under the infamous disguise of 
taking up contributions for the starving
 ,irish4 ,the ,popish bishops1 finding  
me rather a troublesome customer1 and   
well versed in ,jesuitical              
fencing1--parrying and thrusting with as
 much skill and precision as they       

themselves1 having been taught in the   
same school with them1 and by the same  
masters1--have come to the wise         
conclusion1 that they had better let me 
alone1 and tacitly admit the truth of   
every accusation which ,i have brought  
against them4 ,they seem1 however1      
resolved to die hard1 and recently      
commissioned the notorious infidel      
,brownson to defend them1 and1 if       
possible1 to exculpate them from the    
enormous and vile crimes of seduction   
and treason1 which ,i have brought      
against them4 ,i fondly hoped that when 
this ,brownson took the field in defence
 of ,popery1 some of those meek1 bashful
 theologians1 and editors of religious  
journals1 who think my language too     
harsh1 would come against him and his   
,jesuit masters4 ,there is not a        
scurrilous epithet in the ,english      
vocabulary1 which ,brownson and his     
,jesuit masters1 have not applied to    
,protestants and ,protestant presses4   
,he has encouraged1 by advice of        

,jesuits1 treason to this government1 by
 recommending the government of the     
,pope1 as a better and more republican  
system2 and still1 ,i find--much to my  
regret--that there-is not a single      
,protestant divine in the country1 or a 
single ,protestant periodical--as far as
 ,i can discover--willing to raise his  
voice or publish an article against him4
 ,they all seem alive to the paramount  
necessity of finding fault and          
condemning what they term cheap         
literature1 as calculated to demoralize 
the community4 ,eugene ,sue1 and        
,michelet1 are special objects of their 
censure4 ,it was only the other day1    
that an orthodox clergyman1 who holds a 
high station and receives a high salary 
from his church1 delivered1 in ,new     
,york1 a philippic of nearly two hours' 
length1 against ,eugene ,sue's          
,wandering ,jew1 and concluded with a   
,jeremiad1 bemoaning that so many copies
 of it should have been distributed in  
the book stores in ,new ,york4 ,the     

work1--observed this learned but        
mistaken lecturer1--is flooding the     
country4 ,very true1 it is flooding the 
country2 but is not ,popery flooding the
 country8 ,are not ,jesuits flooding the
 country8 ,are not ,popish concubines1  
denominated nuns and sisters ters of    
charity1 flooding the country8 ,is not  
,brownson1 the ,pope's ,agent1 flooding 
the country with infidel principles and 
treason against our government8 ,which  
of these floods does the reverend       
gentleman to whom ,i allude1 prefer8 ,he
 is now fairly between ,scylla and      
,charybdis2 he must fall upon one2 and  
which does he choose8 ,the ,popish      
flood1 which ,eugene ,sue is trying to  
dam1 or the flood occasioned by the sale
 of the ,wandering ,jew in ,new ,york   
and elsewhere8 ,the former is a torrent 
which flows forever2 the latter--even if
 it were destructive for the moment1 is 
but a land flood1 that may cover the    
meadows to-day1 but disappear on the    
morrow4 ,utrum horam mavis accipe4 ,let 

the reverend lecturer1 and those who    
maintain similar opinions of modern and 
anti-,popish writers1 take their choice4
  ,there is no proportion1 ,i apprehend1
 to be found between the zeal of those  
lecturers and their knowledge of human  
nature4 ,the fact is1 that very few of  
them have travelled far into the regions
 of general science2 each seems to be   
confined within the circle of his own   
creed1 and many of them vainly endeavor 
to lay the foundations of morality much 
higher than the existence of moral      
agency itself4 ,they resemble1 in a     
great measure1 some of those ancient    
philosophers who supposed that the      
essences of things existed before the   
things themselves made their appearance1
 or could assume any shape or form4 ,for
 instance1 they imagined the essence of 
black and white1 red1 blue1 pink1 c41   
had existence before there was any such 
thing as color4 ,there were many        
philosophers who supposed that the      
essence of square and circle existed    

before there was any such thing as form4
 ,many of our modern moralists and      
lecturers upon morality are little less 
extravagant in their ideas2 and if they 
do not check their imaginations and     
unmeaning deviations from common sense1 
in some of their public lectures1 they  
must soon share the fate of those       
ancient dreamers to whom ,i have        
alluded4 ,lecturers now-a-days must     
recollect that men are permitted to     
exercise--and that freely--their own    
judgment4 ,we find it very difficult to 
accompany many of our speakers in their 
extraordinary flights to the regions of 
morality1 in which the common sense and 
sound doctrine of moral agency1 are     
entirely lost sight of4 ,the lecturer   
who would condemn the efforts of ,eugene
 ,sue to arrest the progress of         
,jesuitism1 shows but a very limited    
knowledge of this world1 and impliedly  
denies the efficacy of human agency4 ,he
 will soon find that his own efforts to 
impede the progress of ,popery will     

