Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church That Is in Purgatory · Book I: On Purgatory
Chapter 8: Purgatory is proved from the New Testament: the remaining places
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae est in Purgatorio, Book I, the third general controversy. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
The fifth is Matthew 5: “Whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Note that it is certain that the matter here is a punishment to be inflicted in the court of God, as is plain from that, shall be in danger of hell fire. Whence Augustine, book 1 on the Lord's sermon on the mount, chapter 19, expounds all three of the punishments of souls after this life. Note, second, that it is also certain that three kinds of sins and punishments are distinguished here, as Augustine expounds in the same place, and that eternal damnation is attributed only to the third kind of sins, that is, to crimes; but to the others, as lighter sins, lighter punishments, and accordingly temporal ones; from which it is inferred that some souls are punished after this life with temporal punishments. You will say: but Christ had said, Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; therefore to be in danger of the judgment is to be damned to hell, for murder is a deadly crime. I answer: when the Lord says, It was said to them of old, Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment, he speaks of human and temporal judgment, by which murders are punished with temporal death; for the old law threatened murderers with no other death, as is plain from Exodus 21. The Lord means, then, that murder is punished with death in this world, but that in the other life the inward stirring of anger, even if the sin is venial, is punished with a certain punishment, temporal indeed, but which is made equal to temporal death; that anger breaking out externally is punished still more heavily; but that an insulting word, and much more a murderer, is punished with eternal death. You will say again: granted that in this place the Lord speaks of punishments to be inflicted by the judgment of God, yet it does not follow that in the other life there are temporal punishments; for God can inflict punishments of this kind in this life. I answer, first, that this place is understood by Augustine and the other Fathers of punishments after this life. I say, second, that at least from this place some purgatorial punishments after this life can be deduced; for if we have it that certain sins do not deserve any punishment but a temporal one, and it can happen that someone dies with such sins, because men die suddenly, or in their sleep, so that they have no space for penance, then in the other life he will be purged; otherwise either something defiled will go into heaven, or he will be unjustly damned to eternal punishments who deserved only temporal ones.
The sixth place is Luke 16: “Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity; that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.” By, to fail, all understand, to die; by friends they understand the saints who reign with Christ; from which it follows that men after death are helped by the prayers of the saints. But because someone could say that the matter here is the virtue of almsgiving, and that the sense is that those who have given alms, when they die, are saved on account of those good works which they did, it must be observed that the Lord means not this only, but also means that after death souls are helped by the prayers of the saints; for, first, those words compel us to this: Make friends, who may receive you. For an alms which is given to bad men, but with a good intention, is meritorious, and yet does not make friends who can receive into everlasting dwellings; whence Jerome, in the book against Vigilantius at the end, says that here the Lord exhorts that alms be given to the good rather than to the bad, so that by the intercession of the good those who give alms may be saved; likewise Ambrose on this place, and Augustine, book 21 of the City of God, chapter 27, say that here by friends are understood the saints reigning with Christ, who help us by their prayers, and will help us when we are dead. Second, the likeness itself compels us to this; for the parable is taken from a certain steward who, put out of his office and made needy, implored the help of his friends; and that in the application of the parable to be put out of office is to die, the Lord himself explains. Add, third, that Augustine, book 21 of the City of God, chapter 27, demonstrates purgatory from this place. For he says that there are some so holy that they fly straight to heaven after death, and who not only are saved themselves but can also help others; again, some others so bad that they can neither help themselves nor be helped by others, but go down to eternal punishments without remedy; finally, that there are some in between, who die in such a way that they neither deserve eternal death nor yet do their own merits suffice them for salvation, namely to be received at once; and these are they, he says, who are received into everlasting dwellings by the prayers of friends. To this place Peter Martyr answers nothing, but objects to himself in the name of Catholics what follows after this parable, and says that we assert that the rich man was in purgatory when he asked help of Abraham; and this argument, as if it were our Achilles, he laboriously solves, and at the same time deduces from it that souls cannot be helped by the living, since neither Abraham nor Lazarus could help the rich man; and in jest he wonders why the rich man did not ask that anniversaries and Masses be made for him. But nearly all Catholics say that the rich man is in hell; accordingly Peter Martyr fights the wind.
