Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church That Is in Purgatory · Book I: On Purgatory
Chapter 11: The same is asserted by reason
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 fourth argument is from reasons. The first reason: certain sins are venial and deserving of temporal punishment alone. But it can happen that a man departs this life with only such sins; therefore it is necessary that in the other life they can be purged. That there are certain venial sins is proved from James, who says thus, James 1: “Every man is tempted by his own concupiscence; then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; but sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.” Here venial sin is described from the imperfection of the act. Nor does the heretics' distinction about imputation have any place here; for James explains the process of sin in itself, and teaches that after the temptation of concupiscence, which can be without sin, sin at once follows if one does not take care; for from concupiscence arises delight in the lower part, which is some sin, but not a mortal one, if the deliberate consent of the mind is not present; for this is why he adds, But sin, when it is completed, namely with full consent added, begets death. Besides, 1 Corinthians 3: He who builds wood, hay, stubble, shall be saved as by fire. Here venial sin is described from the lightness of the matter; and however we understand the Apostle's words, whether of this life or of the other, whether of doctrine or of all works, one is necessarily forced to expound by wood, hay, stubble, venial sins, since he who has these is saved as by fire. Augustine, in the book of 83 questions, question 26: “Some sins,” he says, “are of weakness, others of ignorance, others of malice; weakness is contrary to virtue, ignorance to wisdom, malice to goodness. Whoever, then, knows what the virtue and wisdom of God are, can judge what venial sins are; and whoever knows what the goodness of God is, can judge to what sins a certain punishment is owed both here and in the world to come; and these things well handled, it can probably be judged who are not to be forced to that humble and grievous penance, although they confess sins, and to whom the sentence of the judge is to be put off, and what sins are venial, and which are punished by a contrite spirit through penance.” It is proved also by a last reason; for it is not intelligible how a light and idle word, of its own nature, should deserve perpetual hatred of God and everlasting punishments. For here on earth he would be held most foolish who, on account of a most light offence of a friend, would no longer wish to be his friend, or indeed would persecute to the death him whom a little before he loved. It remains, then, that there are certain venial sins, deserving of temporal punishment alone. But that some sometimes depart this life with sins of this kind, and accordingly need temporal purgation in the other life, is proved in this way. Someone dying can have the will of remaining in venial sin; therefore such a sin cannot be blotted out in death. Besides, since the just man falls seven times a day, as is said in Proverbs 24, and many die suddenly, how is it credible that none die with venial sin? This, then, is the first reason.
The second reason: when sinners are reconciled to God, the whole temporal punishment is not always forgiven with the sin; but it can happen, and often does happen, that in his whole life someone has not fully satisfied for that temporal punishment; therefore purgatory must necessarily be established. The major is proved briefly, since it is proved elsewhere on purpose: 2 Kings 12, when David had said, I have sinned against the Lord, the prophet says, The Lord also hath taken away thy sin; but because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to thee shall surely die. Numbers 12, when Miriam had murmured against the Lord, she was punished with the disease of leprosy; but when Moses prayed for her, the fault was forgiven her, and yet God willed that she pay the punishment for one week. To these and the like Calvin answers, book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 4, paragraph 31, that there are two kinds of scourges of God: for some are properly punishments, and are inflicted by God as judge in vengeance of past sins, that justice may be satisfied; but others are chastisements, which are inflicted by God as father, not in vengeance of past sins, but as a remedy for future ones, namely that a man may be warned by the scourge not again to be ready to sin. The first kind, says Calvin, belongs only to enemies, the second only to friends; and accordingly, since these punishments are not to be paid from justice, there is no need that the debt of them remain after death, when there is no danger of falling back into sin. But Calvin labours in vain; for although it must be confessed that the scourges of the just are also fatherly chastisements and remedies against future sins, yet at the same time a true punishment and satisfaction owed from justice for past fault must be acknowledged. Which is proved thus: for first of all, in 2 Kings 12 the cause is expressed why David was punished, and it is not said, lest you sin again, but, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Then, death is a true punishment of original sin, and just men pay it, not that they may abstain from sin, but that they may satisfy the divine justice. Which is plain, because it was not inflicted by God after sin, as fatherly chastisements are, but was established by law before sin as the punishment of sin, and the same continues after sin and the remission of sin, as is plain from Genesis 2, In what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death; and Romans 5, By one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death, in whom all have sinned; and Romans 6, The wages of sin is death. And Calvin himself, book 2 of the Institutes, chapter 1, paragraph 8, openly confesses that death is a true punishment of sin; finally, how can death be a fatherly scourge instituted for the avoiding of sin? For he who dies can no longer be amended. Besides that common death, which is the punishment of original sin, we have other examples in Scripture of those who were punished with a violent death when their sin had been forgiven, whereas death cannot be a fatherly chastisement as a remedy for future sin; for in Exodus 32 God had spared the people at the prayer of Moses, and yet Moses in vengeance of the sin ordered many thousands of the people to be killed without any distinction. And likewise in Numbers 14, when the people had murmured and God had been appeased by Moses, very many nevertheless perished in the desert; and it is incredible that out of so many thousands there was none who repented of the offence. 