confesse before the Lorde that it is nothing in comparison of his mercy towards vs nor our duety towards him But yet blessed be his holy name that it is sufficient to iustifie our profession against the Papistes if not to stoppe their malicious mouthes yet to condemne their cancred conscience of obstinate lying against the manifest light of truth And whereas M. Allen will haue vs told that the blood of Christ maketh mens workes meritorious we will not let to tell him that the church of Christ abhorreth that blasphemy whereby Christes blood is made not the only nor the principall but an accessary and helping cause of remission of sinnes eternall saluation and will not doubt to tell him all such hypocrites as he is that neither see feele tast nor know the mystery of Christes redemption or any thing that ishueth vnto vs thereof which mingle merites of men by what colour or conueiance of wordes what so euer with the infinite and onely cause of our saluation the meere mercy of god And whereas he biddeth vs come into his Church we say to all them that are curable among them as the spirite of God hath taught vs come out of her my people come out of her lest ye be partakers of her plages and torments But nowe at the last he returneth to his matter of mercy affirming that after mens departure the representation of almes by such as receiued it shall moue God exceedingly to mercy O vaine imagination for which he hath neither Scripture nor doctor for neither the example of Peter and the saying of Cyprian helpeth him one iote because there is not the like comparison betwene man and God nor betwene deliuerance from hel which is certayne purgatory which is the controuersie 2 If thou yet chaunce to be negligent in the working of thine owne saluation when thou art in strength and helth when ouer much carefulnesse of worldly welth hindereth the remembraunce of thy duety towardes God for all that helpe thy selfe at the least in thy latter ende for though it had bene much better before yet it is not euill nowe I speake not for priestes aduauntage God is my iudge I am not of that roome my selfe and will not condemne my soule for other But I speake for pity of the deceiued people for compassion of the soules that lacke the reliefe of so soueraigne a remedy for mine owne helpe and those that I so dearly loue against the day of our accompt I speake it because I beleue it and I beleue it because I finde it practised of those men and in those dayes when true christianitie was yet feruent in Christes bloude when the faith was vndefiled and when workes and faith ranne together in the rase of mans life ioyntly without contention Then floorished this doctrine and thou shalt haue further tast of their vsage for mine owne discharge we can not occupy our penne better S. Chrysostome thus instructed his flocke in this case Si adhuc in hac vita constitutus omnia quibus animae tuae prodesse poteras bene dispensare neglexisti vel ad calcem vitae tuae tuis mandasti vt tua tibi ipsi submittendo erogent bonisque operibus te adiuuent eleemosinis dico oblationibus etiam hac ratione saluatorem conciliaueris scribe in tabulis cum filijs cognatisque tuis haeredem nomina dominum Nulli autem viuentium propterea occasionem damus ne faciat eleemosinas differendo vsque ad mortem If thou in thine owne time was ouer negligent in disposing thy goods for the proffit of thy soule and yet at the very ende doest at the last charge thy frendes or executors that they will employ thy proper goods for the reliefe of thy selfe and so helpe thee with good workes that is to saye with almes and oblation euen that way there is great hope thou maiest procure Gods fauour write in thy will that our Lorde may be named a fellowe heire with thy children and kinnesfolkes Neuerthelesse let no man take occasion hereby to be slacke in his life time or to differe his almes charitie till deathes approching This was the preaching of that doctours dayes this proceeded out of his golden mouth and this sounded out of euery pulpit And surely if you knew his life and qualities you woulde not take him to be the priestes proctor of whose dignity as he wrote much so where he founde any vicious he punished sore But he was a true proctor of our soules Chrysostome was no crauer perdye nor Christ neither though they warne vs to make frâ—ndes by Mammon for our owne saluation They aske not much they thrust out no inheretours it was but a mite that wanne the poore widowe that prayse a cuppe of cold water where more abilitie wanteth shall winne heauen at th end This then is the benefite of almes giuen in the time of mans life or otherwise by his appointment of his owne goodes after his departure both which procure mercie as well by the deede it selfe as by the prayers of those to whome that charity apperteined 2 This matter standeth vpon chaunce medly for if thou chaunce sayth he to be negligent c. and more rightly then he termeth the buriall of Geneua it may be called a matter of mumchaunce for he beginneth with a chaunce but he hath neuer a title of scripture nor any sufficient authority of a doctor to proue that almes bequeathed in a mans testament helpeth him out of purgatory And yet as though he had some greate speake to make he protesteth that he speaketh not for priestes aduantage because he is not of that roome him selfe c. but hereby you maye see what he counteth almes cheefely that which is geuen vnto priestes or else what needeth he to make any such protestation But he speaketh it because he beleueth it he would fayne counter fect his speach like the Apostle but an ape will be an ape although he be clothed in purple For the grounde of his belefe is not as the Apostles was the worde of God Rom. 10. but the practise of men which though they were neuer so good yet they were such as might deceiue and be deceiued But to the matter the florish of this doctrine was so great in those times which he commeÌ„deth to be so happy that he can not finde one man that speaketh of it but he is fayne to cite out of Damascene that which Chrysostome shoulde saye Which wordes proue no more but that almes is better geuen at the last then not at all of deliuerance from purgatory neuer a worde There is one word oblationibus which perhaps M. Allen would draw to masses for he translateth it oblation in the singular number which in the Latine is the plurall numbre His fetch is easy to finde the Masse though it be sayed neuer so often yet is it called of them but one oblation But I inferre vppon his owne conscience Chrysostomes
to the places of punishment in the next life let them with purgatory rase vp the fathers resting place so plainely set forth by scripture beleued of the whole Church and alwayes taught by the holy fathers Yea let them that will haue no place for sinners finde with blasphemie hell like torments for Gods owne Sonne with the damned spirites My hearte surely will scarse serue me to report it and yet cursed Caluine was not afearde to write it and with arrogant vauntes against the blessed fathers to auouch the same That miserable forsaken man sawe that the onely graunt of the olde fathers punishment by the lacke of euerlasting ioye might of force driue him to acknowledge that God sometimes exerciseth his iustice vpon those which he loueth in the next life and so consequently that Purgatory paynes might be inferred therevppon therefore he fell headelong to this horrible blasphemye that Christ went not to loose any from the paynes of the next life but to be punished in hell with the deadely damned him selfe for to amend the lacke of his passion vppon the Crosse. O our cursed tyme O corrupt conditions this beast writeth thus agaynst our blessed Sauiours death and against the sufficiency of the abundant price of our redemption and yet he liueth in mans memory yea his bookes be greedely redd redde Nay by such as would be counted the chiefe of the cleargy and beare Byshops names they are commaunded to be redde and the very booke wherein this all other detestable doctrine is vttered especially by their authority commended to the simple Curats study that they might there learne closely in deuilish bookes such wicked heresies as the preachers them selues dare not yet in the light of the world vtter nor maintaine But other be not so farre fallen therefore they must of reason confesse that God by iust correction hath before Christes comming visited in the next world many hundred yeares togither the sinnes of those whome he dearly loued Although not onely in all that time the soules of the holy Patriarches felt the lacke of the aboundant fruition of the Maiesty but also for sinne they both then in rest and now in vnspeakeable felicity want till this day the encrease of ioy and blesse that by the receauing of their bodyes yet lying in dust they are vndoubtedly sure of Therfore it is ouer much presumption to limit the maiesty of God in the gouernment of his owne creatures to the borders of our short life and almost it toucheth his very prouidence with iniury to say that he letteth him scape without punishment for his sinnes that repented not till the houre of death as for whom he hath no scourge in the next life as he had here if death had not preuented his purpose These childish cogitations can not stand with the righteousnes of his will that for the first sinne committed doth not onely punish many euerlastingly of the forsaken sorte but also for the same punisheth both his best beloued in earth and for a time abateth the felicity of the blessed Sainctes in heauen But I will not stray after these men My matter is so fruitefull that I may not roue And though the sectes of these dayes haue so infected euery braunch of our christian faith that a man can not well ouerpasse them what so euer he taketh in hand yet I will not medle with them no further then shall concerne the quicke of our cause and the necessary light of our matter 5 Now this lusty gallaunt as though he had fully repayred and fortified the olde ruinous and battered towers of limbus patrum with canuas paynted walls he standeth vpon his bulwarke of browne paper and cryeth defiaunce to all his enemies and especially he vttereth his spite agaynst Caluine as a notorious enemy of his cause quarel Whom because he is to young to encounter withall by any witt learning reason or truth he spitteth out against him most impudent sclaunders raylings and lyes in which faculty he hath striued so much to shew him selfe eloquent that not satisfying him selfe with the voyce of a man he hath borrowed the tongue of the Deuill him selfe or at the least wise for feare he should not lye throughly geuen ouer his shamelesse tongue to be wagged by the father of lyes For what man with any shewe of humane reason would accuse Caluine to deny the sufficiency of the redemptiō of Christ to affirme that Christ went downe into hell after his death to be punished there with the damned him selfe for to amend the lacke of his passion vpon the crosse whose doctrine God him selfe the Angells and all the world doth knowe and testifie to be directly contrary to these sclaunders For who euer more constantly affirmed or more substantially proued the sufficiency of our redemption by Christes death what asse so vnlearned if he can but conster Caluins latine in his catechisme institutions or any part of his workes where he entreateth of that article of Christes descense in to hell may not plainly see that he vtterly denieth his descending into hell after his life affirming the same to be vnderstood of the wrath of God which he sustayned for our sinnes before his death at that time especially when he that was God complained that he was forsaken of God which mystery if M. Allen vnderstand not it is no maruell seeing he abridgeth so much the benefite of Christes redemption as all papistes doe alwayes and he specially in this his defence of purgatory and yet he is not ashamed to say of Caluine this beaste writeth against our blessed Sauiours death If I did not moderate somwhat my corrupt affections I could requite him the like reproches but this much I must needes say Is Caluine a beast for speaking the truth to the glory of Christes redemption Allen an honest man for sclaundering him to the defacing of Gods honour But because he would not be thought to haue spued oute all his poison against Caluine he goulpeth vp an other bowlefull of rayling and sclaundering against our Bishoppes who haue not onely suffered but also commended Caluins bookes to be reade and studied of the simple curates affirming that they doe priuily set forth by books that which they dare not openly preach If euery man that can be a witnesse that M. Allen lyeth in this matter should pull one heare from his heade or bearde they would leaue him neuer an heare of an honest man behinde them But that he maie returne to his gentle aduersaries with whome is lesse daungerous dealing there be some he sayth that graunt the punishment of the fathers after their death of whose liberall concession he doubteth not but to patch vp his Purgatory In which practise he is not vnlike a fonde fellowe of whome I haue hearde men iest in Cambridge who when he was non plus as they terme it in disputation and all his argument spent that he had prouided Now sayth he will I dispute of your concesses
and graunts So M. Allen for euery matter when his owne reasons faile hath the concessions of his aduersaries which if they will not franckly make he wil forcibly compell them to say what he will haue them Last of all he sayth it is presumption such as toucheth the very prouidence of God with iniury to say that he letteth any sinner scape vnpunished which repented not vntill the houre of death as for whome he hath no scourge in the next life as he had here if death had not preuented his purpose But these he calleth childish cogitations but he might well haue termed them deuilish imaginations which will controule the wisedome and mercie of God vnder his blinde reason and corrupt affections and not suffer God to shew mercy vpon whome he will shew mercy Rom. 9. without his blaspemous and enuious murmuring His promise made so pleasauntely not to digresse from his fautlesse matter how perfectely he performeth we shall see afterwarde That the practise of Christes Church in the courte of binding and loosing mans sinnes doth liuely set forth the order of Gods iustice in the next life and proue Purgatory CAP. III. 1_THis being then proued that God him selfe hath oftē visited the sinnes of such as were very deare vnto him let vs now diligently beholde the graue authority of loosing and binding sinnes and the courte of mans conscience which Christ woulde haue kept in earth by the Apostles and Pastours of our soules where we neede not doubt but to finde the very resemblaunce of Gods disposition and ordinance in punishing or pardoning offensies For the honor and poure of this ecclesiasticall gouernement is by especiall commission so ample that it conteineth not onely the preaching of the Gospell and ministerie of the Sacraments but that which is more neare to the might and maiestie of God and onely aperteineth to him by proprietie of nature the very exact iudgement of all our secret sinnes with loosing and binding of the same For as God the father gaue all iudgement to his onely Sonne so he at his departure hense to the honor of his spouse and necessarie giding of his people did communicate the same in most ample maner as S. Chrysostome sayth to the Apostles and priestes for euer that they practising in earth terrible iudgemēt vpon mans misdeedes might fully represent vnto vs the very sentence of God in punishment of wickednesse in the worlde to come The princes of the earth haue poure to binde too but no further then the body but this other sayth he reacheth to the soule it selfe and practised here in the world beneth which is a straunge case hath force and effect in heauen aboue The poure of all potentates vnder the maiestie of the blessed Trinitie in heauen and earth is extreme basenesse compared to this By this graue authoritie therefore the Pastors and Priestes imitating Gods iustice haue exercised continually punishment from the spring of Christian religion downe till these dayes vpon all sinners perpetually enioyning for satisfying of Gods wrath penaunce and workes of correction either before they would absolue them as the olde vsage was or els after the release of their offensies which now of late for graue causes hath bene more vsed In which sentence of their iudgement we plainely see that as there was euer accomp◠made amongest all the faithfull of paine due vnto sinne though the very offense it selfe and the giltinesse as you would say thereof were forgiuen before so we may gather that it was euer enioyned by the priestes holy ministerie after the qualitie and quantitie of the fault committed VVhereupon they charged some maner offenders with certaine prayers onely other with large almose diuerse with long fasting many with perilous peregrinations some with suspending from the sacraments and very greuous offenders with curse and excommunication VVhereby thou maiest not onely proue that there is paine to be suffred for thy sinnes but also haue a very image of that miserie which in the next life may faule not onely to the damned for euer but also to all other which neglected in this time of grace the fructes of penaunce and workes of satisfaction for the aunswere of their liues past This great correction of excommunication and separation from the sacramentes S. Paule termeth the rodde wherewith he often threatened offenders yea and some times though it was with great sorow the punishment was so extreme he mightely in Gods steade occupied the same As once against Himeneus and Alexander and an other time towardes a Corinthian vpon whome being absent he gaue sentence of their deliuery vp to Satan not to be vexed of him as Iob was for the increase of merite sayth Chrysostome but in their flesh meruelously to be tormented for paiment for their greuous offensies and as the Apostle writeth of the Corinthian that his soule might be false in the day of our Lorde CAP. III. 1 BEcause this man would shew him selfe mindeful of his promise hereafter he is euen now wandered out of Purgatory into excommunication which notwithstanding he counteth no digression at all because it doth set forth the order of Gods iustice in the next life and proue Purgatory which were neither so nor so but that he hath a speciall grace to make all thinges serue his purpose though they be neuer so farre from it Omnia ex omnibus he can make what he liste of euery thing We confesse the power of excommunication geuen by Christ vnto his Church and the seueritie of the punishment thereof to be greater then the swelling wordes of M. Allens eloquence can expresse but where as he addeth that it hath bene the perpetuall vsage of Gods church for satisfying of Gods wrath to enioyne penaunce and workes of correctiō before they would absolue which was the olde custome or els after the release of their offence which was the new fashion he sheweth him selfe ignoraunte of the right vse and end of that auctoritie which our Sauiour hath committed vnto his Church For the chiefe ende of this discipline is to bring the sinners to repentaunce which if it may be obtained by admonitiō the sworde of excommunication must not be drawen out As appereth plainely by Christes owne wordes Matth. 18. If priuate admonition where the offence is not publike may preuaile to winne our brother there needeth no witnesse to be called If two or three may serue to admonish the matter neede not to be referred to the Churches knowledge and he that heareth the Church so that by the admonition thereof he is brought to harty repentaunce is not to be cut of from the Church nor to be deliuered to Sathan for how should the Church refuse him whome God receiueth But if he obstinatly contemne the gentle admonition of the Church or as our Sauiour saieth if he refuse to heare the Church then let him be as an heathen or publicane For afterwarde if being excommunicated he shew harty tokens of repentaunce
