The reader may think it strange that a man who was born and raised a Catholic, and who for thirty years officiated in the capacity of a Catholic priest, could turn his back upon the creed of his forefathers and so vehemently endeavor to destroy every vestige of his childhood’s doctrines, but this is no more unreasonable than it was for Paul, in the twinkle of an eye, to turn from his wickedness and become one of the chosen Apostles of Christ.

Many years before I cut loose entirely from the Catholic Church my faith in her abominations was at times almost threadbare, and I have declared time and time again that never would I enter another Catholic Church in the capacity of a priest, but as often as I declared and made these resolves, just so often I broke them, as my early training and my superstitious fears would get the better of my convictions, and I would be whipped back into the trenches of superstition.

I have often tried within the past ten years to “nag” those officials who were above me into a paroxysm of fury and have them excommunicate me, as I tried to make myself believe that it would be better to have them throw me out of the church than to leave it on my own free will, but it appeared as though they discerned by intentions and they would not do as I desired, and at last I made up my mind that I would swing out upon my own account from the dark shadows of this superstitious belief, and every word of this book has been written without a single charge preferred against me by the Catholic Church, therefore the Catholic Church cannot declare that I was not in good standing as a priest at the time this book was compiled.

What I mean by “good standing” is that the robed monarchs who boldly claim the power to damn the soul by excommunication, have not as yet seen fit to eternally obliterate my prospects of ever entering the “New Jerusalem,” but as soon as this book is given to the reading public, then those who wield the axe will let it fall with all the diabolical vengeance of Roman hatred upon my head and declare the “pearly gates” have been forever closed upon my depraved soul; but what I most desire is to have the public understand that now, while I am writing this book, I am considered and am by all the rights of the Catholic church A priest and enjoy all the privileges of catholicity as such.

Why I so earnestly desire to impress this upon the minds of the reader is that I know so well the trickery of those whom I write about and I know full well that the Catholic officials will at once endeavor to make the world believe that I am an outcast and in bad standing with the Catholic Church.

This book is being written in the year 1903, and I will make oath before any court of record on earth to the truthfulness of the statements herein set forth, and I will give ten thousand dollars to any charitable institution in America if any priest, bishop or archbishop on the face of the whole earth will make oath and prove before any lawful tribunal of America if one word of the foregoing is not true.