manner he published Bulls, authorizing the robbery of Bishops and Bishoprics, and the murder of Popes and Cardinals. But the most celebrated of his indulgences is that which, in conjunction with Bucer and Melancthon, he granted to Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, to marry a second wife, his former being living, in consideration, for so it is stated, of his protection of Protestantism. (1) But if any credit is due to this same Bucer, who for his learning was invited by Cranmer, and the Duke of Somerset, into England, and made the Divinity Professor of Cambridge, the whole business of the pretended Reformation was an indulgence for libertinism. His words are these: The greater part of the people seem only to have embraced the Gospel, in order to shake off the yoke of discipline and the obligation of fasting, penance, &c. which lay upon them in Popery, and to live at their pleasure, 'enjoying their lusts and lawless appetites, without control. Hence they lent a willing ear to 'the doctrine that we are saved by faith alone, and not by good works, having no relish for 'them.' (2) I am, &c. J. M. LETTER XLIII. To the Rev. ROBERT CLAYTON, A.M. ON PURGATORY AND PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD. REV. SIR, IN the natural order of our controversies, this is the proper place to treat of Purgatory and (1) This infamous indulgence, with the deeds belonging to it, was published from the original by permission of a descendant of the Landgrave, and republished by Bossuet. Variat, book vi. (2) Bucer De Regn, Chris. 1. i. c. 4, Prayers for the Dead. On this subject Bishop Porteus begins with saying, 'There is no Scripture proof of the existence of Purgatory: heaven 'and hell we read of perpetually in the Bible; 'but Purgatory we never meet with; though 'surely, if there be such a place, Christ and his Apostles would not have concealed it from us.'(1) I might expose the inconclusiveness of this argument by the following parallel one: The Scripture no where commands us to keep the first day of the week holy: we perpetually read of sanctify.. ing the Sabbath, or Saturday; but never meet with the Sunday as a day of obligation; though, if there be such an obligation, Christ and his Apostles would not have concealed it from us! I might likewise answer, with the Bishop of Lincoln, that the inspired Epistles (and I may add the Gospels also) are not to be considered as regular treatises upon the Christian Reli'gion.' (2) But I meet the objection in front, by saying, first, that the Apostles did teach their converts the doctrine of purgatory, among their other doctrines, as St. Chrysostom testifies, and the tradition of the Church proves; secondly, that the same is demonstratively evinced from both the Old and the New Testament. To begin with the Old Testament-I claim a right of considering the two first Books of Machabees as an integral part of them; because the Catholic Church so considers them, (3) from whose traditions, and not from that of the Jews, as St. Augustin signifies, (4) our sacred canon is formed. Now, in the second of these books, it is related that the Pious General, Judas Machabeus, sent 12,000 drachmas to Jerusalem, for sacrifices, to be offered for his soldiers slain in battle; after which narration the inspired writer con (1) Confut. p. 48. (2) Elem, of Theol. vol. i. p. 277. cludes thus: It is therefore a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins. 2 Mach. xii. 46. I need not point out the inseparable connexion there is between the practice of praying for the dead, and the belief of an intermediate state of souls; since it is evidently needless to pray for the Saints in heaven, and useless to pray for the reprobate in hell. But, even Protestants, who do not receive the Books of Machabees as canonical Scripture, venerate them as authentic and holy records: as such, then, they bear conclusive testimony of the belief of God's people, on this head, 150 years before Christ. That the Jews were in the habit of practising some religious rites for the relief of the departed, at the beginning of Christianity, is clear from St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, where he mentions them, without any censure of them; (1) and that this people continue to pray for their deceased brethren, at the present time, may be learned from any living Jew. To come now to the New Testament: What place, I ask, must that be, which our Saviour calls Abraham's bosom, where