prove ineffectual2 they will be lost in 
those regions of fanciful perfection    
which his own imagination has created4  
,theologians of all denominations are   
peculiarly apt to run into extremes2    
many of them take certain standards of  
morality1 which cannot be defended1 and 
which need not be sustained1 and they   
are very apt to pronounce all who differ
 from them to be in error1 when in fact 
charity and good sense demand from them 
a frank acknowledgment1 that though they
 themselves may be right1 it does not   
follow that others are wrong4 ,eugene   
,sue condemns not only the religious    
doctrines of ,jesuits1 but severely     
censures their political creed4 ,he     
holds the latter up to the world as     
dangerous and destructive to the        
happiness of the human kind4 ,he knows  
man1 in every state of society1 and he  
writes to convince him in each4 ,he is  
well versed in the elements of political
 government1 and knows that it is upon  
the preservation and maintenance of it  

in a healthy form1 that the happiness of
 man1 in this world1 depends4 ,it is    
therefore perfectly idle1 and worse than
 idle1 for those lecturers who perhaps  
have no other ideas of the moral and    
political duties of man than those which
 they have learned from ,baxter's       
,saint's ,rest1 ,four ,fold ,state1 or  
his ,crook in the ,lot1 to declaim      
against ,eugene ,sue1 or any other man1 
whose better experience in the world    
teaches him to pursue a different course
 in trying to accomplish the same       
object4 ,let it not be supposed that ,i 
mean to speak disrespectfully of        
,baxter1 or that a thorough knowledge of
 his works and writ99 ings would prove  
useless to any one2 but no man of sense 
or prudence could suppose for a moment1 
that he was a match for ,jesuits1 or    
that a knowledge of his and similar     
works would enable any lecturer to      
encounter ,jesuits on the field of      
controversy4  ,the policy which ,jesuits
 would introduce into this country1 and 

force upon us1 by the authority of their
 church1 could not long fail to divide  
this ,union into fragmentary sections1  
and embroil our citizens in scenes of   
blood and slaughter1 such as never have 
been witnessed before4 ,we should soon  
have ,state armed against ,state2 and in
 place of one united army and one       
commander-in-chief1 we should have      
twenty8 eight armies1 and as many       
generals-in-chief4 ,this is precisely   
what the ,jesuits and the ,popish church
 are aiming at ,this would give them1   
united1 a superior power1 and to them we
 should have to appeal for the          
settlement of our difficulties4 ,the    
policy of the ,popish church has always 
been a curious combination of           
ecclesiastical and democratic           
pretensions4 ,in theory1 it is          
democratic enough for our most rabid    
,locofocos2 but in practice1 it requires
 from man the most thorough subjection4 
,let us look back to history1 and the   
truth of this will appear evident ,any  

opposition to the ,pope of ,rome1 from  
any sovereign1 or any other authority   
whatever1 is considered by the ,popish  
church as treason against ,god and man4 
,every historian will recollect the     
murder of the ,guises in ,france4 ,the  
disturbances of the times1 and the      
causes which led to them1 are well known
 to the readers of history2 and let it  
not be forgotten1 that the ,popish      
doctrines and ,popish republicanism     
which then existed in ,france1 are now  
covertly and treacherously taught in    
these ,united ,states4 ,in #aehi1 some  
of the ,french people entertained       
scruples whether it was lawful or not to
 depose a legitimate sovereign1 or put  
him to death1 after swearing allegiance 
to him4 ,the question was one of great  
anxiety among the people1 and something 
was to be done to quiet it ,meetings    
were called in different places1 and it 
was finally determined by them to lay   
the subject before the ,popish          
theological faculty of the ,university  

of ,paris3 ,this faculty had full power 
from his ,holiness the ,pope1 to give   
judgment in the case1 and the ,catholics
 of ,france were bound to obey it4      
,accordingly1 on the #gth of ,january1  
#aehi1 the great1 and holy1 and         
infallible doctors of ,popish divinity  
in the ,college of ,sorbonne met1 by    
authority1 and pronounced the following 
decision3 ,having heard the nature and  
free counsels of the ,magistri1 and     
after many and divers arguments heard1  
drawn1 for the most part1 verbatim from 
holy writ1 the canon law1 and the ,papal
 ordinances1 it has been concluded1 by  
the ,dean of the faculty1 without any   
dissenting voice1 first1 that the people
 are absolved from the oath of fidelity 
and allegiance sworn by them to the     
,king4 ,furthermore1 that the said      
people may1 without any scruple of      
conscience1 combine together1 arm       
themselves1 and collect money1 for the  
maintenance of the ,roman ,catholic     
,apostolic religion1 against a king4    

