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Home » Publications » Free Presbyterian Magazine » 1923 » December 1923 » A Specimen of Modern Superstition and Credulity.—The “Churchman’s Magazine” reprints the following letter by a Jesuit Priest, William Delany, by name, from the “Dublin Evening Herald”:—”Many thanks for publishing my letter about the Decree of Pope Pius X., granting an indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines every time to every Catholic who would reverently pronounce the three Holy Names, Jesus, Mary, Joseph. May I draw out for your readers the manifest consoling consequences that clearly follow?—1. That inasmuch as we can easily pronounce these Holy Names 20 times in one minute, it is plain that we could easily do so at least 1000 times in an hour. 2. Hence, as there are granted for each time an indulgence for 7 years and 7 quarantines, whoever would so love his departed friends as to give even one hour to repeat this prayer for them would thereby obtain 1000 times 7 years and 7 quarantines for their guardian angels to carry down to the suffering souls. 3. It needs no argument to make clear that the guardian angels who would carry down such indulgences would speedily be accompanied on their way back to Heaven by no small number of rejoicing souls, who would most assuredly repay that debt abundantly from their places in Heaven.” For superstition and credulity it would be hard to find a match to that of this Jesuit priest

A Specimen of Modern Superstition and Credulity.—The “Churchman’s Magazine” reprints the following letter by a Jesuit Priest, William Delany, by name, from the “Dublin Evening Herald”:—”Many thanks for publishing my letter about the Decree of Pope Pius X., granting an indulgence of 7 years and 7 quarantines every time to every Catholic who would reverently pronounce the three Holy Names, Jesus, Mary, Joseph. May I draw out for your readers the manifest consoling consequences that clearly follow?—1. That inasmuch as we can easily pronounce these Holy Names 20 times in one minute, it is plain that we could easily do so at least 1000 times in an hour. 2. Hence, as there are granted for each time an indulgence for 7 years and 7 quarantines, whoever would so love his departed friends as to give even one hour to repeat this prayer for them would thereby obtain 1000 times 7 years and 7 quarantines for their guardian angels to carry down to the suffering souls. 3. It needs no argument to make clear that the guardian angels who would carry down such indulgences would speedily be accompanied on their way back to Heaven by no small number of rejoicing souls, who would most assuredly repay that debt abundantly from their places in Heaven.” For superstition and credulity it would be hard to find a match to that of this Jesuit priest

Mussolini and the Vatican.—The rise of Mussolini to such commanding power in Italy has attracted the attention of the civilised world. His attitude to the Vatican is a question of much interest to Protestants, and from an interview given to a French correspondent and quoted in the “Times,” we are left in no doubt as to his deferential attitude to the power that would crush Italy as effectively as ever Socialism threatened to do when the Fascist blow fell upon it with such crushing effect. “What an absurd mistake,” says Mussolini, “it would be to ignore such a moral power as that, a power two thousand years old, and with an influence, daily increasing, over four hundred million souls.” Whatever keenness of political vision Mussolini may have, it is evident from the above that his spiritual vision is dim and uncertain.

As the old, so the new creation begins in light; the opening of the eyes is the first work of the Spirit.—Flavel.

No stone, nor steel, nor diamond is so hard as the impenitent heart of a man.—Luther.

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