The belief of praying for the dead

About this Item

Title: The belief of praying for the dead
Author: Belhaven, John Hamilton, Baron, 1656-1708.
Publication: London :: Printed, and sold by Matthew Turner ...,; 1688.
Rights/Permissions: To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms: Catholic Church -- Liturgy.; Catholic Church. -- Masses for the dead.; Prayers for the dead.; Purgatory.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A27340.0001.001
Cite this Item: "The belief of praying for the dead." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A27340.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 15, 2024.

Pages

Page 23

CHAP. VI. Why Roman Catholicks believe the Dead are help'd by Prayers.

IF you ask me the Formal Reason, Why Roman Ca∣tholicks believe it to be a part of a Christians du∣ty to pray for the Faithful deceased; I answer, Because God has taught us so. Apostolical Tradition assures us of it; the Practise of the Ʋniversal Church confirms it; Holy Scriptures authorise it.

We do not pretend that Sciptures have any where commanded this Doctrine.* 1.1 If you seek a Precept in the Scriptures, says Tertullian, you cannot find any. Nor is this absolutely necessary, to make it a part of Chri∣stian duty. It is abundantly sufficient for this Obli∣gation; if first, it be recommended to us by Reve∣lation from Heaven; and secondly, propos'd to the Faithful, or practis'd by the Universal Church of CHRIST. The Will of GOD, or Revelation, is recommended to us in Holy Scriptures, or convey'd to us by the Apostles and their Successors. The Ʋni∣versal Church is either taken diffusively, as it is spread over the World; or collectively, as it is assembled in an OEcumenical Synod, which represents the whole Church. All Four conspire together to confirm Ro∣man Catholicks in their Belief of Praying for the Dead; and to confound their Opposers. The Holy Scriptures recommend it in many places to the Faithful. The A∣postles taught it. The Universal Church practis'd it. And General Councils have defin'd it.

Page 24

As for General Councils, I have alledg'd already, Two very plain Ones; that of Florence, and that of Trent. The Council of Trent pretended no Command in Scripture for this Doctrine. We read it decreed by the Tridentine Fathers, because the Apostles taught it; according to the Tradition of the Apostles, declares this OEcumenical Synod, in the 2d. Chap. & 22d. Session; and because it is recommended in the Scri∣ptures, the same Council, in the Decree of Purga∣tory, determines Prayers for the Dead, from the Scri∣ptures.

Notes

* 1.1

Tertull. l. de Coron. Mil. c, 4. Si Le∣gem expostu∣les Scriptura∣rum, nullam invenies.

Back to content