The San Francisco call., 1896-10-02
He Is Sure That This City Is
Sick of Religious Con-
tr0versy.
GOOD PEOPLE ARE EQUALS
Salvation Will Not Be Denied to
Members of Churches Other
Than Catholic.

Father P. G. Yorke spoke last evening
at the annual lecture of Mission Council
No. 8, Y. M. l., held at Mission Parlor
Hall, on Seventeenth street.
There were other pleasant features, in
Guiding an Introductory by John P.
Henry, president of the council; piano
duet by the Misses Gadsby; an address by
Robert Wilson, chairman of the evening;
soprano solo by Miss Katherine Black,
and tenor solo by W. ]. O'Brien.
The hall was over-crowded and hum
dreds of women, men and children stood
for hours in a sweltering atmosphere
cheering and smiling in the face of many
personal inconvenience.
Robert Wilson introduced Father Yorke.
He devoted some minutes in telling inter-
esting stories, "reminiscences as it were,
of his home in England. He told OF the
belief that it was but right when struck
on one cheek to turn the other for SINH
lar visitation.
He related, however, the incident OF q
clergyman who had been knocked down
twice, once from each side, and who, be-
lieving he had complied with the Biblical
IDEA, pulled off his coat and gave his as
sailant a righteous thrashing.
LIS Is e4dClly Wudb dtucI L Ofhc Has
done. He was nrst slapped on one side
and then on the other. He did all the law
required and was knocked down twice"
said the speaker; s'but he has followed
the example of the English clergyman,
has taken off his coat and has been ad-
ministering the thrashing ever since"
II have often heard, but / have never
experienced it until now," said Father
Yorke In his Introductory remarks, "what
tr. ho in, hal
This allusion to the enthusiasm with
which the speaker had been received
brought on recurrence of the same.
II believe in the broad American prin-
ciple which gives US ALL Jews, Catholics,
Protestanto and disbelievers, the right to
disagree. / believe every man has right
to his own idea in this country of tolera-
ton.
From the bottom of my heart how
ever, wish the disruption of three years
ago mad never happened in this country; ;
and / cry for peace, and still there is no
peace. We Catholics, month after month,
have turned first one cheek and then the
other without making a retort, and still
there is no bitterness on our side.
"There is nothing in our hearts against
the Protestants. We are sure tn ey do not
sympathize with bigotry, prescription and
intolerance, and We are equally sure this
town is sick of religious controversy. 1t
is like brother against brother, house
divided against house, with nothing to
gain but heartsores We should be con-
sidering more important measures, going
by the board, while we are discussing
questions that should have been buried
three centuries ago.
1.-The object of these lectures, given un-
der the auspices of the Y. Nj. l., is not to
stir up religious controversy, but TO teach
what the Catholic church believes and to
remove the view of those who look at the
Catholic religion through colored glasses
fitted during their early education.
Il propose to speak only on What
Catholics Do Not Believe"
Father Yorke deity handled the subject
of the Immaculate Conception, and met
the idea that the Virgin Mary was adored
by the Catholics by saying she was only
revered and respected simply as is the
mother of Washington or our own mother.
''She is Mary, the first lady OF the world. J"
Continuing on the proposition of idol
airy the speaker said:
I'VE do not believe in idols, as some
say. 1t is not SO that We adore images
that have no eyes to see nor ears to hear.
Those images we have in the Catholic
church we know are mere dead things.
We know how they are made and fre-
quently how much they cost. We put
.hem up in our churches as we do in our
homes the pictures of those we love;
in our parks statues of statesmen, war
riors and others we honor. Why not, then,
put up statues in our churches OF saints.
who certainly are fully as deserving of
honor as your James Licks and the like.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the only use
we have for statues in cur churches.
ut is said we believe the Bible is bad
book and should be under lock and key,
and We believe it should be kept from the
people. 1t is not so. We believe it is the
word of God, written under the dictation
of the Holy Spirit, but we believe it should
be explained because il is not everybody
who can understand it.
"Tor instance, Baptists believe in cer-
tain method of baptism, Methodists have
another idea, and so do Presbyterians and
others. It-is only that they have accepted
their respective views of the Bible and
were never properly directed to its true
understanding. 1t is just as if every citi-
zen were furnished with copy of the con-
then each allowed to go off his own way to
decide now the country should be gov
erned.
1--WE are reproached with believing in
the infallibility of the Pope. This propo-
sition is not understood. We Catholics
regard the Pope as you might say the Su-
preme Court OF our religion. lie is the
aTDlt6T VI HI OuI COutIOVtTSy duQ DcyOuQ
his decisions there is no recourse.
I'm this City there is spire on every
corner, and they hate each other q little
less than they hate US. The best of it is
that nine out of ten do not know what
they differ about.
"If they got all their little churches into
one grand one like ours instead of fretting
themselves away, they would have power
they do not possess to-day. The trouble
with them is they have no supreme court.
In politics and business they have such a
tribunal, why not have such in religion?
I'VE do not believe that because you are
not Catholic you must necessarily be
damned. Thank God, that is one thing
Catholics do not believe. We believe the
Catholic religion is the true one, and we
believe there is no salvation outside of it..
81 want this last statement to be we'll
understood. There is no salvation for any
man believing in his conscience that the
Catholic religion is the right one and who
does not follow it. 1t is the same with
the man who believes in the Baptist,
Presbyterian, Methodist or other creed,
and who does not follow the conscience
that should direct him properly.
''If the mans understanding or his
conscience directs him one way and he
goes another there is no salvation from
him. God expects little from those TO
whom he has given little, but he expects