the like Sin made a Collection among them of a considerable summ of Money and sent it to Jerusalem to offer Sacrifice for the Sin well and religiously thinking of the Resurrection Edit Sixti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For unless he hop'd that they that were fallen should rise again it would seem superfluous and vain to pray for the Dead After considering that there is an excellent Reward laid up for those that die piously which was a Holy and Godly Thought he therefore made an Expiation for the Dead that they might be Absolv'd from their Sin. This is so plain and easy that I cannot imagin how any one except he wilfully will mistake should understand it otherwise than in the Roman Catholick Affirmation The Sin questionless that they committed whom GOD permitted to be cut off by the Enemy was mortal The Law forbad to covet Deut. 7. Josh 7. or take any thing appertaining to Idols They were commanded to destroy it and therefore because this People had taken the Donaries of Idols they were slain says the Text. Judas and his Company hop'd that their fellow-Souldiers repented before they died of their grievous Sin. There was sufficient Ground for this They fought in defence of their Country and their Religion For these they bravely Ventur'd their Lives As therefore the Justice of GOD punished their Crime by permitting them to be kill'd might not their surviving Associates hope the Divine Goodness would recompence the venturing of their Lives for GOD's Honour and Glory by Repentance before Death surpriz'd them His Mercy exceeds all other of the Divine Attributes At least this makes the case dubious And in ambiguous things a favourable Interpretation is approv'd of For who knows the sense of the Lord or who was His Counsellor If this be not satisfactory what follows will convince you for it is certain That Judas order'd Prayers to be offer'd for the slain because he hop'd they repented of their Sin Considering says the Text That there is an excellent Reward laid up for those that die godlily he therefore made an expiation for the Dead Is not a godly Death a mark of Repentance These Prayers order'd by Judas were offer'd as an Atonement for the Sin of the deceased That this was his design is apparent No body can dispute the being of a Sacrifice among the Jews which was offer'd for Sin. The Law of Moses in Numbers and Deuteronomy frequently makes mention of such a one And all the Tribes forthwith after the Battle agreeing in a general Collection of a summ of Money to be sent upon this Account to Jerusalem demonstrate that this Sin-Offering was extended to and allow'd of for the Dead Two Motives excited Judas hereunto First the Resurrection to Life For unless he hop'd that they that were fallen should rise again it would seem superfluous and vain to pray for the Dead And Secondly the Pardon of Sin after considering continues the Text That there is an excellent Reward laid up for those that die godlily he therefore made an Expiation for the Dead that they might be absolv'd from their Sin. By Sin for which Prayers were offered is meant the remainder of mortal Sin the Guilt which infers an Obligation to some temporal Penalty this is evident Judas hop'd that the Slain died godlily or repented but he could not be of this perswasion unless he likewise believ'd that the Fault of their notorious Crime was pardon'd For Repentance carries along with it Forgiveness Whensoever you shall invoke my Name saith the LORD I will hear you Now besides the Guilt of eternal Damnation which follows the Fault of grievous Offences as the shadow does the body both standing or perishing together there can nothing remain to which the Title of Sin may be given but the Guilt which infers an Obligation to temporal Punishment 'T is then this Guilt which is here call'd Sin for which Judas after the hope of Pardon and Repentance of the Fault as the Text affirms Considering That there is an excellent Reward laid up for those that die godlily who repent of their Sins and are pardon'd therefore made an Expiation for the Dead that they might be absolv'd from their Sin. This is further confirm'd in these other Words of the Text And turning to Prayers they beg'd of God That the Sin Committed might be perfectly blotted out The Sin then was before blotted out the Fault pardon'd but not perfectly blotted out the Guilt which deserv'd some temporal Penalty remain'd to be expiated For had they deem'd it had been before perfectly blotted out they would not have beg'd of God a perfect Forgiveness This had been already Granted There was then some Penalty that remain'd of which they beg'd forgiveness But the Pain of Sin is ordinarily speaking only compleatly satisfied with pain Nor can any one hope to be