Of Purgatory.
What is the Pope's doctrine of purgatory?
So that they may not be wronged, I will faithfully and sincerely record their opinion from their champion, Robert Bellarmine, who is now their most distinguished scribe, and set down here what they think of purgatory.
About purgatory.103
First, he says, the papists call purgatory a place in which, as in a dungeon, after this life the souls are purged which have not been so perfectly purified in the temporal life that they might have gone to heaven, Bell. lib. 1. de purgat. c. 1.
Secondly, the scholastics held that this place under the earth was divided into four parts: in the one were the damned, in the other those who were still to be baptized, in the third the children who died without baptism, in the fourth those who died before Christ's Passion. Bellarm. lib. 2. de purgat. c. 6.
Thirdly, they believe that the fire with which the souls are tormented is a very real fire and the very fire that burns in hell. Thus the souls are tormented with infernal fire in the furnace of hell, and are martyred and burned in the most horrible manner. Bellarm. lib. 2. de purgat. c. 10. & 11. & 14.
But it is still uncertain whether the souls are thus tormented by devils or by angels, or by fire alone, nor is it actually known how long such torment lasts. Bellarm. lib. 2. de purgat, c. 9. & 13.
In this agony, however, the souls are helped a great deal by the Church's intercessions, by Masses for the soul, by indulgences and indulgences. Lib. 2. de purgat. c. 1.5. & 16.
Therefore, let such souls be sure that they will finally go to heaven and be eternally saved. Libro eodem, Cap. 4.
Their doctrine of purgatory consists in these parts. What do you think now, dear Christian, is it unjust, is it wrong that we Evangelicals do not accept such a poem, reject it and do not allow it to pass for an article of faith? Have we not reason enough?
What causes?
We have not one, but several, not minor, but highly important causes:
1. Because no word of this purgatory is found in all sacred Scripture, which of the Old Testament many popes themselves have confessed.
2. Because it was introduced not only without Scripture, but also contrary to Scripture and the Word of God, which will now be sufficiently demonstrated.
3. For the Scriptures, when they often speak of the state of souls, do not refer to more than two states: heaven and hell, eternal salvation and eternal damnation Mark 16 [:16]: He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be damned. There is no thought of a purgatory, no middle place.
4. Which the parable, Luke 16, of the rich man and the poor Lazarus likewise confirms, since there are only two states to be found, salvation and damnation.
5. St. Paul, in the first epistle to the Thessalonians in chapter 4 [:13 ff.], says that he does not want the state of the dead to be unknown. For this reason he explains this doctrine to them, but no mention is made of purgatory.
6. It is evident from papal writing that only the pious souls who fall asleep in the Lord go to purgatory, and not immediately to heaven or into the hand of God. But now it is certain that this is contrary to Scripture, for it says that those who believe and die in faith will not be tormented but will have eternal life. And this immediately after their death, so that the soul is not martyred with hellish torment in purgatory.
In the 3rd chapter of the Book of Wisdom [:1]: The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment touches them. John 3 [:18]: He who believes in the Son will not be judged, but he who does not believe has already been judged. John 5 [:24]: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who keeps my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. In the 14th chapter of the Revelation of John [:13]: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
7. Take the example of the thief who, in the opinion of the popes, still had many sins to be punished, and would have been worthy of several years in purgatory. But Christ the Lord says to him, Luke 23 [:43]: Today you will be with me in paradise. It does not say that if you will be saved from purgatory for 3, 6, 10,
20, 30, etc. years. year, I will take you into paradise, but today, today, when your soul departs from the body, it shall be with me in paradise.
8. Where is it also possible that they will only be saved in purgatory? The dead can no longer earn anything. The dead will not praise the Lord. In the 115th Psalm [:17]. Nor can other people's merit, other people's work, come to their aid, as Christ indicates in Matthew 25 [:8-9]: When the foolish virgins wanted to borrow oil from the wise, it was not for them; the door was shut behind them. Nor can they turn back after death, but as they should, so they lie, as it says in the 11th chapter of Ecclesiastes [:3-4]: When the tree falls, let it fall at noon or midnight, on whichever place it falls, there it will lie.