in other places where he was free from contention with the saide sects he euer in expresse termes grounded the doctrine of Purgatory vpō the Apostles wordes Yea euen in the same answere to the aduersary he was so mindefull of Gods iustice in the world to come and ferd lest he might geue any occasion of the contrary error to deny purgatory that in the same talke with the Origenistes he confesseth there might well be some griefe in the next life also which might likewise purge and deliuer a man from the loue of transitory thinges wherwith the best sorte of men be in this our misery often very sore loden Although in dede he doubted whether any such affection and loue of thinges deare vnto vs in this worlde as of wife kinred acquaintance or such like might remaine in man after his departure hense so there in time to be lessened and in fine vtterly remoued or worne away by some griefe and sorow which in the next life might by the lacke of the said things vexe and molest his minde As we see it commonly fall in this present life where mā by diuerse profitable troubles of this world learneth to set light by thinges which in ordre he might well loue being for all that more merite to forsake them And of this point S. Augustine hath these wordes in one place Tale aliquid fieri etiam post hanc vitam incredibile non est vtrum ita sit quaeri potest some such thing may well be after this life and thereof question may be made By which wordes the heretikes of our time either of ignorance or of malice which be euer yoked together in such men haue borne the simple in hande that this holy doctour doubted of Purgatory A litle holde will serue such wringers because he doubted of it they beleue as they thinke by good authority that with out doubt there is none at all If S. Augustine had but saide belike there is no such meane place in the life following mary sir then they might haue picked more matter of their infidelity yet of that speach determining no certeinty there had bene no great cause why they shoulde haue forsaken the iudgement of Gods Church But now he so doubteth that he findeth more cause to thinke there shoulde be one then that any man might gather vpon his words that there shoulde be none at all No nor he neuer went so farre good reader as to make any doubt of Purgatory paines for punishment of sinnes committed in the worlde For in all the same bookes where he hath the like saing and almost in the very same places he holdeth as a matter of faith and to be beleued of all Christian men that the prayers of the lieuing do release some of their paines in the next life And he constantly as all other Catholikes euer did confesseth that the sinnes or vncleane workes of the liuing not duely by penaunce wiped away in this worlde must be mended after our death although it be very doubtefull in deede whether there be any worldely affections left in mans mind vntaken vp by death and resolution of the body and the soule the care and remembraunce whereof might be afterward by sorrow both purged and punished And this to be his meaning and that he termeth here purgatory the griefe which a man hath in losing that which he loued in this mortall life his owne wordes testifie in euery of those workes in which he keepeth this combate with Origenistes In one place thus Quod sine illicienti amore non habuit sine dolore vrente non perdet ex earum rerum amissione tantum necesse est vt vrat dolor quantum haeserat amor That which by ticklinge loue was kept can not be lost with out burning griefe And looke how fast the loue of such thinges did cleane to mans minde so farre must sorow burne So in the like talke with the saide Origenistes in his booke de fide operibus he followeth the same signification of Purgatory Haec igitur sayth he quoniam affectu dilecta carnali non sine dolore amittuntur qui sic ea habent in eorum amissione passi detrimētum per ignem quendam doloris perueniunt ad salutem these thinges being by carnall affection loued be not lightly lost without griefe and therfore those that thus be affectionate feele losse in parting from them and so come to saluation through the fire of sorow such a sadnesse the yonge man that demaunded of our maister the waye to heauen conceiued straight when motion was onely made of distribution of his goods VVho being otherwise in the state of saluation and to be borne withall because he was a iust man and lacked not the foundation of his faith yet the very losse or leauing of his goods was vnto him if he continued in that affection a wonderfull great torment as S. Augustine here calleth it a kinde of purgatory the which perfect men that esteme all the trashe of this worlde as durte and donge to winne Christ feele not at all whome the doctour supposeth therefore to take no domage in the losse of thinges which they so litle loued Now in euery place where this expositiō is founde as I thinke it is neuer in all his workes lightly but in conference with the Origenistes he alwayes addeth that the like fire of sorow may also correct the affections euen of the departed but yet whether it be so or no he counteth it a question of probable disputation rather then any matter of faith as it is in deede very doubtfull whether any such vnordinate affectiō may remaine vntaken vp after mans departure which by griefe and sorow in the other worlde may be in time wholy consumed And further he neuer doubted For in that famous worke of the Citie of God with in two Chapters of that doubt made of this kind of purgation which we now haue declared he vttereth his faith with Gods Church of that greate torment and iust punishment of sinnefull life not sufficiently purged by penaunce in our time which he calleth the Amending fire and thus he sayth there Tales etiam constat ante iudicij diem per poenas temporales quas eorum spiritus patiuntur purgatos receptis corporibus aeterni ignis supplicijs non tradendos c. It is certaine sayth he Constat which is no worde of doubtefullnesse that such men being purged by the temporall paines which their soules do suffer before the day of iudgement shall not after they haue receiued their bodies againe be committed to the torment of the euerlasting fire This he vttereth in the same place where he doubteth of the other kinde of purgation as he confesseth him selfe to be uncertaine of the whole exposition refusing none at all that were agreable to faith and woulde not helpe the falsehood which he thē refuted In his Enchir where he disputeth against the same error
precious stones and so escape both the fires th one of eternall punishment for the wicked and the other which shall correct them that must be saued through fire But now because we reade that he surely shall be saued therefore that fire is not much regarded And yet let them be boulde of this that though they be saued by fire it shall yet be more fearse and greeuous then any thing that man may susteine in this life though both Martyrs and malefactours haue suffered straunge torments Againe in an other place the same holy doctour vttereth the like saying VVhich I will repeate also that the world may behold the vniust dealing of the contrary part that in the booke of their excuse why they departed out of the Church they call it their Apologie be not ashamed to auouch that S. Augustine sometimes denyed and sometimes douted of Purgatory Thus he writeth then against such deceiuers and for the defence of him selfe and the Churches faith Sed si etiam sic conuersus euadat vitam viuat non moriatur non tamē promittimus quod euadet omnem poenam Nam prius purgandus est igne purgationis qui in aliud saeculum distulit fructum conuersionis Hic autem ignis etsi aeternus non sit miro tamen modo est grauis excellit enim omnem poenam quam vnquam passus est aliquis in hac vita Nunquam enim in carne inuenta est tanta poena licet mirabilia passi sunt Martyres multi nequiter iniqui tanta sustinuerunt supplicia Studeat ergo quilibet sic delicta corrigere vt post mortem non oporteat talem poenam tolerare If a sinner sayth he by his conuersion escape death and obtayne life yet for all that I can not promise him that he shall escape all paine or punishment For he that differred the fruites of repentaunce till the next life must be perfited in purgatory fire And this fire I tell you though it be not euerlasting yet it is passing greeuous for it doth fare exceede all payne that man may suffer in this life Neuer griefe in this flesh could be so great as it though Martyrs haue abiden straunge torments and the worst sort of wicked men exceeding great punishments Therefore let euery man so correct his owne faults that after his death he may escape that pitifull payne So farre S. Augustine By whom we see not onely the truth of our Catholike doctrine liuely and vehemently set forth but to the great feare of vs all the weight of Gods sentence and the payne of that vntolerable punishment a◠the Church of his time taught and beleued to passe all mortall transitory woe in the world 3 Concerning Augustine we haue answered before that as that errour of purgatory was somewhat risely budded vp in his time so he seemeth not alwaies to be cleare of it although in some places he is not so certaine of it but that he affirmeth it may be enquired of and peraduenture shall be found to be so peraduenture it shall still remayne hidde or vnknowen 4 VVhereof it hath pleased almighty God sometimes to geue man a tast by calling some one or other aboue the common rase of nature out of this mortall life and speedy restoring him from the state of the departed to the company of the liuing againe VVhich worke though it be straunge in nature thought vnlikely to misbeleuers and contemned of such as would extinguish the spirite of God yet it hath bene the vsuall practise since the beginning of our faith and religion of the holy Ghost so to trade mans frailey in faith feare of Gods Iudgements Sometymes the liuing 〈◊〉 in traunce or sudden chaunge by Gods omnipotency taken vp to the vewe as it were of the vnspeakeable treasures of the prepared ioyes or extreame calamities of the world to come So was the Apostle S. Paule he could not tell howe him selfe called to the beholding of Gods maiesty and mysteries vnspeakeable So was S. Iohn in spirite caused often to behold and presently in a maner to see not onely the affayres of Gods Church till the worldes ende but also the happy Seate of the Lambe the eternall ioy of the elect and the euerlasting lake of the damned with the infinite sorowe of all the forsaken sorte And so haue many one sith that time in the same spirite had a present taste of all those iudgements which by any meanes through the vnsercheable ordinaunce of God be prepared for sinners Sometimes also by the same force of the Spirite the departed haue appeared amongest the liue as Samuel the prophet to king Saul vttering thinges to come Or if that were not Samuel him selfe because that practise of vnlawefull artes may be thought not conuenient for the procuring of the Prophets owne persons apparition yet Moyses was in deede personnaly present with Christ in the Mounte at his transfiguration And as he at Christes cal came from the dead out of the bousom of Abraham so did Elias at the same time come from Paradise as S. Augustine affirmeth and were both conuersaunt and in talke with Christ in the sight of the Apostles at once from whense they departed at Christes appointement to their seuerall abode and rest againe VVhereupon the same holy doctour confesseth that these rare meruelous workes of God though they follow not the common order of nature yet they be neither impossible nor vnpractised in Christes Church Alij sunt sayth he limites humanarum rerum alia diuinarum signa virtutum alia sunt quae naturaliter alia quae mirabiliter fiunt The common course and limites of mans matters be of one sorte and the wonderous signes of Gods power and vertue of an other the workes that naturally be wrought are nothing like such thinges as meruailously and miraculously be done And as Christ in his owne person made many extraordinary workes to beare testimony of his diuinity so he woulde that the glory of God and faith in him should take deepe roote and large encrease through out all nations not onely by preaching and worde but by workes also which the same holy Ghost for the saluation of the beloued flocke disposeth by the eternall wisedome where when with whome and as he listeth Mary as these be the most secret wayes and vnknowen steppes of Gods spirite and therefore most humbly to be reuerenced of the faithfull so because they are so farre from the rase of naturall affaires and much ouerreach flesh and bloude they are often of fooles contemned and of the vnwise wisdome of worldlinges as extreme madnesse improued The expresse signes of Gods spirite wrought by the Sauiour of the worlde in his owne person were with singular blasphemy of the prowde Iewes referred to Beelzebub The tokens and wonders wrought by his Apostles were attributed to vnlawfull artes and misconstrued of most miscreants to false intentes It was euer a speciall note of
which remember your mysteries of iniquity and are witnesses of your detestable doinges And yet you do clame of the decay of vertue in our dayes which whether it haue suffered a greater diminishing then in the time of your blinde and blasphemous gouernment let them that haue knowen both the times consider diligently and iudge indifferently Finally where as you affirme that your aduersaries cōfesse that the dayes of Chrysostome were holy and vndefiled and woulde make young men boyes beleue so you must either bring forth your authors that so confesse or else all men both young and olde must saye you are a shamelesse lyer we confesse that in those dayes the onely foundation Iesus Christ was taught and the article of iustification by the onely mercy of God was preached but yet we affirme that much straw wodde and other impure matter was builded vpon the foundation which was a preparation to the kingdome of Antichrist which was not longe after to be reueiled It may be a shame for you Papistes to leaue and condemne for heresie all that is true in those mens writings and agreable to the scripture and to make such vaunt for a fewe superstitious ceremonies and vnsincere opinions which yet if eyther young or olde wil indifferently compare with your abhominations of desolation they shall easily perceiue that they differe as much from you as we from them Man may be relieued after his departure either by the almes vvhich he gaue in his life time or by that vvhich is prouided by his testament to be geuen after his death or els by that almes vvhich other men do bestovv for his soules sake of their ovvne goods CAP. V. 1 ANd we finde the workes of mercy and charitie to helpe the soule of man in this life towardes remission of his sinnes or els in the next worlde for release of paine due vnto the same sinnes All which may be donne two dayes ▪ first by thine owne hands or appointment liuing in this world which is the best perfectest and surest meanes that may be for that purgeth sinnes procureth mercy maketh frendes in the day of dreade cleanseth beforehand staieth the soule from death and lifteth it vp also to life euerlasting Regarde not here the ianglers that will crie out on thee that mans workes must not presume so farre as to winne heauen or to purge sinnes lest they intermeddle with Christes worke of redemption and the office of onely faith make no accompt of such corrupters of Christian conditions liue well and carefully followe these workes of mercy so expressely commaunded and cōmended in the scriptures kepe thee within the householde of the faithfull and thy very good conuersation in operibus bonis shall refute their vaine blastes and improue their idle faith Say but then vnto them by the words of S. Iames. Maister Protestaunt let me haue a sight of your onely faith with out good workes and here lo beholde mine and spare not by my good workes VVhat religion so euer you be of I know not but I woulde be of that religion which the Apostle calleth religionem mundam immaculatam The pure and vnspotted religion and that is as he affirmeth to viset the fatherlesse and succoure widowes in their neede And then tell them boldely that the Church of God hath instructed thee that all workes whereby man may procure helpe to him selfe or other be the workes of the faithfull which haue receiued that force by the grace and fauour of God and be through Christes bloude so wattered tempered and qualified that they may deserue heauen and remission of sinne Doubt not to tell them that they haue no sight in this darkenesse of heresie in the wayes of Gods wisedome they haue no feele nor tast of the force of his death they see not howe grace prepareth mans workes they can not reach in their infidelitie how wonderfully his death worketh in the Sacraments they can not attayne by any gesse how the deedes of a poore wretch may be so framed in the children of God that whereas of their owne nature they are not able to procure any mercy yet they now shall be counted of Christ him selfe sitting in iudgement worthy of blesse and life euerlasting Bidde them come in come in they shall feele with thee in simplicitie obedience that which they could not out of this society in the pride of contention euer perceiue And if they will not so doe let them perish alone Turning then from them thether where we were let vs practise mercy as I sayd in our owne time in our helth when it shall be much meritorious as proceeding not of necessitie but of freedom and good will. And then after our departure the representation of our charitable deedes by such as receiued benefite thereby shall exceedingly moue God to mercy as we see it did sturre vp the compassion of his Apostle in the fulfilling of so straunge a request VVhereupon S. Cyprian sayth that almes deliuereth often from both the second death which is damnation and the first which is of the body CAP. V. 1 NOw we shall see how many wayes almes proffiteth mens soules First almes giuen by a mans owne handes is allowed for the best but that my thinkes M. Allen shoulde kepe men out of your purgatory and not helpe them when they be there And here you will seeme to be zealous in exhorting men to almes and charge vs with iangling against it because we affirme that mens workes must not presume to winne heauen nor to purge sinnes nor to medle with Christes worke of redemption and the office of onely faith which assertions you call corruptions of Christian cōditions O blasphemous barking of an horrible helhound Doth the glory of Gods mercy and grace the worke of Christes redemption and the office of onely faith hinder almes or corrupt good conditions who seeth not although it be a foolish thing to boast of our works but that we are compelled by this sclaūderous tongue of yours who seeth not more true almes which is giuen for Gods cause in one citie where the Gospell is preached then in a whole cuntrey where popery is receiued Neither doe we refuse the triall of S. Iames with the proudest of the popish hypocrites that make most of their merites And because you would be of that religion that S. Iames calleth holy and vndefiled which is to visite the fatherlesse children and widowes in their affliction If I should speake of singular persons the triall were neither certayne nor possible let vs therefore consider the whole states Shew me M. Allen if thou canst for thy gutts or name me any city in the world where popery preuayleth that hath made such prouision for the fatherlesse children and widowes and all other kind of poore as is in the noble city of London and in diuers other cities and townes of this land and by publike law appoynted to be throughout all the realme of England I knowledge and
reasonable cleere light for the good simple peoples instruction and with full safety from all the force our aduersaries can make against vs The Patriarches example the wordes of scripture the practise of the Church the naturall society betwixt the partes of Christes misticall body in this worlde and his members in the next and all our fathers faith haue wonne so much that almes and offeringes in sundry memorialls and diuers obseruations of mindes and obittes be singular and soueraigne to procure Gods mercy for the pardon of the soules deceased And nowe lest any man take occasion of Gods mercy which he seeth to be so ready that it may be wone by other mens workes to liue in contempt of vertuous exercise and to passe the time of his owne life in carelesse negligence presuming to purchesse fauour at Gods hande so mercyfull by other mens merites with out his owne deede or deserte let that man be aduertised quòd non habet partem in sermone isto that he shall in that case haue no benefite by our talke the mercy which we speake of perteineth not vnto him such idle drone beyes can take no fructe of other mens labours neither quicke nor deade For that membre which in this body was so vnprofitable to him self it is no right nor reason he should haue any gaynes by other mens trauell Therefore all these liberall promisies of fauour and grace to be procured by the workes of the liue towardes the departed reach neither to the vnfaithfull out of this house nor to the impenitent who was but an vnprofitable burden of the house These thinges sayth Clement we meane of the godly for if thou gaue all the welth of the world to the poore for the wicked sake thou couldest not profite them a heare For he that dyed in Gods displeasure can not looke for more mercy then he deserued Therefore S. Iohn the Apostle seemeth to abbridge our prayers and the obteining of our petitions by borderinge them as with in certaines bondes after this sort VVe know that God doth here vs what so euer we require we be sure he will accomplish our requestes which we make vnto him Therefore he that knoweth his brother to sinne being not a sinne to death let him pray and life shall be geuen to him that sinneth not to death there is a sinne to death for such I do not will any man to praie This place of the Apostle seemeth to declare the wonderfull force that the prayers of the faithfull haue in procuring grace and remission for others so that they be â—rethern and passe hense with out the bonde of mortall sinne And the letter well weyed shall make exceding much to proue the prayers for departed in piety as it in a maner forbiddeth all intercession for such as be knowen to passe in continuance of mortall sinne There is no crime so greuous that man may commit in the course of this life but the Church vseth prayers customably therefore and for her reuerence is often hearde Therefore it may well be thought that the party must be deceased of whome such diuersity of desertes doth arise for all that be a liue with out exception if they be brethern of our familie must be prayde for And so longe as they be in this worlde and may repent their sinne is not so vnto death but life by prayers may be and is commonly at Gods hande obâ—eined Then it may well be deduced that the Aposâ—le meaneth to incourage the faithfull to pray for such their brethren departed as dyed without bonde of deadly sinne to their sight in a maner warning them that for such their prayers shall be acceptably hearde But for others continuing in sinne to death he willeth not them to praye nor can assure them they shall be hearde So doth Dionysius a man not very auncient but of a full spirite and good grace expounde this text VVhether he meaneth sayth this father by finall impenitence or by any mortall sinne continued vnto death it is sure plaine a man must not praye for him that dieth in it Then if we be admonished not to pray for one sorte of departed the case is cleare that we may and are bounde and shall be hearde for the other sorte that sinneth not vnto death CAP. VII 1 HItherto but that you loue to tell your chickens before they be hatched you neede not greatly to boast of your winnings But now you will shewe that prayer and almes helpeth not them that dye in mortall sinne and that beside your Clement with whose cloutes you cloy your booke you woulde fayne proue out of the Epistle of S. Iohn cap. 5. For that which S. Iohn speaketh of the prayers that Christian men make for their brethren aliue whom they see to sinne but not vnto death you would take if you could for prayers to be made for them that are deade but passed not hence in deadly sin â–ª that which he sayth of prayers not to be made for them that sinne not vnto death you weene he ment of them that are known to passe hence in continuance of sinne But you that dare not presume to make any interpretation without authoritie of the olde Martyrs when all commeth to all haue none to father your new exposition vppon but Denys the charterhouse Monke a yesterdayes bird But seeing you are not onely voyd of all auncient authoritie but also haue all the olde writers against you that euer interpreted or alleged this place let vs see what is your reason Forsooth the letter well weighed maketh much for you by the way it may be noted that you call the word of God the letter in that sense that S. Paule sayth the letter killeth but I omitte that grosse contumely against the holy Scriptures where S. Paule sayth the letter killeth he meaneth not that the holy Scriptures killeth in which is contemed life but that the law which onely commaundeth and giueth no power to fulfill it pronounceth sentence of death to them that breake it But to follow your reason There is no crime so greeuous that man may commit in this life but the Church prayeth for it is often heard therfore it may be thought that the party must be deceased of whom such diuersitie of deserts doth arise I deny your antecedent For the church of Christ prayeth not for them that sinne against the holy Ghost our Sauiour Christ affirmeth that he which sinneth against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen who so euer pray for him and of such sayth S. Iohn that there is a sinne vnto death for which we ought not to pray Samuell was not heard when he prayed for Saule 1. Sam. 16. Ieremy is oftentimes forbidden to pray for the obstinate Iewes Iere. 7.11 14. And the Lord testifieth that if Noach Daniell and Iob prayed for the wicked they should not be heard Ezec. 14. Therefore there be sinnes for which the Church ought not to pray and though she
