Wesley Corpus

4. This miserable doctrine of indulgences is founded upon another bad doctrine, that of works of supererogation; for the Church of Rome teaches, that there is “an overplus of merit in the saints; and that this is a treasure committed to the Church’s custody, to be disposed as she sees meet.” But this doctrine is utterly irreconcilable with the follow ing scriptures --“The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us;” (Rom. viii. 18;) and “Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. xiv. 12.) For if there be no comparison betwixt the reward and the sufferings, then no one has merit to transfer to another; and if every one must give an account of himself to God, then no one can be saved by the merit of another. But suppose there were a superabundance of merits in the saints, yet we have no need of them, seeing there is such an infinite value in what Christ hath done and suffered for us; seeing He alone hath “by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Heb. x. 14.) 5. But where do the souls of those go after death, who die in a state of grace, but yet are not sufficiently purged from sin to enter into heaven? The Church of Rome says, “They go to purgatory, a purging fire near hell, where they continue till they are purged from all their sins, and so made meet for heaven.” Nay, that those who die in a state of grace, go into a place of torment, in order to be purged in the other world, is utterly gontrary to Scripture. Our Lord said to the penitent thief upon the cross, “To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Now, if a purgation in another world were necessary for any, he that did not repent and believe till the last hour of his life might well be supposed to need it; and consequently ought to have been sent to purgatory, not to paradise. 6. Very near akin to that of purgatory, is the doctrine of Limbus Patrum.