New-York tribune., 1910-03-07
r ElIGIoUS.


at the Brooklyn Academy of Music yes
terday afternoon TO hear Pastor Rus
sells discourse on INFERNO" from
the text, IF the Bible does teach that
Eternal Torture is the fate of all except
the saints. it should be preached. yea,
thundered, weekly. daily. hourly. II it
does not SO teach, the fact should be
made known and the foul stain dis
honoring Gods Holy Name removed
The opening exercises were conduct
ed by E. ". Brenneisen, of the Peoples
Pulpit Association. He took occasion
TO announce that a QUESTION Meeting
would be conducted at the Brooklyn
Tabernacle in the evening by Pastor
Russell: also that list OF prayer meet
inss and Bible Study meetings for the
week could be had from the ushers.
He stated that although Pastor Russell
would be holding public meetings in
other Cities during the remainder of the
month, regular services would be held
in the Brooklyn Tabernacle at and
7:30 p. NJ. each Sunday, on which three
Sundays special discourses would be
given explanatory of the Prophecies,
showing the Millennium TO be nigh at
hand Pastor Russell, he announced,
would preach again in the Academy OF
Music on Sunday, April 3rd, on the
topic. The Overthrow of SatanS En-
pire." On April 5th he expected TO sail
for Jerusalem. incidentally visiting the
Great Pyramid, and, returning, would
hold meetings in Russia, Germany,
Switzerland and Great Britain He
anticipated returning to Brooklyn in
season TO keep his appointment TO
preach in this Academy of Music on
Sunday, June 5th, at P NJ, on which
occasion his topic will be Jerusalem
The speaker launched directly into
his subject. The good hearts and the
good intentions Of our forefathers were
not questioned, but their theolOgies
were roundly denounced as being not
only dishonoring TO God bun dishOnor-
ing to men. The speaker included him
self as amongst those now ashamed OF
what once was believed and taught IN
the name Of the God Of Justice and
Love
The speaker pictured fairly what he
declared was the generally ACCEPTED
Catholic view Of a PurEatOrial Inferno,
as outlined in Dante's great poem Illus
trated by Dore, and published by Cath
olics in nearly every language He re-
minded his hearers that Dante was a
monastic. in fact an Abbot, and that
he died in a monastery, and that his
realistic pictures of Plrgatnrial tort
ures are generally accepted by Cath
olics. Some he declared, pictured mat
ters still worse. but another line o.
Catholic theologians inchnes 70 more
moderate views, detailing the sufferings
as mental more than physical. The
speaker suggested that these discre-
pancies merely prove tIlat the entire
doctrine is built upon human specula-
ton. He declared that all these con-
ceptions of Purgatory are quite I'M
scripturaI Nevertheless. he congratu-
lated those who are seeking TO mini
mize the sufferings of Purgatory. He
believed their course TO Indicate the
progress OF civilization. He CongraEu-
lated Catholics also upon having ii less
horrible view Of human destinT than
Protestants, with whom he classed
himself.
The Protestant view" the speaker
said. lis supported by the most jntelli-
gent one-sixteenth of the eaTLh'S pOpu-
Iation: nevertheless. il is the most alb
slrd, the most unrea sOnable, the most
God-dishonoring, the most diabOlical
theory known amongst men. Briefly
summed UP. il assigns to heavenly and
eternal glory. peace and joy a mere
handful Of the human family-the
saintly-those vho walk in the foot
steps Of Jesus and take up their cross
and follow Him. No denomination OF
Christians has had the temerty tC
claim that any but the sanity are fl
for heaven. nor 10 claim that any but
ii few are sIint'y." With these con-
cIusions. the speaker said. the Bible IS
in full agreement. 1t is when We come
TO consider what is TO be the fate OF
the unsaintl,, and the heathen." num-
bering thousands of millions. that the
controversy begins. There are, he de-
clares. but eight ways Of dealing with
these And to avoid danger of mistake
he had written these out and read
them. We quote them verbatim
"0) The Catholic method of putting
them into Purgatorial torture for the
expiation of sins and for tho develop
.. ~1Lr !
worthy ones 10 heaven.
"2) The Adventist plan OF saving
merely the sanity and destroying all
others in the Second Death.
''(3) The Agnostic theory that all,
both good and bad, die as dies the
brute.
20 The Calvinistic theory that he
sanity few are taken 10 heaven TO sing
praises TO God for their salvation. while
looking over the balcony at their par-
ents. children, neighbcrs. friends and
the heather suffering torture and
singing the while 10 drown the cries of
anguish and pain of those whom Coo
passed by and refused 10 save. as the
catechism declares. Our Baptist friends
supplement this by the further limita-
ton that only the water-immersed
saints can constitute the elect
Church our Episcopalian friends in
cline to think that the saints will be
only of their Communion. and. some OF
them say. only High Churchmen.
"(O The Methodist view. objectiug
TO those passages Of the Scripture