Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church That Is in Purgatory · Book I: On Purgatory
Chapter 12: The arguments from the Scriptures are solved
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).
It remains to solve the arguments of the adversaries, which are taken partly from Scripture, partly from the Fathers, partly from natural reason.
The first objection, Psalm 126: “When he shall give sleep to his beloved, behold the inheritance of the Lord”; therefore purgatory does not come between the death of the faithful and the obtaining of the heavenly inheritance. I answer that the psalm treats of the general resurrection, as Saint Augustine rightly expounds; and this is the sense of those words: when he shall give sleep to his beloved, that is, when all the elect have slept by bodily death, behold the inheritance of the Lord, that is, at once then will appear the inheritance of Christ, all his elect rising in glory; which inheritance is also the reward of the same Christ, who by his passion and death acquired us. And so inheritance and reward are the same; the same are the sons and the fruit of the womb; for the sons of God by adoption are the inheritance of the Lord, and the same sons, who are also called the fruit of the womb, are the reward of the same Lord. Add that in the Hebrew text, which the adversaries prefer to the Latin, it is not, when he shall give, but, so he will give. Accordingly the whole force of the argument falls, for it is not expressed when the inheritance of the Lord will come.
The second objection, Ecclesiastes 9: “Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly: for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening.” For the wise man seems to have wished to signify by these words that there is no remedy in the other world. Some answer that these things are said by Solomon in the person of the ungodly, who take away not only purgatory but hell too, and believe there is nothing at all besides this life. Others teach that Solomon speaks to those who live idly and wickedly, and will go straight to hell; in which place it is most true that there is no remedy or comfort. Saint Jerome touches both expositions in his commentary. But Saint Gregory, book 4 of the Dialogues, chapter 39, fits all these things well enough even to those who are led to purgatory; for only those can be purged, and helped by the prayers of the living, who while they lived here merited by their good works that they could be helped in the other life; and all these ought to do in this life whatever good they can, because in the other life they will not be helped unless by what they did here they have merited that they could be helped.
The third objection, Ecclesiastes 11: “If the tree fall to the south, or to the north, in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be.” There is not, then, they say, a third place, that is, purgatory, from which one must at some time go out. I answer that literally the wise man speaks of bodily death, and means to say that men will necessarily die, and when they are dead will never rise of themselves, as a tree at last falls at some time, and remains and rots where it fell. But if we wish to fit this to the state of the soul, then it must be said that those who belong to purgatory have fallen to the south, that is, to the state of eternal salvation, and will remain in that state of salvation for ever; or certainly it can be said that by the south is understood heavenly glory, by the north hell, but that not all fall to the south or to the north. Further, that this place does nothing against the assertion of purgatory can be understood from this also, that if it hurt the assertion of purgatory it would also hurt the assertion of that place to which the holy Fathers descended before the coming of Christ, whether that place is called the bosom of Abraham, or the limbo of the Fathers, or the lower world; for it is agreed that the Fathers did not remain in that place for ever. See Jerome in his commentary, and Bernard, sermon 49 of the short ones.
The fourth objection, Ezekiel 18: “When the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, I will not remember all his iniquities.” But how, says Peter Martyr, does God not remember the iniquities of his friends if he punishes them so severely in purgatory? I answer in two ways. First, that not to remember iniquities is nothing else than not to keep enmity with him who sinned; for if to remember iniquities were to punish bad deserts, to remember just deeds would be to reward good deserts. But the adversaries do not grant that to remember just deeds is to reward good deserts, lest namely they be forced to admit the merits of the just; therefore neither ought they to grant that to remember iniquities is to punish iniquities; for Ezekiel speaks in the same way of justice and of iniquity. Second, it can be answered that to remember iniquities is indeed to punish, but to punish for ever; for when we read in the same place, if the just man turn himself away from his justice, all his justices shall not be remembered, we are forced so to expound it that his just deeds are said to be given to oblivion, not because they are not rewarded with some temporal reward, but because they do not free the man from hell, nor are rewarded with an everlasting reward; for otherwise that the good works of the ungodly are not defrauded of a temporal reward the Fathers teach, Chrysostom, homily 67 to the people of Antioch, Jerome on chapter 29 of Ezekiel, Augustine, book 5 of the City of God, chapter 15, and Gregory, homily 40 on the Gospels; and it is gathered from those words of Luke 16, Thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime.
