by his mediation by and in whom we can call him Father and for his other part of reply then one Christian living may not pray for another who sees not the disparity between praying for and praying to or invocating and that at such distance as they do Saints and Angels but of this of the living to pray for one another more conveniently * Nu. 6. below In the other places 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Jo. 2. 1. He will have the protestant mistaken The office of Mediator and Advocate in excluding thereby all Mediators or Advocates of Intercession the Text speaking only of a Mediator of Redemption because it follows in one place who gave himself a ransom and in the other He is the propitiation for our sins Secondly that the Text speaks of such a Mediator or Advocate that deserves to be heard for his own worth and merits pa. 69. That we may better discover this usual but ungrounded evasion Note First others besides Christ may be said to Intercede for us Intercession of Saints as the blessed Saints no question do but that makes them not Mediators or Advocates of Intercession for they do it without our Invocating of or application by prayer to them out of that charity and propension which all the members of Christ have to one another also they do it in general in such desires as make for the accomplishment of that body of which they are members Out of which propensity we pray also for them i.e. for their consummation and glorious resurrection c. yet this renders us not their mediators Secondly Note that to state them in the condition of Mediators and Advocates they must be enabled to receive our particular requests and prayers and so to present them unto God yea as the word Advocate significantly implies they must be admitted in that Court to plead their cause for whom they appear This being made manifest that they are no way enabled thereunto it will easily be seen whether the Protestants are mistaken in excluding them from this office or the Romanists in admitting them to it without or rather against scripture For this Author was wont in his imputed mistakes to shew the word or thing in which he placed the mistake otherwise taken and applied to others in scripture and it s but reason that he who will enlarge to others what the scripture seems to restrain should be bound to make it appear by scripture and not do it by limitations and distinctions of his own invention as it fares with all Romanists in this point and that of Image-worship That which this Author makes the pretence of his distinction or limiting to Christ only such a kind of mediation viz. of redemption from the words following viz. ransom and propitiation overthrows his distinction and shews the whole office belongs to Christ only for it shews that his mediation of Intercession or Advocateship and his fitness thereunto is grounded on his bloodshed or ransom or making God thereby propitious which the Apostle through the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks most evidently shewing our high priest is entred to appear for us Heb. 9.24 i. e. to be our Advocate or Mediator of Intercession and that he entred with blood This also shews the distinction is not good Distinction of Mediator of Redemption and Intercession for one member of it is grounded upon the other in the Intercession of our Mediator and Advocate upon his redemption for that tells us none can come under one member of it to interceed as an Advocate with God to whom the other belongs not too So for his other exception or limitation That Christ is the only Mediator or Advocate that can intercede by his own worth and merits comes to the same purpose for he that can do so must be a Redeemer too It is a great Truth but that it should not exclude as they pretend the Saints and Angels from being Mediators in and by the merits of Christ is only a saying of their own without all proof or warrant of scripture and a bold saying it is For when scripture saith there is one Mediator and tells us of no other points us out our Advocate and tells us of no other directs us by whom and in whose name we must come to God and shews us no other how can we without great presumption take upon us to appoint others though in order to him that is appointed For our coming to or praying to God is a worship of God an immediate serving of him and therefore binds us to go the way he prescribes as the rule * Nu. 1. above directs us and reason also perswades it for else there would be no thing fixed and certain in religion and worship For if in this point we may invent new wayes and new distinctions that have no ground in Gods word then that One God in the same verse would be obnoxious to mans conceit in framing other gods of lower rank as that one Mediator is to this distinction of the Romanists Again Here especially in a point of Gods worship Reasons against their Invocation that of the Apostle takes place What is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14. ult For how can it be of faith to come unto God by Mediators whom they cannot believe to be appointed of God to stand between himself and us or between our Mediator Christ and us whom they cannot believe to hear or know our requests and desires having no warrant from God to assure their people that he will reveal or make known their desires to the Saints they invocate Furthermore it may be another reason against this presumption because it is God himself that prepares the heart to pray and inspires it what