,this is republicanism1 as taught by    
,jesuits and ,papists4 ,this is the     
republicanism which they teach through  
the confessional in the ,united ,states1
 and this is the democracy which they   
have commissioned the infidel ,brownson 
to spread over our country4 ,this is the
 republicanism which ,eugene ,sue is    
cautioning mankind against introducing  
amongst them1 and ,eugene ,sue is the   
man whose writings many of our          
philanthropic1 but mistaken lecturers1  
are trying to suppress4 ,eugene ,sue has
 done more to stem the torrent of       
,popish democracy in this country1 than 
any man who has written against         
,papists4 ,he has attacked it in its    
very bud4 ,he knew where it germinated4 
,our ,protestant lecturers know not the 
source from which it springs1 and       
therefore they had perhaps better let it
 alone altogether1 until they become    
thoroughly acquainted with the principle
 that gave it birth1 and the influences 
that sustain it4 ,eugene ,sue knew full 

well that the ,popish confessional was  
the source and substance of all ,jesuit 
treasons1 immoralities1 plots1 and      
murders4 ,he is a man of the world1 and 
knows that licentiousness and despotism 
are more closely allied than is imagined
 by our simple-minded and pious         
lecturers2 he knows that both are       
inconsistent with liberty1--which should
 be the true end of all                 
governments1--and he has therefore      
deemed it prudent to bring all his      
energies to bear against the ,popish    
confessional1 knowing full well that if 
that were destroyed1 together with the  
supremacy of the ,pope of ,rome1 mankind
 could not fail to be benefited4 ,he has
 attacked that confessional1 not by     
whining over the immoralities of the    
times1 or the romance of modern         
literature1--this any old woman can     
do1--but he has fallen upon it with the 
club of ,hercules1 whose well-aimed     
blows ,i pray heaven no lecturer may    
weaken4 ,it is far from my intention to 

be disrespectful to any well-meaning    
lecturer against ,popery1 and it is     
still much further from my mind to be   
uncourteous towards any of those        
,protestant divines who disagree with me
 in regard to the anti-,popish writings 
of ,eugene ,sue2 but ,i must do my duty1
 as ,i understand it myself4 ,i am not  
unmindful that there was a time when    
general knowledge was a scarce article  
among the people1 and when the clergy   
engrossed the largest portion of it2 and
 ,i doubt whether it is not a great     
misfortune that many of our lecturer    
derive most of their knowledge of       
mankind from the study of works written 
in those times4 ,hence much of their    
unfitness to criticise the writings of  
men of the world4 ,it is1 however1 an   
easy matter to condemn the writings of  
any man2 but when a ,protestant         
theologian publicly finds fault with    
,eugene ,sue1 or any other writer       
against ,popery1 it is reasonable to    
expect him to supply something better of

 his own4 ,a good anecdote is told of   
,margaret1 ,governess of the            
,netherlands4 ,when ,luther first       
commenced writing against ,popery1 he   
handled the ,pope and his ,jesuit       
priests rather roughly2 he knew them of 
his own knowledge1 just as ,i do myself4
 ,margaret upon one occasion had around 
her some of her courtiers1 who were     
chatting most politely and courteously1 
and commenting on the inelegance and    
uncourtliness of many of the expressions
 used by ,luther in his writings4       
,margaret1 suddenly turning round1 asked
 one of the most garrulous and verbose  
amongst them1 ,who is this ,martin      
,luther8 ,he is1 replied the courtier1 a
 rough and uncouth man1 and from the    
coarseness of his language1 ,i should   
suppose he was an ignorant man4 ,yes1 he
 is1 exclaimed the whole circle of      
exquisite theologians and fashionables4 
,i am glad of it1 replied ,margaret4    
,you are learned men1 possessing refined
 minds1 and no doubt you will give us   

something better than he has written4 ,i
 wish you would do so as soon as        
possible1 and furnish me a copy of your 
production4 ,can the sapient critics to 
whom ,i have been alluding take a hint8 
,eugene ,sue understands much better the
 strength and power he has to contend   
with1 than our ,american theologians do4
 ,if ,i estimate them correctly1 or if  
it be proper to judge of all by any one 
of them1 ,i would say they know nothing 
whatever of the strength of ,popery4 ,i 
recollect having recently seen and read 
a speech delivered by a distinguished   
member of the ,christian ,alliance1 at a
 meeting held in ,boston1 and the       
following passage in that speech made so
 vivid an impression on my mind1 that ,i
 have not forgotten it since2 nor could 
,i help inferring that if the speaker   
were a fair sample of the whole1 they   
formed a very incorrect estimate of the 
power of that wily enemy to civil       
rights1 the ,pope of ,rome4 ,the        
following are literally the words of the