The fifth objection, Matthew 25: only two orders of men are found; for to some it is said, Come, ye blessed; to others, Depart, ye cursed. Likewise the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned. Finally John 3: He that believeth is not judged; he that doth not believe is already judged; there is not, then, says Brenz, any further place left for purgatory, since there are only two places after this life. I answer that in the last judgment, of which Matthew 25 treats, only two orders are rightly made, because then purgatory will come to an end, and thereafter only two places will remain, paradise and hell. Further, he who believes shall be saved and is not judged, that is, is not condemned, provided he also adds the other things which are required; for faith of itself justifies and saves if there is no hindrance from elsewhere. As we are accustomed to say, from this seed a tree will grow, if namely the heat of the sun, the moisture of water and whatever else is required are not lacking; nor does it follow at once that he who will be saved through faith will be saved without purgatory, for many are saved, yet so as by fire, as we showed above from the Apostle.
The sixth objection, Luke 23: to the thief converted at the last hour Christ says, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. There does not remain, then, say Peter Martyr and Bernardino Ochino, a purgatory for those who have not done penance in this life. I answer that that most hard death borne with a most patient mind, and so admirable a confession at that time when the apostles themselves were denying Christ, could justly be reckoned as full satisfaction. Add that the privileges of a few do not make a law.
The seventh objection, Romans 8: “There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” I answer that Paul in that place disputes about concupiscence, and means to say that those who are in Christ Jesus, and fortified by his grace, do not consent to the motions of their flesh, and contract no sin from motions of that kind. And so this place does not attack purgatory, but the heresy of the adversaries, who hold that even those motions which the just man sometimes feels are true sins, although he does not consent to them.
The eighth objection, 2 Corinthians 5: “If our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven”; therefore godly men are carried straight to heaven after death without any purgatory. I answer that blessed Paul asserts only this, that the heavenly house lies open after death, and does not lie open before death. But that all the godly are at once carried to heaven after death he does not say, but rather indicates the contrary, when he says, Yet so that we be found clothed, not naked. For by these words he signifies that those who are clothed with merits and virtues, and accordingly have done perfect penance in this life, are at once led into the heavenly house; but that others are saved indeed, but yet so as by fire, as he himself says in 1 Corinthians 3.
The ninth objection, 2 Corinthians 5: “We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil.” But if after this life sins were remitted and there were a place of purgation, surely not every one would receive according as he has done in the body. I answer that the sentence of blessed Paul is most true; for even those who find remission and purgation in the world to come receive nothing except what they did in the body; for as they merited by persevering in faith and charity until death, so also after death they can be purged and helped. By which reason also holy men after death, although they properly merit nothing, yet obtain from the Lord whatever they ask, since they merited in this life, by living rightly, that after this life they should also be heard by the Lord. See this very thing which we teach in Dionysius, book on the ecclesiastical hierarchy, last chapter, part 3; in Augustine, book of the Enchiridion, chapter 110, and book on the care for the dead, chapter 1; and in Gregory, book 4 of the Dialogues, chapter 39. And in the same way are to be understood those other places: He will render to every man according to his works, Romans 2; and, Every one shall bear his own burden; and, What things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap, Galatians 6.