The seventh place is Luke 23: “Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.” That good man, taught by the Holy Spirit, would never have said this unless he believed that after this life sins can be remitted, and that souls need help and can be helped. Certainly Augustine, book 6 against Julian, chapter 5, proves from this that some sins are remitted after death.
The eighth is Acts 2: “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.” Blessed Augustine so understands this place, epistle 99 to Evodius and book 12 on Genesis, chapter 33, that the sense is that Christ, when he descended to the lower regions, freed many from the torments of the lower world; which, since it cannot be understood of the damned, seems necessarily to be taken of those who were being purged. Which Epiphanius also affirms in the heresy of Tatian, which is the last of the first book; for he says that Christ, when he descended to the lower regions, freed those who had sinned through ignorance and yet had not departed from the faith of God. And besides the authority of these Fathers, it is proved from the very words of Scripture; for that, having loosed the sorrows of hell, cannot be understood of the sorrows of Christ himself, for the sorrows of Christ ended on the cross, as is plain from those words in Luke 23, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. Nor of the sorrows of the damned, as is plain, because they are assigned to eternal fires; nor of the sorrows of the holy Fathers, for they suffered no sorrows, as Augustine teaches in the places cited, and Gregory, homily 22. It remains, then, that in this place the matter is the sorrows of the souls of purgatory. You will say: the Greeks do not read, having loosed the sorrows of hell, but, having loosed the sorrows of death, tou thanatou, not tou hadou. I answer that there make for us, first, the ancient Vulgate Latin edition. Second, the Syriac, which likewise reads: God, it says, raised him up and loosed the cords of hell. Third, the most ancient Greek and Latin Fathers; for blessed Polycarp, at the beginning of his epistle, citing this place, writes, having loosed the sorrows of hell. Likewise Cyprian in the sermon on the Lord's supper, at the beginning, looking to this place, says: “But the loving master,” he says, “wished to show that it was impossible for his soul to be held by hell.” Epiphanius too and Augustine without doubt so read. Finally it is proved from the words that follow; for Peter proves what he had said from Psalm 15: Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption.
The ninth place is Philippians 2: “That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” Blessed Augustine uses this place, book 12 on Genesis, chapter 33, although by that, under the earth, demons are not improbably taken. Like this is the place in Revelation 5: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? and no man was found, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth. By those who are in heaven are understood the angels; by those on earth, just men; by those under the earth nothing can be understood but the souls of purgatory, for this would not be attributed to the damned; and the Fathers who had been in limbo had already been freed. Our writers use this place, but yet it does not seem to press much; for it is probable that by those who are under the earth are understood the Fathers who were in limbo; for although when John wrote this the Fathers had gone out of limbo, they had not gone out at the time of which he speaks; for he speaks of the time which preceded the death of Christ, for this is why there is added, The lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and so on. For Christ by his death opened the mysteries of the book, closed until that day. Likewise what is brought from this same chapter 5 of Revelation, where the creatures which are in heaven and on earth and under the earth are said to have given praise to God, does not convince; for by creatures here can be understood lifeless things, such as fire, hail, and so on, which in Psalm 148 are invited to praise God, especially since John adds also the things that are in the sea.