Pagan Origin of Partialist Doctrines

by John Claudius Pitrat

In the Elysium, as Plato described it, kindness and justice were rewarded: there the true patriot, the modest and just Aristides, had been admitted. To this divine recompense piety, eagerness in seeking for truth, and love to it, were the surest titles. When the dead had been judged those who had been pronounced worthy of the Elysium passed to the right hand side, and were led to the Elysium, every one by his guardian angel. Those who had been sentenced to the Tartarus passed to the left hand side, and were dragged thereto, each one by the evil genius that beguiled him while on earth. Onward they were driven, carrying on their back their sentence of condemnation, and the enumeration of all their crimes. Those whose vices were curable were to be released after due expiation and reform.

According to Plato, the dead who have been guilty of murder, sacrilege, and other enormous crimes, shall be endlessly miserable in the Tartarus. Those whose crimes have not been so great shall be detained therein for a year; and, at the expiration of this time they will be brought out, near the marsh of Acheron, by the waters of the Cocyte, and of the Pyriphlegeton rivers. Then they shall humbly beg pardon from those they have wronged; and, if they obtain it, they shall be released; if not they shall be taken back to the Tartarus on the rivers. Virgil also speaks of that state of expiation and purification of the souls of the dead.

Therefore the Pagans held the doctrine of a general judgment of all the then living, and of all the dead, which shall take place at the end of the world.

2d. We prove that there is a striking similarity between the particularities of the doctrine of a general judgment, as held by the Pagans, and the doctrine of a general judgment, as held by the Church of Rome.

The Pagans believed that, immediately before the end of the world, there would be mighty and frightful signs in the heavens; and that the then living mortals would be struck with terror: likewise the Church of Rome believes that, at the end of the world, the columns of the heavens will be shaken; that the signs on high will be so frightful that the then living men will be appalled: also there will be famine, pestilence, war and murders over the whole earth. The Pagans believed that, at the sound of a trumpet, the earth would deliver up her dead to be judged: likewise the Church of Rome believes that four angels will sound a trumpet; and that, when the four trumpets will resound over the earth, all the dead, who had been buried either in the sea or in the earth, will come again to life to be judged.

The Pagans believed that geniuses would force men to the place of judgment: likewise the Church of Rome believes that angels will gather, from the four cardinal points of the earth, the multitude of men to the place of judgment. The Pagans believed that men would be judged in a meadow covered with astophels: likewise the Church of Rome believes that the general judgment will take place in the valley of Josaphat. The Pagans believed that, in the meadow, a throne would be erected, on which Minos, the great judge, would sit: likewise the Church of Rome believes that Jesus Christ, the great judge, will descend from heaven on clouds, and will sit on a throne erected in the valley of Josaphat. The Pagans believed that, near to the throne of Minos, Eacus, Rhadamante and Triptolem, his assistant judges, and good geniuses, or spirits, would stand: likewise the Church of Rome believes, that, near to the throne of Jesus Christ, good angels will stand.

The Pagans believed that, near to the throne of Minos, would stand avenging furies, and a host of evil spirits, executioners of the sentences of Minos against the wicked: likewise the Church of Rome believes that there will be, at some distance from the throne of Jesus Christ, a host of devils, executioners of the sentences of Jesus Christ against the wicked. The Pagans believed that each man was led to the redoubtable tribunal of Minos by the guardian spirit, who had accompanied him during his whole life on earth: likewise the Church of Rome believes that each man will be led to the redoubtable tribunal of Jesus Christ by the guardian angel who has accompanied him during his whole life on earth.

The Pagans believed that Minos used three books in his judgments: the first called book of life, for the righteous; the second called book of death, for the great criminals; and the third for those who had been neither righteous nor great criminals: likewise the Church of Rome believes that Jesus Christ will use two books: the one called book of life, for the righteous; and the other called book of death, for the wicked.

Remark.—The Church of Rome does not hold that, at the general judgment, Jesus Christ will use the third book; but holds that, in the first judgment, he uses it for those of the dead who have been neither righteous nor great criminals, and who thereby shall be sentenced to Purgatory, which shall finish at the end of the world. Apropos of this limitation of the duration of Purgatory, we might cursorily say that this restriction has been wisely made by the far-sighted ministers of the Church; for as, after the general judgment, they would be no longer on earth, they could not say masses and other prayers, for the deliverance of the souls detained in Purgatory; and thus it would be quite useless to make the torments of Purgatory last any longer.