The tenth objection, Revelation 14: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow them.” But all the godly die in the Lord; therefore all the godly rest after death, nor is there any who is tormented in purgatory. I answer with Saint Anselm, in the commentary on this place, that that, from henceforth, does not signify from the death of each, but from the last judgment, of which Saint John speaks in that whole chapter. And so this will be the sense: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; for from henceforth, that is, from the end of this judgment of which I now speak, they will rest for ever from their labours. Or if this is less approved by anyone, we can answer with Richard of Saint Victor and Haymo on this place, that blessed John speaks of perfect men, and especially of the holy martyrs (for he wished to console them in that place), who simply die in the Lord, and carry nothing with them to be purged; for those who depart with venial sins, or with the debt of some temporal punishment, do not simply die in the Lord, but partly in the Lord by reason of the charity which they carry with them, partly not in the Lord by reason of the sins which they nevertheless carry with them. Nor will it seem strange that we say some die partly in the Lord and partly not in the Lord, if Saint Augustine is read, book 3 against the two epistles of the Pelagians, chapter 3, where he says that the same men in this life are partly sons of God, partly sons of this world. And so much for the Scriptures.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAIM T \l!.
Solvunlur <iv(jumrnl(L c.i; Scripturin.
Supcrcst argiiiiKMilii ;idvcrs;irioniiii soIv«m'c.(|u;i('.
]);irlini c\ Scripl(ir;i, |i;irliin c.\ P.ilnhtis, p:irliui c.\
n;iliir;ili riilionc sumiiiitiir.
rriiiiii ohjcclio, psiiliii. I2(». Cuni (Irdrrit tlilo-
clissuis suiniiuui. rvrr lidrredilufi honiini : iioti
igilur purgaloriiim inlcrccdil iiilcr inortcm lidclium
cl cooh^slis li;i(M'(!dit;ilis coiisiMpiutioncm.
Ucsp()iidco:Tracl,it ps;ilmiis tle gciicrali rcsurre-
clioni!. iit s. Augustiuus rcclc c.xponil: el iiic csl
scusus conini vcrhorum; Cum dcderit dilectis suis
somnum, idosl, cum dormicrint pcr corpor;ilctn
morliMU oiuncs clccti, cccc hacrcdilas iJomini, id-
csl, continuo tunc apparchit liacreditas Cliristi ,
rosurgculibiis iti glori;! uuinil)iis (^jus ehM;lis,(|ii;ie
baenMlitas est ctiaiii lucrccs cjusdcm Clirisli , (pii
passioue ct niorte sua nos acquisivit. It;u|ue idcin
osl haiMCdiliis ct mcrccs ; idem filii cl frucltis
vculris; filii cnim Dei pcr adoptionem sunt hacn!-
dilas Domini; ct iidem filii, qui ct fructiis vcnlris
appcllanlur. sunt cjusdem Domini raerces. Addc
quod in tcxlu licbr;iico , qucin advcrsiirii lalitio
pracfcrtinl , nou liabelur . cum dedcrit , scd sic
diibit ]nU2. Proinde ruil vis tota argumcnli, non
enim exprimitur quando adveniet haereditas Do-
miiii.
Sccunda objectio, Ecclesiastae 0. Quodcumquc
facere potcst manus tua instanlcr operare ,
(juia nec opus , 7iec rutio , nec sapientia , nec
scientia erunl apud inferos , quo tu prope-
ras. Videlur enitn sapicns his verbis significa-
re voluissc , nullum esse remedium in alio sae-
culo.
Respondenl aliqui: Ilaec dici a Salomone in per-
sona impiorum. qui non raodo purgalorium , sed
eliara gehennam toilunt, et nihil oranino esse cre-
dunl practer hanc vilam. Alii docent Salomonem
ad eos loqui, qui oliose et flagiliose vivunt, et ad
gehennam recla proficiscenlur : quo in loco veris-
siraum est nuilam esse remedium vel solaliura. U-
Iramque expositionem atlingit s. Ilieronyums in
commentario. Al sanctus Gregorius lib. i. dialog.
