fess entire and inviolate to the last breath of their life. They are not allowed to hear Protestants preach or lecture, nor to read any of their writings, except such as may have received the sanction of their arrogant masters. They are not allowed to read the former doings of their Church, and most especially if it be written by a Protestant, or even by one of their own priests who has become disgusted by beholding the sins and iniquities practiced by the holy orders. And why are Catholics held under such restraint by their pope and priests? Is it not plainly to be seen that these rulers want to keep them in ignorance?

Protestants are at liberty to go and hear the Catholic priest mumble over his set forms in Latin, and see him go through the various rites and ceremonies which are calculated to dupe the ignorant flock, but neither to edify nor profit any one, for which reason they do not see fit to go oftener than merely to gratify their curiosity. They are also at liberty to read Catholic books, and thus learn how tenaciously the "Holy Fathers" still hold to many of the abuses and corruptions which crept into the mother Church during the dark ages, and which rendered her an abomination in the sight of heaven. But the

crafty priests would persuade their simple followers that they are not capable of seeing, hearing, reasoning, and knowing for themselves, because they are not learned. Yes, they keep their blindfolded followers in the dark, and instruct them not to come to the light, because they cannot see, and that to attempt it would only be to injure their eyes. Many of them have even learned to "love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." And how can we expect anything else than to see many members of that Church èven more wicked than those who make no profession at all? Need we marvel that this denomination is so largely represented in the prisons and houses of correction in our large cities? Nay, it is more strange that there are even so many honest ones among a people who are prohibited, as they are, from reading the Holy Scriptures, "which," Paul says, "are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." If any one doubts whether their Church does prohibit the reading of the Scriptures, even their own received translation, let him read their rules concerning prohibited books, of which the follow ing is an extract:—

"Since, by experiment it is manifest that if

the Holy Bible in the common tongue be universally and indiscrimately permitted, more harm than utility will thence arise, on account of the temerity of men-in this particular let it be determined by the judgment of the Bishop or Inquisitor-so that, with his counsel, the parish ministers or confessors can grant the reading of the Bible in the common tongue, translated by Catholic authors, to those who they shall have understood can, from reading of this kind, receive not loss but increase of faith and pietywhich license let them have in writing. But he who shall presume, without such license, to read or have the Bible, unless it first be given up to the ordinary, cannot receive absolution of sins.”

Pope Pius VII., in an epistle sent to the Archbishop of Poland, respecting the Bible societies, says: "We have been truly shocked at this most crafty device, by which the very foundations of religion are undermined. We have deliberated upon the measures proper to be adopted by our pontifical authority, in order to remedy and abolish this pestilence as far as possible— this defilement of the faith so imminently dangerous to souls. It becomes episcopal duty that you first of all expose the wickedness of this nefarious scheme. It is evident from experience

that the Holy Scriptures, when circulated in the vulgar tongue, have, through the temerity of men, produced more harm than benefit. Warn the people intrusted to your care, that they fall not into the snares prepared for their everlasting ruin."

Now, is it the ruination of souls, or the destruction of their own unholy traffic, that has so long kept, and still keeps the pope and bishops in a state of alarm at the spread of the Scriptures? If they are thus troubled lest some of their people, by reading the Bible, should fail to get a proper understanding of parts of it, and thus, by not fulfilling all its divine requirements, should lose their immortal souls, then why do they not use greater efforts to instruct them in its holy teachings? Why do they not inform them that it teaches that no drunkard nor unregenerate person can enter into the kingdom of heaven?—especially as there are so many drunkards among the lower order of persons in their Church? But, surely, they love these poor souls? Yes, they have the same love for them that the wolf has for the lamb. They love to see them coming up to the confessional with their earnings in their pockets.

But who ever heard of a priest making a busi

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ness of visiting the poor of his flock, and giving them good advice and kind instructions? "But," says a Catholic, "that would be beneath the dignity of the Holy Fathers."" True enoughwonder we had not thought of that. They have to consult with each other on matters of greater importance, when they find a time of leisure and convenience.

The "Right Reverend Fathers," of late, held a great Council at Rome, where, through the power of his Highness, Pope Pius IX., it has been declared to the world that the blessed Virgin Mary was conceived and born without any spots of original sin—a subject which has long been a matter of controversy in their Church. But now, although a period of almost two thousand years has elapsed since the Virgin Mary was born into the world, Pope Pius IX. has determined that she was immaculate-something never before known to a certainty. What need now of there being any further matters of dispute in the Church, since the infallible pontificate has so much increased in heavenly wisdom? But, does any one, except the most stupid and easily-duped of the Catholics, believe that Pope Pius IX. and his bishops are more holy and wise than any of the Fathers who lived before them? And if