A collection of several discourses against popery By William Wake, preacher to the honourable society of Grays-Inn.

A DISCOURSE OF PURGATORY, &c.

INTRODUCTION.

THERE is so near a Connexion between the two Points of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead, as they are now establish'd in the Church of Rome, that it is impossible to state the one as we ought, without entring on some Consideration of the other. It has been so much the rather thought fit to give an account to the World of both these, in that the Opinions of the Primitive Fathers touching the state of the Souls departed, and the early Practice of pray∣ing for the Dead founded thereupon, being not well un∣derstood by the Generality now a days, seem to give our Adversaries a greater pretence to Antiquity in these Points, than in most others that are in debate betwixt us.

For what concerns the Latter of these, I shall in the next Discourse, say what I suppose may be sufficient to shew how little Grounds the Ancient Custom of Praying for the Dead in the Primitive Ages of Christianity, will af∣ford to the Practice of those who pretend to be their Fol∣lowers in the same Custom now. As to the business of Purgatory, which is our present concern, We willingly al∣low it to have been of very Venerable Antiquity; and to have exceeded not only our Reformation, but even Chri∣stianity its self for some hundreds of Years. The Truth is,

the Church of Rome is beholding for this Doctrine, as well as for many other things in her Religion, to her worthy Ancestors the Heathen Poets and Philosophers: And tho I cannot tell how far Cardinal Bellarmin's Argument will hold good to prove it from thence to have been the di∣ctate of right Reason it self, because this might engage us to give up the Cause to Paganism, not only in the Points of the Worship of Images and Inferior Deities, &c. which perhaps the Cardinal may be content to think the Voice of Nature too; but even as to all the other parts of their Superstition, in which they were more univer∣sally agreed than in their Notion of a Purgatory; yet for what concerns the thing its self, we do not deny but that many of them did certainly believe it.

Eusebius recounts it of Plato, that he divided man∣kind into three States: Some who having purified them∣selves by Philosophy, and excelled in Holiness of Life, enjoy an eternal Felicity in the Islands of the blest, with∣out any Labour or Trouble, which neither is it possi∣ble for any Words to express, or any Thoughts to conceive. Others, that having lived exceedingly Wicked, and there∣fore seemed incapable of Cure, he supposed were at their Deaths thrown down headlong into Hell, there to be tor∣mented for ever. But now, besides these, he imagined there were a † middle sort, who, tho they had sinn'd, yet had repented of it; and therefore seemed to be in a curable Condition, and these he thought went down for some time into Hell too, to be PURGED and Absolved by grievous Torments; But that after that, they should be deliver'd from it, and attain to Honours according to the Dignity of their Benefactors.

Now that they supposed those who were in this state migh•• ••eceive help from the Prayers and Sacrificings of the Living, the complaints of the Ghosts of Elpenor in Ho∣mer, and of ‖ Palniurus in Virgil abundantly shew. And indeed the Ceremonies used for their deliverance, as de∣scribed by those Poets, † so nearly resemble the practice of the present Roman Church, that were but their Poems Ca∣nonical, it would be in vain for the most obstinate Heretick here to contend with them.

It must then he confessed, that our Adversaries in this point have at least four Hundred Years Antiquity, not on∣ly against us, but even beyond Christianity it self. And I suppose I may without any injury to the memories of those Holy Men, who have been our fore-runners in the Faith, say, That 'twas the impression which these Opini∣ons of their Philosophy had made upon them, that moved them when they became Christians to fall into Conjectures concerning the state of the Soul in the time of separation, not very much different from what they had believed be∣fore.

It is not necessary to recount the Errors of Origen as to this matter: who turn'd even Hell it self into a Purgatory, and thought that not only wicked Men, but the very De∣vils too might be so Purged in it, as to come forth Angels of Light. St. Augnstine tells us, That the Platonicks were of an Opinion not much different from this, who though they would not have any Sins past unpunished, yet sup∣posed that all Punishments, whether of this life or the next, were designed to amend, and therefore that what∣ever pains awaited men after Death, they were all Purga∣tory. And though this conceit of Origen has been con∣demned by the Church as Heretical, yet there remained o∣ther Opinions for some Centuries after, not much differing from it. Some thought that all men whatsoever should in

the end be saved; others, and among these St. Jerome himself, that all Christians should be delivered: † Some who restrain'd their Charity yet more, still allow'd Salvation to all that dyed within the pale of the Catholick Church; to which, others finally added this further condition, That they had not only stood firm to the Faith, but also been charitable to the Poor. Which last circumstance is the very same that Virgil from the Platonicks again required in those who should be translated to the Elisian Fields; in which there∣fore he places not only them whose Virtue and Piety had intituled to that Happiness, but also by their Alms had made others mindful of them.

Quique sui memores alios fecere merendo.

But not to insist more particularly on these things, three Opinions there seem to have been among the ancient Fa∣thers concerning the state of men after Death, more gene∣rally received.

1. That the Souls departed do not straightway go to Heaven, but remain in a quiet and pleasing state free of all troubles and pains, yet earnestly expecting their final Consummation in Glory.

2. Another Opinion there was, which from the credulity of Papias became almost the Universal Belief of the first Ages of Christianity concerning the ‖ Millenary Kingdom of Christ; That our Blessed Saviour before the final Judg∣ment should come down from Heaven, and raise from the

Dead those of the faithful, whose Piety had been most emi∣nent and approved; and with them reign a thousand years at Jerusalem, in great plenty, and with extraordinary splendour; and that this was that which St. John meant by the first Re∣surrection, and at the end whereof the other was to follow.

3. A third Opinion, and that too embraced by many of the most ancient Fathers, was, That all men being raised up at the last Day, should pass through a certain Probatory Fire, in which every man should be scorched and purified; and some be tormented more, others less, according as they had lived better or worser lives here upon Earth.

Such were the Opinions of the Primitive Fathers as to this matter. It is evident to any one that shall please to compare these with the account I shall hereafter give of the present Roman Purgatory, how vastly different they were from what is now proposed to us as an Article of Faith. But yet from these Opinions it is, that those of that Communion, impose upon the unwary their pretence of Antiquity for this Doctrine; whilst whatever those Ho∣ly Men have written of a third place, meaning the place of Sequester before-mentioned; but especially of the ∴ Purgatory Fire of the end of the World, they presently apply it all to their own fancy, and which in those first Ages found no manner of entertainment,

It is, I know, generally pretended by those of the other Communion, that St. Augustine at least began to favour their Opinion. And indeed I will not deny but that he does sometimes speak of a Purgatory after this Life; But yet so as that it refers either to the same Purgation we be∣fore spake of, at the end of the World; or else to that Grief which he imagined those Souls who had been pas∣sionately tied to the things of this World, might still re∣tain in their place of Sequester: And which he therefore

thought to be the meaning of that obscure place of S. Paul, 1 Cor. iii. 12. so confidently produced by our Adversaries on all occasions, in favour of their Doctrine. But all this he proposes with so much doubt and uncertainty, as plain∣ly shews it to have been in this Fathers time so far from an Article of Faith, that he durst not affirm any thing at all concerning it.

Thus then had the Roman Doctrine of Purgatory no man∣ner of foundation in the Primitive Church. About DC Years after Christ, Pope Gregory the Great first began to give countenance to it. The publick practice of Praying for the Dead continuing still in force in the Church, and those Opinions of the Primitive Fathers upon which that was first established, being now no longer received with that Universal Belief they had heretofore been, it was but natural to seek out some other grounds for a practice which they saw so generally received, and yet could not well tell what account to give of the reason of it. Let us add this, that about that time a sad Barbarity began every where almost to overspread the World: The Goths and Lombards in Italy, the Franks and Burgundians in. France, the Van∣dals and West-Goths in Spain, the Saxons in Britain, de∣stroying almost all Learning out of the World. From henceforth Miracles and Visions govern'd the Church: The Flames of Aetna and Vesuvius, were thought on purpose to have been kindled to torment departed Souls. Some were seen Broiling upon Gridirons, others Roasting upon Spits, some Burning before a Fire, others shivering in the Water, or Smoaking in a Chimney. The very ways to Purgatory were now discovered; one in Sicily, another in Pozzueto, a third nearer home, in Ireland. One found out by the help of an Angel, another of the Devil. Insomuch that Pope Gregory himself was carried away with these illusions, and which some are not ashamed even at this day to support.

By these means came Purgatory first establish'd in the Ro∣man Church, in the VI, VII and VIII. Centuries: But yet, still the Article continued rude and unpolish'd. Pope Gregory discover'd how certain Souls for their punishment were con∣fined to Baths, and such like places on Earth, but he had not as yet found out any one common Place for them to be tormented in, in Hell. Nay for some Ages after, it seems not to have been risen to a matter of certainty, so far was it yet from being an Article of Faith. Insomuch, That in the XII. Century many doubted of it, as we may gather by that Expression of Otto Frisingensis, Ann. 1146.

That there is in Hell a place of Purgatory, wherein such as are to be saved, are either only troubled with darkness, or decocted with the Fire of Expiation, Some (says he) do affirm; plainly enough implying that all did not be∣lieve it.

