Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie

made fit for heaven." "No," replied Doctor Olaf, "it
is faith that purifies the heart; it is the blood of
Christ that cleanses the soul; not the flames of
purgatory."
The last point to be debated was "whether the
saints are to be invocated, and whether they are our
defenders, patrons, and mediators with God?" On
this head, too, Doctor Gallus could appeal to a very
ancient and venerable practice, which only lacked
one thing to give it value, the authority of
Scripture. His attempt to give it this sanction was
certainly not a success. "God," he said, "was
pleased to mitigate the punishment of the Jews, at
the intercession of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, then shut up in limbo, and on the
express footing of their merits." The doctor forgot
to explain how it happened that the merits which
could procure remission of punishment for others,
could not procure for themselves deliverance from
purgatory. But, passing this, the Protestant
respondent easily disposed of the whole case by
referring to the profound silence of Scripture
touching the intercession of the saints, on the one
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