Fifty Years in the Church of Rome

by Charles Paschal Telesphore Chiniquy

These words, time and again repeated by the thousands of people who surrounded the platform, fell upon the poor bishop’s ears as formidable claps of thunder. They were ringing as his death knell in his ears. The battle was over, and he had lost it.

Bathed in his tears, suffocated by his sobs, he sat, or to speak more correctly, he fell into the arm chair, and I feared, at first, lest he should faint. When I saw that he was recovering, and strong enough to hear what I had to say, I stepped to the front of the platform. But I had scarcely said two words, when I felt as if the claws of a tiger were on my shoulders. I turned and found that it was the clenched fingers of the bishop, who was shaking me, while he was saying with a furious voice:

“No! no! not a word from you.”

As I was about to show him that I had a right to refute what he had said, my eyes fell on a scene which baffles all description. Those only who have seen the raging waves of the sea, suddenly raised by the hurricane, can have an idea of it. The people had seen the violent hand of the bishop raised against me, they had heard his insolent and furious words forbidding me to say a single word in answer; and a universal cry of indignation was heard:

“The infamous wretch! Down with him! He wants to enslave us again! he denies us the right of free speech! he refuses to hear what our pastor has to reply! Down with him!”

At the same time, a rush was made by many toward the platform, to scale it, and others were at work to tear it down. That whole multitude, absolutely blinded by their uncontrollable rage, were as a drunken man who does not know what he does. I had read that such things had occurred before, but I hope I shall never see it again. I rushed to the head of the stairs and, with great difficulty, repulsed those who were trying to lay their hands on the bishop. In vain, I raised my voice to calm them, and make them realize the crime they wanted to commit. No voice could be heard in the midst of such terrible confusion. It was very providential that we had built the scaffold with strong materials, so that it could resist the first attempt to break it.

Happily, we had in our midst a very intelligent young man, called Bechard, who was held in great esteem and respect. His influence, I venture to say, was irresistible over the people. I called him to the platform, and requested him, in the name of God, to appease the blind fury of that multitude. Strange to say, his presence, and a sign from his hand, acted like magic.

“Let us hear what Bechard has to say,” whispered every one to his neighbor, and suddenly, the most profound calm succeeded the most awful noise and confusion I had ever witnessed. In a few appropriate and eloquent words, that young gentleman, showed the people that, far from being angry, they ought to be glad at the exhibition of the tyranny and cowardice of the bishop. Had he not confessed the wickedness of his address when he refused to hear the answer? Had he not confessed that he was the vilest and most impudent of tyrants, when he had come into their very midst to deny them the sacred right of speech and reply? Had he not proved, before God and man, that they had done well to reject, forever, the authority of the Bishop of Rome, when he was giving them such an unanswerable proof that that authority meant the most unbounded tyranny on his part, and the most degraded and ignominious moral degradation on the part of his blind slaves.”

Seeing that they were anxious to hear me; I then told them:

“Instead of being angry, you ought to bless God for what you have heard and seen from the Bishop of Chicago. You have heard: and you are witnesses that he has not given us a single argument to show that we were wrong, when we give up the words of the Pope to follow the Words of Christ. Was he not right when he told you that there was no need, on my part, to answer him! Do you not agree that there was nothing to answer, nothing to refute in his long address! Has not our merciful God brought that bishop into your midst, to-day, to show you the truthfulness of what I have so often told you, that there was nothing manly, nothing honest, or true in him? Have you heard from his lips a single word which could have come from the lips of Christ? A word which could have come from that great God who so loved the world that he sent his eternal Son to save it, on the simple condition that we should repent, love and trust in Him. Was there a single sentence in all you have heard which would remind you that salvation through Christ was a gift? that eternal life was a free gift offered to all those who accepted him as their true and only Saviour? Have you heard anything from him to make you regret that you are no longer his obedient and abject slaves?”