3 Kings 13, the prophet of the Lord, because he was disobedient to the voice of the Lord, is slain by a lion, according to what had been foretold to him by the other prophet; and yet, so that we might understand that his fault had been forgiven him before, and that he died holily, the lion touched neither his corpse nor the ass on which he had ridden, but rather guarded both until those came who buried him. Finally, in 1 Corinthians 11 it is said: Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep. Where, as Ambrose and others expound, the Apostle indicates that in the primitive Church many of those who communicated unworthily were punished by God with death; yet that their fault had been forgiven them before is plain from what the Apostle adds: We are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world. To these let two most clear testimonies of blessed Augustine be added. The first is tract 124 on John: “A man is forced to bear even when sins are forgiven, although sin was the first cause of his coming into that misery; for the punishment is longer than the fault, lest the fault be thought small if the punishment ended with it; and through this, either for the demonstration of the misery owed, or for the amendment of a life prone to fall, or for the exercise of necessary patience, punishment holds a man for a time whom fault no longer holds guilty unto everlasting damnation.” The second is on Psalm 50: “Thou hast loved truth,” he says; “that is, thou hast not left unpunished the sins even of those whom thou pardonest; thou hast so extended mercy as to keep truth also; thou pardonest the one confessing, thou pardonest, but the one punishing himself; so mercy and truth are kept.” The minor of this argument is now proved; for many who have committed very many sins are converted at the moment of death, when they can do no penance; from which it certainly follows that after this life they ought to satisfy. They answer that in death all things are blotted out. On the contrary: for death is the punishment of original sin, and therefore common to all, even infants; therefore for actual sins another punishment must be found. Besides, God would act unjustly, and would not seem to have providence over our affairs, if by one and the same punishment, that is, natural death, he punished great sins and small, many and few.
The third reason is taken from the common opinion of all peoples; for the Hebrews confess it, the Mohammedans, the heathen, both philosophers and poets. Of the Hebrews it is plain from 2 Maccabees, chapter 12; for at least the credit is to be given to that book which is given to Livy; besides, Josephus the son of Gorion, in the book on the Jewish war, chapter 19, indicates that the Jews were accustomed to pray for the dead, but not for those who kill themselves. Of the Mohammedans it is plain from the Koran, where they expressly confess purgatory. Of the heathen it is plain from Plato in the Gorgias and the Phaedo; from Cicero in the dream of Scipio at the end; and Virgil, Aeneid 6: Therefore they are schooled with punishments, and pay the penalties of old evils; and from Claudian, book 2 against Rufinus, near the end: Whom, when through all the various, the thousand shapes, he has driven, purged by the Lethean stream, and so on. Nor let anyone say that these are rather an argument of error and fables, since the heathen and the Mohammedans think so; for those things in which nearly all nations agree can hardly come from anywhere but from the natural light common to all men. For the things which are devised and invented by men are various and different according to the variety of peoples. As, then, we say that it is most true that God exists, in which all nations agree, and yet we do not receive in particular the various and manifold gods which each nation has made for itself; and as we receive as true that after this life there are punishments and rewards, in which all likewise agree, and yet do not receive the various fables by which they explain it (for that there are punishments and rewards after this life the knowledge of divine providence taught all men, but the fables they invented for themselves); so also the confession of purgatory, in which nearly all peoples agree, must be said to be a confession of the natural light; for the same knowledge of divine providence taught purgatory which taught hell and paradise, at least in a certain general and confused manner, because we see punishments and rewards so distributed in this life that the bad for the most part have more goods and the good more evils; from which we judge that divine providence has put off to another life the judgment and the true distribution of rewards and punishments. Again, we see that of those who depart this life some are very good, others very bad, others moderately good and moderately bad; wherefore we judge by the natural light that after this life there are eternal punishments for the very bad, eternal rewards for the very good, and temporal punishments and through them a passage to the reward for those who are moderately bad or good. Following this reason Plato and others who were guided by the natural light alone confessed that there is a purgatory.