It is not necessary to say, what Opposition this novel In∣vention met with in the several Centuries in the Latin Church, from Claude Bishop of Turin, in the IX. Century, from Peter Bruges and Henry his Successor at Tholose; From the Waldenses in France and Piemont, among whom this Doctrine was never received, and who are therefore con∣demned by Cardinal Bellarmin himself on this account. I will rather observe, that the Eastern Churches have continu∣ed all along free from this Error. For however the Pope and his Ministers so far prevailed with the Greeks in the † Coun∣cil of Florence, as to perswade them to yield to a kind of pretended Union in this matter; yet both their Apology penn'd by Marcus Eugenicus Arch-Bishop of Ephesus, and presented to Cardinal Cusan, and the Deputies of the Coun∣cil of ∴ Basil the year before, wherein they positively de∣clare, That they neither had received any such Doctrine from their Ancestors, and therefore neither would they ever accept it; plainly shews they had no such Tradition amongst them;

And the proceedings of the same Marcus, and of the Greek Church after, neither of which would be drawn to consent to this Union, more fully confirm it. And it is well known how the Christians of ‖ Asia and Africa do not at this day consent with the Roman Church in this point, as some of their own Authors confess; tho others not so ingenuous, would endeavour to perswade the contrary.

But however this be, Purgatory is now become an Article of Faith, and of too comfortable an Importance to be easily parted with; nor have I the Vanity to hope I shall be able to argue those men out of it, who by this craft gain their Living, and will no doubt therefore be as Zealous in De∣fence of it, as ever Demetrius was of the great Goddess Dia∣na upon the same account. But for those whose interest it rather is to be freed from these Terrors after Death, which serve only to enrich the Priests, and keep the Laity all their lives in Fear and Subjection; I hope to satisfie them, that these are only imaginary Flames, invented for gain, establish'd upon false grounds, and kept up by artifice and Terrors to delude the People, but which themselves many of them no more believe, than did that great Cardinal, who minded one day to pose his Chaplain, and proposed this Question to him; How many Masses would serve to fetch any Soul out of Purgatory? To which when he appear'd, as well he might, unable to reply; the Cardinal thus pleasantly solved the doubt, That just so many Masses would serve to fetch a Soul out of Purgatory, as Snow-balls would serve to heat an Oven.

But 'tis time now to come to a closer Examination of all these things, and in order thereunto, let us first see;

SECT. I.

What it is that the Church of Rome means by Purgatory.

HAD the Doctrine of Purgatory been as clearly explain'd by the Council of Trent, as it was peremptorily de∣fined in it, we should have had the less need to make the present enquiry. In Pope Pius the IV's Creed, it is only said in general terms, That they constantly believe that there is a Purgatory, and that the Souls there detain'd, are helped by the Suffrages of the Faithful. Nor is their Decree concerning it at all more clear; it only adds,

That they are assisted by the Suffrages of the Faithful, but especially by the ac∣ceptable Sacrifice of the Mass; and therefore, that the Bishops should diligently take care that the wholesome Doctrine of Purgatory deliver'd by the holy Fathers and Councils, should be believed, held, and taught by all the Faithful in Christ.

Indeed in the foregoing Sessions, we find two other things defined with reference to this Doctrine, but such as conduce very little to the better understanding of it.

1st. It Ana∣thematizes those who shall say, that after the Grace of Justification, the fault and guilt of Eternal Punishment is so remitted to the Penitent Sinner, that there remains no guilt of a Temporal Punishment to be paid by him, either now, or hereafter in Purgatory, before he can attain to the Kingdom of Heaven.

And 2dly, In their Canons of the Mass they resolve,

If any one shall say that the Mass is not a Propitiatory Sacrifice, or that it ought not to be offer'd for the Living and the Dead, for their Sins, Pains, Satisfactions, and other Necessities, let him be Ana∣thema.

And accordingly the Bishop of Meaux in his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church, contains himself within the same Bounds.

Those (saies he) who depart this Life in Grace and Charity, but nevertheless indebted to the Divine Justice some Pains which it reserved, are to suffer them in the other Life.—This is what the Council of Trent proposes to our belief touching the Souls detain'd in Purgatory, without defining in what their Pains consists, or many other such like things.

The Misrepresenter calls it,

A Place or State where Souls departing this Life, pardon'd as to the eternal Guilt or Pain, yet obnoxious to some temporal Penalty, or with Guilt of some Venial faults, are purged and purifi'd before their Admittance into Heaven.

Alexander Natalis is yet more precise: He distinguishes what is of Faith in this Matter, and what not, and thus resolves. That it do's not at all belong to the Faith.

1st, Concerning the Place, whether it be in this World, or upon Earth, or in the dark Air where the Devils are; or in the Hell of the damned; or in some place underneath nearer the Earth, that the Souls are purged. 2dly, Con∣cerning the Quality of those sensible Pains which the Souls held in Purgatory undergo; whether it be true and cor∣poreal Fire, or whether Darkness and Sorrow, or any o∣ther Torment inflicted by the Justice of God, punishing them after a wonderful, yet true manner. 3dly, Con∣cerning the duration of these Purgatory pains, how long the Souls are detained there. For tho Soto thought that no Soul continu'd in Purgatory above ten years, yet it is a matter altogether uncertain how many years those Pains shall last.—The only thing therefore, he says, that is in Controversy between the Catholicks (as he calls them) and Protestants, is this, Whether the Faith teaches that there is a State of the Dead, in which they shall be ex∣piated

by Temporary Punishments, and from which they may be freed, or otherwise helped by the Prayers of the Church.

But tho this then be all which these men suppose is to come into our inquiry; yet I must observe, that the Cate∣chism set out by order of the Council of Trent, determines concerning the Pains themselves, that they are caused by Fire.

There is (says that Catechism) a Purgatory-FIRE in which the Souls of the Faithful being tormented for a certain time, are expiated; That so a passage may be opened for them into their Eternal Country, into which no defiled thing can enter.

So that I do not see how they can chuse but allow the Pains of Purgatory to be de∣termined by them to the particular kind of Fire.

St. Thomas is yet more precise; not only that it is Fire in which the Souls are tormented, but that it is the very same Fire that Torments the Damned in Hell, and the just in Purgatory. And Bellarmin himself confesses, That almost all their Divines teach, that the Damned and the Souls in Purgatory, are tormented in the same Fire, and in the same Place.

But yet, since they suppose that nothing ought to come into this dispute, but what is just defined in the Council of Trent; we will take the state of the Question according to their own desire, and enquire only in the words of Cardinal Bellarmin,

Whether there be any such place, (as they suppose) in which, as in a Prison, the Souls are purged after this Life, which were not fully purged before: that so be∣ing cleansed, they may be able to go into Heaven, where no unclean thing shall enter.

SECT. II.

That there is no Ground for such a Purgatory in the Holy Scripture.

TO demonstrate this, it will not, I presume, be expected that I should shew the weakeness of all those Places, which tho some of their Controvertists have alledged, yet the more learned among them freely confess to have no∣thing to the purpose in them. Cardinal Bellarmin has put together xix several Texts out of both Testaments; but yet was far from thinking them all to his purpose; confes∣sing either of all, or at least of all out of the old Testament, except the first, that they are but probable Arguments. Of these Alexander Natalis utterly rejects xvi; and one he mentions not, as indeed he needed not to do it, when Bellarmin himself had set a particular mark upon it, as im∣pertinent.

The Misrepresenter unwilling to see his Cause reduced to two only places of Holy Scripture, restores again to its Authority † one of those which Natalis had rejected ∵, and adds another which they had all of them over-look'd, but very unfortunately: For that 1st, They have ever been esteemed ‖ two of the most difficult ard obscure places of all the new Testament; and therefore, certainly must be very unfit to build an Article of Faith upon. And then 2dly, For St. Austin, upon whose Authority he would be thought to alledg them; 'tis evident that he utterly mi∣stook the design of that Father, if he thought that he un∣derstood them of the Roman Purgatory, as both his words evidently shew, and his own Masters Natalis, has inge∣nuously confess'd for the one, and ∴ Bellarmin for the other

So that then I may reasonably presume to have answer'd the design of the present Section, if I can give a fair account of those two places which they all agree to be the principal supports of this Doctrine; and from whence some of them doubt not to say it may be demonstratively concluded.

Now the first of these, is that noted passage in the 2 Mac∣cab. cap. xii. Where ∵ (they tell us) it is said, That Money was sent to Jerusalem, that Sacrifices might be offerr'd for the slain; and 'tis recommended as a holy Cogitation to pray for the Dead. This not only Bellarmin ranks in the front of his Scriptnre proofs, but the Misrepresenter has again ad∣vanced it, and Natalis doubts not to call it a demonstrative Testimony.

But to all this our Exceptions are very just:

• 1st, That the Book it self is not of sufficient Authority to establish a matter of Faith.
• 2dly, That if it were, yet is not the Text by any means clear for the proof of that, to which it is applied by them.

1st, For the Authority of the Book it self.