perfectly pardon'd of Sin according to the rate of God's ordinary Providence without entire satisfaction which if not paid now must hereafter be compensated This is exactly what Mr. de Meaux Writes of the Roman Catholick Belief in this point in his excellent Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church Exposit pag 17. Sect. 8. which all Christendom approves of Those who depart this Life says this Venerable Prelate in Grace and Charity but nevertheless indebted to the Divine Justice some Pains which it reserv'd are to suffer them in the other Life This is what Oblig'd all the Primitive Christians to offer up Prayers Alms-deeds and Sacrifices for the Faithful who departed in Peace and Communion of the Church with a certain Faith that they might be assisted by these means This is what the Council of Trent proposes to us to believe touching Souls departed in Purgatory Sess 25. de Purg. without determining in what their Pains consist or many other such like things concerning which this Holy Council demands great Moderation blaming those who divulge what is uncertain or suspected And to finish This passage of Holy Scripture out of the Second Book of Maccabees is so strong and convictive in behalf of praying for the Dead that our Adversaries can have nothing at all to say for themselves but with a strange Boldness to deny these Books to be part of the Bible Yet the old Editions of Scripture in English which were printed near the Beginning of the Pretended Reformation give them without distinction their proper place in the Bible What private Revelation the Reformers have had since to displace them and cast them out they never told us The Discourser indeed gives us this Reason for it that they were never receiv'd by the Jews as Canonical That we may well understand the Meaning of this Objection it will not be amiss to speak here of Two Canons of a Bible which the Jews used The First Canon of the Bible was composed by Esdras This is generally allow'd of The Second Collection was more ample and encreas'd by the superaddition of many Books to the former This was more
some of the Discoursers Companions should tell him that he had a Law-suit in hand and that he was certain never to win it neither at the Kings-Bench nor Court of Chancery I am perswaded the Discourser or any man of sense would infer from this Person 's talk that Law-suits were pleaded both at the Kings-Bench and in Chancery And why will he not infer from these Words of our Saviours Some sins shall never be pardon'd neither in this World nor in that to come that there are some sins both pardonable in this World and in that to come And if there be some sins there to be forgiven I suppose he will allow of some Pain there to be suffered for all sin deserves some Punishment And 't is upon this account the Roman Church prays for the Dead that their pain may be eased and sins forgiven S. Paul 1 Cor. c. 15. v. 29. Makes use of two Arguments to verify the Resurrection of Man Devotion perform'd for the Dead and the exposing of his own Life which was in danger preaching this ineffable Mystery which is the Foundation of Christian Religion Otherwise says the Text what shall they do that are baptised for the Dead if the Dead rise not at all Why also are they baptised for them Why also are we in danger every hour I expect here the Discourser will exclaim against the hardness of this passage I am somewhat of his opinion 't is so difficult that if I were a Reformer I could make no sence of it Mark 10. Orat. in S. Lumina This Word Baptism as hard as 't is S. Mark interprets to be pain or austerity And S. Gregory Nazianzen calls Purgatory Fire the last Baptism But let the word Baptism signify whatever affliction the Discourser shall please to assign Penance or Prayer it will still Literally be true that it is performed to benefit the Dead For if the Dead are not hereby helped why does S. Paul urge again so earnestly Why also to what end are they baptised or afflicted for them If this Devotion profit not the Dead might not we answer the Apostle and say to no end at all And so void and silence his pressing Forwardness Far be it from me Divine APOSTLE to contend against thy Testimony S. John The beloved Disciple of Christ speaks of Two states of Sinners after Death He speaks of those who we know depart in mortal or deadly sin For these he forbids us to pray They are without Redemption abandon'd by God. S. John speaks of an other sort of Sinners whom we know by outward signs of Repentance die not in deadly sin For these he does encourage us if he do not command us with confidence to pray And this is says the Scripture Ep. Catho 1. Chap. 5. v. 14. the Confidence which we have towards him that whatsoever we shall ask according to His