 speaker to which ,i allude3 ,i thought 
the ,pope was a man of learning1 but he 
aint2 he's a granny4 ,this sentiment1   
and the mode of expressing it1 may be   
satisfactory to the learned gentleman   
who uttered it1 but to one who may be   
entirely indifferent1 it is a much      
stronger evidence of the grannyism of   
the speaker1 than of the ,pope4 ,i refer
 to this with no other view than to show
 how unacquainted some ,american        
theologians are with ,popery1 in every  
shape and form4 ,this gentleman should  
know that if the ,pope were a granny1 it
 would be no argument against ,popery1  
or any preventive of the evils with     
which it threatens us4 ,suppose a       
meeting of citizens were held1 on the   
subject of our difficulties with ,great 
,britain1 we can easily fancy some      
spouter to rise in his place and say1   
,we have nothing to dread from that     
nation2 the ,queen is but a silly woman2
 she is but a mere granny4 ,would not   
any sensible man at the meeting advise  

this spouter to sit down1 and no longer 
intrude upon their time by such         
nonsense8 ,it might be known to the     
meeting1 that the government of ,england
 was not managed by the ,queen1 but by  
her ,cabinet1 composed of men well      
versed in the science of diplomacy and  
government intrigues4 ,it is immaterial 
whether the sovereign of ,england is in 
her cradle1 flirting at a ball1 or in   
her dotage--the power of ,england is not
 the less to be dreaded4  ,had our      
,american theologians as much worldly   
tact1 and knowledge1 as they have of    
single mindedness and true piety1 they  
might easily know1 that it is a matter  
of perfect indifference1--so far as the 
power of ,rome is concerned1--whether   
the ,pope be a granny or a sage4 ,the   
affairs of his court are managed by     
unprincipled1 crafty1 and licentious    
men1 who thirst for power and patronage4
 ,they are not without friends in this  
country4 ,many fear them1 politicians   
sympathize with them1 and they are      

gaining ground1 in spite of the friends 
of liberty in the ,united ,states4 ,but 
let not the friends of freedom or of    
religion despair4 ,popish influence     
cannot long prevail over the good sense 
and cool reflection of our ,protestant  
people4 ,no man has ever measured the   
strength and dangers of ,popery more    
accurately that ,eugene ,sue4 ,he knows 
that ,popery has in view1 not           
exclusively the propagation of its      
religion1 but also the increase of its  
wealth and temporal dominion4 ,it is    
accomplishing both1 in the ,united      
,states1 while it is losing the latter1 
in every other country in the world2 and
 it is my deliberate opinion1 that if   
,eugene ,sue and ,michelet1 were put    
into the hands of every ,american who   
can read1 they would do more towards    
shutting up the floodgates of ,popery1  
which are now open upon this country1   
than any other means we could adopt     
towards effecting so desirable an       
object4 ,americans may suppose--and it  

will be extremely difficult to persuade 
them to the contrary--that however the  
,popish ,church may succeed in          
propagating her religion amongst them1  
she can never get possession--at least  
to any extent--of their property or     
temporal power4 ,in this they are       
mistaken--egregiously mistaken4  ,i beg 
leave to lay before my readers one      
instance--and let this one suffice for  
all--of the secret and fraudulent       
manner1 in which the ,church of ,rome1  
through her agents1 is gaining power and
 acquiring property in the ,united      
,states4  ,i had the honor1 a few weeks 
ago1 of receiving a letter from the     
,hon4--------1 an eminent and           
distinguished member of the             
,philadelphia ,bar1 of which the        
following is a copy3   ,philadelphia1   
,nov4 #adth1 #ahde4 ,to ,wm4 ,hogan1    
,esq4  ,i make no apology for troubling 
you with this communication1 having read
 your books and thereby perceived that  
you are willing to serve the cause of   

truth and justice4  ,a suit has been    
instituted against the county of        
,philadelphia1 by a ,society calling    
themselves the ,brothers of the ,order  
of ,hermits of ,st4 ,augustine1 to      
recover damages--laid in the            
declaration1 at one hundred thousand    
dollars--for the destruction of the     
church of ,st4 ,augustine of this city4 
,the ,act of ,assembly1 upon which the  
suit is founded1 gives the remedy to the
 owners of the property1 and it is a    
part of my duty1 in defending this suit1
 to see that the suit is brought by the 
rightful persons1 as a recovery by the  
wrong ones1 would not bar those justly  
entitled1 in a second action4 ,you      
perceive1 therefore1 that it becomes    
important to know who these ,brothers   
are4 ,i have searched the records of    
their enrolment in vain for their       
charter and deeds4 ,none are to be      
found1 and indeed everything in relation
 to them is involved in such mystery    
that it is difficult to get along4  ,as 

