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Show A Seafonable Caveat ·againft PoPERY; VoL. I. ufed fo frequently to meet with the like Incoberenctt, •rwould amaze me to read fuch dif..joynted Matter, .and unnatural Confeq?ences; Things in their own Nature, fo remote and oppofire : what Relanon has the R~fllr· r~Elitm to the Souls eptering P11'fatory, or that Popifh middle Stare? Who art tbq t1Jal art baJitiztd? An who tboftfor wbomtbty r«rt boptittd? And bow b~tve either any Rtlation to Prayers, f or tbt dttzd Men, and Souls in Pargatorl ? Bm the R'liiJ.Ziuft thinks, h?w::ver, that God is not offended atthi• chantable praaice :bear what he fays. Pap. Neitbercan we difurn, bow poj]ibly tbit may bt conceivtd offmjive to God i tvbofe JNjlitt herein at hope, we Jo humbly 11ppeaje, by an l::xtrcife of Brothrrly Compa!fion. ilnfw. It is no Wonder at a11, that blind Mcu do not fee, and fucb as Error has hood~winkt for Generations, we can"t think ihould difcero Truth, till they dare truft their Eyer, Ears and Unduftandingr, to anfwet the End for which God gave them. . There can he nothing conceived more ofrenfivc to God,as well as unreafom. ble with Men; than that a mortal Creature (inJtbted bimft/f, mere thaft tVtr !Jecan difchorgt) fhou\d be able tO appeafe the difp\eafed Juftice of an infinite God. Tht .Arr~ancy •f this Saying only _fitt tbe Si.&t and Mettfure of tt mtritoriom Papi • But the Man fearing this Retort, would anticipate it"sforce by an hal Confeffion, and Solution thus, Pap. There is no Law of God which ajf11rtt tit, iH Rigour o/ ]11jlice, of God"s JJ.cceptance of the .AOs of another MaR, /or my Sinr ; ytt tbH hindrn not b11t that they mtiJ prevail by WaJ of Suffnge 1111..d Impetration, for our Pardon. .Anfw. If he coul<l.have given but one Place of Scripture, it would have helpt the Matter: but we take Leave to fay, We will not be wife (in this Cafe) ~bove what is written, and guod non /egd, non cftJ.o. I {hall re-turn this (hon Anfwer to this Evafion. It is a poor Shift from the Force Of the Objeaion \ for not only in the llriftell, but largelt Senfe too, God only. out of his free Gift and Mercy in Cbrift JefJJJ, is .Jiutbor of our Rt· lfli.ffion, and Jlorsivenefs. Since there ~n fcarcely be a more abfurd Pofiti• on, than tbat a J11an unable to relirot bimfelf, foould he tbt Occttfion of Rt· lief to others, in tbe fame Condition, whether by appealing Divint Jufiic:e or by Suffrage only, (a Word incongruous, and inapplicable in this Place.) Befides, w{Jat need is tbtrt for praying for Souls in Purgatory? that thej thould be faved 1 that is held for granted before they go thither .. It;,, t~at they jho11/d be delivered tbr11cel that is.tbC Confeq11en~ . ofthe.Op~~ mon. Or would they, that God jho11ld forbear btr Hnnd, ond mmglltt hu Rz~ lour ? which feemt the moft natural Confequence of their Opinion. If fo, they are the greatell Enemies 1 for their holding tlint tht End of the Chaflifttnents of P11rgatory, is to prepare them for litii'Vtn i by bow much the left tbey are chajliftd by thoft fory .AIJiifliont, b1 fo much tbe /eft, tbey art purged, anil confequtntl] the mort u'n'jit for Heaven. So t'britjince Htti· 'Vtn zsfoonefl attainable, a1 tbtir Sw/1 come to lie ~bt fooneR, trnil~Pft_t{f eOunUy pursed, they in Chari~ aUght to pt•y, tbllt God t»ou!ll meNd his Fire, add Futlro bir Flamtt, and double his jitry Tortllrts, that they 71UJ)' httht fo011er purg7d and more rt.jined for 1ie~ven. . . Thus whllfl: rhe Ramaniflt are argumg for P11rgrrtory, they confUte them1 felves by not under.ndtftg it. - I fhall conclude~ Jftnfe of tbi's Poiut, with the Authority of Scriptllrt, Rea[on, and .Ant;quity. . . Filft, Then jhaU the Dufl return to the Earth, 111 it 'f»hl, ·tmJ theSpmt unto God tvbo gavt it, Ecclef. 12. 