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BBOKBT, AT HIS STBAH-PRESS PRINTING OFFIOB, 38 GREAT ST. JAMBS STREET. 1861. INDEX TO POETRY. The Revelator's View, . A Temperance Song, • • • Questions and Answers on Catholicism, Christian Reasoning, Do. do. j^Q do. Protestants and Catholics, Catholic Song, . - • ' Do. . • • • • 20 21 23 24 27 29 33 35 [Entered according to Act of Parliament, by Wm. H. Pratt, of Hatlej, Lower Canada, ^°" J CHRISTIAN REASONING ATT, ON THB TRUE ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITH Montreal J January 1, 1861. William H Pratt, of Hatley, Lower Canada. To all the saints in Christ Jesus, throughout our chris- tian land and world, to you that are sanctified in God the Father, in obedience through faith, unto the unfeigned love of the brethren cor.cerning the faith as it was once delivered unto the saints ; as I am also acknowledged by our Brother Kerk of Boston, Brother Squares of New York Brother Chase and Brother Burrage of Hatley, Ca- nada East, as also our beloved Brother Chase, was m the Cou- cil with many other holy Brethren of the Presbyterian Church, and did by their authority and consent, give me a certificate, recommending my views as being profitable to be preached to the many, all of which are Protestant ministers. And also Bishop Hughes, of New York, Bi^op Kendrick, of Baltimore, and Bishop Prmce, of Saint Hya- cinthe (now deceased,) did also recommend my views to be profitable, to be preached to all the churches. \s the certificate was given by the Protestant ministry, that Imi^-'at be received without disputation, to come before you all according to the grace of God which is given unto me, that a2 V ^1 I mi^>'ht be the joy of you all. I would that all did know of the Protestant ministry and churches, as well as all other brethren, that the cause of ray studying into the Roman Catholic doctrine was for the care that I felt for them all, us a people and nation, in the Canadian Rebellion against Great Britain, when the interest of so many of the taithtul was, as well as all others, at stake on the imporant event of the Rebellion. As many American Volunteers having joined the rebel party, on that eventful occasion, I did feel it my indispensable duty to try, according to my ability, to stop the war ; and, having made known ray care to the lion. Robert Jones, of St. Johns, who fully accorded with my sympathies and endeavours to stop the. war, and who was also anxious to introduce rae to the Governor of the Canadas, Sir John Coulborn ; who, when taking my hand, beino; introduced by the Hon. Robert Jones, said, Mr. Pratt of Hatley, we do not know whether a man who is a loyal subject of Great Britain is worth a thousand pounds, or one shilling, or if his property would prize at SlOOOOO might all be confiscated within eight and forty'hours, and he thrown homeless into the street, or run through with a bayonet in his own house, and from the days of the inquisition until now, there never was such a time of peril aa the present. As many were anxious to speak w\th him, I said to him I should be happy to meet him where some plan might be devised to be sure to stop the war ; as also the Hon. Robert Jones who had so kindly intro- duced me to him, could give him my opinions fully m re- gard to my faith in the christian economy to stop the war. 6 The Governor said he should return immediately to refused Dy tne uuaru lu »ki; imn, »■'" m-...„ - was apprehended as having some wrong design, and thrown into the Guard-House, and obtaining a promise from the Guard that he would notify William Smith, who was m a Commercial business in Saint Paul Street, who went immediately to the Governor and obtained my release. And when Mr. Smith mentioned my name to the Gover- nor, he said, "Oh! why have they put that man in the Guard-House whom I invited to meet me who was intro- duced to me by Robert Jones, of St Johns ? And soon after, returning to my Commercial Ho™*. I.;7^™ by several men whom I supposed o be British Officers who demanded to know of me if I had been publicly telling the people that they had no right as Christians even to shoot Rebels. . I answered that I had, and felt that their only security against the final destruction of thcmselyes as had been expressed by the Governor to '"y/f- ^ ^^'^ was to proceed; nearly i of the inhabitants of Lower ^Ca- nada were Rebels, and must, of course, end m the dtimate extermination of the British. Two or three years after the war had ceased, I was informed by a man held in reputa- tion, who kept a Temperance House of entertainment m Montreal, that those men who came to see me were British Ministers who gave me much credit for my Christian zeiJ tostTp th^ war, and the able manner in which I sustained myself in Bible arguments, that no Ohnstiau men, as Chris^ tians, or Christian Nation, had any right as Christians to 6 spill the blood of the wise or unwise of any that might op- pose them. Soon aftor the conversation T had with those Brethren, I returned to St. Johns, and went before a large number of Officers and soldiers of the British Array, and