The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

506 SHAM REFORM AND REAL RE-ACTION.matic occurrence.One day a Capuchin father was diningwith him. The lawyer, after having shown him all the curiositiesof his house, told his reverend friend that he hadone thing more wonderful still to show him,—' an ape, thephoenix of its kind.''He serves me as a valet,' said theadvocate, ' waits at table, washes the glasses, attends tothe door, in fact does everything.''Ah !' said the Capuchin,shaking his head, ' provided it is really an ape ; let mesee the animal.' The ape, after a long search, was foundsecreted under a bed, and would bv no means move.' Infernalbeast !' cried the monk, ' come out ; and I commandthee, in the name of God, to say who thou art !'' The apereplied that he was a demon, and that he waited for thefirst day that the advocate should omit to say his prayerto the Virgin, to stifle him, and carry off his soul to hell,as the Lord had given him permission." Such is the instructionwhich Jesuitism furnishes to the youth of France.It would scarce be possible to show greater contempt for thehuman understanding." Signs and lying wonders" is one mark of the predictedapostacy. In all ages miracles have been wrought by theprophets of Rome in support of their pretensions. These aredangerous weapons in an age when knowledge is somewhatdiffused. Nevertheless Rome has again in her straits hadrecourse to them.* Somewhere about the time that the* The author had the fortune to witness one of Rome's " lying wondei's,"some years ago, in Liege. It took place on the third Sabbath ofJuly 1847. There had been a long continuance of drought, and thePapists of Liege were importunate with the priests to bring out a certainstone, which possessed such virtue that, if rolled through the streets insolemn procession, it would procure rain. The priests consented. On tlieSabbath indicated, the stone was brought forth ; and on Monday it rainedfrom morning till night. The Papists were edified, and some Protestantsknew not wliat to make of it. On the day of the procession the atmosphereshowed manifest signs of rain ; and the writer was afterwards toldtiiat on that day (Sabbath) it had rained heavily in France. The scholarwill recognise in this a piece of paganism. A ceremony precisely similarwas practised in pagan Home.