•■»•7 t*
DE PLUGATOIUO
cap. 39. accomoJiil haec oiiinia salis aple ad eos
cliam. qui ad purgalorium (ieilucunlur ; nam soli
illi purgari possunl , et precibus viveulium juvari,
{|ui dum hic vivcrcnl, id mcrucrunl honis stiis o-
pcribus, ul in alia vita juvari possent : quae o-
mnes dcbeul in hac vila quidquid possunl boni pe-
ragere. quia in alia vila non juvabunlur . nisi per
oa.quae hic gesscrunt.meruerinl.uljuvari possent.
Tertia objeclio, Ecclesiaslae 11. Si cecidarit li-
finum ad austrum, aut ad aquilonem , in quo-
cumque loco ccciderit ibi erit.^ou igilur,inquiunt,
dalur lertius locus , idest purgalorium , unde ali-
quando exeundum sil.
Respondeo: Ad hleram Sapienlem loqui de mor-
le corporali, ac vclle dicere, ila homines neccssa-
rio morituros, el cum morlui fuerint, per se num-
quam surrecluros, quemadmodum lignum tandem
aliquando cadit, cl ibi manel ac pulrescit, ubi cc-
cidil. Si tamen vehmus haec ad slalum animae ac-
commodare, tum dicendum erit, eos qui ad purga-
torium perlinent, ad auslrum cecidisse , idesl. ad
slatum salulis aelernae, et in eo slalu salulis per-
j)eluo pcrmansuros: vel ccrte dici poteril pcr au-
slrum gloriam coeleslem.per aquiloncm gehennam
inlelligi, sed non omnes cadere ad auslrum aut
ad aquiloncm. Porro hunc locum nihil ofTicere as-
serlioni purgalorii, ex eo etiam intelligi potest ,
quod si purgalorii asserlioni oiTiccret, oflicerel et-
iam asserlioni ejus loci,ad quem sancti Palres an-
lc Chrisli advenlum descendebant , sive is locus
sinus Abrahae, sive limbus Patrum, sive infernus
nominelur: conslat enim Palrcs in eo loco non
mansisse perpcluo.Yide Ilieronymum in commen-
tario, et Bernardum serm. 49. ex parvis.
Quarla objcclio , Ezechielis 18. Cum aversus
fueril impius ab impictate swa, omnium iniqui-
tatum ejusnon recordabor. Al quomodo , inquit
Petrus Marlyr, non recordalur Deus iniquilalum
amicorum suorum, si eastam severe in purgatorio
punil ?
Respondeo dupliciler. Primo non recordari ini-
quilalum, nihil ahud esse, qunm non servare ini-
miciliam cum eo qui peccavit ; nam si recordari
iniquilalum, esset punire mala merila , recordari
juslitiarum essel rerounerare bona merila. At non
concedunl adversarii. recordari juslitiarum , esse
rcmunerare bona merila , ne videhcet merilaju-
slorum admilterc coganlur , igilur neque debent
concedcre, recordari iniquilalum esse punire ini-
quilates; nam Ezechiel eodem modo de justitia et
de iniquitale loquitur.
Secundo responderi polesl : Recordari iniquila-
tum esse quidem punire, sed punire in aelernum;
nam cum ibidem legiraus, si justus averlerit se a
juslitia. onmes justiliae ejus non recordabunlur:
cogimur ila exponere, ut dicanlur juslitiae tradi
oblivioni, non quod non remunerenlur temporali
aliquo praemio, sed quod non liberent hominem
a gehenna,nec remunerentur praemio sempiterno;
nam alioqui opera bona impiorum non fraudari
temporali mercede, docent Palres, Chrysostomus
homilia G7.ad populum Antiochenum,Hieronymus
in cap. 29. Ezechielis, Augustinus lib. ^. de Civi-
lale Dei cap. !.'>. cl Gregorius hom. 40. in evan-
gclia. el colligilm' ex illis verbis Lucae 16. Recc-
pisti hona in vita tua.
