This priest replied that he was "positive," and stated that this woman at Peck's farm was Peck's housekeeper, and further stated that he did not know anything about her at all, when he knew as well as he knew that he was living that he had been the cause of her forsaking her husband in Brooklyn, and also had been instrumental in her going to Far Hills, N.J., where he could live his life of shame without molestation.
After this vagabond had made this denial, Mr. Peck was again seen at Far Hills, N.J., and emphatically stated that Priest Sander had told him that this woman was Mrs. Mamie Kipp, and that he knew that this priest was living in adultery with her.
What is the consequence? Did the Roman Catholic Church excommunicate this bundle of perfidy for immorality? Ah, no! As the "moguls" and "high up" officials of Catholicism are cognizant of the fact that the priestcraft are, as a whole, the most immoral set of men that ever infested the face of the earth. Now, what can we expect of the morals of a country which has for its leaders and teachers men of this caliber? We might as well expect our daughters to become women of virtue and godliness, who were raised in houses of ill fame, as to expect young men and women to become men and women of morality and chastity, who have for their teachers such men as Priest Sander of Brooklyn, New York.
There is no denying the fact that Catholicism has already a strong hold upon the affairs of this country, as we find the hydra-headed demon in every branch of our government, and since such is the case, it is folly to deny the fact that if Catholicism is what we have shown it to be, that her influence is demoralizing, and the influence of the priesthood of America upon the morals of this country is bound to be detrimental, and who will deny the truthfulness of my assertions, as I have not misstated a single paragraph in this book; and if this is true, what shall we expect of the present generation and the generations that are yet unborn, if we permit Catholicism to make as great headway in the future as she has in the past?
We call to mind another case which belongs to the history of to-day, and in this chapter we desire to refer to the present sins of the priestcraft, as history teems with the abominations of the priestcraft immorality, but in this chapter we want to thoroughly convince the reader that the same immorality that has existed in the ranks of Catholicism in bygone centuries, is to-day as degrading and as rampant as it ever was, and if we can do this, we feel satisfied that we will impress the Protestant world with the importance of overthrowing the power of the Pope, and erecting in its stead the true spirit of Protestantism, whose influence will not blight the characters of our boys and girls, but which will make of them an army of giants, ever ready to battle for the chastity of our American homes.
One of the most fashionable Roman Catholic churches in New York City is "St. Cecilia's," situated on North Henry and Herbert streets.
Only a few years ago the organist of this church went to the room of the priest in charge, in company with a little boy. The priest informed this boy to stay down stairs, and invited the organist to his parlor, near which were his living rooms. This priest locked the door behind him, and without a moment's warning, leaped upon her like a beast and attempted to bear her down upon the sofa and commit an assault, but her cries frightened him away.
With flushed face she rushed from this priest's room and passed the servant, out into the street, with the priest begging her to say nothing about what had happened. We want to know if this attempted crime injured the priest in the estimation of Catholicism? Not by any means, as he continued to serve the church in the capacity of priest, after both this girl's father and mother had publicly denounced him as a seducer of virtue.
The entire congregation learned of this priest's attempted assault upon virtue, but this degrading notoriety did not injure him in the least, as his services are just as crowded as they were before. This outrage was carried before the bishop of the diocese in which this church was situated, but nothing was done.
The priest which we refer to was a drunkard, and he drank as deeply after this attempted assault as before, and in a short time he assaulted a 12-year-old girl, and not long after that he assaulted his servant, who was a girl 18 years of age, and continued his raid upon her virtue until one day, while in a drunken spree, he struck her and injured her, and she made public the actions of this human viper, who had been parading in the robes of a priest.