addressed them in the name and fear of God, concerning the danger to which they were exposed if the battle should be commenced, detailing to them what the Governor had said before, together with the care manifest- ed by Robert Jones, and also the obligation I felt binding on myself as a servant of Christ to say to them, that they that take the sword shall perish by the sword, and felt au- thority by the Word of God to say to them as Christ did to Peter, '' Peter sheath thy sword," and on learning after the war had ceased, that my labours, together with the tears I had shed, had been the means in the hands of God in stopping the war, and on reflection of the Governor's expression, made concerning the perilous times, never had been greater than at the present time, since the days of the Inquisition, which led me to the full belief that it was the Governor's opinion as well as that of my own, that the whole difficulties that had led on to the war, had been the result of the differences between tlie Koman Catholics and the Protestants, which caused me, my Brethren, to in- vestigate Bomanism to see if I could justify the Roman Ca- tholic Doctrine, differing from that of ourselves, as being admissable to ourselves, and profitable, if not misunder- stood nor abused, and the result of my prayerful investi- gation before God was as follows : — That the Apostleship was mos' assuredly a Priesthood, op- spoken of by Moses; for, tho Apostle says, that our Lord sprunK out of a tribe, of wl.on, Moses spake nothL cu„ cermug tLe Priesthood, showing that another Priefthood was to arise, wh.eh certainly must be the holy Apostle, ^fr. i { "Ik receive their eommissions as Pries^ noronly opreaeh the Gospel, but also to pronouuee absoutioao^ those who were baptised, with repentance for their sins As also It appeared to me to have been confir.ned by John the Baptist baptising with water unto repentance, for the remission of sins ; and hence, I became satisfied that he abuse of the system of Roman Catholicism had oau ed vT/JtV^^^"} "^r"^' »g»'"«' the practicabi ty of Priests absolving sins, but pointing then, to the Lamb o f God, which taketh away the sins of the world which also was a doctrine of the Priesthood. And it was thought byZ ity of Priests abso vmg sins, was not done for the advance of the cause of Christ, or for the glory of God but for speculative motives, which were thought by them to be' impure and exceedingly detrimental tl the cause of their Saviour ; for which cause they obtained a law that sever! judgments wa. executed against them for heresy a^S his light, while in fervent prayer to God, it appeared to me that no man could be a true priest of God unless 1,^^, sessed the true nature of Jesus Christ, which is culK many of the Protestant Churches, the nward mar K JeS'f 1" ^ ""'X ^'«'^* -^ on"he'aHn",trn fession of those whom the Holy Ghost had made them oversee, must be moved by the Holy Ghost ; without wS they could have no power to move thems;ives, no more than they could pardon sins themselves, but moved by the Holy Ghost to feel the same divine compassion that Christ felt, — aided alone by his grace, by whose authority they had received their authority to pronounce alsolution of sins, assisted by his grace, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and is as sure to be remitted, as the Priest himself is to be moved by the Holy Ghost when pronouncing the same ; thus confirming his own works through man who possesses his divine nature, to confirm and evangelise the world according to his own declaration, that whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted. Showing therefore, that this work is done by the power and grace of God, without one particle of the power of the Priest ; and therefore, whatsoever Priest is in the Priesthood, without knowing that he loves God, and possesses a divine nature by which he may be moved to do this work, which is the Holy Ghost, he is a Priest by way of whom the truth is evil spoken of, holding the truth in unrighteousness, and arrogating to himself the power of absolving sins by his authority, which, as legal authority, he should possess, qualified with the spirit to do the work in the name and by the grace of God only. And thus many of the faithful Priests were filled with the love and grace of God, who always is and must be moved by the Holy Ghost, to feel as Christ did when he was on the earth ; and pronouncing absolution of sins, claim no power of their own, but by Divine grace assisting them, if moved by it, which they must be if they possess it ; do as efficiently pardon sins, and the work is made as valid in himself as though he, Christ himself, were present in that case to declare it ; for which I was thrown into great distress and care for the faithful J. 9 «i« J- Roman Priest, wV was deeply persecuted in consequence of the bad fruits arising from the fallen Priests ; which caused the most faithful Protestant minister to believe at this age of time, that Christ did never establish the system of the Roman Catholic doctrine ; the more faithful the Protes- tant