Wesley Corpus

Very near akin to that of purgatory, is the doctrine of Limbus Patrum. For the Church of Rome teaches, that “before the death and resurrection of Christ, the souls of good men departed were detained in a certain place, called Limbus Patrum, which is the uppermost part of hell.” “The lowermost,” they say, “is the place of the damned; next above this is purgatory; next to that, Limbus Infantum, or the place where the souls of infants are.” It might suffice to say, there is not one word of all this in Scripture. But there is much against it. We read that Elijah was taken up into heaven; (2 Kings ii. 11;) and he and Moses “appeared in glory.” (Luke ix. 31.) And Abraham is represented as in paradise, (Luke xvi. 22,) the blessed abode of good men in the other world. Therefore, none of these were in the Limbus Patrum. Consequently, if the Bible is true, there is no such place. 1. THE service of the Roman Church consists of prayers to God, angels, and saints; of Lessons, and of Confessions of Faith. All their service is everywhere performed in the Latin tongue, which is nowhere vulgarly understood. Yea, it is required; and a curse is denounced against all those who say it ought to be performed in the vulgar tongue. This irrational and unscriptural practice destroys the great end of public worship. The end of this is, the honour of God in the edification of the Church. The means to this end is, to have the service so performed as may inform the mind and increase devotion. But this cannot be done by that service which is performed in an unknown tongue. What St. Paul judged of this is clear from his own words: “If I know not the meaning of the voice,” (of him that speaks in a public assembly,) “he that speaketh shall be a barbarian to me.” (1 Cor. xiv. 11.) Again: “If thou shalt bless by the Spirit,” (by the gift of an unknown tongue,) “how shall the unlearned say Amen?” (Verse 16.) How can the people be profited by the Lessons, answer at the Responses, be devout in their Prayers, confess their faith in the Creeds, when they do not understand what is read, prayed, and confessed?