Will He heareth us He that knoweth his Brother to sin a Sin not to Death let him him ask and Life shall be given him sinning not to Death Here is Encouragement for us to pray for those who die with Repentance And Two strong Motives excite us hereunto First We are encourag'd thus to pray because we ask What is according to GOD's Will And Secondly God will hear us pardon the Delinquent and give him Life everlasting The Text continues There is a sin to Death for that I say not that any man ask Here is an Inhibition to pray for any of whom we have no signs no Hopes of Repentance at their Death I do not expect here that the Discourser will deny S. John speaks of Praying for the Dead The Text is too plain against him And what is convincing neither the Church nor any Man is disswaded here from praying for any Sinner yet living nor for the Remission of any Sin in this Life I know the Montanist Hereticks held some sins not pardonable But the Church of Christ before the Death of any Sinner prays and is often heard for the sins of Hereticks Jews Turks Apostates or what other Infidels or ill-Livers soever in the World so long as Life is all have hopes of Pardon But S. John speaks here of a Sinner now placed in such a state that Prayer for him will not be available therefore he speaks of praying for the sins of the Departed Of these some die without repentance These we are not to pray for Others duly repent for these we are encouraged to pray and God will hear us and give them Life everlasting CHAP. IX Of Purgatory IF the Word Purgatory be not found in Scripture no pious Reader ought upon this sole account to scruple at it the sense of it is delivered in Holy Writ Do we read any where in the Bible of the Word Trinity We all of us believe in the blessed Trinity one GOD and three divine Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost The Word Catholick is not written in Scriptures We all of us profess in the Creed I believe one Catholick Church By the Word Purgatory we not improperly signify a middle state after Death where Souls departed endure some Pain for smaller Offences not forgiven in this World. That there is such a state of Souls I have already from Fathers and Scripture demonstrated for if both these teach us to pray as I have shewn that God will be pleased to deal with some Souls departed more mildly than their sins deserve to forgive them and to seat them in the Kingdom of Heaven who can justly refuse the being of Purgatory This is all we mean by it This is our Belief and of this I will add one more Proof very plain and easy There are two sorts of sin Mortal and Venial I call a Mortal sin that Crime which breaks Charity between God and the Delinquent and for which hee 's to suffer eternal pain I mean by Venial sin that Fault which lessens Friendship between God and the Just for which he must undergoe some Penalty because he has transgres'd yet not that of eternal Damnation I know that God might have punished all sins and this too with Justice eternally But the Divine Goodness considering the weakness of human frailty which failes almost at every step it makes will'd all Offences should not be Mortal or lyable to everlasting Torments This he has revealed to us in S. Matthew where we read Math. 5.23 Whosoever is angry with his Brother shall be in danger of Judgment whosoever shall say to his Brother Raca shall be in danger of Council whosoever shall say to his Brother thou Fool shall be guilty of Hell Fire Is not here an uncontroul'd difference of two sorts of sin Some are guilty of Hell Fire these I call Mortal Others are not guilty of Hell Fire but in danger of Judgment these I name Venial faults And they are these quotidian slips which the Prophet attributes to the Just who fails seven times a day If he be just hee 's GOD's Favourite and not guilty
are excluded the Land of Canaan and die in the Wilderness And their Children wander forty Years in the Desert This Guilt of temporal Penalty which is oftentimes the remainder of mortal Sin remitted retains the name of Sin. Thus the Evening or Remainder of the day is not improperly still call'd day And it is upon this Account and for lesser or venial Sins whose Fault whilst the Sinner liv'd upon earth is not forgiven or Guilt not pardon'd that we generally pray God to remit to Souls departed Con. Flor. in Decret their Sins who have not sufficiently satisfied for their Offences says the Council of Florence for their Sins and Satisfactions decrees the Council of Trent Conc. Trid. Can. 3. Sess 22. for the Remission of all their Sins prays the Priest in the Mass for the Dead IV. Reflection I Close the Controversy between Catholicks and Protestants in this narrow Compass whether We ought to believe that the Dead in Purgatory are