The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

The existence of purgatory isPROOF OF PURGATORY. 84-9authoritatively taught andmost surely believed among Roman Catholics. The doctrinerespecting it decreed by the Council of Trent,* andtaught in the catechism of tliat council, as well as in allthe common catechisms of the Church of Rome, is that whichwe have just stated. The Council of Trent decreed, " thatthere is a purgatory," and enjoined all bishops to " diligentlyendeavour that the wholesome doctrine of purgatory"be " everywhere taught and preached,"—an injunction whichhas been carefully attended to. And so important is thebelief of purgatory, that Bellarmine affirms that its denialcan be expiated only amid the flames of hell. One wouldnaturally expect that Rome would be prepared with verysolid and convincing grounds for a doctrine to which she assignssuch prominence, and which she inculcates upon herpeople under a penalty so tremendous. These grounds,such as they are, we shall indicate, and that is all that ourlimits permit. The first proof is drawn from the Apocrypha;but as this is an authority that possesses no weight withProtestants, we shall not occupy space with it, but pass onto the second, which is drawn from Scripture, and which ismade to support the chief weight of the doctrine,—with whatjustice the reader will judge. The following is the passagein which Papists unmistakeably discover purgatory:— "Whosoeverspeaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgivenhim, neither in this world, neither in the world tocome."-f* Here, says the Papist, our Lord speaks of a sinthat shall not be forgiven in the world to come ; which impliesthat there are sins that shall he forgiven in the worldto come. But sins cannot be forgiven in heaven, nor willthey be forgiven in hell ; therefore there must be a thirdplace where sins are forgiven, which is purgatory. The answerwhich the Rev. Mr Nolan has given to this is much tothe point, and is all that such an argument deserves. "Letme suppose," says he, " a person committed a most enor-* Coucil. Trid. sess. xxv. f Matli. xii. 32.