Section 2

SECTION 2

OF REPENTANCE AND OBEDIENCE.

Question 14. WHAT doth the Church of Rome teach concerning repentance?

Answer:

(1.) It teacheth that contrition, which is a sorrow for sin past, and a purpose of not committing it for the future, though perfected with charity, is not sufficient to reconcile a person to God without penance, or confession to a Priest either in act or desire. (Concil. Trid. Sess. 14, c. 4. Catech. Rom. Pars 2, de Sacrament. Paenit. n. 38.)

(2.) She teacheth that attrition, or imperfect contrition, proceeding merely from the fear of Hell, is equivalent to contrition, by virtue of confession; and that attrition doth dispose to receive the grace of the sacrament of penance, and leads to justification. (Sess. 14, cap. 4. Bellarm. de Paenit. 1. 2, c. 18, sec. Sed sciendum est.) — See Question 77.

REPLY. Contrition is but another word for repentance; and repentance is a qualification for pardon and reconciliation: “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17.) “Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19.) The same texts which make contrition sufficient, without confession to the Priest, make attrition insufficient without there be contrition. And as the former doctrine of the insufficiency of contrition without confession, makes that necessary which God hath not made necessary; so this latter of the sufficiency of attrition upon confession to the Priest without contrition, makes that unnecessary which God hath made necessary.

Q. 15. What is the judgment of the Church of Rome as to good works? A. The Church of Rome doth affirm that the good works of justified persons do truly deserve eternal life; (Concil. Trid. Sess. 6, c. 16;) and if anyone say that such works do not truly deserve an increase of grace here, and eternal life hereafter, let him be accursed. (Ibid. Can. 32.) “Our good works do merit eternal life, not only by virtue of God’s covenant and acceptation, but also by reason of the work itself.” (Bellarm. de Justif. 1. 5, c. 17.)

REPLY. Truly to deserve is to make God our debtor: “To him that worketh” (that is, that meriteth) “is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” (Romans 4:4.) “But can a man be profitable to God?” (Job 22:2.) Our Savior teaches us otherwise: “When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10.) A command to do it, and grace to obey that command, and a “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” as a reward, (2 Corinthians 4:17,) will shame the pretense of real merit, and turn the anathema upon themselves. And they may as soon reconcile light and darkness, as the grace of God and merit of Christ to this doctrine.

Q. 16. But is there no allowance for such as have not good works of their own sufficient to merit for themselves?

A. Yes; there are indulgences to be obtained, by which persons may be discharged from the punishment of sin here and in purgatory; and if any affirm these indulgences to be useless, or that the Church hath no power to grant them, he is accursed. (Concil. Trid. Sess. 20, Decret. de Indulg.) The Popes and Prelates of the Church are judges appointed by God to remit faults and punishments in his name by an indolence, if so be justice be satisfied through the application of the satisfaction of Christ and his saints. (Bellarm. de Indulg. 1. 1, c. 5, sec. Jam vero.)

REPLY. What God binds, no person can untie; and what he unties, no man can bind. But this course of indulgence, still upheld in the Church of Rome, doth untie what God doth bind; it makes sin easy and cheap, and prostitutes the strict rules of Christianity to the basest purposes. For when a person can have a plenary indulgence for so trivial a satisfaction as the standing before the doors of St. Peter’s Church at Rome, when the Pope blesses the people at Easter, it makes sin as easy to be committed as pardoned.

Q. 17. How far do those indulgences extend?

A. Sometimes to days, sometimes to years, nay, some of them were plenary indulgences; f19 some were for a discharge from punishments here, others from the pains of purgatory, f20 and some granted an eternal reward Q. 18. Upon what terms were those indulgences to be obtained? A. By money, f21 pilgrimages, f22 assisting the Pope, f23 reciting certain prayers. f24

REPLY. The scandal given by them was so notorious, that order was given by the Council of Trent for reforming the abuses of them; but when the Fathers thought fit not to discover those abuses, and only forbad wicked gain, (Sess. 25, Decret. de Indulg.,) they left a large scope for making a gain of them. And two of the Popes under whom that Council sat, viz., Paul III., and Julius III., (A Bull of Indulgence to the Fraternity of the Altar, Paris, 1550, verse B. Taylor’s Defence, Part II., 1. 2, p. 8,) proceeded in the same course as their predecessors, if they did not exceed them; for by their Bulls, there is granted to all such of the Fraternity of the Holy Altar, as visit the Church of St. Hilary of Chartres, during the six weeks of Lent, 775,700 years of pardon, besides fourteen or fifteen plenary indulgences. And since that, Urban VIII., (Bullar. to 3., p. 74,) and Clement X., (A.D. 1671. Bull upon the Canonization of five Saints,) have granted by their indulgence a plenary remission of sins.

