A third place is that of I Corinthians,15.29,before mentioned,concerning baptism for the dead:out of which he concludeth,first,that prayers for the dead are not unprofitable;and out of that,that there is a fire of purgatory:but neither of them rightly.For of many interpretations of the word baptism,he approveth this in the first place,that by baptism is meant,metaphorically,a baptism of penance;and that men are in this sense baptized when they fast,and pray,and give alms;and so baptism for the dead,and prayer for the dead,is the same thing.But this is a metaphor,of which there is no example,neither in the Scripture nor in any other use of language;and which is also discordant to the harmony and scope of the Scripture.The word baptism is used for being dipped in one's own blood,as Christ was upon the cross,and as most of the Apostles were,for giving testimony of him.But it is hard to say that prayer,fasting,and alms have any similitude with dipping.The same is used also,Matthew,3.11(which seemeth to make somewhat for purgatory),for a purging with fire.But it is evident the fire and purging here mentioned is the same whereof the Prophet Zechariah speaketh,"Iwill bring the third part through the fire,will refine them,"etc.And St.Peter after him,"That the trial of your faith,which is much more precious than of gold that perisheth,though it be tried with fire,might be found unto praise,and honour,and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ";and St.Paul,"The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."But St.Peter and St.
Paul speak of the fire that shall be at the second appearing of Christ;and the Prophet Zechariah,of the day of judgement.And therefore this place of St.Matthew may be interpreted of the same,and then there will be no necessity of the fire of purgatory.
Another interpretation of baptism for the dead is that which Ihave before mentioned,which he preferreth to the second place of probability:and thence also he inferreth the utility of prayer for the dead.For if after the resurrection such as have not heard of Christ,or not believed in him,may be received into Christ's kingdom,it is not in vain,after their death,that their friends should pray for them till they should be risen.But granting that God,at the prayers of the faithful,may convert unto him some of those that have not heard Christ preached,and consequently cannot have rejected Christ,and that the charity of men in that point cannot be blamed;yet this concludeth nothing for purgatory,because to rise from death to life is one thing;to rise from purgatory to life is another;as being a rising from life to life,from a life in torments to a life in joy.
A fourth place is that of Matthew,5.25:"Agree with thine adversary quickly,whilst thou art in the way with him,lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge,and the judge deliver thee to the officer,and thou be cast into prison.Verily I say unto thee,Thou shalt by no means come out thence,till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."In which allegory,the offender is the sinner;both the adversary and the judge is God;the way is this life;the prison is the grave;the officer,death;from which the sinner shall not rise again to life eternal,but to a second death,till he have paid the utmost farthing,or Christ pay it for him by his Passion,which is a full ransom for all manner of sin,as well lesser sins as greater crimes,both being made by the Passion of Christ equally venial.
