Awful Disclosures | Page 7

convents--the strongholds of superstition,
corruption, and foreign influence, in the United States. The Romish publications,
although greatly reduced in number within a few years, will probably pour out much of
their unexhausted virulence, as it is their vocation to misrepresent, deny, and vilify. They
will be ready to pronounce a general anathema on all who dare to reprint, or even to read
or believe, such strong accusations against the "holy retreats" of those whom they pretend
are "devoted to lives of piety." But we will challenge them to do it again, by placing
some of their iron bishops and even popes in the forefront.
In the year 1489, in the reign of Henry VII, Pope Innocent VIII published a bull for the
Reformation of Monasteries, entitled, in Latin, "De Reformatione Monasceriorum," in
which he says that, "members of monasteries and other religious places, both Clemian,
Cistercian, and Praemonstratensian, and various other orders in the Kingdom of England"
--"lead a lascivious and truly dissolute life." And that the papist reader may receive this
declaration with due reverence, we copy the preceding words in Latin, as written by an
infallible pope, the man whose worshippers address him as "Vicegerent of God on earth."
Of course his words must convince them, if ours do not: "Vitam lascivam ducunt, et
nimium dissolutam." "Swine Priory," in 1303, had a Prioress named Josiana, whose
conduct made the name of her house quite appropriate. In France, in the Council of
Troyes, A. D. 999, the Archbishop said, "In convents of monks, canons, and nuns, we
have lay abbots residing with their wives, sons, daughters, soldiers and dogs;" and he
charges the whole clergy with being in a deprived and sinful state. But the particulars
now before us, of such shameful things in Germany, Italy, &c., for ages, would fill a
larger volume than this.
Now, let the defenders of nunneries repeat, if they dare, their hackneyed denunciations of
those who deny their sanctity. Here stand some of their own bishops and popes before us;
and the anathemas must fall first upon mitres and tiaras! Americans will know how much
confidence to place in the pretended purity of institutions, whose iniquity and shame have
been thus proclaimed, age after age, in a far more extensive manner than by this book.
But we can at any time shut their mouths by the mere mention of "_Den's Theology_,"
which they must not provoke us to refer to.

AWFUL DISCLOSURES.


CHAPTER I.
EARLY RECOLLECTIONS.
Early Life--Religious Education neglected--First Schools--Entrance into the School of the
Congregational Nunnery--Brief Account of the Nunneries in Montreal--The

Congregational Nunnery--The Black Nunnery--The Grey Nunnery--Public Respect for
these Institutions--Instruction Received-- The Catechism--The Bible.
My parents were both from Scotland, but had been resident in Lower Canada some time
before their marriage, which took place in Montreal; and in that city I spent most of my
life. I was born at St. John's, where they lived for a short time. My father was an officer
under the British Government, and my mother has enjoyed a pension on that account ever
since his death. [Footnote: See the affidavit of William Miller, in the Appendix.]
According to my earliest recollections, he was attentive to his family; and a particular
passage from the Bible, which often occurred to my mind in after life, I may very
probably have been taught by him, as after his death I do not recollect to have received
any religious instruction at home; and was not even brought up to read the scriptures: my
mother, although nominally a Protestant, not being accustomed to pay attention to her
children in this respect. She was rather inclined to think well of the Catholics, and often
attended their churches. To my want of religious instruction at home, and the ignorance
of my Creator, and my duty, which was its natural effect. I think I can trace my
introduction to Convents, and the scenes which I am to describe in this narrative.
When about six or seven years of age, I went to school to a Mr. Workman, a Protestant,
who taught in Sacrament street, and remained several months. There I learned to read and
write, and arithmetic as far as division. All the progress I ever made in those branches
was gained in that school, as I have never improved in any of them since.
A number of girls of my acquaintance went to school to the nuns of the Congregational
Nunnery, or Sisters of Charity, as they are sometimes called. The schools taught by them
are perhaps more numerous than some of my readers may imagine. Nuns are sent out
from that Convent to many of the towns and villages of Canada to teach small schools;
and some of them are established as instructresses in different parts