The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-30
A cArnoLIo yIEw or coSFEssTos.
Rev. Father Guns Lecture on the sub.
feet Last Evening.

feet Last Evening.
An audience which spoke volumes for the
high estimation In which the public holds
Rev. Father D. B. Gull, Of Bellaire, gathered
last evening In the Church Of the ImmAcu-
late Conception, In South Wheeling, To hear
his lecture on THE Confessional The
audience quite filled the church and was
made up Of citizens Of Standing and inteiii-
gence. An escort OF one hundred and thirty
persons came up from Bellalre on the special
train provided by the d. & o. road, and q
number OF Benwood people also ayailed
themselves OIL the same means Of attending
the lecture.
A view Of the Confessional from Roman
Catholic standpoint must possess considerable
interest for the non.CatholIC public, and a
synopsis OF the lecture will no doubt be read
with ayidlty. The speaker thinks that
although the Catholic Church Is the Oldest
ChriAtian organization, she Is the most mis-.
understood and misrepresented. All that the
church teaches to-day she has taught for
nearly nineteen hundred years, not secretly
and IN few portions Of the globe, but openly
and In all lands. The world has had chance
u learn from the records and children Of the
church what she holds, but they have moi
chosen 70 investigate nor to ask Of her an az.
p'anation Of the charges brought against her.
Therefore men despiSe her because they
know her not.
One Of the iavorite subjects Of misrepre.
sentation Is the Confessional and the claim
70 abSolve from sin repented for. Does any
vile man choose to ascend the lecture plat
form TO make money at the expense Of truth
be finds M ever Interesting subject in lie
horrors Of the confessional, and all the 50.
called escaped nuns" but really expelled
nuns, find crowded halls TO listen 70 Them
and replenish their purses. Pamphlets
find large sale which purport 10
contain translatlons OF extracts from Catholic
writers aud moralists. Thespeaker proposed
showing that all these horrors were the Of.
spring Of the perverted imaginations Of the
authors Of the stories. He claimed that CON.
iession was established by Jesus, praCtiCed by
the early Christian fathers and BY the church
from the days OF the Apostles, and that II Is
one OF the most benehcent gifts OF merci-
full God.
Its true no one can forgive sin but God,
but can he not appoint agents 10 settle nc.
counts as merchants do to transact business
with their customers? Certainly he can.
When Christ was on earth he once saw q
poor, sick, palsied man, and addressed him
compaSsionately, Son, be Of good cheer; thy
sins arc forgiven thee" Then the Scribes
huu EHuIlSee1 usheu u ITOteaLuEltS now ask,
"Who can forgive sins but God?' The
Christ read their thoughts and he said
''That ye may sec that the Son OF MANI
not the Son OF God, not Christ by virtue
Of his divine Rature, but as the "Son OF Man,
hath power to 6rgive SINS !" and then said 10
thesick man, "Rise, take up thy bed, and
walk" This miracle Christ worked TO show
that God can give to man the power to for
give sins, Again Christ said to the Apostles,
"All power Is given TO me In Heaven and on
earth. As the Father sent me send you
Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose
sins we shall forgive they are forgiven" etc,
This gives the Apostles the discretion TO for.
give, and this makes necessary q tribunal,
which is the confessional, where the peBiten,
confesses his sin, and the priest makes known
the penalty OF the law.
The remark Of the Lsrd's that "Whatever
We bind upon earth shall he bound In heav.
en-" was also quoted, as well as Pauls words,
I'VE have the ministry OF reconciliation. y
St. James also adjured the early Christians,
Confess your sins one to another" Many
other extracts were quoted from scripture,
aud claimed to uphold the speakers views,
and several secular authorities who have
spoken appreciatively OF the institution Of
confession were also quoted. The address
was listened to with absorbing interest, and
accepted at least by the Catholic portion OF
the audience as entirely conclusive and un,
nnsWerable.