Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-23

4
say masses for them IL we believed them
to be in eternal hell, for masses could
not avail them there. We might remark,
however. that we do not teach that many
go to the eternal hell. II is our teach
ing that only incorrigible heretics-per-
sons who have had full knowledge of
Catholic doctrines and who have wilful-
ly and deliberately opposed them-these
alone meet the awful, hopeless fate.
1.-THE dead In general, according to our
teaching, pass Immediately to Purgatory,
which is, as the name indicates, we be-
lieve, place OF purgation from sins,
place OF penances, sorrows, woes, anguish
indeed, but not hopeless. The period Of
confinement here may be centuries or
thousands of years, according to the de-
serts OF the individual and the alleviations
granted. II you would know more partic-
ularly the Catholic teaching on this sub
Ject, we refer you to writings of one OF
our great theologians, the noted poet
Dante, a loyal Catholic, at one time an
abbot, and who died in a monastery with
the full rights of the church. Dante's
poem, Inferno" graphically describes the
tortures of Purgatory, we understand
the matter. You can procure at almost
any library an illustrated copy of this
great Catholic poem. Dore, the artist,
was also a prominent Catholic and he
portrayed Dantes poem wildly and truth
fully. The illustrations show the tor
ments of Purgatory vividly-how the de-
mons chase some until they leap over
precipices into boiling water. They pry
others with fiery darts. Others are burn
ed with heads downward; others with feet
downward In pits. Some are bitten by SER
pents. Still others are frozen, etc. We
advise that you see Dante's work, Infer
no." because II gives our Catholic view
of the proper answer to your question,
Where are the dead? The vast majority
are in Purgatory. The heather are there,
because ignorance does not save. does not
qualify for the heavenly condition. All
who enter heaven must previously have
been fitted and prepared in a manner i'm
possible to the heather. The billions of
the heather are there. Millions of Protest.
ants are there. They could not enter
heaven, except through the portals of the
Catholic church; neither would God deem
them worthy of eternal hell, because their
rejection of Catholicism was due to the
confession of faith under which they
were born and environed. Nearly all
Catholics go to Purgatory also, because,
Notwithstanding the good Offices Of our
church, our holy altar, confessions,
masses, holy candles, consecrated burying
ground, etc, nevertheless, not having at
tanned to saintship of character, they
would be excluded from heaven until the
distressing experience of Purgatory would
prepare their hearts for heaven. We hold,
however, that for the reason stated, Cath
olics WI not need to remain as long In
Purgatory as will the Protestants and
heather" g.
We thank our Catholic friends for so
kind a statement OF their case. We will
not ask them. where their Purgatory is,
nor how they obtain the details of inform
alton respecting 1t, because such questions
might offend them, and we have no desire
to offend. We nevertheless wish for their
ripest, clearest, maturest thought respect
ing our question. We regret to say that
the answer is not all that we might have
hoped for in clearness and reasonableness
and Scripturalness. Our hearts are heavy
with the thought that our poor race, by
reason of original sin, Is already, as the
Apostle says, a grooming creation" and
the present life of few years is full of
trouble. 1t is saddening, discouraging to
all Of us to think, that when present
trials and difficulties are past, of being
obliged, even for centuries (not to men
ton eternity. to have such awful expert
ences as Dante portrays, even though
those centuries of anguish would purge
us and fit us for the Divine presence of
heavenly glory. 1t may seem strange to
some theologians, but It is nevertheless
true, that the answer of Catholicism to
our question is not much better than the
answer Of heathendom. Neither our heads
nor our hearts are yet satisfied. 1t cannot
be wrong to look further for something
more satisfactory.
The Protestant Answer to Our Ques-
ton
class myself as a Protestant without
thereby meaning any disrespect to any
body else. 1 assume that the majority of
or,6f Drofaafanfo I r0D1fnd
you that many of US in times past have
been inclined to boast a little Of Protest
ant breadth of mind" Intelligence"
education" &C. May we not reason
ably expect from Protestants a clear,
logical satisfactory answer to our ques-
ton? Having found all the other an
swers unsatisfactory, and having now
come to one-twelfth of the portion of our
race which has had more advantage every
way, we might reasonably expect to find
in it's answer the quintescence of wis
dom and the accumulation of proof from
every quarter and from every age. Buc
what do we find, dear friends? With
shame I say 1t, we find the very reverse!
We find that the voice of Professionalism
as a whole Daring numerically insignifi-
cant denominations) giving the most alb
surd answer to my question that could
be conceived-an answer which is put to
the agnostics. Is not this marvellous? Can
this be? 1t is written, Faithful are
the wounds of a friend" Bear with me,
therefore, while 1 expose to you the
weaknesses of our position as Protest
ants; not with a view to our vexation
and shame, but with the thought that our
intelligent investigation on the subject
can be turned to our advantage and en-
able us to know the truth and to lift
the true divine standards before the peo-
pie to the extent that we and all may
come to clearer views of our heavenly
Fathers character. purposes and future
dealings with our race.
Permit me as gently as possible to
touch this sore spot. The removal OF
the bandages and the cleansing of the
sore may cause us pain, Dlt the inves-
tigation should be helpful, nevertheless
We got our name Protestants from the
fact that our intelligent and well-mean-
ing forefathers. who were Catholics.
thought that they. discovered inconsist-
encies and unscripturalness in Catholic
doctrines IN which they had been reared
They protested against these, and hence
came the name Protestants. We cannot
defend all that they did to their enc
mics, nor all that their enemies did to
them. We may safely assume that there
were well-intentioned people on both
sides Of the controversies.