And he y t wolde not beleue them rydde him out of y â— waye for feare of disclosinge their iugglinge for hâ—… that douteth of pardons purgatorye he pluâ—… keth oure holy father by the beerde NOtwithstoudinge my lorde coÌ„firmeth both pardons purgatorye by the texte y â— christ spake vnto Peter Mat. xvj To the will I ge ue the hayes of the kingdoÌ„ of heaven what so 〈◊〉 thou bindest vâ—…on the erth it shalbe bouâ—… de iÌ„ hâ—…adeÌ„ what so ever thou loosest on y â— erthit shalbe loosed 〈◊〉 heaven But these wordes saieth my lorde had bene spoken in vayne if hâ—… coulde not geue pardons and loose men out of purgatoâ—…ye c. â—…s touchinge the kayes albe it they hauâ—… often tymes bene declared in a maner in everye treatise y t hath bene put forth in the english tongue yet will I sum what shew my minde itâ—… them There is but one kaye of heaven which Christ calleth the kaye of knowiege Luc. xj And this kaye is the worde of god Christ rebuked y ◠〈◊〉 for takinge awaye this kaye from the people for they with their tradicyons false exposicyons had fullye excluded the kaye of knowlege which is the worde of god had clene sâ—…utte vâ—… y â— scripture as oures haue done now adayes It is also called y e kaye of david which shutteth no man openath opeâ—…eth aÌ„d no man â—…hutteth Apo. iij. And because of these two effectes which it worketh for it both shutteth ope neth hath it the dominacioÌ„ of kayes yet as I sayed in dede it is but one which is the worde of god This kaye or kayes now calle it as you will sith yow knowe what it meaneth Christ de lyvered vnto Peter vnto his other apostles a like which you shall easelye perceave if you marke where when they were geven For mat xvj they were onlye promised not yet geven for Christ sayed I will geue the the kayes not I geue the. But after he was risen from deeth then performed he his promisse gaue y e kayes to all indifferentlye as thou maistse Iohan. xx aÌ„d luke in the. xxiiij expoundeth it y t he opened their wittes to vnderstonde the scripture y t repentaunce forgeuenesse might be preached cÌ„ Therfore it is the worde y t bindeth and looseth thorow the preachinge of it For when thou tellest them their vices iniquityes coÌ„demnige theÌ„ by the lawe then bindest thou them by y e worde of god when thou preachest mercye in Christ vnto all y t repent then dost thou loose them by the worde of god Therfore he y â— preacheth not the worde of god can neyther binde nor loose no though he call him silfe pope And contrarye wyse he y t preacheth his worde he bindeth loo seth even as well as Peter Paule although he be called but Sir Ihon of the countrye And consequentlye to saye that he pope can deliver any soule out of purgatorye if there were one is but a vayne lye excepte he can proue that he goeth doune vnto them preach vâ—…to them the worde of god which is the salt that must ceason them kaye y â— must lette them out for other losinge is thoâ—… noue And likwyse to saye y â— the 〈◊〉 can geue any pardon to redeme sinnes excepte he preach me that Christes bloude hath perdoned me is even like vanite 〈◊〉 thinketh also that he wadeth to depe to descende to purgatorye by this texte For the texte sayeth that whate so ever he bindeth on erth shalbe bounde in heaven and what so ever he loseth on erth cÌ„ But now they graunte theÌ„ selves that purgatorye is not on erth but the thirde place in hell And therfore it passeth his bondes to stretch his hand to purgatorye and so this texte can not serve him ☜ NOt withstondinge my lorde is not content to geue him this power onlye but he hath so farre waded in the popes power that he hath graunted him full auctorite to delyver all men from hell if they be notdampned all readye for sayeth he who so ever haue committed a capitale cryme hath therâ—… deserved dampnacyon and yet maye the pope delyver him both from the cryme and also from the payne due vnto it â—…ud he afferâ—…eth that iij. tymes in the. xxj article for feare of forgettinge Uppon this poynte will I a litle reason with my lorde and so will I make an ende If the pope maye delyver any man from the cryme that 〈◊〉 hath committed and also from the payne due vnto it as you affirme then maye he by the same auctorite delyver xx an hundred a thousan 〈◊〉 yee and all the worlde for I am