imbibes, even with his mother's milk, a holy terror of her tyrant-his word is truth-his will is law; the child is born, and nursed, and educated in this bondage, totally unconscious of the chain; and thus the men of the nation are born, and live, and die in slavery, derived from the dark and damnable system of the confessional of Dens's Theology.

"But God has brought this dark iniquity to light, and in spite of all this bondage, the eyes of Irishmen shall at length be opened. How dare Mr. Maguire presume to stand up in a pulpit, and plead for the 'divinity and purity' of this confessional? How dare he stand up and call on any man that will but speak the truth, to impeach any thing doctrinal or moral in his Church? Does he imagine that blustering and abuse, and vulgar, insolent tirade, whether from the pulpit or the press, shall silence the voice of truth in Ireland, or that sophistry and jesuistry shall escape her grasp?

I take the word of the Holy God in my right hand, and in the name and strength of its blessed Author, I impeach every superstition, from the confessional to purgatory, and every idolatry, from the worship of angels to the host, which the church of Rome proposes as a refuge for the soul of man. And I repeat my challenge to Mr. Maguire and every priest in the Church of Rome, again and again, to put those principles to the test of God's eternal truth-bound as they shall be to that, and that alone. I take Dens's Theology in my left hand, and I impeach, not only the doctrines, but the morals of the Church of Rome, the necessary result of the falsehood of her doctrines. I impeach them, before God and before the Roman Catholics of Ireland, as being not only a disgrace to Christianity, but not exceeded in iniquity by any heathen superstition. I omit her cruelties and persecutions, and the spirit of intolerance and hatred she inculcates-I omit her faithlessness, her perjuries-I fasten on the one plain, clear, intelligible, iniquity which no ignorance can misunderstand, and which no casuistry can palliate-the iniquity of her confessional; and I leave it to the feelings, the judgment, the conscience, and the very natural instinct and affections of the heart, which no superstition can blindfold or deceive, of the very men who are most interested in disproving the facts. I say now, let Mr. Maguire, if he dare, redeem his pledge of the divinity of his confessional-let the Roman Catholics of Dublin choose any number of husbands and fathers to try his vindication of this one point; and if they find I deceive them, I shall never dare again to subscribe myself, as I do, their sincere and faithful countryman and friend, and their affectionate servant in the Gospel of Christ,

"April 9, 1836,"

"R. J. M'GHEE.

The advertisement of the pamphlet in which this controversy with Mr. Maguire is contained, is here preserved, as it comprehends the nature of that controversy, and exhibits the points on which that priest was afraid to let the Popish pretence of interpreting the Scriptures to the people, be brought to the test by attempting to give an exposition of a portion of the Scriptures, or to meet the abominations of the confessional by accepting the challenge in the last letter. It was as follows-perhaps it may lead some Roman Catholic yet to reflect on the imposture and slavery under which he is deceived and enthralled.

"IN THE PRESS, AND SPEEDILY WILL BE PUBLISHED,
By Richard M. Tims,

«THE UNANSWEred Challenge.-Exhibiting the various evasions of the challenge given to the Rev. Thomas Maguire by the Rev. R. J. M'Ghee, containing the reports of the sermons and the letters of Mr. Maguire, as published in the Freeman's Journal, with Mr. M'Ghee's answers and challenge; also his letters to the editors of the Dublin Evening Mail, Freeman, and Mr. Coyne, with Mr. Coyne's answer, and Mr. M'Ghee's final reply: the whole embodied in an address to the Roman Catholics of Ireland, in which are demonstrated to them-1st. Their own indisputable right of private judgment in reading the Scriptures, from the fact now proved, that their Church, so far from giving an infallible interpretation, cannot give them any interpretation at all. 2d. That their priests, having nothing but their own private judgment to guide them in reading and explaining the Scriptures, cannot either set forth the Gospel to the people, or give to them any interpretation that they can pretend to be infallible. 3d. That they cannot prove the church 'universal;' for they cannot prove her doctrines by those of the ancient church at Rome, and the other scriptural churchesnor apostolical, for they cannot show the identity of the doctrine. with that taught by St. Paul, and believed in the ancient apostolical church, whose name they bear-nor can they prove her unity,' for no two priests can come forward to give separate interpretations, which shall agree, to be published for the people-nor her sanctity,' for the guide of their confessional is so shocking, that they cannot translate it in the presence of the laity.

6

"To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.'-Isaiah viii. 20."

The priests being unable to meet any challenge to expose the confessional before the people, an attempt was made by them to retaliate, by charging Messrs. M'Ghee and O'Sullivan with having translated that infamous guide of theirs, which, though forsooth, perfectly proper for

priests to use in secret with unfortunate females in the confessional, their delicacy could, by no means, endure that it should be brought within the cognizance of their husbands and fathers in intelligible language. It is, indeed, too infamous and obscene for any man to read, much less to translate, and accordingly the following letters were published by the editors, disclaiming the imputation. The first, bearing date June 11th, appeared in the Saunders and Evening Mail.

"To the Editor of Saunders.

