June 3, 1874. Here is another, offering indulgences to all who will contribute to the building of University college of Ottawa; the holder of this certificate shall be entitled to share 25 masses daily and in all the prayers and good works of the Rev. Oblate Fathers.

For ten years, by a contribution of

Forever,

A family for ten years,

25 cents. $200

$100

Thus are men and women deceived. They trust in man rather than in the efficacy of the atonement by Jesus Christ. This gives priests power at sick beds over the wills of the dying and over the purses of living relatives and friends. From the living they get profit in the sale of indulgences, Agnus Deis, scapularies, masses of every kind, dispensations from fasts, removal of impediments to marriage, miraculous medals, various defences against the devil, grace through the images or relics of patron saints, and other similar devices.

Remember there is nothing to be gotten from the Roman Catholic church without money. No money, no baptism; no money, no marriage; no money, no burial; no money, nothing.

If Romanists deceive Romanists it becomes Christians to preach to them the gospel. The mortification and shame which come to us because of the conduct of one who professes allegiance to Christ are very hard to bear. Let the shame and disgrace end there. Christians, awake and put your armor on. Napoleon in Egypt, close by the pyramids, said: "Twenty centuries behold your actions." Christian people, look up to the throne. Jesus is there. Look about you; behold the perishing.

Romanists are crowding the broad road to death. Millions of youth are interested in this controversy. Will Americans rise to the level of their great opportunity and do their whole duty, or will they bow down to Rome and barter away their God-given rights? This is the question of the hour. How will it be answered? Shall men be taught error or the truth? Remember, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Think right, and all will be well. Think wrong and act wrong, and ruin awaits you.

PURGATORY THE MASTERPIECE OF

PRESUMPTION.

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." John 10: 28.

Thus spake the Shepherd to his sheep as he looked upon them in love, and opened to them the gates of hope. That there might be no mistaking his intent or promise he added the words, "My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Notwithstanding this, Leo XIII has the effrontery, the brazen presumption, the ineffable audacity to oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, and then assumes the power that he can pluck God's redeemed out of his hand, shut them up in purgatory, keep them there at his will, let them out when he chooses, and the press prints it as if it were truth, and Christian people refuse to oppose him, as if he had claim to respect. Purgatory is the bottom of the bucket of popery's hellish intent. Take it away and the church would be bankrupt. Once, I described purgatory as the cap sheaf of popery. A cap sheaf is the crown of a company of sheaves. It covers all, touches each one and holds all together. This the doctrine of purgatory does for Romanism. Give to a company of bandits the rule of the town, let them have the ability to rob, to kill and to destroy, you strike terror into the very soul of the community and take out courage from the heart and strength from the arm. Popery goes one better. It not only robs and destroys here, but it claim.s to hold the keys of death and hell, and to be able to damn beyond the grave. It comes to the bedside of the dying, kindles its candles, sprinkles its holy water, burns its incense, pours out its oil, mumbles its Latin, stretches out its hand for money and leaves the soul in purgatory, which is ten times hotter than hell. Was there ever presumption like it? And yet this Leo XIII claims to be able to do in an Encyclical addressed to Roman Catholics throughout the world, Sept. 30, 1888.

and

33

Here stands my Lord and declares "I give unto you, "ah, helpless one, trusting in my blood, pillowing your head on faith in my power to save, "eternal life." Life that outlasts the stars; life that breaks through the fetters of decay on the wings of this uplifting hope, soars above superstition and its mists, wickedness and its power, into a realm undarkened by a cloud, in which Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness. Hark! A loud voice is heard. It sounds out from heaven saying, "Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ." Let us join the redeemed about the throne and with them sing with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Worthy because he wields his power for the good of those who cast away the fetters of sin and robe themselves in righteousness; riches because he gives to all who call upon him with an open and liberal hand; wisdom because none so desire to exercise it for the amelioration of mankind; strength, because he is our deliverer, fights the battles of the helpless so that with Paul all can say, "When I am weak, then am I strong;" and honor and glory and blessing, because none in heaven and none on earth can compare with Him. He is the chiefest among ten thousand and the one altogether lovely.

Thank God for the privilege of declaring this on earth. We shall sing his praises in heaven but God delights to have us confess Jesus Christ on earth.

Beside this privilege, contrast the humiliation of 300,000,000 of people who are compelled to turn from Jesus Christ, while they bow down to a man who claims to have the power to decree the supreme honor of the saints.

He decrees it. Leo XIII will, according to Roman Catholic theology, enter purgatory, and the hat will be passed around all over the world to pray him out of the fire.

Let us on the wings of faith, like eagles cleaving through the clouds that cap the mountains, shout out today, so that all may hear, Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. He gives eternal life to those that welcome him as King, as Saviour and Ruler, and no pope machine called a church can pluck them out of his hand.

1. Purgatory is the masterpiece of presumption, because as a human invention it challenges the might of Almighty God. The Lord Jesus Christ declares, "I give you eternal life." Rome boldly

says, You do not, until we get our money for masses and consent to the deliverance of the soul from purgatory.

Is this true or false? Does Rome in 1888 stand for the dogma? The answer is furnished by the encyclical of Leo XIII. This is the language in part:

"Therefore with all the necessary dispensations and derogations, we fix the last Sunday of the month of September as a day of most ample expiation, on which there shall be celebrated by us and also by each of our brethren, the patriarchs, the archbishops and bishops and other prelates exercising jurisdiction over a diocese-by each in his own patriarch, metropolitan or cathedral church-a special mass for the dead, with the greatest solemnity possible and according to the rite indicated by the missal, for the commemoration of all the faithful departed." This was to be done everywhere, in every Roman Catholic church or chapel in the world.

"Thus the pious souls who expiate by such great sufferings the remainder of their faults, will receive special and most opportune relief from the saving host, which the universal church, united with its visible head and animated with the same spirit of charity, will offer to God in order that he may admit them to a place of consolation, light and eternal peace."

There is the presumption-clear, distinct and avowed. Rome claims the right to hold millions of saints in the flames of purgatory, and God can only get them out through her agency. This blasphemous lie is believed in. Newspapers print it without dissent and become aids in the deception. Here then is a human invention, unsupported by a line of scripture, unknown to the primitive church, a money-making, conscienceless scheme, designed and worked to take money from the pockets of the deluded and ensnared, endorsed -at least not opposed, ridiculed and caricatured as it deserves to be. Be not deceived. There is no shame in the harlot of the Tiber, with her pomp of outward show, her gorgeous rites, symbols and forms manipulated by priests and nuns; with her confessional and penance, her Mariolatry and canonization of saints, her superstition and error, her willful perversion of the truth, her lasciviousness and lewdness enthroning her in the hearts of the vile, so that she may glorify herself and live deliciously, saying in her heart, "I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow." Rome presents a terrible theme for contemplation. She holds her subjects with a