is entirely repugnant to our minds to think of those who are destined for Paradise as imprisoned with the devils and the maliciously wicked. But even the assertion that Purgatory is a distinct place is more than the definition of Trent necessarily teaches. Its statement that "Purgatory exists" (Purgatorium esse) may be understood of a state quite as well as a place, and it is so explained by the Jesuit Father Hunter in his volumes entitled Outlines of Dogmatic Theology. After saying that the brief decree of Trent contains "the whole of the defined doctrine of the Church upon the subject,” he adds, speaking of the fact that death does not, as far as we know, of itself perfect the soul, "it follows therefore that some process of cleansing is possible, and this process is called Purgatory, from the Latin word meaning to cleanse." 1 Some years ago a Belgian Jesuit Father, in referring to the dogmatic teaching of the Council of Trent on Purgatory, wrote: "Nothing can be wiser than these decrees. The Council did not decide anything as to whether Purgatory is a particular place in which the souls may be enclosed, after what manner they are purified, whether it is by fire or otherwise, what is the severity of their pains, nor what is their duration, to what precise point they are assisted by the prayers, by the good works of the living, or by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, etc. . . . Vol. iii. p. 442. Theologians can have their opinions upon these various questions, but they are neither dogmas of faith, nor are they absolutely certain, and no one is forced to subscribe to them."1 It is true 66 no one is forced" under pain of actual heresy to subscribe to the Romish doctrine, but, as we shall see in the next chapter, very much is forced upon the belief of Roman Catholics who desire to "think with the Church," as they say. The points in the Conciliar decrees on Purgatory that seem to need explanation are those, then, connected with the meaning of the words "who die truly penitent and in the love of God," and the reference to satisfaction hereafter made by bearing the "temporal punishment " due to sin. We have no certainty that any "temporal punishment" is meted out unless it be as it is on earth educational, corrective, or exemplary. If it is intended to teach that a soul fit for Heaven-free, that is, from all stain of sin, and perfected in holiness according to its capacity—is detained in Purgatory simply in order that it may endure tortures which are merely punitive, then such a doctrine of temporal punishment in the future life seems inconsistent with all we know of God's dealings with us here, from which we are wont to argue as to what He will do hereafter. The well-known lines in Dr. Newman's poem, The 1 Let us not Forget our Dear Dead, F. Varseur, S.J. Dream of Gerontius, are an example of the way in which the statements of the Councils of the Roman Church as to "purgatorial pains" may be taken in a purely spiritual sense: "When then-if such thy lot-thou seest thy Judge, The sight of Him will kindle in thy heart So vilely by a being so vile as thee. There is a pleading in His pensive eyes Will pierce thee to the quick, and trouble thee, To slink away, and hide thee from His sight; And these two pains, so counter and so keen,— The statement made by the Council of Trent as to the value of suffrages for the departed is-it need hardly be said-perfectly in accordance with what was believed in the primitive Church, and with what is now, as formerly, taught in the Eastern Church. To deny that the departed are to be prayed for, or that the Eucharist is to be pleaded on their behalf, would be to cut one's self off from all historical Christianity. Prayers for the departed have been valued by the whole Church of God from the very first; they spring from that deep-rooted spirit of faith, hope, and love which has refused to allow that death is destructive of those mutual good offices which the Christian Church insists upon in her doctrine of "the Communion of Saints." |