CHAPTER LXXVII.. CONSTITUTION OF THE PURGATORIAN SOCIETY IN DUBLIN. REMARKS ON THIS INSTITUTION. SIMILAR SOCIETY IN LONDON. CURIOUS PARTICULARS RELATING TO PURGATORY, STATED BY A CONVERTED POPISH PRIEST. SATURDAY, January 1st, 1820. THE holy council of Trent, in the decree concerning purgatory, which I gave in my seventy-fifth number, prohibits the teaching of "those things which have reference only to a certain curiosity or superstition, or which savour of filthy lucre, as scandals, and causes of some offence to the faithful." At the same time, and in the same decree, it is positively enjoined upon the bishops, that they inculcate the doctrine, "that the suffrages of the faithful who are alive, namely, the . sacrifices of the mass, orations, acts of charity, and other pious deeds which it has been customary for the faithful to perform on behalf of the other faithful who are dead, should be piously and devoutly performed according to the institutions of the church." The council seem to have been aware that some scandal and offence did arise from the pecuniary traffic which had been carried on in relation to their purgatory; and they prohibit such things as savour of filthy lucre," but we shall very much mistake the meaning of the holy synod, if we suppose that by "filthy lucre" they really mean gold and silver, or even bank notes, had there been such things in their time. They command the bishops to teach the people to perform "acts of charity" on behalf of the "faithful who are dead;" that is, to "give money to the priests for the relief of the souls that are in purgatory." The practice of many ages will be found a sound commentary on the text. It is by "acts of charity," performed by the faithful alive, for the sake of those who are dead, that Romish priests have found means to bring within their grasp an immense quantity of what they affect to call "filthy lucre," but which is really the delight of their hearts, and the desire of their eyes. For several ages before and after the sitting of this council, the priests contented themselves with what they could extort from rich and poor individuals; but it was reserved for the present age of improvement, to devise a plan by which the poor might act as a body, in raising contributions upon the small scale of a penny a week, in order to enrich the priests by purchasing the release of souls which are supposed to be suffering torments in purgatory. The following document, and reflections on this subject, are extracted from a pamphlet by the Rev. James Carlile, of Dublin. I need not make an apology to my Scotch readers for so large an extract, because, I suppose, few of them have seen the original work; and my readers in Dublin, to whom, I suppose, Mr. Carlile's book will be as familiar as mine is to the people in Glasgow, will excuse my inserting it for the information of my own countrymen. "I request," says Mr. Carlile, "the reader's particular attention to the following document, which is reprinted verbatim as it fell into my hands. He has doubtless heard of penny a week societies for various purposes, such as relieving the poor, educating their children, furnishing them with the scriptures; but he, perhaps, does not know that this VOL. 1.-69 system has been adopted by devout and charitable members of the church of Rome, in this enlightened city of Dublin, for the purpose of raising money to relieve themselves and their friends from purgatory, when they shall go thither. Let him read, then, and be astonished. Have pity on me, have pity on me, 'at least you, my Friends.' PURGATORIAN SOCIETY, Instituted July 1st, 1813, and held in St. James's Chapel. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.' Machabees, chap. xii. ver. 46. THE members who compose the society of the office for the dead, commenced on the above day, at the said place, adopting the spirit and meaning of the above sacred text, and wishing, in conformity to the divine precepts of the holy Catholic church, to extend their charitable views beyond the grave, by relieving, as far as in them lies, the suffering souls in purgatory, and inviting all tender hearted Catholics, who have a feeling sensibility of the duty they owe their departed parents, relations, and friends, who probably may stand more in need of their commiseration at present than at any period of their lifetime, to assist in the charitable and pious purpose of shortening the duration of their sufferings by the most easy means imaginable, have agreed to, and adopted the following rules: Rule 1. That the affairs of this institution shall be regulated by the superior, rectors, and six of the members who compose the office for the dead, who shall attend on every Wednesday night, at half past eight o'clock, throughout the year, at the above-named place, or any other place which may be hereafter appointed, and there, with attention and devotion, recite the office for the dead, agreeable to the intention that shall then be mentioned. Rule 2. That every well disposed Catholic, wishing to contribute to the relief of the suffering souls in purgatory, shall pay one penny per week, which shall be appropriated to the procuring of masses to be offered up for the repose of the souls of the deceased parents, relations, and friends, of all the subscribers to the institution in particular, and the faithful departed in general. Rule 3. That on the first Monday of every month, a