you resided a long time in the city and 
were1 doubtless1 intimate with some of  
the parties1 would you do me the favor  
to enlighten me on the following points8
  #a4 ,who are the ,brothers of the     
,order of ,hermits of ,st4 ,augustine8  
by whom instituted8 are they enabled to 
hold property8  #b4 ,what property and  
estate do they hold8 ,i perceive that1  
in #ahbj1 they were composed of the     
following persons2 ,michael ,hurley2    
,prince ,galligzen1 ,catholic pastor at 
,bedford1 ,pennsylvania2 ,lewis         
,debarth1 pastor of ,st4 ,mary's        
,philadelphia2 ,patrick ,kenney1 pastor 
at ,coffee ,run1 ,chester county1       
,pennsylvania2 and ,j4 ,b4 ,holland1    
pastor at ,lancaster1 ,pennsylvania4    
,did any of these churches belong to    
this ,order8 and if so1 which of them8  
#c4 ,it has been often said that the    
,pope was the real owner of the         
,catholic churches in the ,united       
,states4 ,is that true8 and if so1 how  
shall ,i be able to prove this upon the 

trial of the cause8  #d4 ,it has been   
confidently asserted1 that this ,order  
of ,hermits1 is confined to             
ecclesiastical duties1 and is prohibited
 from holding real estate4 ,is this     
true1 and if so1 how shall ,i be able to
 prove it8 ,an early answer1 if it suits
 your convenience1 will much oblige     
yours1------66666   ,we see1 from the   
above letter1 the modus operandi of the 
,romish ,church in acquiring temporal   
power in this country4 ,it is an axiom1 
and one as well understood by ,americans
 as any other people in the world1 that 
money is power1 and ,papists understand 
it equally well4 ,these artful          
encroachers upon liberty1 are not       
deceived in the effects which must      
result from the possession of property4 
,give them money1 give them real estate1
 give them space and room for their     
followers1 and they will ask no more    
from ,americans1--the rest they will    
have in spite of them4  ,i would call   
the attention of any intelligent        

,american1 to the above letter4 ,i wish 
he would sit down with me and calculate1
 for a moment1 the probable amount of   
property which the ,popish ,church now  
owns in the ,united ,states4 ,in        
,philadelphia1 one church possessed by  
an individual member of a comparatively 
obscure order of friars1 is estimated to
 be worth one hundred thousand dollars4 
,let us suppose that this order of      
friars owns or claims ownership to fifty
 such churches in the single ,state of  
,pennsylvania4 ,that would give the     
,order of ,hermits of ,st4 ,augustine   
five million dollars' worth of property 
in ,pennsylvania alone1 without even    
taking into consideration the           
appurtenances and real estate belonging 
to these churches2 and if we admit that 
the ,brothers of the ,order of ,hermits1
 own far themselves1 or as the ,pope's  
agents1 property worth five millions of 
dollars in ,pennsylvania1 what must be  
the amount owned by other different     
orders of friars1 priests1 and ,jesuits1

 in that ,state8 ,the amount1 if        
correctly estimated1 would baffle my    
limited powers of calculation4 ,but     
,pennsylvania is not the only state in  
the ,union where ,popish friars and     
priests are getting possession of real  
estate4 ,they own millions upon         
millions' worth of property in almost   
every slate in the ,union1 but          
especially in ,maryland1 ,louisiana1    
,south ,carolina1 ,ohio1 ,new ,york1 and
 ,massachusetts4 ,but it will be said1  
and ,i have heard it said in ,boston1   
that the ,popish ,church cannot possibly
 own much property without the knowledge
 of our citizens1 and can consequently  
acquire no influence of any amount from 
that source4 ,there again ,americans are
 deceived1 and literally1 as we term it1
 gulled by the ,church of ,rome4 ,this  
is exemplified in the case alluded to in
 the above letter4 ,there were but few  
in ,philadelphia1--if any besides       
,popish priests1--who knew even of the  
existence of such an ,order as that of  

the ,brothers of ,st4 ,augustine4 ,i    
have searched in vain1 says my          
correspondent1 for an enrolment of their
 charter4 ,there was no record of it to 
be found2 yet the ,order exists1 and    
lays claim to damages amounting to one  
hundred thousand dollars1 for the       
burning of a church1 which forms but a  
fraction of that property which they    
allege to be their own4 ,in vain do we  
examine our tax books1 to ascertain the 
amount of property claimed as belonging 
to the ,popish ,church4 ,we may look    
them over till the day of judgment and  
not be the wiser4 ,millions are now     
owned in the single city of ,boston by  
the ,popish ,church1 of which the       
,bostonians1 with all their shrewdness1 
have not the remotest idea4 ,it is owned
 under cover1 under fictitious names1   
and otherwise4 ,it may be regularly     
appraised2 its taxes may be regularly   
paid1 but who it belongs to1 or who has 
the beneficial interest of it1 is what  
cannot be known until the arrival of the

