carefull admonitions of all these blessed fathers they shall perceiue that euery time that Christes holy bloude is represented vnto God in the Masse for the departed they feele a present benefite and release of theire paines Quaest 34. ad Antioch they doo reioyse saithe holy Athanasius when the vnbloudy host is offered for theim The owlde fathers to put a difference betwixt the sacrificing of Christes own body vpon the crosse and the same vppon the altare in the Churche doo lightly terme this way of offering the vnbloudy sacrifice and the thinge offered which is Christes oune blessed body they call lykewise the host vnbloudie And Chrisostō neuer putting any doubt of the firste authors of offering for the deade prouethe that it is exceding beneficiall to the deceased bicause the apostles full of goddes spirite and wisdom woulde elles neuer withe suche care haue commaunded this holy action to be doone for theime Alasse a lasse for oure deare frendes departed that they must lacke this comforte But wo euerlasting to theyme that are the cause of so muche misery But heare I pray yowe what notable wordes S. Damascen hathe for the vtility and institution of these thinges Ibidem The holy Apostles and disciples saith he of oure sauiour Christe haue decried that in the dread soueraigne vndefiled and lyuely Sacraments so he cauleth the Masse there shoulde be kept a memoriall of those that haue taken theire slepe in faithe the which ordinaunce vntyll this day withowt gainsayng or controwlyng the Apostolike and Catholike Churche of God from one cost of the wyde worlde to another hathe obserued and shall religiously kepe til the worlde haue an end For doubtlesse these thinges that the Christiā religiō which is with owt error and free frō faulshod hath so many agies and worldes continued vnuiolably not with oute 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 settyng furthe not onely his owne mynd but the faithe of a numbre of the peeres of goddes Churche wherin to proue this doctrine to be catholike he fitly followeth the same way which Vincentius Lyrinensis gaue vs once for a ruele to trye truethe by The rule of trueth Prouing that it hathe antiquitie as a thing that came and hathe continued euen from the beginnyng of the Christian religion declaring that it hathe the consent of all natiōs bicause it is and hath bene practised throughe owt al the costes and corners of the wyde world and last that it hath the approbatiō of the wiseist and holiest mē that euer were in the Church of Christ And more thē all this that it shal so cōtinue till thend though it be for a time in sum peculiare natiōs omitted bicause it is receiued into a parte of that woorship of God which in the Church cā not perishe And this praescription of trueth our aduersaries can not auoyde but with suche vnseemely dealing as I trust they theim selues now be ashamed of as all other reasonable men are For now let theim coom with brasen facies and blasphemous tonges and say that praiers for the deade be vnprofitable that the rites of the burial 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 ignorāt people of their daies that they all erred and were deceiued that the church of Christe hathe bene ledde in darke ignorance till these oure daies let theime bestowe these vayne presumptious wordes where they may take place for nowe all wise men doo perceiue that all these haue theire holy institution by Christe and his Apostles practised vniuersally in the primitiue Churche embrased of all godly people and approued to be wholy consonant to goddes worde by the pillors of Christes churche who so cōsonantly agree together in this point as well for the practise and proufe as for the beginning therof that to dissent from theime and trust in these reedes of oure daies were mere 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 theire forefathers sayed that had rather then they woulde geue ouer a singulare opinion of theire owne imagination refuse and denie the authoritye of so many notable wise auncient godly and well learned fathers whome we haue named Although we haue left owt many of no woorse iudgement planely auouching these thinges to coom in to Christes Churche and woorship by the ordinaunce of his holy Apostles All which thinges if oure aduersaries haue redde then they are in a most miserable and heuy taking that doo withstand an open knowne truthe Heretikes doo agaynst theire ovvne cōsciences and as I feare against theire owne consciencies too Or if they haue not redde these plaine assertions of all lerned men sithe Christes tyme then they are most impudēt that so vainely bragge in a matter whereof they are not skilful But I trust God wil opē their eyes and breake theire prowde hartes to the obedience of his holy Churche Yf the authors be past hope yet their folowers shall take goodly occasion to forsake suche wicked maisters and be ashamed of all theire vndecent dealyng if they note and consider with me that the firste preachers of this peruerse opinion were suche that none of all theire scholares durst euer for shame for the profe of theire assertion name theire owne doctors Note And truely a man might well meruel why