The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-15
SIN OF SIMON MACUS
HAS NOTHING Do
WITH CHURCH
Father Conway Explains
Many Things That Are
Not Understood by Nom
Catholics Expounds Law
Affecting the Clergy and
the Laity.

The chief feature of the Paulist mis-
sion at st. Luke's church last evening. as
given by Father Conway, was the answer
ing of many very vital questions bearine
upon those points least understood by
non Catholics concerning the tenets OF
Catholicism
They are given, with the answers. in
the order propounded:
Why do you charge for masses? Is
viii, .18-2D."r
Why do you exact fixed sum OF
money to get people out of purgatory
Should not salvation be free to ali?
We do not charge for masses The sir
OF simon Magus consisted in his endeav-
or1ng to purchase the apostolic gift OF
m Simony, in every form. l. e..
the buying and selling of benefices, bish-
opr1cs and abbacies. traffic in masses, etc,
mas ever been denounced as grieVous sin
ny the CATHOLIC church. and the severest
It. (Of Universal Church History-Alzog
Vol. l., 160 327, 1863. 4S7, etc) Her words
70 the simoniacal are the words of her
h ~ thR PO feif St peteF Keep thy money
thou hast thought that the gift of God
may be purchased with money =
thy heart is not right in the sight OF
edness, etc. (Acts viii, 20-23)
AS for the variations in stipends for a
requiem high mass we must take into &C
count the. expense incurred by organist
choir, etc"
''Of course abuses have occurred and
will occur for the desire of money Is a
root of all evtl.'' Tim, vi. 100, as the
apostle tells us The logical mind, how
ever, will always ascribe these abuses to
the sins of the individual and not to the
church which is most jealous to do away
with them.
The religious duty of supporting the
clergy as is clearly set forth in the Old
and New Testament and the Catholic
church commands her children to do sc
I'm the old law the Jews set aside a
tenth of their 1ocks for their priests. "Oi
all the filters of oxen. and sheep, and
every tenth that cometh shall be sancti-
fed to the Lord" (Lev., xvii, 80 Of
Gen., xviii, 22). Again God ordered the
people to make certain specified dona-
their ministry. Thus women after child
bith offered the priest "a lamb for g
holocaust and young pigeon or a tur-
tie for sim (Lev xii, s., or If too poor
turtle doves or two young pigeons
and the priest shall pray for her. (Lev
xii, 81.
Is not religion question Of education
and environment rather than of intel
lectual conviction?
What the Church Teaches.
Il readily grant that many are Catho-
lies, Protestants or unbelievers because
their parents were so before them, OF
because Of their early education. But the
Catholic church teaches that faith as al
act of the intellect based on rational mo-
tives of credibility that all may test
needing only a good win on the part OF
the individual, and the grace Of God
which is never refused to those who ask
1t, to enable a man to counteract the
false teachings. of his education or en-
vironment. The nature of faith can be
seen from it's official definition at the
Vatican council, sess. III. chapter 8: See
ing that man wholly dependent upon Coo
as His Creator and Lord, and seeing that
created reason is entirely subject to I'M
created truth, we are bound to submit
by faith our intellect and will to God the
Revealer. But this faith, which is the
beginning of mans salvation, the church
| confesseth to be a supernatural virtue
whereby with the help Of Gods grace
we believe what He revealeth, not be-
cause We perceive its intrinsic truth by
the natural light Of our reason, but or
account of the authority of God the Re-
yealer, who can neither deceive nor be
deceived