boldnesse then is it for any Creature as Mediator to present our prayers or as the Apostle Rom. 8.26 In our prayers according to Gods will the spirit makes intercession therefore prayers to Saints are not of the spirit not according to Gods will or else the spirit then maketh intercession by the Saints Lastly it is a senseless perverting of the order God has set us for our prayers at least mental must as the Romanists acknowledge Saints how said to know mens prayers be known to the Saints by revelation from God so our prayers must first come to God then by him to the Saints so by them to Christ to be presented to God The best account which the * Bel. l. de Beat. Sanctor c. 20. Cardinal can give us of their knowing prayers made to them is this First he rejects wholly that way which some have conceited that the Saints know prayers of the living by the report of Angels Of the two other wayes that they know by seeing in God as in a glass from the beginning of their beatitude those things that do any way belong to them or that they know by revelation from God when the prayers are made Of the former of these he saith it is
notes are ch 5. 8. ch 6. 10. ch 8. 3. which we shall touch below but hear what he saith in his next disputation * Non fuisse morem in V. Tâ—â—adeundi Sanctos Intercessores Erat etiam olim periculum Idololatriae Salm. disp 8. sect postremo It was not their manner in the Old Testament to use the Saints as intercessors the Reason because they were not then glorified and because of old there was danger of Idolatry Mark the danger of the Romish practises in Religion and Worship But was there not danger under the New Testament he acknowledges it saying it is not express but was left to Tradition secretly to be delivered which he cals * Tacitam Spiritus suggestionem ibid. the silent suggestion of the Spirit but why because †Quia durum erat id Judaeis praecipere Gentib daretur occasio putandi multos sibi deos exhibitos pro it was hard to command such a thing to the Jewes and it was likely to give occasion to the Gentiles of thinking that many Gods were put upon them in stead of the many Gods they had forsaken And might not the same Reasons still be good against Romish Invocation and Image-worship either to keep them out or cast them out of the Church seeing they give such occasion of scandal to Jewes and Infidels throughout the Romish Communion The Cardinal is not so liberal with us Bel. l. 1. de Beat Sanct. c. 19. Non consuetum Nec ordinariè cognoscere preces c. 20 sect sed dices for he would confine it to the Old Testament acknowledging It was not the custom then to say Holy Abraham pray for us and his reasons are because they did not see God and could not ordinarily i. e. without special Revelation know the prayers of the living Neither is the Cardinal so ingenuous with us as was his fellow Salmeron for albeit he gives reasons why prayers were not made to them in the Old Testament which reasons were good against their Invocation till our Saviours ascension yet he brings places out of the Old Testament for a seeming proof of it Some of them indeed concern Invocation of Angels as that Gen. 48.16 Job 5.1 to which we briefly answered †Chap. II. nu 9. above And though the Cardinals reasons which exclude the Saints of the Old Testament do not conclude against the Angels which did see Gods face and as well hear and know what was said and done below on Earth in the time of the Old Testament as after yet Salmerons Reasons might prevail against invocation of them because of danger of Idolatry then and it would have seemed strange and hard to the Jewes And albeit they had Cherubins in the picture yet not Angels in their worship Which is acknowledged by Azor and Vasquez and that out of several Fathers clearing the Jewish Church from Worshipping of Angels or Images and somthing to this purpose was said †Chap. III. nu 10. above Now for the places out of the Revelation Places of Scripture alledged for Invocation which are the only Texts that have any semblance or pretence for Invocating Saints or Angels they are mistaken as applied to that purpose That Text Rev. 5.8 where the four living Creatures and the 24 Elders are set out as falling down before the Lamb having harps and viols full of odours or incense which are the prayers of the Saints Here the Romanists that would have these prayers of the Saints to be meant of the prayers of men living offered up by the Saints in heaven are mistaken for the whole place is a representation of the Church below offering up prayers to God by Christ the Lamb and those Eucharistical or prayers of thanksgiving and praise chiefly for the Victories of the Lamb and Redemption by Christ as the next verse specifies them Thus Viega understands them of the Church below and he follows good Authors in it The next is Rev. 6.10 how long O Lord Here also is a great mistake of Romanists making this a formal prayer of the Martyrs for revenge which stands not with that charity they have in so great a degree and therefore this is but a figurative or emblematical representation of their Souls lying under the Altar and calling for revenge only to shew the certainty of that judgement and vengeance which God would in time bring upon the Heathen Persecutors for their bloud as when Abels bloud is said to cry for vengeance And for the Argument they make If the Souls of Martyrs cry for Vengeance upon their Enemies therefore their charity much more prompts them to pray for Gods servants It fails