The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-02-05
CATHOLIC BELIEF
ON ~PURGATORY
The Subject Discussed by the
Local Priest
Continued from last week

2. Now when Our Lord, the
Founder of the New Law went
about preaching to the Jews, did
He reprove them for their be-
lier in the Middle State or for
praying fer their dead, a prac-
tice which, to His knowledge,
prevailed among the people?
Never. On the contrary, more
than one both He and the Apos-
tie of the Gentle insinuate the
doctrine of purgatory. Our Lord
says: whatsoever shall speak
a word against the Son of Man.
it shall be forgiven him. But
he that shall speak against the
Holy Ghost, it shall not be f"r-
given him, neither in this world
or in the world to cJme." Matt.
XII. 32). When Our Savior de-
clares that a sin against the Ho-
~ Ghost shall not be forgiven
in the next life. he evidently
leaves us to infer that there are
some sins which will be pardon
ed in the life to come.
st Paul tells us that every
mans work shall be manifest"
on the Lords DAY. The fire
shall try every mans work, of
what sort it is. If any mans
work abide" that is, if his
works are holy, "he shall re-
ceive a reward. If any mans
work burn" that is, If his works
are faulty and imperfect, 'he
shall suffer loss, but he himself
shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
G. Cor. Ill ,ml3l5). His soul
will be ultimately saved, but he
shall suffer, for a temporary
duration, in the purifying flames
of purgatory.
THIS Is not my lrterprt tation.
1t is the unanimous voice of the
Fathers of Christendom. And
who are they that have removed
the time honored landmarks of
Christian faith by rejecting the
doctrine of purgatory? They are
disconten ed churchmen, inn
patlent of the religious yoke,
mcn who appeared on the stage
sixteen hui Dire years after the
foundation of Christianity.
Judge, then, whom you ought to
believe and follow. If you want
to know the true import of a Wit.
al question in the Constitution
of the United States, would you
net follow the decision of a
Story, y jefferson, a Marshall, q
fancy, jurists and Statesman.
who were the recognized eX.
Founders of the Constitution.
Would you not prefer theil
opinion to that of political dem.
agogues, who have neither learn.
ing, q authority, nor history
to support them, but some sci.
fish end to further? Now the
same motive which you have fol
rejecting the opinion of an ig.
%norant politician and embracing
that of eminent jurists, on Q
constitutional question, impels
you to cast aside the novelties
of religious in%nogators and pop
injays, and to follow the unani,
nous sentiments of the Fathers
in reference to the subject OF
purgatory.
3. would wish to place before
you extracts fIom the writings OF
all the Early Fathers of the Church
but that would be asking for toe
much space in the paper. hence just
a few, and If you desire more. | will
give them to you privately.
Tertulian. who lived in the 2Dd
Century, saws. 1.-THE faithful wife
will pray for the soul of her deceas.
ed husband, particularly on the an,
~niversary day of his death, and il
she fail to do so, she hath repudiat,
ed her husband as far as in hel
lies (DeMonogram. 1l-l0)
Eusebius. the Historian, 4th Cen,
fury, describing the funeral of Con,
stantine the Great. says that the
hodv of tt,a hlaccod .pr;nco MN plao