The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-03-15
Before Embracing the Ancient Faith the
Protestant World Knew Him
as DR.. Kent Stone
Before
The Subject of His Admirable Address to
Protestant Audience was
the Confessional

The famous Father Fidclis, Of the
Passionist Order, who before his con-
version to Catholicism, was known as
Rev. DIR. Kent Stone, of Boston, recent
ly delivered n discourse to non-Catho-
lies at the Cathedral in Philadelphia.
His subject was "Can Man Forgive
Sin?" He said, in substances:
"In the twentieth chapter of ST.
Johns Gospel, twcnty-third verse, we
find these words, Whose sins you shall
forgive, they are forgiven them, and
whose you shall retain, they are re-
tained.' There are many things in the
Catholic Church, my dear brethren,
which men outside it's pale will conde-
scend to praise and admire. Almost
every one has found here and there
some one ready to render n tribute of
praise. Men will admire the marvel
GUS organization Of the Church, the
wonderful adaptability of all it's parts
that work in harmony as though it had
come down from heaven all perfect in
| it's various portions. Others give n
tribute of praise to the fostering care
with which the Church cultivated the
arts-how she brought music, sculp-
turc, painting and architecture into her
service, especially in the Middle Ages,
when she was the very mother OF art.
Many speak in praise Of the practical
charities of the Catholic Church, espe-
cially men Of the world Soldiers on
the field Of battle pay tribute to her
sclf-sacrificing Sisters of Charity. But
there is just one thing men cannot
stand-I mean the average man out
side the Churcll-and that one thing is
confession. Shall I confess my sins to
man? Who can forgive sins but
God alone? Why, there is something
very degrading in the very idea of 60
ing down on my knees to fellow-man
and opening unto him the secrets of
my soul and then to believe that be-
cause he pronounces few words over
me my sins are washed away.
'"The question is not whether this
doctrine is agreeable to some or not,
whether it is something we like or not.
The question is, Is It true, or not?-
whether 1t is doctrine taught by AL
mighty God. If it is n truth Of God,
II it is a revealed doctrine, then we
have nothing to do but accept it and
practice 1t, ms God intended we should.
I shall try and show you this evening,
with Gods help, that it is not merely
true, but that it is something beautiful.
In the first part will address myself
to those who admit the truth Of reve-
lation-orthodox Protestants and in
the second may be able to say some
thing to those having no faith at all,
to show that it is not something de-
grading, but beautiful.
"First, confession is a doctrine
taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in
speaking to good, well-read Protest
ants, want to call their attention to
that which I doubt very much they
knew before, namely, that confession is
not merely n Christian and Catholic
doctrine, but that it was practiced in
the Old Testament. The Jews were
familiar with it, and our Lord makes
allusion to that familiarity in the Cos
pei. Turn to the Book Of Numbers ".
G-S, where Moses recapitulatcs the
commandments:
"'When man or woman shall have
committed any Of all the sins that men
are wont to commit, and by negligence
shall have transgressed the command
ment of the Lord, and offended,
"'They shall confess their sin, and
restore the principal itself, and the
fifth part over and above, to him
against whom they have sinned.
"'But if there be no one to receive
it they shall give it to the Lord and
it shall be the priests, besides the ram
that is offered for expiation to be an
atoning sacrifice