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principio nascentis Ecclesiæ nullus fuerat earum usus? Cœperunt igitur indulgentiæ, postquam ad Purgatorii cruciatus aliquandiu trepidatum erat. J. Fischeri Roffens. Assert. Luther. Confut. Art. xviii. col. 496, 497. Wirceb. 1597.

Note Y, p. 151.

Neque tamen hac occasione sunt contemnendæ indulgentiæ, quòd earum usus in Ecclesia videatur sero receptus, quoniam multa sunt posterioribus nota, quæ vetusti illi scriptores prorsus ignoraverunt. Alphonsi de Castro advers. Hæres. lib. viii. sub voce "Indulgentia," p. 185. Coloniæ, 1549.

Note Z, p. 151.

De Purgatorio fere nulla mentio, potissimum apud Græcos Scriptores. Qua de causa usque in hodiernum diem purgatorium non est à Græcis creditum. Alphonsi de Castro, ubi supra.

Note 5A, p. 151.

Unus ex notissimis erroribus Græcorum et Armenorum est, quo docent nullum esse Purgatorium locum, in quo animæ ab hac luce migrantes purgentur à sordibus, quas in corpore contraxerant, antequam in æterna tabernacula recipi mereantur. Alphon. de Castro, advers. Hæreses, in voc. " Purgatorium," lib. xii. p. 249. Coloniæ, 1549.

The Greeks, in the Council of Basle, publicly declared in the Apology which was delivered and read to the Deputies, A.D. 1438, "That the doctrine of a Purgatory fire is to be cast out of the Church, as that which slackens the endeavours of the diligent, by persuading them not to use all means of exertion to be purged in this life, inasmuch as another purgation is expected after it." Apologia Græcorum de Igne Purgatorio. Published by Salmasius.

Note 5B, p. 151.

Punitio ergo in Purgatorio est res in opinione humana posita : quæ, nec ex Scripturis, nec Patribus, nec Conciliis, deduci potest firmiter. Immo, salvo meliore judicio, opposita sententia eis conformior videtur. Barn. Catholico-Rom. Pacif. sec. ix. p. 130, D. ad fin. Paralip. Oxon. 1680.

CHAPTER V.

PURGATORY OPPOSED TO REASON.

66

Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your REASONS, whilst ye searched out what to say.”—JOв xxxii. 11.

THE Romanist is not only satisfied that a belief in Purgatory is authorized by Scripture and Antiquity, but he further maintains that its truth may be clearly deduced from REASON. Reason is doubtless an invaluable gift of God to man, by which he is mainly distinguished from the brute creation, and enabled to discriminate between good and evil. True it is, that this gift may be altogether inadequate to the solution of the great mysteries of divine revelation nor is it surprising that it should be so, inasmuch as that which is finite cannot be expected to comprehend that which is infinite. The word of God has revealed truths which are to be implicitly received; and the question, "How can these things be?" is equally irrelevant and presumptuous. Though the mystery of the Trinity in Unity may

SCRIPTURE NOT CONTRARY TO REASON.

177

be above the reach of human reason, it is not on that account contrary to human reason. Indeed, right reason can never be opposed to the volume of Inspiration. If any apparent opposition exists between the reason of man and the word of God, it must proceed from want of faith, from weakness, or from error in the former, not from any defect in the latter. What can be proved from Scripture will never be disproved by reason. Nor will reason ever succeed in establishing an article of faith, which cannot be legitimately supported by the authority of divine truth. By the believer in the inspiration of God's word, all reasoning, contradictory to the truths therein contained, will be at once rejected; while that which is found to be consonant therewith is readily accepted, as the test of a rational investigation of doctrinal belief.

Since, then, it has been seen that the doctrine of Purgatory cannot be established upon a scriptural basis, and that Antiquity does not bear out the interpretation of Scripture by which the Romanist would support it, it is hardly to be expected that any argument can be drawn from Reason with greater success. Into the validity of this, his last resource, it is now, however, necessary to inquire.

And here, in the outset, it becomes important to mark more particularly the distinction which the Church of Rome has set up between mortal and venial sins. "A mortal sin is any great offence

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against the law of God, which is deliberately and voluntarily committed. A renial sin is a small and very pardonable offence against God or our neighbour." To the former, both eternal and temporal punishment is due to the latter, temporal punishment only. With respect to those in a state of grace, although Christ has satisfied for the eternal punishment due to their mortal sins; still it is alleged that "generally a temporary punishment remains due to sin, after the guilt and eternal punishment due to it have been remitted:"2 for which it is essential to "satisfy the justice of God," either in this life, by receiving "the sacraments, by devout prayer, by almsdeeds, and the like good works; or, after death, to make full satisfaction in Purgatory." +

On this point the Council of Trent has the following canons :—

"If any one shall say, that for sins, in respect of their temporal punishment, satisfaction is not made to God, through the merits of Christ, by penalties either inflicted by Him [God] and patiently endured, or imposed by the priest (when not spontaneously undertaken), as by fasts, prayers, alms, or other works of piety; and, consequently, that the

1 An Abridgment of Christian Doctrine, pp. 109, 110. Dublin: Grace, 1838.

2 Dr. Milner's End of Religious Controversy, p. 373. London: Andrews. Eighth Edition.

3 Dr. Wiseman's Lectures, vol. ii. pp. 42, 47.

4

An Abridgment of Christian Doctrine, p. 110. Dublin, 1838.

PURGATORY INVENTED FOR VENIAL SINS. 179

best penitence is only a new life: let him be Anathema."1

"If any one shall say that the keys of the Church are only given to loose, and not to bind ; that on that account priests, in imposing penalties on those who confess, act contrary to the intention of the Keys, and against the ordinance of Christ; and that it is a fiction, when, by virtue of the Keys, eternal punishment has been removed, that temporal punishment still generally remains to be undergone: let him be Anathema."2

In support of this position it is urged that, since “the just man falleth seven times:" since "for every idle word men must give an account:" + since the uncertainty of life is such, that many are snatched away in an instant, without the possibility of calling upon God for mercy;5 and since, consequently, every man must have some venial sin, for the expiation of which, as well as for the punishment due to other sins, satisfaction must be made; a place of temporary suffering is set apart in the next world; "where, however, the souls detained may be relieved by the prayers, alms, and sacrifices of the faithful here on earth." To the same effect is the following passage in one of their catechisms:"For belief in Purgatory, Reason clearly teaches these two things; first, that all and every sin, how

2

1 See Note A, p. 223.

Proverbs xxiv. 16.

2 See Note B, p. 223.
4 Matt. xii. 36.

3 Dr. Milner's End of Religious Controversy, p. 373.

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