whose workes the aduersaries woulde be glad of one likely sentence And whose life and doctrine are so glorious in Gods Church that their owne aduersaries raling at vs aliue yet dare not but with great feare once blemish their names departed Though sometimes it brastithe out in some one of them to their owne miscredit So beutifull is the light of trueth And on the other side howe miserable is their carefull case that followe and defende that doctrine the authors whereof they dare neither acknowledge nor name whome all good men with open mouth boldely doe reprehend and their owne scholars dare not defende Such a glorious maiesty this doctrine of theires beareth that pricketh vp with pryde those that be alyue and blotteth out of honest memorie her doctors that be deade 10 Nay M. Allen though those doctors build some hay or stuble vpon the onely foundation Christ their case is ten thousand times better then yours which build nothing but dirt and donge tempered with hay and stuble vpon no foundation at all except it be the sande and seeke by all meanes to digge vp the onely true foundation of our fayth Iesus Christ making him nothing better then a common person except his bare name and woe may be to such Catholikes as can finde nothing but hay and stuble where such store of precious matter is and the most precious corner stone the foundation of all excellency And happy be those which not regarding the streames of waters that runne through the vaynes of earth but seeking to the onely fountayne of heauenly truth conteyned in the holy scriptures haue certeyne comfort of saluation while they are aliue and sure possession of felicitie with Christ as soone as they are dead yea which dye not at all because they beleue in Christ which is life nor enter into iudgement but passe from death of this body which is temporall vnto life of body and soule which is eternall The first Author of that secte vvhich denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good condicions and cause of his error be opened vvhat kinde of men haue bene most bent in all ages to that secte And that this heresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes CAP. XIIII 1 BVt yet because they haue diffamed our practise in praying and offering for the deade by referring it to a later origine then the Apostolike authority and tradition seeing we haue fathered our vsage vpon such as the aduersaries dare not blame we will helpe them to seeke out the fathers of their faithles perswasion lest by the feare and bashfullnesse of their owne scholars they be vnkindly forgotten Mary to finde out these obscure loyterers it will be somewhat painefull because as theeues doe they kepe by wayes and lightly treade not in honest mens pathes For the finding out of recordes for the testimony of our trueth we kepte the day light the high waye of Gods Church All the knowen notable personages in the holy Citye of God offered them selues both to witnesse and proue with vs VVe droue this trueth from our dayes through the middest of that holy communitie which S. Augustine calleth the Citye of God and our aduersaries will not saye otherwise but they were the liuely membres of that happy and heauenly fellowship VVe brought the practise of it to the holy Apostles by plaine accompte we went with the trueth of our cause to the lawe of Moyses from thense by like light to the lawe of nature But nowe for the other sorte we must leaue the cytie of God and the fellowship of these noble personages of doctors Apostles Prophets and Patriarches and seeke on the lifte hande in the other citye which is of Augustine named the citye or common welth as a man might call it of the deuill in which body all practise of mischiefe and origin of error ishuing from that vnhappy heade to the corrupt and deadly limmes thereof is to be founde VVe shall heare of the aduersary perswasion then in the company of Anabaptistes of Arrians of Saduceis of Epicures where so euer the weedes of the common enemies corrupte seede groweth there shall we find amongest breares and brembles this choking weede with all For as the true preachers the Apostles of Christ Iesu did sowe in the beginning of the Christian church which was the springe of the worde of lyfe and trueth amongest other heauenly seedes of true doctrine that profitable practise for the reliefe of such as were hense departed in the sleepe of peace with the decent ordre which euer fithens the Catholicke Church hath obediently followed euen so Inimicus homo superseminauit zizania the common enemy came afterwarde and ouersewe darnell and cockle either for the vtter choking or else for the especiall let of that good seede which the Maister of this fielde by his houshold seruauntes had plentifully sowen before This common aduersarie as our maister him selfe expoundeth it is the Deuill who as he in all other thinges beneficiall to mankinde is a great staye so Christian mens commoditie in this point he notably hindereth by his wicked suggestions and deuilish deuise whereby he prouoketh many vnder the shewe of Gods word or bare name therof for that is the lambes cote which this wyely wolfe boroweth to maske in to be vnkind vnnaturall and with out all godly affection towards their departed frendes The which contrary corrupt seede of false doctrine we right well know came of the sayd aduersary because it was long after ouersowen learning further of Tertullian Id verum esse quodcunque primum id adulterinum quod posterius That to be true that was first taught and that to be false and forged which came latter CAP. XIIII 1 WHen the Apostolike writing can not be shewed it is but the poynt of an heretike to boast of Apostolike tradition So did the Valentinians although their heresie were newe when they were confuted by the Scriptures shrowed them selues vnder the name of traditions as we haue shewed before out of Irenaeus lib. 3. ca. 2. And therfore it is but vayne bragging that you promise to seeke out any other fathers of our perswasion then the Apostles of Christ by whose holy writings we neuer refuse to be iudged what if any heretike haue affirmed some thing that is true is truth worse in an heretikes mouth The deuills them selues confessed christ Their confession was true their testimony was refused So if any heretike haue confessed the truth we may receiue the truth and yet reiect his testimony For truth hath testimony of God his word and whether it be affirmed or denyed by the deuill it is all one The high way that you prate of is a bye way for the Scripture is the onely high way to the truth with the guidance of Gods spirite And yet that way which you haue taken hath so many hills and holes woods and thickets that you haue rather flyen ouer it in a dreame and imagination
not what sense they made so they were handsomly matched togither Well howsoeuer our workes shal be found when they shall be openly iudged before him that best doth know them I am sure they shall not proue worse then the popish cleargy and if they shall be examined by mans iudgement me thinke they should be very vnequall Iudges before whom we should not be able to approue our innocency in comparison of our aduersaries doings But that in wordes we praise all maner of sinne whether it be in committing that which God forbiddeth or in omitting that which God commaundeth If that I say can be proued against vs then let our enemy pursue our soule and take it yea let him tread our life downe to the earth and lay our honour in the dust But to returne to our works what example is brought out to confirme the same Not the particular faultes of some of our profession that might beare some colour of confirmation lest for the infirmitie of euery one of our side he might be requited with the enormities of an hundreth of his owne sect but that he chuseth which is common to most of our preachers not to be found in any one of theirs This no doubt must be some great offence to iustifie so heinous an accusation In deede a great mote in the Papistes eyes that is the mariage of our ministers Blessed be God that although some singular persons may be accused of notorious crimes yet our whole state can not be charged by this instrument of Sathan with no greater fault then the allowance of Gods owne institution And yet see howe this rowling rhetorician scoffeth with the schole mens terme of Annexum ordini Be like S. Paule taketh mariage to be so annexed to the order of an ecclesiasticall minister that he neuer describeth the perfect paterne of a Bishop or Deacon but one of the first pointes is that he be the husband of one wife But I pray you M. Allen though you can not away with the mariage of vowed Priestes are you also angry with the matrimony of our new disordered ministers as it pleaseth you to call them which neuer tooke your order nor medled with any vowes you were wont to account them for mere lay men and will you not allow the mariage of lay men at least wise to be lawfull if you can not with the Apostle call it honorable Is that which the Apostle counteth honorable of you called licentious life and which the spirite of God nameth an vndefiled bed dare you terme it contemptibly a couch for delicate persons ease What haue you here to cloke your open blasphemy for your wordes are not of the abuse but of the state of mariage it selfe You procede with like modesty to affirme that we haue remoued all those meanes that might serue for the abating of sinnes dominion and which are they For soth the Sacrament of penaunce fasting and the opinion of purgatory To the first we answere that we know no Sacrament of penaunce instituted by Christ but the doctrine of repentance defaced by the false and deuilish perswasions of auriculer confession superstitious satisfaction and popish absolution we haue faithfully restored according as the same is taught in the holy Scriptures of god And those other we haue remoued as being not onely contrary to the doctrine of Gods word but also as most pernicious pillowes and blasphemous boulsters of all sinne and securitie For what feare or conscience could be of sinne intended or committed where this perswasion tooke place that the fast once rehearsed in the eare of a priest and a fewe wordes by him pronounced after a sory satisfaction of a pelting penance according to the Priestes pleasure was a full and sufficient discharge both before God and the world And as for the power and authoritie of pardoning or reteining sinnes that our Sauiour Christ hath committed to his ministers is not taken away by vs but truly declared to be the iudgement of God and not the absolute authority of man But how blasphemously the Papists chalenge vnto them selues this authority let it appeare by this that M. Allen calleth it that power which the sonne of man hath in earth to forgiue sinnes by which words our Sauiour Christ challengeth vnto him self that which is proper vnto his diuinitie although he were humbled in the shape of a seruaunt vppon earth namely an absolute authority to forgiue sinnes which none hath in heauen or in earth but only god And as to the remouing of fasting if that be fasting which they call fasting namely the eating of fish it hath not bene diminished but increased in our time and as for true fasting and abstinence in deede it hath bene publikely commaunded obserued as occasion was offered and priuate fasting with the right vse thereof is still commended in our doctrine men exhorted vnto it Onely the abuses superstition and deuilish doctrine set forth by the papistes is remoued if it be litle practised it is because among many professors there are but few followers of the Gospel But looke vpon the persecuted congregations and you shall see often publike fasting the priuate exercise the Lord knoweth and hath commaunded to be couered rather then opened Nowe must we come to the opinion of purgatory which in deede togither with masse of Scala coeli we haue vtterly remoued and digged vp euen from the very foundations howsoeuer M. Allen gathering togither the old rude rubbish tempering it with new fine cement would labour to build it vp againe And euen as I sayd of popish confession and satisfaction so say I of purgatory we abhorre the opinion therof not only as blasphemous against the bloud of Christ which purgeth vs from al our sinnes but also as a very canch of careles securitie which Sathan hath deuised to aduaunce the dominion of sinne For where as the feare of euerlasting torments of hell fire is the right terrour to bridle iniquitie as that which is due for sinnes and wickednes yet restraineth not the vngodly from their abominable life what restraint shall there be when the eternall paines are chaunged into temporall the temporall paines may be redemed by so small a price as popish satisfactions may be bought for which redemption if it be neglected in mens life yet it may be performed by their friendes after their death M. Allen sayth fewe of vs consider the deepe wound that sinne maketh in mans soule But we may iustly say to the Papistes that they neither consider the depth of the wound nor the perfection of the medicine For we consider the wound of sinne to be as deepe as the deepest pitt in hell which will not be filled vp with the slabbersawce of mens merits and satisfactions but onely with the bloud of the onely sonne of god which is so soueraigne a salue for this so desperate a sore that of them that were the children of wrath and deade in sinnes it quickneth them rayseth
homo thus I english it It was necessary that our Lorde comming to the lost sheepe making a recapitulation of his appoynted ordinaunce and vew of his owne handeworke should also saue the same man which was formed after his owne image and likenesse I meane Adam then fulfilling the time of that condemnation which was for his disobedience appoynted and so the man ledde into captiuity was released of the bondes of his condemnation Eusebius Emissenus yet more expresly helpeth our cause as followeth Confestim igitur aeterna nox inferorum Christo descendente resplenduit siluit stridor ille lugentium Cathenarum disrupta ceciderunt vincula damnatorum Out of hand at Christes comming into hell that eternall darkenesse shined bright the gnashing of the mourners ceased and the brosten bandes of condemned persons fell from them Here loe many one by the iudgement of this holy writer were loused from much misery by Christes descending downe VVhere to our purpose we must especially be aduertised that all the iust in those inferiour parts were not in like felicity with our father Abraham or other of such perfect holinesse although he also suffered the common lacke in long looking for translation to ioy for some there were of meaner vertue yet in the fauour of God which suffered personall paine for purging recompense of their sinnes committed in this life of whome this Author semeth to meane And as S. Augustine supposeth the scripture must needes import such a like thing vndoubtedly teaching that Christ was not onely in the place of rest where Abraham and other in his harbour were but also in places of tormeÌ„t which could not touch his holy person Quem Deus suscitauit solutis doloâ—ibus inferni VVhome God raised vp againe after he had loosed hell paines Thus saith this holy Author Quia euidentia testimonia infernum commemorant dolores nulla causa occurrit cur illò credatur venisse Saluator nisi vt ab eius doloribus saluos faceret sed vtrum omnes quos in eis inuenit an quosdam quos illo beneficio dignos iudicauit adhuc requiro fuisse tamen eum apud inferos in eorum doloribus constitutis hoc beneficium praestitisse non dubito Bycause saith he euident testimonies make mention both of Hell and paines I see not why we shoulde beleue that our Sauiour came thether but to discharge some of the paines thereof mary whether he loosed all or summe whome he thought worthy of that benefite that woulde I learne For I am out of doubt he was in hell and bestowed that gracious benefite vpon some that were in paines Thus farre spake Augustine Let no man here take occasioÌ„ to thinke that this father ment of any release of the damned in the inferious hell for that errour he euer detested writeth earnestly against Origine for the same Then it must needs be that he spake of some which were in paine and torment and yet worthy to receiue mercy so he termeth their estate both here and in the xij Booke of the literall exposition on the Genesis where he hath the same wordes with more large proofe of the conclusion which neither agreeth with the state of Abrahams rest nor yet with the forsaken soules And the name of hell is now commonly taken for any one of the inferiour partes where God practiseth iudgemeÌ„t for sinne euerlastingly or temporally though as Augustine saith it caÌ„ not be found in plaine scripture that Abrahams happy resting place should be termed Hell or InfernuÌ„ But I neede not seeke further in the depe mistery of Christes affaires in the inferiour partes For as I am not ashamed to be ignorauÌ„t vpoÌ„ whom he bestowed the grace of deliuery so with Augustine or rather with Gods Church I dare beleue that he loosed somme vpon whome he exercised iudgement before And further may boldely auouche that as there were certaine at his comming downe not vnworthy after long paines tolerated to be released in his presens so there be yet some which by mercy and meanes of Gods Church be released daily Not of that sorte which died out of Gods fauour Quibus clausa est ianua misericordiae omnis spes interclusa salutis Vpon whome the doore of mercy and the hope of helthe be closed and shut vp for euer but of the iust departed in faith and pietie and yet not fully purged of all corruption of iniquitie 4 This man hath hitherto raked in purgatory nowe he will steppe a foote further into hell and all to finde a case where sinnes remitted are punished after this life and then he will returne againe into purgatory For this purpose we must consider with him that Adam and all the iust of those dayes were punished for their sinnes forgiuen not onely in this life but many hundreth yeares after their departure For whose deliuery the Catholike Church he sayth holdeth our creed teacheth that Christ descended into hell First marke how he agreeth with him selfe after how he cauilleth with the holy Scripture of god Here he sayth that Abraham and all the iust were punished in hell afterward in the next leafe he saith that all the iust in those inferiour partes were not in like felicity with our father Abraham or other of such perfect holinesse and in the next leafe after that he affirmeth out of Augustine that Abrahams happy resting place can not be found in Scripture to be termed hell But that the fathers of the olde lawe before Christ were not in hell although they were not nor yet are in perfect blessednesse God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs shoulde not be made perfect Heb. 11. It is to be proued with manifest argumentes and authorityes out of holy Scriptures For seeing they all beleeued in Christ they had euerlasting lyfe and entred not into condemnation but passed from death to lyfe Ioan 5. And to what ende was Christ called the lambe that was slayne from the beginning of the worlde but that the benefite of his passion extendeth vnto the godly of all ages alike Esay speaking of thè righteous that are departed out of this life sayth that there is peace and that they shall rest in their beddes Esay 57. like as he affirmeth that Tophoth which is Gehinnom or hell is prepared of olde for the wicked Es. 30. So that felicity and rest was the portion of the godly fathers of the olde time after their death and hell was prepared but for the wicked and vngodly The same doth our Sauiour Christ teach in the history of Lazarus and the rich man Luke 16. where the soule of Lazarus was caried by Angels not downe to hell but vp into Abrahams bosome from which hell is manifestly deuided when it is sayd that the rich man being in hell in torments lifted vp his eyes and saw Lazarus a farre of which wordes doe plainly confute that drousy dreame of the Papistes concerning limbus