 time when the law requires1 and        
imperatively demands1 that a legal      
ownership should be established1 as     
happens to be the case in ,philadelphia4
  ,it will be asked what reply ,i have  
made to my correspondent in             
,philadelphia4 ,i answer none at all2 at
 least ,i have made none to the         
questions propounded to me4 ,it may     
farther be asked1 why not8 ,it is for   
the very reason which my correspondent  
assigns for propounding his questions to
 me4 ,i wish to serve the cause of truth
 and justice1 but ,i have no desire to  
interfere in party questions1 except in 
the way of my profession1 on the        
emolument of which ,i am chiefly        
dependent for the means of subsistence4 
,were ,i to pause1 in the course of my  
opposition to ,popery1 and turn aside to
 interfere in particular cases of       
controversy1 ,i should soon lose the    
influence which ,i may now have in      
advancing the moral interest of the     
community at large4 ,i should soon be   

considered1 not the friend of abstract  
truth and justice1 but a party barrator1
 unworthy the confidence and respect of 
my fellow citizens4 ,there is1 besides1 
another reason for not yielding to the  
wishes of my respected correspondent ,i 
have resided1 as he himself states1 for 
some years in ,philadelphia1 and never  
have ,i ceased1 during that time1 to    
warn its inhabitants against the        
encroachments of ,popery amongst them4  
,but they heeded not my warning1 and    
permitted the ,papists of that city to  
heap upon me the grossest abuse that man
 ever endured4 ,i have1 over and over   
again1 appealed to the ,protestant      
inhabitants of ,philadelphia1 to come to
 my aid in my efforts to guard their    
religion and civil rights against the   
rapacious and impious efforts of the    
,court of ,rome to destroy and rob them 
of both4 ,i have offered them my        
personal services gratis for five years1
 if they would supply me with a church  
or pulpit1 where ,i could preach and    

protest against the following doctrines2
 viz41 ,auricular ,confessions1 the     
,supremacy of the ,pope of ,rome1 the   
,popish ,latin ,mass1 and the idolatrous
 doctrine of ,transubstantiation4 ,i    
made this offer through one or two of   
the public presses in ,philadelphia1 but
 the offer was entirely rejected by     
some1 and coldly received by others4    
,here ,i must state--though with great  
regret--that not a single ,protestant   
clergyman1 of any denomination whatever1
 either in ,philadelphia or elsewhere in
 the ,united ,states1 offered me his    
pulpit1 his aid1 or his counsel4 ,the   
doctrines1 which ,i was willing to      
maintain then1 were precisely those     
which ,john ,ronge is disseminating in  
,germany2 and there is not a ,protestant
 clergyman in that country1 who would   
withhold from him the use of his pulpit1
 or his influence1 in so holy a cause as
 that in which he is engaged4 ,but ,i   
can see a shade of difference1 and not a
 very slight one1 between ,german and   

,american ,protestants4 ,the heart of a 
,german ,protestant can be approached1  
through the medium of his understanding 
and conceptions of his moral            
obligations2 that of an ,american       
,protestant1 in many instances1 can be  
touched only through his pocket4 ,there 
is a sort of magnetic communication1 or 
something else1 between gold and the    
souls of some ,american ,protestants4   
,solomon says that money can do all     
things2 and had he alluded to this      
country alone1 the saying of the wise   
man would have been doubly true4  ,but  
happily a change seems to have come over
 the spirits of our ,protestant         
,christians4 ,they are coming up to the 
work of gospel labor with a noble zeal4 
,there is but one voice among them on   
the subject of ,popery1 and may that    
voice be heard throughout the four      
corners of the globe4 ,down with the    
,pope ,down with ,popery6 and may the   
,god of mercy save and convert the poor 
deluded ,papists4 ,i believe ,i am safe 

in saying that there is not at present  
an evangelical clergyman in the ,united 
,states1 who would refuse the use of his
 pulpit or church to any individual1    
properly qualified to expose the errors 
and idolatries of the ,popish church4 ,i
 have had1 myself1 applications from    
some of the most eminent men in the     
,orthodox church in this country1 to    
preach and lecture from their pulpits1  
and should most cordially have accepted 
the friendly offer1 if my feeble state  
for the last few months1 had not        
entirely forbidden it4 ,the same cause  
also at present forbids it4  ,i have    
here digressed from the purpose of this 
volume4 ,but the ,subject towards which 
the digression is made1 is of too much  
importance to be fairly discussed within
 the limits of any digression1 however  
wide or extensive it may be4 ,it is one 
which must soon occupy the serious      
attention of our most talented and best 
informed ,christian writers4 ,it demands
 the consideration of all who understand