help'd by the Prayers of the Living as our Article of Faith words it or which is the same thing and contains all whether It be part of a Christians Duty to pray as the Priest does at Mass that God will remit to Souls departed their Sins The Discourser cannot blame me for omitting the word Pain in my Proposition For if there be any detained in a middle State whose Sins are not yet fully purg'd or if they be small ones and entirely remain there is without dispute some Penalty to be undergone for them This is undeniably true because all Sin as the Discourser acknowledges infers an Obligation to Punishment Page 31. CHAP. VI. Why Roman Catholicks believe the Dead are help'd by Prayers IF you ask me the Formal Reason Why Roman Catholicks believe it to be a part of a Christians duty to pray for the Faithful deceased I answer Because God has taught us so Apostolical Tradition assures us of it the Practise of the Vniversal Church confirms it Holy Scriptures authorise it We do not pretend that Sciptures have any where commanded this Doctrine Tertull. l. de Coron Mil. c 4. Si Legem expostules Scripturarum nullam invenies If you seek a Precept in the Scriptures says Tertullian you cannot find any Nor is this absolutely necessary to make it a part of Christian duty It is abundantly sufficient for this Obligation if first it be recommended to us by Revelation from Heaven and secondly propos'd to the Faithful or practis'd by the Universal Church of CHRIST The Will of GOD or Revelation is recommended to us in Holy Scriptures or convey'd to us by the Apostles and their Successors The Vniversal Church is either taken diffusively as it is spread over the World or collectively as it is assembled in an OEcumenical Synod which represents the whole Church All Four conspire together to confirm Roman Catholicks in their Belief of Praying for the Dead and to confound their Opposers The Holy Scriptures recommend it in many places to the Faithful The Apostles taught it The Universal Church practis'd it And General Councils have defin'd it As for General Councils I have alledg'd already Two very plain Ones that of Florence and that of Trent The Council of Trent pretended no Command in Scripture for this Doctrine We read it decreed by the Tridentine Fathers because the Apostles taught it according to the Tradition of the Apostles declares this OEcumenical Synod in the 2d Chap. 22d Session and because it is recommended in the Scriptures the same Council in the Decree of Purgatory determines Prayers for the Dead from the Scriptures CHAP. VII Of the Universal Church Praying for the Dead TO ackowledge Prayers offer'd by the Vniversal Church of CHRIST with intent to expiate the Sins of Souls departed in a middle State is to believe this Pious Custome came from the Divine Apostles S. Aug. Ep. 118. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec à Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est nonnisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur For as S. Austin observes What the whole Church holds and was not Instituted by Councils but was alwaies retain'd is most truly believed to come from Apostolical Tradition In finding out then one of these we learn both of them Our Masters shall be the holy Pen-men of Primitive Times Petrus Venerabilis Writing against the Petrobrusian Hereticks thus exhorts all Christians out of the Book of Maccabees to pray for the Dead The Faithful Jews pray'd for the heinous Offences of their Dead that what they had Committed Ep. 2. cont Petrob Cap. 5. Rogant fideles Judaei pro delictis tam gravibus defunctorum ut quod fecerant oblivioni traderetur non rogabunt fideles Christiani pro defunctis in spe bona fidelibus eundem Deum ut eis nondum plenè laxata Peccata remittantur Rogaverunt hoc illi adhuc in tempore irae non rogabunt hoc isti in tempore gratiae might totally he forgiven and the faithful Christians will not pray for their faithful piously departed that their sins not fully remitted may by the same GOD be Pardon'd The Jews pray'd in the time of Anger and Christians are negligent in the day of Grace Is not this to pray with intent as Roman Catholicks do that God will remit to souls departed their sins And what follows will not give you leave to doubt that this pious Devotion was believ'd the duty of Christians in those dayes * Ibidem Qui bona vivorum Mortuis qui digni sunt prodesse denegat ad communis fidei laesionem pertinere cognoscat Let him continues this Venerable Writer that denies the good Works of the Living to be advantagious to the Dead who deserve them know that he makes a Breach in Faith. S. Bernard Calls them who deny this pious Doctrine Hereticks and Hypocrites Is it not says this Saint Super Cantica Ser. 66. pag. 762. Non sufficit