first in the Antecedent for they do not as we see make any formal prayer for vengeance and then it fails in the Inference for it would only conclude that they do pray for the Church Militant which we grant not that they offer up prayers made to them which is the point in question The third Text Rev. 8.3 where Another Angel is said to stand by the Altar having a golden Censer and much incense was given to him that he might offer it with the prayers of all Saints A great mistake this and impious to make this the office of any created Angel for the very Text seems to imply that this was a special Angel differing from the seven Angels set out in the second verse as ministring Spirits and what one created Angel is sufficient for this to receive and offer up their prayers that are made by all the Saints or just men on Earth Therefore generally it is interpreted of Christ the great Angel of the Counsel of God as Viega and other modern Writers and herein they have Ambrose Haimo Rupertus and the Interlinâ—ary Gloss consenting To whom I may add what Irenaeus saith reflecting upon this place and the other cap. 5.8 where speaking of the Church offering up all by Christ applies to it that of Malachi cap. 1.11 in every place Incense shall be offered then adds Now †Iren. l. 4. c. 33. Incensa autem Joan. in Apocal. Orationes ait esse Sanctorum Tert. advers Marcion l. 4. c. 9. Per Jesum Christum Catholicum Patris sacerdotem St. John in the Revel saith that Incense or the sweet odours are the prayers of the Saints And Tertul. upon that of our Saviour to the Leper cleansed shew thy self to the Priest and offer Mat. 8.4 Inferreth we must offer up all our prayers and thanksgivings by Jesus Christ the Catholick or universal Priest of the Father No Created Angel can be such a Catholick Priest to offer up the Prayers of all Saints Thus much for Scripture to shew how destitute they are of any real proof and therefore want the first and main ground of Catholick faith and doctrine Sect. 1. in Introduct according to Vincentius his certain and safe Rule at first mentioned Now let us make a brief Survey of Antiquity and see
expression importing not the Advocation of Words or pleading but of Deeds and acting The Father sets the one Woman against the other the great Good that came by one against the great Evil that was caused by the other Gen. 3. as the Scripture sets the Womans Seed against the Effect of the Womans transgression the meaning of Irenaeus in calling the Blessed Virgin Eves Advocat is that she was an Instrument or Means in bringing forth the Saviour of Mankinde the Only Mediator between God Man St. * Ambr. de Obitu Theodosii Foeminam visitavit Christus in Maria. Visitata est Maria ut Evam liberaret Ambrose may explain that speech of Irenaeus by what he saith to like purpose but more clearly Christ saith he visited the Woman in Mary Mary was visited that she might free Eve What they have out of the True Origen speaks only that the Saints do or may pray for us which cannot be denied But as for Invocation we shall presenly see he declared against it The Intercession of Saints departed for the living how far extendible Such Testimonies as imply the Saints interceeding or entreating for us are frequent among the Ancient Fathers and not only in General but in Particular for those they knew here both for their particular Persons for their particular Necessities or Infirmities known to them before they went from hence for as they lose not their memory so they encrease their charity by going to God Thus †Ignat. Ep. ad Trallens Salutat vos spiritus mons non modo nunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius My spirit salutes you not only now but will also when I obtain or enjoy God So between Cornelius and Cyprian it was agreed that which of them went first to God should remember the other †Cypr. epist 57. Perseveret apud Dominum nostra dilectio pro fratribus sororibus nostris apud misericordiam patris non cesset Oratio Let our love continue when either of us shall be with the Lord and let not our prayer cease to sollicit the mercy of the Father for our brothers and sisters left behinde So Chrysost in his Oration ad Illuminandos to those that were to be baptized Remember me saith he when that Kingdom receives you Such sayings as these that avouch the Saints praying for them they knew and in general for all the Church are often shuffled in by the Romanists as good proofs of Invocation and sufficient to take the unwary that discern not the Paralogism or inconsequent Reasoning From such intercession of the Saints departed to infer they were or ought to be invocated by the Living That which they bring out of Athanasius as a Testimony of primer Antiquity for invocating of the blessed Virgin is taken out of the book De Sanctiss Deipara Of the most holy Mother of God Not written by that holy Father but by a much later and unlearned Author and so rejected of Baronius with scorn But see the other †Bell. de Script Eccles tit Athanasius Cardinals honesty or diligence who having censured this very Book as Suppositious and written after the sixt General Council 300 years after Athanasius his Time yet can cite it as his Hitherto the first proof of our second General Testimonies of Antiq against Invocation because the Defenders of Invocation can bring no witness for it beyond the middle of the fourth Age Our second proof is from Testimonies excluding or denying such Invocation Irenaeus in his first Book speaks of Hereticks that