Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church That Is in Purgatory · Book II: On the Circumstances of Purgatory
Chapter 5: The objections are solved
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae est in Purgatorio, Book II, 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).
They object, first, certain testimonies of the Scriptures which the Church uses in the office of the dead, when it desires to pray for the souls which dwell in purgatory: Psalm 6, My soul is troubled exceedingly. And in the same place: Heal me, for my bones are troubled. And Psalm 114: The sorrows of death have compassed me, and the perils of hell have found me. Surely such great disturbance and anxiety cannot arise from punishments alone, but from uncertainty and fear of eternal damnation; for if those souls were perfect in charity and certain of their salvation, they would not so fear, since it is written in Proverbs 12, Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad. I answer that it is foolish, from the fact that the Church uses some psalm in the office of the dead, to wish to understand all the words of that psalm literally of the dead; for how shall we understand of the dead those words of the same Psalm 6: Every night I will wash my bed, I will water my couch with my tears? And so the Church, on account of one or another sentence which bears on the present matter, is accustomed to read some whole passage of Scripture, even if the greater part of that passage does not bear on the present matter. So at the dedication of a church the gospel of Zacchaeus is read, because those last words, This day is salvation come to this house, fit in some way the dedication and consecration of a church; so at the assumption of the blessed Virgin the gospel of Martha and Magdalen is read, on account of those words, Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her; so finally (to pass over the rest) in the office of the dead, on account of those words of Psalm 6, Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak, and on account of those of Psalm 114, I will please the Lord in the land of the living, those whole psalms are read. Add that what is assumed in the argument is also false, that disturbance and sadness do not arise from pain, but from uncertainty or despair of salvation; for the Lord himself, John 12, says of himself, Now is my soul troubled; and Matthew 26, He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad; and yet neither uncertainty nor despair could fall on the Lord. But the place in Proverbs ought not to be taken of any sadness whatever, but of a sadness casting down and depressing, which worketh death, which blessed Paul in 2 Corinthians 7 calls the sorrow of this world.
The other objection is taken from that prayer which is recited after the gospel in the Mass for the dead: Deliver, O Lord, the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit; deliver them from the mouth of the lion, that hell may not swallow them, that they may not fall into darkness, and so on. Some answer that the Church prays for the dying, that they be not damned to hell; but that is contradicted by that, Deliver the souls of all the faithful departed; for the dying are not called the souls of the departed. Then, the usage of the Church has it that this prayer is said also on the anniversaries of the dead for those souls which departed from the body many years before. Others say that this prayer is poured out for those who are in hell, whom it sometimes happens to be freed, as is told of Trajan; but, to pass over that the story of Trajan is improbable, those who are in hell have already fallen into darkness and been swallowed by hell. Why, then, does the Church pray for them that they may not fall into darkness, nor be swallowed by hell? Then, the Church prays for the faithful only: Deliver, it says, the souls of the faithful departed. But those who have been damned to hell are not faithful. Two other solutions, then, can be given. One is that the Church prays for the souls which dwell in purgatory, that they be not damned to the everlasting punishments of hell; not indeed because it is not certain that they are not to be damned to those punishments, but because God wills us to pray also for those things which we are certainly to receive. But against this answer it can be objected that although the Church sometimes prays for those things which it is certainly to receive, yet it does not pray for those things which it has already received; but it has already received that those souls be not damned, since they have had a certain sentence and are most secure. Then, the mind of the faithful who pray for the dead or desire prayer to be made is certainly carried to this, that they may help those souls and free them from the present punishments of purgatory. But these objections are easily dispelled; for although the souls of purgatory have already received the first sentence in the particular judgment, and by that sentence are free from hell, yet there still remains the general judgment, in which they are to receive the second sentence. Wherefore the Church, praying that in the last judgment those souls may not fall into darkness nor be swallowed by hell, does not pray for a thing which it has received, but for one which it is to receive. To that about the intention of the faithful I answer that it too is satisfied; for in that prayer both are asked, namely that those souls be freed from the pains of hell, that is, of purgatory, which they suffer at present, and afterwards be freed from the sentence of damnation to be passed in the last judgment. The other solution is that the Church truly prays, as to its intention, that souls be freed from the pains of purgatory, yet uses that manner of speaking as if the souls were now departing from the body and were in danger of their eternal salvation, because it commemorates and represents the day of their burial or death. For as in the feasts of the incarnation, nativity, epiphany, passion, resurrection and ascension of the Lord the Church so prays as if Christ then ought to be incarnate, or born, and so on, because it represents those mysteries as present, and yet does not intend literally to pray that the Word take flesh, or be born of the Virgin, and so on, but that the fruit of those mysteries be applied to us; so also in the sacrifice for the dead, because the day of their death is commemorated, the Church so prays for them as if they were then dying; and yet intends to pray that they be freed from hell in the way in which they can be freed, that is, that they be not detained longer in those punishments, or that some refreshment be mixed with their pains. Finally, as it is not absurd, now after fifteen hundred years, to say in Advent: Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just; let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Saviour; and many other things of that kind; so it is not absurd to say for the dead: Deliver them from the mouth of the lion, that they may not fall into darkness, and so on.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT V.
