of Faith But let us go further if every person from hence to Cades in Spain and from thence to Rome and from thence to Constantinople and from thence to Jerusalem through both Churches were asked whether in their prayers for the dead they do not hope to help them to Heaven before the last day every one would assert it CHAP. II. It is not matter of Opinion THerefore most certainly the hope of present easing them was not grounded on matter of Opinion which intrinsically involves actuall fear or doubt of the truth else they would have praied faintly but it is a traditionary doctrine and under that notion by all understood Hence we never read in Scriptures Councels or Fathers any one clear assertion as sufficiently appears in those which are most urged That all those that go to Purgatory must be necessarily detained there without any relief till the day of judgement which sure were impossible if there had been any fluctuation in it or if they had been of that opinion as some gently perswade us That some things have been delivered to posterity in the Church which could never obtain more authority then opinion I have made evident in my System even in grave Subjects of which number this was not but how to distinguish such from doctrines of a higher nature in case Holy Church did not conveigh clearly their qualifications with them as in some cases evidently it did and in others it did not as there I give instances then the onely way is to return to general Councels that they according to their office may conquisitione facta after the example of the Apostles juridically appoint to each their seats where all must acquiesce as here was done conformable to all antiquity as I have declared and shall more CHAP. III. Why the resurrection is inculcated THe Holy Scriptures indeed our B. Lord and especially B. St. Paul and since them holy Church and Fathers most pressingly inculcates the truth of the general resurrection as being the basis of our hope the motive of piety and good works all which would be adjudged fruitless by the generality of men if it were not for this though even Aristotle who with the rest of his friends of Athens would have laughed to have heard Saint Paul Preach and assert it yet they would judge vertue to carry and bring with it a present reward for which it should be embraced but our expectations are infinitely higher by our believed and hoped for resurrection and therefore it alwaies produced proportionate effects in Gods holy Martyrs and Saints especially in those first times as the course of Gods providence required and therefore there was a necessity effectually to settle this radical doctrine as also of the last judgement to inculcate a just fear as S. Paul did This other of relief of souls in and out of Purgatory being of far less concernment as to the generality of mankind and being as it were a particular of it or subalternate to it needed not so strong frequent inculcation though holy Church did not take it up upon vulgar and light hear-sayes but with and by the Apostles Praedications which according to S. Augustines Rule are sufficiently proved by the Churches Doctrine and practice The holy Scriptures themselves as interpreted by antiquity also declare it which are obviously knowne Neither do the Texts though brought with violence touch the contrary nor were ever so interpreted Some mistake also ariseth in this business from not observing that holy Scriptures and from thence holy Church and the Fathers frequently understand by Resurrection even the assumption of souls to Heaven without the bodies and therefore S. Aug. calleth the later of soul and body the perfect resurrection as condistinct from the former in his care of the dead c. 6. But here we treat of the Churches practice and doctrine which are cleare even amongst the Greekes as well as Latines You know that according to Mr. Rushworth and Mr. White whose authority cannot be denied by you the publique practice or oral conveyance demonstrates universal Tradition and consequently Christian Truths Therefore when I look upon the anxious solicitude with which now and in all former ages good Christians Greeks and Latines have prosecuted their friends deceased with their Prayers Alms-deeds which all Christian Monuments declare methinkes it were strange now at length to have all resolved into a cold Oblation or Prayer for Doomsday wherin their particular Allies are no more concerned than all others so all the pious indeavours of friends are of no effect as relating to what they intended in order to particular persons but might as well be contracted into a general Prayer for all the dead against not onely orall tradition but the manifest writings of the most ancient and learned in the bulke of the Fathers as S. Aug. is sufficient testimony for all the rest in his Treatise of this subject stiled by him A care of the dead where he supposeth it to be the common sense of the whole Catholique Church that particular persons dead who have acquired merit in their life time by which such things may be rendred profitable after death do receive benefit by what is done for them religiously after their decease and he speaks cleane through the whole Book of actual benefit profit help advantage availment and rest to be procured for the souls And lest we should glosse it for the soules in their reunion with their bodies