Thus, it has taken more than twelve hundred years of efforts for Satan to bring out that master-piece of his inventions to conquer the world and destroy the souls of men.
Little by little, that imposture had crept into the world, just as the shadows of a stormy night creep without any one being able to note the moment when the first rays of light give way before the dark clouds. We know very well when the sun was shining, we know when it was very dark all over the world, but no one can tell positively when the first ray of light faded away. So saith the Lord:
"The Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.
"But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
"But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, there appeared the tares also.
"So the servants of the house-holder came and said unto him: Sir, dist not thou sow good seed in the field? From whence then hath it tares?
"He said unto them: The enemy hath done this." (Mat. xiii, 24-28.)
Yes, the Good Master tells us that the enemy sowed those tares in his field during the night--when men were sleeping.
But he does not tell us precisely the hour of the night when the enemy cast the tares among the wheat.
If any one likes to know how fearfully dark was the night which covered the "Kingdom," and how cruel, implacable and savage was the enemy who sowed the tares, let him read the testimony of the most devoted and learned cardinal whom Rome has ever had, Baronius, Annals, Anno 900:
"It is evident that one can scarcely believe what unworthy, base, execrable and abominable things the holy Apostolical See, which is the pivot upon which the whole Catholic Church revolves, was forced to endure, when princes of the age, though Christians, arrogated to themselves the election of the Roman Pontiffs. Alas, the shame! alas, the grief! What monsters, horrible to behold, were then intruded on the Holy See! What evils ensued!
What tragedies they perpatrated! With what pollutions was this See, though itself without spot, then stained! With what corruptions infected! _With what filthiness defiled! And by these things blackened with perpetual infamy!_ (Baronius, Annals, Anno 900.)
"Est plane, ut vix aliquis credat, immo, nec vix quidem sit crediturus, nisi suis inspiciat ipse oculis, manibusque contractat, quam indigna, quamque turpia, atque deformia, execranda, insuper et abominanda sit coacta pati sacrosancta apostolica sedes, in cujus cardine universa Ecclesia catholica vert.i.tur, c.u.m principes saeculi hujus, quantumlibet christiani, hac tamen ex parte dicendi tyranni saevissimi, arrogaverunt sibi tirannice electionem Romanorum pontific.u.m. Quot tunc ab eis, proh pudor! proh dolor!
in eandem sedem, angelis reverandam, visu horrenda intrusa sunt monstra!
Quot ex eis oborta sunt mala, consummatae tragediae! Quibus tunc ipsam sine macula et sine ruga contigit aspergi sordibus, putoribus infici, quinati spurcitiis, ex hisque perpetua infamia denigrari!"
CHAPTER X.
G.o.d COMPELS THE CHURCH OF ROME TO CONFESS THE ABOMINATIONS OF AURICULAR CONFESSION.
Romish priests will resort to various means in order to deceive the people on the immorality resulting from auricular confession. One of their favorite stratagems is to quote some disconnected pa.s.sages from theologians, recommending caution on the part of the priest in questioning his penitents on delicate subjects, should he see or apprehend any danger for the latter of being shocked by his questions. True, there are such prudent theologians, who seem to realize more than others the real danger for the priest in confession. But those wise counsellors resemble very much a father who would allow his child to put his fingers in the fire while advising him to be cautious lest he should burn his fingers. There is just as much wisdom in the one case as there would be in the other. Or what would you say of a brutal parent casting a young, weak, and inexperienced boy among wild beasts, with the foolish and cruel expectation that his prudence might save him from all injury?
Such theologians may be perfectly honest in giving such advice, although it is anything but wise or reasonable. But those are far from being honest or true who contend that the Church of Rome, in commanding every one to confess all his sins to the priests, has made an exception in favor of sins against chast.i.ty. This is only so much dust thrown in the eyes of ignorant people to prevent them from seeing through the frightful mysteries of confession.
When the council of Latran decided that every adult, of either s.e.x, should confess all their sins to a priest, at least once a year, there was no provision made for any special cla.s.s of sins, not even for those committed against modesty or purity. And the council of Trent, when ratifying or renewing the previous decision, no exception was made, either, of the sins in question. They were expected and had to be confessed, as all other sins.
The law of both councils is still unrepealed and binding for all sins, without any exception. It is imperative, absolute; and every good Catholic, man or woman, must submit to it by confessing _all_ his or her sins at least once a year.