had strange Phansies concerning Angels attributing much unto them in relation to which he denies †Iren. l. 2. c. 25. Nec invocationibus Angelicis faciat aliquid nec incantationibus sed purè manifeste orationes dirigens ad Dominum qui fecit omnia nomen Domini Jesu Christi invocans that the Church did do any thing he speaks of miraculous Cures done then by Invocation of Angels nor by incantations but purely and manifestly directing prayers to the Lord that made all and invocating the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Fevardentius his Gloss here will not help saying the Father means Invocation of such evil spirits as the former Hereticks used for if the Church had used to the working of those cures the Invocation of good Angels the same Father could not have condemned their invocations and so absolutely denied without any mention or limitation of such use in the Church all Angelical Invocations could not have bound up the prayers of the Church as we see here to God the father through the Name of his Son So afterward when Cures were so frequently don at the Monuments of Martyrs the first and regular way was as here to direct their prayers to God through Christ not using Invocations of the Martyr which was the abuse creeping in by degrees as we shall see below Our next Testimony is from Origen out of whom we cited some passages * Sect. 1. Num. 4. Orig. contra Celsum l. 5. Omnia Vota deprecationes gratiarum actiones destinandae ad Deum per summum Pontificem above against Angel-worship so is he very express against their Invocation †Angelos invocare absque ipsorum cognitione Notwithstanding that the Angels are Ministring Spirits as he acknowledges yet all our vowes prayers thanksgivings are to be directed unto God the Lord of all by our High Priest greater then all Angels And he gives severall reasons against Invocation of Angels Because saith he to invoke Angels without knowing them better then we do as to their nature condition offices is little agreeable to reason But saith he if we had sufficient knowledge of them and their condition yet * Hoc cohibebit ne quis preces â—udeat offerre nisi soli Domino Deo qui omnibus abunde suffiâ—it per servatorem nostrum Dei fil um Angelos habet satis Propiâ—ios this will withhold any from daring to offer up prayers to any save God alone who abundantly is sufficient for all through our Lord Jesus Christ and because this will render the Angels sufficiently propitious to us and willing to do all things for us if we so far as humane nature permits be well affected as they are to Gods service Something like it is that S. Aug. saith of every good Angel †Aug de vera Religcap 55. In illo me exaudit in illo me adjuvat He hears me in him i.e. in God when I pray to God in him he helps me To the like purpose doth Origen reply again to Celsus Origen l 8. contrae Celsum propè initium that prayers are to be offered up to God alone by his only begotten Son and this exclusive to Angels because opposed to Celsus pleading for their going to God by their Daemons For our Saviour Christ saith Origen * Qui ut pontifex eaâ— deferat ad Deum as high Priest presents our prayers to God the Father Again
wishes intercessions Thus they prayed at the Burial or carrying out of the Dead and did it as we saw above for the reasons there mentioned viz. the instruction of the living and confirming of their hope and demonstration of their affection and the like And upon the like respects they yearly repeated the like prayers as we hinted above out of the Cardinal acknowledging as much Lastly it was a private opinion but notorious and held by many That the Damned had benefit or ease by the Prayers of the Church a private opinion or misapplication That they which died in their sins without true faith and repentance might at length be recovered out of their Pains or at least have them mitigated And to these the Prayers for the Dead which begged forgiveness ease or release were I do not say referred by the Church but applied or rather misapplied by many Origen gave occasion first to this Error for he held that All should at length come out of their Torments and his Error was as Vincentius notes a great temptation to the Church by reason of the wit and parts of the Author Aug. Enchirid cap. III. Frustra quamplurimi aeternam damnatorum poenam miserantur affectu and St. Aug. tels us in several places that many were of this merciful opinion Very many saith he do commiserate through humane affection the eternal sufferings of the damned and do not believe it will be so c. Of these also in other places especially in his work Of the City of God l. 21. c. 17 18 19 20. where he reckons five latitudes in the extent of that Opinion refuting them all Greg. Nyssen seems to be deeply tainted with that merciful opinion and is noted for it by the Greeks in their Apology against the Romish Purgatory made and given out in the time of the Council of Florence for that * Nyssen in orat Deus omnia in ommbus Idem in orat le Mor. tuâ—s pag 1067. Mixtam clementi sententiam Father seems plainly to assert the restoring of all men to salvation and in another place speaks of the purging of some and their turning to God after death who were impure in their lives And that place of St. Hierom upon Isa 66. ult which the Cardinal misapplies to Purgatory for it plainly speaks of wicked Christians does shew some tincture of that merciful opinion Now it is plain that Chrysostoâ—e applies the Prayers and oblations made for