never command or require woman to degrade and pollute herself and the
priest in pouring in the ear of a frail and sinful mortal, words unfit even
for an angel? No; they were very careful not to say so; for from that very
moment, their shameless lies would have been exposed; the stupendous but
weak structure of auricular confession would fall to the ground with sad
havoc and ruin to its upholders. Men and women would open their eyes, and
see its weakness and fallacy. "If God," they might say, "can forgive our
most grievous sins, against modesty, he can and will certainly do the same
with those of less gravity; therefore there is no necessity or occasion for
us to confess to a priest."

But those shrewd casuists know too well that by such frank confession, they
would soon lose their hold on Catholic populations, especially on women, by
whom, through confession, they rule the world. They much prefer to keep
their gripe on benighted minds, frightened consciences, and trembling
souls. No wonder, then, that they fully endorse and confirm the decisions
of the councils of Latran and Trent ordering "that all sins must be
confessed such as God knows them." No wonder that they try their best or
worst to overcome the natural repugnance of women for making such
confessions, and to conceal the terrible dangers for the priests in hearing
the same.

But God, in His infinite mercy, and for the sake of truth, has compelled,
as it were, the Church of Rome to acknowledge the moral dangers and
corrupting tendencies of auricular confession. In His eternal wisdom, he
knew that Roman Catholics would close their ears to whatever might be said
of the demoralizing influence of that institution; that they would even
reply with insult and fallacy to the words of truth kindly addressed to
them: as the Jews of old returned hatred and insult to the good Saviour who
was bringing to them the glad tidings of a free salvation. He knew that
Romish devotees, led astray by their priests, as were the poor blinded
Jews, would call the apostles of truth liars, seducers, possessed of the
devil, as Christ was constantly called a demoniac, an impostor, and finally
put to death by his false accusers.

But God, just as compassionate now as he was then for the poor benighted
and deluded souls, has wrought a real miracle to open the eyes of their
minds, and compel them, as it were, to believe us, when we say, on his
authority, that auricular confession was invented