he frequently speakes condistinctively of the soule as separated from the body or as it is when the body is dead and he saith that then it receiveth succour which as he shews and I have said was the practice of all Churches in their publique Liturgies I do not esteem it constancy but obstinacy to intort antiquity to our sense gainst their own CHAP. IV. The sences of Greek and Latine Lyturgies and Fathers AMongst the Greeks I observe in their Liturgies that sometimes they pray with Tertullian de Monogamia that the dead may have refrigerium that is some ease as S. Greg. Nazian his Liturgie p. 34 in the Rubrick Other times they pray that they may be put into a place of light sommess where sorrow is banisht and groaning c. as in S. Basils Liturgie Sometimes that they may rest in Abrahams bosome as in S. James his Liturgie All these intimate a change a present relief though not alwayes a release as the stile evidently imports which destroyes your very ground for you teach that no prayers can relieve or change them till Doomes-day S. James in his Lyturgie prayes that God would cause the souls to rest with the Saints You say he meanes that they may not rest or have ease or lightsomness c. till after the day of judgment Besides they constantly pray for the remission of their sins as in S. Basils and the rest this is not for the resurrection and finally they pray for all who died in communion of the faithful and for
reason that the length or shortnesse of duration doth not at all change the measure in it self provided that it be altogether It is therefore a great disproportion rather a collusion to argue from the consideration of an instant of our time to aeviternity they both agree in this that they are indivisible that is they are not capable of succession of parts but the reason of this in each is wholly different The instant of time is therfore so because Physically speaking it is nothing else but a â—egation or termination of some thing and hath therefore no duration at all Aâ—vum or aeviternity is not capable of succession as being as the former is indivisible and altogether but yet hath infinite durance according to the way expressed vertually including infinite instances according to which it is conceivable to have mutation without contradiction because its durance or existence now though altogether or not by parts is not by vertue of the same conservation or influx it hath from God as applied before but it hath in a manner a new dependancy of him else both it and its measure would cease to be this is both Scotus and S. Bonaventures solid way of explication of this abstruse difficulty And truly I believe St. Thomas and Henricus their tempus discretum well weighed will fall into it And verily Aeviternity seems in this to differ from aeternity that it doth not necessarily involve an impossibility of ceasing to be or of requiring a continuated or as it were a new dependance of the divine influence without which it would cease Whereas whatsoever is essentially aeternal is repugnant to any imaginable change and therefore it can onely be asserted of God I could answer secondly that in the operations of Angels or souls considered as to the simple notion of their aeviternity there may be succession or mutation without contradiction which Scotus grants without restriction My reason is because the assertion or negation of any operation is in respect of divers instances or aeviternal measures For example the existance of a soul is its own measure as not being distinct from it the operations have or are each theirs as being indivisible as well as the soul Hence although the soul as to essence and existence is immutable as naturally its measure is and so each operation is whilst it is or its aevum is yet the soul as to operation or under operation may without contradiction admit some change as lying under other aeviternities or measures which accompany the Acts as I have said Whence follows that the soul is not rightly said to be not knowing and knowing in the same or in order to the same instant or aevum but it is not knowing as measured by the soul 's own aevum and it is knowing considered as to the measures of the Acts which as I declared must be distinct from that of the Soul and hence it may have new Acts. Thirdly I answer that rightly putting with Scotus that Aevum or how you will call the measure of Angelical or Animastick Natures is not distinct from the things measured You know in bodies the measures are extrinsecall as being from the motions of the bodies of the Heavens but here is no such extrinsecal Gnomon in respect of spiritual substances We need not therefore seek whether they may have succession of Acts in one instant to avoid contradiction which so much affrights us but we onely are to look upon the nature of the Acts themselves whether there is no implicacy in them to co-exist with one another or to succeed each other Which sure there is none imaginable Neither do you alledge any here It is not hard then to conceive that a Soul hath many Acts since also as I said above an aevum can co-exist to an infinity of instances namely as long as an Angel continues I hope out of all this I may safely conclude that a separated soul may have mutation in its Acts especially as S. Thomas speaks 2.2.9.58 a. 11. Quantum ad ea quae eis divinitus revelantur nihil prohibet intellectus