"SIR-Having seen that I am accused as being the translator of the doctrines for the Confessional of Dens's Theology, and considering it a just imputation, if it were true, on the moral character of a clergyman, that he could be instrumental in making such a vile production accessible to minds which could not fail to be contaminated with the perusal, I think it my duty to contradict the charge in the most unqualified manner. I neither translated it, nor do I know who the translator is, and could I have prevented the publication by any means, I should have felt it an imperative duty to do so. It would ill become clergymen to translate for the public that which a sense of conscious shame will not allow a priest to translate in the presence of any Roman Catholic husbands and fathers in the city of Dublin.

"I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,

"R. J. M'GHEE.

"June 11, 1836."

The second, bearing date June 14, appeared in the Freeman's Journal and Evening Mail, and to show the falsehood of the Popish press, pretending to cover the infamy of the publication, by saying the objectionable part lay only in the notes, while the whole is the very essence of base and infamous obscenity-the entire of the extract from the Dublin Evening Mail is preserved.

"DENS'S THEOLOGY.

"In our last we gave insertion to a letter from the Rev. Mr. M'Ghee, contradicting the report that he was the translator of a portion of Dens's Theology, now in circulation. We subjoin a similar contradiction from the Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan, which appeared in the Freeman's Journal of this morning; and in justice to all parties, and for the reasons we shall hereafter state, we accompany it by the introductory remarks of our contemprary :—

"The Rev. Mortimer O'Sullivan versus Dens.-We are glad to perceive that the Rev. Messrs. O'Sullivan and M'Ghee have disclaimed any connexion with the publication of the infamously translated extracts of Dens's Theology; as gentlemen they should repudiate it. We cannot, however, omit to mention that the work is exposed for sale, and the corruption of morality, only in the shops of the tract-venders and spiritual booksellers of the metropolis. The mistranslations and the notes are all that render the work unfit to meet the public gaze. Now that these reverend gentlemen have disclaimed this "most obscene book in the English language," we hope, for the sake of common decency, they will interpose, and prevent the sale of it by their own book and pamphlet sellers.'

"To the Editor of the Dublin Freeman's Journal.

"June 14, 1836.

«SIR-Your journal of Wednesday, 8th instant, contains a letter in which I am accused of having been concerned in a translation of extracts from that part of the theology of Professor Dens, by which clergymen of the Church of Rome are prepared for the duties of the confessional-a translation which, I am told, (and, if it be faithful, from what I have seen of the original, I can well believe the report,) is the most obscene book in the English language. I do not expect of you to receive any comments from me on the argument and invective with which the charge against me has been accompanied, and therefore offer none; but I claim of you as an act of justice, that you will give insertion to my unqualified denial of having been in any respect concerned in translating or publishing those extracts which you say were not intended to be made public-and which, having been designed to guide the speculations of an ecclesiastic in his study, and to regulate his intercourse with penitents in the confessional, may, no doubt, have a very vitiating influence on morals, if freely circulated and indiscriminately pursued.

"I am, sir, your obedient servant,

"MORTIMER O'SULLIVAN.'”

"Not having seen the translation, we are unable to form any opinion of its fidelity; but we understand that it is placed in juxta-position with the original, and that the notes are little more than extracts from Dens's Theology. Indeed we know not how human depravity could exceed in beastliness and obscenity the standard work. Without going into the question of the propriety or impropriety of publishing such a book, the Freeman's Journal and its party have certainly little cause

to consider it as a grievance ;-for as they complain only of the infamy of the translation, and not of the original, they have now a full opportunity of correcting the one and of defending the other. This is the fitting time to meet the proposition of Mr. M'Ghee, by referring the whole subject to the arbitriment of six Roman Catholic husbands and fathers, as containing the instructions for those to whom is committed the secret examination of their wives and daughters."

This honest appeal of the editor of the Mail was disregarded; but although the priests were unable to attempt a vindication of the confessional, one Roman Catholic layman was found who did attempt to rescue the character of his task-masters, a Mr. William O'Neill Daunt. This attempt, on his part, produced an appeal to the Roman Catholics of Ireland on the subject, which, as it is hoped it may yet meet the eye of some who will have the courage to arise and rescue themselves from the degrading yoke of bondage, is here preserved, from the columns of the Evening Mail.

"To the Roman Catholics of Ireland.

"Dear Roman Catholic Friends and Countrymen-Your attention has been called for some days past to a letter cried about the streets, and the persons who have cried it have been taught to announce it, if I am rightly informed, by stating that it is a conquest over me. Those individuals who are thus engaged-the writer, the publisher, the crier-are all aiding, as much as in them lies, the object which I have near my heart-they cannot promote it more.

"What is that object? To bring light, knowledge, and salvation to you, my countrymen; and as far as I am personally concerned, I hope it is a matter of indifference, at least, I am sure it ought to be, at what expense of reproach or public abuse, I can be instrumental, however humbly, in leading you to consider the truth.

"Those who are interested in keeping you in darkness will always be enraged at those who try to lead you into light; but fear not man, my countrymen. What is our fellow-worm that we should be afraid of him, if we have, as we ought to have, the fear of God in our hearts?

"The subject of this letter is the confessional-it is an attempt to defend the catechism by which your priests are authorized to examine your wives and daughters; and whatever calls your attention to this subject is of vital importance to your happiness.

"Before I enter on it, I feel bound to acquit myself of a charge made by this writer, and one or two others not worthy of further notice, namely, that I am the author of the translation of that horrid