Solviintur objectiones.
Objiciunl primo teslimonia quaedam Scriptura-
rum quibus ulilur Ecclesia in onic-io defunctorum,
dum pro animabus . quae degunt iu purgalorio ,
orare cupil. psalm.6. Aninia inea turbata est val-
de. El ibidem : Sana animam menm , quoniam
conturbata sunl ossa mea. Et psalm. 114. Cir-
cumdederunt me doiores mortis. ctpericulain-
ferni iiivenerunt »?ie. Cerlc isla lanta pcrlurbatia
et anxietas non polcst nasoi cx solis poenis.sed ex
inccrtitudine, el metu aelernae damnationis ; nam
si animae illae perfectae essenlin charitate.et cer-
lac essent dc sua salule , non ita timerent , cum
scriptum sit provcrb. 12. non conlristabit juslum
quidquid acciderit ei.
Respondeo : Stultum esse . cx eo quod Ecclesia
ulilur aliquo psalmo in officio dcfiinctorum , vellc
oinnia verba ejiis [)salmi inlelligerc ad liieram de
defunclis;quomodo eniin inlellige,musde defunclis
illa verba ejusdem 6. psalini : Lavabo per singu-
las noctcs teclum meum.lachrgmis meis slratum
meum rigabo '? Itaque Ecclesia propter unam aut
alleriim senlenliam.quae ad rem praescntem facil,
\olum aliqucm locum Scriplurae legere solet , el-
ianisi miijorpiirs illius loci ad rcm praesenlem non
licial. Sic in dedicatione Ecclesiae lcgitiir evange-
lium de Zacliaco. quia illa ullima vcrba: //orficsft-
lus huic domui facta est, conveniunl aliquo modo
dedicationi et consecrationi Ecclesiae : Sic in as-
sumplione b. Virginis legilur evangelium de Mar-
llia el Magdalcna propler illa verba : Maria opti-
mam partem elegit , quae non auferetur ab ea,
Sio dcnique ( ut omillam caetera ) in olTicio defun-
clorum propter illa verba ps. 6. Miserere mei Do-
mine , quoniam injirmus sum. Et propler illa
|)salm. 114.Pfacebo Domino inregione vivorum:
lcgunlur inlegri illi psalmi.
Adde. quod falsum eliam est, quod in argumen-
to assumitur , turbationem et trislitiam non nasci
ex dolore , sed cx incerliludine aut desperatione
Siilulis; nam Dominus ipse Joan. r2.cap. de se ail:
Nunc anima mea turbata esl. Et Matth. 26. Coe-
pit conlrislari et moestus esse,et tamen nec incer-
titudo,nec desperalio in Dorainum cadere poterat.
Locus aulem proverbiorum non debet accipi de
quavis tristitia, sed de Irislitia dejiciente ac depri-
menle, quae mortem operatur , quam b. Paulus 2.
Corinth. 7. vocat tristitiam hujus saeculi.
Altera objeclio sumitur ex illa oratione , quae
post evangelium in missa dii raorluis recilatur://!;-
bera Dominc animas omnium fidelium defu7icto-
rum de pocnis inferni, et de profundo laeu , li-
bera eas de ore lconis.ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
nc cadant in obscurum etc.
Respondentaliqui:Ecclesiara orareproagnnizan-
libus, ne damnentur ad inferos:sed repugnat illud:
Libera aniiuiis omnium fidelium defunctorum, noii
eniin agoniziinles dicunlur animae defunclorum.
Dcinde usus Ecclesiae habet , ut haec oralio dica-
lur eliam iu anniversariis defunclorum pro iis ani-
mabus,quae ante raultos annos migrarunl a corpo-
re. Alii dicunl , hanc orationem fundi pro iis, qui
sunt in gehenna, quas interdum liberari contingit,
ut fertur de Trajano:sed, ut omittam improbabilem
esse illam Trajani historiam, qui in gehenna sunt
jam ceciderunt in obscurum,atque absorpti sunt a
tarlaro.Quid igilur pro illis Ecclesia orat ne cadant
in obscurum, nevc absorbeanlur a larlaro? Deinde
Ecclesia pro fidelibus lantura oral: Libera, inquit,
animas fidelium dcfunctorum.^on autem sunt fi-
deles. qui damnall sunt ad inferos.