sure you can shew me no reason why he maye delyver some and not all If he can do it then let him veliver â—…erye man that is in the poynte of deeth both from the cryme and from the payne and so shall never man more neyther entre in to hell nor yet in to purgatorye which were the best dede and most charitablest that ever he did yee and this ought he to do if he coulde although it shulde â—…ost him his awne life and soule therto as Mo ses and Paule geue him ensample but yet there is no ieoperdye of neyther nother Now if he caÌ„ do it as you saye will not then is he the most wretched and cruell tyraunte that ever lyved even the verye sonne of perditio and worthye to be dampned in an hundred thousand helles For if he haue receaved such power of god that he maye save all men and yet will not but suffre so manye to be dampned I reporte me vn to youre selves what he is worthye to haue Now if any man wolde solute this reason aÌ„d saye that he maye do it but that it is not mete for him to do it because y t by their paynes goddes iustyce maye be satisfyed I saye that this their evasion is nothinge worth neyther yet 〈◊〉 I imagyne any waye wherbye they maye haue anye apparence to escape For my lorde sayeth him silfe that the pope must pacefye goddes iustice for everye soule that he delyvereth froÌ„ pur gatorye and therfore hath he imagyned that the pope hath in his hande the merites of Christes passion which he maye applye at his pleasure where he will And also he sayeth that the merites of Christes passion are sufficient to redeme all the sinnes in the worlde Now sith these merites on their parte are sufficient to satiâ—…ye the â—…ustice of god and 〈◊〉 the hoell worlde and also that the pope hath them in his hande to distribute at his pleasure then lacketh there no more but even the popes distribucyon 〈◊〉 the saluacioÌ„ of the hoell worlde For he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goddes wrath and satisfye his iustice sayeth my lorde by â—…lyinge these merites to them that â—…acke good workes And
fore maye we praye for all men excepte we haue evident knowlege that they haue so offended as is before rehersed And thus is his texte takeÌ„ from him wherwith he laboureth to prove purgatorye Uvhat saye they to the wordes of S. Ioan. Apoca. 5. I haue harde sayeth he everye creatu re that is in heaven and vppon the erth and vn der the erth and that be in the see and all thinges that be in them all these haue I harde saye benediction and honoure and glorye and power for ever be to him that is sittinge in the tro ne and vnto y o lambe By the creatures in heaven he meaneth angelles By the creatures vppon the erth he meaneth men By the creatures vnder the erth he meaneth the soules in purgatorye And by the creatures in y â— see he meaneth men that sayle on the see By this texte I vnderstonde not onlye angel les and men but also heaven and erth and all y â— is in them even all beestes fishes wormes and other creatures and thinke that all these creatures do prayse the lorde And where he taketh the creatures vnder the erth for y â— soules in pur gatorye I take it for all maner of creatures vnder the erth both wormes 〈◊〉 and all other And where he draweth the texte and maketh y â— creatures in the see to signifye meÌ„ that are saylinge on the see I saye that the creatures in the see do signifye fishes and such other thinges 〈◊〉 that S. Ioan by this texte ment even playnlye that all maner of thinges geue prayse vnto god and the lambe yee and I dare be bolde to adde that even the verye devels and damned soules are coÌ„yelled to praise him For their iust punishment commendeth his puysaunte power and rightwisenes Neyther neadest thou to wondrâ—… or thinke this any new thinge for Dauid in y â— 148 biddeth serpentes bestes aÌ„d birdes to prayse the lord as it is also writen 〈◊〉 iij. And Paule sayeth Roma 8. All maner of creatures longe for oure redempcyon and prayse god for it yee and mourne that the last daye is not yet come that the electe children of god might entre in to rest for then shall also those creatures be 〈◊〉 vered from their corrupcyon and bondage in to the libertye and glorye of the children of god Now iudge christen reader which sentence stondeth most with the scripture and glorye of god DOth