New-York tribune., 1870-12-12
RELIGIOUS.
rHy CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN.

THE CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN.
The first regular service in the new Protest.
ant Episcopal Church OF st. Mary the Virgin on Forty
dfth-st near Broadway, was held yesterday morning
The opening Of this Church has given rise to good deal
Of comment in consequence Of tho wellknown High
Church procliyes OF tho rector. The services are as
intrnscaly Catholic though not so elaborate as thoso
at st. Adams There acoytes, no banners and no
nsence and the function performed as at the oratoy
of st. Sacrament, by single priest, who wears chas
ube but OF plain white linen. and except for the
red silk stitching OF the orphreys, might be easily miss
taken for an ordinary surpce The first service OF the
day was Low Mass at O'Clock; at 10 o'clock mathis
sung, and the Litany at 10i5. The ceeoratoh Oh
High Mass began at H. All the services with te eAceP
ton Of the early Mass we're choral. ,
The rector praced his sermon by stating that ne had
opened church ia that particular district on me adNe
OF the Bishop OF the diocese as there Il niue or no
church work going on in it-that 49, no parish work Ie
church, though opened. was by no means cOmnlet9,,
and appealed 10 all To assist him In finishing H. lie
was exceedingly anxious To establish Sunday -schoo.
That be their first work Many friends had come
forward and offered TO teach, but more were want
ing He considered the sunday,schoo to be intimately
connected with the work OF district visiting sOcrs
such society would he mainly instrumental IN getig
chdion to come to school some had promise i IngT
scryccS,bu he was anxious Tor more WORKERS anu "O
gladly welcome any who would ION such society iet
work LET those who can only pray for the success OF our
Churchpray. This Church, said the preacher IL not
Church Or the rich Church for the poor IL Is equal
~ for both classes place to which both may come 70
worship God spite OF the Dane ana curse OF dIc3 anu
l.
whether communicates or not whether baptized OF no.
any by the Holy spirit to JOIN this Church will
be- heartily greeted.
After announcing that the Church would he open every
day. from o'clock in the morning till cat night, the
rector proceeded To preach from ST. Mattnc,W Kill 81
Will return to my house whence came out" Temptation,
said he, and will be at hand, and where
surely return possible Tie constant practice OF rci
gion will alone keep satan out OF the heart Even rei-
giOs people often think that when once, by God help,
they have succeeded in casting out Satan he cannot come
back again. 1t is then matter Of sore discouraGement
their whole life must be spent in fighting the sins which
they believed they had conquered in youth aud that the
only temporary and must be earnestly prayed for day
by day.
FATHER PRESTON ON "PURGATORY"
Father Preston preached last night on "Pur-
gatory" from l. Corinthians, ill., 115 The future state
OF our souls he said the grave consideration OF
lives II is the object OF the Catholic religion 10 give
information this allmportant subject, and all re
lgons which fail to do unworthy OF their mission.
Believing In the Immortality OF the soul, with an cter
nifty before u.s. the great question must arise I'm every
Christian mind, What will that eternity be--what will
DO my future dcsnyi The different religions outside
Of the Catholic Church hold many truths but they
give decided tO the state Of
tho soul after dcath-what becomes Of IL between
N.th regard to heaven aud hell their answers are
iu-irI This should not be-. Men may demand of re-
igou which Processes 10 come from COD TO know what
VI become OF them after death TIE Catholic doctrine
of purgaory the interval between death and
the churches OF the Reformation which are open 20 the
charge Of novelty. PrgatOr was belief Of tAe jewish
of cod and In the nature Of man. on the Protestant
principle every believes what he thinks 10 be right
from reason that the CathOhc doctrine ot phgiOry Is
right. my argument Is unanswerabe. Holy scripture
IT, and what he says Is not capable Of second core-
tiOn shall speak OF pursatory as the doctrine OF scrip
ture the doctrine of tie Church. and rs the doctrine
s"r. Which are imperfect are detained IN purgatory
, a iy al tlp al
tue holy sacrifice and they suffer certain pans while
going through the process OF Purihcaton. Inc Churca
We form some conception as u thtir nature. Tie
pain, which souls suner IN pnrgitory believe 10 be
bitter feeling OF los and separation from God, aud
pain OF fire. something akin to the f-c of hell but with
pTrirying power. Bat such pureatory is useless to
Opcn unrcpcntcd sin The perfect sous on the contrary
those few which need the purifying ire 60 straight to
heaven and are received BY Christ with snle OF neay
cny satisfaction Tic Church teaches us that II Is the
imperfect souls that abide in purgatory, patiently bear
inf their pains till they shall have become purified
that their may be cXpated by tho great slcrlhcc
The Catholic Church holds view of SIN dereit nom
that held by the churches around her Thy do not ec
To recognize the descent OF SIN rom iatheF 70 c Ihey
do not see that SIN Is Eot Only SIN against Hod DuJ
rebellion against tie Rceemcr aud tnGt God requires
real holiness a real purity which, III the case or tEc I'M
perfect sou, can only be hhed III Saory, Oc.ore aH
hitting 1t into the sacred precincts of heaven.
We must then ask Does the word Ol God teach us
this great truth with regard to purgatory The speaker
defended purggtOiy rs truth IN accordance win
~ i}errbrp9 ' in s1ipnnri of his arH,nenf Jns
Maccabeus, who was prophet OF God ordered the jews
they mad heather Idols in their pocket which they
lad seized for their value in gold and silver. lt was
claimed by that th book or scfpurc was not the
word OF God: but Judas prophet Of God ana II was
for those who brought the charge OF untruSt"Orthes3
o prove it, They could not do 80. There Is PERFECT
similarity between the teachings Oi the jewish and Cath
Ollie churches the doctrine of lurslufy. The text
beginning "mako agreement with thine advoraIy
whilst thou arr in the way" proved ibis. THoso
who believe tho Bible must necessarily believe
in the literal acccptatiOn OF GoG's word.
They not endedVOr to explain IL away
They must receive II and obey Its lnJunctOnS.
Ia H,gfI Of "
doctrine ~ the early Reformation. The early rei0rmcrs
used the prayers for the dead are IN Use IN the
Catholic Church. No liturgy ot Apostolic origin exists
which does not contain them. F0m the days OF Christ
the present Christianity proves ana approve THIS
great doctrine of pT&0ry. Father Preston gave quo
tatious from early fathers OF the Cuish from -.
Cyprian Cyril St. Gregory, aud - Augustine show
ing that they fully believed IN prgtorH He who would
DENY this ducriue cuts himself OIL not onIy from the
Scripture, hut from Christianity ITSELF -
Then a, To the argument uf reason. There ISL God
holy infinite Just and our judge Creation suppuse5
governor and subject. soul stained W.A sin cannot
witch though stained win sln, ave yet not casaVays
from God Shall he'll be- their poI Lonl No BIT how
can they enter the presence Of COD, unless they
have a6ied awhile IN that place ~ publication
which God. in His infinite Mercy, has provided
for themi Does not reason SUPPOSE that God Will
urly de such II place OF purncatioul Human laws
but partial reflex Of the Divine law. DIront degrees
OF punishment mcted out IN tls lite, but God does
He continues punishment In prgatory II sOnis ac
deserving punishment and rOnse4 lculy .Ie GG
fitted TO 20 to heaven, must they necessarily 20 Ia he'll
Jbosr who assert thiswBO assert that Jicio Durg
fcatou of pur tOry mi gt hnd their way, D., the mercy
of God the sayin. power Uf the ktcCneT through
the gates Of heaven
CATHOLIC SPIRITUALIsM.