haeretikes hauing sum that did plainely professe theire opinions had yet rather picke owte sum darke sentence of any one of oure holy fathers whome they knowe to be directly against theime then oute of those same doctors of their own which in expresse wordes make for theime Yow shall not lightly heare an haeretike that deniethe prayng to sanctes or houldeth with open breache of holy vowes alleage Iouinianus or Vigilātius Nor a Sacramentarie seeke for the autoritye of Berengarius or Wicleffe thoughe they be of sum antiquitie and with out colour plainely doo mainteyne the doctrine that so well lyketh theime But they will trauell to writhe with plaine iniurie to the author Note the gile of an heretike sum sentence owt of Augustine or Ambrose or sum other that by theire whole lyfe and practise open theime selues to the worlde to beleue the cōtrary and al this by sum shewe of wordes for the bearing of their faulse assertions Marke it well I saye in heretikes that they can not for shame of theime selues Note euer name any of the plaine auouchers of theire owne opininions The cause is that the onely vpholding of their opinions made theime infamous to the whole posterity And if any honoure grewe vnto theime emongest the simple bicause they lacked not the waies to procure the peoples consent with admiration of theire eloquence or other plausible and populare
recompense therefore and yet after poonishment tolerated at Goddes apoyntement in the next lyefe he doubteth not to assure her of pardon at the lengthe and release of all paine Thus was sinne handeled in those dayes And why it was so painefully riped vp to the very battom yowe see Compare oure days and dealing to theires and thow shalt wonder to see the diuersitye betwixt theire maners and oures and to see the phisicions woorke so diuersely where the diseases be all one I might here well to my purpose repeate the singulare praises that S. Hierom gaue vnto noble Paula In epitaph Paulae who as he writeth of her withe fountaynes of teares exceding lauishe almose and pitifull fasting wasshed away such veniall and smaule offensies as other men wovlde scarsely doo muche more greuous crimes And to seeke for what ende this holy matrone vexed her sellfe and tormented her body it were in a maner needelesse for being not gilty of any greuous sinnes she coulde haue no greate feare of hell paynes then it must neades be that she tooke poonishment of her sellfe to praeuent Goddes temporall skourge in the lyefe to coom She well considered for it was the doctrine of that holy tyme that euery sinne be it neuer so small or common Note doth indebt the offender vnto God and therfore the iustest person that liueth excepting Christe and for his honour his moother as S. Augustine saith must confesse debte and crye for pardon by oure maisters praier Dimitte nobis debita nostra forgiue vs oure debts the whiche because they be debt must ether be pardoned by praier or paide by paine And therfore being not here remitted or not satisfied by worthy poonishment in this liefe they must of iustice be purged after oure departure according to the numbre of theime and the negligence of the offender And this faithe of Purgatory and respecte of Goddes iudgements to come feared the holyest persons that euer were in goddes Churche This droue many a blessed man to perpetuall paenaunce this broght Hierom him sellfe in to the wildernesse of Syria there to lament the lapse of his fraile youthe euer in expectation of this call Exi foras Hieronime Coom out Hierom this filled the desertes with many a noble heremite this raysed vppe the cloisters and all the holy houses of mowrning and praiers in the whole worlde and hathe in all agyes appeared bothe in the wordes and woorkes of all Christen people as we shal better a none declare But list yow see how this doctrine of paenaunce liked Caluine The shrew sawe that by graunting of this satisfaction for sinne and the profitable vsage thereof in this liefe that it might argue of necessity the residue of some paines in the nexte if it were here omitted or not ended And therefore I pray you see how substantially he aunswereth and how like him selfe Parum me mouent saithe he quae in veterum scriptis de satisfactione passim occurrunt In institut video enim eorum nonnullos dicam simpliciter omnes fere quorum libri extant aut in hac parte lapsos esse aut nimis aspere dure loquutos I make small accompt of that whiche I often finde concerning Satisfaction in the auncient writers for I perceiue diuers of theime shall I be plaine withe yow in a maner euery one that euer wrote till this daye in this pointe to haue bene foule deceiued or spoken more roughly then they shoulde haue doone Is not this a felowe a lone whether thinke yowe nowe oure englishe bragger craking all the doctors to be on his parte or this man confessing plainely that they be all ageinst him and yet setting not a butten by theyme all whether think you is more arrogant I am sure Caluine dealeth here more sincerely and thother more deceitfully Iff crakyng had bene a maistery in summer games as lying is our man mighte haue wonne of all the worlde two games at a clappe But there is