7· Gen. 3· 9· (then lOOt to Purgatory.) . Secondly, FoJ.tbere i1 no Work nor Drvice, nor ·Krtilw1t!JJ.e, ntJr WijJom. m t fotGTtJve, ubtJbtr t1Jou goe/l, Eccl.ef. 9, tc. (th'el) nOne in PUrgatoty.) Thirdly, .And th~y. fioned Stephen, coOing 11pon Gad, ana Saying,. L~i ]tfTirr<wve my Spmr, Ails 7· 59· (no Pargotory llill, but a ~ertUJn 1m· lllutablc State.) That VoL. I. A S1ajonab/e Caveat againft PoPBI\Y, That it is againft all Reafon, I offi:r thefe Confideration,. 1ft. No Man can merit for anothe,r; nor it it pD.ffib/e a ptJor inJ.tb d .ll1 jhou!d Pll) another' I Drbz {it may be greater than his own) and 11ft h' b~' to pay bu own. • Ol e a e 2d. The Repentance ought to be. where the Sin is (but rbe s· · · h ) t bert{ort jho11/d I be .Repent qnc.e· he bert a!fo. • m 11 ere 3d . . Where rhe(e IS a ~eifat1on . from Sinning, there is a Ce!fatit fi ~epe:nunce; but thtre 11 a CtjfalloR from Sinni11§, therefore ;1 tbtron Ct~~~ tlo11fro;11 Repentance. t a '.lla . 4rh .. What ever attends the .Soul, after Separation frOm this mo tal L1fe, 11 lmmortaltmd Ettrnaf; thlS none can deny buthrg t · -~~ that atunds tbt Soul after tb~ m_orral I:if'!, and tbt,.;fore fay I, a;;'[;;~~~~~~:~ !al aRd Et~rnaiSJau. And tf 1~ be, .tt ts e~ther for fomething, or not bin 1f for nothzng, God makes Thmgs lD vam : If fqr tht Sot~/• of Mtn a~J Women; then tbe.r are never to be r•n[omed tbtncl. But fince the Romanifl.t hold a Redempuo!' from thence,, , ibtir Con[tf!ion of tht Ttmporarinifs of tb~t S,tote proves 1t .a meer . Fidron , for when the S611/ it 'wirbdrarun from tbrr .vifib!t mortal Life_, ~btch /l~ntl$ in-TimeJ it is centred;;, an Jnvij/b!t and tmmortal ~tote, beyo!'J tbt Wmgs and Reach o{Time, , In flton, this World Jsthe Stage, on which ali Men do :iEt.forEt ·· ~ and ev~ry Venture of th~irs, bri.ngs it true Weight of•eternal iJ.fe or j)~~t~, Dtatb zs the Confllmltldtlon of aU, 1anJ wht11 fJJt' ce.fe to worA t»t e 1 ' RnP4rl. Buti~Purg:uory w~e. in being i tJbe ,grettttjl w:r.t a:/: ,;o;; doNe there ; whtch, becaufe u JS a;bfurd ~o affirm_, we cpnch~tle that a/ten D6atb.,.. '!-"' ceaf~ fro!fl all oil!" L,bourt, and enter :Jpon Dllr Rtcomll ...t everlaflmg Hoppu:cft or Mifery. ctnce "A I !hall fubjoyn (orqe Authorities (rom Antiquity. · , Jn11 iiJ :• The Senfe of Antiquity, and their own Authors. · Th~ DoEtrine of Praying for the Dead, we k.now, was too Qld a Praflice: yet notfoold as.the .A-poftle. B~thow? Asfor SoulzinaibirdP/ace(fof that t~efe Romamih ml.ln by t~eu Purgatory, howevet modeit they feerrf by thm half ~xpreflions). nothmg lefs I However the Superllitlon of the Pap!fJ~, has dnven them mto fo foul an Ap~re,henfion. But the Ancients behevwg there woul~ ~ a General Day of judgment, prayed· th~t God would !hew S~ch Mercy m that Day. . qrtgorf the firll is faid tQ be It'~ Fa~he~ . Certam we 3re, that Sulltrflrtton wa1 hath r't's .Motb•r d ·' :N .r. F h h. < d p r . l • ' on It llfJl: ,' or t at t lS JOn urgatQ_rJan Opinion is altogether new, read both theu own Au.thors, and. the Fa.tb.en. Po/yfl. cap. 1. De InVen. rtruw. illphonf a Caflro hb. 8. vtrb, tndul. hb. 12. It~. Purgar. fo Sextm Stnt!l" iUeJma, CoffanJer, and BtUarmine himfelf. 'Jll, Tpat the Fat~ers difow~'d it, i~ the Senfe afferted by the Ronianiffs; anc1 .pamcularly tbe1r great SamtA;uilm. Let thei_D perufe thefe Places, ] 110. Mar:/:' Refp. ad queil. ]S· Cyprum a.d Demttrran • . Sea. 16, ~'i. and in Serttl..' t la{'jiJ. Grt~. Nazlfl!l Drat, .1~. !ID p!ttg.grandmU. Jbgufl. EncbiriJ. ~,3p;.: 6&, ~9· Agatp dt "pogmot. Ealif. 6, cap. 79· 'But obove all, that t6e Romamfls fbould pray for thofe, to whom they pr3y to inrercede:for them fit 010R !l.b~urd; yet this is frequent.) . But for this .Time enoogb~ - ' IX.. Of the".Moral 'Lr~, of Ohedic:nce to Ci11il Magiftr~tes. . . 'J>aptft. w· E f. iucthtr Jf firmly 5tlievt, and 6igb/y Rrotrenet the morA , ,, Lf'riJ1 b!inz fo foltll{nly de!iverlil'td Mofes upotr 1tbt M61111tr, 0 Q;qq " .. fo |
