“The Mystery of Iniquity.”
LET the reader refresh his memory by reading the following blasphemous arrogant assumptions of this “Mother of Harlots,” and then rejoice at the prospect of the speedy downfall of that power. The extract is taken from a work by M. Gaume, and was approved by nine bishops and archbishops, and by pope Gregory XVI. The pontiff, in order to reward the author, sent him the Order of St. Sylvester: “What human tongue can describe the dignity of the priesthood and the greatness of the priest. The first man was great, who, established as the king of the universe, commanded all the inhabitants of his vast dominion, who obeyed him with docility. Moses was great, who by a word divided the waters of the sea, and caused an entire people to pass dry shod between its suspended masses. Joshua was great, who said to the sun, ‘Stand still,’ and the sun obeying stood still at the voice of a mortal. The kings of the earth are mighty, who command armies and shake the world by the sound of their name. But behold! there is a man still greater; there is a man who daily, when it pleases him, opens the gates of Heaven, and addresses himself to the Son of the Eternal, to the Monarch of worlds, and says, ‘Come down from your throne, come.’ Obedient to the voice of this man the Word of God, by whom all things were created, leaves instantly the abode of glory, incarnates himself in the hands of this man more mighty than kings, than angels, than the august Mary; and this man says to him, ‘You are my Son; this day I have begotten you; you are my victim,’ and he allows this man to immolate him, to place him wherever he wishes, and give him to whomsoever he chooses. This man is the priest!” “The priest is not only almighty in Heaven and over the body of the God-man, but he is also almighty upon earth and over the mystical body of Jesus Christ. Behold, a man has fallen into the hands of the devil; what power will be able to deliver him? Call to the assistance of this unhappy man the angels and archangels, holy Michael himself, chief of the heavenly host, conqueror of Satan and his revolted legions. Never will he be able to sever the chains of the sinner who has placed his confidence in the wicked one; * the priest can do it.” “Much more. Suppose that the Redeemer visibly descends in person to his church, and stations himself in a confessional to administer the sacrament of penance, while a priest occupies another. The Son of God says, I absolve you, and the priest says, I absolve you, and the penitent finds himself absolved just as much by the one as by the other. Thus the priest,183mighty like God, can instantly snatch the sinner from hell, render him worthy of Paradise, and of a slave of the devil make a son of Abraham, AND GOD HIMSELF IS OBLIGED TO SUBMIT TO THE JUDGMENT OF THE PRIEST, to refuse or grant his pardon according as the priest may grant or refuse absolution. THE SENTENCE OF THE PRIEST PRECEDES, GOD SUBMITS TO IT. Can any one conceive of a greater power?”—Catechisme de Persévérance, vol. 4, pp. 310–312.