Thus much our Adversaries themselves confess, and I think we need desire no more; That this Book was never received by the Jews as Canonical: That St. Jerome there∣fore rejected it our of the Canon of the Christian Church: That it was not of a ∴ long time after received into it; inso∣much, that in ‖ Pope Gregory the Great's time, that is DC years after Christ, it was lawful to doubt of its Authority; for indeed, that Pope himself did not receive it as Cano∣nical. And sure then it ought not to be thought unreasona∣ble in us to doubt of the Authority of a Book, which being a part of the old Testament, was yet never received by the

Jews as Canonical, and of whose Authenticalness therefore, the Primitive Christian Church for the first DC years de∣clared themselves altogether unsatisfied. But

2dly, To allow the Book the Credit which they desire; yet still the Text is by no means clear for the proof of that to which it is applied by them. The Story its self is this,

That when Judas the day after the Battel came to bury the Bodies of them that were slain, they found under the Coats of every one that had been killed, things consecra∣ted to the Idols of the Jamnites, which was forbidden to the Jews by the Law. This discovered to them the cause of their Death, and how they were slain by God for their Sin. Hereupon Judas and all his men betook themselves to Prayer, and besought God that the Sin might wholly be put out of Remembrance. And Judas upon this oc∣casion exhorted the People to keep themselves by their Example from the like Sin; and lastly, He made a Colle∣ction among them of a Sum of Money, and sent it to Je∣rusalem, to offer a Sin-offering unto the Lord.

This is the Story, and the Design of all is very easy; That Judas considering the danger he had been in by the Sin of these men, pray'd to God that it might not be im∣puted to the People, and offer'd a Sin-offering for the Congre∣gation according to the Law; remembring what the whole People had once suffer'd in the like case for Achan's Trans∣gression.

But our Adversaries will have this Sin-offering to have been for the Dead, and the History expresly says it was so. I answer, 1st, The History says no more than what we have set down, that Judas did this: For the rest, it is the conjecture of the Historian, not an historical Narration of what design Judas had in it. Now that this could not have been his design, is evident, 2dly, In that neither the Law of Moses, nor any other part of the Holy Scripture, makes any men∣tion

of any such Sacrifice either prescribed or allow'd of, for the Dead. And 3dly, Had the Law in some Cases ap∣proved of Sacrifices for the Dead, yet certainly it could not have done it in this, Idolatry being one of those Sins for which there was no Offering allowed, nor any Atonement to be made for it.

But what then is it that this Historian designed? I re∣ply, it was this: That Judas by this Sacrifice made an atonement for the Dead, to the end that their Sin being forgiven, they might have a happy Resurrection. This he expresly declares, v. 44, 45. For considering (says the Hi∣storian) that there is an excellent reward laid up for those that dye Godly,

which was a holy and godly thought; he therefore made an expiation for the Dead, that they might be absolved from their Sin.

For many of the Jews then, as some Christians have done since, thought Offer∣ings might be made for the forgiveness of those Sins after Death, that were not forgiven before. Therefore seeing that these Souldiers died in a grievous Sin before they had time to repent, the Historian supposed that Judas might have designed this Offering to expiate their Offence, that so they might obtain a Happy Resurrection. But now this was only the conjecture of the Historian, and as before we have seen very ill grounded, to be sure far enough di∣stant from the Roman Purgatory. For 1st, This respected the future Resurrection••, That the present Sufferings of the Dead. 2dly, The Prayers here spoken of, were offered for men who dyed in a Mortal Sin; but the Papists deny that any such go to Purgatory, or can receive any benefit from the Prayers of the Living. 3dly, Whatever becomes of all the rest; how was it possible that these Prayers should have been designed for the slain to deliver them out of Purgatory, when if we will believe the Papists them∣selves, their Souls were not there, but either in Hell, or in

the Limbus, where they supposed the Souls of the Ancient Fathers were detained, till our Saviour Christ descending thither, set them free.

So that which way soever then we consider this pas∣sage, it cannot give us any manner of satisfaction. If we look upon it as a part of that History, the Book is not Ca∣nonical; nor was ever esteem'd so by the Jews, or by the Christians of the first 600 Years. If we take it as the Hi∣story of what Judas did, this respected not the Dead at all; nor by consequence can it belong to Purgatory. If, according to the Opinion of the Relator, it regards the Dead indeed, but then with reference to their future Re∣surrection, not their present Punishment; and so is still im∣pertinent. If finally, according to the Hypothesis of the Papists themselves, it is utterly impossible it should belong to Purgatory, because there was as yet no such place, and therefore these Souldiers could not be there, or by any Sacrifices be delivered from thence. And this I hope may be a sufficient reply to this first passage.

The other, from whence they also tell us their Doctrine of Purgatory may be demonstratively concluded, is in the xiith of St. Mat. v. 32. Where our Saviour speaking of the Sin against the Holy Ghost, tells us,

That it shall not be forgiven neither in this World, nor in that to come.

He would, I believe, be thought to make a very strange conclusion, that should without more ado argue thus ab∣ruptly from this Passage, Therefore there is a Purgatory: And indeed they themselves are sensible of it. And there∣fore Bellarmin confesses, that according to the Rules of Lo∣gic, Purgatory cannot be inferr'd from hence: But accord∣ing to the Rules of Prudtnce he thinks it may, because that otherwise, he says, Christ must be said to have spoken im∣properly, which we ought not to suppose he did. But if there be nothing in this place to prove Purgatory, according to

the rules of Logic, I suppose it must be some mistake then, in that which he told us before, that it may be de∣monstratively inferr'd from thence. For as for the rule of Prudence, that will at most make it but very pro∣bable.

But indeed this rule will fail them as well as the other, as we shall evidently see in examining the Proofs which they make from it. Now their Argument lies thus:

Our Saviour Christ says, that the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be remitted neither in this World, nor in that to come: We must therefore suppose that some Sins shall be remitted in the World to come, or else our Savi∣our spake improperly, which according to the Rules of Prudence we may not say. Now the World to come, must signifie the state of the Soul between the day of every mans Death, and the final Resurrection, because that after that, no Sins shall be remitted: And it must be to those who are in a middle state, because those who are blessed, are already forgiven; and those who are damned shall never be remitted.

This is the sum of their arguing from this place: but now if it appear that we can have no manner of assu∣rance of any of these suppositions; much more if it be clear that not one of them is true; Then I presume it will follow, that neither is it prudentially credible that our Sa∣viour here intended to establish a Purgatory, but rather al∣together certain that he did not.

1st, Then: Our Saviour says, that the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, neither in this World, nor in that to come; therefore, they conclude, some Sins shall be forgiven in the World to come.

I answer: It is most certain that some Sins shall be for∣given in the World to come, even all those that are forgi∣ven

in this, and for which therefore God shall not call us to account at the last Day. As if one should say, To him that repents and believes, his Sins shall not be imputed neither in this World nor in the World to come; that is, they shall never be imputed. And so both St. Mark and St. Luke interpret the Phrase, He shall not be forgiven, says the one; he shall not be forgiven for ever, says the other: What is this to Purgatory?

But our Adversaries are more acute: Christ says the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this World nor in that to come; therefore some Sins that are not forgiven in this World, shall be forgiven in the World to come. This indeed is no consequence, according to the Rules of Logic, as Bellarmin acknowldges; but how then does it follow? Because that otherwise our Saviour Christ would have spoken improperly, which according to the Rule of Prudence we ought not to say. The Cardinal might have added, according to the Rule of Civility and good Breeding too. But still how does this appear? Why be∣cause that otherwise it would have been impertinent to say that it shall not be forgiven neither in this world, nor in the world to come, if no sins should be forgiven in the world to come, that are not forgiven in this.

I answer, 1st, He might have said it to exaggerate his Speech, and so the better enforce the hainousness of the Crime; and it is a thing very ordinary on such occasions to use many words, when one would have been sufficient: But 2dly, He might, and certainly did do it, to prevent the mistake of the Jews, and cut off all hopes of pardon for this sin: Two things there were which they under∣stood by the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or world to come; the Kingdom of the Messiah, and the state after death; and in both these they thought a Remission might be had for some sins, that were not otherwise to be forgiven: Our Blessed Saviour

therefore to take away all hopes of Remission for this Sin, and make the deeper Impression upon their minds, bids them not flatter themselves with any such fond Expecta∣tions; that this was a Sin that should never be forgiven them, neither in this World, nor in the World to come; i. e. neither now nor in the Kingdom of the Messiah; neither in the hour of Death, nor in the day of Judgment. But

2dly, They suppose, That the World to come must signi∣fy the time between every mans Death and the gene∣ral Resurrection.

But now for this, there is no manner of Ground, either in the Holy Scripture, or in the Language of the Jews; nor can it be with any propriety so esteem'd. For the World to come, cannot be supposed to begin till this World ends, i. e. till the time be, that according to their own Confession, Purgatory shall be no more. Whatever then our Saviour Christ means by the World to come, or however Sins shall be remitted there; it cannot be understood of Purgatory, which now is in this present World, and in the other shall be destroy'd.

3dly, They suppose, lastly; That the Persons whose Sins shall be forgiven, are not the perfectly just, in whom there is no spot of Sin remaining; nor yet the damned, whose Sins are irremissible; but such as are in a mid∣dle State, i. e. that depart with sanctifying Grace and Charity, but yet guilty of some lesser Sins, of which they are to be Purged.