patrum which they say is but an edge and border of hell But Christ maketh hell one place and Abrahams bosome an other and not that onely but the one farre from the other yea a great distaunce betwene the one and the other therfore no edge nor border of hell but a place of comfort an high place for the rich man loketh vp and seeth a farre of Lazarus in the bosome of Abraham who was a true childe of Abraham by fayth for fayth maketh children vnto Abraham Rom. 4. And euen as faith was imputed to Abraham so is it to all that be his children by fayth as well as it was to Abraham if righteousnes belongeth to Abrahams children the reward of righteousnes also pertayneth vnto them therefore Abrahams bosome was open to receiue all the children of Abraham euen as the bosome of God was ready to receiue Abraham because he was his sonne through fayth And now to confute your vaine reasons which eyther be manifest wrestinges of the holy Scripture or else are builded vpon the authority of mortall men First you allege that the place into which Christ descended was called a lake without water in which the godly fathers were Zachary 9. but this is so euident an abusing of the word of God that he which doth only reade that verse of Zachary in the originall tongue must needes confesse that those wordes haue an other sense for God there contineweth his speaking to Ierusalem or the daughter of Syon saying he hath deliuered her prisoners by the bloud of her couenant from the lake without water that is from miserable and desperate captiuity where appeared no comfort For the pronoune thou is of the feminine gender wherefore it is most cleare that this is not spoken of Christ but of the Church of christ As for the common translation which turneth the feminine gender into the masculine the first person into the second with manifest deprauation of the sense is not to be admitted in this case Nowe that prison which you bring out of 1. Pet. 3. is the prison of the damned soules into which S. Peter doth not say that Christ descended but that he came in the daies of Noe by his spirite and preached to those that were then disobedient and therefore are their spirites now in perpetuall prison and torment And this is the true and naturall sense of S. Peters wordes which by meanes of that predicate errour rather then of any great obscurity in them hath bene diuersly wrested by expositors The wordes of Irenaeus may be well vnderstoode of Christes comming downe from heauen to saue mankind which deserued iust condemnation for sinne rather then of his descending into hel and the name of Adam seemeth to be taken in these wordes rather for a noune common then for a proper name He hath wordes towards the latter ende of the fift booke that sound more like to this matter where he sayth Cum enim Dominus in medio vmbrae mortis abierit vbi animae mortuorum erant post deinde corporaliter resurrexit post resurrectionem assumptus est manifestum est quia discipulorum eius propte◠quos haec operatus est Dominus animae abibunt in inuisibilem locum definitum eis à Deo ibi vsque ad resurrectionem commorabuntur Seing the Lord went in the middest of the shadow of death where the soules of the dead were and afterward arose corporally and then was taken vp it is manifest that the soules of his disciples for whom the Lorde wrought these thinges shall goe into an inuisible place appoynted for them by God and there shall tarry vntill the resurrection Neuertheles out of these wordes can nothing be necessarily enforced but that the soule of Christ when he was deade was in the place of the godly that were deade before him which no man denyeth If you vrge that he was in the middest of the shadow of death I aunswere that is a phrase of the Scripture signifying that he was verely dead and that death had him in possession after which maner of speach S. Peter sayth that God raysed him agayne loosing the sorrowes of death and you your selfe count it a blasphemy to say that he suffered any torments in hell after his death and Irenaeus him selfe affirmeth that it was such a place as all his disciples shall rest in vntill the time of the generall resurrection which plainly ouerthroweth your fantasy Eusebius Emissenus helpeth you as litle as Irenaeus for he speaketh rhetorically of the glorious victory that Christ obtained against hel the power of darkenes by his death and passion and descending into hell whose words if you would expounde grammatically you will make a mad sense of them he shal be smally beholding vnto you But it is plaine enough except it be to him that wil seeke confirmation of errors out of that which is truely spoken that he meaneth that the effect and power of Christes death mightely vanquished the power of hell eternal damnation not which it had actually ouer the godly but which by the iustice of God it should haue had if his sacrifice had not purchased mercie And therfore he saieth Aeterna nox the euerlasting night which adiectiue is referred also to the gnashing cheines of the damned For it was eternall not temporall damnation from which they were deliuered by Christes death And therfore that fond shift which M. Allen imagineth which he saith may seeme like to be the authors meaning is not worth a straw as being enforced and brought to the wordes by him not expressed in them by Eusebius But when these wil not helpe the supposal of S. Augustine is set downe which because it is but the authority of a man him not constant with him selfe alwayes it is not of sufficient weight to beare downe the testimony alleged out of Gods word The same man contra Felicianum ad Optatum cap. 15. writeth these words Si igitur mortuo corpore ad paeradisum anima mox vocatur quenquam ne adhuc tam impium credimus qui dicere audeat quoniam anima saluatoris nostri triduo illo corporeae mortis apud inferos custodiae mancipitur If therefore the body being dead the soule is immediatly called to paradise beleue we yet that there is any man so vngodly that he dare say that our Sauiours soule in that 3. daies of his bodily death was committed to prison in hel c. In these words he semeth vtterly to deny that he came in that prison of hel You wil say he denieth that he tarried there so long but not that he came not there at all But then marke this reason if the soules of good mē immediatly are called to paradise much more was Christes soule immediatly receiued into paradise who committed the same into his fathers handes 5 Let the enemies of Gods trueth come now and denie if they cā for shame that Gods iustice for sinnes remitted reacheth not sometimes
vs entre into the search of the meaning of these two textes with such plainnes sincerity that I dare say the aduersaries them selues shall not mislike our dealing VVe will follow all likelihoodes by comparing the scriptures together and admit with all the counsell and iudgement of such our elders as by their confession shall be taken for holy learned and wise First the prophet and Apostle both make mention of purging of purifying sinne corruption of mans impure or defiled workes they both agree this cleansing or trying out of the filthy drosse gathered by corruption of sinne to be done by fier they both throughly follow the similitude of the fornace and goldesmith in fining his metalles and trying out the drosse and base matter from the perfect finesse of more worthy substaunce they both plainely vtter their meaninges of such as shall afterwarde be saued though it be with losse geuing vs to vnderstande that the parties so purged shall be after their triall worthy to offer a pure sacrifice in holynesse righteousnes They both note this purgatiō to be wrought by the hand of God. All these must needes be confessed euen of the cōtrary teachers which things together cōteine more probability for the proofe of our purpose then they can for any other sense finde But now touching the text neerer and finding that this worke of mans amending shall be wrought in the next life then it must nedes so induce this sense that no meaning may well be admitted which euidently setteth not forth the trueth of Purgatory And that this worke is not properly taken for any such trouble or vexation that may fall to man in this life but for a very torment prepared for the next worlde first the quality of the iudgement meanes in the executiō of that sentence of God which is named to be done by fier seemeth rather to import that then any other vexation the punishment of the worlde following alwayes lightely so termed Then man is in this purging onely a sufferer which belongeth namely to the next worlde But especially that this sentence shal be executed in the day of our Lord which properly signifieth either the day of our death or the sentence of God which streight followeth vpon death or the last and generall iudgement All the time of mans life wherein he followeth his freedome is called Dies Hominis the day of man because as man in this life for the most parte serueth his owne will so he often neglecteth Gods but at his death there beginneth Dies Domini VVhere God executeth his ordinaunce and will vpon man This triall then of mans misdeedes impure workes must either be at his death or after his departure by one of the two iudgements But if we note diligently the circumstances of the saide letter it shall appeare vnto vs that this purgation was not ment to be onely at mans death both because it shall be done by fire which as is saide commonly noteth the torment of the next life and then S. Paule expressely warneth vs to take heede what we builde in respect of the difference that may fall to such as builde fine workes and other that erect vpon the foundation impure or mixte matter of corruption but the paines of death being common to the best as well as to the worst or indifferent and no lesse greuous in it selfe to one then the other can not be imported by the fire which shall bring losse to the one sort and not paine the other Besides all this that day which the Prophet speaketh of shall be notorious in the sight of the worlde and very terrible to many And Saint Paule plainely affirmeth that in this iudgement there shall be made an open shewe of such workes as were hidde before from man and not discerned by the iudgement of this worlde which the priuate death of one man can not do And lightely the Apostle warning man of the sentence of God in the next life admonisheth him that our deedes must be laide open before the iudgement seate of God so here Dies domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur the day of our Lord will open the matter because it shall be shewed in fire Last of all the Prophet nameth the time of this sharp triall Diē aduētus domini which is a proper calling of one of the iudgements either that which shall be generall at the last day or els that which euery man must first abide straight after his departure when he shall be called to the peculiar reckening for his owne actes In either of which iudgements this purging and amending fire shall be founde For as in that generall wast of the whole world by the fire of conflagration which is called ignis praecedens faciem iudicis because it awaiteth to fulfill Christes ordinance in the day of his second comming as in that fier the whole man both body and soule may suffer losse extreme paine for his punishment or purgation and yet by that same fire be saued euen so out of doubt at this particulare iudgement straight vpon euery mans death the soule of the departed if it be not before free must suffer paines and Purgation by the like vehement torment working onely vpon the soule as the other shall do on the whole man And the Prophets wordes now alleged do meane principally of the purgation that shall be made of the faithfuls corrupted workes by the fier of conflagration in the second comming of Christ though his wordes well proue the other also as S. Paule too meaneth by them both 3 Now I trow commeth the confirmation of purgatory out of the holy Scriptures or else it wyll neuer come when two textes are alleged at once But although M. Allen hath rather craftily confounded then faithfully compared these two textes together for all his protestation of plaine dealing yet will I seuerally consider them and shew both by the plaine circumstances of the places them selues and also by the iudgement of the auncient doctors that neither of them both appertaineth any whit to purgatory First Malachy prophecieth plainly of the first comming of Christ and of his fore runner Iohn Baptist as the wordes going before without all controuersy doe declare Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seeke shall spedely come to his temple euen the messenger of the couenaunt whom ye desire beholde he shall come sayth the Lord of hostes but who may abide the day of his comming c. witnesse of this is no lesse then euen our Sauiour Christ him selfe Luke the 7. alleging this saying of the Prophet for the comming of Iohn the Baptist. These wordes also where it is sayd that the Lord shall come into his temple doe sufficiently declare that he describeth the office of Christ in reforming the corrupt state of the Church at his first comming and not in iudging the quicke and the dead
worlde or the next but Christes passion alone the benefit whereof is not by the sufferers will extended to any that sinneth vnto death being able to satisfy for the same As often then as thou hearest any Catholike man affirme purgatory to punish or purge greuous and deadely offenses be assured his meaning of the temporall paine due vnto wicked men and their sinnes after their bonde and debt of euerlasting death with the very faulte it selfe be in Gods Church remitted For as S. Augustine sayth a mortall sinne forgeuen is becomne a veniall trespasse and so deserueth no more paine then a veniall sinne which by transitory punishment may be fully and perfitely released thus he sayth Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia non tamen statim sanata There be sinnes sayth he which being deadly of their owne nature be yet by poenaunce made venial though not alwayes straight healed Then by this rule what so euer is spoken of veniall sinnes or the purgation thereof it is ment both by the small offensies which of their owne nature are veniall and also of the greater so that they be forgeuen in Gods Church before whereby they are become veniall as the other and deserue proportionaly as the other and may be taken away as the same man affirmeth either in this worlde or the next by the same remedies as the other though not alwayes so speedely CAP. IX 1 NO maruell but you must crowe like a cocke of the game you haue obtayned such a noble victory out of Origens errour and specially you haue discouerâ—d such a solemne secrete to the yong petits of popery that onely veniall sinnes are clensed by purgatory that they are much beholding to you But lest your kitchen shoulde be colde if none but veniall sinnes should passe through the heate of purgatory you haue found out a sutle shifte howe to bring mortall sinnes also through the same pykes of purgatory for discharge of which you know men will bestow more cost then for release of those that with onely sprinckling of holy water as you wott well may be washed away Therefore mortall sinnes must be remitted in this life and then they may be purged in the fire of purgatory as being now become in the case of veniall sinnes O deepe mysteries reueiled out of the bottomlesse pitt which haue no grounde at all in the word of God but are manifestly ouerthrowne thereby euen from the foundations For the foundation of this doctrine is the distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes whereas the word of God plainly determineth that euery sinne is mortall and deserueth eternall death seeme it neuer so small Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all thinges that are written in the law to fulfill them Deu. 27. The soule that sinneth shall dye Eze. 18. The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6. And as for that distinction which S. Iohn maketh of a sinne to death a sinne not to death hath nothing common with that of the papistes for all sinne that by the mercy of God is pardonable he calleth a sinne not vnto death for which God is entreated that giueth life to them that haue so sinned And that sinne he counteth vnto death which is irremissible as obstinate wilful apostacy Heb. 6. blasphemy against the holy ghost Math. 12. c. for which it is not lawfull io pray Thus by iudgement of Gods word are all sinnes mortall which Papistes call veniall and all that they count mortall by Gods spirite are counted veniall For by the iustice of God all sinnes are mortall but by his mercy they are all pardonable except that sinne vnto death whereof S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 5. But to returne to M. Allens shift and to examine whether it will satisfie the iudgement of those olde writers which affirme that onely small and light offences are clensed by the fire of purgatory M. Allen sayth mortall sinnes become veniall by remission The Scripture teacheth that sinnes forgeuen are not imputed at all But M. Allens doctrine is that remission of sinnes doth not take sinnes away but onely chaungeth their nature from mortall to veniall yea he is not ashamed to vouch Augustine to warranty as though he should say that a mortall sinne forgiuen is become a veniall trespasse c. If all men were blinde this fellow would play trimly with their noses when he will be so bold with all men that can see Augustines wordes as he citeth them in Latine are these Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia that is there are some sinnes which are deadly of their owne nature but by repentaunce they are made veniall I haue translated them as he doth sauing that he calleth poenitentia penaunce which I to auoyd the ambiguitie of the english word as it is taken by the Papistes haue turned repentaunce Nowe is it all one to say that such sinnes as of their owne nature deserue death may yet be pardoned to him that repenteth which is the manifest meaning of Augustines wordes and that which M. Allen fathereth vpon him as though he said a mortall sinne forgeuen is become a veniall trespasse Againe this doctors wordes are playne of light and small offences and not of heynous and great offences that by pardon are made litle offences 2 VVell then to close vp briefely all this haue we founde by these scriptures alleaged that being diuerse degrees of men Purgatory apperteineth but to one sort First not to such as lacke the faith of Christ for they hauing no foundation are allready iudged neither to such as haue not builded vpon the foundatioÌ„ but rather defaced it with workes of death and deuilish doctrine For all these must like widdred branches be cast into the fire not to be purged but vtterly wasted There be yet other that kepe their foundation faste and worke there vpon both golde and siluer but yet abased and somewhat defiled by the mixture of other infirmities not sufficiently redressed in this life these must of necessity by Gods ordinaunce suffer the Purgation by fire that their workes purified and amended by the sentence of his iuste iudgement may at length by mercy and grace bring them to their desired ende Now the perfect estate which hauing this groundewarcke and building therevpon nothing for the most part but the tried fine workes of heauenly doctrine and perfect charity can not feare the fire as in whome it shall finde no matter of waste For if any drosse of seculare desires or worldly weakenesse was in their frailty contracted their fructefull penaunce in their life washed that away by the force of Christes bloude before the daye of our Lorde greate and fearefull came vpon them In which case God will not punish twise for one faulte nor entre into iudgement with such as haue iudged them selues to his hande These therefore thus guarded by Gods grace in whome onely