 the blasting influence of ,popery upon 
the morals of the rising genera-4 tion4 
,protestant theologians must come up to 
the work2 they must open their churches1
 and pulpits1 and lend their influence  
and their talents to put down ,popery1  
or ,popery will put them down4 ,nor let 
them suppose that when ,i charge them   
with apathy in this good cause1 ,i am   
indulging any feelings of personal      
disappointment1 or moved by any fitful1 
fretful1 or angry thoughts towards them4
 ,on the contrary1 it is because ,i     
entertain no such sentiments1 that ,i   
speak with freedom of things as they    
once struck me4 ,i should be as silent  
as the grave on the subject1 were it in 
the power of any man living to attribute
 to me pecuniary or interested motives4 
,but to return to the point from which  
we have1 in a measure1 digressed4 ,such 
is the deception practised upon ,roman  
,catholics1 through the confessional1 by
 their church1 priests and their agents1
 that they 7the ,catholics7 will not    

believe the plainest truths1 unless     
sanctioned by them4 ,i have often known 
them to discredit the testimony of their
 own senses1 and ,i have now before me a
 case in point1 confirming this almost  
incredible assertion4 ,it appears that  
some time ago1 when much anxiety was    
manifested in ,england and elsewhere1 in
 regard to the alleged destitute        
condition of the ,irish tenantry1 the   
,london ,times accused ,o',connell1 the 
,pope's agent in ,ireland1 of being     
himself one of the most oppressive      
landlords1 and reducing his tenants to  
the most wretched condition4 ,this was a
 serious charge against the ,pope's     
vicegerent ,it could not1 it must not be
 admitted4 ,it will be recollected by   
the reader1 that ,o',connell and the    
,popish priests of ,ireland have been   
for years1 without any intermission     
whatever1 accusing ,protestant landlords
 and ,protestant clergymen of oppressing
 their tenants1 and reducing them to the
 very extreme of want and penury4 ,the  

proprietors of the ,london ,times1 aided
 by several philanthropic ,protestant   
gentlemen1 resolved to send over to     
,ireland a few gentlemen of known       
veracity1 to ascertain the truth or     
falsehood of this serious accusation4   
,they accordingly entered upon the      
discharge of their duty1 proceeded      
forthwith to ,ireland1 and reported the 
condition of affairs just as they found 
them4 ,according to their report1 the   
charge against ,protestant landlords had
 no foundation in fact1 and was         
pronounced in the ,times to be utterly  
groundless4 ,no sooner had the ,times   
reached the ,island of ,saints1 than the
 whole body of saints1 angeles1 and     
archangels--by whom we are to understand
 ,popish priests1 bishops1 and          
archbishops--rose in a body1 together   
with their presses1 pamphleteers1       
periodicals1 c1 and pronounced the      
statement of the commissioners a base   
falsehood1 and the ,times itself a vile 
and scurrilous press4 ,the proprietors  

of the ,times and their friends were    
not1 however1 to be put down by this    
bullying2 they were not to be put down  
by this shameless beggar1 inflated      
gascon and traitor1 ,o',connell4 ,they  
proposed to ,o',connell to send over six
 gentlemen1 to meet any six whom he and 
his ,popish friends might appoint1 to   
examine the condition of the tenants    
upon ,o',connell's own estate1 taking   
that as a fair and most impartial       
specimen of the condition of the ,irish 
tenantry4 ,nothing fairer than this     
could be offered4 ,surely1 if all the   
misery of the ,irish tenantry were      
fairly to be attributed to the          
,protestant church and ,protestant      
landlords1 no portion of it could be    
found on those estates owned and held by
 ,roman ,catholics4 ,but what was the   
course of ,o',connell upon this         
occasion8 ,he called a meeting of the   
saints1 angels1 and archangels1 and laid
 before them the proposal of the ,times2
 but lo6 and behold6 he and they shrank 

from the proposition4 ,on the receipt of
 their refusal1 a competent individual  
was sent from the ,times' office1 to    
accompany the commissioners back to     
,ireland1 and to take note of what they 
saw in presence of ,mr4 ,o',connell1 or 
any of his friends whom he might        
appoint4 ,the commissioners proceeded to
 the estate of ,mr4 ,o',connell1 in the 
county of ,kerry1 ,ireland4 ,they spent 
three days walking over it1 going into  
every cottage and making personal       
inquiries4 ,the result was published in 
the ,times of ,december #beth1 #ahde4   
,it speaks for itself1 and cannot fail  
to be satisfactory to any man of truth  
and honor4 ,the first day1 the          
commissioners were accompanied by an    
agent of ,mr4 ,hartop1 under whom ,mr4  
,o',connell holds some lands as a       
middleman4 ,the second day they were    
accompanied from ,valentia by ,mr4      
,o',conner's own steward1 throughout the
 whole of their inspection4 ,the third  
day they were accompanied by one of     

