ART. IX. THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY.

T has been suggested that an account of the aims and work of the Catholic Truth Society in its present form would be of interest to the readers of the DUBLIN REVIEW; and it was thought that my position as one of the Honorary Secretaries gave me special opportunities for undertaking the task. Without further preface, therefore, I will begin by a statement of the circumstances which led to the revival of the Society.

Like other large undertakings, the Catholic Truth Society in its present form has risen from very small beginnings. About four years since, one of us went into one of the numerous bookshops in which cheap Anglican publications are sold, and invested half-a-crown in a selection of these. Their number, variety, attractiveness, and general excellence much impressed the two or three priests and others to whom they were shown; and the idea arose that "we Catholics" might do something of the kind. It was talked over in very various places, as opportunity served, with those likely to be favourable to the plan-in London presbyteries and country lanes, in seaside walks and city offices

and it was decided that each of us should contribute a pound, with a view of attempting on a small scale what could easily be developed should the scheme appear likely to succeed. About £12 formed our first capital, and with this we brought out the first issue of the "Little Rosary Book," of which up to the present time some 40,000 have been printed. The card of "Morning and Night Prayers for those having little time," which had been originally compiled for a Boys' Club, was also put into circulation, and a similar card of "Prayers for Confession for little children." No especial trouble was taken to gain the support of great persons, but the late Bishop of Southwark (Dr. Coffin) at once expressed his sympathy with the work, and helped us by what in those days seemed very large orders for our publications. At this time we had no name; but, having written to the Bishop of Salford, whose work in connection with popular Catholic literature is too well known to need more than a reference, his Lordship invited me to Salford, to talk the matter over. He proposed that the old name of "The Catholic Truth Society" should be revived; that means should be taken to draw the attention of Catholics in general to the work; and that a circular letter should be drawn up and sent to the clergy and others likely to interest themselves in it. He also expressed his willingness to become President of the Society, and to use his influence in making it known.

Just at this time circumstances, into which it is not necessary to enter, made it desirable that I should leave Isleworth and come to live in London. This at the moment I regretted; but I soon saw that the Society's work could not have been carried on by any one living out of London. On November 5, 1881, a meeting was held at Lady Herbert's, under the presidency of Bishop Vaughan, at which the revival of the Catholic Truth Society was resolved upon, and various schemes for the furthering of its work were debated, the annual subscription being fixed at 10s.

It is not necessary to trace the steps-at first halting and slow, but soon becoming firmer and more rapid-by which the Society has arrived at its present position. But one or two points connected with its history deserve a word of comment.

The first is the absence of paid labour, which has enabled a Society with a very small income to achieve apparently disproportionate results. Until February last, the Society was at no expense of any kind for rent or salaries, save an almost nominal sum allowed for temporary help; the writers of the various publications have also done their work gratuitously-in short, no one has been paid. It was only when the accumulation of stock grew beyond the limits of a small private house, that premises were taken, and a manager engaged to superintend the mechanical portion of the work; and even this necessary expense is in some ways regrettable, as it diminishes the amount available for printing. The balance-sheet for the period between January 1, 1885, and Low Week, 1886, shows an expenditure for printing alone of £290, out of an income (from all sources) of £445; a balance of £71 then remained in hand-a satisfactory result in some respects, although it is not the wish of the Society to accumulate capital. The Low Week account this year, however, in spite of a largely increased income, is not likely to offend by exhibiting any considerable money balance.

Another noteworthy point is, that the Society, as it now exists, was brought into being by men almost entirely unknown, save in their own small circles. This is surely an evidence that there is in the Catholic body a great opening for work, if men will simply put their hands to what comes in their way; it encourages one to believe that the apathy which seems to have overtaken so many of our enterprises may before long disappear; and that the old belief, "laborare est orare," may once more be realized among us.

We must, however, guard ourselves against thinking that the design of promulgating cheap Catholic literature is of recent date, or that the original Catholic Truth Society led the way in the work. If we look through the pages of the various periodical publications which owed their existence to the energy and ability of William Eusebius Andrews, we shall find many evidences of

the zeal of our predecessors. To Andrews himself, indeed, may be attributed the earliest movement in this direction.* "Impressed as he was with a conviction that as, by a prostitution of the press, the public mind had so long been kept in a state of more than Egyptian darkness with respect to the true character of Catholicism, and the consequent prejudices against its professors engendered, fostered, and strengthened, so it was only by a vigorous use of the same powerful engine that we could expect to correct those erroneous impressions and remove that unchristian hostility; and hence the establishment of tract societies was always his most favourite project." In 1813 he published a letter "urging the propriety and advantage of an institution of this description;" and in 1815, at his suggestion, a tract society was formed in the Midland District, of which Bishop Milner was President. This, however, was but short-lived; and for nearly ten years the work of publishing and circulating cheap Catholic literature was carried on by Andrews, mainly at his own expense.+

In 1825 the Catholic Metropolitan Defence Society was formed (again mainly through Andrews' exertions), the first report of which appears in the Catholic Miscellany for October of that year. This report was submitted to the British Catholic Association, in union with which body the Defence Society worked. The Catholic Association, indeed, as well as its successor, the Catholic Institute, made the diffusion of literature one of its objects. It is much to be regretted that the Catholic Union, which, although in every sense less representative, occupies to some extent the ground formerly held by these bodies, has never taken any effective part in this most important work.§

It seems worth while to print at some length extracts from

*It is not altogether unimportant to note the part that laymen have always taken in movements of this kind.

+ Orthodox Journal, September 22, 1838, p. 187.