9. It is also not time after death to purify ourselves of all sins and to prepare ourselves properly for salvation in purgatory. God has given us enough time in this life; he who does not repent there is lost; there will be no more repentance, no more penitence, no more supplication. This is why St. Paul says in the epistle to the Galatians in chapter 6 [:10]: Since we now have time, let us do good. And in the second epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 6 [:2]: Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Now, says Paul, not in purgatory after death, for which reason the Holy Spirit so highly exhorts us in the 95th Psalm [:7-8 ]: Today, if you hear his voice, do not hide your heart. He who does not repent here, who is not reconciled to God here, will certainly be too late there in purgatory. Let it not be said, as it is written in the first chapter of Proverbs [:24], Because I call and you refuse, I stretch out my hand and no one heeds it, and you forsake all my counsel and do not want my punishment. So I will laugh at you in your mischief, and mock you when that which you fear comes.
Again [:28]: Then they will call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early and not find me.
10. The doctrine of purgatory also contradicts the merit of Jesus Christ. For if hellish purgatory must cleanse the faithful from their sins, it follows
irrefutably that Christ's suffering and death do not cleanse us from all our sins, which, as shown above in the article on justification, is stated so many times in Scripture that we have been healed by his wounds. Isaiah 53 [:3]: And that Christ is the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the whole world. In the first epistle of John 2 [:2]: Nor is there any other name given whereby one may be saved than the name of Jesus. So purgatory must fall, and must be false, that purgatory may cleanse us from our sins, that masses, vigils, indulgences, and the like may help us to heaven, as the popes clearly declare; for Christ is the only Mediator; it is he alone who saves us. 1 Timothy 2, Isaiah 45, Isaiah 63.
11. Argues against the article of faith in the forgiveness of sins. Christ says: What is loosed here on earth shall be loosed in heaven [Matt. 18:18-20]. Nowhere does it say that what we shall loose in purgatory by keeping Mass, by vigils, by pilgrimages, by money, by indulgences, shall be loosed in heaven.
12. If purgatory is contrary to the nature and kind of our faith, St. Paul says in Romans 5 [:1]: Now that we have been justified by faith, we have peace. But in purgatory we have no peace, because there we are to be burned with hellish flames. And who would long to come out of this life in this way, if we were to endure hellish torment, even if we had fallen asleep in the Lord? St. Paul who says [Phil. 1:23]: I desire to depart and to be with Christ. Bellarminus and the popes desire only that they may enter purgatory and be tormented there either by devils, or by angels, or by infernal fire. May God protect us from that lust for which no God-fearing man ever longed, neither in the Old nor in the New Testament. St. Paul, as we have heard, comforts himself, and his soul longs for Christ. David longs for the living God in the 42nd Psalm [:1-2]: As a deer cries out for fresh water, so my soul cries out to God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come to see the face of God? This is the nature of our faith, not that we should wish for such hellish torment or be afraid of it.
13. That souls are only certain of their salvation in purgatory is also contrary to God. Job was still alive and says in chapter 19 [:25]: He knew that his Redeemer would raise him up and give him salvation. St. Paul was still alive when he said to the Romans in chapter 8 [:38]: I am sure of this, that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, etc., can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. St. John was still alive and wrote to the living in the third chapter of the first epistle of John [:2 ]: We are now children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know that when it appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Behold, they all knew this before they died, before they went into purgatory, for none of them went into purgatory. Christ says [Mark 16:16]: He who believes and is baptized is sure of salvation. It does not say: And he who enters purgatory. For these and other highly important reasons, we can with a clear conscience accept purgatory as no article of faith, because purgatory is contrary to God's Word, without God's Word and contrary to our articles of faith, which a pious heart can easily see for the reasons given.
Many pious people die a Christian death, but have not yet been forgiven of all their sins; they now go to purgatory.
Whoever dies in Christ Jesus in a truly Christian and blessed manner has forgiveness of all sins; for through faith in Christ Jesus all sins are covered and completely forgiven, both great sins and others. Nor does the Scripture say that forgiveness of sins is to be expected in purgatory after this life, but we sing in our Christian faith: Here all sins are forgiven. And St. Peter says in the 10th chapter of the Apostolic Histories [Acts 10:43]: All the prophets testify of Jesus that in his name all who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins. Since the souls in purgatory do not believe in God, do not believe in Christ Jesus, and since faith extends only to this time of life, not to this world, it is clear that the souls in purgatory cannot obtain forgiveness of sins after this life, much less will they acquire salvation from sins through their sufferings or works,
because no man can reconcile God with all his own righteousness, or expiate a single sin. It must be done by the precious rose-colored blood of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, who by himself and not by means of purgatory has purchased eternal redemption. Hebrews 9.
Because some are weak in faith, they cannot go to heaven immediately, but must remain in purgatory for a while longer.