The fourth reason is taken from the apparitions of souls which announced that they were in purgatory and implored help from the living; which apparitions, since most weighty men have related them, we not undeservedly believe to have been true, although Luther and the Magdeburgians laugh. Saint Gregory, book 4 of the Dialogues, chapter 40, writes of the soul of Paschasius, which appeared in the baths of Pozzuoli to Saint Germanus the bishop, and was freed by his prayers; and in chapter 55 he writes another similar example; and besides, of a certain monk of his own, for whom Gregory himself ordered thirty Masses to be said, and says that by his apparition he was shown to have been freed. Gregory of Tours, in the book on the glory of confessors, chapter 5, writes that a certain holy virgin named Vitalina, already dead, signified to blessed Martin that she still dwelt in purgatory on account of a certain light sin, and a little after was freed by the prayers of the same Saint Martin. Peter Damian, in the epistle to Desiderius, writes that blessed Severinus, bishop of Cologne, appeared to a certain priest of the same church, and signified to him that he was still grievously tormented in purgatory because he had not paid the canonical hours at their distinct times, but had heaped all the hours together at once, so that he might be more free all day for imperial business. Bede, book 3 of the history of the English, chapter 19, writes that blessed Fursey, rising from the dead, related many things which he had seen of the purgatorial punishments; and book 5, chapter 13, he reports the wonderful vision of a certain Drithelm, who likewise died, and afterwards coming to life again related wonders of hell, purgatory and paradise; and his following life, and the spiritual fruit which he wrought in many others, witnessed that the vision was true. Saint Bernard, in the life of blessed Malachy, reports that a sister of blessed Malachy, deceased, appeared more than once while she still dwelt in the punishments of purgatory, and at last was freed by the frequent offering of the Eucharist to God; and in book 1 of the life of blessed Bernard, chapter 10, Abbot William, who wrote the life of Saint Bernard while he was still living, reports that one of the deceased monks, labouring in purgatory, once appeared to blessed Bernard, and was freed a little after by the prayers and sacrifices of the holy man; which example the author of his life writes that blessed Bernard himself was accustomed to relate. In the first book of the life of blessed Anselm we likewise read that blessed Anselm persisted a whole year in daily sacrifices, and at last, a deceased friend appearing to him for whom he had prayed so long, learned that he had been freed from purgatory. Many similar things can be read in Vincent, book 23 of the historical Mirror, in the revelations of Saint Bridget, and in the life of Christina the Wonderful; but those we have brought forward are more authentic. The Magdeburgians answer that these are fables. But it is neither credible that such holy men wished to deceive, nor that they were easily deceived, since they had the spirit of discernment, as the Church holds.
The last reason can be that this opinion which takes away purgatory is not only false but also pernicious; for it makes men slothful in avoiding sins and in good works. For he who thinks that there is no purgatory, but that all sins are abolished by death in those who die with faith, will easily say to himself: to what purpose do I labour in fasts, prayers, continence, alms? Why do I cheat my heart of delights and pleasures, since in death, whether I have had few sins or many, all will be blotted out? But he who thinks that besides hell there remains the most sharp fire of purgatory, and that whatever has not been blotted out here by the works of due penance is to be washed out there, certainly becomes more diligent and more careful.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
O.iriT .\l.
Idcin nsscrilur rationc.
ArgiimiMiluin (piarliiin ex ralioniiuis. Priiiia ra-
lio : (^)iiaO(laiii p(H'i"ala siinl viMiialia solaipic lcin-
])orali poiMia (li-^iia. .\l ruMM polcsl . iil (MIIii solis
lalilnis liomo liocMMlal o\ liac vila ; iijilur nccossc
osl in alia vila possc piirjiari.