Q. 19. Upon what pretense or reason is the doctrine and practice of indulgences founded?

A. Upon works of supererogation, f25 that is, the overplus of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints, which is a treasury, (Concil. Trid. Sess., 21, c. 9,) committed to the Church’s custody, f26 and to be disposed of as she sees meet. (Bellarm. Ibid. c. 3.)

REPLY. “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us;” (Romans 8:18;) so 2 Corinthians 4:17. “Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12.) If there be no comparison betwixt the reward and our sufferings for it, then no one has merit to transfer to another; and if every man must give an account of himself, then no man can be saved by the merits of another. But suppose there is a superabundance of satisfactions in the saints; yet what need is there of them, when there is such an infinite value in the sufferings of Christ, who “by one offering hath forever perfected them that are sanctified;” (Hebrews 10:14;) or who gave the Church the power so to apply them?

Q. 20. Whither do the souls of those go that die in a state of grace, but are not sufficiently purged from their sins, or have not had a plenary indulgence for the remission of them?

A. Such go to purgatory, a place of torment in the other world, near to hell, (Bellarm. de Purg., 1. 2, c. 6, sec. Quinta est,) where they are to continue till they have made full satisfaction for their sins, and are thoroughly purged and prepared for heaven, whereinto no unclean thing can enter. (Catech. Rom., par. 1, c. 6, n. 3.)

Q. 21. How come those persons to be punished in the other world, who depart in a state of grace out of this?

A. Because they have not here fulfilled the penance imposed upon them, or due from them to God. (Bellarm. de Indulg., 1.1, c. 6, 7.) See Quest. 19. REPLY. That those that die in a state of grace are yet in a state of torment, and are to be purged in the other world, is contrary to Scripture and antiquity. “There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1.) “Whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Verse 30.) “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth: Who is he that condemneth?” (Verses 33, 34.) As justification and condemnation are here opposed by the Apostle, so are condemnation and glorification; and he that is justified, upon the same reason that he cannot be condemned, shall be glorified. Now, the elect are justified before they go out of this world; and consequently shall have nothing laid to their charge in the next.

“The servants of God then have peace, then enjoy quiet rest and security; when, being drawn from these storms of the world, we arrive at the haven of our everlasting habitation and security; when, this death being ended, we enter into immortality.” (St. Cypr. de Mortal., sec. 2.)

“Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43.) paradise is acknowledged to be the seat of the blessed. (Bellarm. de Sanct. Beat., 1. 1, c. 3, Testim. 4.) Now, if there was a purgation necessary for sinners, he that believed and repented not till the last moment of his life, might be well supposed to need it; and should have been sent rather to purgatory than paradise.

After the night of this life there is no purgation; and “it is better to be corrected and purged now, than to be sent to the torment there, where the time of punishing is and not of purging.” (Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 15, in Plag. Grand.)

Q. 22. Of what continuance is the punishment of that state? A. It is but for an appointed time; and the person is to continue in it till he is purged from his sin, and has suffered the punishment due to it. (Catech. Ibid.; Bellarm. De Purg., 1. 2, c. 8, sec. Quantum ad primum.) REPLY. The state that believers immediately enter upon after death, is said to be “life” for the comfort, and “everlasting” for the continuance, of it. “He that believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24.)

So St. Cyprian: “The end of this life being completed, we are divided into the habitations of everlasting, either death or immortality.” (Ad Demetr., sec. 16.)

Q. 23. Is there no way by which the souls of those that are in purgatory may be delivered out of that prison, and their time of torment shortened?

A. They may be helped and delivered by the suffrages of the faithful that are alive; that is, by prayers, alms, and masses; and other works of piety, such as indulgences. (Concil. Trid., Sess. 25, Decr. de Purgat.; Sess. 22, can. 3. Bellarm. de Purgat., 1. 2, c. 16, sec. Ad haec.)