ministers and people were, the greater persecutors they were in protesting against the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church ; for the more righteous and blessed the man was who protested against the doctrine, was so much the more calculated to distress even the faithful Catholic. The subject of the Holy Sacrament I did also try to un - derstand, which had been long in dispute, and with a desire that I might understand it in a manner to obviate all din;oul- ties, and settle all diiFerences between the two grand divi- sions of the Church. It seemed to mc, therefore, that our Lord Je- sus Christ might have intended to convey to our under- standings here, by this Holy Sacrament, that he him- self was not only that bread that came down from Heaven, but he would also show (according to my belief) that he was the substance that does sustain our temporal existence, and thus with a few loaves having fed thousands, was no doubt, made to grow while he was dealing it out, was his own substance ; but no more his own substance than the bread- we make from the wheat which grows from his earth is his substance, and thus, taking the bread, might with propriety say, this is my substance, or in other words this is my body, which, as a body of substance, was his true body ; and thus I behold it in a proper sense, even 10 before it is consecrated a sacramental body of Christ, when this is taken and consecrated to sacramental purposes, in taking the smallest particle in memory of the death of thrist, there is a certain sense in which we eat the whole and entire body of Christ, not only in a corporeal and sa- cramental sense, but also in a mystical and divine sense : because the partaking of this Holy Sacrament is the con- lirmation of our faith in the death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, and partaking of the same with thanksgiving and deep humility of heart, we show the Lord's death until he comes; and the confirmation of our faith is properly called, in a di- vine sense, eating; because our Saviour declared that he had bread to eat that they knew not of, which was most assuredly the confirmation of truth. I believe all the change is admitted by the Protestants when properly un- derstood. I requested to know of the Protestant ministry, ^^f .Saviour did not say he would give his flesh to eat and his blood to drink? and they said that he did say so, and that he did do it in a spiritual sense in the Holy Sa- crament. I then inquired if it was so in a spiritual sense, if It was not made so by the Spirit of God ? They srid it was, and then I said to them that that was Catholic doc- trine, for they believe that he makes it so by his power ; and if he makes it so by his power, he makes it so by his Spirit, for he is a Spirit. I also contemplated the subject of prayers for the dead, seeking for some expression of Scripture that seemed to favor it. I find our Lord makes the following declar- ation, after he was baptized by John. '' I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened until it is 11 .. accomplished ;" showing his labour and suffering until his death, by which he was baptised— with the spirit of the Godhead — and a similar expression being made by the holy Apostles, saying, why are we baptised for the dead, if the dead rise not. Showing, therefore, no doubt, a labour performed in the Church for the dead, by which, when done through faith, they even also were baptised with the spirit of the Holy Ghost : this shows that it was not a baptism by water, but no doubt was the labour of prayer and holy sacrament, as is kept now in the Catholic Church. All of those views I could not offer to the people or the Protestant Churches among whom I was connected, as neces- sary to their salvation, who could already tell a good experi- ence of religion, but only to be offered for their prayerful con- sideration, on the principle of reconciling the two Churches and removing their prejudices on doctrinal points ; to prove the probability of the future judgment on those who are born of the spirit and have fallen again into the bondage of sin ; as Saint Peter, when, being demanded of the Lord who he was, Peter declared unto him, that he was Christ. Our Saviour said, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father only. And Jesus says to the Disciples, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ; but when Peter denied the Lord, and cursed and swore, our Savionr looked upon him with pity ; when the cock crew, no doubt our Saviour, by his grace, caused Peter to weep bitterly, — and when our Saviour arose from the dead, he says to the damsel, go and tell my Disciples and Peter. Now here, it appears, that he does not recognize Peter as a Disciple, yet he appears to keep his promise, that I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ; and had, no doubt, by his grace, caused ;rsa c- .a aa i 12 Peter to weep, and now sending a word to Peter to en- courage him, no doubt, to take up his cross and deny him- self and follow Christ, and be again his Disciple, which he could not be until he had done