Ksso aiilom (piaodam pi^MMla vonialia. pr(il)aliir
o\ Jaoobo (pii sio ail , Jacobi I. i'nus(iuisi]nc lcn-
tatur a concupiscenlia siuixoncupisccntia, cuin
conccpcril. paril pcccaliim: pcrcalum. cuin con-
^fuinmalum fucrit, (jcncral mortcm. Ilic doscribi-
tur peooaliim vcnialc e\ imporrcclione aclus. Ne-
(]iio locuni liic liabol dislinclio bacrelicorum deim-
pulaliono-.nam Jacobiis explicat nrocossum peccali
socundiiin so. ac doocl posl lonlalionom concupi-
soenliac. quac sine peccato esse polcst, conliiuio
scqiii poccalum. si quis non cavcal: nani o\ coii-
cupisconlia orilur dcleclalio in parlc infcriori.quac
nonnnllum peccalum esl non lamen morlilorum ,
si non adsil conscnsus mcnlis delibcralus; idco c-
nim subjimgil: Pcccatum vero si consummatinn
fuerit, acccdcnle nimirum pleno consensu, gene-
rat morlcm.
Praelcrea 1. Corinlh. 3. Qui superaedificat li-
gna. focmm. slipulas, sahus cril quasi pcr i-
gncm.lhc describiiur veniale ex levilalc materiae,
olquoinodocuuKiue inlelligamus vcrba aposloli si-
vc de bac vila. sive de alia, sive de doclrina, siTC
<le omuibus operibus neccssario cogilur exponcre
per ligna, focnuin, slipulas, peccala venialia, quan-
doquidem qui isla babel , salvatur quasi pcr i-
gnem.
Auguslinus lib. 83. q. 26. Alia , inquit , sunt
peccala infirmilalis. alia imperitiac , alia mali-
liac: infirmilas conlraria est viriuii . imperilia
sapienliae. maiitia bonilali. Quisquis igilur no-
vil quid sit virtus ct sapientia Dci . polcst existi-
mare quae sini venialia peccata: et quisquis iio-
vil quid sil b tnitas Dei, potcsl exisUumre quibus
peccatis certa poena debeatur , et hic et infutu-
ro saeculo. quibus bene traclatis.probabililer ju-
dicari potcst qui non sinl cogendi ad pocnilen-
liain liu:tnitnam cl tumintlahitfim , qnamn» prc*
cala falriiutur, ct quihn ■ " r T.irio hprrniX'
da sil hitlnH. 7UN4 Hitci, rnnl Uph ,
Hpirtlnm cnntrthttlalitin jkt ponntrnltatn.
I'i<di iiiir iilliiiKi r.ilioiH' ; ii.iiii tiilclli^ihilR iiuii
o^t (pKiiiiodo vitImiiii olionuiii oi iialiira (tiia ili-
\l\\u\t\ Kil pcrpfMuo udio lici.nl AiMiipilcriii» niiiiiiiiil»
llic ciiiin iti lcrris sliillissiiiiiis h.ibcrctur , ipii ob
loMsstiiiaiii olTciisioncin aiiiK i , ikx iii.iIo uiiiiriu
l.iclaiit. indli-l aiiipliiis csHi: aiiiioiis , iiniiio iisipic
:id iiiiuMcin porscipicrcliir (!iiin.<pi('iii iiiiiiciiin |><iu-
lo anlc liidoHMMl. .M.incii i^'iltir.(pMcd.iiii cs^^! pc»'-
cala vciiialia, ac Mila pociia lciiiporali <li^iia.<Jij(Kl
aiilcrn otiiti cjiisinodi pcccatis uli(|ui iiilcrdiiiii di^
hao vila mi|;rcnl,ac proiiiilc in alia vita |iiirtK'ali(iii(:
lcniporali c;^'iMiit prohaliir lioi: nioilo. Potcsl ({ui.'>
ditiii iiionliir . Ii.ihcrc vidiinlatiMii pcriiiaiiciidi iii
pcorato voiiiali , i^'itur lalc [tcccfiluiii dclcri iii
inorli^ non potcst : praclcrca (Miiit HCfiticH in din
cadal jiislus. iil ilniliir ProMuh. 2i. ct iiiulli iiio-
rianliir ropiMth;, quoiiKxlo rrcdihilu ckI, iiun iiion
aliqiioscuin pcccalo vcniali? Ilacc esl i^;itur priiiia
ratio.