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CA1H'T VIII. qni rcvipianl. .\iim dccmosynn, qn;ic dnliir m;ilis bominibiis. bonii tiimcn intcntione, mcnloria csl, Ouinlus csl Mntlli. 3. Qui ira^cilur fratri suo , et Inincn non facit amicos , qui possint rccipere rcus cril jndicio: qui di.vcrit fratri suo raclia, in ndcrnii lidxMniicnln: undc Hicronymus lib. con- reus crit concilio, qui dixcril fatuc, reus erit ge- Ira Vii^ilnnlium in finc, dicit , bic Dominum bor- hennae ignis. INota. bic ccrlum esse aj^i de pocna tnri ul ddur cleemosyna potius bonis quam malis, injun^cndn in foro Dci, ul pnld c.\ iilo : Rcus crit ul bonorum inlorccssionc salventiir qui clocmosy- gclicnnae ignis. Undc Auguslinus lib. l.descrm. nas faciunt: similitcr Ambrosius in bunc lorum , in numlo, cap. 19. exponit omnia tria dc pooiiis el Aupustinus libro 21. de Civit. Dei, cap. 27. di- animiruin posl banc viUim.Nola secundo, ccrtum cunt. hic per aniicos inlolligi sanctos cum Christo cliam cssc liic dislingui Iria gcnora pcccntoium regnnnlcs,qui suis prccibus nos juvanl,el juvabunt el poenarum, ul ibidcm Augusliiuis cxponit , el cum morlui fucrimus. damnalionem aelernnm solum Iribui terlio gcneri Sccundo: Ad id nos cogil ipsa similitudo ; nam peccnlorum, idesl. criminibos. Aliisaulem ulpole pnr;iboIn sumpla csl a quodiim oeconomo, qui de- lcvioribus peccalis, poenns leviores. ac proinde positus ab oflicio, el egenus fadus opera implora- temporiiles: ex quibus infertur , animas aliquas bol amicorum suorum: quod autem in applicalione posl bnnc vilnm puiiiri tcmporalibus poenis. parabolae deponi ab oflicio sit niori, Dominus ipse Dices. al Chrislus dixeral: Qui occidcrit, reus explical. critjodicio; ergo reum esse judicio est damnari Adde lerlio: Quod Augustinus lib. 21. de Civil. ad gchennnm: nam bomicidium crimen laelhaie Doi, cap. 27,ex hoc loco purgalorium demonstrat. est. Rcspondeo: Cum ail Dominus: Diclum esl an- Dicil eniin esse qiiosdam lam sanclos , qiii rocta tiquis: qui occiderit. rcus eritjudicio , loquilur ad coclum evolant post mortem, el qui non soium de juilicio liumano et tcmporali , quo bomicidia ipsi snlvantur, sed etiam alios juvare possunt;rur- niuiclanlur morle lcmporali; ncc enim lex velus sum quosdam alios lam malos. qui nec seipsos ju- alinm inorlcm comminabalur bomicidis , ut pnlet vare possunt, nec ab aliis juvari , sod ad poenas Exodi 21. Vult ergo Dominus dicore homicidium aelernns sine remedio descendunl. Denique esse pnniri morle in hoc mundo, at in alia vila commo- quosdam medios, qui ila moriunlur, ut nec digni lioncin irae inlernam, cliamsi peccalum sil venia- sinl morle aelorna. nec tamen sufliciant eis pro- le, puniri pocna quadam, lemporali quidem, sed pria merila ad snlulem , nimirum slntim recipien- qune aequctur morli lempornli; iram autem exte- dam. el isti sunl. inquil, qui recipiunlur in aeler- rius prodcunlem puniri adbucgravius ; at verbura na tabcrnacula precibus amicorum. conlumeliosum, et multo raagis bomicidam puniri Ad bunc locum nihil respondet Petrus Martyr , raorte aelcrna. sed objicit sibi nomine calholicorum ea, quaese- Dices rursum: Esto, hoc loco loqualur Dominus quunlur posl banc paraboIam,aitque nos asserere de poenis infligendis judicio Dei, non lamen se- Epnlonom fuisse in purgatorio, cum ab Abraharao quitur in alia vita esse poenas lemporaies ; nnra auxilium peliit. et Iioc arguraenlum, quasi noster Deus in hac vita potest infligere hujusraodi poe- essel Achilles. operose solvit, et simul inde dedu- n<^s. cil non posse animas juvari a viTenlibus; quando- 370 UE PURGATORIO quidein nec Abraliara, nec Lazarus Epulonem ju- vare poluerunl, el per jocuni miratur , cur Epu- lo non pelieril anniversaria el missas pro se fieri. Sed calliolici fore omnes Epuloncni in gehenna esse dicunt, proinde Pelrus Rlurlyr in venluin pu- gnal. Seplimus locus eslLuc. 