I relpy, 1st, That there is not a word of all this so much as hinted in the Text; and any one might from thence as reasonably conclude for either of the other kinds, as they do for this middle sort. For as concerning the Just, it is not certainly at all absurd to say, that their Sins are then

forgiven, when they are finally acquitted at Gods Tribunal, as they shall be in the World to come. And for the Wicked, since we here are told that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the only Sin that shall not be forgiven; nay, our Saviour expresly says, That all other Sins shall be remitted; it may with much more agreement to the Text follow, that all men, be their Sins what they will, shall have Grace of Re∣pentance whereby they may be pardon'd in the World to come, the Blasphemers of the Holy Ghost alone excepted, than that those only shall be forgiven, who die with venial Sins. But

2dly, What have we here to do with the Remission of Sins? Purgatory is a place, not where Sins are remitted, but where they are punish'd with the greatest Severity; nay, what is still more, punish'd after they are remitted; nay, what is still more extraordinary, therefore punished, because they are remitted. For if the Guilt were not remitted, the Sinner could not go to Purgatory, nor have the favour of being punish'd there. And therefore it is utterly imperti∣nent from the Remission of some Sins in the World to come, to conclude there is a place where all Sins, even the least, are exacted, and that so rigidly, that there is no escaping thence, till either by their selves or their friends, they have paid the very uttermost Farthing.

In short, if we will conclude any thing as concerning the Remission of Sins from this; the Rules both of Logick and Prudence will direct us to make one part of the Opposition answer to the other: And then it will stand thus. The Sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be at all forgiven, whether as to Guilt or Punishment, but shall be avenged to all Eternity. Therefore all other Sins upon Repentance shall be forgiven, both as to the Fault and Punishment, so as not to be required, neither now or hereafter. Any other Remission than this, the Scripture no where speaks of, nor do's this Text infer it:

And to suppose without proof that there is any other, is in good earnest to beg the Question.

The sum of all, is what I before said: That our Blessed Saviour intended by this Phrase, to cut off all hopes of Pardon for this Sin, by telling them that it should not be remitted, neither by any Expiation in this Life, nor by any extraordinary Grace of God in the Age of the Messiah, or in the Life after this; which are the only notions of the World to come, that the Jews knew, and in both which they fan∣ci'd some Sins not elsewhere remissible, might be forgiven.

And this may suffice to have been said to shew how far the Holy Scripture is from establishing this Doctrine as an Ar∣ticle of Faith; for sure, if these places which they call de∣monstrative, are so little to the Purpose, we can have no great Expectation from the rest, which themselves esteem but only probable proofs of it.

SECT. III.

That the Primitive Church for 600. years, knew nothing of the Romish Purgatory.

BUT if the Scriptures be thus silent in this matter, let us see if the Fathers of the Church in the first Ages of the Gospel received the present Doctrine of Purgatory as an Article of their belief. I shall need to insist so much the less on this here, because the greatest part of the Autho∣rities, that are usually produced to this effect, relate not immediately to Purgatory, but to Prayers for the Dead; and therefore will be more proper to be consider'd in the next Discourse. Those that speak precisely to this point are but few; and I shall take them in such order, as seems most natural for our Examination.

And the first I shall mention, is Origen. We ought so much the rather to complain of the Sophistry of our Ad∣versaries in making use of his Testimony; in that, either they themselves must deny that his Opinion concerning Purgatory, was the same with theirs, or they must confess that those Fathers and Councils who condemned him as an Here∣tick on this account, have in him pronounced their Sentence also. I have before observed of this Father, that he thought there were no Pains but Purgatory after this Life; insomuch, that after a certain time not only all men, tho never so wicked, but the Devils themselves should be purified by them, and so saved in the end. This Bellarmin elsewhere confesses to have been his Opinion, and to this the place which he quotes out of him clear∣ly refers: He that is saved, is saved by Fire, that so if by chance he has any thing of Lead mixed in him, the Fire may melt and sepa∣rate it, that so ALL may be made pure Gold. And is not this a rare Testimony for Purgatory, which neither they themselves approve of, and which, both the Ancient Fathers Epipha∣nius, St. Jerome, St. Austin, nay, and even the 5th General Council its self, has condemned as Heretical?

And what I have now said of Origen, I must in the next place assirm of another Father, and he the first which Bellarmine produces on this occasion, viz. Gregory Nyssen, who has long since been observed as to this matter, to have favour'd the Heresie of Origen. Indeed we are told by Photius, that Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople in the VII. Century, wrote an Apology for him, in which he shews that this was not the Opinion of Gregory Nyssen himself, but that his works had been corrupted by the followers of Origen, the better to countenance their Error; which so ever

it were, it is the same thing as to the Authority of his Wri∣tings in this Controversy: And indeed the very places ci∣ted by Bellarmin shew, that this was the Purgatory he con∣tends for; viz. such, in which all were to be purified, and at last saved for ever. He distinguishes two Orders of Men, of which one by the Discipline of Christ are purged here on Earth, such are the Pa∣triarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Dis∣ciples, Martyrs, and as many as preferred (says he) a Virtuous life before a sensual and material en∣joyment; In the other he ranks,

All other men whatsoever, who shall return, he says, to that Grace that was once given them, after that by the future Discipline (i. e. in the World to come, after the final judgment) they shall have cast off in the Purgatory fire their propension to matter:

For so it is in the Original; and not as Bellarmin renders it; a Wiping away the spots of mat∣ter in a Purgatory fire after this life.

To these two I must in the next place subjoin St. Jerome, whom, tho' I will not with ‖ Ruffinus accuse of being in∣volved in the Error of Origen, yet † Bellarmin himself cannot deny him to have been charged with an Opinion not very much differing from it, viz.

That All Catholick Christians shall in the end be saved, after they have been tried and purified in the fire.

And this the very place which they cite in favour of their Purgatory, plainly shews

to have been his Opinion;

As we believe (says he) the torments of the Devil, and of all that de∣ny the Faith, and of those wicked men who have said in their heart there is no God, to be eternal: So for those who are Sinners and wicked, but yet Christians, whose works are to be tried and purged in the fire, we believe that the sentence of the Judge shall be moderate, and mixt with clemency.

In which words, this Opinion which the Romanists themselves confess to be Erroneous, is plainly contain'd, viz. Of the moderate punishment of wicked men and sinners, if Christians; i. e. of their salvation after a certain time of Purgation in the fire of the last judgment; (for so the opposition to the Eternal punishment of the others, requires us to expound it): But for the burning of good men, whose sins are forgiven, and who depart this Life in a state of Charity, and in the Grace of God, such as are punish'd in the Popish Purga∣tory, of this there is no mention.

And the same is so evidently the meaning of the other passage alledged by Bellarmin from this Father, that there can be no doubt of it:

If, says he, Origen says that all rational crea∣tures are not to be destroyed, and allows repentance to the Devil; What is this to us, who say, that the Devil and his companions, and all wicked and prevaricating men shall perish for ever; and that Christians, if they are overtaken in their sins, shall be saved after Punishment?

And hitherto we have considered such passages as the Error of Origen, sufficiently different from the Doctrine of

the Romish Purgatory, has given occasion to. But there was another opinion in the Primitive Church, which I have mentioned above, and to which many other expressions of the other Fathers do allude, viz.

That all those who at the last day shall appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ, shall be proved by a certain terrible fire, by the force of which the good and bad shall be separated, and if any evil of their past life still adheres to the Good, it shall then in that Purgatory fire be intirely done away.

Now to this belong those passages that are produced on this occasion from Lactantius, Hilary, St. Ambrose, Euse∣bius Emissenus, and some of St. Austin himself. I shall offer one proof of this in the last instance of Cardinal Bellar∣min, St. Hilary, which he thus quotes,

An unwearied fire is to be undergone by us, in which are to be endured those grievous punishments, of a soul to be expiated from its sins.

But the whole passage is indeed this:

St. Hilary in his An∣notations on the 20 v. of the 119. Psal. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments;

applies it unto the future judg∣ment; and among other observations has this passage,

Seeing we must render an account for every idle word, do we desire the day of judg∣ment in which that unwearied fire is to be pas∣sed through? In which those grievous punish∣ments are to be undergone for the expiating of a soul from sin? A sword shall pass through the soul of the B. Virgin Mary, that the thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed. If that Vir∣gin who bore God, is to come into the severity of the judgment, will any one dare desire to be judged by God.

This certainly is such a Testi∣mony as had Bellarmin ever examined it, he

would have been ashamed to have produced it for a proof of Purgatory.

The Authority of St. Cyprian, as it is commonly cited by them, seems more considerable;

'Tis one thing to be purged from sins by a long time of torments, and to be men∣ded a great while by fire; another by suffering to have purged all sins.