this. Now, if St. Peter had been killed by the Jews at the time of cursing and swearing, like thousands who have told as good an experi- ence as St. Peter did, and have been shot down in wars ; and many also under the rage of excitement might blas- pheme as Peter did, even though if our blessed Saviour was on the earth, could have said with as much propriety, as Christ had said to Peter, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father only. It seemed a question in my mind, had Peter been killed (struck dead) at the time of his swearing and denying the Lord, or any time previous to his being restored, or at least while our Saviour did not regard him as a Disciple before he was reclaimed by repentance and obedience through faith. My conclu- sion was, that he must have had a just judgment after death, and all, as before mentioned, who have had St. Peter's experience, being brave men to defend the rights of their country, and being under excitement, like St. Peter, fallen into the habit of profane swearing, the temp- tation being so great ; and although they were subjects of vanity, and being converted, were not willingly so, but by reason of him who had subjected them in hope. Would, nevertheless, not be an excuse for their sins of profane swearing ; but if killed in tlie act, would be worthy of a just judgment of God after death, which must be called purgation ; for which, if we admit must be so, we should also admit, as Protestants, that even such were the subjects of the prayers of the Apostles ; or, if any judgment falls on r 13 V those that are truly conve I to God, dying in bondage to sin, it appears to me that t oir condemnation could not be — although it is called death — could not be eternal death, because they could not, as sons of God, be holden of death, but only subject to a just judgment, as being his dear children, born of the spirit, to whom he had promised that he would not leave them nor forsake them, but has declared that he will judge his people, but that he will not cast away his people. But my opinion is, that the faithful Protestant Churches, protesting against the practicability of the Priests absolving sins, was because too much reglect had been mani- fested on the part of the penitents in their confession. As a reliance on the atonement in their confessions, while manj^ of the faithful protested utterly against the system, because of the great abuse of it. Many of the Protestant Churches would not allow a man to join their Churches until they could tell that God, for Christ's sake, had pardoned their sins, and then if they were received, and their life corres- ponded with their profession, they were permitted to belong to the Reformed Church. And the Protestant Churches having protested against the grand system that our Lord Jesus Christ established to evangelize the world, became somewhat divided against each other, as many words were heard to be understood concerning Election, and many other things spoken by Peter, as he also declared was spoken by the Apostle Paul, which was hard to be under- stood, that while the Priesthood was standing before the abuse of the system, pronouncing absolution of sin on the devoutly penitent, under the same principal as the Baptism of John bv water, unto repentance for the remission of sin. — and, no doubts remained of obtaining remission of sins ; Tifr*fmir^r:f^.- Sw^SSfiSaBCS 14 and was, in my opinion, as sure to be blessed in pronounc- ing absolution of sin as they could have been in the baptism of John with water, unto repentance for the remission of sin ; for if they were blessed in the Baptism, and was confirmed by the Spirit inwardly, of course their sins were remitted, because John also taught the Baptism of repentance for the remission of sin, and not the Bap- tism of water for the remission of sin ; which seems to be pronounced and confirmed by the Holy Apostles with the seeming authority of our Saviour, saying, '' whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted," which was only to be con- firmed on repentance, which all could do. And under the same general principle as that of bap- tizing with water, unto repentance for the remission of sins, for no sins could be remitted by Baptism without re- pentance, no more than they could be absolved without re- pentance ; and, as it was not the water that could wash away sins, it seems to be one and the same thing ; and when it is understood by the Protestant Ministry, or Churches, or People, that the Roman Catholic Priests designed to take to themselves any more power in pronouncing absolu- tion of sin than they do in pronouncing Baptism, they misunderstand the true principle which the truly virtuous Bom u Catholic Priest designs by grace only to do as be- fore mentioned. Having been converted myself by the Pro- testant Ministry, I fully believe the reformation of the Protestant Churches to be based upon the promises before mentioned, and being designed to heed the threatened judgments of God, which says, fear not them that can kill your body, and after that have all that they can do, but fear