Secunda ralio : r,iim reconcilianlur Deo pccca-
torcs, non dimilliliir sonipcr rum pccralo lola poc-
na lcinporalis: al polcsl liiM"i (,'l sacpc lil . iil in
lola vila aliqiiis non salisfcccrit plciic [iro tcinjto-
rali illa i)Ooiia : crfo nctessario slutiii dchcl (»ur-
gatorium. Probalur major proposilo hrcvilcr : naiii
ali!)i ox profcsso pr(»hahilur . 2. Ilcg. 12. cuin
]»avid dixissct : Peccavi , Domino . ail propliela,
Deiis (iiioque translulit a tc iniquilalcm . snd
quia bla<phcmarc fccisli inimicos nomen Do-
mini. lilius ijui nalns esl libi inorte morietur.
Niim. 12. Cum Maria murmurasset conlra Domi-
num . punita csl morbo loprae : oranlc aulcm
pro oa Moyse, dimissa osl oi culpa , ct laincii poc-
nnm voluii Dcus ut illa lueret per unam hchdo-
mad <m.
Ad liaec el similia respondet Calvinus lih. 3.
Inslil. cap. 4. § 31. duo esse genera flagellorum
Dei: quaedam enim sunt proprie poenae , et iiilli-
gunlur a Deo ul jiidice in vindictam peccalorum
praclerilorum, uljusliliac salisliat; quaedam au-
tcm sunt casligalioncs. quae innigunlur a Deo ut
palre.non in vindiclam peccalorum praclorilorum,
scd ad fulurorum rcmcdium.nimirum ut liouio ad-
monenlnr flagcllo. ne iterum lacilis sit ad peccan-
dum. Primum genus , imiuil Calvinus . ad solos
iniinicos pcrlinere. socundum ad solos amicos; el
proinde cum non sinl istae poenae ex juslitia lucn-
dae. non esse opus ut maneai earum dehilum post
mortem. quando non esl periculuiu rccidendi in
peccalum.
Atfruslra laborat Calvinus : nam etsi falendum
cst flagella jiistorum esse eliam palernas casliga-
tionest cl remedia conlra peccala fulura. lamcn si-
mul est agnosccnda vcra poena et salisfactio de-
hila culpa praelerilae ex juslilia. Quod sic proha-
tur: nam in primis 2. Reg. 12. exprimilur caussa
cur punirctur David . et non dicilur: ne ileruin
pocces : sed , Quia hlasphemare fecisU nomen
Domini.
Deinde niors csl vera poena peccali originalis ,
370
DE PURGATOUIO
el eam luiiiU lioniiiifis jusli, non ut abstineant a
pcccato, sed ul satisracianl juslitiae divinac. Quod
patcl, quia non cst intlicta a Dco posl pcccaluin ,
ul sunt castigaliones palei'nae,sed esl lege slaluta
anle peccalum tainquam pocna peccati, et cadcni
persevcrat post peccalinn ct pcccati reinissionem,
ul pntet Gencs. 2. Quaecumquc die comederis ,
morte moricris. El Roin. 5. Per unum hominem
peccalum in liunc niundum inlravil, el per pea-
calum mors. in quo omnes peccaverurtt.FA Uom.
6. Stipondium peccati mors. Et Calvinus ipse
lib. 2. Inslitut. cap. 1. § 8. apcrtc confilclur.mor-
tem vcram esse peccati poennm;deni(]ue quomodo
polest esse raors flagellum palernum ad peccaluni
cavendum instilutum? Qui enim moritur, non po-
tcsl amplius emendari.
