The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-01-13
VAUGHAN
TALKS ON FAITH
The Highest Faith Makes the High
est Man, Says the Noted
London Preacher.
The World Would be Chaos Unless
Men and Women Believed in
One Another.
Why Then Should They not Believe
in Divine Authority of the Re-
deemer of Mankind

Father Vaughan, whose lectures are
being eagerly listened to ny Catho-
lies and Protestants, gave talk on
the subject of faith recently, the SIM
plicity and conversational tone of
which probably largely explains the
charm of the distinguished lecturer
You enjoy the great advantages OF
faith, hope and love-" he told them.
"You must see that others enjoy these
same advantages. The best way is
to live your lives as true Catholics SO
that every member of the Church will
be an advertisement for his faith. Ii
you have found that the faith is worth
having try to make others take part
in ii.
IF you have goods that defy compc-
tition you are proud to display them.
Do the same with your religion. BE
commercial travellers for Christ. BE
iliG hORCl IISCllICIlLo lOI NOuI ICllSIoll.
IA Wesleyan once asked NE wheth-
er l really believed in hell. l told him
1 certainly did.
"'And do you believe that there is
everlasting fire there? he asked me.
81 don't exactly regarding the pun
ishment,' ! told him, but believe fire
is as good a word as any to express
the torment. That was the word Jesus
Christ used, and believe il there
had been a better one He would have
used it. If you have better one YOU
might go and tell Him, but have not
the irnpertinence to do So
Gle asked me my authority for my
belief
"'My school and my teacher told
him. My school is the Catholic
church, my teacher is Jesus Christ
"a physician once asked me how it
was 1 could put my trust in some
thing 1 did not understand, something
I could not prove, how l could blindly
follow any one.
Don't your patients take your med
icine,' ] asked him. though they do
not understand it's properties? DO
they not blindly follow your direc-
tions, trusting that you will lead them
the right way?'"
Father Vaughan gave his cxplana :
tion of why one should follow author
| ity and prefer faith to reason in re-
| ligion.
| 81 believe with Browning" he said
that the highest faith makes the
highest man. Faith is believing on
the authority of another that which
we ourselves cannot prove. Faith is
human when the authority is human
and divine when the authority is d-
vine. Human faith may be reconsid-
cred when new evidence is introduced
divine faith must last forever. Di-
vine faith is based on 81 personality
ceived. Faith is tho assent the whole
man gives to authority.
Some people say it is unworthy fol
a man of independence to believe thai
which he cannot prove. have +;
friend with whom l went to school.
know every fibre Of his character. !
man should ask me whether he
could be trusted, l would say, TO tn,
end of time Should the man ask mt
why / believed my friend could b'
trusted, / would answer: I have
faith in him. could not prove that
was right in my estimate of IN.
friends character until the actual tes
was made-when the end camc--but
would know through experience
through my own observation. mostl.
through my heart that my faith wa
not misplaced.
"J'he apostles, Peter, James AM
John. had no definition for their faitl
in the Lord. When asked for a pro
fession Of faith Peter said: Tho
art the Christ, son Of the living God
He did not define his belief in cccles
iastical terms. He knew H.. ha
. true faith. He and the other apos
ties had known Christ: they had live
with Him and had felt the wealth q
}. His love, and most Of all the beauty o