him when he hath killed the body, hath r,ower to cajt '" ;: 16 both soul and body into hell fire, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched ; showing, according to their best understanding, that if they went to any punish- ment after death, that it^would be eternal, whether great or small. And oh ! Brethren, may this letter be profitable to you all, and I have not intended to undervalue the conse- cration of the holy wafers, nor charge the Priesthood with vain fanaticism in their consecrations, but when mention- ing the questions and answers with the Protestant Minis- try to the Bishop Kendrick, of Baltimore, he said that I did most assuredly prove the Sacrament to be, and mean one and the same thing, even upon the principles of consecra- tion ; but what I have stated as my opinion, might have been the conclusion of the Council of Trent, under the principles I have before explained, but was not fully ex- plained to those whom they thought to be their enemies, and mockers both of their sacred prayers for the dead, as is also a doctrine of the Jews, whose accusations against them up- on the principles of the Sacrament was not supposed to be based upon any honest intentions or purposes ; but having been converted myself by the Protestant Ministry, have the best opinion of their honest intentions in Protestantism, but originated from the great abuse of Romanism, which is, if not abused nor misunderstood, or was primitively the best system of religion in the world, and all of which I thought to be Protestantism, when saving grace is obtained I found it to be embraced in the Roman Catholic doctrine. I found by a prayerful investigation, that our •PofTiAra o nvn oc. ' .^i;:;^ h^svp^a:^ 18 Daniel's prayer was, when he opened his windows and prayed aloud, that people might hear him, to let them know that he did not worship their gods, €hrist would not have instructed his disciples to pray in secret, because the blessed Apostles would let the people know that they did not make private prayers to God, because they were ashamed of owning him in their worship ; and where this hypocrisy was not so prevalent, the Apostles appointed a place where prayer was wont to be made. And they prayed and the ground was shook. And so my friends, you see, Christ did shun this appearance of evil, where a public manner of worship was made under impure motives. But the golden altar appears too precious for me to be driven away from it by the wicked, they might as well drive me from the table or communion of the supper of the Lord, as many a faithful Quaker has been driven. But in those things, we see the Quakers suffer loss, for now at the South many have come out from the Quakers' correct orthodox views concerning the death of Christ for our sins, and they deny the only Lord that bought them. But my friends, when a large number of the Protestant minis- ters of holy brethren discovered +hat I was correct, that our fathers had not only shunned, as our Saviour did, a mode of worship, because of the abuse of it, but have also considered them entirely impracticable. But, my friends, I hope that the faithful will soon see if there had no Scribes entered in, to abuse the system, that Christ did establish, they never would have been set at naught by the faithful as being impracticable and untrue ; and when the faithful ministers gave me their certificate, I joined fcilC XvUllUlIl V/a,LIiUUC VyUUrcll, auu ViCUl; lO CuUiCCOlUii l\J 19 i show my faith in the doctrines. If the church truly did what the priest teaches, they would do well ; there would be no lying, no woman disobey her husband, no husband getting drunk to abuse his wife or children, no children abuse their parents, no fathers forget to lay up for their children, and not children for their parents, and no debts unpaid that men could pay, no time squandered with im- pure motives ; but children would honor their father and their mother, that their days might be long on the earth, which is the first Commandment with the Promise. But when I went to confession, there was no duty enjoined on me called penance, but what I had been required to do in the Protestant Church, called taking up the cross, excepting confession. But if I shall say anything in the providence of God, that will make peace between the two grand divisions, I shall be rewarded for all of my care, and the trouble I have felt for them, that they might agree, and infidelity fly away, and the world be converted, which no doubt would be the result of such a union. If I should be but a weak instru- ment in the hands of God of helping to bring this to pass, I shall never value my time to try to stop the war of 37. Although my loss might have been two or three thousand dollars, and the great distress I felt both in body and^pirit, because I could not meet my most sacred obligations with men of whom I felt so great a respect for. Yes, my friends, it would also reward me for leaving my business of late, which bid fair to be worth perhaps a hundred thousand dollars. I would quicker forfeit the whole of it, than have one Roman Catholic