Quiula objeclio , Mallhaei 23. Duo solum ordi-
nes liominum inveniuntur; aliis enim diciUir : Ve-
nite bcnedicti. Aliis: lle maledicti.llem Marci ul-
limo: Qui crediderit et baptizatus luerit. salvus
erit; qjii vem non credideril.condemnabitur.Di-
niquc Joannis 3. Qui credit, non judicatw ; qui
non credit. jam judicatus esf; non igilur, inquil
Brenlius, locus ullris remanet purgatorio , cum
duo solum sinl loca post hanc vilam.
Respondeo : In cxlremo judicio , de quo agilur
Matlh. 23. recte duos tanlum fieri ordines , quia
tunc purgalorium finem accipiet ac deinceps duo
tanlum loca remanebunt , paradisus el gchenna.
Porro , qui crcdit , salvus erit et non judicalnr,
idest non condemnalur , modo etiam addat caele-
ra quae requirunlur ; fides enim cx sc jusliCcal ct
salval, si aliunde non sit irapedimenlum. Quera-
admodum dicere solemus, ex hoc semine nasce-
tur arbor , si videlicel non desint calor sohs ,
humor aquarum, et si qua alia requiruntur ; ne-
que continuo qui salvus erit per fidem, sine pur-
galorio salvus crit, mulli cnim salvantur , sic la-
men quasi per ignem,ut supra ex aposlolo demon-
stravimus.
Sexla objectio, Lucae 23. Lalroni in exlrema
hora convcrso dicilur a Chrislo : llodie mecum
crisin paradiso. Non ergo,inquiunt Pclrus Marlyr
et Bernardinus Ochinus, remanel purgatorium pro
iis, qui in hac vila non egerunt poenitentiam. Rc-
spondeo: Morlem illam durissimam palientissimo
anirao toleralam, et confessionem lam admiran-
dam co lempore, quo Chrislum aposloli ipsi nega-
bant, potuisse justc in plenam satisfactionem re-
pulari. Adde,quod privilegia paucorum legem non
faciunl.
Septima objectio, Rom. S.Nihil damnationis est
iis, qui sunl in Chrislo Jesu.
Respondeo:PauIum eo locodispulare de concu-
piscenlia ac velle dicere, iis qui sunt in Chrislo
Jesu, et ejus gratia muniti, non consentiunt moli-
bus carnis suae, nihil peccati contrahere ex ejus-
modi motibus. Ilaque hic locus non purgalorium
oppugnat, scd haeresim advsrsariorum , qui vera
peccata esse volunt eos etiam molus , quos inler-
dum justus senlit. Hcet eis non consenliat.
Oclava objectio 2. Corinlh. 5. Si domus terrc-
nae nostrae habitationis dissolvitur , habemus
domum non manu factam , aeternam in coelis ;
recla igilur post mortem sine ullo purgalorio pii
homincs transferunlur in coelum.
Respondeo : B. Paulum id soium asserere , pa-
lere domum coeleslem post mortem, non patere
anle mortem. Quod autem conlinuo omnes pii
transferanlur ad coelum posl morlem, ipsum non
dicere, sed conlrarium polius indicare , cura ait :
Si lamen vestiti et non nudi inveniamur. Signi-
ficat enim his verbis eos, qui meritis et virtulibus
vestili sunt, ac proinde perfectam poenilentiam in
hac vita egerunt, mox in doraum coelestem dedu-
ci; alios aulem salvari quidem , sed sic tamen ,
quasi per ignem, ut ipse idem ait , 1. ad Corin-
Ihios 3.
I lltLlt 1'hl.MI b
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Niiii;i (ili|Cili(). 2. Ciiriiilli. ^. (hnnoH nnUilnmHH
unlv tiihunnl Cln-isli , vl rrfn-nl i/Mi/sr/K/M/i/r
■lyroul ijrssit in cnriKin', hmc Imnnni, siiv vinlnin.