Duac igilur solutiones aliac dari possunt. Una
est, quod Rcclesia orat pro auimabus,quae in pur-
galorio dcgunt,ne damnentur ad poenas gehennae
sempilernas. non quidem quod cerlum non sit eas
non damnandas ad eas poenas, sed quia vult Deus
nos orare etiam pro iis rebus, quas certo acceptu-
ri sumus.
Sed adversus hanc responsionem objici potest ,
quia etsi Ecclcsia inlcrdum oret pro iis rebus,quas
ccrto est acceptura, non tamen orat pro iis rebus,
quas jam accepit: porro jnm accepit ne aniraiie il-
lae damncnliir, cura certam sententiam illae hii-
buerint, et seciirissimae sint. Deinde raens lide-
liura, qui pro defunctis orant vel orari cupiunl ,
cerle co ferlur, ut anirans illas juvent,et expediant
a praesentibus poenis purgalorii.
Yerum islae objectioncs lacile diluunlur ; nam
elsi animae purgatorii jam acceperint priraam sen-
tcnliiini in judicio parliculari , eaque senlenlia li-
Lcrac sinl a gchenna: taiuen adhuc superest judi-
IIHKU M:I >IMJS
I liiiii ^MMirriilr*, III i|uo .sciuiiilaiii sriiltsiitlaiii iiccr-
|)(ui'iii> siint. UuocIkmi l':rc|(>siii oraiiH , iic iii juili
ciocxlrcMio iiiiiiiiac i||,ii> ciiilaiit iii ohsciiniiii, iic-
vo al)si)rl)Ciuiliir ii liiriarn.iioii uriil pro ca rc t|iiiiiii
(icccpil, scd pro cii, ipiac acccpliirii csl.
Ail illutl vcii) il(> iiilniliniic llilcliuin.rcspiiiiiliM),
ctiiiiii illi Milciiliiiiii siilislicri; iiiiiii III illa oriiliDiit;
iilriiiinpii! pcliliir. iiiiiiiruiii , iit lihcrciilur iiniiiiiic
iliao ilc pociiis iiircnii . nlcsl, piiri^Mlorii , ipiiis iii
prai>sciili piiliiiiiliir.cl poslcii lil)crciiliir a sciilciitui
daiiiiialioiiis in cxlrcnio jiiilicio lcrciulii.
Allcra soliitio (•st, ipioil MccU^sia vcrc oral (|uiin-
tniii ad iiilci:li(inciii siiiiin, iil aiiiiniii> lilicrciitiir a
pociiis piir^Mloni, liiincii tililnr co inoilo loipii-iiili,
(piasi aiiiiiiai! Iiiiic nii^riircnl a corporc, d iii p(>ri-
ciilo cssciil aclcriiii(> siiliitis, (piiii coiniiiciiioiMl, cl
rcpracscntal ilii>iii dcposilionis sivo ol)ilus.ri cniiii
II) ccichrilalihiis rcsloniin iiiciirnationis, iiiilalis ,
apparilionis. piissionis, rcsurrcclionis cl asccnsio-
nis Doniiiii Mcclcsiii ilii oriil , nc si liinc tlclicrcl
('lirislus, vcl inciiruiiri, vcl niisci clc. (piiii rcprac-
si>nla( illii inysloria nt pra(>scnlia.cl lainon non iii-
loiidil iid lilcrani prccari.nl Vcrhnin ciirncin ;issii-
niiil, luil iiiiscatur i\c Vir^inc clc. scd iil iiohis ap-
plicclur IVuctus corunnnyslcriornin: ila qiKKpic in
sacrilicio pro dcrunclis, (piia coiiiin(>moridur dics
obilns illoruin,Kcclcsiii ilii pro illis oriit.ac si limc
niorcrcnlur: ol liuiicn intcndil oiarc. iil lil)(>rciiliir
iil) infcrno oo niodo. (pio liborari possunl . idosl .
nl iion d(>liiionnliir diuliiis in illis po(>nis, vcl iil
rclriji(>riiini idi^piod doloribus iiiisc(Mliir. l)oni(|i)c
(pioniodo non esl iibsurdiiin , iiiinc post niille el
(piint^onlos aniios in advonlu Doniini dicoro: Uora-
1(1 cocli dcsu})cr,('l nubcx pluanl ju^luin: apc.ria-
tur terrd, cl(jcnnincl Salvalorcni : ol alia imilla
id t;cniis, ila non est absnrdum pro dofunctis di-
corc: J.ibcra oas dc orc lconis, ne cadanl iii ol>-
scurum clc.