I have in my hand Butler"s Catechism, approved by several bishops of Quebec. On page 61, it reads that all penitents should examine themselves on the capital sins, and confess them "all, without exception, under penalty of eternal d.a.m.nation."
Therefore, the young and timid girl, the chaste and modest woman must think of shameful deeds and fill their minds with impure ideas, in order to confess to an unmarried man whatever they may be guilty of, however repugnant may be to them such confession, or dangerous for the priest who is bound to hear, and even demand it. No one is exempt from the loathsome and often polluting task. Both priest and penitent are required and compelled to go through the fiery ordeal of contamination and shame. They are bound, on every particular, the one to ask, and the other to answer, under penalty of eternal d.a.m.nation.
Such is the rigorous, inflexible law of the Church of Rome with regard to confession. It is taught not only in works on theology or from the pulpit, but in prayer-books and various other religious publications. It is so deeply impressed in the minds of Romanists as to have become a part of their religion. Such is the law which the priest himself has to obey, and which puts his penitents at his own discretion.
But there are husbands with a jealous disposition, who would little fancy the idea of bachelors confessing their wives, if they knew exactly what questions they have to answer in confession. There are fathers and mothers who don"t like much to see their daughters alone with a man, behind a curtain, and who would certainly tremble for their honor and virtue if they knew all the abominable mysteries of confession. It is necessary, therefore, to keep the people, as much as possible, in ignorance, and prevent light from reaching that empire of darkness, the confessional. In that view, confessors are advised to be cautious "on those matters;" to "broach these questions in a sort of covert way, and with the greatest reserve." For it is very desirable "not to shock modesty, neither frighten the penitent nor grieve her." "Sins, however, _must_ be confessed."
Such is the prudent advice given to the confessor on certain occasions. In the hands or under the command of Liguori, Father Gury, Scavani, or other casuists, the priest is a sort of general, sent, with his army, during the night, to storm a citadel or a strong position, having for order to operate cautiously and before daylight. His mission is one of darkness and cunning, violence and cruelty; for when the pope commands, the priest, as his loyal soldier, must be ready to obey. But many a time, after the place has been captured by dint of strategy and secrecy, the poor soldier is left, badly wounded and completely disabled, on the battle-field. He has paid dearly for his victory; and the conquered citadel has received an injury from which it may never recover. But the crafty priest has gained his point: he has succeeded in persuading his lady penitent that there was no impropriety, that it was even necessary for them to have a parley on things that made her blush a few moments before. She is so well convinced that she would swear that there is nothing wrong in confession. Truly this is a fulfilment of the words:
"Abyssus abyssum invocat."
Have the Romish theologians Gury, Scavani, Liguori, etc., ever been honest enough, in their works on confession, to say that the Most Holy G.o.d could never command or require woman to degrade and pollute herself and the priest in pouring in the ear of a frail and sinful mortal, words unfit even for an angel? No; they were very careful not to say so; for from that very moment, their shameless lies would have been exposed; the stupendous but weak structure of auricular confession would fall to the ground with sad havoc and ruin to its upholders. Men and women would open their eyes, and see its weakness and fallacy. "If G.o.d," they might say, "can forgive our most grievous sins, against modesty, he can and will certainly do the same with those of less gravity; therefore there is no necessity or occasion for us to confess to a priest."
But those shrewd casuists know too well that by such frank confession, they would soon lose their hold on Catholic populations, especially on women, by whom, through confession, they rule the world. They much prefer to keep their gripe on benighted minds, frightened consciences, and trembling souls. No wonder, then, that they fully endorse and confirm the decisions of the councils of Latran and Trent ordering "that all sins must be confessed such as G.o.d knows them." No wonder that they try their best or worst to overcome the natural repugnance of women for making such confessions, and to conceal the terrible dangers for the priests in hearing the same.
But G.o.d, in His infinite mercy, and for the sake of truth, has compelled, as it were, the Church of Rome to acknowledge the moral dangers and corrupting tendencies of auricular confession. In His eternal wisdom, he knew that Roman Catholics would close their ears to whatever might be said of the demoralizing influence of that inst.i.tution; that they would even reply with insult and fallacy to the words of truth kindly addressed to them: as the Jews of old returned hatred and insult to the good Saviour who was bringing to them the glad tidings of a free salvation. He knew that Romish devotees, led astray by their priests, as were the poor blinded Jews, would call the apostles of truth liars, seducers, possessed of the devil, as Christ was constantly called a demoniac, an impostor, and finally put to death by his false accusers.
