Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-11
MGR. CAPEL'S LECTURE
A Scathing Review of Spiritualism by
the Great Catholic.
An Argument Against Attempting to
Divine Gods Secrets.
Our Relationship to God and Our Com
munication with Him.

was filled last evening by an lntelhgen'
audience to listen to the second lecture o.
Mgr. Capel, the subject being "Our he
lations with the Other World"
By way of preface, the lecturer stated
that he would meet one or two little
difficulties that had been raised concern
ing his last lecture. 1t is characteristic
of those who think deeply to keep closely
to the subject. His question on the last
occasion was limited to the relationship
between science and religion. Different
kinds of questions have been asked. 1t
had been urged by some that he had not
answered the question, "Why are
Catholic countries not supporters OF sci
ence as much as non-Catholic ?" He
had no idea that this question could pos
sibly have any bearing on the subject.
1t is like asking why cheese is not like
the moon. Many inventions and I'M
provements which he named were
PRODUCED BY CATHOLIC ITALY.
1t is not the least strange feature OF
this matter that this question was put by
an American, who could surely not have
forgotten that Columbh was educated in
Catholic Italy, and that to that country
America is indebted for Amerigo Yes
pucci and Sebastian Cabot. Who were
the early discoveries and explorers of the
interior and western portions of this great
country? They were Catholic priests.
The difficulty in this question is they
take it for granted that as no good could
come out of Nazareth, so nothing of good
can come from Catholic countries.
The next question is where are the
Catholic scientists of to-day?" 1 should
be ashamed to ask such a question if 1
pretended to know what was going on in
the scientific world Barff, Weigarts and
Peddie were three Catholic gentlemen
who are prominent in the scientific
world of to-day.
FREEDOM FROM PREJUDICE
Should be the great characteristic of
Americans above all other people, and it
should be pre-eminently feature of this
new western country.
Prof. Barff, Catholic, had made a
discovery which would make him famous
The discovery of a method to coat iron to
prevent corrosion would revolutionize
that busine IS. Another discovery, equally
as important, had been made by him, in
the manner of putting up fish to keep it
sweet and fresh. If they would allow
him an Irishman's bull, he himself had
eaten fish preserved by this new method,
and he actually thought they tasted
fresher than they would on the day they
were caught. When
BIG, PROTESTANT ENGLAND
Required an astronomer to investigate
the transit of Venus, did she select a
Protestant priest? No. Did she select a
Protestant layman? No. Who did she
select? A cunning Jesuit-Prof. Terry
Huxley, Darwin and other scientists all
did honor to the intelligence and strength
of mind of these men.
The lecturer then entered upon the
subject of the evening. He would take
the position that his audience was a
Christian one, that they believed in a
God and that they had faith in the exist
ence of another world. If the audience
were agnostics he would be compelled to
take another position. Assuming belief
in God, what are our relations with Him
They are twofold. Every man, woman
and child possesses communication with
God. Call it what you will, it is uni
versal manifestation-the half-civilized
man of Africa possesses it as we'll as the
cultured gentleman of Europe. Con-
science tells us whether an action is right
or wrongly following its dictates we
insure feeling of peace; by opposing,
we bring ourselves shame and confusion.
It is
A DIRECT COMMUNICATION OF GOD
To all of us. Some would argue that
though they had it once, they do not
have it now. That was no reason why
they should not have it. Revelation was
the other communication with God. The
church was constituted to carry into effect
and interpret the laws of God, so that
men could understand their duties to God
and to each other Revelation is the
drawing back of the curtain and making
visible that which is beyond. That great
body of truth is applicable to and obliga-
tory upon all men; and is Gods law for
the government of men; but if God so re-
CARDS it He must have appointed some
medium that cannot deceive or be de-
ceived to interpret and tell us what that
truth means, in case of any dispute. He
this position by the course of
civil law.
PERSONAL ANGELS AND DEVILS
Were believed in by the speaker. When
a man died, if he had lived a good life
he was Immediately taken into the pres
ence and friendship of God. If he had
cd cir hn r.
IN Purgatory; but if he died in bias
phemy, woe unto him. There was no
salvation beyond the grave for such.
Our relation with angels was beauti-
full one; it comforted the mothers heart
who had lost her darling; it softened the
pangs OF sorrow and affliction. The babe
who had been taken, knowing no guile,
was guardian angel to those who had
gwen 1t life; and around us all lowered
THE GUARDIAN SPIRITS OF THOSE WE
LOVED.
No matter how strong the love. how fer
vent the attachment, when our dearest
ones are dead we can no longer endure
thelr presence; they must be placed in
tne grave, and in very short time the
Dody returns to the elements from whence
It sprung. Mgr. Capel dilated upon the
beautiful spiritual aspects of the Catholic |
Dellet, which caused feeling of nearness-
though there was separation, and of the
assurance that only the portal of Time !
was between us and the departed. |
transported into the presence of God, |
we Will no longer need faith or |
reason, for there we shall see and |
know all The angels arrived at
by intuition, even as a man
Of genius would jump at conclusion
without going through the slow process
ot reasoning. To illustrate this he told
ot schoolboy friend. of his who could |
multiply byI'six figures just as easily as he