Perhaps they will be launched in their faith in purgatory? Through what? They do not hear God's Word there, they have no sacrament, they would only be strengthened in their faith through hellish torture. Such absurd and abominable teachings follow from the poem of purgatory. But it is to be known that faith justifies, not by being weak or strong, but by beholding Jesus Christ. So a weak faith cannot be an obstacle to salvation, for it is faith after all. And the weak faith grasps the Jesus Christ that the strong one grasps, just as a weak hand grasps the gold coin that the strong one grasps. For God does not want to break the bruised reed or extinguish the smoldering wick. Isaiah 42 [:3] So this argument is as much to purgatory as nothing.
Since nothing common or unclean may enter heaven, Rev. 21 [:27], and souls cannot be purified in this way here on earth, they must be completely polished and purified in purgatory.
We can be cleansed from all sins in this world through the Word, through the holy sacraments, through the blood of Jesus Christ, which the Scriptures clearly testify, Isaiah 1 [:18]: If your sin is as red as blood, let it become as white as snow; if it is as the color of scarlet, let it become as wool. 1 John 1 [:7]: The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. This is why St. Paul says of his Corinthians in the first epistle in chapter 6 [:11]: You have been washed, you have been sanctified, you have been justified by the name of Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. In how many passages it is to be noted that we are made clean through Christ Jesus, not through purgatory. And lest they seek escape
here in this life, we can be made somewhat pure through Christ, but not entirely undefiled. So let a pious heart give heed to the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians in chapter 5 [:25-27], which read thus: Christ gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify it, and purify it (not only in purgatory or after this life) by the washing of water in the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or stain or any such thing, but that it might be holy and blameless.
This passage is as clear as day, proving how Christ Jesus cleanses his believers through his blood, Word and Sacrament here in this life so that no stain or wrinkle can be seen or felt on them. It is therefore unnecessary that they should only be cleansed of their stains in purgatory. Jesus Christ's blood will be a thousand times more powerful than all the power of purgatory, which cannot eradicate the slightest sin. But the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1 [:7]. And if Christians here in this world, as the adversaries themselves confess, can be saved from the greatest sins, why not also from the lesser, from the other infirmities, stains and wrinkles? In sum, this doctrine does not exist at all, but is contrary to the revealed Word of God, as has now been proven.
There are several passages on which the popes rely, especially one in the first epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 3 [: ], from which they want to prove purgatory.
The words of the same passage are thus [1 Cor. 3:11-14]: No one can lay any other foundation except the one laid by Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, everyone's work will be revealed. The day will make it clear, for it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will prove what kind of work each one has done. If someone's work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. But if someone's work is burned up, he will suffer the loss, but he himself will be saved, if only through the fire.
Because fire and probation are mentioned here, they immediately want to infer a purgatory. But whoever considers these words correctly will see that they are never to be understood of papal purgatory. For where is it said that it is a hellish fire in which souls are purified and swept away from their sins? Where does it say that sins are expiated in purgatory? Where does it say that this fire sweeps? Where is it said that in the fire the souls are so miserably tormented after this life before they are let into heaven? All this is to be proved by the passage of St. Paul, if it is to be understood of purgatory.
So the holy apostle wants much more with these words, namely he compares the holy Christian church to a building in verse 9 [1 Cor. 3:9]: You are God's building. He calls the preachers builders who build on the foundation, Jesus Christ. But the builders, he says, do not all build the same, some build gold, silver, precious stones, by which he fully understands the pure, right doctrine of the articles of faith. Just as the Holy Spirit often compares pure doctrine and the Word of God to gold and silver, in Proverbs 8 [:19], Psalms 19 [:10] and 119 [:72], etc. Some, although they keep the foundation of the building, Jesus Christ, yet they build on it wood, hay and stubble. That is, they mix in some errors, either out of simplicity, or out of ignorance, or out of carelessness, but such errors that do not run straight against the foundation of faith. Now how each one has built will be revealed; the day will make it clear, for it will be proved by fire. That is, it will be made clear in its own time, when the fire comes upon it. But what is called fire in Scripture? Purgatory alone? Not at all. Scripture knows nothing of papal purgatory, but the Holy Spirit does. Again: The word of the Lord. Again: The fire of the cross, of affliction, of temptation is found in Scripture and is called fire. As seen in Psalm 12 [:6-7], Malach 3 [:18 ], Acts 2, Luke 12 [:21?], 1 Peter 1 [:6-9], etc.
So St. Paul wants to say: After every man's work is found in the fire of temptation or in the fiery trial of the Word of God, he should receive it.