Ai hi |iosl lniiic. vii.iiii |i(MM',iilii rtiinillr.nMiUir, cl lo-
•Mjs ossol |iiir^Mliiiiii . «M-rlii mm riM:i|ii'r(U unus-
<|iiiM|iii< iiroiil ^rssil iii (Mir|iiirit.
|{('.s|i(iiMiiii: ViMissiiii.iiii csso li. r.iiili s(Mil(;n-
liaiii; Niiiii cliiiiii illi,(|iii rriiiissldiiis cl |iiir^iiliiiiiis
liit iiiii iiiviMiiiiiil iii lulitni MiiMMili), iiiliil rrri|iiiiiil,
iiisi i|iiiul ^;c.ssi riiiii III citriuiri" ; nl (Miim iiicrnc-
ruiil |M'rs(iV(Miiii(lii iii llilc d i liiiriliiln us(|ii(' ikI
iiKirUMii, iil cliiiin |iiisl iiKirinii purt^iiri d jii\;iri
|itissiMil.(Jii;i riilK cliiiiii s.iiicii \iri |iiisl iinii lcni,
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III liiic vil;i rcclc. vimmkIh, ul cli.iiii pusl li;iiic. vil;iiii
il IhMllllKI CXillKilKMlilir. NkIc IkiC 1|ISII11I (|IKHi IKlS
(locciiiiis, ii|iiiil Dioiiysiiiiu lili.iU; KccUts.liicnircli.
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7inii:niiin(' scrnndnni o/mT(i t^va , Hoiuiiii. 1. \'A
iiUi: l nn^ijuisiint', onus snnnipdrliiliil. Kl: Quni',
scniinuvnil hunio , /kicc ct nielo.t, (i;il;il. (i.
DcciuKi olijcclio , Apoc;iI\psis M.lhuili niorlni,
qni in Doniino niorinnlnr. anunlo jani (licil S/j<-
ritns , ul rcquicscanl a lahoribus siiis ; opitra
<'ni)ii iUurnm scijnnnlur illos.Xi pii oiiuics iii Do-
niiiK) inoriuiilur, omncs ij^ilnr pii posl niorlem rc-
quicsciiiii, nccinc nllns osl ([ui iu purgiilorio lor-
(jUCillUI .
Ucspomleo ciim S. Ansclmo : In comnicnliirio
liujus loci. iilmJ, ainodo, noii si}jnitic;irc ;i inortc
uniuscujusiiue, scd iib c.xtrcnio judlcio, de quo iii
toto co ciipiic s. .lo;mncs loiiuilur. It;i(|no liic cril
scnsiis : lloali morlui, (ini in iHmiino moriunlnr; ;i-
inodo cniiu, idcsl.a linc hnjus judicii.dc quo nunc
loqiior , in aclcrnum rcfiuicscciil ii liiliorilms snis;
vcl si id miims ;ilicui proliclur, respondcrc [lossu-
inus cuin llicliiirdo dc s. Victorc cl lliiymonc in
liunc locuin. loqui b. Jounncin de viris perrectis ,
;ic pracscrtim dc s;iiiciis imirlvribns ^^ cos cnim co
loco consolari volcluil ) qui >iiiiplicitcr moriunliir
in Domino, ikmiuc ali^inid purgandiiui secnm fc-
runt ; ni\m qiii dccedunt cnm peccatis vcnialibus ,
aul cum dcbito pociKie alicujus temporalis , ii
non simplicilcr inoriuntur in Domino , scd par-
lim in Domino ralione cliaritatis , qnam secum le-
rnnl . paitim non in Dotnino ratione pcccatorum,
qiuie nilulumiiuis sccum lerunt. lAequc mirum vi-
debilur , qnod aliqnos dicainus niori partim in
Domino. parlim non in Domino , si legatur s. Au-
guslinus lib. 3. conlra duas epistolas Pelagiano-
rum cap. .3. ubi eosdcm homines in hac vila par-
liin cssc dicit fUios Dei.parlim Glios hujus saeculi.
Atque luiec de Scripluris.