shot down for votiu"; in the United States, who truly meant to be a true christian. When I ■■ ,. nt i x'&;7 " '''-^'fft^*^l'li''i'1'lli ' tlrtiVlf**' 20 was constrained to believe by the sanction I had of a large number of even the most faithful of Protestant min- isters, who had decided that my views properly brought before them, would be sure to remove all prejudices exist- ing between them, and if I would not be willing to forfeit even one hundred thousand dollars, and time, and talents to save even one good christian brother from being killed, could I be a christian myself, and not do it. I am recom- mended to take a few pence for my work, to benefit the poor, and the cause, which my friends, I hope you will not value. As I desire to be the most humble servant of the Church, as well as to all others, in the hope of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Wm. H. PRATT, OP Hatlet, L. C. THE REVELATOR'S VIEW. I saw an angel fly, said John, Yes, through the midst of heaven. Having the Gospel for to preach. To those on earth 'tis given. ^ To those that dwell on earth below, This angel was to preach ; Where was this heaven where he was seen. Tell me now you that teach. Can you define the place, I ask, Was it above the sky ; Or was it in the Church below, Where men are born to die. >"\f *f\' rOETEY. A TEMPERANCE SONG. Let all our Temperance bands arise, Yes, all the just, the good and wise, And save mankind from drunkenness here, And learn them God's Word to revere. Then wives and children all would turn, True wisdom on the earth to learn ; And bj that word that made the sun. Their union would be well begun. But still this work would surely grow, Throughout our Christian world below ; Until all nations knew the Lord, And all would gain the great reward. Then man would be the head of all That lives upon this earthly ball — Obedient to their head above. And govern all things by hisjove. Then man with man would be at peace. And love to each would be increased, — Until the new earth did arise, And make us like a Paradise. Then when this Temperance work is done, In God the Father, and the Son ; Then all that's wrong will pass away, And bring the great milienial day. Then when that day has fulij comei There will be soldiers of the cross, To ngbt, but they will take no gun, Nor daggers for to save the lost. They would be slack if that's their name, But loves banners is their chains, To bind all heiTs dominions down, That all may win some starry crowns. Then when this work is fully done, All Satan's host are fully won, By the death of Jesus Christ that died, To save all men from sin and priJe. No man that day to whip his wife. Nor threaten his dear childrens' lives j But if a dog turn to a sheep. When truth will make each man to weep. But when our Saviour spoke so fair. To her who then would be hia heir. As his own children's bread for her, As for a dog he did infer. But when he found her faith was great. Though he beheld her lost estate ; Great is thy faith, the Saviour said, Who did raise Lazarus from the dead. So as he saved this woman then, Drunkards may on his word depend ; And when they leave their drunken way, Sit at his table then £ say. . '-"a'[**^»Q*^• .'•«^«Mr' ■.■"»'»** ■ "r"-"rT-i'-Tr-TrrnfWiiMTf Tiifi* .. r f t$ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON CATHOLICISM. By Wm. H. Pratt, or Hatley, Lowes Canada. Do you believe a priest on earth, Can pardon a poor sinner's sins ? O yes, dear Sir, this he may do, J f he is moved by grace within. No priest has power to move himself No more than he can pardon sin, Unaided by the grace of God, This blessed work he can't begin. But when confessions, priests do hear. That do possess the Holy Gho^t Thev must be moved to feel like Christ While pardoning sinners on our coast. So is the sinner when he comes To be baptized in the Lord, "With deep repentance in his heart, By faith is sure of his reward. John did baptize with water here, Unto repentance in the Lord, For the remission of our sins, So says God's blessed HoJy Word. So was the same confirmed in Christ Without a Hrop of water too, But with the Holy Ghost you see, As Saint John said, who spake so true. SBBI 24 CHRISTIAN REASONING. A letter addressed to Bishop Kendrick, of Baltimore, in Poetry, May the 6th, 1851, by Wm. H. Pratt, of Hatley, L. 0. Dear friend and brother, dear, I called on you for aid ; That I might lecture in your town, And none make me afraid. 