the Dead to such sinners And I should choose rather to silence those errors and mistakes of some ancient Fathers did not the importunity of the Romanists force us to shew the misapplication of them to Purgatory I shall insist therefore in some passages of St. Chrysostome Hom. 61. in Jo. Hom. 21. in Act. Serm. 3. in Philip. The sinners he speaks of to be prayed for are in several Homilies towards the End of them thus set forth by him One saith he that daily offended God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that lived every day to his own pleasure One that died in his riches and never used them to the benesit of his soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupted and lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of whom he saith Hom. 32. in Mat. If God had seen he would have changed he would not have cut him off before his Repentance Such as these the Romanists will not say that they go to Purgatory but to Hell yet of these he saith Let us mourn for such a one but that avails not Let us help him as we can How is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by prayers and alms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things must be done which may bring some comfort and ease to him To this tenour he speaks in all the places above cited but especially in Hom. 21. upon the Acts Shall we not try saith he of one that lived to himself and the Devil to rescue him from the dangers and evils he is encompassed with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there is a way if we will to make his punishment lighter and this by making prayer for him and almsdeeds and these saith he so much the more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he was guilty of the more sins And this he takes to be doctrine sutable to the loving kindness of God towards man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then a little after he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though we be not vertuous our selves yet let us get friends that will do this for us when we are gone Then presently follows * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oblations are not in vain nor Supplications nor Almsdeeds All these things the Spirit has ordained willing or commanding that we should help one another Then he mentions the Offering of the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saith It is not the Minister simply or only that praies so for those that are faln asleep in Christ It is not he only that sends forth that voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Spirit He indeed holds the Offering or Sacrifice in his hands c. And so goes on expressing the honour to be then remembred and the power and efficacy of Christs death then represented Where we may observe that this saying of his The Spirit has ordained all these things which the Romanists do much urge as if their prayers and offerings for souls in Purgatory were by an Ordinance of the Spirit relates to the help of one another by Prayers Oblations and Almsdeeds which in general is true so far as we are capable to be helped by them But if it be particularly applied to the helping of such sinners as before he had spoken of it makes nothing for the Romanists for they will not allow that the Prayers and Oblations of the Living do avail or help such as died in their sins but if it be applied to the Prayers and Offerings in the Eucharist as he seems here to intend it it makes nothing still for them or against us for we allow that Ancient practice of remembring there and praying as they did for those that sleep in Christ The intent and purpose of those prayers he expresses in the close of his speech that they and we saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may obtain the good things promised through the Grace and merciful loving kindness of our Saviour Christ A place parallel to the former he hath in his third Hom. on the Epist to the Philip. where speaking of Prayers and Oblations with respect to the Dead These things Chrys in Phil. hom 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he were not in vain ordained by the Apostles that a remembrance be made of those that are dead in the most reverend and holy Mysteries For when all the people stand and the company of Priests with their hands stretch'd out toward heaven and the great sacrifice lies
before them how shall we not them move and make God propitious while we pray for them that are departed Here again the Romanists triumph as if St. Chrysost made their praying for Souls in purgatory an Ordinance of the Apostles whereas he plainly restrains this Ordinance of the Apostles as above he did the Ordinance of the Spirit to that which the Church did in the Holy Eucharist and that concerned only them who were at rest in Christ Nothing of Souls in pains and torment is mentioned in the Ancient Liturgies or Prayers of the Church As for this Fathers speaking of prayer for such sinners as he described in all the forementioned places such as were gone to endless pains yet might receive as he thought a little case thereby we must reckon it as a private opinion and misapplication of that practise of praying for the Dead And indeed he seems to acknowledge so much himself for in his forementioned Hom. 61. in Jo. he faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in relation to those his exhortations for such prayers and offerings These things I speak not as one giving precept or setting a Law but as one allowing