no remedy he must yelde to the lerned that haue opened his impudency Therefore I leaue him and take the benefit of this his maisters confession for forther confirmation of my cause doubting nothing but that most wiese men seeing by the aduersaries graunte all learned fathers to be on oure side will accept it ether as a fulle proofe or no smaule praesumption of that truethe whiche we defend A briefe ioyning in reason and argument vpon the proued groundes vvithe the aduersaries for the declaration of Purgatory Cap. 5. HAuinge vndoubtedly wōne thus much both by euidēt testimony off holy writte by the warraunt of all the learned fathers by good reason and by the aduersaries owne confession I will be boulde to bare the very ioyntes of the argument that bothe the simple maye acknowledge my plaine dealing and the Protestant haue his vauntage if the reason stand not vpright With out colour or glose then thus I make my proufe After the sinnes of man be pardoded God oftentimes poonisheth the offender the Churche poonisheth him and man ponisheth him selfe ergo there is summe payne due after sinne be remitted Secondely this paine can not allwaies be discharged in this world ether for lacke of space after the remission as it happeth in repentaunce at the houre of deathe or elles when the party liueth in perpetuall welth with oute care or cogitation of any satisfaction therefore it must be answered in another place Thirdly the common infirmities and the daily trespasses which abase and defily the woorkes euen of the vertuous of theire proper condicion doo deserue paine for a tyme as the mortall offense deserueth perpetuall Therefore as the mortall sinne being not here pardoned must of iustice haue the reward of euerlasting pounishement so it must nedes folow that the veniall fault not here forgeuen shoulde haue the reward whiche of nature it requireth that is to saie temporall paine And therefor not only the wicked but the very iust also must trauell to haue theire daily infirmities and frailetie of theire corrupte natures forgiuen crying withe oute ceassing forgeue vs oure debtes Quia non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis viuens August Euch ca. 71 For no man a lieue shall be able to stande before the face of God in his owne iustice or righteousnesse and if thes lighte sinnes shoulde neuer be imputed then it were needlesse to crie for mercy or confesse debt as euery man dooth be he neuer so passing holy To be briefe this debt of paine for sinne by any way remaining at the departure hense must off iustice be answered Whiche can not be with oute poonishement in the nexte liefe then there must be a place of iudgement for temporall and transitory paines in the other worlde The whole discourse made before hath geuen force enoghe to euery parte of the argument the scriptures doo proue it the practise of the Churche confirmeth it all the doctors by oure aduersaries graunte agree vpon it Yf they haue any thinge to say here
warraunteth to be proffitable for the soules departed A briefe note of the contētes and principall poyntes of this booke I will open what the principall pillars and in a maner the flowre of all the faythfull sorte in sundry a gies and allmost in all Christian contryes haue lefte in writynge for this poynte I wil declare what they practised for theire dearest frendes priuately and what the churchies of most notable Nations vsed for all deceased in Christes faith in theire publike seruice oppenly I shall prooue vnto yowe that the practise of suffragies and Sacrifice for the deade isshued downe to vs from the Apostles dayes I shall poynte yowe to the firste father of the contrary doctrine and his principall abettours in suche troublesom tymes as suche marchants were to be fownde Ye shall see theym knowen emongest all the holy of theire tyme by the name of haeretikes Yowe shall see theire doctrine improoued and theime selues condemned by the graue iudgement of Councelles bothe Generall and prouinciall for haeretikes Yf any of theime all can say any thing to the contrary off that whiche we vpon so good growndes maynteine he shall be answered with no worse then the very wordes of the holy auncyent writers Finally yf any other thinges be necessary besyde for the declaration of this matter to the simple or for proufe ageynst oure aduersaryes they shall not be omitted as occasion by course and fall of the matter may be geuen All which poyntes being auouched and not proued shall condemne me of arrogancy But bothe auouched and fully proued they shall deserue any reasonable mannes consent and beare testimony of the aduersaryes impudēcy here and witnesse of theire contempte of Goddes approued trueth in the world to coom That there be certayne sinnes vvhiche may be forgeuen in the nexte lyefe and that the deserued poonishement for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed Cap. 1. ANd first that sinnes may be pardoned in the next world that were not in this lyfe forgeuen oure Sauiours owne wordes do teache vs writē in the Gospell of S. Matthew thus Ideò dico vobis omne peccatum blasphemia remittetur hominibus spiritus autem blasphemia non remittetur Et quicunque