the soul of Lazarus reposed, Luke xvi. 22, among the other just souls, till, by his sacred passion, he paid their ransom? Not heaven, otherwise Dives would have addressed himself to God instead of Abraham; but evidently a middle state, as St. Augustin teaches. (2) Again, of what place is it that St. Peter speaks, where he says, Christ died for our sins; being put to death in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit; in which also coming, he preached to those spirits that were in prison? Pet. iii. 19. It is evidently the same which is mentioned in the Apostles' Creed: He descended into hell: not the (1) Else what shall they do who are baptised for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptised for them? 1 Cor. xv. 29. (2) De Civit. Dei, 1. xv. c. 20. hell of the damned, to suffer their torments, as the blasphemer, Calvin, asserts, (1) but the prison above mentioned, or Abraham's bosom; in short, a middle state. It is of this prison, according to the Holy Fathers, (2) our blessed Master speaks, where he says, I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. Luke xii. 59.-Lastly, what other sense can that passage of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians bear, than that which the Holy Fathers affix to it, (3) where the Apostle says, The day of the Lord shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. 1 Cor. iii. 13, 15. The Prelate's diversified attempts to explain away these scriptural proofs of Purgatory, are really too feeble and inconsistent to merit that I should even mention them. I might here add, as a farther proof of a Purgatory, the denunciation of Christ concerning blasphemy against the Holy Ghost; namely, that this sin shall not be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come, Matt. xii. 32: which words clearly imply, that some sins are forgiven in the world to come, as the ancient Fathers show: (4) but I hasten to the proofs of this doctrine from tradition, on which head the Prelate is so ill advised as to challenge Catholics. II. Bp. Porteus then advances, that 'Purga'tory, in the present Popish sense, was not heard of for 400 years after Christ; nor universally ' received for 1000 years, nor almost in any other (1) Instit. 1. ii. c. 16. (2) Tertul., St. Cypr., Origen, St. Ambrose, St. Jerom, &c. (3) Origen, Hom. 14 in Levit, &c. St. Amb. in Ps. cxviii. St. Jerom, 1. 2, contra Jovin. St. Aug. in Ps. xxxvii. where he prays thus: 'Purify me, O Lord, in this life, that I may not need the chastising 'fire of those who will be saved, yet so as by fire.' (4) St. Aug. De Civit. Dei, 1, 21, c. 24. St. Greg. 1. 4. Dialog. Bed, in cap. 3, Marc. 'Church than that of Rome to this day.'(1) Here are no less than three egregious falsities, which I proceed to show, after stating what his Lordship seems not to know, namely, that all which is necessary to be believed by Catholics on this subject, is contained in the following brief declaration of the Council of Trent: There is a Pur'gatory, and the souls detained there are helped 'by the prayers of the faithful, and particularly 'by the acceptable Sacrifice of the altar.' (2)-St. Chrysostom, the light of the Eastern Church, flourished within 300 years of the age of the Apostles, and must be admitted as an unexceptionable witness of their doctrine and practice. Now he writes as follows: 'It was not without good reason ORDAINED BY THE APOSTLES, that mention should be made of the 'dead in the tremendous mysteries, because they 'knew well that these would receive great bene'fit from it.' (3) Tertullian, who lived in the next age to that of the Apostles, speaking of a pious widow, says, 'She prays for the soul of her husband, and begs refreshment (4) for him.' Similar testimonies of St. Cyprian, in the following age, are numerous. I shall satisfy myself by quoting one of them; where, describing the difference between some souls which are immediately admitted into heaven, and others which are detained in Purgatory, he says, 'It is one thing to be waiting for pardon; another to attain to glory: one thing to be sent to prison, 'not to go from thence till the last farthing is 'paid; another to receive immediately the reward "of faith and virtue: one thing to suffer length'ened torments for sin, and to be chastised and 'purified for a long time in that fire; another to have cleansed away all sin by suffering,' (5) (1) P. 50. (3) In cap. i. Philip. Hom. 3. (2) Sess. xxv. De Purg. (5) S. Cypr. 1. 4. ep. 2., |