1 am a Catholic man, sir, This I confess to you ; I want your aid to help me on, To bring all truth to view. You spoke of one so dear to you, That is Bronson, sir ; You seemed to think when he should come You should this man prefer. Now dearest, I will say, This man may think he's right ; He may love God for aught I know, And feel his armour bright. But one thing I will say, For I have read his book ; He counts some men as heretics, That God has not forsook. For they pray to the Lord, And should their prayers be heard. And they made happy in His name, And saved from all their fears. T ij! I 25 But forms that Jesus left. Surely they must be right ; But Saint Paul speaks of grievous wolves, That scatters men of light. So when the priesthood was Established bj the Lord It was a priesthood to arise According to his word. For our Lord he sprang you know, Out of a tribe, said they, Of whom Moses nothing he knew Of a priesthood in his day. Another priesthood then "Was yet for to arise, And Christ himself you know quite well. To be their sacrifice. So brother do not grieve. If I should tell you true ; That those who call upon the Lord, Are pardoned in his view. For when they call on God For his Son's sake to hear And pardon all their sins below, He knows they are sincere. They ofifer their indeed Just what their God has given, For to redeem their souls from Hell, "'wmm' Ml 26 God gave his Son to die. For those who would believe, Should have eternal life in Him, And no more be deceived. So when bad Priests arose, For grievous wolves thej were 5 They made their brothers to protest, Against the rules so fair. The priesthood will be kept, By Priests that fully know ; Until all time will have an end, As the promises will show. There thousands they will see, That minister of grace, Have the same love they bore to God, As those made legal Priests. And while they pray for those Who do repent of sin ; They, the people of the Lord, To help them unto Him. No matter of the form, If they but find the Lord ; They are made happy in his namey Accordmg to His word. But only Christ the Lord, Hisrules he gives is best ; If they were not abused by man, Until they seemed unjust. 27 So is a Priest indeed, Without the grace of God ; A blind man sent to lead the blind, And neither go to God. For this our Saviour taught, While he was here below ; That if the blind :-ould lead the blind, Both in the ditch would go. So now you see, my dear, When grievous wolves came in ; They did not spare the flock you know. For they were men of sin. CHRISTIAN REASONINTI, In Poetry, by Wm. H. Pratt. PART I. Protestant— My Catholic Brother some do say You love my blessed Lord, If so you are my brother dear. According to his word. Catholic - That is the faith of all our Church, That is what we confess ; By faith in Jesus Christ above, We might his love possess. P.— Excuse me, then, while T may ask, Perhaps I do not know, I hear you go unto your priest. As we to God do go. 28 i 4> C. —Is it to men you think we go, Our sins for to confess ; And do you think we call them God's, Or they his love possess ? 5 p.— We do not think they love the Lord, When they pretend the right, For to forgive our sins on earth, They wickedly unite. 6 C» — This is the right of God above, Who built the earth and sky, Men's sins on earth for to forgive, On this you may rely. 7 Q, — We know when John the Baptist came And did baptize with water, He says there's one greater than I, Who soon shall follow after. 8 C — *' He shall baptize you" did he say, « Then with the Holy Ghost," Yet Christ did not bapti'ze one soul We Catholics all do boast. 9 Q, — We do not say St. John did err. About what Christ should do. When we could see his servants then And wrought the work so true. 10 C. — So if the Lord should leave his grace With servants here below. To pardon all true penitents. Would it be God or no ? ' T*w > y - -n ? j ?;igBi "j. ' HJ.Jk ^ J "■■■K'-f. .i'^«t.as,"«4i=.>*;- 29 CHRISTIAN REASONING—PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS. P. M7 friend and brother, have you heard What all the Catholics mean to do ? rhej are settling fast now in our land, And mean to rule us, this is true. C. I'm not the man you thought I was— I am a Catholic, dearest sir j No power do we desire to wield, That you would not on us confer. P. Surely you know yourself quite well, They've shed the blood of honest men ; burely you know if they had power, They'd do the very same again. C. The law it was ordained of God, To punish heretics, we know ; But there's no law, dear, in our church, To punish either friend or foe. P. O wretched man ! how can you stand, And falsify the truth to me ; Since Catholics made the law themselves, And did enforce it rigidly. P. The " Martyrs Book" with horror tells, The thousands they have put to death ; It makes our hearts with horror swell. To know what rage they did possess. ! 30 C. That was the government, dear man, Which was, you know, ordained of God j To save the Church from e\ery wrong, Which did to heretics belong. p. Was it a wrong, dear man, I ask, To say that man, who's born of dust Could not forgive another's sins, But Christ alone, whose right is just? C. Is it a thing so wrong with Christ, \^ ho is both Christ and God with us ; To make a man who is but man, Do just what Jesus said he must 1 C. He did not say those very words. This is not true, my dear, I own ; Whose sins you shall remit, said he, They are remitted now in me. P. A man whose breath is in his mouth, Can he forgive another's sin ; For one or two sliillings or more, Or if it were as much again 1 C. Have you not read that blessed book, About the giffs of olden times ; Left on the altar till they see, The men to whom they did the crimes ? P. Was it their