penaunce whereby the woundes of mans frailty are profitably cured be found 5 Aske your owne conscience M. Allen whether you haue not miserably wrested the Scriptures your selfe And lette all reasonable men aunswere whether such textes of Scriptures as you haue wrested out of the true sense I haue not wrested out of your handes And that not by shamefull denial of the Doctors but euen by the testimony exposition of the doctors them selues with force of matter rather then flow of wordes with plaine meaning rather then with deceitfull dealing And whereas you boast your selfe to be a reporter of antiquity you haue shewed your selfe to be a fauorer of forgery and a corrupter of antiquity As for the gracious giftes and conceit of comfort that you bragge of in your counterfeit Church of hypocrites and sclaunderous Synagoges of Satan how so euer you paynt it out with glorious termes we geue most humble harty thaÌ„ks to the infinite goodnes of God which hath geuen his holy spirite into our hearts with perfect assurance of his fauour euerlasting and hath so furnished his seruaunts with such giftes as he hath thought sufficient for the setting forth of his praise in his Church vpon earth that we neede not desire any other giftes or comfort out of his family but onely the continuance and increase of the same which we haue already in his owne house vntill we shall be translated from this mortall and corruptible state to the eternall and incorruptible glory which is laid vp in heauen for all them that wait for the appearing of the glorious God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and dominion both now and euermore Amen THE ENDE OF THE FIRST BOOKE THE SECOND BOOKE INTREATING OF THE PRAIERS and other ordinary reliefe that the Church of Christ procureth for the soules departed THE PREFACE OF THIS BOOKE wherein the matter of the treatise and the ordre of the Authors preceading be briefely opened 1 WE haue now taried very longe in the consideration of Gods iustice mighty scourge not onely for the euerlasting outcastes but also for the exacte triall of the chosen childrens wayes The beholding whereof must needes ingender some sorow and sadnesse of minde and with all as it commonly happeth in our frailety a certaine bitter tediousnesse both in the writer and the reader though for my parte I will say with S. Paule that it greeueth me neuer a whit that I haue in my talke geuen you occasion of sadnesse being assured that this present greefe may worke perfect penaunce to vndoubted saluation But the wearinesse of that rough part which might both by the weight of the matter and also by my rude handeling quickely arise to the studious reader I shall in this booke wholy wipe away not by art or pleasant fall of words which in plaine dealing is not much requisite but by the singular comfort of our cause In the continuall course whereof we shall ioy more and more at the beholding of Gods passing mercy in remission of sinnes and mitigatioâ—â—f the paines which iustice enioyned For now we must talke how the fiery sword of Gods ire may be turned from his people VVhich as one of the fathers truely saide beareth a great shewe of vengeaunce and iudgement because it is named a firy sworde but yet knowen withall to be a tourning sworde that is gladius versatilis it shall geue great cause of comfort againe O sapientes sayth deuoute Dasmacene ad vos loquor scrutamini erudimini quia plurimus est timor Dei domini omnium sed multò amplior bonitas formidabiles quidem minae incomparabilis autem clementia horrenda quidem supplicia ineffabile autem miserationum suarum pelagus Thus he speaketh of Purgatory and mercy O you of the wise sorte to you do I speake searche and learne that the feare of God the Lorde of all thinges is maruaillous much but his goodnesse farre ouerreacheth it His threatning exceding feâ—refull but his clemency vncomparable the prepared punishmeÌ„ts doubtlesse horrible but the bottomlesse â—ea of his mercies is vnspeakable so saide he Therefore if our sinnes forgeuen were neuer so greuous or our vicious life so farre wasted in idle welth that space of fructefull penaunce and opportunity of well working by the nightes approching and our Lordes sodden calling be taken away in which longe differring of our amendement heuy and sore execution must needes for iustice sake be done yet let vs not mistrust but God measureth his iudgement with clemency and hath ordeined meanes to procure mercy and mitigate that sentence euen in the middest of that firy doungion that the vessels of grace and the redemed flocke may worthely sing both mercy iudgement to our gracious God who in his angre forgetteth not to haue compassion neither withdraweth his pity in the middest of his ire For this imprisonment endureth no longer then our debtes be paide this fire wasteth no further then it findeth matter to consume this disâ—riet wise flame as some of the fathers before termed it chastiseth no longer then it hath cause to correct Yea often before this fire by course of iustice can cease God quencheth it with his sonnes bloude recompenseth the residew by our maisters merittes and accepteth the carefull crie of our mother the Church for hâ—r children in paine The memorie of Christes death liuely and effectually setforth in the soueraigne misteries vppon the Altare in earth entereth vp to the presence of his seate and procureth pardon in heauen aboue the merites of all sainctes the prayer of the faithfull the workes of the charitable both earnestly aske and vndoubtedly finde mercye and grace at his hande For of such the Prophet Dauid asketh Nunquid in aeternum proijciet Deus aut continebit in ira sua misericordias suas VVill God caste them awaye for euer or will he shutte vp his mercy when he is angrie No he will not so sayth S. Ambrose Deus quos proijcit non in aeternum proijcit God casteth of many whom he doth not euerlastingly for sake Then let vs seeke the wayes of this so mercyfull a Lorde that we may take singular comforte therein our selues against the day of our accompt and indeuour mercyfully to helpe our deare brethern so afflicted lest if we vse not compassion towardes them we iustly receiue at Gods hande for the rewarde of our vnmercyfulnesse iudgement and iustice with out mercy THE SECOND BOOKE TO THE PREFACE 1 YOu haue taryed longer in consideratioÌ„ of Gods iustice then is agreable to the matter of his mercy which is the death of his only sonne our Lord and Sauiour Christ. And now you will mollyfie the hardnesse of that handling with the sory comforte of your vnchristian cause Wherin you haue more regarde to the heating of your owne harthe then to the cooling of the selye soules to kindle a good fire in your owne kitchen then to quench the
ante iudicium purgatorius ignis credendus est pro eo quod veritas dicit Si quis in sancto Spiritu blasphemiam dixerit neque in hoc saeculo remittetur ei neque in futuro In qua sententia datur intelligi quasdam culpas in hoc saeculo quasdam in futuro posse relaxari quod enim de vno negatur consequens intellectus patet quia de quibusdam conceditur sed tamen vt praedixi hoc de paruis minimisque peccatis fieri posse credendum est For certaine small sinnes that there is a purgatory fire before the daye of iudgement we must needes beleue because the trueth it selfe vttered so much in these wordes If any sinne against the holy Ghost it shall not be remitted neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come By which sentence it is geuen vs to vnderstande that as some offensies be released in this worlde so there may some other be remitted in the life following For that which is denyed in one sorte the meaning is plaine that of some other kinde it must needes be graunted But as is saide before this is onely to be taken of lighter offensies thus farre spake S. Gregory and proueth learnedly beside by examples and sondry Scriptures through out the whole worke our matter If our aduersaries woulde with desire to learne as they commonly do to reprehend reade but his discourse onely they might quickely see their owne foly and amende their misbelefe They call him the last good Pope as he was in deede a blessed man and by his authority the perfect conuersion of our nation to Christes faith was wrought I woulde his holy workes deserued but as much credit now with certaine forsakers as his Legates then did with all the vnfaithfull people of our countrie But to go forwarde in our matter we shall finde in S. Bernarde the same wordes of our Sauiour alleaged for our purpose thus Non credunt ignem Purgatorium restare post mortem sed statim animam solutam a corpore vel ad requiem transire vel ad damnationem quaerant ergo ab eo qui dixit quod dam peccatum esse quod neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro remittetur cur hoc dixerit si nulla maner in futuro remissio purgatione peccati They beleue not sayth he by some heretiques of his owne time that there is any purgatory paines remaining after death but they suppose that the soule straight vpon departure hense goeth either to rest or damnation let such fellowes aske therefore of him that saide a certaine greuous crime coulde neither be forgeuen in this worlde nor in the worlde to come why he so saide if there were no remission nor purgation of sinnes in the life following thus said Bernarde opening his graue iudgement both vpon the text and our matter whose authority if any esteme lesse because of his late writing let him know that the aduersaries haue none for their side so auncient by C C C. yeare except they name the heretike Aërius or such like whose antiquitye maketh not so much for them as his auncient condemnation for heresie in this poynt maketh against them 2 M. Allen in his conscience knoweth that he hath no grounde in the authority of Gods word and therefore he flyeth to the authority of man But that he might seeme to be driuen perforce to that where vnto he doth come most willingly he pretendeth a fonde excuse because he hath to doe with such fickle marchaunts as wil not sticke to breake boldly the bands of euident Scriptures But he knoweth in his conscience that he hath no authoritye of Scripture to charge vs for if he thought we would breake the bonds of Gods word he might well thinke we would not be holden by the authoritie of mens writing and those of the latter sort six hundreth yeares after Christ the eldest For Augustine makeâ—h as litle for them as he doth against vs Gregory and Bernarde whereunto he addeth Bede are of opinion that sinnes not remitted in this world may be remitted in the world â—o come but how hapneth it that Chrysâ—stome and Ieronym which both interpreted that place could gather no such matter although they otherwise allowed prayer for the dead The reason must needes be because the errour of purgatory growing so much the stronger as it was nerer to the full reuelation of Antichrist Gregory and Bede sought not the true meaning of Christ in this Scripture but the confirmation of their pausible error M. Allen thinketh we must be sore pressed with the authoritie of Gregory because we mâ—slike not his authority where he inueigheth against the supremacy of one Bishop aboue all other or where so euer he agreeth with the truth But he must be once againe admonished that we are bound to no mannes authoritie no longer then he followeth the authoritie of Gods word And therefore though Gregory were the last of all the Romish Bishops in whom was any sparke of goodnes because Boniface his successor and so all the rest by Gregoryes owne iudgement prophecy were all Antichristes yet is not all that Gregory writte of equall authoritie with the word of God without authoritie whereof we beleue not an Angell from heauen as I haue often shewed much lesse a Bishop of Rome 3 But that in the mouth of two or three witnesses all trueth may appeare and contrary falsehood vanish away S. Augustine him selfe gathered by this place now alleaged euen then when he had no occasion geuen him by the wrangling of any misbeleuer to wreast any scripture otherwise then the very wordes imported the trueth of remission of certaine faultes in the next life in these wordes Facta resurrectione mortuoruÌ„ non deerunt quibus post poenas quas patiuntur spiritus mortuorum impertiatur misericordia vt in ignem non mittantur aeternuÌ„ neque enim de quibusdam veraciter diceretur quod non eis remittetur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro nisi essent quibus etsi non in isto tamen remittetur in futuro There shall be certaine at the time of resurrection also who shal obteine mercy after they haue suffered such paines as deade mens ghostes do abide that they be not cast into the euerlasting fire for els it coulde not in any true sense be spoken that certaine shoulde neither haue pardon in this worlde nor in the worlde to come except there were some that speeding not of pardon in this life might yet haue remission in the next so sayth he Being I warraunt you so sadde witted and so farre from phantasies that he would not grounde any assured doctrine vpon euery light occasion offered or motion made had not the very words and forme of phrase approued it and Gods Church liked it Hauing then these graue fathers with others for our warraunt in the exposition of this place we do take it for a sure grounde that the paine of purgation in the next worlde
may be remitted that is to say either made lesse or els wholy released before the due execution of Gods sentence be extremely done For it is not ment that the freedom which man may haue after full aunswere and payment of his sinnes in that place of punishment temporall shoulde be properly termed a remission or pardon For that is aunswerable to Gods iustice and although there were no prayers or other wayes of helpe yet the patient by toleration in time might vnder the protection of Christes merites make full satisfaction and so be discharged who being a vessell of mercy can not be damned But when we say that sinnes may be forgeuen in the next worlde Gods Church which is the mother of all beleuers teacheth vs that some parte as well of the rigour and extremity of the paine as of the time and continuance thereof though God him selfe hath appointed that punishment may yet be mercyfull released 3 S. Augustine is much beholding to you that you giue men to witte that when he was wrangled withall by any misbeleuer he had occasion to wrest the Scripture otherwise then the words imported so you iudge of him because he would not for your pleasure expound the fire of tryall 1. Cor. 3. For your fire of purgatory But concerning this testimony of Augustine it maketh not so much against vs but it maketh as litle for you For if you haue translated his words according to his meaning as you haue not according to his wordes he vnderstandeth by this place remission of the paynes and not of the sinnes which helpeth you nothing to that which you haue taken in hand to proue that sinnes are forgiuen after this life And so he seemeth to say in the 13. chapter of the same booke Non autem omnes veniunt in sempiternas poenas quae post illud iudiciuÌ„ his sunt futurae qui post mortem sustinent temporales nam quibusdam quod in isto non remittitur remitti in futuro saeculo id est ne futuri saeculi aeterno supplicio puniantur iam ante dixi All they come not into euerlasting paynes which after that iudgement shall be to them that after death suffer temporall paynes for I haue sayd already that vnto some that which is not remitted in this world is remitted in the world to come that is that they should not be punished in the world to come In these wordes he speaketh of release of paynes but not of forgiuenes of sinnes But in the place by you alleged if the words be truly translated according to the discourse of that chapter he affirmeth that after the resurrection those paynes which the spirites of the dead doe suffer there shal be some vpon whom mercy shall be bestowed so that they shall not be cast into eternall fire c. So that Augustine in this place speaketh not of such sinnes as are remitted in purgatory but of such persons as are forgiuen in the last iudgement when purgatory is ended Wherefore though Augustine erred in this place yet he erred from your cause And whereas you affirme in the margent that sometime Gods iustice is aunswered fully by the payne of the party you are contrary to the rest of your family for they hold that the generall prayers and sacrifices of your mother Church doe help them Yea the maister of the sentence holdeth that a poore man hauing equall merites with a rich man though there be no special prayers masses fasting or almes done for him is holpen as well by the common almes and prayers as the rich man for whom speciall prayers and large almes are done lib. 4. dist 45. For otherwise the opinion of merites could not stand And vnlesse M. Allen thinke that all such masses and prayers in which the dead are generally commended be vnprofitable his proposition can not stand by his owne learning That the faithfull soules in Purgatory being novv past the state of dâ—seruing and not in case to helpe them selues may yet receiue benefit by the vvorkes of the lyuing to vvhome they be perfectly knitte as fellovv membres of one body CAP. II. 1 BVt now what meanes may be founde to ease our brethern departed of their paine or what wayes can be acceptable in the sight of God to procure mercy and grace where the sufferers them selues being out of the state of deseruing and place of well working can not helpe them selues nor by any motion of minde atteine more mercy â–ª then their life past did deserue VVhere shall we then finde ease for them surely no where els but in the vnity and knotte of that holy fellowship in which the benefite of the heade perteyneth to all the membres euery good worke of any one membre woÌ„derfully redouÌ„deth to all the rest This society is called in our Crede communio Sanctorum the communion of Sainctes that is to say a blessed brotherhood vnder Christ the heade by loue and religion so wroght and wrapped together that what any one membre of this fast body hath the other lacketh it not what one wanteth the other supplieth when one smarteth all feeleth in a maner the like sorow when one ioyeth the other reioyseth withall This happy society is not impared by any distance of place by diuersity of Gods giftes by inequality of estates nor by chaunge of life so farre as the vnity of Gods spirit reacheth so farre this fellowship exteÌ„deth this city is as large as the benefit of Christes death taketh place Yea within all the compasse of his kingdome this fellowship is founde The soules and sainctes in heauen the faithfull people in earth the chosen children that suffer chastisement in purgatory are by the perfect bonde of this vnity as one abundeth ready to serue the other as one lacketh to craue of the other The soules happely promoted to the ioye of Christes blessed kingdome in this vnitie and knotte of loue perpetually praye for the doubtfull state of their owne fellowes beneth the carefull condition of the membres belowe continually crieth for helpe at their handes in heauen aboue Nowe the membres of Christes Church here yet trauelling in earth they pray together they faste together they desire together they deserue together Christ our heade in whose bloude this city and society standâ—th will haue no worke nor way of saluation that is nâ—t common to the whole body in generall and peculierly proffitable to supply the neede of euery parte thereof He which instituted the blessed sacraments will haue them in this vnity to worke in common as farre as the ende of eche of their institutions requireth and out of it to haue no force at all he that maketh all our workes acceptable though they be done of one will haue them perteine to all the holy sacrifice of the Church by the will of the author and the likenesse of the exemplar as in deede being in an other maner the very selfe same is made so common that it ioyneth the Sainctes