But the truth is, this is as little to the purpose as any we have yet seen. St. Cyprian in that Epi∣stle to Antonian, defends a certain new Decree of his Church that had been made in favour of those who fell in times of persecution, whereby they were admitted to pe∣nance, and by which it was feared by some, lest the Chri∣stians should be rendred more slow to suffer for the Faith. In this Epistle St. Cyprian shews Antonian, that though the Church had granted something of favour to these Libella∣tick Christians, yet still their condition was infinitely worse than that of the Martyrs, so that there was no cause to doubt but that every one ought to prefer Martyrdom, notwithstanding the new favour that was allow'd to them. And then entring upon the comparison, 'Tis one thing (says he) to stand in expectation of pardon, (as the Penitents did) another to be arrived at their glory (as the Martyrs were): 'Tis one thing being clapt into the prison, not to go out thence till they have paid the uttermost farthing; (i. e. not to be admitted into the Church till they had past through all the seve∣ral parts of the penance inflicted on them) an∣other presently to receive the reward of their faith and courage: One thing to be cleansed by a long grief for sin, and to be purged a long time by fire; another to have purged away all sins by suf∣fering. (All which still refers to the afflictions and troubles of the Penance they were to undergo, and

concerning which all this discourse of St. Cyprian is; whereas the Holy Martyrs by suffering, were already clean∣sed from all their sins. There is nothing more ordinary than by the phrase of Fire to signifie any kind of afflictions: and if the conjecture of the Reverend Editor of the Oxford Cyprian, be accepted, as the authority of several Ma∣nuscripts, seems to render it exceeding probable, that in∣stead of diu igne, it ought to be diutine: then it will follow, that this Father spoke nothing at all of fire, but only said this, That it is infinitely better with the Martyrs to be ju∣stified from all their sins in Heaven, than with the Peni∣tents be put under a long course of severe discipline for them here in the Church on Earth.

And this Interpretation the Learned Rigaltius approves; And what S. Cypr. himself adds, plainly shews that it cannot refer to the Romish Purgatory, where going on still with the Antithesis, he adds, 'Tis one thing in the day of Judg∣ment to expect with Anxiety the Sentence of the Lord, (as these Penitents were to do); another to be presently crown'd by the Lord, as these Martyrs were. Now this could not be said of the Souls in Purgatory, who if you believe them, are in no Anxiety about their future Sentence, but actually secure of their Salvation, as soon as they shall be deliver'd from those severe, yet temporary Pains in which they are.

For Gregory Nazianzen, both his Scholiast Nicetas In∣terprets the Fire he speaks of, to be that of Hell, and the occasion of his words, and the Persons to whom he Ad∣dresses, shew it can be understood of no other. The Persons were the Novatians; the occasion to exhort them by the fear of this Punishment to return to the Communion of the Church. Now for Schismaticks, if they continue obstinate in their Separation, I suppose the Church of Rome will al∣low there shall be reserved some worser Fire than that of Purgatory.

The next Father produced by Bellarmin, is St. Basil, who upon Is. ix. 18. says, That Sin is therefore by the Prophet compared to Grass, because Grass is the most fruitful among Herbs:—And then he goes on in the Words produced for Purgato∣ry; If therefore we shall lay open our Sins by Confession, we shall make this Grass dry, and worthy to be devoured by the Purgatory Fire. Now that this Purgatory-fire can∣not be that which the Romanists mean, is evident from this, that the Sin is not devoured by that, but being first devoured by Confession and Repentance, is here punish'd in this Fire. We must therefore seek out some other mean∣ing, and for that we can take no better than what this same Commentary affords us; viz. That it signifies the Ho∣ly Spirit, operating upon the Hearts of the Penitent, and with his Coelestial Fire consuming those Sins which by Confession are dried, and made fit for that Holy Flame. So on the 6th of Isaiah, speaking of the Altar which the Pro∣phet there saw, he says was sig∣nified by it,

A certain Coelestial Altar, namely the place of the purifying of Souls; from whence that Purgatory-fire is sent out to the sanctified Powers. With this Fire did the heart of Cleo∣phas and Simon burn, when our Lord open'd to them the Scriptures. With this Fire are they heated, who are warm'd by the Holy Ghost, &c.

As for the other Passage that is alledged from the same Comment, it is so clear, that by the purging, or rather the castigating Fire which he there speaks of, he understands

those Evils and Afflictions that God was about to bring up∣on the Israelites for their Amendment, that I shall not need say any thing more to it.

For Theodoret, whom Bellarmin cites out of his Com∣ments on 1 Cor. 3. He is indeed the clearest of all to their purpose: We believe, says he, this to be the very Purgatory fire, in which the Souls of the dead are try'd and purged as Gold in a Crucible. But now the misfortune is, that Theo∣doret has no such words; nay, though they themselves are the Editors of his Works, yet have they never yet dared to insert this pretended explication into them. It is in∣deed an instance of the peculiar confidence of these men in their pretences to Antiquity, not only to go on to alledg Theodoret for an Abetter of their Doctrine, after they had been publickly challenged by a ∵ Greek Author in his Tract against Purgatory concerning it; but especially, when his Comments on this very place of St. Paul, which themselves have set forth, interpret the Fire he there speaks of, to be ‖ the Fire of Hell; and the Day which is to reveal it, the Day of Judgment.

There are yet remaining two of the Writers of the La∣tin Church to be consider'd by us; the first Tertullian in his Book de Anima, c. 17. So Bellarmin alledges him; but it should have been the 35. But this Author is utterly for∣reign to his purpose: All he says is, That the Souls of Men shall be restor'd to their Bodies, some sooner, others later, in Christs millenary Kingdom, according to what their Sins or Piety have deserved: That if we live wickedly, the Judg shall cast us into the Infernal Prison, from whence we shall

not go out, until every the least Offence has been paid for by the delay of our rising. And this was all that Rigaltius him∣self understood by it.

As for St. Austin, the last Father to be considered by us, I have already said enough to obviate whatever Authorities can be brought from him. He was in the Opinion of those who believed a Probatory-fire at the end of the World; and to this, many of his Expressions refer. Again, he thought that those who departed hence, did not go straight to Heaven; and therefore, that those whose † Affections were very much tied to the things of this World, might still retain in their separate State some desires towards them, and be troubled for the loss of them: And by this we must explain some others of his sayings. But in all these he ex∣presses himself with so much doubt and uncertainty, as plainly shews how little he thought any of these things to be Articles of Faith; and whatever they were, yet are they, to be sure, all of them vastly different from the Roman-Pur∣gatory.

And now after so particular an Examination of the several Testimonies produced in favour of this Doctrine; I think I may venture to conclude with the same that I began this Section, That neither the Holy Scripture nor Fathers of the first 600. Years, do at all Authorize the Romish Purgatory. Let us see, finally, whether the Reasons offer'd for the establishment of it, will have a sufficient weight to engage us to believe it.

SECT. IV.

That the Principles of Right Reason do not engage us to the belief of Purgatory.

AND 1st, thus they Argue.

There are some Sins in their own nature Venial, and worthy only of a temporal Punishment: But it is possible a man may de∣part out of this Life with such only: Therefore it is necessary that he may be purged in another Life.

To this rope of Sand, rather than Argument, I reply; 1st, That the Supposition it goes upon, is false. 2dly, That the Conclusion it infers, is inconsequent. For the former of these; That some Sins are less than others, it is confes∣sed; but that any Sins are properly Venial, we deny. To be Venial, is to be worthy of Pardon, or not to deserve Punishment; but whatsoever do's not deserve Punishment, can be no Sin, for all Sin infers an Obligation to Punish∣ment; and therefore to be a Sin, and yet be Venial, is in proper terms no better than a flat Contradiction. Again, The Sins here spoken of, are supposed to be worthy of a temporal Punishment; but Sins that are worthy of a tempo∣ral Punishment, are not properly Venial; therefore, either the Sins here spoken of, must not deserve even a tempo∣ral Punishment, or they cannot be said to be properly Ve∣nial.

But 2dly, Be the Sins, as they desire, Venial; how do's it from hence follow, that it is necessary that these be pu∣nish'd in another Life? And why is not the Blood of Christ which cleanses the greatest Sins, a sufficient Purgatory for the least Infirmities? Venial Sins are by themselves con∣fess'd to be intirely consistent with the Grace of God; nay, so consistent as not to destroy, or but even lessen it. Now

for a Christian, who has lived so well as to be still in the Grace and Favour of God; that has received an actual Pardon of all his other Sins, through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ, so as to be absolutely certain of a Crown of Glory for ever; to think that such a one, I say, shall be punish'd with Torments, inferior in nothing but the Dura∣tion to those of Hell-fire its self, for such slips and infirmi∣ties as the best of men are encompass'd with, and which no man can ever hope perfectly to overcome; and this, not∣withstanding all the Promises of Mercy and Forgiveness, which God has declared to us; this certainly is so far from being a Dictate of Right Reason, that it is impossible for any one that has any Reason at all, and is not exceedingly carried away with Prejudice for his Opinion, ever to be∣lieve it.

Again, 2dly, Thus they Argue:

When Sinners are re∣conciled to God, the whole temporal Pain is not al∣ways remitted with the Sin: Now it may happen, and often do's happen, that in a Mans whole Life, he do's not fully satisfie for that temporal Pain; and therefore there must be a Purgatory wherein to do it.

I answer, That this too proceeds upon a false Suppositi∣on, That God when he forgives our Sins, do's not also for∣give the intire Obligation to Punishment, which by our Sins we stood engaged to; and which both Scripture and Reason contradict.