Mr. Gillow's useful" Biographical Dictionary of English Catholics" gives an account of the life and labours of this remarkable man, whose literary activity seems to have been inexhaustible. Besides the societies named in the text, he, "in 1826, established the Society of the 'Friends of Civil and Religious Liberty,' which, in little more than a year, circulated nearly half a million tracts at the small expense of £150, principally owing to Mr. Andrews' gratuitous management of the agency and correspondence."-" Biog. Dict. Eng. Cath." i. 48.

§ It is no part of my present scheme to criticise the Catholic Union, but I cannot forbear remarking in passing that its want of co-operation in any of the popular movements of the day, such as this of popular literature, the promotion of Catholic clubs, the providing of lecturers on Catholic subjects, and the like, is a serious drawback to its usefulness. It may be that the Truth Society will extend its lines, at some future period, so as to include these most important subjects within its" scope."

this first Report of the Catholic Defence Society, as it will show how fully alive the Catholics of more than sixty years back were to the importance of the work now undertaken by the Truth Society. It must be admitted by the most zealous supporters of the present Society that we have not as yet acted on as bold a plan as that carried out by the Defence Association. Some two or three enthusiastic men have, indeed, distributed our leaflets after Protestant meetings; but I am not aware that any attempt has been made to place them on the tables of places of public resort; while the "tap-rooms of public-houses" are, I imagine, as yet unvisited by our agents.

In addition to the advantages resulting from the exertions of the "Defence Committee " in circulating pamphlets and tracts in defence of the religion and principles of Catholics, it was imagined that great benefit to the same cause at a comparatively trifling expense might be effected by the circulation of handbill tracts, containing short and familiar expositions of the tenets and principles of the Catholic religion. (either of original matter, or of approved extracts from works), each combating some particular popular prejudice. It was thought that such short appeals to public attention would in many instances guide opinion, where tracts of a greater length would not be perused, and that by a judicious circulation of them much might be attained towards removing the prejudices and disabusing the minds of Protestants with regard to the real tenets of Catholic faith. A society too, established for the purpose of giving them circulation, might assist the Defence Committee in distributing the publications of the association, and otherwise seconding its efforts.

At the public meetings for religious or charitable objects of every denomination of Protestants this committee has distributed its handbill tracts in great abundance. Persons have been stationed at the public meetings of Bible and other societies (particularly where the Catholic religion was likely to be assailed) to distribute them, and upwards of 8,000 have been circulated at the doors of such assemblies.

Several of the keepers of that sort of coffee-houses usually frequented by tradespeople and mechanics have consented to allow publications sent by this committee to lie on their tables for perusal; and in every part of the metropolis houses of this description have been supplied, for the purpose of thus throwing in the way of a large portion of the mechanics of the metropolis (who are now becoming a reading class of men) essays and collections of facts that must expose to them, in their proper colours, the calumnies and misrepresentations with which the principles of Catholics, and the practice, discipline, and faith of their church have been blackened.

To persons going on board the steamboats that daily leave London, and principally to those vessels that have been engaged during the summer in charitable excursions, it has been part of the plan of this committee to have its handbills and other papers handed; and on some cccasions a distributor has been sent to leave them at the houses of

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respectable persons in the suburbs of London. For the perusal of steamboat parties, and of those who frequent the coffee-houses before mentioned, it has been thought that the excellent work of Mr. Howard, upon "Erroneous Opinions, &c.," was peculiarly adapted, and this committee has accordingly missed no opportunity of supplying them with it, as well as with copies of the speeches of Mr. O'Connell, the Rev. Sydney Smith, at Beverley, and Mr. Butler's two letters.

For the frequenters of the tap-rooms of public-houses, and other places of public resort, tracts have been left, which, from their nature, as it is known they are read, must have an effect on opinion, proving, as they do, the fallacy of many generally received notions prejudicial to the Catholic religion, and which, as far as regard such persons, may be almost said to have hitherto remained uncontradicted.

Having had occasional applications from the country, the committee has given to its tracts a circulation in a few towns and villages. Some hundreds have been sent abroad in Colchester and its vicinity, and into the towns of Harwich, Manningtree, and Dedham, in Essex, they have been occasionally introduced. In Taunton, also, the handbill tracts have been dispersed, and about 1,500 have been furnished for circulation among the Protestant inhabitants of Canterbury. Some have been sent to Sunderland; and in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, persons in Stratford, Chelsea, Greenwich, and part of Hertfordshire, have been supplied.

The committee is also engaged in a plan for employing the clubs and meetings of mechanics as a plan for giving circulation to its papers amongst that class of the community.

About 15,000 tracts of various descriptions have been sent abroad by this committee (nearly 2,000 of which have been those supplied by the Defence Committee), and it flatters itself that the mode in which they have been circulated has been such as to ensure them effect. Aware that hitherto in reality it has accomplished but little, this committee has the satisfaction of knowing that it has laid the foundation of a most extensive system of circulation, and of sending forth for perusal defensive tracts among every description of English Protestants. Its resources hitherto have allowed it to carry into effect only a very small part of what its system embraces; but it has hopes that when its objects are understood by Catholics that it will not want their support, and that it will be enabled to carry on with vigour operations that must contribute towards removing prejudices and opinions that have so long and so grievously wronged their religion.

The committee has to thank the Catholic Association for the support it has tendered, as well as for the tracts that have been received from the Defence Committee of that body.

This Report will at any rate serve to remind the members of the Truth Society that, in spite of the energy that they have undoubtedly displayed, we at present in some respects actually fall short of those who preceded us in the work. We are, indeed, as yet in want of many kinds of help; we need distributors, and we need funds. Immediately on the formation of the Defence Society ten thousand handbills were distributed gratui