Serin. XXVI. The Bleffednefs ofGood Men, after Death. i 9 with them ; which two Particulars conflitute the Happinefs of the future State. That which farther remains, and to which I now proceed, is to make force In- ferences from what .I have faid upon this Subje&. And in doing this, I fhall have anEye on the fpecial occaJion of the Words, as well as on their general intention. And the Inferences fhall be thefe following : Fir/f, If thofe that die in the Lord are at re from their Labour's and Pains ; then this Text concludes direly againfl the feigned Purgatoryof the Church of Rome; which fuppofeth a great number of thofe that die in the Lord, and have obtain'd Eternal Redemption by him from Hell, not to pafs immediately into Happinefs; but to be detain'd in the Suburbs of Hell, in great Pain and Torment, till their Souls be Purged, and the Debt of Temporary Punifhment, to which they are lia- ble, be force way or other paid off and difcharged. Secondly, Here is a mighty encouragement to Piety and Virtue, to confider, that all the good we do in this World, will accompany us into the other. Thirdly, It is a great encouragement to Patience under the Sufferings and Perfecutions which attend Good Men in this World ; that how heavy and grie- vous foever they are at prefent, they will end with this Life, and we shall then rePon: all our labours. Fourthly, The confideration of the extreme Sufferings of Chriftians in the la/I Times, and which perhaps are not far from us, fhould render us very indifferent to Life, and all the enjoyments of it, fo as even to efleem it a particular Grace and Favour of God, to be taken awayfrom the Evil to come, and by Death to prevent (ifhe fees it good) thofe extremities of Sufferings, which feem to be haftning upon the World. I. If thofe that die in the Lord are at ref from all their labours and pains ; then this Text concludes dire&ly againft the feigned Purgatory of the Church of Rome, which fuppofeth a great number, yea the far greateft part of thofe that die in the Lord, and have obtain'd Eternal Redemption by him from Hell, not to pafs immediately into Happinefs, but to be detain'd fomewhere ( they are not cer- tain where, but molt probably in the Suburbs of Hell ) in great Pain andTor- ment, equal in degree to that of Hell, and differing only in Duration ; I fay, to be detained there, till their Souls be purged from the Defilements they have con- traded in this World, and the Debt of Temporary Punifhments, to which they are liable, be force way or other paid off and difcharged. They fuppofe indeed force very few Holy Men to be fo Perfect at their depar- tureout of this Life, that they do immediately, and without any fop, pafs into Heaven, becaufe they need no Purgation; and thofe likewife who fuffer Martyr- dom, becaufe they Difcharge their Debt of Temporary Punifhments here : But the generality of Chriftians who die in the Lord, they fuppofe fo imperfe&, as to fand in need of being Purgedby Fire, and accordingly that they are detained a longer or fhorter time, as their Debt of Temporary Punifhments is greater or lefs. And indeed they have a very Confiderable and Subfantial Reafon, to exempt as few as poffibly they can from going to Purgatory; becaufe the more they put in fear ofgoing thither, the Market of Indulgencies rifeth the higher, and the Profit thence accruing to the Popes Coffers ; and the more and greater Legacies will be left to the Priefs, to hire their faying of Maps, for the delivery of Souls out of the Place of Torments: For tho' the Prayers of Friends and Relations will contri- bute fomething to this; yet nothing does the Bufinefs fo Effe&ually, as theMales and Prayers ofPriefls to that end. But how is it then that St. john fays, that thofe that die in the Lordare happy, becaufe they refifrom their labours ; If fo be, the far greateft part of thofe who die in the Lord, are fo far from refingfrom their labours, that they enter into far greater Pains and Torments, than ever they endured in this World ? And therefore Bellarminei that their Do&rine of Purgatory may receive no prejudice from this Text, would havefrom henceforth, in the Text, to be dated from the day ofjudg- ment ; when he fuppofeth the Pains of Purgatory will be at an end. But why, p.m henceforth, fhould take date from the day of judgment, he can give no Rea- fon, but only to fave Purgatory from being Condemned by this Text. For St.
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