Praeter mortem islam communem,quae esl poc-
iia peccati originalis , habemus alia exempla in
Scriptura eorum, qui puniti sunt morte violcnla ,
cum eis remissum esset peccatum , cum lamen
mors non possil esse palcrna castigalio in remedium
peccati futuri: nam Exod. 32, Deus pepercerat po-
pulo oranle Moyse, el taracn Moyses in vindiclam
peccali jussil occidi raulta millia de populo sino
ullo delectu. Et simililer Numer. 14. Cuin populus
murmurasset, et Deus placalus a Moyse ruisscl ,
plurimi lamen in deserto perierunl. Incredibilc
esl anlem ex lol millibus nullum fuisse qucm de-
licti poenituerit. 3. Regum 13. propheta Domini
quia inobediens fuitvoci Domini.a leonc exlingui-
lur, juxta quod ei ab allcro prophela praedictum
fueral, el tamen ut inlelligeremus ei culpam anlea
rcmissam fuisse, el sancte illum obiisse , neque
ejus cadaver, neque jumenlum, quo vectus fuerat
leo tetigit, sed utrumque polius custodivit , donec
veuerunt qni eura sepelirenl; dcnique 1. Corinth.
H. dicilur: Ideo inter vos multi imbecilles , et
dormiunt mulli. Ubi, ut exponunl Ambrosius el
alii, apostolus indical in primiliva Ecclesia raultos
eorum, qui indigne communicabanl , raorte a Deo
pnnitos fuisse, quibus tamen culpara antea remis-
sam patet ex eo quod apostolus subjungit : A Do-
mino corripimur , ne cum hoc mundo damne-
mur.
His accedanl duo clarissima b. Auguslini lesli-
monia. Primum est Iract. 12i. in Joan. Cogitur
homo tolerare etiam remissis peccatis, quamvis,
ut in eamveniret miseriam.primum fuerit caus-
sa peccalum, productior est enim poena quam
culpa. ne parva putaretur culpa si cum iila fi-
niretur et poena: ac per hoc vel ad demonslra-
tionem debitae miseriae , vel ad emendationem
labilis vitae, ad exercilationeni 7iecessariae pa-
tientiae, temporalHer hominem detinet poeiia et-
iam quem jam ad damnationem sempiternam
reumnon delinet culpa. Secundum esl in psalm.
SO. \'eritatem, inquit, dilexisti: hoc est, impunita
peccata eorum etiam quibus ignoscis non reli-
quisti, sic praerorjasti misericordiam ut servares
eA veritalem, ignoscis confitenti, ignoscis.sed sei-
psum punienti , sic sermtur misericordia el ve-
ritas.
Probatur jam assumptio hujus argumenti : nam
niuUi qui plurima peccata commiseruiit, in articulo
niorlis converlunlur, quando nullam possunl agerc
poenilentiam; ex quo ccrte illud sequitur . ut posl
iianc vitam satisfacerc debeant. Rcspondenl in
morte deleri orania. Contra: nam mors est poena
peccati originalis , et ideo communis omnibus el-
iam infanlibus , ergo pro actualibus debel in-
veniri alia poena. Praelerea Dcus injuste age-
ret , ncc viderelur habere providentiam reruin
noslrarum . si una et eadein poena, idest, naturali
morle puuirel peccala magna ct parva , raulta cl
panca.
Tertia ratio sumitur a communi opinione omnium
genlium: id cnim conlilenlur Ilebraei , xMahunie-
tani. Gcntiles, iiquc lara philosophi. quam poetae.
De Hebraeis patet ex libr. 2. 3]acliabaeorum , cap.
12. nam sallem lides adhibenda est ei libro quac
adhibelur Livio : praeterea Josephus lilius Gorio-
nis in libro de bello judaico cap. 19. indicat Ju-
daeos consuevisse orare pro raortuis , non tamen
pro illis qui se inleriraunt.
De Jlahumelanis patet ex Alcorano, ubi purga-
toriura diserle confilentur. De ethnicis paletcx
Plaloue in Gorgia el Phaedone : ex Cicerone in
somnio Scipionis in tine : et Virg. 6. Aneid. Ergo
exercentur jioenis, veterumque malorum suppli-
cia expendunt : ct ex Claudiano lib. 2. iu Runi-
nura circa finem:
Qaos ubi per varios omnes, per mille figuras.
Egii Lelhaeo purgalos flaminc etc.