not the blessed apostle S. Peter as it appeareth Actes ij saye of oure savioure Christ in this wyse Quem deus suscitauit solu tis doloribus inferni In these wordes he shewed that paynes of hell were loosed but those paynes were not the paynes of dampned soules And in limbo patrum there was no payne â—…rgo it was the paynes of purgatorye which he loosed Alas what shall I saye I am in a maner compelled to saye that this man wandereth in wilfull blindnesse For els were it not possible y t he shulde erre so farre as to bringe in this texte for his purposse The wordes of Peter are these ye meÌ„ of Israel heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man sette forth of god for you with powers wondres and tokens which god hath done by him a monge you as you youre selues knowe after he was delyvered by the purposed councell and forâ—…knowlege of god and you receaved him of the handes of the wyked ye crucyfyed and killed him whom god hath raysed dissoluynge the paynes of deeth for it was impossible that he shulde be subdued of it Here in steade of these wordes the paynes of deeth he setteth the paynes of hell as it is most like even of a purposed deceyte For all be it the man wold not take the payne to read y â— greke yet if he had but once loâ—…ed vppon the translacion of his olde frinde aÌ„d companion Erasmus it wolde haue taught him to haue sayed solut is doloribus mortis that is dissolvinge the paynes of deeth aceordinge to y â— greke aÌ„d verye wordes of luke which wrote the se Actes in the greke tongue And albeit the olde translacion vseth this worde infernus which is diverslye taken in scri pture both for deeth for a graue aÌ„d for hell yet in this place is Master More with out excuse which calleth it hell in oure Englishe tongue For all be it the worde of it silfe were indiffereÌ„t in the latyne yet it is not indifferent in the English For there is none Englishe man that taketh this worde hell eyther for deeth or for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no not Master More him silfe For first he translateth the texte falselye callinge it hell aÌ„d then he discanteth on a false grounde aÌ„d calleth hell not deeth but purgatory 〈◊〉 S. 〈◊〉 brought in these wordes for no nother purpossâ—… but to proue that Christ was rysen from deeth thorow the power of his father meaninge that god the father did rayse his sonne Christ notwithstondinge the sorowfull paynes and paâ—…ges which he suffered vnto the deeth for it was impossible that Christ shulde be vtterlye subdued of deeth So that this texte proveth no more purgatorye then it proveth that Masteâ—… More was hyred of the spiritualtye to defende purgatorye Besides that if it shulde serve for purgatorye which no wysemâ—…n will grauntâ—… when he seeth the processe of the texte it shoulde proue nothinge but that Christ shulde lye in thâ—… paynes of purgatorye vntill god his father had holpe him out for the paynes which he speaketh off were Christes paynes which no man can de nye if he reade the texte But whate a fonde oâ—… nion were that to fayne that Christ which was with out sinne shulde be tourmented in y â— paynes of purgatorye â—…he blessed apostle Paule in his first epistle to the Corinthians the thirde chaptre spea kinge of oure savioure Christ the verye and on lye fundacyon of all oure faith and saluacyon sayth If anye man bylde vppon this fundacyoÌ„ golde siluer preciousstones wod haye or strawe everye mans worke shalbe made open for the daye of the lorde shall declare it for in the fire it shalbe shewed and the 〈◊〉 shall prove what maner of thinge 〈◊〉 mannes worke is If anye maÌ„nes worke that he hath buylded the ten do abyde he shall haue a rewarde if anye mannes worke burne he shall suffre harme but he shalbe saffe but yet as by fire And finallye coÌ„ cludeth that this worde fire must signifye the fi 〈◊〉 of purgatorye â—…e that considereth the ordre and processe of the texte shall easelye perceyue that this man 〈◊〉 For the texte speaketh of the preachers and blameth the corinthians that they made soch sectes aÌ„d dissensions emonge them selves for one sayed that he was Paules man and heâ—… de on his syde A nother sayed that he was Peters man The thirde did sticke to Apollo and so forth even as oure fryres do now a dayes one secte holdeth on S. fraunces A nother of S
