The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-20

eyes, V the mas q nentai fFesdOm and can coer-
s1e ss q re ns n.s the ss
who q sns last n.usnt escape the gaiows. justify
Finally, is the Idoctrine OF the vicareus atone:
depend 70 sssss escape me penalty '
men Of which we read For it does seem that
been made OF more eject with vast muititudes Ut
this DAY. We are told py one OF the clergymen Of
the city that for one OF our condemned murderers
.there il pardon beyond the death that awaits him
n he VIII but believe that God can save to the ut
Gospel doctrine. or is it one Of the doctrines Of
which IL turing our criminal classes on IN life o.
sln and crime stIli expecting to reach heaven at
last by believing instead OF by life Oh rgnf living
or striving 70 keep the commandments
u T. time these practical questions were con-
sidered BY all II Is either true that men can,
bv believing In q certain scheme OF salvation,
escape the legitimate penalties attached by cur
murder may be one Of the evils actually 6nmitted,
or ~ not true; and II In not true, ID certainly
fearful delusion. Can faith without good NE
Having faith In the liberality Of the HERALD, and
believing that II y doing much good by allowing wing
views and 10 freely discuss doctrines and creeds IN
rs the writer inter nSpes 70 IS see s the aD Dov
many religious correspondents. INQUIRER.
The Doctrine or Purgatory.
TO rHE EDITOR or THE HRRALD:-
very reasonable doctrine. and any one having the
least conception OF Bible truth can easily this
70 be 20. One OF your correspondents has the
e1rontary 70 counsel Catholics TO carefully study
the Bible that they may be better able to answer
the question: "Does the Bible teach the doctrine OF
purgatoryyr Prom whom does he receive the
Bible prays In n not 20 the Catholic Church that
We are indebted for the Bible OF the present day.
Was II net through her maternal care the Scrip
lures were preserved when nearly every work OF
literature. ART or science was destroyed by the
barbarianss ana yet he has the audacity TO sug
gest the proprieiy OF Catholics studying the Bible
Az well might little urchin counsel the white
haired mathmetician TO study Euclid Perhaps he
considered his advice piece ofbitter and
would have passed IL ny unheeded but from
his writing ] infer he could not distinguish be-
tween silence Intended Tor consent and silence
which means contempt. The Catholic doctrine in
regard 10 purgatory may be briefly stated thus
Almighty God has appointed In the next world a
third place. which Is neither heaven nor hell, but
middle place asst Is called, In which certain souls.
who viii An the end 20 to- heaven. are for awhile
detained. We believe that some souls the souls OF
little children, for instance. who have been made
members oil Christ's Church BY holy baptism or or
others, who. by God's grace, have been enabled TO
preserve through life the purity and innocence OF
children; OF Others who by the help OF the same
grace have, BY their sunerngs acts OF voluntary
penance satisfied Gods justice isr the temporal
received by Almighty God as soon as they nave LETT
tue body, into the enjoyment OF everlasting bliss.
other souls winch pass ut once out OF this world
INTO the realms OF everlasting torment In
tue next hut we believe also that there are many
others. which although not destined to receive
eternal punishment, are yet not ut Tor immediate
not enter anything ' s, Is deied When we conn com
slider the careieSsness OF men, their want OF rigid
seliexaminailon and blindness to their own auits,
we can readily understand how the multitude Of
ordinary good persons NAV commit a thousand
sinsnot, indeed, grlevous sins, yet for which they
shall have TO .'render an account IN The day or
Judgment .sidie Words Sc., Tor example, for
which they never eel conjunction nor ask the for
giveness OF God. Concerning many SOULS there
lore, although We dare not hope that at the mo-
ment oi their departure out OF this world they are
10 pass immedisteiy into the presence Of that being
who Is OF purer eyes than to behold iniquify,
hee Cor 70 70, sss =. wsn ma, ,ev nse
departed In the grace aud fayor OF God, and that
their everlasting lot therefore, will not be cast
pool OF hre. there 10 he tormcnted aay aud night
for ever aud ever We believe that the mercy
reconcied BY their being detained for certain
time In middle place. there 20 lie punished and
purified and dealt with according to Has gcnl
pleasure uniil he 90 TO admit them 10 the en-
joymeni OF that beautiful vision which ~ LIE and
ef ,ss esen When ars, n a. oTseS IN
aud Justified the repcntant sinner 50 that nc l.
once more In state o. grace Ne siill reserves the
infection Of some degree oil punishment Tot hls
transrresson, as Ne see in the instance o. tae royal
penitent David. AZ the very moment that ne
was assured by the mouth OF the prophet that hla
sin was foralyen--"fhe Llrd naih taken away thy
sinr-he'was also told that he would sniicr GER
tain punishment for that sin-"Neverthcleas be- |
cause thou hast given occasion TO the eacmlcs OF
the Lord 10 Dlasphcmc, lor thIs the chiii thnt =
born OF thee shall surely de-" AGaln sons time
afterwards, when the sans David had sinncd ~
vanity and pride an numbering the people OF Israel
no sooner had he done 50 than his heart struck
AZ = nm
in what he had done" aud he pralei thai God
would take away his iniquliy, and no doubt bur
stu. Yet he sent a very severe punishment ior q.
both upon the King aud upon lis people. We be-
children of men that when. Tor christs sake, ~
forgiyes sin and ahsolyes the sinner rom ~ rut
yet reserves some smaller punishmenis 20 be
undergone by the sinneS either IN this world
OF souls being purified by the suncrlngs
OF pnrgatory. we mean, not that they are
,heT Are having ma assi ., pua,snmen,. ,or ~
mere punishment can take away ssn-trHc con.
triton aud change Of heart alone can eAcct THIS
through the merits OF Jesus tnrlst Afa sorry
tina, tie subject was not discussed ~ sskle one
who could give a more intelligent understanding
Of the scriptures thsn AT Which .i'totestant
has given; hut then persons who arrive A. sueh
knowledge will not belong 10 any but the csiholic
after Gospel truth the mere clearly VIII ~ see the
beauties OF that Church, and ia that Church Eione
VIII ana the teachings ~ Christ followed out -
ground Of trutn." which asslnelg cfsrnniis-
stoned 10 teach the isita 20 MI nations. and has
rom the beginning taught this doctrine ab0at FNf-
gatory among the rest. have net attempted -
prove this doctrine. | simply state u 40 fhaf Yoar
correspondent may get a conception ~ vhat We
do believe u he has any oycstsans 10 snats I
would Ike 20 hear them IN rcxasd o. she texis
which he mentions u y nota al NECESSARY ~ uar
belief that they should refer 10 tAe agctFine ~
purgatory Yet u y essential 90 ..Irot assabsf that
he should he aide 20 apply SINE Other lntevreta-
ton OF the passage Which would not lnFdude tMe
Idea OF purgatory. WHAT doctrine ~ Frot~staniM
hold IN regard To ans tckl 4 can hud n0nN ~ anY
OF their commentators IA - SIMPLY mnni eilaltae.
To q Catholic. on the other hand. IA conxeys pre-
ciscly the same doctrine which he has been a&uatN
taught nom has Infancy. There are manY p4ssaRes
IN the Old aud New fcstamenfs hFArlnU ltis lfH-
portant question, and any thoughtful t'stlleMtau&