haereticos esse nisi hypocritae sint Mortuos viventium fraudantes auxilijs non credunt ignem Purgatorium restare post mortem sufficient for them to be Hereticks unless they be Hypocrites too They are Hereticks because they Defraud the Dead of help from the Living nor do they believe that there remaines after Death Purgatory Fire As Hypocrites they make a fair shew and pretending to follow the pure Word of God. S. Isidore of Spain Says Because sacrifice and prayers are offer'd thorow the whole world for the rest of the Faithful Deceased S. Isid Hisp l. 1. de Offic. Eccles. c. 18. Sacrificium pro Defunctorum fidelium requie offerri vel pro eis orari quia per totum hoc Orbem custoditur credimus quod ab ipsis Apostolis traditum sit Hoc enim ubique Catholica tenet Ecclesia quae nisi crederet fidelibus defunctis dimitti peccata non pro eorum spiritibus vel Eleemosynam faceret vel Deo sacrificium offerret we believe this Custom comes
hold it a fond Invention S. Chrysostom says this pious Custom receiv'd its authority from Apostolical Tradition not in vain Enacted by the Apostles and the Reformers contradict it S. Chrysostom admonishes us that these Prayers only belong to them who die with hopes of Salvation They are said for those who departed in the Faith Disc pag. 65. And the Reformers explicate him corruptedly of the Damned O wonderful Piety of Reformers Rather than they should not be cruel to their Dead they labour to pervert the Writings of the Fathers Yet I cease to be surpriz'd why they exclude the Dead from their Prayers when I consider how they banish Christ from their Altar and abolish the dreadful Sacrifice Eusebius Caesariensis Speaks of the earnest desire which Constantine the Great had to be pray'd for after Death who took care that his Corps should be intomb'd near the shrines of the Blessed Apostles whether all pious People resorted to perform the Devotions for the Dead to GOD and his Saints He chose says Eusebius Lib 4. de vita Const c. 60. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this place of Reposal with an incredible Cheerfulness of Faith foreseeing that he should share after Death in their Prayers which were said in honour of the Apostles believing that their Remembrance would exceedingly profit his Soul nor was he frustrated of his expectation An innumerable Multitude of People with the Priests of God Ibidem Cap. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not without Lamentation and with many tears offer'd Prayers to God for the Soul of the Emperor These Prayers were offer'd with intent to relieve the Emperor's Soul Constantine believ'd that the Intercession of the Apostles to God for him would profit his departed Soul exceedingly And this must be to free him from the confinement of a middle state It could not be that of the Damned in Hell Eusebius had never such an impious thought of Constantine It could not be that of Heaven the blessed Apostles there were to interceed for him It must then be that of Purgatory wherein if detain'd the Emperor believ'd that the prayers of the Faithful would relieve him There is no reason in the world to understand this Third State after death of the Discoursers place of Sequester which was fill'd with quietness nor of the Millenary Kingdom which abounded with delights Eusebius was never accus'd of these errors nor ought he to be taxed with these Opinions And what removes all doubt is that he speaks of the Third State above mentioned not as an Opinion but delivers it as the custom of the universal Church This is verified by the devotions of the people of the whole Empire who pray'd to God for the Soul of the departed Emperor Nor could it be less than the Sentiment of the first Vniversal Council because it was that of Constantine and Eusebius who both sate in this Synod among the Nicean Fathers of whom Constantine receiv'd most of his instructions Arnobius Tells us how Christians labouring under Persecution were not permitted the reasonable Exercise of their Religion which made them thus to complain Why should our Chappels be so outragiously thrown down Lib. 4. Adu Gent. Pag. ult Cur immaniter Conventicula dirui meruerunt in quibus summus oratur Deus pax cunctis venia postulatur Magistratibus Exercitibus Regibus Familiaribus Inimicis adhuc vitam degentibus resolutis Corporum vinctione in which Prayers were offer'd to our soveraign God peace and pardon was implor'd for all for Magistrates Armies Kings Friends and Foes whether alive or dead This is exactly what the Council of Trent has defin'd Sess 22. Can. 3. Prayers offer'd for the living and the dead for their sins pains and satisfactions Did not Christians anciently pray for one another that they might be absolv'd from their sins and satisfactions And why must