The Protestant Religion Truly State and Justified, Part 45 – Part 46
The Seven and Fortieth accuſed Point.
That there is no Purgatory Fire, or other Priſon, wherein ſin may be ſatisfied for after this Life.
Anſ. 1. Which way this Church came to be ſo much acquainted with Hell, and Purgatory, and Priſons, and ſatisfying in them, in the other World, more than is revealed in the Word of God, we know not, unleſs ſome have told them that come thence, or from Heaven. But for our parts, we think Gods Word more truſty than Dead men whom we know not: God ſendeth us to the Law, and to the Teſtimony: If they ſpeak not according to theſe, it is becauſe there is no Light in them, Iſa. 8.20. Abraham preferred Moſes and the Prophets before one from the Dead. The prophane citation of Scripture by him for ſuch a Purgatory-Priſon, and Satisfaction, needs no anſwer ſave the peruſal of the Texts.
What mean theſe men by [ſatisfying for Sin?] 1. If they mean that Satisfaction by the merits whereof God pardoneth ſin without diſhonour to his Juſtice, Government, or Law:] Chriſt, and he only, hath thus fully ſatisfied for ſin, already, and there remaineth no more Sacrifice for ſin; for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified.
2. But if by ſatisfying for ſin, they mean that all muſt ſuffer all the puniſhment that their ſin deſerveth, then God forgiveth no ſin at all: For to forgive the ſin, is to forgive the puniſhment: And then they renounce the Office, Sacrifice and Blood of Chriſt, which are for the pardon of Sin: And they renounce Baptiſm and the Lords Supper that give and Seal it: And they caſt away all hopes of Salvation, and damn all Mankind: For all Sin deſerveth ſome degree of Damnation in Hell. But if the Pope can pardon, ſure God doth pardon ſome: To deny pardon, is to deny all the Scripture, and all humane hope and mercy.
3. But if by [ſatisfying for ſin,] they mean that God when he forgiveth through Chriſt the deſtructive everlaſting Puniſhment, will yet require ſome corrective temporal puniſhment, with which he is ſaid to be ſatisfied, in that he requireth no more, we confeſs de re, that ſuch a thing there is in this World; Death as Death, and Pain as Pain are ſuch; and the Curſe on the Earth, and the loſs of ſome degrees of Grace; they are all corrective Penalties: And if any ſay that a lower degree of Glory for the loſs of ſome degree of Grace is ſuch; or that the ſeparation of the Soul from the Body till the Reſurrection, hath ſome nature of Penalty; we ſtrive with no man about ſuch things: But de nomine we juſtly here diſlike the Word, [Satisfying,] becauſe in common Sence, it ſoundeth as ſome Compenſation, and ſomewhat that is of the ſame nature with Chriſts ſatisfaction; and that is all that Juſtice requireth to purchaſe our pardon. And it encourageth the ill uſe of it by Papiſts, that make it meritorious.
And de re we believe no ſuch Purgatory, (much leſs the Popes Power to deliver men out of it, for Maſſes or the like,) becauſe God tells us of no ſuch thing. And the Primitive Churches never owned it: Auguſtine firſt ſeemed to doubt of it: But I find none before that ever held it, unleſs you will call Origens Opinion ſuch, that thought the Devils and Damned ſhould have a time of Deliverance, (now called Hereſie.)
As to 1 Cor. 3.13, 15. Is there no fiery Tryall of miſtaken Doctrine, and of the Erroneous in this Life?
As to Joh. 11.22. What an Expoſitor is this: I know (ſaith Martha,) that whatever thou wilt ask of God, he will give it thee: Ergo, Lazarus was delivered out of Purgatory. As well he may ſay, All Saints ſhall have a Reſurrection: Therefore all are in Purgatory. Or God denyeth Chriſt nothing: Therefore there is a Purgatory.
So Acts 2.24. Whom God hath raiſed up, having looſed the pains of Death, becauſe it was not poſſible that he ſhould be holden of it. Here he noteth two things. 1. That where Chriſt was, there was pains. Anſ. As if Death it ſelf were not a Penalty: It was Chriſts pains, or penal State of Death, that Peter mentioneth, and the man himſelf here confeſſeth that Chriſt had no pain in that place. 2. But he ſaith that it was not Chriſts, but others pain that is ſaid to be looſed; when the Text plainly ſaith, 1. That it was Chriſts pains of Death. 2. Looſed by his Reſurrection. 3. Becauſe it was impoſſible that he, (not they) ſhould be held of it.
So 1 Cor. 15.24. Becauſe there is no mention of Baptizing for the Dead, he feigneth a Purgatory meant. And Luk. 16.9. That Receiving at Death into the everlaſting Habitations, proveth a Purgatory: When yet they ſay that Purgatory is to none an everlaſting Habitation: And Luk. 23.42. Becauſe the Thief would be remembred by Chriſt in his Kingdom, Souls may be holpen after death out of Purgatory: As if it was Purgatory that was the Paradiſe with Chriſt, where that Thief was to be that day: Is it not tedious but to read ſuch prophanation of Gods Word?
The Eight and Fortieth accuſed Point.
That it is not lawful to make or to have Images.
Anſ. This Lie hath conquered the bluſhing Paſſion. 1. Can ſuch men believe that there are no Proteſtant Painters? Are there none of their Shops in London, or Holland? Do none but Papiſts make or ſell Pictures? Are not the Statues of Kings at the Exchange, the Stocks-Market, Chaering-Croſs? Are there no Images on our Coyn? Nor our Banners? Nor on the Eſcutcheons of the Nobility and Gentry of this and other Lands: Are there no Images at the Sign-poſts in all London, nor in all the Cities, and Market-Towns in the Kingdom? Nor in any of the Church-Windows?
But perhaps they will ſay, tho' we ſpeak ſo univerſally (to deceive the ignorant,) yet we meant it of Images of Religious ſignification and uſe. Anſ. And do not all the Lutherans keep them in their Churches? Are they not continued in moſt Church-Windows in England?
Obj. But at leaſt it's true of the Calviniſts or Puritans? Anſ. 1. And will you therefore ſlander the reſt? 2. But we muſt not haſtily believe any thing that falſe accuſers ſay? Have not the Holland Calviniſts multitudes of Pictures? Did you never ſee Beza and others, Icones virorum illuſtrium, nor Mr. Samuel Clerk's Lives with Images? Nor the Puritans Engliſh Geneva Bible, with the Images of the Hiſtories? Nor the Dutch Quarry-Bricks for Chimneys, on which moſt of the Hiſtory of the Bible is painted? O! for Truth or Modeſty.
2. But we confeſs that there are ſome Images Bawdy, ſome Superſtitious, Idolatrous, or Blaſphemous, which we leave to ſuch as chooſe them, they being not for our uſe, (of which after.)