A Reformed Catholic, Doctrine 17
The seuenteenth point. Of Purgatorie.
Our consent.
We holde a Christian Purgatorie, according as the word of God hath set downe the same vntounto vsus. And first of all by this Purgatorie we vnderstand the afflictions of Gods children here on earth, Ier. 3. The people afflicted say, thou hast sent a fire into our bones. Psal. 65. 12. We hauehave gone through water and fire, Malach. 3. 3. The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction. 1. Pet. 1. 7. Afflictions are called the fierie triall wherby men are clensed from their corruptions, as gold from the drosse by the fire. Secondly, the bloode of Christ is a purgatorie of our sinnes, 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Christs bloode PVRGETH vsus frō all our sinnes. Hebr. 9. 14. It PVRGETH our consciences from deade workes. And Christ baptiseth with the holy Ghost and with fire; because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ: and the holy Ghost is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature. To this effect saith Origen.in Levit. l. 9. apud Cyril. Without doubt, vve shall feele the vnquenchable fire, vnles wee shall novv intreat the Lord to sende downe from heauen a purgatorie fire vntounto vsus, vvhereby vvorldly desires may be vtterly consumed in our mindes. de Act. Falic. c. 21.August. Suppose the mercy of God is thy purgatorie.
The difference or dissent.
We differ from the Papists touching purgatorie in two things. And first of all, for the place. They holde it to be a part of hell, into which an entrance is made onelyonly after this life: we for our parts denie it, as hauing no warrant in the worde of God; which mentioneth onelyonly two places for men after this life, heauen and hell, with the two-folde condition thereof, ioy and torment. Luk. 16. 25, 26. Ioh. 3. 36. Apoc. 22. 14, 15. and 21. 7, 8. Matth. 8. 11. Nay we finde the contrarie, Rev. 14. 13. they that die in the Lord are said to rest from their labours: which cannot be true, if any of them goe to purgatorie. And to cut off all cauills, it is further said, their works, that is, the reward of their works, follow them, euen at the heeles, as an Acoluth or seruant doth his master. Augustin saith wel, After this life Homi. 50. iom. 10.there remaines no compunction or SATISFACTION. And, Here is all remission of sinne: Enchir. c. 115here be temptations that mooue vsus to sinne: lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered: but there is NONE OF AL THESE. And, We are not here without sinne, but vve de verbis Apost. serm. 31.shall GOE HENCE VVITHOVT SINNE. Cyril saith, They which are once dead can adde nothing Lib. 3. in Es.to the things which they hauehave done, but shall REMAINE AS THEY VVERE LFFT, and vvaite for the time of the last iudgement. Chrysostome, After the ende of this life, ad pop. Anti▪ och. bo…. 22.there be NO OCCASIONS of merits.
Secondly, we differ from them touching the meanes of purgation. They say, that men are purged by suffering of paines in purgatorie, whereby they satisfie for their veniall sinnes, and for the temporall punishment of their mortal sinnes. We teach the contrarie, holding that nothing can free vsus from the least punishment of the smallest sinne, but the sufferings of Christ, and purge vsus from the least taint of corruption, sauing the bloode of Christ. Indede they say, that our sufferings in themselues considered, doe not purge, and satisfie, but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ: but to this I oppose one text of scripture, Hebr. 1. 3. where it is saide, that Christ hath purged our sinnes BY HIMSELFE: where the last clause cuts the throat of all humane satisfactions and merits: and it giueth vsus to vnderstand, that whatsoeuer thing purgeth vsus from our sinnes, is not to be found in vsus but in Christ alone: otherwise it should hauehave bin saide, that Christ purgeth the sinnes of men by themselues, as well as by himselfe: and he should merit by his death, that we should become our owne Sauiours in part.
To this place I may well referre prayer for the dead: of which I wil propound two conclusions affirmatiue, and one negatiue. Conclus. I. We hold that Christian charitie is to extend it selfe to the very deade; and it must shew it selfe in their honest buriall, in the preseruation of their good names, in the helpe and releefe of their posteritie, as time and occasion shall be offered. Ruth. 1. 8. Ioh. 19. 23.
II. Conclus. We praie further in general manner for the faithfull departed, that God would hasten their ioyfull resurrection, and the full accomplishment of their happinesse, both for the bodie and soule: and thus much we aske in saying, Thy kingdome come, that is, not onelyonly the kingdome of grace, but also the kingdome of glory in heauen. Thus farre we come; but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approch.
III. Conclus. To pray for particular men departed: and to praie for their deliuerance out of purgatorie, we thinke it vnlawfull: because we hauehave neither promise nor commandement so to doe.