mass will be offered up in the parish chapel of St. James, at ten o'clock, for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the subscribers of this society. Rule 4. That the superior, rectors, and council, shall continue in office for six calendar months, at the expiration of which time, candidates shall be nominated by the persons in office, who shall give due notice to the whole body of members who compose the office for the dead, that they may punctually attend on the first Wednesday night in July, at half past eight o'clock, and on the first Wednesday night in January, for the purpose of electing a superior, rectors, and council, to serve the ensuing six months, and so in succession. Rule 5. That each subscriber, on entering this society, do purchase a copy of these rules, in order to defray the expenses incurred by printing and other contingencies, and that the money arising from the weekly subscriptions shall be disposed of to the most necessitated clergymen, who shall be required to give receipts for what they are paid. Rule 6. That the spiritual benefits of this institution shall be conferred in the following manner, viz. Each subscriber shall be entitled to an office at the time of their death, another at the expiration of a month, and one at the end of twelve months after their decease; also, the benefit of masses which shall be procured to be offered, by the money arising from subscriptions, and which shall be extended to their parents, relations, and friends, in the following order: that is to say, their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts; and if married, husbands, wives, and children, if they have any departed who lived to maturity. Rule 7. That every member of the office for the dead, who serves the society in the capacity of superior, shall, at the time of his death, be entitled to three masses, to be offered for the repose of his soul; and, also, every member who serves the office of rector, shall be entitled to the benefit of two masses; and every subscriber, without distinction, shall be entitled to the benefit of one mass each, provided that such member or subscriber shall die a natural death, be six months a subscriber to the institution, and be clear of all dues at the time of their departure; that care shall be taken, by the surviving superior and rectors, that such soul masses are punctually obtained, agreeable to the interest and meaning of this institution. Rule 8. That the superior, rectors, and council, be empowered to make (as occasion may require) such by-laws as they shall think expedient, provided they do not interfere with the spirit of these rules; said by-laws are to be laid before the body at large, for their approbation, and that four shall form a quorum on the council. Rule 9. That the superior shall, on every All Souls' day, advance to the parish priest of James' street chapel whatever sum is necessary for obtaining an insertion in the mortality list of the altar, the names of the parents, relations, and friends, of all the subscribers to this institution, to be recommended to the prayers of the congregation at every mass throughout the year. Subscriptions received, and subscribers registered at the chapel, on every Wednesday evening, from seven o'clock until nine, and in the school-room adjoining the chapel, on the first Sunday of February, May, August, and November, being quarterly days, from ten o'clock until one. The books to be opened for the inspection of subscribers.* Price threepence. Since the publication of this curious document, in the first edition of this Examination, the rules of several other similar societies, of still more recent formation, have been published; but as they are similar to those given above, it is unnecessary to insert them. They serve to show, however, that the utility of purgatorian societies is very generally acknowledged by Roman Catholics. was instituted about two years ago. He will also observe that it is countenanced by the clergy, at least those of St. James', for it is held in the chapel. Let him then advert to the objects of it. They are to relieve suffering souls in purgatory, particularly those of the members of the society, when they shall go thither, and their relations who are already there, by the most easy means imaginable. And what are these means? Why, paying a penny per week, as the easiest manner of raising money to procure masses. Is it natural to ask to whom this money is to go, which is expended in procuring masses? and the answer must be, to the clergy, for they alone can give these masses. But, besides the masses, there is mentioned, in the ninth rule, a kind of subordinate help to the poor suffering souls, namely, insertion into the mortality list of the altar, which recommends them to the prayers of the congregation at every mass throughout the year; and this privilege, also, is to be purchased of the parish priest of St. James' by the society. "In what a light does this place the priesthood? They believe, or at least they teach, that the friends of their flock are lying weltering in a lake of fire, from which they could deliver them, by saying masses for them, and recommending them to the prayers of the congregation, and yet they will not say these masses, nor so recommend them, unless they be regularly paid for it. How can a man represent himself as such a monster, and yet hold up his head in civilized