St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-04
MOnsignOr CapeFs Lecture.

A large audience, many of whom were
Protestants, assembled at the cathedral last
night to listen to to the first of a course Of
lectures by Monsignor Capel.
He commenced his sermon by explaining
the scope of the course of lectures which he
proposes to give in the cathedral during the
coming week.
To Catholics he would endeavor by be-
stowal of scriptural arguments aid them in
understanding intelligently their faith. To
non-Catholics he would endeavor to give
substantial reasons for examining into the
truths of Catholicity.
At the series of conferences which he will
give at $3.50 p. IN. every day this week, he
will deal with the practical aspects of the pri-
vate life Of the Catholic by explaining the
several petitions of the Lords Prayer and
showing their relation to their in
door life. In the evening, at
p. M, it is his intention to
explain the principles upon which the Catho-
lie faith rests, and the destinctiye doctrines
of that faith, supporting them By historical
quotations. Tonight" he said, 81 have
chosen to commence my course by inquiring
why men do not believe. 1t is my purpose
to consider how it is that those who have re-
ceivcd the Christian faith forget the God who
gave them life.''
The speaker then proceeded to compare
the present century with those that preceded
it in its infdelistc propensities, aud stated
it was his conviction that infidelity was not
more rampant than it had been at other perl
DDS of the worlds history, notably in the
eighteenth century. To-day, however, we
are subjected to peculiar danger.
''There are more men and women who
have so called education, who profess to be
educated, but for whom their little knowl-
edge is a dangerous thing"
1t is a marvellous thing, said the Mon
signor, how few persons were converted by
Christ He was God, and consequently His
logic and manner of instruction was per-
feet, yet He made Christians of but few.
Since His time Christianity had not made the
progress that the efforts made in its behalf
seemed to justify. Only one-third of the
population of the globe are Christians after
so many years of missionary labor, heroic
sacrifices and un Leasing toll. Why is this!
There are three reasons by which it can be
accounted for. First, the worldliness of
man; second, his supreme ignorance; third,
the moral depravitv of the race
Proceeding to explain and support this theory,
the monsignor spoke of the unceasing la
boring for wealth, the struggle for the ac-
quirement of every luxury, and the forget
fulness, amid our business cares, of the du-
ties we owe to God, and of what is of more
i'm portance, the saving of our souls. The
ignorance of man also kept many from
knowledge of the truth. As everyone is
ready to offer advice to someone who is sick,
$50 every passerby was prepared to explain
the deepest mysteries of religion. Men
called themselves thinkers, in reality they
only adopt the ideas of others. The moment
some newly discoved fact seems opposed to
religion, or the existence of God, then re-
ligion and God were Immediately rejected.
The danger of depending entirely upon the
Bible for our rule of faith was dwelt upon.
The system of placing the reader at the
mercy of the translator for the certainty az
to what was really written by the inspired
writers, unless he could understand Hebrew,
| Greek and Latin, in which the Bible was Or
iginally written, was elaborated
Lastly, the moral depravity of many who
give themselves up to vice, tends to obscure
the mind, to deaden the conscience. and to
create desire that there were no God.
From this desire comes doubt and intidehty.
In closing the Monsiguor called attention
to the fact that he had used the word belief
instead of faith throughout his lecture, and
promised to explain his reasons on Monday
evening.