Neque dicat aliquis hos potius argumentum esse
erroris el fabularum , quandoquidem id sentiunt
Ethnici et Mahumelani; nam illa in quibus omnes
fore naliones conveniunt, vix possunl aliunde jiro-
venire,quam a naturali luraine oranibus hominihus
communi. Quae enim sunt excogilata et conficta
ab hominibus, varia sunt , et diversa pro genlium
varielate. Sicut ergo Deum esse, in quo omnes na-
tiones conveniunt, dicimus verissimum esse , nec
tamen recipimus in particulari Deos varios et raul-
tiplices, quos sibi quaelibet natio fabricavil: etsi-
cut post hanc vitam esse poenas et praemia , in
quo etiam conveniunt omnes, recipimus utverura,
nec taincn recipimus varias fabulas quibus hoc
explicant (nam esse poenas, et praemia posl hanc
vilam docuit omnes homincs cognitio divinae pro-
videnliae. fabulas aulcm ex se finxerunt) ita etiam
purgatorii confessionem , in qua omnes fere gen-
les conveniunt, oporlet dicere esse confessionem
luminis naluralis; ejusdem enim providenliae divi-
nae cognilio docuit purgatorium,quae docuit infer-
num el paradisum, saltemgenerali et confuso quo-
dam raodo, quia nimirura videmus poenas etprae-
raia ila distribui in hac vila, ut plura bona habeant
mali, et plura mala boni, ul plurimum: inde judi-
caraus divinam providenliam in aliam vitam distu-
lisse judicium, et veram distribulionera praeraio-
rum el poenarum.
Rursum videmus ex iis, qui migranl ex hac vila,
alios esse valde bonos, alios valde maIos,aIios me-
diocriter bouos el mcdiocriter malos: quocirca JQ-,
dicamus naturali luininc csse post hanc vitam poe-
nas acternas pro valdc malis, praemia aelerna pro
iiiiiiii mwv^
377
v.ildii Itoiiis ac |iij(Miiis lomponiriiis , el nnr ciis
Iniiisiliiiii ikI pniiMiiiii |)i'o iis (|tii huiil iii(Mlii)rriU<r
iiiiili vi'l lioni. Il:iii(' riiliiiiii-iii sn|iiiil(is csl IMiito
(>t ;ilii, i|(ii solo liiiiiitn' iiiiliiriili priicilili, iiiir^Mlo-
riiiiii cssc (•(iiifcSNi siiiit.
Oniirla rulio siiiniliir nli apiiarilionilnis iiiiiiiia-
niiii, (|iM(^ sc iii |»iir^,'alorio csm- rciuiiici.ivciiinl ,
alijiic ojtcMi a viMs iiii|iloriivciiiiil, (jiiiis ii|i|i,ii ilio-
ncs ('iiiii viri yravissiiiii rcliiliMinl , iiimi iinincrilo
viMfis fiiissc crcdiniiis. ridciiiil liccl l.iillicriis cl
Hlii;,'(lcliiirv;ciiscs. S. (irctJDriiis lili. i. di.ilo^'. ciip.
M). scriliil (lc aniiiiiic Pascliasii , (|iiac iii llicrniis
pulcolanis appaniil s. (l(Miiiiiiio cpiscopo , cl cjiis
prciilMis liliiMiilii csl. cl cap. ."»."». scrilnl aliiid si-
iiiilc CMMiiphini; cl piiicl(M'ca dc (|iiodiiin iiion;i(di()
siio . pro (jiio iri^;iiil;i luissas ipsciiicl (lrc;;o-
riiis dici jussil , cl c\ cjiis appiirilKMic dicil lihc-
riiluiii.
(;i'c^'orius Turonictis iil). do nloii:» coiircss. cap.
:>. scrihil, h. Marlino s. vir^;in(Mii (|ii;iuidiiiii iioini-
m» Viliilin;im j;im dcriiiicl;ini siv:mlic;isso se ;idliuc
in purj^iilorio dc^iMC oh lcv(> (pioddam peccaliim ,
ac. paulo posl prccibtis cjtisdciu s. .Marlini lilio-
r;il;im.
1'clrus Damiani in opisl. iid l)esid(^rium scrihil,
h. .Sov(^rinuui Colonionscm cpiscopum apparnissc
cuid;im prcshylcro ciusd(MU Kcclcsi^ic.oi^pic siirui-
licassc sc adhtic in ptirtiahMio firavilcr lonpuMi ,
(piod lioras cauouici)s non disliiiclis lcmporihu.s
pcrsolvissol. scd ir.iino oninos lior;is sinitil co;ic(M'-
viisscl, til lohi dio no-Jioliis impcri;ilihiis lihiMius
v;iciirc possol.