society! What! shall I believe that a single soul is suffering torments so dreadful; that it may continue to suffer them for ages, that I have the means in my power of relieving it, and yet shall I coolly wait till I be paid, before I use these means? By what process of reasoning can men be brought to believe, that this is the religion given to us for our salvation, by our kind and merciful Father in heaven? By what arguments can the poor be convinced that a system of extortion, which gives so manifest a preference to the rich, can be that gospel which was to be preached peculiarly to the poor? But the reader may be most surprised to learn, that intelligent, upright, and conscientious individuals, belong to this society, and conduct it. The very style of correctness with which the rules of it are composed and arranged; the care and foresight with which they are fenced and guarded, show them to be the work of a man of judgment and prudence. The fifth rule provides that the money shall be disposed of to the most necessitated clergymen, who must give receipts for what they are paid. The sixth marks precisely the order and consanguinity in which the benefits of the society are to be extended, to parents, relations, and friends. The seventh gives encouragement to persons conducting the business of the society, and provides that a subscriber, in order to obtain the benefit of it, must be of six months standing; must die a natural death, and must be clear of all dues at the time of his departure. The ninth rule seems to be intended to provide a kind of remuneration for the use of the chapel of St. James', for it confines the money that is to be expended in procuring the prayers of congregations, to the priest of that parish. There is one point, indeed, which seems to be left very vague and indeterminate, *This was written in 1815. namely, what precise effect the masses and prayers will have-whether they will relieve the souls from purgatory immediately, or whether they will only shorten the duration of their sufferings. That they may be relieved at once from purgatory, that they may even be saved from going thither by certain processes, or that the precise relief obtained may be ascertained, is manifest from some of the indulgencies quoted above; one of which provides that he who complies with the terms of it shall never see purgatory; another, that if he were there, he shall be delivered from it; and another assures him of ninety thousand years of respite. Now it would surely be satisfactory, to those who subscribe to this society, if they knew precisely how much it would take to deliver each soul, or what is the exact diminution of suffering that each mass effects; because, for aught I see, they may be paying for the relief of those who are already finally relieved: whereas, if they knew better what they were doing, they could save that money, and apply it to the relief of those who certainly need relief. I am afraid, however, that the clergy are too cunning to fix this matter with any great precision, for nothing can be more profitable in this traffic than a little uncertainty. The bare possibility of any ease being procured by a little money, for a dear friend recently deceased, must be an almost irresistible inducement to bestow it. "Oh! awful delusion! that men with the light of the gospel shining on their eyeballs, should persuade themselves, that the God of heaven would actually sell to them, for money, relief from some necessary purgation, or some merited punishment! Look at this society again, and say, whether it might not with much greater propriety be denominated, A SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OF NECESSITOUS CLERGYMEN, than for the relief of souls in purgatory. Survey the whole transaction. A self-elected, incorporated body, declare, that they alone are commissioned by God to teach what he chooses should be known respecting eternity and the world of spirits; and that the truth of what they teach, nay, and the reality of their commission, are not to be examined, further than they themselves think fit to submit them to examination. Among many other doctrines equally profitable to themselves, they teach, that the souls even of those who listen to them implicitly, must go to a place of torment for a time, to be purified, before they enter on the infinite rewards of their implicit faith and obedience; that they, by performing certain mystical ceremonies or incantations, which they call mass, can shorten this torturing purgation, or release the soul from it altogether; that they are warranted, nay, for aught I know, commanded by God, to exact money for performing these masses, which money is to be appropriated to their own use; and they countenance their people in forming societies to raise money, for the purpose of purchasing masses from the most necessitous among themselves. I appeal to any man of common discernment, if ever he met with a transaction, that bore fraud and imposture so legibly written on the face of it, as this does! And yet, where can we look for deliverance to our fellow countrymen, from these tricks that are every day practised upon them, and for the sake of which they are studiously kept in the most profound ignorance. No ray of light is permitted to reach them; and, lest by any chance a passing gleam might shine upon them, they are taught to shut their eyes, and to believe that every one is their |