Point 17: Of Purgatory
Our consent.
We hold a Christian purgatory, according as the word of God has set down the same to us. First of all, by this purgatory we understand the afflictions of God's children here on earth. Jeremiah 3: The people afflicted say, you have sent a fire into our bones. Psalm 66:12: We have gone through water and fire. Malachi 3:3: The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction. 1 Peter 1:7: Afflictions are called the fiery trial whereby men are cleansed from their corruptions, as gold from the dross by the fire. Secondly, the blood of Christ is a purgatory of our sins. 1 John 1:7: Christ's blood purges us from all our sins. Hebrews 9:14: It purges our consciences from dead works. And Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature. To this effect says Origen: Without doubt we shall feel the unquenchable fire, unless we shall now entreat the Lord to send down from heaven a purgatory fire to us, whereby worldly desires may be utterly consumed in our minds. Augustine: Suppose the mercy of God is your purgatory.
The difference or dissent.
We differ from the Papists touching purgatory in two things. First, for the place. They hold it to be a part of hell into which an entrance is made only after this life. We for our parts deny it, as having no warrant in the word of God, which mentions only two places for men after this life — heaven and hell — with the twofold condition thereof: joy and torment. Luke 16:25-26; John 3:36; Revelation 22:14-15; Revelation 21:7-8; Matthew 8:11. Nay, we find the contrary: Revelation 14:13 says that they that die in the Lord are said to rest from their labors, which cannot be true if any of them go to purgatory. And to cut off all evasions, it is further said that their works — that is, the reward of their works — follow them even at their heels, as an attendant does his master. Augustine says well: After this life there remains no compunction or satisfaction. And: Here is all remission of sin; here are temptations that move us to sin; lastly, here is the evil from which we desire to be delivered; but there is none of all these. And: We are not here without sin, but we shall go hence without sin. Cyril says: They who are once dead can add nothing to the things which they have done, but shall remain as they were left, and wait for the time of the last judgment. Chrysostom: After the end of this life, there are no occasions of merits.
Secondly, we differ from them touching the means of purgation. They say that men are purged by suffering pains in purgatory, whereby they satisfy for their venial sins and for the temporal punishment of their mortal sins. We teach the contrary, holding that nothing can free us from the least punishment of the smallest sin but the sufferings of Christ, and purge us from the least taint of corruption, saving the blood of Christ. Indeed they say that our sufferings in themselves considered do not purge and satisfy, but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ. But to this I oppose one text of Scripture: Hebrews 1:3, where it is said that Christ has purged our sins by himself — where the last clause cuts the throat of all human satisfactions and merits. It gives us to understand that whatsoever thing purges us from our sins is not to be found in us but in Christ alone. Otherwise it should have been said that Christ purges the sins of men by themselves as well as by himself, and that he should merit by his death that we should become our own saviors in part.
To this place I may well refer prayer for the dead, of which I will set down two affirmative conclusions and one negative. Conclusion 1. We hold that Christian charity is to extend itself to the very dead, and it must show itself in their honest burial, in the preservation of their good names, and in the help and relief of their posterity as time and occasion shall be offered (Ruth 1:8; John 19:23).
Conclusion 2. We pray further in a general manner for the faithful departed, that God would hasten their joyful resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happiness both for body and soul. And thus much we ask in saying: Your kingdom come — that is, not only the kingdom of grace but also the kingdom of glory in heaven. Thus far we come, but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approach.
Conclusion 3. To pray for particular men departed, and to pray for their deliverance out of purgatory, we think it unlawful, because we have neither promise nor commandment so to do.
Our consent.
We affirm a Christian purgatory — understood according to what God's word has revealed. First, by this purgatory we mean the afflictions of God's children here on earth. Jeremiah 3: The afflicted people say, 'You have sent fire into my bones.' Psalm 66:12: 'We went through fire and through water.' Malachi 3:3: The sons of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction. 1 Peter 1:7: Afflictions are called the fiery trial by which people are cleansed from their corruptions, as gold is purified from its dross by fire. Second, the blood of Christ is the purgatory for our sins. 1 John 1:7: 'The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.' Hebrews 9:14: It purifies our consciences from dead works. And Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire — for our inward cleansing is by the blood of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is like fire, consuming and destroying the inward corruption of our nature. Origen says: 'Without doubt we will feel the unquenchable fire, unless we now ask the Lord to send down from heaven a purifying fire to us, by which worldly desires may be utterly burned away from our minds.' Augustine says: 'Think of the mercy of God as your purgatory.'
The difference or dissent.
We differ from the Roman Catholics on purgatory in two ways. First, regarding the place. They hold purgatory to be a part of hell, entered only after this life. We deny this, since there is no warrant for it in the word of God, which speaks of only two places after death — heaven and hell — with their twofold conditions: joy and torment (Luke 16:25-26; John 3:36; Revelation 22:14-15; Revelation 21:7-8; Matthew 8:11). Indeed, we find the opposite: Revelation 14:13 says that those who die in the Lord rest from their labors — which cannot be true if any of them go to purgatory. And to close off any escape, it is further said that their works — that is, the reward of their works — follow right at their heels, like an attendant following his master. Augustine says well: 'After this life there remains no repentance or satisfaction.' And: 'Here is where all remission of sin occurs; here are the temptations that lead us to sin; here is the evil from which we ask to be delivered — none of these exist there.' And: 'We are not without sin here, but we will depart hence without sin.' Cyril says: 'Those who have once died can add nothing to what they have done, but will remain as they were left, and wait for the time of the last judgment.' Chrysostom: 'After this life ends, there are no further opportunities for merit.'
Second, we differ from them regarding the means of purification. They say that people are purified by suffering pains in purgatory, by which they satisfy for their venial sins and for the temporal punishment of their mortal sins. We teach the opposite — that nothing can free us from the least punishment of the smallest sin except the sufferings of Christ, and nothing can cleanse us from the least trace of corruption except the blood of Christ. They say that human sufferings do not purify or satisfy in themselves, but only as they are made meritorious by Christ's sufferings. To this I set one text of Scripture: Hebrews 1:3, which says that Christ purged our sins by Himself — the final phrase cutting the throat of all human satisfactions and merits. It tells us that whatever purges us from our sins is found not in us but in Christ alone. Otherwise, the text would have said that Christ purges people's sins by themselves as well as by Himself — as if His death had merited that we should become our own partial saviors.
Here I will address prayer for the dead, setting out two positive conclusions and one negative. Conclusion 1. We hold that Christian love should extend even to the dead — shown in giving them an honorable burial, preserving their good name, and helping and providing for their families as time and opportunity allow (Ruth 1:8; John 19:23).
Conclusion 2. We also pray in a general way for the faithful departed — that God would hasten their joyful resurrection and the full completion of their happiness in both body and soul. We include this when we pray, 'Your kingdom come' — meaning not only the kingdom of grace but also the kingdom of glory in heaven. This is as far as we go — we dare not approach nearer to the gates of Babylon.
Conclusion 3. We believe it is unlawful to pray for specific departed individuals or to pray for their release from purgatory, because we have neither a promise nor a commandment to do so.
