Discussion on Unknown.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 4

Discussion on Unknown.

the usual interest b W forward to the platform and.- he less attention hune U ™,T a'm«t btff speakers received fnTrn hls 1& of. applause, but t^l B?^^ priest was evidently mo S frthb, J Colby's discourse w aß JJ^* character, and ehieflyconsul,f?Wl*ir enunciation of the Le^t « Ho contrasted it with CatlmlL- PititlllW aoeitaintyinourexutt'S^^ stead of a mere faith ba«ed iZ deatl * miracles. Ho claimed that sniS?oll^ accomplished many great LS?"l^^ which Christanity had L vnr S° ble *S tempt. Among oVrthiSSjl^ Abraham Lincoln would tint? BtaWtW •1.000,000 ol.Uves tat tejj^ V from the other world. Ha S * <ait«« with injuetice unworthr nf ?h N °*I veßtigator, even if the trath™ o ?ndl^ hia own side of bigotry ill inU"»t\k So lon g as was kept o/er &-^ Ot% the bandage which faith /£,? long would the mind be l ack W * ( S « spiritual -knowlodt-o. tH"^ upon the credulity of L^'%M prießthood had always thdrh/ - T^ against liberality oi all &^S* the latter should encraMhT^ >* ground. It was the dS% "ff,^ that there never was any it,novat in e^"» orig n was attributed JtW^ by the labours of a liberal tv i '°> Church was obliged to ZLf !*"• and let into her secluded pTclnM ta^ ofthewallightofhea^fiM*: knowledged that the individual wh?SJS" the way was not a Christian m^ declared that he believed Siwl had in many points outgrown ■«, ■ to wh.oh ho subscribedl-Buthld T m had any direct commnnication Vth? sprite! ■Itwa ß thed 11 tyofan,o lle i h k ! sot himself up as a critic to'faS himself with the subject of whichT^ to treat. Monsignor Capel ■& m C 5 derstand the phenomena and the nhtt I of spiritualism and learn Bomsthini? rflSu' was recorded in its library. BatT« fessed to find in it nothing at all J£&< note Had he^been well LteSdSS could have made such a etatemen as & The speaker alluded to the giS absolution by the priesteas atrSleiotS pnvilese of doing wrong and a* „,£ the gallows and the prison a n<K»krt2 of the machinery of society. : So l 2 the hope of immortality was bsnighedlm the mind, except so lar as it: rests won S evidence of miracles, to long dotfaS subsist and the glory of the Church r»X tarnished. Revelations from • the mmm world alone can break the priestly cX and sweep from the mind all falfo ft«S of Jiic

The Priest's Anrwer. >.. Monsignor Capel took up Mr Oft chief statements seriatim. He at fitßter. pressed surprise that the latter hsdiol tried to ascertain what he in the first ifa had said before replying to it. MuchW was attributed to him was the'tieriii'" parody of hia real words. Hewi)*: liever in immortality. If ho wcrs.m* fcho Catholic Church would inofc•talenV ; him within her bosom for a momcotj.'lt was brought against the Catholics that tiej believed themselves in daily \ comrtsmi "■ tion with the angels and eaints. But the angels and sainta were spirits. To Catholia ' the spirit world was as clear as the liglt of a gaß jet. They walked the Btreeta acctnpaniei by guardian angels. Thsd<ad>Sß in their eyes disembodied spirit* who »[.;' rounded the throne of GoiJ. Thevpriyjd' to them as well as to the sainte and stg'tli,' To say that they did not holji:-.commiroicß.---tion with tho spirit world. WQnldbo.Bffl.: trary to the whole evidence of the Hste^" of tho Church. Monsignor Capel dscied that he had expressed a disbelief in spiritism. He had simply left out of the Mfc gory of possible supernatural manifest^ i tions all biological phenomena Asidefms these, spiritualism was but a mi»represct(»tion of Catholic teaching, and it had h«a in the world from the beginning. Heaited: to see the code wherein spiritDdlisiii: expressed its superiority to gospel,tack)-;: ing. The speaker had been accnscj of -boasting of his superioroedncatellc had never done so, but really felt Mmself insufliciently educated Still he felt certain that he could ntand an examinatioa with the gentleman.vfho bad criticised bin.. on any branch of the subject of spiritualism that ho might designate. He had caw., fully studied all accessible wqrkß relating.'; to it. He bad even taken part in tramkfr ing some of them from tho French :>jwi:-. ago for a distinct purpose. He ajt)4; What is there new in all this? ilnafediJt:;. stating, a9 he had been charged withdpipc,' that spiritism began 105 years ago sftthe exhibitions of Mesmer, lie had related' an instance of its force dating back 2,000. years ago. As to sin being forgiwnfofgold, ho had thought the American'people' vyere more intelligent than to aceep MJ. such falsehood as that, t*? ?** ' simply the doctor of the soul. HedidWt; . pardon, but counselled the sinner M to what' he should do to obtain pardon, In relation';.- : to the assertion that Catholicism ni«d( no,: couTerts among men of higher intelligence, ■ ho cited the examples of Judah P. Be»j»v mm, who entered the faitha im. dan b^i, fore ho died, Cardinals Newman and MM': ning and Lord Ribon, ex Viceroy of hm\ In conclusion he hoped that Mr ColbjjiM: not spoken under the influence'of lip*'.1 ism, for if so the spirita had been.veij,; naughty. ■'■. : j^mi