Angelorum esse in potentia My solution therefore is that the Angels or Souls without contradiction are capable of revelations or whatsoever motions from God that is in any supernatural way in order whereunto nothing hinders them to be changeable and this as I said is sufficient for our principal assertion of the souls capacity of change in Purgatory To this may be objected that the soul is a pure act as admitting no composition and therefore the acts are not different from the essence and therefore not mutable It is as easie replyed that it is repugnant to the nature of a creature to be that which Divines call a pure act first as having a potentiality to a not being and having a dependance upon composition or having some actual composition or componibility Also to have been produced out of nothing carries with it a defect of that simplicity which is a pure act as having necessarily a quo and quod And truly in this very thing an Angel which is the noblest of creatures differs from God that it is not its own act and therefore in a potentiality to acts which can not be said of any but God This is as to the general Besides the considerations of a soul render it far inferior as being compounded Metaphysically which is real Besides as cannot be denied it is ordinable to a Physical composition as to be a part of the compositum or whole man which excludes the being a pure act for matter and forme are therefore not simple enough as to this though otherwise simpliciter simplices as Scotus speaks because they are componible betwixt themselves Being advanced thus far you will give me leave to tell you that I do not conceive it to be out of ignorance of the nature of a soul though it is thought so that all Divines grant this sort of mutability which is consonant to holy Scriptures Councels Fathers all Schoolmen and Christian reason but it is rather out of a non advertence of the inconsistency of holy Churches doctrine confirmed by universal practice of relief of souls out of Purgatory before the great day that now the contrary is so much pressed by some as not considering their subjection to Gods powerful mercy A modest man would rather say with St. Augustine treating almost of this matter for it is in his treatise of the Divination of Divels cap. 6. Rem dixi occultissimam audaciore asseveratione quam debui I have been more bold than wise to speak confidently in these remote subjects Let us therefore return to the souls proceeding in Purgatory For as to the other objections which ordinarily are alledged they have more Water than Salt In order indeed to increase of Charity the soul hath in Purgatory some disposition as being already invested with it but by reason first that it is extra viam by reason also of the dregs which cause and
sin so of goodnesse Whence they rationally teach that a man who doth not onely intend but effectually giveth Alms or the like doth add a degree of goodnesse and consequently may hope for a greater reward than if he had contained himselfe within the bounds of his Will Whence will further follow that corporal afflictions even in themselves may properly serve as emanations from a soule afflicted for sin or as exercises of which the body is only capable flowing from the love of God as surely they are in a true contrite spirit And in this kinde in holy Writ they are by true Penitents sometimes voluntarily undertaken other times by Gods orders inflicted and accepted in order to remission of sins and this not alwayes miraculous as the Texts of holy Scriptures shew If it were miraculous as sometimes it is and you have well pondered it is so far from enervating that it demonstratively confirms Gods acceptance of the Churches Doctrine and practice as to corporal afflictions to the end assigned as is also clearly shewed in the place quoted of the Councel of Trent as also Sess 6. c. 14. And hence holy Church by Gods orders injoyns Sacramental pennances these I know you do not reject which are deletory of the dregs of sin that is they may exercise the soule in intending Charity infused by God upon sorrow and the efficacy of the Sacrament By which means is often wrought an absolute extinction of sin that is even of those veleities which frequently trouble us after the height of our former mortal malice by help of the Sacraments derived from our blessed Saviours Passion was extinguished and pardoned As concerning some seeming excrescencies which you and some others carped at and the like Sir Thomas More also jested at I believe no judicious Catholique wil pretend that they have strict acquaintance with Church Orders but are onely a sort of begottery into which Devotion not well regulated easily degenerates But you must not under this pretence laugh at all inferiour sorts of Piety and Devotion which are to be proportioned to each capacity I conclude as to this with St. Augustine l. 12. de Civit. c. 15. treating of Angels Vereor ne facilius judicer affirmare quod nescio quam docere quod scio I had rather be not knowing with submission to holy Churches orders than swell in a vain opinion of my knowledge in prejudice of the least of them And this must be except we would hear from the spirit of God ivistis in adinventionibus vestris ye have left me and walked in your own inventions Christian Religion doth not receiv estrength by the weaknesse of our reason but our reason