,o',connell's sons1 ,morris ,o',connell4
 ,they inspected his father's estates   
from ,waterville to ,derrynane ,beg4 ,at
 ,ardcara1--a town land which ,mr4      
,o',connell holds on a lease of his own 
life1 and sublets to a middleman1--the  
condition of the huts was perfectly     
horrible4 ,the commissioners thus       
conclude their report upon the condition
 of the poor tenantry on the lands of   
,daniel ,o',connell1 the great liberator
 of ,ireland--he who is sacrificing his 
time1 his fortune1 for the amelioration 
of the condition of mankind at large1   
but especially the ,irish4 ,it is with  
difficulty ,i can restrain a tear of    
sorrow1 while ,i read the report which  
is given of the poor creatures who are  
the tenants of this cold-blooded        
hypocrite1 ,o',connell4 ,i can already  
fancy the impatience of my readers to   
hear the conclusion of it ,here it is4  
,listen to it1 ,i pray you1 ,american   
,protestants4 ,hear it1 you             
simple-hearted ,irishmen in the ,united 

,states1 who have contributed thousands 
and tens of thousands to support in     
luxury this heartless impostor1         
,o',connell4 ,we have8 say the          
commissioners1 been all over ,england1  
,scotland1 ,wales1 and ,ireland1 and we 
declare solemnly1 that in no part of the
 ,united ,kingdom is such neglected     
wretchedness1 such filth1 such squalor1 
such misery of every kind1 to be seen1  
as we saw on ,mr4 ,o' ,connell's estate1
 in the presence of his son1 ,morris    
,o',connell4  ,there was a law among the
 ,athenians1 which provided that he who 
accused another of crime1 and failed to 
substantiate or make good the           
accusation1 should forfeit his head4    
,some doubted the wisdom of this law2   
but there was one good in it which no   
man can question4 ,it showed that he who
 accused another justly1 was a man of   
principle1 bold and intrepid in the     
cause of truth and justice4 ,it showed1 
besides1 that the crime of false        
swearing1 or falsely accusing another1  

was looked upon as a crime hateful in   
its character1 and of the utmost        
magnitude4  ,if this old ,athenian law  
were in force in ,ireland1 where now    
would be the head of ,o',connell8 ,just 
where it ought to be1 on the point of a 
spear at the top of some steeple1 where 
the passer-by might point at it and say1
 there is the head of ,daniel           
,o',connell1 the false accuser of his   
,protestant countrymen4 ,where would be 
the heads of the ,roman ,catholic       
,bishops and ,archbishops of ,ireland8  
,where would be the heads of ,bishops   
,hughes of ,new ,york1 ,fenwick of      
,boston1 ,purcel of ,cincinnati1 and the
 other ,popish bishops of this country1 
who accuse ,american ,protestants1 and  
their clergymen1 of persecuting ,roman  
,catholics8 ,they might be found rolling
 in the dust4  ,we should thank ,heaven 
that no such law is to be found under   
the sanction of our free ,constitution4 
,but1 though these men do not legally   
forfeit their heads1 they lose all claim

 to the respect and confidence of every 
man of veracity and honor in any        
country4 ,what now must be thought of   
the veracity of ,o',connell1 the        
would-be ,liberator of ,ireland8 ,what  
must an ,american ,christian think of   
those ,popish bishops1 who vouch for the
 truth of ,o',connell's statements8 ,i  
know not1 but my mind has long since    
been formed and long since frankly      
expressed4 ,they may not1 perhaps1 be   
worse than others similarly situated1   
but the position of these men1 in this  
country at least1 renders them1 morally 
and politically1 iniquitous1 and        
,americans should keep a watchful eye on
 them4 ,americans are not a very        
suspicious people2 freemen are seldom   
so4 ,but let not even freemen ever      
forget1 that the world is governed by   
men1 and that men are governed by their 
passions and interests4 ,it is          
peculiarly the duty of the citizens of  
the ,united ,states1 to observe closely1
 the movements of ,o',connell and ,irish

 priests among them4  ,there are many of
 the latter mixed up with ,americans1   
and exercising a mighty influence over  
their political destinies2 and it is the
 business of our laws to restrain them4 
,inquiries are now being made1 to       
ascertain how far the governments of    
,europe are interfering with our        
,republican ,institutions4 ,some        
movements to that effect have recently  
been made in ,congress1 and ,i beg to   
assure him who has originated this      
inquiry1 that if he perseveres and      
carries it through1 he will find that   
there is not in ,europe1 a monarchical  
power1 or a ,popish power1 under        
whatever name it may appear1 that is not
 engaged in endeavoring to overthrow    
this ,republic ,they have been planning 
this for years1 and finding that all    
other means were likely to prove        
inefficacious1 they have concluded to   
introduce a ,trojan horse into the      
citadel of our liberties1 taking good   
care to fill it with ,popish traitors   

fully armed and equipped4  ,the limits  
of this volume do not permit me to dwell
 farther on this subject1 but graviora  
manent4