judged immediately after their death. It does not follow, however, that they immediately enter into possession of this happiness.

Very often, perhaps generally, the justice of God requires that they should suffer for a time. This state of suffering, in which the good are detained, is called Purgatory. The Catechism describes it as "a middle state of souls suffering for a time on account of their sins."

Without knowing this doctrine, it would be difficult to understand the strict justice of God, by which He "renders to every man according to his works."

It often happens that men lead wicked lives for years, and then, at the last, are converted. How can they be punished for all the evil they have committed? Some, no doubt, make atonement for their sins in this world, but many do not. If there were no place of punishment in the next world, even for those who have repented, how could it be true that God holds us accountable for every action of our lives, and rewards us according to them?

The souls of the dead go to Purgatory for two

reasons.

First, when they have committed great sins. They have repented of them, and so been saved from hell fire for the sake of the Passion of Christ, but they have done nothing to satisfy God's justice.

Secondly, they are punished for venial sins* which have never been forgiven in this life. They might

See page 73.

easily have obtained God's pardon, but, through lazi. ness or want of good disposition, they never did so.

Protestants have a notion that the doctrine of Purgatory interferes with our belief in the all-sufficiency of the atonement offered by our Lord. This is not so. We believe that the merits of Christ's precious Blood are more than enough to purchase the pardon of all sins, and the salvation of all sinners. We may have to suffer in Purgatory, however, not from any deficiency in our Lord's merits, but because we have not availed ourselves of them. S. Paul says, "Other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be manifest, for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire, and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is If any man's work abide which he hath built there upon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire." (1 Cor. iii. 11.)

Here we have the complete and perfect foundation, and the imperfect work built upon it, and God trying, purifying, and perfecting the work by fire. This seems to correspond very accurately with what the Church teaches us about Purgatory.

Protestants also fancy that the doctrine of Purgatory makes the judgment of God less final and conelusive. As I said before, however, the Church teaches us that the sentence pronounced at the particular judg

ment is absolutely final, although it may not at once be fully carried into effect.

One consequence of the doctrine of Purgatory is the practice of praying for the dead.

The souls of the faithful departed, although suffering for a time, are still the friends of God, for ever established in His love, and are our brethren. As such, they form one division of the Church-the Church suffering -and by the "Communion of Saints" are united to the Church triumphant in Heaven, and the Church militant upon earth. These parts of the Church, although externally separated, are united by an intercommunion of prayer. Just as it is the will of God that those on earth should pray for one another, and that the prayers of some should be the means by which graces are bestowed on others, so it is His will that those on earth should pray for their brethren departed, and endeavour by their devotion, and the offering of the Holy Sacrifice, to pay some part of that debt which remains due to the justice of God.

What the Church teaches about Purgatory may be well illustrated by the account given in the book of Machabees. We read how, when some of his men had been slain, the valiant Judas, "making a gathering, sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain would rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead), and because he considered that they

who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grau laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." (2 Mach. xii. 43.)

The souls of the faithful departed are often spoken of as the "Holy Souls," and the Catholic Church urges her children to be earnest in prayer for them at all times, and especially in the month of November, when they are particularly commemorated. I shall have occasion to say a little more on this subject when A have to speak of Indulgences.

230

INSTRUCTION IL

ON THE TESTIMONY AND AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH.

Importance of the Controversy.-How Christ communicated His Religion to men.-Authority of the Church the Foundation of Faith.-Results of leaving the true Foundation.-The Testimony of the Church.-Its authority.-This authority infallible.Speaks in its own way, and according to its own constitution.— Defines its own limits.-The Church an organized body.—The Teaching Church.-The Hearing Church.-Necessity of a Centre of Union.-The Pope.-His office. -How Christ made St. Peter the head of His Church.-The Bishop of Rome the one claimant to St. Peter's authority.-The Church a fold, not a constitutional monarchy.-Power of order and jurisdiction.-Ranks in the Church.-Marks of the Church.-Need of them.-Unity of Faith and Discipline.-Holiness.-In what sense a mark of the Church -Catholicity.-Apostolicity.

In this Instruction I shall treat of the "Testimony and Authority of the Catholic Church." This is in reality the one great question on which all controversy turns. When once you are convinced of the Divine Authority of the Church, everything else follows, logically, as a matter of course; whereas, on the other hand, if you are not convinced of this, no discussion of other points can be of any great use.