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I Have already given a short, and as I think, satis∣factory Account of this, in the Decree of the Council of Florence, where it is determin'd, That we pray for the Faithful deceased, who have not suffici∣ently satisfy'd, here upon earth, for their Offences for which they now suffer, that God would be pleas'd to free them from these Sufferings.
The Council of Trent teaches the very same, That the Sacrifice is an Expiation offer'd, not only for the sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities of the Living; but also for the deceased in Christ, not yet fully purg'd, according to the Tradition of the Apostles.
In the Third Canon of the same Session, the same Council thus resolves; If any shall say, that the Mass is not a propitiatory Sacrifice, nor ought to be offered for the Living and the Dead, for their sins, pains, satisfac∣tions, and other necessities, let him be Anathema.
And in the Decree of Purgatory, we find these Words; Since the Catholick Church, inspir'd by the Ho∣ly Ghost, has from Holy Scriptures, and Ancient Tradi∣tion of Fathers, taught in Holy Councils, and last of all, in this OEcumenical Synod, that there is a Purgatory, and that the Souls there detained, are help'd by the Suffrages of the Faithful; especially, by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar, the holy Synod commands, &c.
Our Article of Belief is thus worded in our pro∣fession of Faith, couch'd in the Bulla of Pius the Fourth; I firmly hold, that there is a Purgatory, (or
middle State) and that the Souls there retained, are help'd by the Suffrages of the Faithful.
In the Canon of the Mass, the Priest makes this Commemoration of the Dead; Be mindful O Lord, of thy servants N. and N. who are gone before us, with the sign of Faith, and rest in the sleep of Peace.
Here are mention'd such Dead as are pray'd for in particular.
To whom O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant we beseech Thee, a place of refreshment, of light, and of peace: through the same Christ our Lord, Amen.
And in the Mass for the Dead, he prays thus; O God, the Creator and Redeemer of the Faithful,; grant to the souls of thy servants, both men and women, remission of all their sins, that by the pious supplications of the faithful for them, they may obtain the Pardon, they have alwaies wished for.
Tho' the Custom, Intention, and Belief of the Ro∣man Catholick Church, be fully laid down and mani∣fested from these publick Records, as to what She means by praying for souls departed, yet perhaps, the repeating of them in some few Reflections, may not be ungrateful to meaners Capacities.
WE pray for all Sinners, though never so great; of whose Salvation we have some Signs and Hopes at their departing hour: For these may be call'd the Faithful deceased. This is what the Council of Florence includes in these Words: If they dyed truly penitent in the Love of God. They may be called the de∣ceased in Christ, as the Council of Trent expresses it; and the Souls of thy Servants, as the Priest prays for them in the Mass for the Dead.
Nor ought we to be blamed, for complying with this pious Exercise; though some of the deceased, for whom Prayers are offer'd, should be really in Heaven, or in Hell; for in doubtful things, the securest is best to be chosen. And Prayers, some wayes or other, still prove beneficial. S. Austin illustrates this, after his usual manner, with great sense and approbation: When Offerings, either of the Altar, says this Father, or of Alms, are ordered for all the Dead who were Baptised in Christ, if they be made for the very Good; or Saints, they are thanksgivings; if for them, who are not very Bad, or in a middle State, they are Expia∣tions; if for the very Wicked, or the Damned, although they prove not advantagious to these unfortunate De∣ceased; yet they become Consolations to the Living. They are Witnesses of the performance of their Christian Charity.
VVE pray that God would be pleas'd to lessen the pain, which the Faithful deceased endure in a middle State. The Council of Florence declares, we pray with intent to free them from their Sufferings; that of Trent affirms, The sacrifice is offer'd as an Expiation for their pains; the Priest at Mass in the Memento, begs, That God would grant them a place of Refreshment.
What this Pain substantially consists in, the Church allowing of a Middle State, concludes to be the sus∣pension of seeing God; which musts needs be grievous, in regard the Object expected, is so earnestly desired. For Hope prolong'd, as the wise Man teaches, torments the Soul.
How far this suspension of seeing God is extended; whether accompanied with grief, or darkness, or an∣guish, or real fire, &c; when these pains are to end; where undergon, in the dusky aire, where the Devils dwell, or under ground, or elsewhere; are School-Questions, variously agitated by Divines, and apper∣tain not to Faith. But we are sure there is some pains to be endur'd, because there is somthing of sins re∣main, to be purg'd and pardon'd.
THe cause of Pain, is Sin: Sin consists of Two Parts: The Fault which stains the Soul: and the Guilt, which Renders it Liable to punishment.
If the Sin be mortal, eternal; if venial, it must be temporal: For all Sin deserves some punishment. Now besides eternal pain, which the Fault of all mortal Sin carries along with it, there remains some∣times at least the Guilt of some temporal penalty due to the Justice of God, to be paid in this world, or in the next. The Church has pronounced this Truth, in these Words of the Coun∣cil of Trent; If any one shall say, That the Fault after the Grace of Justification, is so remitted to eve∣ry penitent Sinner, and the Guilt of eternal Punishment is so blotted out, that there remains no Guilt of tem∣poral pain to be paid for, now, or hereafter in Purgatory, before there be an Entrance granted into the Kingdom of Heaven, let him be Anathema. And GOD has revealed the same in Holy Scriptures. Is it not true, That the Fault, and Guilt of eternal Punishment of the first Sin, which we call Original, are both expiated, and and quite wash'd away in the waters of Baptism? And yet there remains a Guilt of temporal Afflicti∣on to be undergone, that of Death. We must all die. Again, the Israelites grievously offended God by murmuring. Moses interceded for them. And our Lord said I have forgiven it. And yet God with the same breath declares, That he has not remitted the temporal Punishment, which remains due to His Divine Justice. This they are to pay. Their Fathers are excluded the Land of Canaan, and die in the Wil∣derness. And their Children wander forty Years in the Desert.