and Angels in heauen to the chosen and elect people either in earth or vnder the earth beneth And that this holy consent of good workes and mutuall agreement of prayer to the continuall supplying of eche others lackes doth also apperteine to the soules departed no man that hath any sense of this happy community can denie for being membres of our common body they must needes be partakers of the common vtilitie CAP. II. 1 IF you aske me by what meanes they may be releued whome the bloude of Christ hath not purged from all their sinnes suerly I must aunswere you plainely as I haue learned in the scripture that there is no name geuen vnder heauen by which they maye be helped which are not helped by Christes death Act. 4. But you haue merites of men to helpe the merites of Christ. O blasphemy they that can not be iustified by their owne merites by the vertue of them shall healpe to iustifie other But this is worthy to be noted that they which are in purgatory can not by any motion of minde atteine more mercy then their life past deserued Therefore faith either is not in them or else pâ—ofitteth them nothing for that is a notable motion of the minde Then the merites of other men must profite with out faith or els they profitte them not all But with out fayth it is not possible that they shoulde profit them for as much as with out fayth it is not possible to please God Heb. 13. therefore it is not possible that other mens workes aliue shoulde profit them that are dâ—ad But we haue an other shift sought out to serue them that is the communion of Saintes What manner of communion is that which is with out fayth But because M. Allen bringeth in the communion of saintes I must shew where in the same consisteth The communion of saintes is considered either of the whole body of the church or else of the Church militant here on earth The communion of the whole body is the participation of life and all other offices of life that euery member and the whole body hath of the heade as S. Paule teacheth plainely Ephes. 4. The communion of saintes here on earth as it is a paâ—te of the whole communion so the whole Vertue commeth also from the heade and the members haue but the administration thereof according to the measure and office of euery one So that when we speake of the vniuersall Church we beleue that all the elect of God are one mysticall body that so liueth by Christ that it is not possible for any one member thereof to perish when we speake of the communication of the faythfull heare on earth we meane the dispeÌ„sation of the grace and gifts of God which as euery one hath receiued of God so of charity he is bouÌ„d to imploye the same to the profit of his fellowe members here on earth what place is here to merit for them that are deade when one can not merit for an other that is aliue no not for him selfe but euery man hath his worthynesse of Christ this is the doctrine of the scripture the other participation of merittes is a mere deuise of men hauing no foundation in the worde of God so that M. Allen him selfe can not vouch so much as one text of scripture to warranty where in he can haue any coullor for such communion of merites For that which S. Paule writeth 1. Cor. 12. is manifestly vnderstood of the mutuall offices of loue whereby one member hath compassion with an other by no meanes teacheth either the estate of the deade or the merittes of the liuing Of like credit it is that he so constantly affirmeth that the Saintes in heauen pray for their fellowes beneth and that they belowe pray for the helpe of the Saintes aboue moreouer that Christ our heade by whose bloude the society standeth will haue no worke nor waye of saluation that is not common to the whole body in generall and particularly profitable to supply the neede of any parte thereof Here you see by a plaine distribution that M. Allen will haue other workes and wayes of saluation beside the bloude of christ These things being onely affirmed and not proued by the authority of Scriptures although I might confute at large by the same yet it shall suffice to aunswere with that auncient father That which hath no authority in the Scriptures is as easily denied as it is affirmed But it is a worlde to see what a compasse you fetch to bringe in the Masse for one of the speciall meanes It was wont to be a sacrifice propitiatory both for the quicke and the deade nowe you haue nicer termes for it Now it is the sacrifice of the Church By whome instituted I pray you which by the will of the author if you make God the author where haue you one sillable in the Scripture to declare his will but that which followeth passeth By the likenesse of the exemplar as in deede being in an other manner the very selfe same What is this that I heare doth the Masse aueyle because it is like the exemplar if you meane the sacrifice of Christ his passion to be the examplar the masse is as like it as an apple is like an oyster for all the apish pageantes that be played in it We read in the Scriptures that all the sacrifices of the olde lawe with the tabernacle were made conformable to the exemplar and paterne that was shewed vnto Moses which was Christ Exod. 25. Heb. 8. Act. 7. But that there shoulde be any more shadowes or resemblaunces when the bodye and substance it selfe is come it is contrary to the whole scope of the Epistle to the Hebrues M. Allen hath a shift for that saying it is the very selfe same in an other maner But he is so deepe in diuinity that he forgetteth his first principles of logike For euery boye in Oxford can tell him that those things which be like can not be the same If therefore the Masse be like the sacrifice of Christ then is it not the sacrifice of Christ it selfe Againe the exemplar and the example be proper relatiues therfore if the sacrifice of Christ be the exemplar whereof the Masse is the example the Masse can not be the sacrifice of christ Neither will it helpe that he sayth It is the selfe same in an other maner so long as the same respect remaineth But let him make of his Masse what he can the Church of God instructed by Gods worde receiueth no more sacrifices propitiatory but onely the sacrifice of Christ his death which was offered by no other but by him selfe and that once for all Seeing that by one oblation he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Hebr. 10. 2 And so sayth S. Augustine in these words Neque enim piorum animae mortuorum separantur ab ecclesia quae nunc est regnum Christi alioquin nec ad
or daunger or to shew their sorrow for prophanation of Gods glory And any of these are more reasonable causes then the superstitious surmise of Beda with his curious conceit of the six ages of the worlde where other make seuen and eight ages 3 And that charitable reliefe of the poore by open almes and doles was also practised for the welth of the departed in the obittes of olde time the scripture it selfe in the fourth chapter of Tobie maketh mention by report of that godly commaundemeÌ„t that the good olde father gaue is sonne herein Panem tuum cum esurientibus comede de vestimeÌ„â—is tuis nudos tege Panem tuum vinum tuum super sepulturam iusti constitue noli ex eo manducare bibere cum peccatoribus Eate thy breade with the hongry and needy and couer with thy clothes the naked Set thy breade and wine vpon the sepulture of the vertuous make not the sinnefull partaker therof which wordes of exhortation can haue no other sense but that as before in the same place he gaue his sonne in charge to bestow vppon all men according to his hability for that there was hope to all charitable almes giuers of Gods mercy so now he warneth him to feede the poore and breake his breade to such especially as should come to the iustes and funeralls of the departed He would neuer haue put him in minde to haue releeued the poore at burialls but for some commodity that might arise to the party deceased for otheâ—wise his charity might haue proffeted the needy at other times as well as vpon mens departure Some tooke foolish occasioÌ„ by this place to set store of meate vpon the graue it selfe where their father or freinde was buried as though the dead had bene desirous of corporall foode The which superstitious error S. Augustine earnestly improueth Other some made great feastes at the daye of their freindes death But the texte is plaine it was the needy and good people that were at those soleÌ„ne exequies or other wise by their prayers might be profitably present in the dayes of memories holden for them which practise was not prescribed as a newe thing to the yong Tobie but it was moued and praised vnto him as a holy vsage of other burialls in those dayes and alwayes before Bona est oratio cum ieiunio elecmosina Prayer is profitable sayth the holy Raphel when it is ioyned with fasting and almes and therefore as the fathers in their prayers for the dead fasted as we haue proued so nowe I doubt not but almes shall crie for mercy at Gods hande for the soule departed vpon whose sepulture these thinges be charitably wroght 3 What else if we had not doles at burialls proued by the example of the Patriarkes all were marred Therefore Tobias must saye for doles But first we haue shewed already by authoritie of Hieronym which is proofe sufficient against the Papist that the Church receiueth not this booke of Tobias for canonicall scripture And secondly if we shoulde receiue it yet here is nothing that helpeth M. Allens cause but his owne simple surmise He sayth in dede the wordes can haue no other sence yet all that he sayeth is not gospell but what if the truer texte of Tobias hath other wordes First in the Greeke there is no mention at all of wine as is in the Latine nor of setting breade and wine vpon the graue of the vertuous but the sence is this As before he exhorted his sonne to feede the hongry with his owne breade and to cloth the naked with his owne garments so nowe he willeth him to spare the breade out of his owne mouth to bury the righteous as he him selfe had done chap. 1. which is a cleere interpretation of this but to geue nothing at all to the vngodly or to be liberall to the rightuous euen to their death and to see them buried honestly As for the iustes and funeralls M. Allen dreameth that the poore came vnto to receiue penny dole or soule breade appeareth in the first and second Chapters how solemne they were when poore Tobie was fayne to steale the bodyes and bury them priuily by night yet vpon that corrupt Latine texte as it should seeme wherevpon M. Allen buildeth they vsed in Affrica to make sumptuous and dronken feastes vpon the graues of men in the places of buriall which they thought not onely to perteine to the honor of the martyrs but also to be some comforte to the soules of the deade This olde superstition Augustine reproueth epist. 64. Aurelio But it is pretily renewed in the funerall feastes of the Papistes as also the selling of oblations for the deade which he in the same place condemneth 4 VVe haue a notable example in the Actes of the Apostles of the force of almes with prayers which wroght life and procured mercy eueÌ„ in the next world For the benefit of faithfull workes and holy prayers will not be limited by the termes of this worlde it will haue course doune so farre as the fellowship of this Christian societie reacheth the deuill and all his abettours can not stoppe the rase thereof The onely shew of certaine cotes with the requeste of the pore widowes that wore them made to Peter the Apostle turned Tabitha to life againe after her departure those garments geuen by her when she was a lieue by the careful trauel of her almes folkes procured reliefe in the worlde to come They warmed the backes of widowes in earth sayth Emissenus and the geuer had comforth of them being gone from the earth It is good we shoulde all learne here that haue receiued benefite of any man in this liefe with loue and carefullnesse not onely in this present worlde but most of all when our frend is departed to represent vnto God before his altare and holy ministers with sorowfull weeping hearty prayer the memory of such thinges as we haue receiued by way of almes or loue at his hand It shall be a soueraigne remedy for his infirmities and the approuedst way to procure Gods mercy that can be The elders of the Iewes making earnest supplication to our Sauiour for the Centurions seruaunt lying in extremitie vsed the memorie of that gentilmans charitable actes in their church as the rediest waye to obteine grace and fauour at his handes They cried out together dignus est vt hoc illi praestes diligit enim gentem nostram synagogam ipse aedificauit nobis Lorde be gratious vnto him he is worthy that benefite for he loueth our nation and hath him selfe founded a Synagoge And S Cyprian sayth notably that good workes make a more effectuall intercession then good wordes he speaketh of the same Tabitha as followeth Circumsteterunt Petrum viduae flentes rogantes pallia tunicas omnia illa quae prius sumpserant indumenta monstrantes nec pro defuncta suis vocibus sed ipsius operibus
although Tobies story be no canonicall scripture yet it is not once mentioned nor by any reasonable or sober man can be imagined there But who can let M. Allen to dreame that Tobies prayer and almes were for the deade whome he buried yet who can beare him when he bosteth that all antiquitie doth offer to take his parte and he may haue whome he will to testifie the same This is a strange matter M. Allen that you maye haue your choyse of so many and will not vouchsafe to bring one that so doth write of Tobies prayer and almes But you will say you meane generally of almes and prayers for the dead and thereof you haue store of auncient testimonies and the more auncient the better I will not deny but you haue much drosse and dragges of the latter sorte of doctors and the later the fuller of drosse But bring me any worde out of Iustinus martyr Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus or any that did write with in one 100. yeares after Christ that alloweth prayer or almes for the deade and I will saye you are as good as your worde But if neither you nor any Papist for you be able to doe it out of these which I haue named which are the most auncieÌ„t writers whose workes are extant nor out of an auncient or authenticall writer with in the compasse that I haue named I may iustly say that you will boast of more in a minute of an houre then you are able to performe all the dayes of your life But you will come neare the time if you can not come to it And Origen shall speake for you all that he can or at least wise as much as you will giue him leaue to say But if a man might be as bold to pose you M. Allen as you are to pose your betters where had you this testimony of Origen did you read it in his owne workes or did you borrow it of some other mans collection I know you will be ashamed to confesse the latter but you may be more ashamed to acknowledge the former For who soeuer allegeth this place of Origen to proue prayers and almes to profite the deade is a foule falsery of Origens meaning a beastly gelder of auncient authoritie though it be M. Allen him selfe For this place of Origen as it maketh nothing in the world to proue that prayer and almes profite the deade but the cleane contrary so doth it plainly declare to what ende those prayers almes and oblations that were vsed in the primitiue Church were referred and how in pâ—ocesse of time superstitious and erroneous opinions grew of them Wherefore that this may be euident I will rehearse the whole testimony of Origen which M. Allen hath so mischieuously mangled Nam priores diem natiuitatis celebrabant vnam vitam diligentes aliam post hanc non sperantes Nunc verò nos non natiuitatis diem celebramus cum sit dolorum atque tentationum introitus sed mortis diem celebramus vtpote omnium dolorum depositionem atque omnium tentationum effugationem Diem mortis celebramus quia non moriuntur hi qui mori videntur Propterea memorias sanctorum facimus parentum nostrorum vel amicorum in fide morientium deuotè memorias agimus tam illorum refrigerio gaudentes quam etiam nobis piam consummationem in fide postulantes Sic itaque non diem natiuitatis celebramus quia in perpetuo viuent ij qui moriuntur Celebramus nimirum religiosos cum sacerdotibus conuocantes fideles vnà cum clero inuitantes adhuc egenos pauperes pupillos viduas saturantes vt fiat festiuitas nostra in memoriam requiei defunctis animabus quarum memoriam celebramus nobis autem efficiatur in odorem suauitatis in conspectu aeterni Dei. The former men did celebrate the daye of their natiuitie louing but one life and not hoping for any other after this But now we doe not celebrate the daye of natiuitie seeing it is the entraunce of sorrowes and tentations but we celebrate the day of death as that which is the putting away of all sorrowes and the escaping of all tentations VVe celebrate the day of death because they doe not dye that seeme to dye Therefore also doe we make memories of the Sainctes and deuoutly keepe the memories of our parents or friendes dying in the faith as much reioysing in their rest as desiring for our selues also a godly finishing in faith So therefore we doe not celebrate the day of natiuitie because they which dye shall liue perpetually And thus we celebrate it calling togither the deuout men with the Priestes the faithfull with the clergy inuiting also the needy and poore filling the fatherlesse and widdowes with foode that our festiuitie or ioyfulnes may be done in remembraunce of the rest which is vnto the soules departed whose memory we celebrate may be made vnto vs a sauour of sweetenes in the sight of the eternall God. By this place it is manifest that Origen the east Church in his time acknowledged no purgatory paynes because he confesseth death to be the ende of all sorrowes to the faithfull Secondly that they pray not for their friendes soules as being in torment but that they reioysed for them because they were in rest Thirdly that the prayers which they vsed in the memories of the dead were not for the deade but for them selues which were aliue that they might likewise dye in the fayth as their friendes had done before them Fourthly that the assembly of the cleargy and people with the feeding of the poore was not to pray for the deade nor to merite for their soules but to reioyse for the rest of the deade and to be a sacrifice of thankesgiuing for them that were aliue This one testimony of Origen shall testifie what the iudgement of the greeke Church was concerning purgatory prayers for the dead from the Apostles time vnto his dayes I wotte well superstition in the Latine Church was somewhat forwarder in as much as there was the seate of Antichrist appoynted to be set vp according to the reuelation of S. Iohn and the exposition of Irenaeus who iudged that Lateinos was the number of the beastes name spoken of Apoc. 13. By the way it may be noted how M. Allen translateth religiosos the religious men which worde might well be vsed but that he would haue fooles to thinke that there were Monkes and fryers in that tyme which were vsed to be called to burials but it is playne that Origen calleth theÌ„ religious whom by and by after he calleth faithfull Moreouer in the latter end where he libbeth of the conclusion of Origens wordes he translateth vt fiat festiuitas nostra in memoriam c. That the memoriall of their rest might be kept solemnly yet when he hath clipped shauen pared gelded and falsified all that he can the dead be in rest and not in purgatory for whose sake he imagineth in Origens time
Gods worde or authorities of scriptures but such as is so pitifully wrested and drawen vnto them as euery man may see the holy Ghost neuer ment any such thinge as they gather of them 3 Holde on vpwarde still and Tertullian will witnesse with thee that in that floure of Christes Church with in lesse then CC. yeares of our maisters death Oblationes fiebant annua die pro defunctis That oblations and sacrifice were yearly made at the xij monthes mindes of most men he meaneth both by the sacrifice of the Church and offeringes of the freindes of the departed as there also Repete apud Deum pro cuius spiritu postules pro qua oblationes annuas reddas Call to thy remembraunce for whose soule thou prayes and in whose behalfe thou makes yearly offeringes He speaketh of a freinde of his that practised thus for his wiues departure And in an other place he well declareth the duety of maried persons one towards an other if God by death separate them in sonder Pro anima eius orat refrigerium interim postulat offert annuis diebus dormitionis eius She prayeth for her husbandes soule and obteineth in the meane space ease and offereth euery yeare at the mind day of his passing hense And he letteth not to affirme that the maried couple that practise not thus do not beleue the resurrection Therefore he concludeth thus Nunquid nihil erimus post mortem secundum aliquem Epicurum non secundum Christum quòd si credimus mortuorum resurrectionem vtique tenebimur cum quibus resurrecturi sumus rationem de altetutro reddituri VVhat say you shall we fall to nothing after our death as the Epicure thinketh and not rise againe as Christ teacheth And if we beleue the resurrection of the deade then doubtlesse we shall be bounde to make accompt one of an other as we shall together rise againe Beware here my maisters once againe I must tell you you are going towardes the deniall of the resurrection so many as condemne the vsage of the Church in praying or offeringe for the deade Tertullian sayth you be Epicures in this point and so you be in all others I say you are past priuy muttering in your heartes that there is no God for you are come to plaine Manducemus bibamus cras enim moriemur Let vs eate and be mery we can not tell how longe we lieue I say you must aunswere for parting the affection of man and wife and the one must be countable at the day of iudgement to an other that they procured not the dueties of the deade by right of Gods holy Church for their soules departed Take heede therefore you are warned 3 Nay ho there M. Allen no higher then Tertullian And when we haue examined the testimonies of Tertullian in order as you haue brought them you shall haue small aduantage out of him yea your friendes shall thinke you had bene better to haue made no mention of him For first I must tell you that these three lines which are all that he hath written sounding that way are found in three bookes which all were written by him when he was an heretike separated from the catholike Church And therefore it may well be that all that he speaketh of prayers and oblations for the deade was onely in the conuenticles of the Montanistes of which sect he was an earnest defender rather then in the catholike Church And this coniecture seemeth the more probable because Cyprian which was afterward a catholike Bishop in the same city where Tertullian sometime had liued maketh no mention of prayers for the dead but onely of sacrifice for the Martyrs which was none other but the sacrifice of thankesgiuing lib. 4. Ep. 5. But admit that the Church of God in that time vsed these superstitious prayers and oblations for the deade let vs consider vpon what ground they were vsed The firsâ— place M. Allen allegeth in this forme Oblationes fiebant annua die pro defunctis But Tertullians wordes in libro de corona militis be these Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitijs annua die facimus We make oblations for the dead for our birthes on the yearly day By which it is euident that M. Allen did not read these wordâ—s him selfe but receiued them of some other mans collection or sound them in some booke of common places But to the matter Tertullian him selfe shall say for me that the same custome with many other which he there rehearseth hath no ground in the holy Scripture Harum aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si leges expostules scripturarum nullam inuenies traditio tibi praetendetur autrix consuetudo confirmatrix fides obseruatrix Of those and such like disciplines if you require the lawes of the Scriptures you shall finde none tradition shall be pretended to you to be the author Custome the confirmer and faith the obseruer It is good to take that which is so franckly giuen and more is Tertullian to be commended that confesseth the ground of his errour not to be taken out of the word of God then they that labour to wreâ—t the Scriptures to find that which Tertullian confesseth is not to be found in them I knowe the Papistes will aunswere that tradition is of as good credit as the Scripture is the word of God vnwritten as well as the Scripture is the word of God written But why then doe they not obserue all other things that Tertullian in the same place affirmeth to be tradition if tradition be the word of God why doe they not giue to them that are newly baptised a temper of milke and hony and from the day of their baptisme forbid dayly washing all the weeke after Why doe they not count it a wicked thinge to fast on the Sunday or to pray and worship God on their knees Why doe they not count it a wicked thinge to fast betwene Easter Whitsontide or to pray on their knees all that time Finally why doe not they crosse them selues in the forehead at euery steppe they set forth at comming in at going out at putting on of garmentes at putting on of shoes at washing at the tables at lighting of candles at beddes at stooles and at all thinges what so euer they doe What aunswere can they here make but that their Church may dispense as well with the word of God vnwritten which they cal tradition as she doth against the word of God conteyned in the holy Scriptures So that alwayes what so euer they prate of antiquitie customs traditions vnwritten verities or the word of God vnwritten the authority of their blasphemous church is aboue them all Now to the second testimony alleged out of Tertullian S. Ieronym shall testifie for vs that this booke as the other that followeth was written against the Church so was also his booke de corona militis when he was out of the Church whereby it may