where so ever it be And therfore thus me thinketh it shulde well folow The bodye was folow and pertener with the soule in committinge the cryme and sinne and shal also be partetaker of the glorye which is prepared for them that loue god wherfore it is reason if the soule shuld be purged and punished in purgatorye y t y â— bodye shuld also suffer with him in purgatorie fayne y t place of purga torie where you will in heauen in erth or in hel But wotte ye what Rastell wolde here saye vnto me for south euen as he did in the first cha pitre of the thirde dialoge that is to saye he wolde stoutelye affirme that the bodye suffreth nother well nor woo ioye nor payne good nor euell and therfore it nedeth not go to purgatorye And by that reason it is folye that the bodye shulde go eyther to heaueÌ„ or hell for it ney ther fealeth pleasure nor payne this is newe lerninge in dede But I thinke there is no chri sten man so folish as to beleue him And as for the seconde poynte that it shulde be a good ensample to put men in feare for coÌ„mittinge such trespaces it were sone answe red For we ought not to abstayne from euel be cause of the punishment that foloweth the cryme but onlye for the loue that we haue vnto god with out any respecte eyther of saluacyoÌ„ or of damnacyon If thou abstayne for feare so arte thou vnder the lawe and vnder condemna cion The lawe of god and the lawe of man are farre vnlike for the lawe of man is fulfilled by the exterioure acte although the harte be ferre from it As if I owe a man xx pounde and be compelled by the lawe to paye him at a certen daye if I them paye it albeit myne harte be ne uer so grugginge and euill willinge yet haue I fulfilled the lawe so that there shall no processe or sentence passe agenst me But goddes lawe requireth a thinge to be done with a wel willin ge harte and euen for pure loue for if thou do it for feare or vn willinglye that shall be imputed vnto the for sine If thou do it for feare theÌ„ workest thou not of loue but rather hatest both the thinge that thou dost aÌ„d also the lawe that constrayneth the vnto it And if thou do it vnwillingly then willest thou to do the contrarye and so woldest thou that there were no such la we neyther yet any god that shuld iudge the in so doinge And sith god iudgeth the after thyne herte wil then must he nedes condeÌ„ne the. for thou willest contrarye vnto his lawe and will yee and willest in thyne harte contrarye to that thou doest in thyne out warde dede Now let vs se his solucyon which is in the xi chaptre and so folish that if it were not for the greate length of the chaptre for losse of tyme and for the more cost in prentinge I wolde surelye haue answered vnto it at length euen that he shulde haue bene ashamed of him silfe But to be shorte we will touch some of his wordes The first parte of the argumeÌ„t which he enteÌ„deth to answere to is this that it shuld seme conuenient that purgatorie shulde be here on erth because the bodye which offendeth with the soule shulde be purged with the soule This reason is of no value as I haue shewed you before But what sayeth Rastellâ—… That reason saieth Rastell proueth not on lye that there is no purgatorye but also that there shulde be neyther heaucn nor hell for if a man haue lyued so vertuouslye in erth that he ought to be saued and go to the ioyes of heauen let vs pardon him this lye for the prophe te saieth that no man shall be iustefyed in the sight of god if he entre in to iudgement with vs psalme 143 And yet did neuer meritorious arte but onlye when the soule was ioyned with the bodye theÌ„ shulde he neuer be rewarded but here in erth whyle his soule is ioyned wyth the bodie Here maie ye perceaue what Rastell thin keth of heauen and hell euen thus that y t bodie shall neuer come in heaueÌ„ nor hell which poynt I will touch more largelye a none Fyrst where Comingo in his argumeÌ„t saieth y t it shuld seame conuenient for purgatorie to be vppon erth there sayeth Rastell that he wolde take awaye the libertye prerogatyue and auctorite of god As by example yf I wolde saye It shuld seame conuenyeÌ„t that the bysshope of londons palace shulde be in london partiye because it is y â— chefest cytye of his diocesse aÌ„d partlye