But G.o.d, just as compa.s.sionate now as he was then for the poor benighted and deluded souls, has wrought a real miracle to open the eyes of their minds, and compel them, as it were, to believe us, when we say, on his authority, that auricular confession was invented by Satan to ruin both the priest and his female penitents, for time and eternity. For, what we would never have dared to say of ourself to the Roman Catholics with regard to what frequently happens between their priests and their wives and daughters, either during or after confession, G.o.d has constrained the Church of Rome to acknowledge herself in revealing things that would have seemed incredible had they come simply from our mouth or our pen. In this, as in other instances, that apostate church has unwittingly been the mouth-piece of G.o.d for the accomplishment of his great and merciful ends.
Listen to the questions that the Church of Rome, through her theologians, puts to every priest after he has heard the confession of your wives or daughters:
1. "_Nonne inter audiendas confessiones quasdam proposui questiones circa s.e.xtum decalogi praeceptum c.u.m intentione lubidinosa?_" (Miroir du Clerge, p. 582.)
While hearing confessions, have I not asked questions on sins against the sixth (the seventh in the Decalogue) commandment with the intention of satisfying my evil pa.s.sions?
Such is the man, O mothers and daughters, to whom you dare to unbosom the most secret as well as the most shameful actions. You kneel down at his feet and whisper in his ear your most intimate thoughts and desires, and your most polluting deeds; because your church, by dint of cunning and sophistry, has succeeded in persuading you that there was no impropriety or danger in doing so; that the man whom you chose for your spiritual guide and confident could never be tempted or tainted by such foul recitals. But that same church, through some mysterious providences, is made to acknowledge, in her own books, her own lies. In spite of herself, she admits that there is real danger in confession, both for the woman and for the priest; that willingly or otherwise, and sometimes both unawares, they lay for each other dangerous snares. The Church of Rome, as if she had an evil conscience for allowing her priest to hold such close and secret converse with a woman, on such delicate subjects, keeps, as it were, a watchful eye on him while the poor misguided woman is pouring in his ear the filthy burthen of her soul; and as soon as she is off, questions the priest as to the purity of his motives, the honesty of his intentions in putting the requisite questions. Have you not, she asks him immediately, under the pretence of helping that woman in her confession, put to her certain questions simply in order to gratify your l.u.s.t, and with the object of satisfying your evil propensities?
2. "_Nonne munus audiendi confessione suscepi, aut peregi ex prava incontinentiae appeta?_" (Idem, p. 582.)
Have I not repaired to the confessional and heard confessions with the intention of gratifying my evil pa.s.sions?
O, ye women, who tremble like slaves at the feet of the priests, you sometimes admire the patience and charity of those good (?) priests, who are willing to spend so many long and tedious hours in hearing the confession of your secret sins; and you hardly know how to express your grat.i.tude for so much kindness and charity. But hush! Listen to the voice of G.o.d speaking to the conscience of the priest, through the Church of Rome! "Have you not" she asks him, "heard the confession of women simply to foster or gratify the groveling pa.s.sions of your fallen nature and corrupt heart?"
Please notice, it is not I, or the enemies of your religion, who put to your priests the above questions: it is G.o.d himself who, in his pity and compa.s.sion, compels your own church to ask such questions; that your eyes may be opened, and that you may be rescued from all the dangerous obscenities and the humiliating and degrading slavery of auricular confession. It is G.o.d"s will to deliver you from such bondage and degradation. In his tender mercies, he has provided means to drag you out of that cess-pool called confession; to break the chains which bind you to the feet of a miserable and blasphemous sinner called confessor, who, under the presence of being able to pardon your sins, usurps the place of your Saviour and your G.o.d! For while you are whispering your sins in his ear, G.o.d says to him, through his church, in tones loud enough to be heard: "In hearing the confession of these women, are you not actuated by l.u.s.t, spurred by evil pa.s.sions?"
Is this not sufficient to warn you of the danger of auricular confession?
