ace of Scripture to
the contrary. For St. Paul, speaking of the Resurrection (1 Cor. 15.)
understandeth it onely of the Resurrection to Life Eternall; and not the
Resurrection to Punishment. And of the first, he saith that the Body is
"Sown in Corruption, raised in Incorruption; sown in Dishonour, raised
in Honour; sown in Weaknesse, raised in Power; sown a Naturall body,
raised a Spirituall body:" There is no such thing can be said of the
bodies of them that rise to Punishment. The text is Luke 20. Verses
34,35,36. a fertile text. "The Children of this world marry, and are
given in marriage; but they that shall be counted worthy to obtaine that
world, and the Resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given
in marriage: Neither can they die any more; for they are equall to
the Angells, and are the Children of God, being the Children of the
Resurrection:" The Children of this world, that are in the estate
which Adam left them in, shall marry, and be given in marriage; that is
corrupt, and generate successively; which is an Immortality of the Kind,
but not of the Persons of men: They are not worthy to be counted amongst
them that shall obtain the next world, and an absolute Resurrection from
the dead; but onely a short time, as inmates of that world; and to the
end onely to receive condign punishment for their contumacy. The Elect
are the onely children of the Resurrection; that is to say the sole
heirs of Eternall Life: they only can die no more; it is they that are
equall to the Angels, and that are the children of God; and not the
Reprobate. To the Reprobate there remaineth after the Resurrection,
a Second, and Eternall Death: between which Resurrection, and their
Second, and Eternall death, is but a time of Punishment and Torment; and
to last by succession of sinners thereunto, as long as the kind of Man
by propagation shall endure, which is Eternally.

Answer Of The Texts Alledged For Purgatory

Upon this Doctrine of the Naturall Eternity of separated Soules, is
founded (as I said) the Doctrine of Purgatory. For supposing Eternall
Life by Grace onely, there is no Life, but the Life of the Body; and no
Immortality till the Resurrection. The texts for Purgatory alledged by
Bellarmine out of the Canonicall Scripture of the old Testament, are
first, the Fasting of David for Saul and Jonathan, mentioned (2 Kings,
1. 12.); and againe, (2 Sam. 3. 35.) for the death of Abner. This
Fasting of David, he saith,