1st, That God do's sometimes afflict those Persons whose Sins he forgives, whether to prove, or to amend, or to secure them for the future, this 'tis confess'd we read in Scripture; and that this is most reasonable, cannot be deni'd upon the account of those excellent ends that are to be ser∣ved thereby, both to the benefit of the Sinner, and to warn others by his Example not to offend. But where is there

any mention of any thing of this kind either threatned or done in another Life? What end is there to be ser∣ved in this? When Men go to Purgatory, they are alrea∣dy in the Grace of God, or otherwise they could not come thither; they are already forgiven their Sins, and secure of their Salvation. The punishments therefore of that place can serve no end, either of improving him that suffers them, or of keeping others by his example from offending. Add to this, That the Justice of God is already intirely satisfied by the Merits and Sufferings of Christ: So that then these punishments can be inflicted for no other purpose than for the delight God takes in punishing. But to say that God delights in the punishment of any, much more of good men, who are his Children, who love him, and whom therefore he both loves and intends to glorify to all Eternity; this is certainly to advance a notion un∣worthy of God, and contrary to all those kind and endear∣ing Idea's which the Holy Scriptures have given us of him; and therefore ought not without evident proof, which is not so much as pretended to by them, to be ad∣mitted.

2dly, When we say that God forgives sin, we must un∣derstand by it one of these two things, viz. That he re∣mits either the Stain, or the Guilt of it. For by sin there is only these two contracted. As for the stain or pollution of sin, That is not properly forgiven, but is wash'd away by God's sanctifying Grace upon our repentance and re∣conciliation to him: And for the Guilt, that is nothing else, but that obligation to punishment, which every Man by sinning, renders himself obnoxious to; so that to remit the Guilt, is to remit the obligation to punishment. To say therefore that God forgives the Guilt of sin, and yet that our Obligation to punishment remains, is in effect to say, that God forgives the Guilt, which he do's not forgive, which must be a Contradiction.

But may not God forgive the Guilt as to the Obligation it lays upon us to Eternal punishment, and yet retain it as to a Temporal one? No doubt he may; and had He declared that he would do so, we must have believed it. But then this would not have been properly to forgive the Guilt, but to commute it, to lessen it. And since neither has He any where declared that this is all he does when he for∣gives sins; nor does his Justice require that he should do no more; But especially, seeing wherever God speaks of the remission of sins, he does it without restriction, in the most large, comprehensive terms that can be imagined: We see no cause either to suspect his Goodness, or to lessen his Mercy by our own arbitrary and ungrounded limita∣tions.

But 3dly, There is yet another Argument, and it is this:

The Opinion that takes away Purgatory, is not only false but pernicious; for it makes men lazy in a∣voiding sinning, and in the doing of good Works. Whilst he that believes that there is no Purgatory, but that all sins are abolish'd by death to those that die in Faith, saith to himself, To what purpose do I labour in Fastings and Prayer, in Continence and Almsdeeds? Why do I defraud my heart of its delights and pleasures, since at my death, my sins, whether few or many, shall all be done away

—Habeat jam ROMA Pudorem; Tertius e Coelo cecidit Cato.—

For is not this rare Cant? To hear those who have taken away the fears of Hell, with a demure countenance ex∣claim against us as wicked, in throwing off so great an en∣gagement to Piety as, if you will believe it, they esteem

Purgatory to be? But yet since the point is brought at last to this issue, let us see the comparison.

1st. We who deny Purgatory, thus press the practise of good works upon our Auditors. That God, to whom we are engaged by all imaginable ties of Love, Duty, and Gratitude, expresly requires them of us, as the only means to retain his favour. That if we be zealous in his service now, we shall certainly receive an Eternal weight of Bliss and Glory in his Kingdom. But that if we be careless and negligent of our duty, nothing but everlasting torments shall remain for us. That, let us not deceive our selves, or flatter our souls with any new ways of Getting to Hea∣ven; Without Holiness no man shall ever see the Lord. Re∣pentance is the only thing that by Faith can reconcile us to his favour: And repentance cannot be true, except there be a true Love of God, and an utter detestation of sin, and a hearty contrition that we have ever committed it; and a stedfast resolution never to fall any more into it; and this improved in an actual, sincere endeavour, what in us lies, to abound in Good works, and fulfil that duty which he re∣quires of us. That without this, 'tis not any power or Au∣thority of the Church, Absolving us from our sins; any Par∣dons or Indulgences, either before or after our Commission of them, that can stand us in any stead, or restore us to God's favour and the hopes of Salvation. But that if we do this, then indeed we may assure our selves of his acceptance; we may raise our hopes to the blessings that he has promised; and that we may be the more encouraged to pursue them, may assure our selves that all those joys which he has pre∣pared for us, and which it does not now enter into the heart of man but to conceive any thing of as he ought to do, are not at any great distance: As soon as ever we have finish'd our course here, we shall presently be translated, if not to a perfect fruition of them, yet to such an Ante∣past,

as shall be more than a sufficient reward for all our endeavours in the pursuit of them.

This is the method of our Preaching: Let us now set Cardinal Bellarmin in the Pulpit, and see how much more effectually he will press these things upon his Congregation. And because I would not make the worst of the matter, we will not consider him in quality of a Jesuit, instructing the people by Artifice and Distinction, how to evacuate the whole morality of the Gospel, by stating precisely the point, How often a man is obliged to love God? Whether upon all Sundays and Holydays? or only once a year? or once in five years? or but any one time in a mans whole life? or finally not at all, neither living nor dying? This were, it may be, to carry matters too far; we will stop within the bounds of their more common belief.

And here first of all, as is most fitting, we must be sure to put them often in mind of the Obedience they owe to the Church: of the high opinions they ought always to retain of her, and of that intire submission wherewith they are to yield themselves up to her Conduct. That they be sure not to fail to go to Mass every Sunday and Holyday; that they eat no flesh on any of the Fasts of the Church, unless they are otherwise dispensed with to the contrary: That once at least every year they receive the Sacrament, and before they do so, that they fail not to go to Confession; That they make no doubt but by the Priests Absolution they are cer∣tainly forgiven their sins whatsoever they were; That in∣deed it were well that they were contrite for them; but if they are not, 'tis all one, Attrition with the Sacrament of Penance do's the same thing: That this therefore sets them free of all danger of Hell, so that be their lives what they will, there is no great fear of that; but yet that to secure their Piety, the Church has thought fit to discover to them another very terrible place called Purgatory, whither they

must go to satisfie for their sins before they can get to Hea∣ven. That, indeed, let them live how they will, hither they must come: But yet let them not be discouraged; there are several secret ways of avoiding it, with infinitely more security than the best Life in the world can give them. First, an Indulgence may be had, and that too before-hand, to secure the greatest sinner from ever coming thither. If this fail, yet they may enter themselves into some Holy fraternity, as for instance that of the Scapulary, and then they certainly get out of Purgatory the Saturday after they dye. At least, that let the worst that can happen, a good number of Masses when they are dead, infallibly does the business. 'Tis true, none of these things can be had with∣out Money, and therefore the poor must take heed and have as few sins as they can to answer for; but yet that if they watch their time, an Indulgence will come at an easie rate, and the Church in Charity will fall her price, rather than refuse that Money that will be so much to the benefit of her faithful Children.

This is, I think, the difference between us: Let the world now judg, who it is that give the greatest encou∣ragement to Vice, the Cardinal in these easie methods of Salvation, or We by retaining the old Scripture-way of Repentance and a Good Life. But the truth is, the Argu∣ment ought to have lain thus; The Opinion that takes away Purgatory, and leaves men that have lived well, in repose at their death, cuts off all the benefit of Masses, Prayers for the dead, and the like; not to say any thing of the dear concern of Indulgences, by which our Church and our Clergy in great measure subsist; and therefore tho' we know we have nothing to say for it, yet we are resolved we will not quit the belief of it: And this indeed is the honest Truth; but for the rest, 'tis in good earnest nothing to the purpose.

SECT. V.

That the Doctrine of Purgatory is contrary to Scripture, Antiquity, and Reason.

HItherto we have seen how little grounds the Church of Rome has to establish this Doctrine as an Article of Faith; We will now go yet further, and shew not only, that there is no Obligation upon us either from Scripture, or Antiquity, or Reason, to believe this Doctrine; but that according to the principles of every one of these, we ought not to do it.

1st. For Scripture.

It is not a little to be consider'd in opposition to this Doctrine, that these Sacred Writings not only every where represent to us this present life as the time of tryal and ex∣ercise, of sufferings and afflictions; but also encourage us on this very consideration to bear them with Patience and resignation, That as soon as we die they shall all end, and we shall receive the blessed reward which God has prepared for them that bear them as they ought to do.

I look up∣on it, says St. Paul, Rom. viii. 18. that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed.

And again, 2 Cor. iv. 17.

For the sufferings of this present life work out for us a far more ex∣ceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Many other places of this kind there are, in which our present sufferings are compared with, and opposed to, our future reward. Now if when all these encounters are ended, there be still another, and a more dreadful sort of tryal to be undergone elsewhere, How could the Apostle have used those kind of Antitheses;

and have encouraged us to a constancy in our present af∣flictious, from the prospect of a time, when according to these Men there are yet greater and more severe ones to be undergone by us?

