The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-06
"WRAT IS RELIGION?'
Rev. Dr. Stang Begins a Series Of
Services at the Cathedral.
Many Protestants Listened TO a Very Inter
eStlOg Discourse.

Rev. DIR. Stang, rector OF the Cathe-
dral. commenced last evening, series
OF addresses to be given on sunday
evenings. and there was not vacant
seat i'm the vast edifice, quite large
number of the followers of the Prot
estant faith being present to listen 10
the eloquent and able ecclesiastic. Dr.
Stang took as his subject What Us Re-
hgion?" and he said IN part
I'VE Catholics claim 10 enjoy the
greatest OF ali blessings on earth, MEM
bership, communion with the true
Church of God. We have asked you 20
bring your nOn-CathOlic friends Nltn
| you TO these lectures that with us they
| may listen TO the reasons we nave 10
believe as we DO. What is relig on? 1t
| Is all important to have a correct idea
| OF what religion Is. 1t is the moral bond
| which unites US with God. 1t is the
science which teaches US what God Is,
what He has done 6or US. what we are,
| what life is, where II ends, how il must
| be spent The ONCE of religion Is, to
| put il in the bIfefest possible form, To
| teach the truths We must believe, the
| laws we must observe and to furnish
us the means TO keep them
| Christ 8 the head Of religiOn,to Him
| as coming, the patriarchs and prophets
| are looking; to Him as come, the apOs-
ties and disciples are turning. Religion
is the sum total OF mans duties 20 God,
| il is The law which binds the conscience
| and makes il accountable for it's trans
| gression | find that the idea OF relig'
| ION among men is a flat contradiction
OF the definition l have given you. They
| cons her religion TO be a matter of op'
| ton: they seem to disregard the notoI
| Of a duty Though they believe in Law
and order i'm government, in obedience
to visible authority in social and do
| nestle lfe, nevertheless. they claim
total independence in religious matters
say that If restrictions upon perso
nal liberty are regarded necessary II
our worldly relations OF obedience. re
straints are ten times more necessar,
i'm the Chr's stan service.
| Religion does not mean the spending
our lives in church 1t requires a stric
| performance OF our daily duties 70
| Gods honor and glory. Neither is re
| Hgion a SUPERSTITION or an uncondition
| al surrender OF our reason. But. yo
say. religion bids me 10 believe wha
! is against reason or common sense
| The religion that commands you 10 be
| licve anything which is against renso
is false. II Us not from God. Religio
| teaches truths which are above reason
above my limited understanding. Thu
God has made known To us that He /
one In nature and three-fold in person
| Iubelief is really "A defect Of the mind
| He who docs not believe is lacking 4
something essential 10 his mind. A par
| tal belief will not suffice. we canno
admit some articles and reject other.
But by belief YOU do not forfeit lbert
OF thought or the right use of reason
There Is but one religion. as there I
nut one nod. one faith and one ban
tism RELIGION never changed a wa
the saine in the beginning. To conccd
! indifference I'm reHrlon 10 maintain tina
r all RELIGIONS are cuuallv ru0d is
denv religion altogcthcr Buf which on
Is the true religion The question wi
De answered in subsequent DISCOURSE
? nut let mo simply state that tho pvim
, tive religion rs the true one. b,cause
- of God who IL Interchangeable. Rt
. bNinn ls no. the developments ~ m
5 ahsurdites ~ paganigu,: roiirion
b pr'or 10 superF'ition and idolatrv.
. 'keliHion is the suurere law for "a
men which oll men arc bound 10 obe
In Thought. word ara deed. W owop
atas from Gnd WHOM, rational owe,
lures must secy voluntarily An irro
igious man cannot no rcod man ar
he who refug in fuifW the law IN co..
le wicked without reif~ton tho ,ifpf
| ~ n1offnr hrfv weu ira fnrtf rrut b.,
rnnin d'erot'gGcd WIh-ut rpficirn n,
nra wcird h' hut c,o Iona v.f-tar o
dev''ft'n Wfth rciiv'9n NV fira 20
forves n dicu'fv r4tun vhich eur
Masses earth Cod made - f1r ninrna
' iigIon"