because it is nye the courte wherto he maye the better resor te to gette further promocyon there wold Rastell saye by and by that I toke awaye y â— bissho pes libertye prerogatiue and auctoryte that he might not sette it where he wolde belyke thys man hath droncke of a merye cuppe He aftermeth also y t this argument taketh awaye both heauen and hell why so Because he supposeth it conuenient that purgatorie shulde be here vp pon erth 〈◊〉 it he saye yt ys conuenient yet sayeth he not that it must nedes 〈◊〉 Naye but there is a nother thinge y t Rastels sore yies can not abyde what is that verelye for he added y â— it were most conuenyent that the bodye whych is partetaker in comittinge y t crime shulde also be purged punished with y â— soule And y t as ye know plucketh Rastell by y t berde for he went a boute to proue y t coÌ„trarie in y â— first chaptre y t the bodie hath neyther payne nor pleasure cÌ„ But how shuld this take awaye heaueÌ„ aÌ„d hell for south on thys maner Rastell thinketh not that god can and will ioyne the bodye agayne with y t soule after this traÌ„sitorye liffe that they maye together receaue ioye or payne for y t passeth his naturall philosophie But thus he ima geneth when the bodie aÌ„d soule are once depar ted then saye they adieu for euer and adaye Therfore thinketh he if god will punish them in hell together or saue them together in heauen then must he take them whyles they are he re lyuynge in erth And so thys supposycyon y â— the bodye must suffre with the soule after Rastels lerninge must proue that heauen and hell be here in erth or els there can be none Se this lerned man y t wold proue purgatorye by â— good phylosophyeâ—… The seconde cause that purgatorye shuld be a good example to the lyuynge to put them in feare to do any lyke offence is not soluted of Rastell but I haue soluted yt before aÌ„d will yet satysfye you agayne because Rastell leueth yt out we haue here in the worlde Moses and the prophetes that is the olde testament yee and al so christ and his apostles which we call the new testament now if we beleue not these theÌ„ shall we not
maye he reioyce but not before god But what sayeth the scrypture Abraham belcued god and that was unputed vnto him for rightwysnes for he that worketh reccaueth hys rewarde not of savoure but of dutye Now if it be dutye then ne deth he not to thanke god but rather hym selfe for then god geueth hym nothinge but y t which ys hys awne of dutye Where ys then the prayse and glorye that we owe to god Therfore yt foloweth in y â— same texte vnto him y t worketh not but beleueth in hym that iustefieth the wy ked ys his faith imputed â—…or ryghtwysenes Now if oure saluacyon come of fayth and not thorow oure workes desertes thâ—… is purgato rie shutte out of dore quite vanisheth awayeâ—… Christ sayeth So hath god loued the worlde that he wolde geue hys onlye sonne that all whych beieue in hym shuld not perish but that they shulde haue everlastinge liffe Ioan. 3. TheÌ„ what nedeth purgatoriâ—… Thou wilt paraduen turesay it is true they shal haue euerlastige life but they must first go thorow purgatorye I an swere naye verelye But christ affirmeth that with an oth that he which heareth his worde beleveth his father which sent him hath everlastinge liffe yee that he is gone alreadye from deeth vnto liffe Ioan. 5. wilt thou now saye y t he shall in to purgatorye for south if that were true and the fyre also so hote as our prelates af firme then went he not froÌ„ deeth vnto lyffe but rather from a small deeth vnto a greater deeth The prophete sayeth precious is in the sight of the lorde the deeth of his sayntes Psal. 116. And. S. Ioan. sayeth blessed are the deed which dye in the lorde Apo. 14. but surelye if they shuld go in to y â— paynfull purgatorye there to be tour mented of fendes theÌ„ were they not blissed but rather wretched God sayeth by Moses Exodi 33. I will shewe mercye to whom I shew mercie and will ha ue compassioÌ„ on whom I haue coÌ„passion Now ifoure saluacion be of mercye and compassion then can there be no soch purgatorye For y â— na ture of mercye is to forgeue but purgatorye wil haue all payde and satisâ—…yed so that they tway ne be desperate and can in no wyse agre And lo ke how manye textes in scripture commeÌ„d