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heaven, but not prayer. I know there is one advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous, who ever liveth to make intercession. That one is enough. But here we are told of another advocate on high—a mediatrix. And she prays to her son-mediates between him and sinners. What! Do we need a mediator between us and Christ? I always knew we needed a mediator between God and us; but I supposed we need go directly and immediately to Christ, since he is himself a mediator. Baraga says presently after, "thanks be to Mary, gracious mother, who ever prays for the conversion of the heathen." Now, if all this is not idolatry, I wish some body could tell me what idolatry is. I would as soon undertake to defend the worship of the golden calf as this.

Finally, what power these Catholic priests have! Protestant ministers are only "mighty through God." But the priests can succeed without that help. Father Senderl writes: "Young people of sixteen years, and not unfrequently older persons, have never confessed nor communed; (taken the half sacrament, I suppose he means.) I prepare them for both, and for confirmation." I prepare them! And another writes concerning Baraga, that he achieves wonders of salvation among the Ottawas.

This is a specimen of the religion which Prince Metternich & Co. our Austrian brethren, those dear lovers of liberty, are benevolently contributing to give us here in America. They are afraid that our free institutions will not be permanent unless they help us to prop them up with the Catholic religion! Timeo Metternich et dona ferentem. [I fear Metternich, even sending gifts.]

Popery.

53. Beauties of the Leopold Reports.

Puerility of the Catholic Religion.

What a puerile religion the Catholic religion is! How childish! How petty its cares! About what trifles it concerns itself! The Christian is truly "the highest style of man," but the consistent Catholic is not much above the lowest. Baraga writes as follows: "It would be of essential service to our missions, if there could be sent us cups, boxes for the holy wafer, rosaries, crucifixes-of the last two, as many as possible, for such articles cannot be bought here. How it is with church furniture and linen, you may easily think. Those given to me by pious persons are of great use to me, and I cannot be thankful enough for them." Cannot be thankful enough for boxes, rosaries, &c.!! His capacity for gratitude must be small indeed. We Protestants often feel that we cannot be thankful enough, but it is not for such trumpery as cups and boxes. When we feel and lament over the inadequacy of our gratitude, it is in view of the many and great mercies of God to us. I suppose our Protestant missionaries at Ceylon, and elsewhere, would not be so very grateful if we should send them a consignment of cups, boxes, &c. No: such things could not be of essential service to their missions. We do not under stand converting people as the Catholics do. They can regenerate and pardon, and do all the rest in a trice. We have to bring before the mind of the sinner the great-saving truth of Christ crucified; but they have only to put the little crucifix in his hand. I went, a short time ago, to visit a man under sentence of death,

to talk to him about Christ and his death. I found him gazing intently on a little metallic image of Christ crucified, which a priest had left him. He seemed indifferent to all I said. The priest had prepared him!

In a note to Baraga's letter, we are told of a great number of Catholic notions that are already on their way to America; among them three thousand rosaries! What a sight of beads! How their missions must prosper after this! A little afterwards, by way of inducing others to contribute beads, boxes, &c. it is said: "The good Christian rejoices to promote the external honor of the house of God, so that the inner man, by the splendor of the external divine worship, may be lifted to heaven." What a sage sentiment! How scriptural! How philosophical too! This is truly a new way of being lifted to heaven.

But I must not overlook a letter of Bishop Fenwick, dated Mackinac, July 1, 1831. He writes: "On the second day after my arrival, Mr. M. and I preached at different times after mass. When the people had heard some sermons, confessions began; and from that time till the day of our departure, we sat on the confession stool from early morning till 1 o'clock, and in the afternoon, from 3 or 4 o'clock, till 10, 11, and twice till 12 at night. There were confessions of twenty, thirty, and forty years." What a prodigious memory they must have had, who called to mind and confessed the sins of forty years! All that time they were waiting for a priest to come along. There was the God who delighted in mercy, to whom they might have confessed, as the publican dared to do; and there was "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant," whom they might at any time have engaged to intercede for them. But

that would not have been to act the part of good Ca-
tholics. The good Catholic does not go to the mercy-
seat of God to confess his sins and obtain forgiveness,
(that were an "iniquity to be punished by the judges,")
but he waits for the priest to come along with his con-
fession-stool. The confession-stool substituted in the
place of the mercy-seat! This is one of the doings
of that religion which Austria wants to give us. God
says to sinners, "Come unto me," and he promises
that he will "abundantly pardon them from his throne
of grace."
"Nay," says the priest, "wait till I come
my little stool." Catholics may, if they please,
go for pardon and mercy to the stool of confession—
but, my Protestant brethren, "Let us come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need."

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54. Partiality of the Church of Rome.

There is nothing of which I am more perfectly cer tain than that the religion of the church of Rome is not the religion of Jesus Christ. I do not care to say what it is but it is not Christianity. How can they be the same, when they differ so widely? Midnight and noon are not more unlike. I will specify one point of difference. Romanism is partial. She is a respecter of persons. Christianity is the very opposite of this. And not only is the church of Rome partial, but her partialities are all in favor of the rich. Now

Christianity, if it leans in any direction, inclines towards the poor. It was one sign that the Messiah was come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, that 66 the poor had the Gospel preached to them." They were not overlooked; far from it. "Hearken," says one, "hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him." The poor had never such a friend as Christ. He was himself poor. He had experience of the privations, cares, and sorrows of that condition. So poor was he that he had not where to lay his head. No lodging-place at night had he in all that world which his word created and his hand sustained. The poor are peculiarly his brethren.

And think you, then, that he has opened a wider door of entrance into heaven to the rich than to the poor? Think you that he has connected with the condition of the rich man an advantage whereby he may sooner or more easily obtain admittance into the place of his glorious presence? I do not believe it. But this is what the church of Rome teaches. She preaches better tidings to the rich than to the poor-Christ did not. But I must make good this charge against the church of Rome. I do it thus: According to her creed, all souls, except, perhaps, now and then one, of every condition, go, on their leaving the body, to purgatory. There they are. Now to get them out. How does she say that is to be done? Why, they must either suffer out their time, (that is, all the time which remains after subtracting all the indulgences that were purchased and paid for,) or their release must be effected by the efficacy of prayers and masses said for them by the faithful on earth. You remember that mass was per

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