Can you now with any sense of safety or propriety, come to that priest, for whom your very confession may be a snare, a cause of fall or fearful temptation? Can you with a particle of honor or modesty willingly expose yourself to impure desires or shameful deeds? Can you, with any sort of womanly dignity consent to entrust that man with your inmost thoughts and desires, your most humiliating and secret actions, when you know that that man may not have any higher object in listening to your confession than a l.u.s.tful curiosity or a sinful desire of exciting his evil pa.s.sions?
3. "_Nonne ex auditis in confessiones occasionem sumpsi paenitentes utriusque s.e.xus ad peccandam sollicitandi?_" (Idem, p. 582)
Have I not availed myself of what I heard in confession to induce my penitents to commit sin?
I would run a great risk of being treated with the utmost contempt, should I dare to put to your priests such a question. You would very likely call me a scoundrel for daring to question the honesty and purity of such holy men. You would perhaps go as far as to contend that it is utterly impossible for them to be guilty of such sins as are alluded to in the above question; that never such shameful deeds have been perpetrated through confession. And you would, maybe, emphatically deny that your confessor has ever said or done anything that might lead you to sin or even commit any breach of propriety or modesty. You feel perfectly safe on that score, and see no danger to apprehend.
Let me tell you, good ladies, that you are altogether too confident and in the most fatal delusion. Your own church, through the merciful and warning voice of G.o.d speaking to the conscience of your own theologians, tells you that there is a real and eminent danger where you fancy yourself in perfect security. You may never have suspected the danger, but it is there, within the walls of the confessional; nay, more, it is lurking in your very hearts and that of your confessor. He may hitherto have refrained from temptations; he may, at least, have kept within the proper limits of outward morality or decency. But nothing warrants you that he may not be tempted; and nothing could shield you from his attempts on your virtue should he give way to temptation; as cases are not wanting to prove the truth of my a.s.sertion. You are sadly mistaken, in a false and dangerous security. You are perhaps, although unawares, on the very brink of a precipice, where so many have fallen through their blind confidence in their own strength or their confessor"s prudence and sanct.i.ty. Your own church is very anxious about your safety; she trembles for your innocence and purity. In her fear, she cautions the priest to be watchful over his wicked pa.s.sions and human frailty. How dare you pretend to be stronger and more holy? Why should you so wilfully imperil your chast.i.ty or modesty? Why expose yourself to danger, when it could be so easily avoided? How can you be so rash, so devoid of common prudence and modesty as to shamelessly put yourselves in a position to tempt and be tempted, and thereby incur your temporal and eternal perdition?
4. "_Nonne extra tribunal, vel in ipso confessionis actu, aliquia dixi aut egi c.u.m intentione diabolica has personas seducendi?_ (Idem, idem.)
Have I not, either during or after confession, done or said anything with a diabolical intention of seducing my female penitents?
"What arch-enemy of our holy religion is so bold and impious as to put to our saintly priests such an impudent and insulting question?" may ask some of our Roman Catholic readers. It is easy to answer. This great enemy of your religion is no less than a justly offended G.o.d, admonishing and reproving your priests for exposing both you and themselves to dangerous allurements and seductions. It is his voice speaking to their consciences, and warning them of the danger and corruption of auricular confession. It says to them: Beware! for ye might be tempted, as surely you will, to do or say something against honor and purity. Husbands and fathers, who rightly value the honor of your wives and daughters more than all treasures, who consider it too precious a boon to be exposed to the dangers of pollution, and who would prefer to lose your life a thousand times than to see those you love most on earth fall in the snares of the seducer, read once more and ponder what your church asks the priest after he has heard your wife or daughter in confession: "Have you not, either during or after confession, done or said anything with a diabolical intention of seducing your female penitents?"
If your priest remains deaf to these words addressed to his conscience, you cannot help giving heed to them and understanding their full significance.
You can not be easy and fear nothing from that priest in those close interviews with your wives and daughters, when his superiors and your own Church tremble for him, and question his purity and honesty. They see a great danger for both the confessor and his penitent; for they know that confession has many a time been the pretence or the cause of the most shameful seductions.
If there was no real danger for the chast.i.ty of women, in confessing to a man their most secret sins, do you believe that your popes and theologians would be so stupid as to acknowledge it and put to confessors questions that would be most insulting and out of place, should there be no occasion for them?