T
Tony_20
Guest
Ladies and gentlemen, I read the following anecdote in the book ‘Hell’ by Fr. FX Schouppe
The wonderful conversion of an obstinate Protestant lady, which created quite a sensation in America,was owing to the thought of Hell. This person was none other than the wife of General X., one of theablest generals of the Northern army in the war of 1860. Here are the particulars of this conversion, asMonsignor Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Boston, related them to St. Michael’s College at Brussels, inNovember, 1862.
General X., first a Protestant, had had the happiness of hearing a simple, clear explanation of theCatholic religion. It was sufficient for this upright and noble man to make him see the truth andembrace Catholicism with all his heart. From that time, full of faith and fervor, he devoted himself, notonly to living as a true Catholic, but also to procuring for other Protestants the grace of conversion. In ashort time he won over 20 officers, and wrote a book destined to furnish instruction for soldiers. Wecan well understand that he had not forgotten his wife, who was a Protestant, but he had the grief of seeing all the efforts of his zeal fail in this direction. Meanwhile, God permitted Madam X. to beattacked by an illness which reduced her to the last extremity. The General, after having exhausted tono purpose all the resources of faith and charity, seeing the sick woman on the point of dying in herobstinacy, recurred to a last means. He called in four Irishwomen whom he had in his service, and,with tears in his eyes, said to them: "My friends, you know my wife is a Protestant, and that she is
31
unwilling to hear the Catholic religion spoken of. She is going to die in her obstinacy and fall into Hell.I shudder at the thought of such a misfortune; it must be absolutely prevented if it is possible. Let uspray, then, to the holy Virgin and do violence to her merciful heart." Thereupon, the General drewforth his beads, and began to pray on his knees; the poor attendants did the same; the whole fivecontinued pray for one hour. Then the general went to the bed of the invalid and discovered her in asort of coma, out of her senses, without consciousness. At the end of some time, returning to herself and looking at her husband, she said to him in a very intelligible voice: “Call a Catholic priest.” TheGeneral believed at first that she was delirious, and made her repeat what she desired. “I beg,” she said,“for a Catholic priest without delay.” “But my dear, you would not have one.” “Ah, General, I amentirely changed. God has shown me Hell, and the place that awaited me in the eternal fire, if I did notbecome a Catholic.” So the sick woman had the happiness of returning to the bosom of the Church.She even recovered her health, and lived afterward as a fervent Catholic. Such was the narrative of the venerable Bishop of Boston; he had these details from General X’s own mouth.(end)
Does anyone have any ideas as to who General X was and the title of book he wrote?
Also any other pre-1950s book meant for the instruction of non Catholics/protestants?
The wonderful conversion of an obstinate Protestant lady, which created quite a sensation in America,was owing to the thought of Hell. This person was none other than the wife of General X., one of theablest generals of the Northern army in the war of 1860. Here are the particulars of this conversion, asMonsignor Fitzpatrick, Bishop of Boston, related them to St. Michael’s College at Brussels, inNovember, 1862.
General X., first a Protestant, had had the happiness of hearing a simple, clear explanation of theCatholic religion. It was sufficient for this upright and noble man to make him see the truth andembrace Catholicism with all his heart. From that time, full of faith and fervor, he devoted himself, notonly to living as a true Catholic, but also to procuring for other Protestants the grace of conversion. In ashort time he won over 20 officers, and wrote a book destined to furnish instruction for soldiers. Wecan well understand that he had not forgotten his wife, who was a Protestant, but he had the grief of seeing all the efforts of his zeal fail in this direction. Meanwhile, God permitted Madam X. to beattacked by an illness which reduced her to the last extremity. The General, after having exhausted tono purpose all the resources of faith and charity, seeing the sick woman on the point of dying in herobstinacy, recurred to a last means. He called in four Irishwomen whom he had in his service, and,with tears in his eyes, said to them: "My friends, you know my wife is a Protestant, and that she is
31
unwilling to hear the Catholic religion spoken of. She is going to die in her obstinacy and fall into Hell.I shudder at the thought of such a misfortune; it must be absolutely prevented if it is possible. Let uspray, then, to the holy Virgin and do violence to her merciful heart." Thereupon, the General drewforth his beads, and began to pray on his knees; the poor attendants did the same; the whole fivecontinued pray for one hour. Then the general went to the bed of the invalid and discovered her in asort of coma, out of her senses, without consciousness. At the end of some time, returning to herself and looking at her husband, she said to him in a very intelligible voice: “Call a Catholic priest.” TheGeneral believed at first that she was delirious, and made her repeat what she desired. “I beg,” she said,“for a Catholic priest without delay.” “But my dear, you would not have one.” “Ah, General, I amentirely changed. God has shown me Hell, and the place that awaited me in the eternal fire, if I did notbecome a Catholic.” So the sick woman had the happiness of returning to the bosom of the Church.She even recovered her health, and lived afterward as a fervent Catholic. Such was the narrative of the venerable Bishop of Boston; he had these details from General X’s own mouth.(end)
Does anyone have any ideas as to who General X was and the title of book he wrote?
Also any other pre-1950s book meant for the instruction of non Catholics/protestants?