If his work remains in the fire and does not burn up, he will have its reward; but if it does not remain but burns up, he will lose it. He loses it, all his effort and work is in vain, he himself recognizes that his erroneous teaching did not stand the test in the examination and in the trial. But because he always retains the foundation, Jesus Christ, he is saved by fire. It is no different than when his stubble and wood are burned up and consumed in the fire.
This is the simple, clear meaning of these words according to Scripture, and from this it appears that St. Paul is greatly wronged, as if he had spoken of papal purgatory. Although some of the Fathers have applied this passage to purgatory, they have brought purgatory into the passage, not drawn from it. And precisely this false interpretation is to be counted among the stubble. The fathers are not condemned if they have interpreted the words differently than is right, for they have retained the foundation, Jesus Christ, and the stubble has been completely consumed and burned up in the fire of temptation.
As to how the words on papal purgatory are useless, one can conclude from this:
1. The apostle speaks only of teachers, for he says of those who build, those who plant, those who water, which does not refer to the hearers but to the teachers. But the popes speak of all Christians.
2. The apostle speaks only of those who will be saved. The popes also interpret the words of those who are condemned.
3. St. Paul speaks of fire figuratively and in the same way. The popes take the word fire literally.
4. St. Paul says that only the wood and stubble of those who build must be tried in the fire. The popes say: The souls themselves must be tormented, not their stubble alone.
5. St. Paul says that everything must be tried by fire. The gold, silver, and precious stones as well as the wood, hay, and stubble. The popes exclude the gold, silver and precious stones, saying: Only the stubble, that is, the remaining stains, wrinkles, venialia peccata, lingering sins, must go into the fire.
6. St. Paul says: It will be revealed. But the popes say that their purgatory is under the earth, which cannot be seen, and it does not help that they say that it will be revealed at the Last Day. For the apostle does not speak of the Last Day, but speaks evil of the day. So also purgatory will be no more at the Last Day, as the popes themselves confess. For this reason this passage cannot, nor should it be understood of the papal purgatory, as appears sufficiently from these foundations now narrated.
Verbum non fallit, multos speciosa fefellit Glossa, Dei verbo nitere, tutus eris.
The Word never deceives,
Your own gloss often and very much harms.
Do thou keep God's Word,
Let all false glosses go.
By God's clear Word alone,
Stay safe here, and there.
In Matthew 12 [:31], Christ says: Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the next. Since Christ distinguishes between this world and the next, we can conclude from his words that other sins are also forgiven in that world, and that there is no other place where sins are forgiven in that world than in purgatory, then purgatory can be clearly proven from this.
If the adversaries would only hold Scripture up to Scripture, they would easily find what the Lord Christ meant by these words, namely, that sin against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven, Luke 12 [:10]. It will never be forgiven in eternity, Mark 3 [:29]. Therefore Luther, of blessed memory, rightly interpreted and explained these phrases and manner of speaking from the two evangelists Mark and Luke in his Bible, where he writes that here Matthew says [:31 ]: Neither in this world nor in that, Mark thus says: He is guilty of an eternal guilt. This would already be the end of the matter, if one were to abandon all useless pondering and not pull Christ's text by the hair as proof of the purgatory. For where is the word purgatory mentioned here? Where does it say penance (Ausbüßung)? How incongruous is the whole passage about purgatory? They point out some
circumstances that are directed to purgatory. The words, “that world”, cannot be suited to it. For according to their own confession, purgatory will no longer be in that world, but will cease, which is easy to see. Because that world will remain both the blessed and damned world eternally, but not purgatory. The word to be forgiven does not apply to purgatory either, for in it sins are not actually forgiven, but expiated, as the popes say. About this, the Lord Christ speaks here of mortal sins, of damnable sins, which do not belong in purgatory, say the adversaries themselves, but only the peccata venialia, the venial sins, so that the papal purgatory cannot be proved in the least from this passage. And let the Christian reader have more respect for St. Mark and St. Luke than for the popes' interpretation, and abandon their useless brooding.
Matthew 5 [:26]: You will not come out until you have paid the last penny. But it can be paid neither in heaven nor in hell, therefore it must be done in purgatory.