not the Dead share in these Prayers Arnobius affirms they pray'd for all whether alive or dead Why do you divide them And these dead were in pain or inquietude because they pray'd for peace They were in sin because pardon was implor'd for them If this be not to pray for Souls in Purgatory the Discourser has forg'd a new one of his one Tertullian Exhorts Widows to be mindful in their Devotions of the souls of their deceased Husbands after this manner De Monogamia Pro anima ejus oret refrigerium interim adpostulet ei in primà Resurectione consortium offerat annuis diebus dormitionis ejus Let her pray for his soul and beg now for him ease or refreshment and his company in the first Resurrection and let her see sacrifice be offer'd yearly for him on the day of his departure Here are Prayers offer'd with intent to free the dead from pain and anguish We pray for what is wanting Now Tertullian exhorts Widows to pray for ease for their Husbands therefore they wanted ease and so were in pain He exhorted them to pray for refreshment they wanted then refreshment and so were in anguish This ease or refreshment was not beg'd for them in the Millenary Kingdom Disc pag. 47. Tertull. Refrigerium interim adpostulet ei Disc pag. 4. of which the Discourser would understand the first Resurrection For Tertullian exhorts them to beg this refreshment now for the Dead before the first Resurrection Nor can this be expounded of the Discoursers place of sequester Here neither Ease nor Refreshment was wanting And of this Tertullian speaks no where And this Exhortation of praying for the Dead was grounded on the then Universal Practise of the Church Had it been otherwise the Writers of those times would have reply'd 't was a Novelty which Tertullian brought into the Church and so have silenc'd him Thus they opposed with all their might the Error of Montanus towards which I know Tertullian was at this time much inclin'd But what has the rigid Error of the Montanists which allow'd of no Repentance in this life for the relapsed into grievous and notorious sins to do with this pious custom which extends devotion even after death to Souls departed And what is considerable those Books which Tertullian wrote when he could not be censur'd of the suspition of being a Montanist deliver the same doctrine Thus he says in his Book Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitijs annuà die fa cimus de Corona Militis and third Chapter that we offer sacrifices for the dead and keep the anniversary of their Birth Oblations and Anniversaries ought not to be confounded Oblations are for the Faithful not yet fully purg'd Anniversaries in honor of the Saints 'T is S. Gregory Nazianzen's Explication Some says he we perform S. Greg. Nazian Orat. in laud. Caesarij Alia quidem persolvimus alia vero dabimus anniversarios Honores Commemorationes offerentes and some we give We perform Anniversary Honors we give Commemorations or Oblations when Commemoration of the dead is made With what
rarely spoken of in ancient Times because less common 'T was compil'd sometime before our Saviours comming with the addition of those Books which were Written after the Collection of the First Canon Lib. 2. Cont. Appion Joseph the Jew assures us of such an addition made where he cites the Text of Ecclesiastick as part of their Scripture which Book is not found in the Collection of the First Canon of the Jews and was written near Two Hundred Years after it This suppos'd I am of the Discoursers mind that the Books of Maccabees were not by the Jews acknowledg'd as part of the First Collection of Canonical Scripture they were written near Three Hundred Years after the First Collection made by Esdras But can the Discourser prove to me that these Books were not by the Jews receiv'd as part of the Second Collection of Canonical Scripture If the Discourser notwithstanding this reasonable Distinction remains unsatisfied and still scruples their Authenticness and continues to say that the Jews did not receive them as Canonical I le humour him in this and grant him what he asks But are we Jews If the Jews did not the Church of Christ receiv'd them as Canonical Scripture S. Jerome 't is true says In Praef. Salom that the Church did not look upon them as part of that Canonical Scripture which was contain'd in the First Canon of the Jews and which was universally receiv'd from the beginning by all Christians So did S. Gregory the Great Lib. Moral 19. c. 13. Neither of them deny the Maccabees to be part of that entire Canon of Scripture which the Church of Christ appprov'd of and read in their dayes In this entire Canon of Scripture Canon 47. Sunt autem Canonicae Scripturae Maccabaeorum Libri duo the Third Council of Carthage which all well-meaning