should pray yet she should not be heard euen of men remayning in this life your second reason as I conceiue it is that so long as men are in â—his world they may repent then sinne is not to death Therfore S. Iohn meaneth that they that dyed without bond of deadly sinne are to be prayed for your antecedent as before is false for the Apostle to the Hebrewes the sixt chapter sheweth that there be some which sinne so horribly in this life that it is vnpossible for them to be renewed by repentaunce So that your exposition being both voyd of authoritie and contrary to the manifest word of God of none that is wise or godly can be receiued Beside this the whole context of S. Iohns wordes doe plainly declare that he speaketh of prayers for the brethern that are liuing and not for them that are dead But I am to blame to spende so many wordes in a matter so manifest If the holy Ghost had euer allowed prayer for the dead he would once at the lest haue vttered the same plainly in holy canonicall Scriptures But Tertullian as wise a man as M. Allen affirmeth as we heard before that prayer for the deade hath no foundation in the Scriptures 2 To this place also S. Augustine disputing in his booke de ciuitate dei that praiers profiteth not all men departed alludeth or rather leaneth vnto it as a sure grouÌ„d against the Origenistes that woulde haue Gods mercy by mans prayers obteined for the wicked soules deceased after this sort Si qui autem vsque ad mortem habebunt cor impoenitens nec ex inimicis conuertuntur in filios numquid iam pro eis id est pro talium defunctorum spiritibus orat ecclesia cur ita nisi quia iam in parte diaboli computantur qui dum essent in corpore non sunt translati in Christum If there be any that till death continue in stubborne impenitency of hearte and of enemies to Gods Church will not be made children doeth the Church make intercession for such that is to say for the soules of them being departed in that state and why prayeth she not for them but because they be nowe reckoned for the deuills lot being deade that woulde not moue to Christes part when they were in their bodies And this is the cause that for such as in desperatioÌ„ destroy them selues by any kind of wilfull or violent death or in the stubborne maintenance of heresie offer them selues to be extirpate as well out of the society of mans life as out of the coÌ„munioÌ„ of the Christian company our holy mother the Church who by her practise is the best construer of Gods worde neuer vseth any meanes for their quiet rest VVheron there is a holy decree of Councell in this sense qui sibi ipsis quolibet modo culpabili inferunt mortem nulla pro illis fiat commemoratio neque cum psalmis sepeliantur All those that by any vnlawfull way procure their owne death let no commemoration be had of them nor be brought home with psalmes The which hath ben both diligently obserued euer amongest Christians and for terrour of the wicked often by holy Canons renewed VVherof there is no other cause but this that such persons being at the ende cut of the common bodie can receiue no vtility of that where vnto they are not nor now can not be ioyned And as in that case where Gods Church hath plaine presumption of any persons euerlasting perishing either by continuance in infidelitie out of her happy family or by heresie and separation of him selfe till the last ende leaping out of her holy lappe where he once was before or being and continuing with some open euidence thereof an vnprofitable membre and a deade branche as I saye in any plaine proofe of these thinges the Church neuer practiseth for his rest because she neither hath hope of getting any grace nor meanes to conuey any benefite vnto such as be not in the limmes of life so if our saide carefull mother doe bestow of her customable kindnesse all her godly meanes vpon those whome she knoweth not otherwise but in finall piety and penitence to haue passed this life and yet in deede before God to whome onely all secrets of mans hearte be perfectly open dyed as abiectes and outcastes in sinne and impenitencie she can not for all that any whit helpe their estate so miserable nor appeace Gods wrath towarde them being now out of the time of deseruing out of the Churchies lappe effectually and finally separated from the chosen people and out of the compaesse of grace and mercie Much lesse any priuate mans prayer can be any thing at all beneficiall to his freinde or other that dyed not in Gods fauour whose payne can neither be finished nor by any of these ordinary meanes one moment released or lessened Yet euery good faithfull person must imitate the diligence of Gods Church herein that ceaseth not both to offâ—â— and pray for all sortes with in her limites that be hense in any likelyhood of repentaunce departed who hadde rather they shoulde abounde to the needelesse then at any time lacke for the reliefe of such that might wante them 2 All this discourse is needelesse to proue that prayers profit not the infidels or the impenitent against them that beleue that the soules of the faithfull the repentant are where Christ is as he prayeth Ioan. 17. Father I will that those whome thou hast gyuen me where I am they also maye be with me that they may see my glory And euen so he sayeth to the theefe no perfect iuste man but a sinner repentant This daye thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23. And S. Paule desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ Philip. 1. This is the fayth of the Church of Christ and these be the groundes of our fayth voide of all doubtfulnesse obscurity sophistry and variable sentence of deceiuable men builded vpoÌ„ the certaine foundation of the eternall word of God The authoritie of Augustine proueth that the Church prayed not in his time for the spirits of infidells But the Councell Bracharense as afterwarde I shall more plainely shewe doth insinuate that no prayers were made at all for the soules of the departed in their Church at their burialls but onely a remembrance of them in prayers with thankesgeuing and singing of Psalmes For purgatory shoulde seeme had not yet trauelled into spaine But touching this assertion of M. Allen that those which dye out of the fauour of God as infidells and such like are not to be prayed for whose payne can neither be finished nor one moment released or lessened by any of these meanes what saye you then to Gregory the first byshop of Rome which with his vehement prayer as your owne Damascene and many others doe witnesse deliuered the soule of Traianus the heathen Emperour from Hell whereof there riseth a great controuersie among your doltish
by it But Christ you say hath instituted this sacrifice to be offered vp for the remembraunce of his death the clensing of our sinnes Shew one word M. Allen out of the Scripture of any sacrifice instituted by Christ at his last supper or else you are a most horrible and blasphemous lyer The holy Ghost sayth we are sanctified by his will thorough the offering of the body of Christ once made for al and where remission of sinnes is there is left no sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. But you are not content to ioyne your sacrifice of the masse as an appendix vnto the onely once offered and no more offerable sacrifice of Christ his death except you proceede and vtterly deny all the force and benefite of the oblation of his bitter passion For you say that Christ in his last supper not onely gaue to his Apostles but also offered to God his father that body which was after betrayed and that blood which was shed after also for remission of sinnes being that sacrifice which should succede the bloody offerings of the olde testament what place haue you here left for the passion of Christ O intolerable blasphemy Christ offered vp but one sacrifice and that you affirme to be before his death Christ offered but once and that you affirme to be at his supper By that one sacrifice which Christ did once offer he redemed vs from all our sinnes and that you affirme to haue bene offered in the sacrament Doe you not now plainly exclude the death and passion of Christ and all the merites thereof who can abide to heare you afterward when you say that the sacrifice of the masse is an application of the benefits of Christ his death vnto vs when now you affirme that it is the continuance of that sacrifice which Christ offered and instituted before his death who neuer offered but one sacrifice and that but once O Lord these blasphemers are more worthy to be beaten downe with thunderbolts then their blasphemies so directly contrary to the holy Scriptures haue neede to be confuted with wordes 2 Now this is that blessed sacrifice which S. Augustine with feare and reuerence termeth in a thousand places of his workes the sacrifice of the Altar the sacrifice of our Mediatour the sacrifice of our price the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ the holsome and profitable sacrifice the sacrifice of Melchisedech the new sacrifice S. Chrysostom the reuerent sacrifice the honorable Mysteries the Fearefull sacrifice Athanasius the propitiatory sacrifice the vnbloody Host. S. Cyprian the sacrifice of the Church the perpetuall sacrifice the meate offering the medecine for our infirmities Irenaeus the pure sacrifice the new sacrifice of the new testament Clement againe the vnbloudy sacrifice the rationable sacrifice and so doth the holy Counsell of Ephesus call it Dionysius the sacrifice most excellent of all sacrificies and the hoste of hostes The Latines altogether afterward named it the holy Masse so did S. Augustine call it Ambrose Hierome Epiph. scholastic with all the posteritie both in Latin and other barbarous languagies Besides many other excellent high and peculiar callinges which can agree to no other common worship of God internall nor external but onely to this most worthy and honorable sacrifice which by the vertue that it hath receiued by the first examplar therof and by the might and mercy of the Lambe of God which vnder the couer of breade and wine is there the appointed hoste and oblation is profitable both to the quicke and the deade And therefore is hath ben vsed euer sith the Apostles age by Christes owne prescription and theirs commaunded to be religiously obserued and of all faythfull people honoured as the principall protestation of our religion as the grounde of all true worship as the badge of Christian peace as the bonde of holy society betwixt the heade and the membres as the loue knot betwixt Christ and his spouse as the vniting of the liue with the dead the holy sainctes with vs poore sinners Angells with men heuenly thinges with earthly and the Creator of all with his owne creatures beneth as the plentifull condeth to deriue the grace of Christes death and merites of his passiō to the continuall conforth of our soules as the onely practise of his eternall priesthood according to the ordre of Melchisedech as the only effectuall memoriall and comfortable memory of the sheeding of his blessed bloude and sufferance of so deare and painefull death for our redemption VVhat altar so euer be erected against this altar it is nothing els but a waste of Gods worship a canker of religion a token of dissension a separation of the holy society of the Christian communion a larome towardes schisme a departure from Christ an open badge of heresy a saulsy shouldering with Christes Church and ordinaunce an open robbry of his honour and priesthood a plaine stoppe of the passage of his giftes and grace in his louing house the onely waye to paganisme and eternall obliuion of his death and passion 2 Now we shall heare how many of the olde writers call it a sacrifice but he neede not take all that paynes for we confesse that the celebration of the Lordes supper is commonly but vnproperly called of them a sacrifice Howbeit they ment nothing lesse then to set vp a blasphemous aultar and new sacrifice and priesthoode against our Sauiour Christ the onely priest aultar and sacrifice of our redemption as Augustine calleth him but onely there meaning was that it was a remembraunce and memoriall of that onely sacrifice with thankes giuing for the same Augustine de fide ad Petrum Diaconum cap. 19. shewing the difference of the sacrifices of the olde lawe the onely sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of breade and wine which the Church offered sayth In illis enim carnalibus victimis figuratio fuit carnis Christi quā pro peccatis nostris ipse sine peccato fuerat oblaturus sanguinis quē erat effusurus in remissionem peccatorum In isto autem sacrificio gratiarum actio atque commemoratio est carnis Christi quam pro nobis obtulit sanguinis quem pro nobis idem Deus effudit For in these carnall sacrifices there was a figuring of the flesh of Christ which he being with out sinne shoulde offer for our sinnes and of his bloude which he shoulde shedde for remission of our sinnes But in this sacrifice there is thankes geuing and commemoration of the flesh of Christ which he offered for vs and his bloude which the same God shedde for vs In his 23. epistle to Bonifacius he sheweth that sacraments take the names of those thinges whereof they are sacraments by a certeine similitude and liknesse that they haue vnto the thinges them selues whereof they are sacraments And so the sacrament of Christes sacrifice is called a sacrifice as after a certeine manner the sacrament of Christes
in that honorable action prayeth and Christ him selfe is both the sacrifice and the priest both the asker and the geuer of pardon when the maiesty of God the blessed trinitie is passingly pleaced by the merites of Christes death so liuely set out in these honorable but vnspeakable misteries what maye we not here procure for the soule of the Churchies childe what shall be denied to so humble askers in the presence of Gods owne sonne and begging mercy for his deathes sake And so doth S. Chrysostome assure the faithfull in these golden wordes Non frustra ab apostolis sancitum est vt in celebratione venerandorum mysteriorum memoria fiat eorum qui hinc discesserunt nouerunt quippe illis multum hinc emolumeÌ„ti fieri multum vtilitatis stante siquidem vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu item sacerdotali verendoque proposito sacrificio quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes It was not for nought that the Apostles decreed and ordeined that in the celebration of the honorable mysteries there shoulde be an especiall memoriall of the departed for they right wâ—ll knewe greate commodity and benefite to arise there vpon For the whole multitude holding vp their handes towardes heauen together with the company and quiere of priests and the dreadfull sacrifice set forth before all men how is it possible but we shoulde appeace Gods wrath praying for them looke ye what this mans iudgement was and see from whense he had it euen of the holy Apostles â–ª I warraunt you and no worse nor later founders But of that pointe for the full deriuing of our Christian vsage from the first fathers of our faith more conuenient place shall be geuen herafter Nowe I will serue the cause and the readers desire first with certaine peculiar examples of most learned and godly fathers worthy of all credit in the godly prouision for certeine of their dearest friendes by sacrifice and prayer both made by them selues procured by others That we may haue here not onely whome to beleeue teaching the trueth but whome to followe practising the same with deuotion which they preached with constancie before 5 Not altogether out of hope yet to find some foolish merchantes that will paye dearly for vnprofitable wares you comforte your selfe after your complainte exhorting men to procure the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes why M. Allen if there be either such necessity or such profit of that sacrifice wherefore doe not your priests with out procurement offer it vp to the vttermost aduauntage that maye be had by it But you must haue procurers yea you must haue good paye maisters or els the olde prouerbe must be true No peny no pater noster As touching the place of Chrysostome I haue shewed already by his owne interpretation that although he allow prayers for the dead vsed in time of the celebration which he calleth sacrifice yet he alloweth no sacrifice in deede but onely a thankes geuing in remembraunce of the sacrifice of Christ. But where he sayeth it was decreed by the Apostles that in the celebration of the holy misteries a remembraunce should be made of them that are departed he must pardon vs of crediting because he can not shewe it out of the actes and writinges of the Apostles And we will be bolde to charge him with his owne saying Hom. De Adam Heua Satis sufficere credimus quicquid secundum predictas regulas Apostolica scripta nos docuerunt vt prorsus non opinemur Catholicum quod apparuerit prefixis sententijs contrarium we thinke it sufficeth enough what so euer the writinges of the Apostles haue taught vs according to the fore sayed rules in so much that we compt it not at all Catholike what so euer shall appeare contrary to the rules appointed And againe In Genes Hom. 58. Vides in quantam absurditatem incidunt qui diuinae scripturae canonem sequi nolunt sed suis cogitationibus permittunt omnia Thou seest into how greate absurdity they fall which will not follow the canon of holy Scripture but permitt all thinges to their owne cogitations but if we be further vrged we will alledge that which he sayth In Euan. Ioan. Hom. 58. Qui sacra non vtitur Scriptura sed ascendit aliunde id est non concessa via fur est He that vseth not the holy Scripture but clymeth an other way that is by a way not allowed is a theefe We may be as bold with Chrysostome as he sayd he would be with Paule him selfe in 2. ad Tim. ho. 2. Plus aliquid dica ne Paulo quidem obedire oportet si quid dixerit proprium si quid humanum sed Apostolo Christum in se loquentem circumferenti I will say somewhat more we must not be ruled by Paule him selfe if he speake any thing that is his owne and any thing that is humane but we must obey the Apostle wheÌ„ he carieth Christ speaking in him Wherfore seeing it is certayne by testimony of Iustinus Martyr that there was no mention of the deade in the celebration of the Lords supper for more then an hundreth yeares after Christ we must not beleue Chrysostome without Scripture affirming that it was ordeyned so by the Apostles That the practise of any pointe in religion maketh the most open shevve of the fathers faith And that all holy men haue in plaine vvordes and most godly prayers vttered their beliefe in our matter CAP. IX 1 ANd I take the open practise of any point to be a more pithy protestation of a mans faith then by wordes can be made Therefore if a man were doubtfull either of the trueth of any article or of the meaning of some doctors wordes looke the same mans practise and it shall put him out of doubt thereof straight wayes as for an example seeme some wordes of S. Augustine to make for the sacramentaries heresie that Christ is in the honorable sacrament but by figure or Theodoretus or any other auncient fathers declaration are their wordes doubtfull to the reader leaue the wordes then if thou sincerely seeke for trueth with out contention seeke out if thou can some practise of those same men and that Church where they liued for the same point But what waye of worke in this matter consisting in doctrine may assure vs of their belefe of whose wordes we doubted before Mary sir this looke how they behaued them selues in the receiuing of it in the ministering of it in the carefull keping of it whether they did adore it with godly honour whether they solemnely shewed it to the people to be worshipped whether they praide by solemne and formall wordes vnto it whether they taught their children to call it God and Christ yea so farre that Augustine affirmeth that the children in his dayes till they were after instructed thought that God appeared in the shape of breade as all these yongers seeing the honour reuerence of their elders