And this then may be a second Observation; That the Scrpture always speaks of the Death of good men as a Bles∣sing, an immediate rest from their labours; and therefore sure understood nothing of those Torments to which the Church of Rome now condemns them. So Revel. xiv. 13. I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write; Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from HENCEFORTH, yea saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours. 'Twas this assurance made the Holy men of old so desirous of their dissolution, That they might find an end of all those labours and evils which they suffer'd here: Phil. 1. 23. I am in a straight, says St. Paul, betwixt two, having a de∣sire to depart and to be with Christ which is better, &c. Sure∣ly St. Paul never thought of Purgatory, when he talk'd thus of going to Christ; nor would he have appear'd so desirous of his Dissolution, had he known he should have been cast into such a fire as the Romanists suppose to be in this infernal Region.

Nor can it here be reasonably said, that this was the Apo∣stles peculiar happiness; and therefore that tho' he indeed was secure of going immediately to Christ, yet others were not therefore to expect the like favour: For 2 Cor. v. 1. we find him promising the very same to all Christians indiffer∣ently; We know, says he, that if our Earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building with God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And again, Verse 8. When we are absent from the Body, says he, We are present with the Lord: By all which it appears, that when good Men dye, they go to the Lord; to Christ; to their Heavenly House; and that sure is not Purgatory.

To this agree those few instances we have of Just mens dying, in the New-Testament. Lazarus in the Parable, was in Abraham's besome; The Penitent Thief on the Cross was promised that he should be that day with Christ in Paradise: And we have good reason to believe that the same is the state of all others, not only from the passages already men∣tioned, and many more of the like kind that might have been offer'd; but also from this, that we have not in all the Holy Scripture the least intimation of any such place as Purgatory: That there is neither precept nor ex∣ample of any one that either pray'd for the delivery of their friends departed, out of these pains, or any Directions left for any one hereafter so to do: Now certainly it is not easie to be imagined, that the Holy Penmen should have been so perfectly silent in this matter, had there been so great a Cause for it, as the delivery of their Souls out of Purgatory undoubtedly would have been; or had they then esteemed it so excellent and necessary a piece of Christian Charity, as it is now pretended to be.

And this Presumption against Purgatory the Holy Scrip∣tures will afford us. If we look

2dly, To the Holy Fathers,

We shall find them proceeding exactly upon the same Principles: They thought the just when they were depart∣ed were presently in a state of happiness; That it was in∣jurious to Christ, to hold that such as died in his Faith were to be pitied; That Christians therefore ought not by any means to be afraid of dying:

'Tis for him, says S. Cyprian, to fear death, that is unwilling to go to Christ. It is for him to be unwilling to go to Christ, who doth not believe that he beginneth to reign with Christ.—Simeon said, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; proving and

witnessing that the Servants of God then have peace, then enjoy free and quiet rest, when being drawn from these Storms of the World, we arrive at the Haven of our everlasting Habitation and Security.—Let us therefore embrace the day that bringeth every one to his own House, which having taken us away from hence, and loosed us from the Snares of this World, returneth as to Paradise, and to the Kingdom of Heaven.

I shall leave it to any one to consider, whether this Ho∣ly Father, who discoursed thus of our Dying, believed any thing of these tormenting Purgatory-fires, that now keep Men in Anxiety, and make the best Christians afraid to dye. And the same is the Lan∣guage of all the rest. St. Chryso∣stom particularly inforces the same considerations, from those Psalms that were usually said at the Buri∣al of the Dead.

Return to thy rest, O my Soul, for the Lord hath been gracious unto thee. You see, says that Holy Father, how that Death is a Blessing, a Rest.—God calls it a Blessing, and dost thou Lament? What couldst thou have done more, if thou hadst been his Enemy?

But to put this matter, as to the Point of Antiquity, be∣yond all doubt, I will remark distinctly two or three things.

1st, That several of the most Ancient Fathers not only believed the Souls of the Faithful to be in Happiness, immediately upon their departure, but to be carried immediately into Heaven. 1 So Athenagoras, 2 St. Cyprian, 3 Origen, 4 Gregory Nazianzen, 5 Chrysostom,

6 Cyril Alexandrinus, 7 St. Hierom and others. Now, certainly they who believed that just Men when they dye go straight to Heaven, could not have believed that they were for a long while after their Death tormented in Pur∣gatory; and therefore all these at least must have been of an Opinion different from the Church of Rome, in this mat∣ter.

2dly, Another thing remarkable in some of the Ancient Fathers, is, That they utterly deny that the Soul is capable of being purged in another World; and this is, to be sure, expresly contrary to the present Doctrine of the Romanists in this Point. Thus Gregory Nazianzen speaking of the Judgment after Death;

'Tis better, says he, to be now cha∣stised and purged, than to be deliver'd over to that Tor∣ment, when it shall be no longer a time of Purgation, but of Punishment.

Where we see the Father expresly Op∣poses the time of Purgation in this Life, to the time not of Purgation, but of Punishment in the next. And St. Chry∣sostom,

If the Soul be purged here, (i. e. from Sin) that Fire shall not hurt it, when it departs hence: But the Soul that goes hence in Sin, that Fire (not of Purgatory, but of Hell) shall receive.

This was the Doctrine of those times; the Soul that was clear of Sin, by Gods Pardon and Forgiveness, no Fire could hurt; that which was not, no Fire could cleanse; but it was to remain in Torments of Hell for ever.

Nor may we omit to observe, 3dly, That the Fathers take no notice of Purgatory in such places, as had they believed it, they could not well have omitted it. Hence we see no mention of it in any of their Creeds or Coun∣cils, or Catechetical Discourses, in which the other Arti∣cles of their Faith are set down and explain'd. The 5th General Council, which condemned Origen for his Errors concerning the Pains after Death, never mentioned any o∣ther

Purgatory in opposition to that which he had Hereti∣cally invented. But that which shews it yet more plain∣ly to have been unknown to them, is, that not only St. Austin, but Pope Gregory himself, the great Patron of this Error, yet spoke of it with some doubt; not as they use to do of a Point firmly believed by the Church, but as a peculiar thing in which they were not themselves very well resolved. When the Fathers disputed against Ori∣gen, they none of them mention any of the Purgatory∣pains, which the Orthodox Faith taught, to distinguish them from those from which he erroniously had invented. When Epiphanius disputed against Aerius, concerning the Reason and Benefit of Praying for the Dead, is it to be imagined he could then have forgot the great concern of delivering the Souls departed out of Purgatory, had the Church then believed any such thing? To all which, if we finally add, That the Greek Church neither at this day do's, nor ever did receive this Doctrine, I cannot tell what clearer Evidence we can desire to shew, that this whole Business of Purgatory, is but an Error of the Latin Church, not an Article of the Catholick Faith.

3dly, For Reason.

I shall only offer this one Reflection: Whether there can be any Reason to think there should be such a place, and such punishments as Purgatory, for no end or purpose in the World. They who go thither, must be perfect in Charity, in the Grace of God, secure of their Salvation; their Satisfaction must have been made by Christ's Blood, and so God's Justice satisfied. Now when all this is alrea∣dy done, to what end is it that they should be tormented? Had there been any means by such a Purgatory, either to fit

them for Heaven, or to satisfie the Divine Justice, there might then have been some pretence for it. But to think that God punishes Men only for Punishing-sake; and this too his own Servants, Men who are in his Favour, that have lived well, and upon that account are justified by him through the Blood of Christ; this is such an Idea of an Infinite Love, Mercy and Goodness, as sure can never be the Dictate of Right Reason; I think I may say, is utterly inconsistent with it.

Notes

• Bellarm. de Purgat. lib. 1. cap. 11. p 612. Colon. 1620.
• Praeparat. E∣vangel. lib. 11. cap. 38. pag. 568. Ed GL. Paris, 1627.
• †

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• In Odyss l. 12.
• ‖

  In Aeneid. l. 6.
• †

  Vid. ib. Odis 30. Virg. Aene∣id. l. 5.
• Bellarmin l. 1. de Purgat. c. 2. p. 573.
• De Civitat Dei l. 21. c. 13. p. 793. to 5. Lugd, 1664.
• See for all those, S. Austin de Civit. Dei, l. 21. c. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
• See below Sect.
• †

  August. En∣ch•…•…. ad Lau∣rent. c. 67. p. 64. To. 3.
• V••rgil Aeneid. l.
• Bellarmin de sanct. beat. l. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 c. 5. p. 713. Owns it to have been the opinion of Tertullian. Lactantius and Victorinus Martyr: But Sixtus Sinensis more fairly confesses it of many others. Bibl. lib. 6. annot. 345. p. 714. edit. 1626. Colon 4••••. Irenaeus, Justin Mar∣tyr, Clemens, Origen, Prudentius, Ambrose, S. Chrysostome, S. Augustine, Theodoret, &c.
• See Eusebius H••st. Eccles. l. 3. c. 39. edit. Valerii.
• ‖

  Justin Mar∣tyr, contr. Tryph. pag. 89. C Edit. Henr. Steph. Gr.—Irenaeus vid. apud Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 39—Tertullian passim, &c.
• This is assert∣ed by almost all the Fathers of the Primi∣tive Church.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 1st Opinion.
• ∴

  3d Opinion.
• Vid. August. loc. supr. citat. Enchirid. cap. 67. ad Dulcit. quaest. 1, &c.
• Lib. 8. Chron. cap. 26. Esse apud inferos locum Purga∣torum, in quo salvandi vel tenebris tan∣tum affician∣tur vel expia∣tionis igne decoquantur QUIDAM asserunt.
• Bellar. de Purg. l. 1. cap. 2. p. 571, 572.
• †