Christians alwayes look'd upon as Orthodox number'd the Maccabees So did Innocent the First Head of the Universal Church of Christ upon Earth in his Letter to Exuperius Bishop of Tholouse S. Austin in express Words says That the Jews do not receive the Books of Maccabees as Canonical S. Aug. l. 18. de Civit. Dei. c. 37. Maccabaeorum Libros non Judaei sed Ecclesia pro Canonicis habet but the Church does And in the Second Age the Valentinian Hereticks asserted That the Bible no where patroniz'd it to be lawful to venture their Lives for GOD ALMIGHTY's sake And Origen instanc'd that Famous Example of the Mother and seven Sons who died upon this Account out of the Second of Maccabees as part of Holy Scripture and confuted them Reasons without exception that if the Jews did not Christians number'd these Books with the rest of Canonical Scripture In S. Matthew We read an other Confirmation of this Truth where Christ himself says Chap. 12. v. 32. That the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this World nor in that to come I cannot chuse here but take Notice how wittily the Discourser Reasons upon the World to come He will have the World to come to be in this present World and not to be till this World end Thus he delivers himself They Catholicks suppose That the World to come Page 19. must signify the time between every mans Death and the General Resurrection The World to come cannot be till this World end i. e. till the time be That Purgatory shall be no more which now is in this Present World. I expected the acuteness of so sharp a Wit could have distinguished between Life and Death this World and the next especially when Scripture had done it before him We therefore following the distinction which Scripture gives understand by this World this present Life which all Mankind more or less enjoys and by that to come the State of Man after Death a middle State where some Sin is to be expiated 'T is certain that by this passage neither in this World nor in that to come is meant that the Sin against the Holy Ghost in which Man dies is never to be forgiven For if it were ever to be forgiven certainly it would be pardon'd in this World or that to come for no other place can be assign'd where Pardon is to be expected S. M. c. 3. v. 29. And thus S. Mark interprets the Phrase He hath not Forgiveness for ever and shall be guilty of an eternal Sin. From hence Roman Catholicks infer That there are some Sins not eternal to be pardon'd in the next World and if to be pardon'd without dispute in a middle state of Souls for whose delivery Prayers are offer'd by the Faithful living Our Reason is because Scripture assigns this World and that to come as the only two places where Sin may be pardon'd saying That the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall in neither of them or never be pardon'd Let those sayes S. Bernard who deny Purgatory ask of him S. Bern. super Cantica Serm. 66. Quaerant ergò ab eo qui dixit quoddam peccatum esse quod neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro remitteretur Cur hoc dixerit si nulla manet in futuro remissio purgatione peccatis who said there is some Sin which shall neither be forgiven in this World nor in that to come Why did he say this if there remain in the World to come no forgiveness or purgation of Sin S. Isidore of Spain is more express Lib. 1. de off Eccles. c. 18. Nam cum Dominus dicit qui peccaverit in Spiritum sanctum non remitteretur ei neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro demonstrat quibusdam illic dimittenda peccata quodam purgatorio igne purganda For when our Lord says whosoever shall sin against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in that to come he demonstrates that Sin is forgiven to some there and expiated in a certain Purgatory Fire And to the same Words of CHRIST S. Austin gives the like Interpretation S. Aug. Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 24. De Defunctis quibusdam vel ipsius Ecclesiae vel quorundam piorum exauditur Oratio neque enim de quibusdam veraciter diceretur quod non eis remittatur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro nisi essent quibus etsi non in isto tamen remittetur in futuro For some Souls departed the Prayers of the Church or pious Persons are heard for otherwise it would not be truly said of some that it should not be forgiven them neither in this World nor in that to come unless there were some to whom if not in this it shall be forgiven in the World to come And I am of opinion if the Discourser will but seriously consider our Saviours own Words that he will acknowledge some Sins to be pardon'd in this Life and some after Death I shall instance only one Example somewhat of the like nature to convince him If