is elevated by the strength of Christian Religion And therefore how apparent soever it is it must vail bonet if a contest be interjected And therefore Master White in his Controversie-Logick and his fourteenth reflection teacheth thus consonant to Vincentius Lirinensis speaking of Origen and Apollinarius their failings and falls How mean pittiful a change it is to fall from the splendid authority of the whole Church to the obscure authority of a private Doctor be he what he will Surely it deserves an Aegyptian Pyramid to perpetuate it against all innovations and particularly against this which we have rejected Yet there are a sort of Opiniators as Cicero calls them who fancy each strong fancy of theirs to be demonstrations to which all who will not incurre the note of ignorance must subscribe as well in Morals as in questions touching faith Whereas St. Augustine l. 1. Retract c. 21. disputing learnedly and largely of the sence of our Lords words to Saint Peter super hanc Petram c. concludes thus Harum duarum sententiarum quaesit probabilis eligat lector Antiquity then did not disalow probable opinions nor presently fancy their own conceits to be demonstrations much lesse forbid others to follow such which they judged probable Which is now too much cryed down and truly as to Morals I conceive I have demonstrated in my Enchyridion Dial. that probability is enough CHAP. XII The designe of this Treatise WHereas you say I dare not assert the contrary opinion of the souls continuing in Purgatory till the day of judgement to be Heresie It is easily replyed first with Bellarmine that to prescribe any term to particular persons and much more to the general that is to determine months or yeares non nisi temerè definiri potest it is a great temerity because as he saith solidly it is resincertissima there is nothing more uncertain in all Christian principles For indeed here is neither reason nor revelation to conduct us He spoke upon occasion of Scotus his opinion who thought according to the measures he made of Gods mercies that none would stay in Purgatory above ten years Which weak ground brought Origen into his error of promising a period to the pains of Hell Thus great wits still produce by strength of fancy new grounds and thence often new errors into the Church but to assert a detayning all soules in Purgatory till doomesday notwithstanding the Churches Suffrages Alms and pious helps is for ought I can see a novelty and if so it is easily proved to be a falsehood for amongst the ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were almost equal crimes as accompanying each other To what you demand further it is easily rejoyned from our blessed Saviours example Quis constituit me Judicem I am no Judge of Controversies That is referr'd to S. Peters chair Therefore I dare not indeed presumptuously censure other Catholike Doctors opinions whose persons and learning I justly reverence Keeping my self therefore within the bounds of the Schooles my design is onely to vindicate the Churches Doctrine and constant practise as I am able to understand it from ignorance and Novelty In this none can justly blame me Neither ought any to conceive themselves to be particularly concerned in it the rather because I do not believe when they speak clearly of their long Purgatory that they intend any further than in order to natural causes in respect of which as the Souls are not capable to be changed as you learnedly and truly teach after and with Mr. White so by force of such or by order of Nature they cannot change their posture from Purgatory to Heaven which is a great truth If any will go further I say with St Paul Non sic didici Christum I must leave them yet with St. Hieroms Proviso in his Dialogue against Pelagius l. 3. In dogmatibus disserendis non persona sed causa quaerenda est I touch no mans person Scotus teacheth his followers treating St. Cyprians case to be modest in their tenets conceiving there may be venial sin in being too forward or heady even before Canonical declarations or determinations and St. Hierome Apol. l. 2. saith Si quaestiones de animaestatu in Vrbe commotae sunt quae est ista qucrimonia vel querela quae utrùm recipi debeat Episcoporum judicio derelinquitur This must be decided by Bishops chiefly by the Bishop of Rome as he teacheth against Ruffinus in the same Apology and in his 67 Epistle to Theophilus he saith notably Scito nihil nobis esse antiquius quà m Christi jura servare nec patrum transferre terminos semperque meminisse Romanam fidem Apostolico ore laudatam cujus se esse participem Alexandrina Ecclesia gloriatur We must all glory to submit to the decisions of Rome when Patriarckes themselves are taught to do it According therefore to our friends desire I onely let him know for prevention of mistakes what I have learned in Scotus and St. Thomas their Schooles and what was the substance of our amicable Collation in nothing as I hope violating the lawes of true Christian friendship which I hold sacred as being consistent with that well measured Gradation Amicus Plato amicus Aristoteles magis amica VERITAS Which method as you know was religiously observed by learned Sir Thomas More in his sharp congresses with Tindal when he objected his great friend Erasmus his version reduplicating in vain the notion of a friend against the sense of Holy Church FINIS