  Session. 25ta. Conc. Labb. Tom. 13. pag. 492. & p. 1135.
• Vid. apud Sixt. Senens. Bibl. l. 6. An∣not. 259. pag. 667.
• ∴

  June 14. 1438.
• ‖

  Histoire Cri∣tique, pag. 5. 20. Edit. Franck fort, 1684. for the Greeks, Id. pag. 69. Cites Ga∣briel Sionita affirming the same of the Melchites, Purgatorium nullum existere pessime credi∣derunt. Id. pag. 72. That the Georgians believe a Purgatory, but not such as the C. R. See concern∣ing the Armenians, p. 141. Job Ludolph. Hist. Aethiop. Lat. shews the same of the Ethiopians, that they deny a Purgatory, l. 3. c. 5. n 67, 68. See Bellarm l. 1. de Purg. cap. 2. pag. 572.
• Acts xix. 25. &c.
• C. Richlieu.
• See it at the end of the Council of Trent, p. 225. Edit. Labbe Paris 1667. fol.
• Sessio. 25. pag. 174.
• Session 6. Can. 30. pag. 47.
• Session 22. Can. iii. pag. 135.
• Expos. B sh. Condom, S••ct. viii pag. 15.
• Papist Mis∣repr Sect. xxiii. pag. 30.
• In dissert. Saec. iv. dissert. xli. pag. 352.
• Catechism. ad Paroch. part. 1. Artic. v. Sect. v. pag. 41. Colon. 1684.
• In 4. Sent. dist. 21. qu. 1. art. 1.
• Bellarm. de Purg. lib. 2. cap. 6. pag. 646.
• De Purgat. l. 1. c. 3. p. 578. a.
• Ibid. cap 8. arg. ult. Sect. Utuntur no∣stri, p. 601. D.
• †

  1 Cor. iii. 15.
• ∵

  1 Pet. iii. 15.
• ‖

  Bellarm. de Purg. l. 1. c. v. p. 582. A. Na∣talis Alex. dis∣sert. xli. Saec. iv. p 378.
• Vid. in loc. 1 Cor. 3. 15. pag. 377, 379.
• ∴

  Bellarm. de Christi Anima, Lib. 4. cap. 13. pag. 455. per tot.
• Natal. Alex. in loc. pag. 362.
• ∵

  Misrepres. n. 23. p. 28.
• Bellarm. de Purg. l. 1. c. 3. Misr. Sect. xxiii. pag. 28. Natalis ub. supr. p. 364.
• See Mons. du Pin. Biblioth. dissert. prel. p. 59, &c.
• Bellarm de Purg. l. 1. cap. 3. p. 575. Na∣talis Alex. saec. iv. par. 3. dissert. 41. p. 365.
• ∴

  Bellar. ibid. p. 576. A. B.
• ‖

  Canus l. 2. c. 10. ad. 4.
• 2 Maccab. xii. 39, v. &c.
• Joshua vii.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Mark iii. 29. Luke xii. 10
• Bellarm. de Purg. l. 1. c. 5. p. 586. D Di∣co, post novis∣simum judi∣cium non fore Purgatorium.
• Mat. v. 26.
• See Dr. Light∣foot upon the place.
• ORIGEN.
• Lib. 1. de Purg. c. ii p. 573. C.
• Origen. Homil. 6. in Exod. Qui salvus fit per ignem salvus fit, ut siquid forte de Spe∣cie plumbi habuerit admixtum, id ignis de∣coquat & resolvat, ut efficiantur OMNES aurum purum, Bellar. de Purg. l. 1. c. 10. p. 608. B.
• GR. NYSSEN.
• Codex 233. p. 904. Ed. G. L.
• Greg. Nyss. de mortuis Orat. pag. 635. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 636. A. To. 3. Ed. GL. Paris 1638. Ibid. p. 636. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. B. Which Bel∣larmine from P. Francisc. Zinus, faultily ren∣ders, Aliis autem post hanc vitam purgatorio igne materiae labes abstergentibus. de Purg. l. 1. c. 10. p. 607.
• S. HIEROME.
• ‖

  See Bellarm. de Purg. l. 2. c. 1. p. 631. A.
• †

  Ibid. 632. C.
• Sicut Diaboli & omnium negatorum at{que} impiorum, qui dixerunt in corde suo non est Deus, credimus aeterna tormenta; sic Peccato∣rum & Impiorum, & tamen Christianorum, quorum opera in Igne probanda sunt at{que} purganda, moderatam arbitramur, & mixtam clementiae sententiam Judicis. Comm. in Is. in ••in. Bellarm. l. 1. c. 10. p. 608. A.
• Bellarm. ib. p. 608. D. Hieron. lib. 1. contr. Pelag. ultr. med. Si autem Origines omnes ra∣tionabiles creaturas dicit non esse perdendas, & Diabolo tribuit Paenitentiam; Quid ad nos, qui Diabolum & satellites ejus, omnes{que} impios & praevaricatores dicimus perire per∣petuo; & Christianos, si in peccato praeventi fuerint, salvandos esse post poenas?
• Bellarm. de Purg. l. 1. c. 10. p. 607. &c.
• Nobis est ille indefessus ignis obeundus, in quo sube∣unda sunt gravia illa expi∣andae a peccatis animae sup∣plicia. Bell. p. 609.
• Hilar. in Psal. 118. Gimel: pag. 865. F. 866. A. Edit. Paris, 1652. An cum ex omni ocioso verbo rationem simus prae∣stituri, diem judicis concu∣piscimus, in quo nobis est ille indefessus ignis obeun∣dus, in quo subeunda sunt gravia illa expiandae a pec∣catis animae supplicia? B. Mariae animam Gladius per∣transibit, ut revelentur mul∣torum cordium cogitatio∣nes; si in judicis severitatem, capax illa Dei Virgo ventura est, desiderare quis audebit a Deo judicari?
• CYPRIAN. Bellarm. de Purg l. 1. c. 10 p. ••08 D.
• Cyprian. Epist. 55. Anto∣niano. pag. 109, 110. Edit. Oxon. Aliud est ad veniam stare, aliud ad Gloriam per∣veni••e; aliud missum in car∣cerem non exire inde, donec solvat novissimum quadran∣tem, aliud statim fidei & virtutis accipere Mercedem: aliud pro peccatis longo do∣lore cruciatum emundari, & purgari diu igne, (f. diutine) aliud peccata omnia passio∣ne purgasse; Aliud denique pendere in die judicii ad sen∣tentiam domini••; Aliud sta∣tim a Domino Coronari.
• See his Annot. in loc. p. 109, 110.
• Tom. 2. Op. G. L. p. 1037. C. Paris 1630.
• GREGORY. NAZIANZ.
• Greg. Naz. Homil. 39. T. 1. p. 636.
• St. BASIL. Bell. p. 608. C.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Basil. in 9. Is. Tom. 2. p. 216. Ed G. L. Paris, 1637.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. To. 2. cap. 6. p. 172. B.
• Vid. ibid. pag. 216. E.
• THEODOR.
• Bellarm. pag. 608. C. D.
• See Bellarm. l. 1. de Purg. c. 5. p. 591. B.
• ∵

  Nilus de Pur∣gatorio, p. 144.
• ‖

  Theodoret. in 1 Cor. 3. 12, 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. To. 3. p. 134. A. and below Lit. B. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Et Lit. C. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Edit. Paris G. L. 1642.
• TERTUL.
• Et judex te tradat Angelo executionis, & ille te in carcerem mandet infernum, unde non dimittaris nisi modico quoque delicto mora Resurrectionis expenso, Pag. 291. Edit. Paris 1675.
• St. AUSTIN.
• †

  See his En∣chiridion. cap. 67, 68, 69. Et in Quaest. ad Dulcit. qu. 1. See above, In∣troduction.
• Bellarm. de Purg. l. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 11. p. 609. C.
• Bellarm: ibid. p. 610. C.
• Bellarm. de Purg. lib. 1. c. 11. p. 613. D.
• Rom. viii. 18.
• 2 Cor. iv. 17.
• Rev. xiv. 13.
• Phil. i. 23.
• 2 Cor. v. 1.
• Vers. 8.
• See his Book de Mortalitat. p. 157.
• Hieron. in Os. com. 3. Augustin. Epist. 28. ad Hier. To. 2. p. 31. A. Et Tract. 49. in Joan. To. 9. p. 124. A. Auctor. Quaest. sub Ju∣stini nomin. Quaest. 75. p. 436. D. E. Paris, 1636. Chrysost. Hom. de S S. Bernice & Prosdo∣ce. T. 1. Frontod. pag. 563. Paris, G. L. 1636.
• 1 Legat. pro Christianis. 2 Cyprian libr. de mortal. p. 157. vid. supr. 3 Orig. contr. C••ls. l. 6, 7. 4 Greg. Naz. Or. 10. To. 1. p. 173. 5 Chrysost. vid. supr.
• 6 Cyril. Alex. in Joan 19. 30. ••b. 12. To 4. ••Ed G. L. Paris, 1638. p. 1069. B C. 7 Hier. Epist. 25. fol. 7 C To. 1. Edit. Erasm.