This Guilt of temporal Penalty, which is oftentimes
the remainder of mortal Sin remitted, retains the name of Sin. Thus the Evening, or Remainder of the day, is not improperly still call'd day. And it is up∣on this Account, and for lesser, or venial Sins; whose Fault, whilst the Sinner liv'd upon earth, is not for∣given, or Guilt not pardon'd; that we generally pray God to remit to Souls departed, their Sins; who have not sufficiently satisfied for their Offences, says the Coun∣cil of Florence; for their Sins and Satisfactions, de∣crees the Council of Trent; for the Remission of all their Sins, prays the Priest in the Mass for the Dead.
I Close the Controversy between Catholicks and Pro∣testants in this narrow Compass, whether, We ought to believe that the Dead in Purgatory are help'd by the Prayers of the Living, as our Article of Faith words it: or (which is the same thing, and con∣tains all) whether, It be part of a Christians Duty to pray, (as the Priest does at Mass) that God will re∣mit to Souls departed, their Sins. The Discourser can∣not blame me for omitting the word Pain, in my Proposition. For if there be any detained in a mid∣dle State, whose Sins are not yet fully purg'd, or if they be small ones, and entirely remain; there is without dispute, some Penalty to be undergone for them. This is undeniably true, because all Sin, as the Discourser acknowledges, infers an Obligation to Punishment.
Chap. 3.
Concil. Trid. Sess. 22. cap. 2. Docet sancta synodus sacrificium i∣stud vere pro∣pitiatorium esse—quod non solùm pro fidelium vivorum peccatis, poenis, satisfactionibus, & alijs necessitatibus, sed & pro defunctis in Christo nondum ad plenum purgatis, rité juxta Apostolorum Tra∣ditionem, offertur.
Sess. 22. Can. 3. Si quis dixerit Missa Sacrificium non esse pro∣pitiatorium, ne{que} pro Vi∣vis & Defun∣ctis, pro peccatis, poenis, satisfactionibus, & alijs necessitatibus, offerri debere; Ana∣thema sit.
Sess. 25. De∣cretum de Pur. Cum Catho∣lica Ecclesia, Spiritu sancto educta, ex sa∣cris Literis, & antiqua Pa∣trum-Traditi∣one, in sacris Conciliis, & novissime in hâc OEcumenica Synodo docuerit, Purgatorium esse, Animasque ibi deten∣tas, fidelium Suffragiis, potissimum verò acceptabili Altaris Sacrificio juvari, praecipit sancta Synodus, &c.
Apud Conc. Trid. Sess. 25. in fine. Con∣stanter teneo Purgatorium esse, Animasque ibi detentas Fidelium Suffragijs juvari.
In Can. Miss. Memento eti∣am famulo∣rum, famula∣rumque tua∣rum N. & N. qui nos praecesserunt, cum signo Fidei, & dormiunt in somno Pacis.
Ipsis Domine, & omnibus in Christo qui∣escentibus lo∣cum refrige∣rij, lucis, & pacis, ut indulgeas deprecamur. Per eundem Christum Dominum no∣strum. Amen.
In Miss. De∣funct. Fide∣lium Deus omnium Con∣ditor & Re∣demptor, ani∣mabus samu∣lorum, famu∣larum{que} tua∣rum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum, ut indulgentiam, quam semper opta∣verunt, Piis supplicationibus consequantur.
Conc. Flor. Sess. ult. in Definit. Fidei.
Con. Trid. Sess. 22. c. 2.
S. Aug. Enchir. 110. Cum ergo Sacrifica, sive Altaris, sive quarumcun{que} Eleemosynarum pro Ba∣ptizatis defunctis omnibus offeruntur, pro valdè bonis, gratiarum actiones sunt, pro non valde malis, propitia∣tiones sunt; pro valdè malis, & si nulla sunt Adjumenta Mortuorum, qualescun{que} Vivorum Consolationes sunt.
Conc. Flor. in Decret.
Con. Trid. Sess. 22. Can. 3.
Proverb. Spes quae dif∣fertur affligit Animam.
Conc. Trid. Can. 30. Sess. 6. Si quis post acceptam Justificationis gratiam, cuilibet peccatori poenitenti ita Culpam remitti, & reatum aeter∣nae poenae deleri dixerit, ut nullus remaneat reatus poenae temporalis ex∣solvendae, vel in hoc saeculo, vel in futuro, in Purgatorio, antequam ad regna Coelorum aditus patere possit, Anathema sit.
Rom. 5.12.
Numb. 14.
Con. Flor. in Decret.
Conc. Trid. Can. 3. Sess. 22.
Page 31.