and condescending to the affections and frailties of men The Romanists here reply that St. Chrysost and others seem to urge Prayer for All because they knew not who died in the state of repentance and so they pray for all in the Church of Rome yet hold those prayers appliable to and available for only those that dye in that state and go to Purgatory pains This is a meer shift for St. Chrysost does plainly suppose that those sinners he speaks of died in their sins such Chrys hom 61. in lo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if God had seen they would have changed he would not have cut them off before their repentance as we had it above such as he in another place speaks thus of of such a one there is no cause to rejoyce but only because the course of his wicked life is cut off yet for such he exhorts to pray and offer and help him as they can And indeed the reason of this extending the benefit of Prayers to such sinners was not any supposal of Purgatory but of some mitigating and easing of those eternal pains to which such sinners were adjudged and this in part according to that merciful opinion and the motion of humane affection of which St. Aug. speaks in his Enchiridion C. 111. as we noted above and to which affection St. Chrysost gives too much scope as we see in the forementioned passages of prayers oblations for such sinners But as for Purgatory pains which are supposed to begin at death to end before the resurrection he knew no such pains as evidently appears by that exact distribution of the several sorts of punishments made by this Father and cited below Nu. 11. What we have said of some expressions of Chrysost applying prayer and relief to such sinners as before were described may be said of that place which the Romanists much urge out of St. Cyril Myst â—atech 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril who tels us they prayed simply for all and accounted it a great help to those souls for which the prayer of the great and holy sacrifice was offered and the great power which that prayer hath to help he sets out by the similitude of a King intreated to pardon and call back one that is banished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to the same manner saith he we praying for sinners render God propitious Now if it be after the same manner then by the force of this similitude it must be implyed that the prayers of the Church may obtain pardon for sinners not reconciled to God before their death for so the banished person is supposed to be not reconciled to his Prince and then it sounds to like purpose as those passages in Chrysostom did and is but a private application or misapplication of that Ancient practise neither agreeable to the intent of the Ancient Church remembring in her prayers and offerings only those that were at rest in Christ as by the Forms of those prayers may appear nor making any thing for Purgatory which supposes the person reconciled and justified before he comes there But if the Sinners which Cyril here saith are prayed for be taken in a more remiss sense for such as the Romish Church sends to purgatory then the praying for them comes to no more then what we said above to Epiphanius and Dionysius that such prayer had reference to the passage of such souls and their appearing in judgment not to their being in pains after death For that such persons must appear in judgment the first and the last judgment and undergo a scrutiny or examination and have as it were their hay and stubble burnt up was a Catholick Truth but that persons reconciled to God dying and resting in Christ should presently go to pain and torment was no doctrine of the Church and therefore the prayers of the Church could not refer unto such persons And we may observe that the undoubted Cyril for those Mystagogical Catechismes are thought to be composed by John B. Cyril Catech 15. of Jerusalem tels us that Christ when he comes to judgment shall draw after him a sloud of trying fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shall burn up all hay and stubble of their Actions So that if such sinners be prayed for it must be with reference to the fire of trial and examination which they are to undergo in the day of Judgment and according to the true Cyril Thus much for that practise of the Church praying for the Dead that it does not prove a belief of Purgatory but was used upon other Reasons The third general Head was Forgiveness of sins after Death Forgiveness of sins after death or in the world to come out of which the Romanists would conclude a Purgatory The Text of Scripture is our Saviours speech Mat. 12.32 it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Here they are bound to make good three things 1. That the world to come signifies the Time beginning at every mans death 2. That from our Saviours Negative nor in the world to come this affirmative followes therefore there are some sins shall be forgiven in the World to come 3. That if some sins shall be forgiven then to them to whom they shall be forgiven there remains pain and torment to be suffered I. For the Time Of the world to come The world to come is no where put for the Time between every mans death and the Resurrection for so it would be present to some and future to others but is every where seculum futurum which is so to every one whether it be taken according to the Jewish acception or the Christian With the Jewes the world to come did sometimes signifie the Time of their exspected