dixerit verbum cōtra filium hominis remittetur ei Cap. 12. qui autem dixerit contra spiritum sanctum non remittetur ei neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro I tell yowe that al maner of sinne and blasphemy shal be forgeuen vnto men but the blasphemy of the spirit shall not be forgeuen And who so euer shall speake ageinst the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But if he speake against the holy Ghoste it shall nether be pardoned in this worlde nor in the worlde to coom The same thing in sense Cap. 3. Cap. 12. hath Marke and Luke affirming that suche offense shall neuer be forgeuen The which worde Neuer S. Marke expresseth thus in aeternum non habet remissionem he shall not haue pardon as you woulde say in all aeternity by whiche he may plainely seeme to reache further then the limites and borders of this worlde for the remission of sinne And this speache hathe as muche pith and propre force in it as S. Matthewes who expressely distinctly and belike as Christe spake it vttereth that sense of the aeternity whiche passeth the measure of worldely tyme by these wordes Nether in this worlde nor yet in the worlde to come And for that cause S. Marke saith Reus eritaeterni delicti he shall be gilty of an aeternall faulte signifyng that in som case a man might perhappes not speede of a pardon in this lyfe and yet may obteyne it in the nexte But for that horrible blasphemy he in a maner dischargeth thoffender of all hope of remission ether in this lyfe or in the next that is to coom Whiche forme of wordes can nether be founde in scripture nor in mannes common talke to haue any place in suche thinges as extend no further but to the transitory tyme of oure lyfe for in those matters it had ben vsually and truely spoken it shall neuer happen in this worlde And therefore instructing vs that sinnes or the payne due vnto sinnes may ether be released in this world or in the worlde to come he foloweth that phrase and forme of wordes in which man might wel cōceyue the reache of remission and pardoninge of sinnes farre to passe the compasse of our tyme and lyfe But bicause we haue to doo with fickle marchauntes that will not sticke to brast bowldely the bandes of euident scriptures as anone yowe shall see and therefore will as I think little be moued with reasonable and playne gathering oute of the scriptures nor muche aesteme this lyklyhode as ouer smaule a proufe in so greate a doubte therefore I will shewe my warraunt for this construction that thereby the studious reader may see whome the aduersaryes doo so rashly contemne herin and whome we haue as authors in this meaning of Christes wordes nowe recyted that nether they may be beleued with owte reason and proufe nor we miscredited after so good authority of the auncyent wryters as nether they for shame nor we of conscience can denye S. Gregory whose authority I may bowldly vse against theime bicause they mislyke not his iudgement when it may appeare to make for theime as in deede it neuer doothe he doubted nothing to gether of this oure Sauiours speache that sinnes might be forgeuen in the next worlde And thus he writeth for that poynt Lib. 4. dialog cap. 19. De quibusdam leuibus culpis esse 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 certayne smaule sinnes that there is a purgatory fyer before the daye of iudgement we must neades beleeue bicause the trueth it selfe vttered so muche in these wordes Yf any sinne against the holy Ghost it shall not be remitted nether in this worlde nor in the worlde to coom By whiche sentence it is geuen vs to vnderstande that as som offensies be released in this worlde so there may som other be remitted in the lyfe folowing For that whiche is denyed in one sorte the meaning is plaine that of som other kind it must neades be graunted But Onely small offensies be remitted in the next lyfe as is sayde before this is onely to be taken of lighter offensies thus farre spake S. Gregory and proueth lernedly beside by exāples and sondry scriptures throughe
were customably kept tricesimales quadragesimales anniuersariae memoriae the thirtithe the .xl. the yeres mindes and portions apointed owt as he saith in testamets for the mainteinaunce therof And all this commonly besides the peculiare deuotion of som towardes theyr singularely beloued If thow list go yet vppeward thow shalt find no lesse care for the helpe of the soules deceased for S. Ambrose reporteth of his time Super obit Theodos that otherwhiles the third and the thirtith otherwhiles the vij and the fourtith minde daies were religiously obserued yea and that as he saith by good authoritye and auncient vsage of the patriarches both in the law of nature and Moyses Cum frequentibus oblationibus omnibus with often and sundry oblatioÌ„s for the rest of the departed This xxx daies memoriall Iulio interpr ould holy Ephreem in his testament and last will prouideth for him selfe after his departure The seuenth day was also euer in the primitiue Churche with greate religioÌ„ obserued bicause as Beda saith that hath the representation of the lyfe to coom And S. Ambrose practised it for his brother for the like protestation and