Men of sense, who are not already traditionized nor Christianized, find facts enough in the line of papal bulls and decrees to disgust them so thoroughly as to drive them at once to reject religion entirely. Sixtus the V., in 1590, declared, by a perpetual decree, an edition of the Vulgate, just then out, the sole authentic and standard text, to be received as such under pain of excommunication. He also decreed that future editions not conformed to it should have no credit nor authority. But its errors were so numerous that it was immediately called in, and a new Vulgate was published by Clement VIII., in 1592, differing, in several thousand places, from the one of 1590. This last publication was also issued under penalty of excommunication for any departure from it. So Roman Catholic faith rests very largely upon the assumed authority of the Pope, and this authority has often been exercised in the wrong, they themselves being witnesses. This authority, opposed to human progress, has been and is one of the greatest feeders to Atheism and infidelity. Mr. Draper, in his work entitled “Conflict between Religion and Science,” wishes his readers to understand that he uses the term Christianity in the sense of Roman Catholicism. The entire work is one grand scientific effort against popecraft and priestcraft. His work is well worth a reading; but it is to be remembered by all who would do Mr. Draper justice that his great antagonist is the Roman Catholic Church. Will she defend herself against the charge of being in conflict with science? Is she in the way of human progress? How does she compare with Protestants in morality and virtue?

Let us give you a few figures, by the way of negative evidence, upon the question of comparative morality, remembering [pg 223] that it is a sad necessity of our nature to have to determine which of us has the least of moral miseries in order that we may know which has the most of virtue. Let this be as it may, these moral miseries show themselves under two principal phases, acts of profligacy and acts of violence; corrupt manners and assassinations. Here is what we read in Jonnes:

Assassinations And Attempts To Assassinate In Europe.

Protestant—Scotland, 1835,1 for 270,000
Protestant—England,1 for 178,000
Protestant—Low Countries, 1824,1 for 163,000
Protestant—Prussia, 1824,1 for 100,000
Catholic States—Austria, 1809,1 for 57,000
Catholic—Spain, 1826,1 for 4,113
Catholic—Naples,1 for 2,750
Catholic—Roman States,1 for 750

Jonnes, vol. 2, p. 257.

Now, if we take the average, we have one assassination, or one attempt to assassinate, for 180,222 inhabitants in the aggregate of the four Protestant nations; and one assassination, or one attempt to assassinate, for 16,153 inhabitants in the four Catholic nations; in other words, eleven times more of these crimes among the Roman Catholic nations. The contrast between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries in Spain is so very striking, and is painted by a writer in such lively colors that one is tempted to believe that the picture was intended to serve as a demonstration.

“Spain is a dispossessed queen. For two hundred years and more diamonds have been falling from her glittering crown. The source of her wealth, well or ill-gotten, is exhausted forever. Her treasures are lost, her colonies are gone; she is deprived of the prestige of that external opulence which veiled, or, at least dissembled her real and utter poverty. The nation is exhausted to such a degree, and has been so long unhappy, that each individual feels but his own misery. His country has ceased to exist for him. Even those time are gone when the guerillas called the citizens to arms for the sole and generous purpose of vindicating the national honor. The [pg 224] despondency and apathy of the nation are visible even in the battles fought by the Spaniards among themselves in their civil dissensions. They fight from habit, and discharge their muskets at their countrymen because they can do nothing else, and because every shot from their guns may bring them a piece of bread. A nation reduced to such a state is low indeed; the chilliness of death is very near seizing upon its extremities. What a length of time it will require to heal the wounds of these populations, so brave and so devoted! How much gold, how much blood have been lavished during the last seven years without an object, without any conceived plan!

“What would Charles the Fifth say, if, rising from his grave he saw his great and glorious Spain struggling thus miserably in dread uncertainty of her future destinies? ‘Where are my colonies? Where are my Batavian provinces? Where is my gigantic power, and the glory of Spain, which resounded from one hemisphere to the other? What have you done with my inheritance, ye cowardly and unskillful men? Where are my treasures; where the victorious fleets that crossed the ocean to bring back in profusion to my empire the gold and gems of the New World?’ The question naturally arises, what can be the cause of so many evils? of such utter misery, such extreme ignorance, such disgusting sloth?

“Tyranny, says the politician.

“Catholicism, says the Protestant.