Answer: Whatever can help must help. He who has a torn cloak and cannot have it mended with good cloth seeks all kinds of help. So the popes cannot stand with their purgatory, but they seek what they can find to fortify their purgatory. What does the Lord Christ say about purgatory? He says that we should come to terms peaceably with our adversary so that we do not fall into greater misfortune with the authorities. This is to be understood of the worldly judgment, as the letter reads. Where is there any mention of a fire? But if you want to make an allegory and a spiritual interpretation, you cannot base an article on them. “Symbolic Theology is not Argumentative”. Symbolica Theologia, non est Argumentativa. For many interpretations can be devised, as the ancient fathers interpreted these words differently, and as the popes wanted to accommodate the words to purgatory soon: Be compliant to your adversary soon. Are souls still to become one with the devil in purgatory? Should they make friends with him? Furthermore, do the souls in purgatory also offer their gifts on the altar? Can they also come to their enemies, whom they had in this world, and be reconciled with
them? No sensible person will say that. Where is the purgatory that they have so firmly founded on these words? They must not only refer one word to purgatory, but the preceding and following must be equally consistent.
All kinds of ghosts have been seen and heard that there is a purgatory, from which one could easily conclude that there is a purgatory.
Of course, this apparition has mostly confirmed and promoted purgatory, as can be seen from the writings of Pope Gregory the First of that name in his treatise which he calls Dialogos, in the 40th chapter of the 4th book, where he speaks of Paschasio, and in the 51st chapter, where he talks about the half-burnt nun. Just as in the 55th chapter of the reported book he wants to prove with such fables, fairy tales and apparitions of the departed souls that one can help the souls out of purgatory with the sacrifice of Holy Communion. But we are not directed to apparitions, they cannot make articles of faith, they cannot assure the conscience either here or there. And it is very hard commanded by God that one should not inquire the truth from the dead. Esaias on the 8th [:19-20]: Shall not a people inquire of their God? Is it cheaper to ask the dead than the living? Yes, according to the law and the testimony, if they do not say this, they will not have the dawn. So Luke 16 [:25]: Not only is it roundly denied to the rich glutton, since he asks that the soul of a deceased man be sent to his father's house to his brothers, but he is also told that it is impossible for any such soul to return. [:29] They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. David, when his son dies, says in the 12th chapter of the 2nd book of Samuel [:23]: an I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Sirach on 38 [:21]: No one comes back from death. Luke 16 [:26]: A great gulf is fixed. From all of which it can be seen that the souls that appear from time to time are certainly all ghosts of the living devil, who are by no means to be trusted in such matters. That is why Luther rightly writes: If you have a rumbling spirit or poltergeist in your house who pretends that you should help him with masses, you should
certainly take him for a devil. No soul has ever appeared from the beginning of the world, nor would God have it. As St. Chrysostom also testifies to this on Matthew 26, Homily 29, where he writes thus:
Quod vero immolatorum hominum animae ipsis aruspicibus cooperentur, unde mihi persuadebitur? an quia ipsos daemoniacos clamare nonunquam audisti, anima talis ego sum. Verum quoque haec oratio a fraude, atque deceptione diabolica est. Non enim anima defuncti est, quae ista dicit, sed Daemon, qui haec, ut audientes decipiat, fingit.
Et post pauca:
Quare vetularum haec verba temolentorum ducenda sunt, & puerorum terriculamenta. Non enim potest anima corpore separata, in his regionibus errare: justorum enim animae in manu Dei sunt Peccatorum vero, post exitum, mox abducuntur, quod a Lazaro, & divite planum efficitur. Sed alibi quoque Dominus ait: Hodie animam tuam abste repetent: Non igitur potest anima, cum a corpore abscesserit, apud nos hic errare.
That is:
Who will persuade you that the souls of men who have been sacrificed and slaughtered should help the prophets? Do you think that I should believe it because some have cried out? I am such and such a soul? No. For this speech certainly comes from the devil, who wants to deceive and capture people with cunning. For it is not the soul of the deceased that says this, but the devil himself, who invents it in order to deceive those who listen and pay attention to it.
And soon after:
Such words of poltergeists are only old and drunken wives' tales to frighten the children. For the soul, when it has departed from the body, cannot walk and wander again in this world, for the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God.
But the wicked souls are led away by the hour after their departure. As can be seen from poor Lazaro and the rich man. The Lord also says elsewhere, Luke 12 [:20]: Today your soul will be demanded from you. If the soul is demanded, it cannot walk and wander here on earth. Hence Chrysostom.
From all of this it is sufficiently evident that purgatory cannot be glossed over or thoroughly fortified from God's Word. Oh the pious, faithful God, the true shepherd of our souls, graciously grant that we may give heed to His Word and not to the words of men, to His Word and not to the words of ghosts and spirits. May He convert those who are to be converted, and blot out all the riotous spirits who set themselves up against His most Holy Word, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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