prayer for the dead came from the Apostles then Tertullian could proue that oblation for the deade came from them To detest fasting on Sunday and to pray kneeling with diuerse like superstitions Tertullian referreth to the Apostles as well as prayer for the deade deny one and doubt of all the rest And whereas M. Allen vpon contemplation of Chrysostome wordes falleth into a hidden agony cryeth alasse alasse if he would consider what the same man writeth vpon the Epistle to the Philip. Hom. 3. he would not make so great mone the losse is not so great Procuremus eis aliquid auxilij modici quideÌ„ attamen iuuemus eos Let vs procure them some helpe in deede but small helpe yet let vs helpe them Loe M. Allen your owne doctor confesseth it is but smal help that can be procured by prayers almes or remembraunce of them at the celebration of the holy misteries You will say that soone after he sayth the Apostles that instituted such memory knewe that much commodity came to the deade Then see how soone he forgetteth him selfe when he followeth not the rule of holy Scripture Againe howe like you M. Allen that he alloweth not prayers nor the said memory to helpe them that were Catechumeni which were learning their catechisme and dyed before they were baptised S. Ambrose you say cap. 9. of this booke did pray and offer for Gratianus which was but Catechumenus and dyed before he was baptised Againe how agreeth this with your catholike doctrine which you boast is so well ordered to your handes that Chrysostome denyeth them prayers and alloweth them almes for their helpe Catechumenos verò neque isto solatio dignamur sed omni huiusmodi destituti sunt auxilio vno quodam dempto quo nam illo pauperibus illorum nomine dare licet vnde illis non nihil refrigerij accedet As for them that be Catechumeni we count them not worthy of so much as this comfort but they be destitute of all such aide except one What one is that we may giue some thinge for their sake to the poore whereof some refreshing shall come vnto them 6 But heare I pray you what notable wordes S. Damascen hath for the vtilitie and institution of these thinges The holy Apostles and disciples sayth he of our Sauiour Christ haue decried that in the dread soueraigne vndefiled and liuely Sacraments â—o he calleth the Masse there shoulde be kept a memoriall of those that haue taken their sleepe in faith the which ordinaunce vntill this day without gainsaying or controwling the Apostolike and Catholicke Church of God from one cost of the wide world to an other hath obserued and shall religiously keepe till the world haue an ende For doubtlesse these thinges that the Christian religion which is without error free from falshood hath so many ages and worldes continued vnuiolably not without vrgent cause those thinges I say are not vaine but profitable to man acceptable to God and very necessarye for our saluation Thus farre spake the doctor setting forth not onely his owne minde but the faith of a numbre of the peeres of Gods Church wherein to proue this doctrine to be catholike he fitly followeth the same way which Vincentius Lyrinensis gaue vs once for a rule to trye trueth by Prouing that it hath antiquitie as a thinge that came and hath continued euen from the beginning of the Christian religion declaring that it hath the consent of all nations because it is and hath bene practised through out all the costes and corners of the wyde worlde and last that it hath the approbation of the wisest and holyestmen that euer were in the Church of christ And more then all this that it shall so continue till the ende though it be for a time in some peculiar nations omitted because it is receiued into a parte of that worship of God which in the Church can not perishe 6 As for Damascene I know not wherefore his authoritie serueth but to fill vppe the number for neither is his credit nor his antiquitie comparable with the former we refuse not the rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis concerning antiquity so you can proue that it hath God to be the author the Prophets and Apostles As for witnesse vnder this antiquitie that which had an erroneous beginning shall haue a shamefull ending 7 And this prescription of trueth our aduersaires can not auoyde but with such vnseemely dealing as I trust they them selues now be ashamed of as all other reasonable men are For now let them come with brasen facies and blasphemous tounges and say that prayers for the deade be vnprofitable that the rites of the buriall be superstitious that to say the Masse and sacrifice to be propitiatory for the soules departed is iniurious to Christes death that the doctors praised the errours of the ignorant people of their dayes that they all erred and were deceiued that the Church of Christ hath bene ledde in darke ignorance till these our dayes let them bestowe these vaine presumptious wordes where they maye take place for nowe all wise men doe perceiue that all these haue their holy institution by Christ and his Apostles practised vniuersally in the primitiue Church embrased of all godly people and approued to be wholy consonant to Gods worde by the pillors of Christes Church who so consonantly agree together in this point as well for the practise and proofe as for the beginning therof that to dissent from them and trust in these reedes of our dayes were meere madnesse that are pufte to and fro with euery blast of doctrine that care not what they say so that they say not as other their forefathers sayed that had rather then they woulde geue ouer a singular opinion of their owne imagination refuse and denie the authoritie of so many notable wise auncient godly and well learned fathers whome we haue named Although we haue left out many of no worse iudgement plainely auouching these thinges to come into Christes Church and worship by the ordinaunce of his holy Apostles All which thinges if our aduersaries haue reade then they are in a most miserable and heuy taking that doe withstand an open knowen trueth and as I feare against their owne consciences too Or if they haue not reade these plaine assertions of all learned men sith Christes time then they are most impudent that so vainely bragge in a matter whereof they are not skillfull But I trust God will open their eyes and breake their prowde hartes to the obedience of his holy Church 7 Nay M. Allen your prescription is not yet proued that this geare came from Christ and the Apostles The oldest witnesse that you haue alledged fathered manifest fables vpon the institution of Christ the Apostles as you your selfe can not deny if you haue any conscience at all and therefore not sufficient to be credited for that you allege him Wherefore you may bestow where you list these swelling bragges
haue all the scriptures and the iudgement of the whole worlde vppon them you haue sayd enough M. Allen to winne the whet stone if it were as bigge as any mountaine in the worlde 2 And for these which they here or else where alleage I aske them sincerely and desire them to tell me faithfully what doctor or wise learned man of the whole antiquity euer expounded these textes recited or any one of them or any other which you bring in else when against Purgatory or practise for the deade If they did not how can you for sinne and shame dissent from the whole Church of Christ vpon so light groundes Or how dare you be so bolde that seeke in euery controuersie expresse scripture to alleage these places which wise men nor I thinke your selues take for any such purpose Or how may you for shame reiecte the euident worde of God by vs truely reported for the triall of our matter your selues hauing almost nothing that can be wrasted to your sense 2 Before the heresie of Purgatory was planted in the world how could the olde doctors interprete these places by name against that which they neuer heard named yet haue they so interpreted some of them that their interpretation can not stand with purgatory or prayer for the dead as I will shew in their particular aunsweres When we require expresse Scripture for euery controuersie we doe not require that euery thing should be named in Scripture but necessarily concluded out of the true meaning of the Scriptures and purpose of the holy Ghost in them As for the euident word of God which you report for tryall of your matter is yet to shew and shall be for euer You shame not to boast of that to be your triall which you dare as well eate a fagot as abide the iudgement of iâ— in any lawful conference or disputation your great bellwethers and Bishops declared before the whole world in the conference of Westminster what they durst abide when they came to handestrokes It is a gay matter for such a chattering pye as you are to make a fond florish a farre of in wordes of common wrangling to please your patrones and exhibitioners it is an other thing to stand to the proofe in deede 3 If you stande to the triall of our alleaged testimonies you will be much abashed I know For how can you imagine that the place recited out of Ecclesiastes shoulde further your intent any thinge at all Seeing that euen then when the wiseman spake those wordes the soule of man straight after her departure and the fall of the body continued not where it first fell for the iuste had a place of abidinge and rest in the inferiour partes which was called of Ezechias the gate of hell In the Gospell Sinus Abrahae the bosom of Abraham and nowe Lymbus Patrum in which they all abode till they were deliuered by the bloude and trauell of our Sauiour Iesus VVith whome they after were translated to the eternall ioyes of heauen VVhich thinge if it be true as it can not but be true and certaine which the whole course of scripture the article of our faith in Christes descension into hell and all the auncient fathers doe constantly setforth what blindnes be they in then that bring this place against Purgatory which as it is a stay of certaine for a time from heauen so the other before Christ was the staye of all And therefore it is plaine that this fallinge of the tree meanith nothinge lesse then that euery man shoulde straight vpon his departure be conueide either to hell or heauen Or if any wedded to Caluines blasphemous and vnfaithfull paradoxes doe with Purgatory deny the fathers place of abode before the comming of Christ and impugne the beleefe of Gods Church so much that he withstande the article of our Creede for Christes descending into hell to turne the cause of his going into hell to some other purpose then the loosing of their captiuity that there were in expectation of his ioyefull apparance yet I would demaunde so much of Caluins successor or scholar seeing he will of this figuratiue speach of the trees falling gather so grounded and generall a rule that with out delay euery man must to heauen or hell straight after his death there to remaine in perpetuall state of his fall in the next life either good or badde I woulde aske of him I saye what he thinketh by all those that were by the Prophets Apostles or Christ him selfe raysed vp againe from death to life VVho receiuing by death that fall by their accompt must needes abide where they first fell and so not in case to be reuoked by this their false conclusien they diminish the power of the spirite in working their raising againe Or else they must impute deceite to the holy men and our maister Christ which abhorreth me to speake for that they raysed them not being perfectly deade but in some deadly traunce or apparance of death But because the soule of Lazarus was nowe foure dayes out of his bodye before Christ wroght vpon him it is sure and most certaine that it had some place of abyding after the separation from the fleshe I can not thinke that his soule was in heauen nor it is not like that our Sauiour would so much abase the happy condicion of him whome he loued so well as to reduce him to the vncertaine state of this life I will define in this my ignorance nothing touching the secrets of Gods wisedome herin But very like it is that the parties raysed from their fall and death were not in the ioyes of heaueÌ„ As before Christes death I am sure they were not but I speake of Tabitha also or other reuoked by the Apostles handes that then after Christes passion might full well dying in perfect state of life goe straight to heauen of such I say it is very reasonable that they were not in the ioyes of the elect For else Tabitha shoulde not haue had such a benefite by her almes as the fathers doe witnesse she had And they vse her for an example of the benefite which maye rise to one after departure by charitable workes done in this life It had ben a small pleasure to haue plucked her from heauen to this mortalitie againe and misery of our common life and I trowe no man maye auouche wâ—th salfety of his belefe that she or any other raysed againe miraâ—ulously was reuoked from the desperate estate of the damned soules then she must necessarily be called from some meane condicion of her present abode and perhaps from paine too to this former state of life againe But as in this secret of God no man without iuste reprehension maye deeply wade so it maye reasonably be gathered that the fall of the tree before meÌ„tioned can not induce with any probability the necessity of the soules abiding in all respects where it first light Mary we freely graunt with
penaunce there remaineth some due of temporall punishement for the satisfying of Gods iustice and some recompense of the oftensies past 31. chapter 2 The double and doubtfull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion are remoued and it is proued against one sorte that these foresaide skourgies vvere in deede punishments for sinnes remitted And against the other secte that this transitory paine hath often endured in the next life 43. chapter 3 That the practise of Christes Church in the courte of binding and loosing mans sinnes doth liuely set forth the ordre of Gods iustice in the next life and proue Purgatory 65. chapter 4 That the many folde vvorkes fructes of penaunce vvhich all godly meÌ„ haue charged theÌ„ selues vvith all for their ovvn sinnes remitted vvere in respect of Purgatory paines for the auoyding of Gods iudgemeÌ„t teÌ„poral as vvell as eternal in the next life 74. chapter 5 A briefe ioyning in reason and argument vppon the proued groundes vvith the aduersaries for the declaration and proofe of Purgatory 89. chapter 6 That Purgatory paines doth not only serue Gods iustice for the punishement of sinne but also cleanse qualify the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entrauÌ„ce into the holy placies vvith confereÌ„ce of certaine textes of scripturs for that purpose 92. chapter 7 That there is a particular iudgemeÌ„t and priuate accompt to be made at euery mans departure of his seuerall actes and deedes vvith certaine of the fathers mindes touching the textes of scriptures alleaged before 103. chapter 8 Origen is alleaged for our cause vpon vvhose error in a matter somvvhat apperteining to our purpose S. Augustins iudgement is more largely sought and there vvith it is declared by testimony of diuers holy authors vvhat sinnes be chiefly purged in that temporall fire 114. chapter 9 A further declaration of this point for the better vnderstanding of the doctors vvordes VVherein it is opened hovv Purgatory is ordeined for mortall sinnes and hovv for smaller offenses vvho are like to feele that greefe and vvho not at all 125. chapter 10 A place alleaged for Purgatory out of S. Matthevv vvith certeine of the auncient fathers iudgements vpon the same 132. chapter 11 An aunsvvere to certaine obiections of the aduersaries moued vpon the diuersity of meaninges vvhich they see geuen in the fathers vvritinges of the scriptures before alleaged for Purgatory and that this doctrine of the Church standeth not against the sufficiency of Christes Passion 148. chapter 12 An euident and most certaine demonstration of the trueth of Purgatory and the greeuousnesse thereof vttered by the prayers and vvordes of the holy doctors and by some extraordinary vvorkes of God beside 156. chapter 13 Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire the difference of their state that be in it from the damned in hell vvith the conclusion of this Booke 169. THE ARGVMENTES OF THE Chapters of the seconde booke THe preface of this booke vvherein the matter of the treatise the order of the authors proceding be briefly opened 180 chapter 1 That there be certeyne sinnes vvhich may be forgiuen in the next life and that the deserued punishment for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed pag. 187. chapter 2 That the faythfull soules in purgatory being novve past the state of deseruing and not in case to helpe them selues may yet receiue benefite by the vvorkes of the liuing to vvhom they be perfectly knitte as felloâ— members of one body 197. chapter 3 VVhat the Church of God hath euer principally practised for the soules departed by the vvarrant of holy Scripture vvith the defence of the Machabees holy hystory against the heretikes of our tyme. 205. chapter 4 That the funeralls of the Patriarches both in the lavv of nature and Moyses and Christ had practise in them for the reliefe of the soules departed 220. chapter 5 Man may be relieued after his departure eyther by the almes vvhich he gaue in his life tyme or by that vvhich is prouided by his testament to be giuen after his death or else by that almes vvhich other men doe bestovv for his soules sake of their ovvne goods 238. chapter 6 Of certeyne offerings or publike almes presented to God for the deceased in the time of the holy sacrifice at mens burialls other customable dayes of their memories and of the sundry mindes kept in the primitiue Church for the departed 266. chapter 7 That the benefite of praier almes apperteyneth not to such as dye in mortal sin though in the doubtfull case of mans being the Church vseth to pray for all departed in Christes faith 271. chapter 8 VVhat that holy sacrifice is vvhich vvas euer counted so beneficiall to the liue and deade The punishment of our sinnes by the heâ—uy losse thereof The great hatred vvhich the deuill and all his side hath euer borne tovvardes Christes eternall priesthood and the sacrifice of the Church And that by the sayd sacrifice of the Masse the soules departed are especially relieued 288. chapter 9 That the practise of any poynt in religion maketh the most opeÌ„ shevv of the fathers faith And that all holy men haue in plain vvordes and most godly prayers vttered their beliefe in our matter 304. chapter 10 That vve all nations receiued this vsage of praying sacrificing for the departed at our first conuersion to Christes faith And that this article vvas not onely confirmed by miracle amongest the rest but seuerally by signes and vvonders approued by it selfe And that the Church is grovvne to such bevvty by the frute of this faith 328. chapter 11 That in euery order or vsage of celebration of the blessed Sacrament and Sacrifice throughout the Christian vvorlde since Christes time there hath ben a solemne supplicatioÌ„ for the soules departed 347. chapter 12 The heretikes of our tyme and cuntry be yet further vrged vvith the practise of prayers for the deceased their contrary coÌ„munion is compared vvith the olde vsage of celebration â—hey are ashamed of the first originall of their Christian faith they are vveary of their ovvne seruice they are kept in order by the vvisdome of the ciuill Magistrates and are forced to refuse all the doctors 364. chapter 13 That the praying for the deade vvas appoynted to be had in the holy sacrifice by the Apostles commaundement and prescription And that our doctors by the maiestie of their name beare dovvne our light aduersaries 386. chapter 14 The first author of that sect vvhich denyeth prayers for the departed is noted his good conditions and cause of his error be opened vvhat kind of men haue bene most bent in all ages to that sect And that this heresie is euer ioyned as a fitte compagnion to other horrible sectes 407. chapter 15 Their falshood is condemned and the Catholike truth approued by the authority of holy Councells Their pride in contemning the Catholikes humility in obedient receiuing the same And a sleight vvhereby the heretikes deceiue the people is detected 424. chapter 16 An aunsvvere to such arguments as the heretikes doe frame of the holy scriptures not vvell vnderstanded against the practise of Gods Church in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory 436. chapter 17 An aunsvvere to their negatiue argument vvith the Conclusion of the booke 448. FINIS