goddes mercye even so manye deny this paynfull purgatorye The prophete sayeth he hath not dealt with vs after oure sinnes neyther hath rewarded vs accordinge to oure iniquytyes but loke how hye heauens are aboue the erth even so hye hath he made his mercye to preuayle ouer them that worshuppe him And loke how farre the east is from the west even so farre hath he sette oure sinnes from vs. Psal. 103. And before 〈◊〉 the same psalme the prophete exhorteth hys soule to prayse the lorde sayenge Prayse the lorde o my soule which forgeueth y â— all thyne iniquityes aÌ„d healeth all thy dyseas es Now yf this be true y t he ordoreth vs not accordinge to oure sinnes but poureth hys mercye so plentu â—…uslic vppoÌ„ vs if also he forgeue vs all oure inâ—… quityes why shulde there be any such purgatorye to purge and tourment the sely soules and speeyallye sith all was forgeuen them before wilt thou not calle hym a shrewed creditou â—…e whych after he hath frelye forgeuen hys deâ—… toure wyll yet cast hym in preson for the same debte I thinke euerye man wold saye on thys maner It was in hys awne pleasure whether he wolde forgeue it or not and then of favoure and compassyon he forgaue it But now he hath forgeuen yt he doeth vnryghtwyslye to punysh hys debtoure for yt And all be yt man repent hys forgeuynge and afterwarde sue for hys debte yet god can never repent hym selfe of hys mercyable giftes Roma xi And therfore wyll he uâ—…uer tourment vs for oure trespaces no nor yet once remembre them Ezechyelis 18. Hebre. 10. â—…yth god forgeueth the greater offences why shall he not also forgeue the lesse He forgaue frelye moch greater offences vnto the publycane whych knowleged hym sylfe to be a synner Luce. 18 then those be for whych men fayne that we must be tourmen ted in purgatorye For there ys no soule as they graunte them selves that suffreth in purgatorye for greate crimes and mortall syn nes But onlye for lytle preatye peccadu tyans yf a man maye be boolde to vse Master Mores worde and for veniall sinnes Dis. 25. Cap. qualis He forgaue moch greater enormityes vnto the thefe to whom he sayed this daye shalt thou be with me not in purgato rye but in paradyse Luc. xxiij He forgaue moch greater vnto Marye Mawdelene Luce. vij Is his hande now shortened Is not his power as greate as it was Is he not as merciful as ever he was why leave we the cisterne of lyvinge water and digge vs pittes of oure a wne which can hold no pure water Hieremie ii why forsa ke we Christ which hath hoellye purged vs an seke a nother purgatorye of oure awne imaginacion If thou beleue that Christes bloude is sufficient to purge thy sinne why sekest thou a nother purgatorye S. Paule sayeth I desyre to be loosed from this bodye and to be with Christ Phil. 1. Uerelye if he had thought to haue gone thorow purgatorye he wolde not haue bene so hastye For there shuld he haue had an hote broth an hart lesse and so might he rather haue desyred longe to have lyved And therfore I suppose that he knew nothinge of purgatorye but y t he rather thought as the truth is y t deeth shulde finish all his evylles and sorowes aÌ„d geue him rest in loosinge him from his rebellious meÌ„bres which were solde and capty ve vnder sinne All christen men shuld desyre deeth as Pau 〈◊〉 doeth Phililp 1. not because of their crosse trouble which they suffer in this present worlde for then they sought them selves and their awne profyte and not the glorye of god But if we will well desyre deeth we must first coÌ„sidre how sore sinne displeaseth god oure father and then oure awne nature and frayltye and oure membres so bounde vnder sinne that we can not do nor yet thinke a good thought of oure selues 2. Cor. 3. Then shall we finde occasion to lament oure liffe not for the troubles that we suffer in it but because we be so prone vnto sinne and so continuallye displease god oure father Uvhat desyreth he that wolde longe lyve but daylye to hepe sinne vppon sinne And therfore shuld we haue a will to dye because that in deeth oure sin ne 〈◊〉 and then we shall no more displease god oure father Now if we shuld fayne a purgatorye it were not possible to imagyne a greater obstacle to make vs feare and flye from 〈◊〉 For sith everye man must knowlege him silfe a 〈◊〉 1. Joan. 1. And