The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-01-12
FATHER SUTTON
SPEAKS ON QUO
VADIS .-...
Fifth Of Series Of Lectures at St.
Jusephs Church Was Well
Attended.

HttGHu6u'
Rev. Xavier Sutton delivered the
fifth of his noted lectures to nom
Catholics in st. JOseph's church last
night. AS on all other, occasions, this
week. the edifice was crowded. The
i discourse was entitled Quo Yadis"-
! C"Whither Goest Thou?') and was lis
tened to with the closest attention
throughout.
A text anent the subject of the even
ing was read, the great congregation
repeated the Lords prayer and sang
a verse of Nearer My God to Thee"
and then Rev. Sutton took up his dis
course. 1t was characterized by the
same righteousness, straightforward
argument, and faultless logic that have
marked his other efforts this week.
As usual before proceeding with
his lecture, Rev. Sutton answered a
number of questions bearing on the re-
ligious doctrine. The most of these
were very interesting, showing that
many people are earnest in their de-
sire for information. A few were, to
say the least, ridiculous, the mere
reading of them exciting laughter
These Rev. Sutton dismissed without
comment
Gist of the Lecture.
after the City of Rome was burn
ed, said Rev. Sutton, the, Christians
were accused of burning it. St. Peter
left Rome lest he might be put to
death. On his way he saw an appari-
/ ton of Christ, and he asked him,
Whittier goest thou?' and Christ said:
To Rome st. Peter took this to
mean that he should return, and so
he did.
Where do all Christian denomina-
tions get their religion? They all say
the Bible. the Catholic replying that
he receives his religion from the
church.
The Bible is the greatest of all
/ books. 1t is Gods revealed word. The
church commands her members to re-
we're it. 1t is read during the mass
every day in the year. The priests
usually take text from the Bible as
the subject of their discourse. We are
/ censured because We do not take the
Bible alone as the rule OF our faitn
i Christ came to lead the true way to
! salvation. He that believeth and is
| baptized will be saved. We must be-
/ lieve what he taught. 1t is not enough
to be good naturally, but we must be-
IieVe, and believe what Christ has re-
/ vealed.
Professionalism says that the Bible
alone is sufficient. The Bible was not
intended 20 teach revelation. The
/ Catholic church does not make the
Bible the only means of obtaining sal
vation
Most nOn-Catholics believe that
Christ is their savior, They, must
! therefore accept mis- teachings He
that believeth will be saved, and ne
that believeth not will be condemned
His way must be our way. Since
we must believe to be saved evidently
we must know what is required Christ
wishes ali to be saved, young and old
! lettered and unlettered. In speaking
/ of the Bible we mean especially the
/ New Testament.
did Christ give us the New Tesla
/ ment? He never wrote word of it.
1 He never said publicly or privately
/ Go wnite, but, He did say, Go preach
and teach He did not say to ALL
! Read and be saved but he did say,
/ He that will not believe the church,
/ let him be to thee as the heather and
/ the publican Not one word of the
/ New Testament was written to convert
any one. It was composed for those
/ already Christians.
What did the pSople do before the
Testament was written? They knew
I Chists doctrine by means of the
! teachers that were sent for that pur-
pose. In the Council OF Hippo in 1913
the writings of various authors were
4 examined and the canon as we now
have ii was adopted The Council of
/ Constance in 397 confirmed the DEGREES
/ of the previous council. The early
! Christians for 400 years had no Bible,
and they are admitted to have been
! the very best Christians. All the I'M
lettered of the world are deprived OF
j the use Of the Bible How can they
4 be saved? Here in the United States,
I according 10 statistics, there are 2.000,-
600 native Americans who can neither
! read nor write. Before printing was
invented and paper used, a Bible cost
about $4,000. The poor then were de-
I priyed Of this source of salvation. A
/ vast number of people are therefore
( deprived of the means OF salvation.
THE R,'ble is not adapted to every
one Only the educated can make use
! of it.
in the United States there are
about AS religious denominations.
each with it's own tenets, and all use
the Bible. How, therefore, can the
Bible be the infallible guide? Some
of these people must, be IN error. BY
observing the diverse and contradic-
tory teachings of those various denom-
nations We must conclude that the
Bible by itself is not the safe guide It
is claimed TO be.
'The Bible is surely the word of
God. but il must have a living inter-
prefer of It's meaning in worldly mat
tiers there is an authority to declare
the meaning of the laws. How much
more important is this in the matter Of
salvation?
THE Catholic church observes the
injunction, Go teach Christians
we're all made by means Of teaching,