Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A45738
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A discourse against purgatory
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Hartcliffe, John, 1651-1712.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing H965; ESTC R9914
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22,914
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41
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much as to say this sin is of that malignant and heinous nature that it justly deserves endless punishment and will never be pardoned II. Another is that of the 1 Cor. 3. They themselves shall be saved but so as by fire or but as through fire which fire he says must be the Fire of Purgatory We Answer that these words seem to allude to those of Zachar 13.9 where he saith I will bring the third part through fire and refine them as silver is refined which is a fair warning to men that the Doctrines they embrace and their practices according to them may be such as will bear the severest tryal that they may not be like wood hay and stubble which will not endure the fire for the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Particle of similitude and the whole phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is proverbial used in Scripture aswell as in other Authours to signifie a narrow escape out of a great danger just as St. Peter expresses it 1 Pet. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall be saved with great difficulty so as through fire III. A Third place is that of 1 Cor. 15. concerning Baptism for the Dead here the Cardinal ventures very far even to the drawing of fire out of water the flames of Purgatory out of these washings Baptism for the Dead and Prayer for the Dead is the same thing in his sense though it be discordant to the harmony and scope of the whole Scripture For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture signifies to Wash or purify by Washing it must be rendred in the same sense here for as all Nations had their peculiar Rites of Burial so had the Jews who were used to wash the Carkasses of the Dead with warm water Camomile and dryed Roses being put into it This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or use of Baptisation was threefold The First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a washing from the pollution contracted by the touch of the dead Carkass The Second was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a washing of the dead Corpse its self as Tabitha was washed The Last was the Baptization in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in use onely among some misguided Christians for the Apostle undertook to convince the Corinthians of the truth of the Resurrection from their own foolish and erroneous Customs in effect telling them that their usage of Baptizing the living for the dead was vain and impertinent if there were no Resurrection for if the Dead rise not at all to what end were these Funeral Solemnities Why was there vicarium tale Baptisma as Tertullian calls it the manner whereof is thus described by Epiphanius When any Catechumenist dyed some living person being placed under the bed they came to the deceased Party and aked him whether he would be Baptized the Party under the bed answered that he would whereupon they immediately Baptized him for the dead a silly superstitious Action Yet from this Topick St. Paul proves a Resurrection to them as he did once the existence of the true God from an Inscription on an Altar in Athens to one that was unknown but Bellarmine would perswade us that by this washing they intended to afford their Friends some relief in Purgatory and he might with as much reason have told us that the Sea burns IV. The Fourth place is that of St. Matthew 5.25 Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into prison verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing Now if the Cardinal may be credited Purgatory is this Prison and the Prisoner shut up therein is in a condition to pay the uttermost farthing by the help of Prayers Masses and the Pope's Indulgence whereas all this is an Allegory whereby we are taught to reconcile our selves to God the great Judge of Heaven and Earth by leading a Godly Righteous and Sober life whilst we are in the Way or on this side the Grave for if we neglect our repentance and amendment of life in this our day before the night approaches wherein no man can work we run the hazard of being cast into a prison out of which there is no Redemption for the Text says We shall by no means come out thence till we have paid the uttermost farthing which will be never because we shall never be able to discharge this Debt We are infinitely beholding to the goodness and mercy of God who hath appointed his onely Begotten Son to be our Surety and to deliver us out of this Prison how justly then may the Saviour of the World be angry with Papists for pretending to cast simple people into I know not what Prison and to torture them with painted Fires in spight of that Redemption which he hath made for the whole World V. The Fifth place is that of Matth. 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgement and whosoever shall say to his Brother Raca shall be in danger of the Counsel but whosoever shall say thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire The last onely of these sins Bellarmine observes shall be punished with Hell Fire consequently after this life the punishment of lesser sins will be in Purgatory But this is no true inference because after this life there will be no distinction of Courts of Justice as there was among the Jews in our Saviour's time then all Judicature shall appertain to Christ and his Apostle therefore this Text cannot be rightly understood without considering the words before and after it Now our Saviour in this Chapter was about to interpret the Law of Moses which the Jews thought they had fulfilled when they had not transgressed the Grammatical sense thereof this made them believe that the Sixth Commandment was not broken but by killing a Man nor the Seventh but by actually committing Adultery or Fornication whereas our Saviour forbids the inward Anger of a Man against his Brother without a cause the punishment whereof at the Day of Judgment shall be Hell Fire How Purgatory then should be maintained from these words I cannot imagine unless the Papists can make it out that as the Jews had divers Temporal Courts of Justice so God Almighty will have three distinct Courts of Justice hereafter and will inflict different punishments for Sin VI. The Sixth place is Luk. 16.9 Make ye friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Invocation of Saints the Papists say may be proved from this Text but I cannot see upon what grounds We are advised to make the Poor our Friends by Charity and by giving them some of our Riches that we may have in this life the benefit of