R. 17, 18. 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,* 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.†) 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' pardon, besides fourteen or fifteen plenary indulgences. And since that, Urban VIII.‡ and Clement X.§ have granted by their indulgence a plenary remission of sins. * Sess. 25, Decret. de Indulg. A bull of indulgence to the fraternity of the altar, Paris 1550, v. B. Taylor's defence; part. 2, 1. 2, p. S. § A. D. 1671. Bull upon the canonization of five saints. Bullar. to. page 74. R. 19. Romans viii. 18, The sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us :' so 2 Cor. iv. 17. Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.' Rom. xiv 12. If there be no comparison between 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 super-abundance 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 for ever perfected them that are sanctified.' Heb. x. 14. Or who gave the church the power so to apply them? R. 20, 21. 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. Rom. viii. 1, There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Verse 30, Whom he justified, them he also glorified.' Verses 33, 34, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?' 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 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. 91.) 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.* *Catch. ibid. Bellarm. de purg. l. 2, c. 8, SS. Quantum ad primum. 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, SS. Ad hæc. Q. 24. Is the doctrine of purgatory a matter of faith, and necessary to be believed? 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. SS. 2. Luke xxiii. 43. To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Paradise is acknowledged to be the seat of the blessed.** 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. * Bellarm. de Sanct. Beat. l. 1. c. 3. Testim. 4. R. 22. The state that believers immediately enter upon after death, is said to be life for the comfort, and everlasting for the continuance of it. John v. 24. He that believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.' 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. R. 23. Luke xvi. 26, Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you [to relieve you] cannot.' 66 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. Cather. Hær. 59. And if a man's own repentance cannot help him, much less can another's good works profit him. So St. Jerom: "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 entreat for any one, but every one must bear his own burden.”* 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."t * Lib. 3. Com. in Galat. c. 6. † In Joel c. 2. R. 24. Bishop Fisher saith, That there is none or very little menVOL. 10.-C A. Yes for whosoever shall say, that there is no debt of temporal punishment to be paid, either in this world or purgatory, before there can be an admission into heaven, is accursed.* And whosoever shall say, the sacrifice of the mass is not to be used for the dead, is accursed. This is one of the principles, without the belief of which there is no salvation.‡ Concil. Trid. Sess. 6. Can. 30. et Sess. 24. Decret. de Purg. Bulla Pii. 4ti. 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,* or ascension of Christ, 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.‡ *Catch. Rom. par. 1. c. 6. n. 3. 6. Bellarm. de Purg. 1. 2. c. 6. SS. Quod autem. † Bellarm. de Christ. I. 4. c. 11. 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 Catechism saith, N. 3, "They were sustained by hope, and were without any sense of grief." And presently, N. 4, 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." Q. 27. How and when were they delivered thence? A. They were delivered by Christ at his descent into hell ;* so that, ever since, that place remains empty.† *Catch. Rom. ibid. n. 5, 6. ↑ Bellarm. de Purg. 1. 2. c. 6. sec. octava est. * 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, because they were for their punishment enclosed in this place, and were there held bound by the devils,† till delivered by Christ. And so the people of those times only prayed to God, and did not use to say, holy Abraham, pray for me.‡ *Bellarm. de Sanct. bear. 1. 1. c. 19. see. Item. Exod. Catch, Rom. ibid. n. 5. Bellarm. ibid. SECTION III.-Of Divine Worship. Q. 29. Or what doth the service in the Roman church consist? A. It consists of prayers and hymns offered to God, angels, and tion of purgatory among the ancients.* 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. * Roffens Lutheri confut. Art. 18. et Polyd. Virg. de Invent. 1. 8. c. 1. R. 25. We read that Elijah was taken up into heaven, 2 Kings ii. 11. and he and Moses appeared in glory, Luke ix. 31. Matt. xvii. 2. And Abraham is represented (Luke xvi. 32.) as in Paradise, the blessed abode of good men in the other world. 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." Quæst. Evangel. l. 2. c. 38. R. 26. But the Scripture tells us, that the state where Abraham was, was not only a state of rest, but also of comfort. Luke xvi. 25. R. 27. The Scripture says not one word of this. R. 28. There is neither precept nor example for the invocation of saints in the New Testament; and if that be the 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 Salermo, (a learned disputant in the council of Trent.) "Invocations of saints have no express ground in all the Scriptures."* * Ad. 1. Tim. ii. Disp. 7. sec. Sed cum aute et nec obstat. SECTION III.-Of Divine Worship. R. 29. CARDINAL Quignonius at the instance of Pope Paul III. reformed the breviary; and instead of legends, set scriptures for |