REPLY. “Betwixt us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you” (to relieve you) “cannot.” (Luke 16:26.) As the state in which Abraham and Lazarus were, needed no relief; so that in which the rich man was, could not obtain it. “After death is no help to be gotten by godliness or repentance. Lazarus doth not there go to the rich man, nor the rich man unto Lazarus. For the garners are sealed up, and the time is fulfilled.” (Epiphanius contr. Cathar., Haer. 59.) And if a man’s own repentance cannot help him, much less can another’s good works profit him.

So St. Jerome: “While we are in this world, we may be able to help one another, either by our prayers, or by our counsels: But when we shall come before the judgment-seat of Christ, neither Job, nor Daniel, nor Noah, can intreat for anyone; but every one must bear his own burden.” (Lib. 3, Com. in Galat., c. 6.) And he elsewhere saith: “What shall be to all in the day of judgment, this is accomplished to every one at the day of death.” (In Joel, c. 2.)

Q. 24. Is the doctrine of purgatory a matter of faith, and necessary to be believed?

A. Yes: For whosoever shall say that there is no debt of temporal punishment to be paid, either in this world or in purgatory, before there can be an admission into heaven, is accursed. (Concil. Trid., Sess. 6, Can. 30, & Sess. 25, Decret. de Purg.) And whosoever shall say, The sacrifice of the mass is not to be used for the dead, is accursed. (Ibid., Sess. 22, Can. 3.) This is one of the principles, without the belief of which there is no salvation. (Bulla Pii Quarti.)

REPLY. Bishop Fisher saith, that there is none or very little mention of purgatory among the ancients. (Roffens. Lutheri Confut., Art. 18; & Polyd. Virg. de Invent. 1. 8, c. 1.) It is then no little encroachment on the Christian world, to make it now a doctrine of faith, and to require it, upon pain of damnation, to be believed.

Q. 25. In what place were the souls of the Patriarchs, and other good men, before the coming of Christ?

A. Before the death and resurrection, (Catech. Rom., par. 1, c. 6, n. 3, 6,) or asceusion of Christ, (Bellarm. de Christ., 1. 4, c. 11,) the gates of heaven were open to none; and the souls of good men departed were detained in a certain place called Limbus Patrum, which is the uppermost part of hell; the lowermost being the place of the damned; next above that, purgatory; next to that, limbus infantum; above that, limbus patrum. (Bellarm. de Purg. 1. 2, c. 6, sec. Quod autem.)

REPLY. We read that Elijah was taken up into heaven, (2 Kings 2:11,) and he and Moses appeared in glory. (Luke 9:30; Matthew 17:2.) And Abraham is represented as in paradise, the blessed abode of good men in the other world. (Luke 16:23.)

So St. Austin expounds it: “The bosom of Abraham is the rest of the blessed poor, whose is the kingdom of heaven, into which, after this life, they are received.” (Quaest. Evangel., 1. 2, c. 38.)

Q. 26. In what condition were they while thus detained in limbo? A. They are not agreed in the nature and condition of the place: For the Catachism saith, “They were sustained by hope, and were without any sense of grief.” (N. 3.) And presently, that, “although they were without other sense of grief, yet, being kept in suspense, they were tormented with the hope of that blessed glory which they did expect.” (N. 4.) REPLY. But the Scripture tells us, that the state where Abraham was, was not only a state of rest, but also of comfort. (Luke 16:25.) Q. 27. How and when were they delivered thence?

A. They were delivered by Christ at his descent into hell; (Catech. Rom., Ibid., n. 5, 6;) so that ever since that place remains empty. (Bellarm. de Purg., 1. 2, c. 6, sec. Octava est.)

REPLY. The Scripture says not one word of this.

Q. 28. What use do they make of this doctrine?

A. Hereby they give a reason why there is neither precept nor example in the Old Testament for the invocation of saints departed, (Bellarm. de Sanct. Beat., 1. 1, c. 19, sec. Item Exod.,) because they were, for their punishment, enclosed in this place, and were there held bound by the devils, till delivered by Christ. (Catech. Rom., ibid., n. 5.) And so the people of those times only prayed to God; and did not use to say, “Holy Abraham, pray for me.” (Bellarm., Ibid.)

REPLY. There is neither precept nor example for the invocation of saints in the New Testament; and if that be a reason for a limbus before Christ, it may be a reason for a limbus still; and they may as well exclude the saints from heaven now as then, if there be no more for their invocation in the New Testament than was in the Old. Thus Salmero, a learned disputant in the Council of Trent: “Invocations of saints have no express ground in all the Scriptures.” (Ad 1 Tim. 2, Disp. 7, sec. Sed cum autem et nec obstat.)