d nothing proscribed by the Church. Of
Bible criticism, therefore, he might know nothing. For original
investigation of authorities there was neither permission nor
opportunity. He was taught to discount historical criticism, and to
regard anarchy as the logical result of independence of thought.
He was likewise impressed with the fact that he must not question the
official acts of Holy Church.

"But," he once remonstrated, "it was by an ecumenical council--a group
of frail human beings--that the Pope was declared infallible! And that
only a few years ago!"

"The council but set its seal of affirmation to an already great and
established fact," was the reply. "As the supreme teacher and definer
of the Church of God no Pope has ever erred, nor ever can err, in the
exposition of revealed truth."

"But Tito Cennini said in class but yesterday that many of the Popes
had been wicked men!"

"You must learn to distinguish, my son, between the man and the
office. No matter what the private life of a Pope may have been, the
validity of his official acts is not thereby affected. Nor is the
doctrine of the Church."

"But,--"

"Nay, my son; this is what the Church teaches; and to slight it is to
emperil your soul."

But, despite his promises to his mother and the Archbishop, and in
despite, too, of his own conscientious endeavor to keep every
contaminating influence from entering his mind, he could not prevent
this same Tito from assiduously cultivating his friendship, and
voicing the most liberal and worldly opinions to him.

"_Perdio_, but you are an ignorant animal, Jose!" ejaculated the
little rascal one day, entering Jose's room and throwing himself upon
the bed. "Why, didn't you know that the Popes used to raise money by
selling their pardons and indulgences? That fellow Tetzel, back in
Luther's time, rated sacrilege at nine ducats, murder at seven,
witchcraft at six, and so on. Ever since the time of Innocent VIII.
immunity from purgatory could be bought. It was his chamberlain who
used to say, 'God willeth not the death of a sinner, but that he
should pay and live.' Ha! ha! Those were good old days, _amico mio_!"

But the serious Jose, to whom honor was a sacred thing, saw not his
companion's cause for mirth. "Tito," he hazarded, "our instructor
tells us that we must distinguish--"

"Ho! ho!" laughed the immodest Tito, "if the Apostolic virtue has been
handed down from the great Peter through the long line of