23. Memcnio mei dum veneris in regnum tuum. Nuinquam lioc diceret bonus ilie vir a Spirilu saiiclo edoclus, nisi crede- ret posl hanc vilam posse remitli pcccala, et auxi- lio animas indigere, et juvari posse. Ccrle Augu- siinus lib. 6. in Julian. cap. 5. hinc probat aliqua peccala rerailli post mortem. Oclavus est Aclor. Quem Deus suscitavil solu- tis doloribus inferni . juxta quod impossibile e- rat lencri eum ab illis. Ilunc locura ila inlelligit b. Auguslin. episl. 99. ad Evodium, el lib. 12. Ge- nes. cap. 33. ut sensus sil, Chrislum cum descen- dit ad inferos, multos liberassc a cruciatibus in- ferni, quod cum non possil inlelligi de damnatis , necessario videlur accipicndum de iis, qui purga- banlur. Quod eliam affirmat Epiphanius in haeresi Taliani, quae cst ullima primi libri ; dicit enim Christum, cum descendil ad inferos,Iiberasse eos, qui per ignoranliam peccaverunt,nec tamen a Dei fide recesserunt; et praeier horum Patrum auctori- tatem, probatur ex ipsis verbis Scriplurae ; nam illud: Solutis doloribus inferni, non polest intelli- gi de doloribus ipsius Christi, dolores enim Chri- sti, in cruce finili sunt,ut palet ex illis verbis Luc. 23. Hodie mecum eris in paradiso. Nec de dolo- ribus damnalorum, ut palet,qiiia illi aeternis igni- bus addicti sunt; nec de dcloribus sanctorum Pa- Irum, illi enim nullos paliebantur dolores, utAu- gustinus docet locis cilalis , et Gregorius homil. 22. Relinquilur igiiur ut dc doloribus animarum purgatorii hoc loco agalur. Dices:Graeci non legunt solulis doloribus infer- ni, sed solulis doloribus morlis tou Oavdxou , non Tou a.00^. Respondeo:Nobiscum facere Primo: Vul- gatam antiquam edilionem laiinam. Secundo: Sy- riacam, quae similiter legil: Deiis , inquil, excita- vil illum, et sokit funes inferni. Tertio: Anliquis- simos Palres graecos et lalinos ; nam b. Polycar- pus initio epislolae suae, citans hunc locum, scri- bit solutis doloribus inferni.llem Cyprianus serm. de coena Domini initio ad hunc locum respiens ait: Sed volebat, inquit, pius magister ostcndere impossibile csse suam animam ab inferno deti- neri. Epiphanius quoque el Augustinus sine dubio ita legerunl. Denique probalur ex verbis sequen- tibus;nam probat Petrus id quod dixerat ex psalm. \o. Non derelinqucs animam meam in inferno , nec dabis sanctum luum videre corruptionem. Nonus locus est Philipp. 2. IH in nomine Jesu omne genu fleclatur., coelestium, terrcslrium et infernorum. Utitur hoc loco b.Auguslinus lib.12. de Gen. c. 33. quamquam per illud infernorum non improbabililer accipiunlur daemones. Similis huic esl locus Apocal. 3. Quis dignus esl a.pcrire librum, et solvere septem signacula ejus? et ne- mo inventus est neque in coelo , neque in terra neque subtus terram. Per eos qui sunt in coelo intelliguntur angeli, per eos qui in terra horaines justi, per eos qui sub lerra, non possunl intelligi nisi animae purgatorii, nec enim id damnatis iri- bueretur. Paires autem qui fueranl in limbo jam libcrati erani. Uluntur nostri hoc loco, scd tamen non videtur mulluin urgere ; nam probabile est inlelligi per eos qui sunt infra lerram,Palres, qui erantin lim- bo; elsi enim quando Joannes haec scripsil Patres exieranl ex liinbo, non tamen exierant eo terapo- re, quo loquitur; loquilur enim de temporc , quod praecessit Chrisii mortem, ideo enim subjungiiur, Vicit Leo de tribu Juda radix David aperire li- brum etc. Christus enim morte sua aperuit mysle- ria libri usque ad illam diem clausa;simililer quod afferlur ex hoc eodem cap. 5. Apocal. ubi dicun- tur creaturae quae sunt in coelo et in lerra , et quae subtus terram dedisse laudem Deo.non con- vincit; nam possunl hic per creaturas intelligi res inanimes, ut, ignis , grando etc. Quae in psalm. 148. ad Deum laudandum invitantur , praesertim cum Joannes addat eliara ea quae sunt in mari.