brother they had wronged, And who had aught against them then ; To whom they must be recotciled, And then offer their gifts again ? ■MMM 31 C. Yes, my dear, now that is true, wi?" !? ^"'JP'''* *^^s« P"«sts of loTe ; While they finish their work below, And go to dwell with Christ above. P. Then that will prove just what I said, Jt is for fihhy lucre's sake j m{ ^»^e the money and forgive The penitent for Jesus' sake. ^* ^mu*^° "°^ ™^^" ^or to accuse, The blest Apostles of a crime ; it s them I speak of now, my dear, And not the priests now in our time. P. C. P. And if your priests should do this now, Don t you think they'd be condemned ; When they are like a whited wall, And not the Apostles of the Lamb ? You judge them thus, you do not know. The love they feel for all our race ; ' Moved by His spirit they may seal, A man before the Throne of Grace Moved by His grace, do you pretend Made priests of God, and can they then Pardon, and thus absolve their sins, iJo you yourself believe these things 1 O. I do believe those priests of love, Sealed with God's spirit from above : When men confess and are sincere, Ihey do confirm their case so clear. 32 P. Then is it not for pardoning sins. Those gifts are given to them then, And just for filthj lucre's sake Thej pardon jou, they will pretend 1 O, No, that is not the Catholic faith, To pardon sins for cash, I say ; But if you are sorry for them all By grace they wash them all away. P. Whei St. Paul labored for the poor, The Church did kindly lend their aid, And when their bounty was made out It was good fruit, St. Paul, he said. C* Now, that is what those gifts are for, Is for the cause of Christ alone, And for to benefit the poor, When all their substance may be gone. P. All that do those things love the Lord, And others they cannot be saved. Though a profession they may make. They will be lost beyond the grave. C But Christians, love to serve the Lord, And they have entered through the door, Into the sheepfold of the Lamb, And all that's wrong, they do deplore. S3 3r, CATHOLIC SONG, By Wm. H. Pratt, op Hatlby, L. C. God of heaven, God of earth, God of all we see ; have our prayers offended one Of all the saints that be. If so, we would not this should be ; make us to understand That when we pray, we don't offend One saint that's in our land. But may we come to thee for life^ For thy Son's sake to hear, And pardon all our sins below, And banish all our fear. For if we should offend one child That calls upon thy name. If we can hinder it, my Lord, We should be much to blame. For now the Bishop Hughes declares That Christ was God and man, The Word made flesh, and dwelt on earth. A sacrifice that stands. This sacrifice saint Stephen saw, AVhen he was stoned to death, Standing on the right hand of God, When yeilding up his breath. B 1* ?' 34 Christ is our greatest advocate In heaven, or earth or sea. So all true churches do admiti Where ever they may be. But Lord, if man shall pray for us. That lives upon this earth, He is our advocate by grace, If he has won the berth. But Lord, if thy Word teaches us That angels in the sky. Are ministering spirits to us here, Shall we the truth deny But Lord if we this truth confess. Can they compare with thee The holy spotless lamb of God, That died on Calvarf . No, if the angels in the skies Can minister to us, Or ministers that live on earth Can they be just as just. No, Lord, their righteousness is thine, And they are not their own, And they are sown, Lord, as thy seed. To stand before .thy throne. Then, let us not be puffed up Here in our own fleshy mind. Of advocates in heaven or earth, And leave our Lord's behind. ^ 35 But while the Bible teaches us Angels ia heaven above^ Are ministering spirits to us here, We should admire their love. But if the angels do rejoice When sinners do repent, It is our God that made them care^ And bj our God they are sent. But if we pay them honours then That's only due to Christ, We make our own damnation ^ure, And thus we fall in vice. But if we love our brother here For his labor of love, And have respect to God*s own Word, Of angels far above. Then in this way we all may say, We have no partial God, But if we will repent of sins He will wash us in his blood. let us all behold the Lamb That offers us His grace. Waters of life that we may drink, And learn true wisdom's wajs. CATHOLIC SONG. O God, if we have made our prayers To him that made the skies ; Thy Son is God, with us we know, With all the just and wise. aasea .1\ f 1/ CClt /ZAA 36 To thee alone, O God we come, For thy Son's sake to hear, And pardon all our sins below, And feel ourselves sincere. We know this work was all complete) Thy Son was thine to give ; A sacrifice which was of thee To let poor sinners live. Now we behold the bleeding Lamb, As dying on the cross ; Who tasted death for every man. To save them from their loss. Angels might veil their faces then, This sacrifice to see ; For they desired to understand About this mystery. We read that all the angels there, That dwell in heaven above. Are ministering spirits to us here, Ordained by his love.