Bcdn lib. '^. liisl. Anglorum oap. 10. scribil h.
Fursacum a morluis rosurj:;onlom narr;issc mullii,
(]u;io vidil i\i^ ptiri^iiloriis poouis, ol lih. ."». c;ip.l3.
rcfcrlmirabilom visioncm cujusdam Diolholmi.^iui
siinililiM- morliuis. cl posloa rovivisoons mira n;ir-
ravil dc inlVrno. pnrjialorio ol paradiso. El vila c-
jiis so(iueiis. ac lYuclus spirilualis , ciucm iu aliis
tmillis opcralus esl, leslabalur veram fuisse visio-
nem.
S. Bcrnardus in vila h. Slalachiae rcfcrt, b. Ma-
lachiae sororcn ojus dcfunclam non semel appa-
ruissc cum adhuc in ptirgaloriis poenis degerct ,
cl landom. 1'roqucnli oucharisliae ad Dcum obla-
lionc hheralam: et lib.l. vilac b.Bcrnardi cap.lO.
rcfcrl Ciulielmus abbas, qui vilam sancli Bcruardi
scripsil, ipso adhiic vivenle. appaniisse aliquaudo
b. Bcrn;irdo uuum ex defunolis monacliis. in pur-
galorio lahoranlcm, el precibus ac sacriliciis viri
sancli pauloposllibcralum.Quod cxemplum ipsuni
b. Bcrnardum narrare solituin scribil auclor ejus
vilae.
Libro primo vilae b. Anselmi simililcr legimus ,
b. Anselmum aunum inlegrum inslilisse sacrificiis
quotidianis, et landem apparenle sibi amico defun-
cto, pro quo tamdiu oraverat , didicisse eum de
purgalorio libcralum. Phira similia legi possuut a-
pud Vinccnlinm lib. 23. spcculi bislorialis , in re-
vclationibus s. Brigiltae , et in vila Chrislianae
mirabilis : scd quae altulimus sunt raagis authen-
tica.
Ucspondct Magdeburgenses , esse fabulas. At
ncc est credibilc, lam sanctos viros dccipere vo-
liiiv>r, iici|iic I ii.iiii ipHON JecrploH riiinho . CUIII
liahcrLMil spiriliiiii diHi rcliuiiiii ul ciihi;iil iiiiiici
Dn.
I lliiiiii ralio «iHsu pnlchl, ipii.i isl.i ii|)iiii(i , cjuac
IdIIiI piirM.iluriiiiii, iioii mdIuiii cil f.iJH.i . Hinl i;liii(ii
p(M°iiici()Sii ; si'|iiiilciii hi)(iiiiii's s<t( ordc^ f.x il in
p(M'r;ills c.iviMidiH cl hniiiH opitrihiis riMMcn Iih. (Jiii
cniiii co^'ll.it iiiilliini e%s(; piir^.iloi iiiiii, .<>cd oiiini.i
pi'iciil;i |i(!r tiKirliMii iiholcri iii lis, i|(ii iiioriiiiiliir
( iim lldc, f.K ilc dicrl ;i|iii I Hi! : <Jiior>iiiii c^'o la-
horo 111 jcjiiiiiis, priM iliiis, i'oiiliii*Mili<i, clci niosy-
iiis? Ciir Ir.iiido cor iikmiiii ilidiciiH cl vohipl.ilihiiH?
(|ii;iiidiii|iiidciii iii iiiorlc sivi; piiiicit . sivi: iiiiillii
p(M'c.ilii hiihiicro, oiiiiii;i dcjchiiiiliir.Al (|Ui ro^'il;il
r(Mu;iii(M'c priicliM' ^'cliciiii;iiii , i;.'(i(Mii iiccrniiiiiiii
pur^'alorii , cl (|uic(|iiid hic dclclniii iioii fiicril
pcr dchil;ic po(Miilciili;ic (ipcr;i ihi dihiiMi(iuiii,ccrlR
dilii^iMilior c.iutioi'<pi(; cviiilil.