signe of the resurrection and rest perpetuall De fide resur Die septimo saith he ad sepulchrum redimus qui dies symbolum est futurae quietis the seuenth day we coom together againe to my brothers sepulchre bicause that day is a pledge of the rest to coom Hould on vpward stilli and Tertulian will witnesse with the that in that floure of Christes Church with in lesse then CC. yeres of our masters death Oblationes fiebant annua die pro defunctis That oblations and sacrifice were yerly made at the xij monthes mindes of moste men De Cor. milit he meanethe bothe by the sacrifice of the Churche and offeringes of the frendes of the departed â–ª as there also In exhort Castitat Repete apud DeuÌ„ pro cuius spiritu postules pro qua oblationes annuas reddas Cal to thy remembraunce for whose soule thowe prayes and in whose behallfe thowe makes yerly offeringes He speaketh of a frend of his that practised thus for his wiues departure And in another place he wel declareth the duety of maried â—d persons one towards another De monogamia if God by death separate them in sonder Pro anima eius orat et refrigeriuÌ„ interim postulat offert annuis diebus dormitionis eius She praieth for her husbandes soule and obteineth in the meane space ease and offereth euery yere at the mind day of his passing hense And he letteth not to affirme that the maried coople that practise not thus doo not beleue the resurâ—ection Therfore 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 alter utro reddituri What say yowe shall we faule to nothing after oure death as the Epicure thinkethe and not rise ageine as Christe teacheth And if we beleue the resurrection of the deade then doubtlesse we shall be bounde to make accompte one of an other This haeresy muche ioyneth vvith the Saduces as we shall together rise againe Beware here my masters once ageine I must tel you yowe are goinge towardes the deniall of the resurrection so many as condeÌ„ne the vsage of the Church in praying or offeringe for the deade Tertuliane saith yow be Epicures in this poynt and so yowe be in all others I say yowe are past priuy muttering in your heartes that there is no God Psal 13. for yowe are coÌ„me to plaine Cor. 1. Cap. 15. Manducemus bibamus cras enim moriemur Let vs eate and be mery we can not not tell howe longe we lieue I say yow must answer for parting the affection of man and wiefe and th one must be countable at the day of iudgement to an other that they procured not the dueties of the deade by right of Goddes holy Church for theire soules departed Take heede therefore yowe are warned But as neere as we be Christes time by Tertulians helpe we wil approch yet nyerer to the very Apostles age and looke out sum recorde of that time for oblations and distributions with memorialles for the departed And the further from yowe of the newe secte we go the more plaine destruction of your doctrine and more manifest proufe of our ould deuotion shall we fiend to your open shame and the conforte of Catholikes S. Clement therfore the Romane one coÌ„uersaunt with the apostles and instruâ—ted by theime in his faithe a familiare of S. Paule and promoted by S. Peter a â—â—ue pastor and a holy martyr thus reâ—orteth of the apostles ordinauÌ„ce in our â—atter Li. 8. CoÌ„st Cop. 48. Peragatur dies mortuorum in psaltis in lectionibus atque orationibus proâ—ter eum qui tertia die resurrexit Item â—onus in commemorationem superstitum atâ—ue defunctoruÌ„ EtiaÌ„ quadragesimus secundum veterem formam Moysen enim hoc modo luxit populus nec non anniuersarium pro memoria ipsius deturque de illius facultatibus pauperibus in commemorationem ipsius Thus in english We will that the third day be obserued for the departed in psalmes lessons and praiers for his sake that rose the third day And so the ix day for the vniting together in one memorie the departed with the liuing In lyke maner the fourtithe day must be kept according to the ordre vsed of ould for so did the people obserue the bewayling of Moyses And with al these the xij monthes mind beside Where for the memory of his departure lett sumwhat be distributed amongest the poore people How say yow now my masters is this popish or apostolike doctrine was it inuented for priestes couetousnes or obserued as Christes ordinaunce made we much of late of the litle we fownd before or of late lost for lacke of deuotion that which we had so long before Mercifull God who would thinke this geare were so auncient and so little set by Who woulde thinke the aduersaries were so impudeÌ„t and yet so much regarded What heart think yow they reade the auncient writers with all Or with what conscience can they passe by so plaine practise of all the Chistian world Or with what face can they name ether scripture or doctor How dare they looke backe att ony one steppe of antiquitie all which be nothing elles but a testimony off their wickednes and as yow would say a pointing with finger at their horrible spoile of ould doctrine and deuotioÌ„ What if one of their own scholares seeing this light in our matter shoulde aske of his maister a lasse sir what if this be true that is proued so ould The maistèr Protestant is posed and you chauÌ„ce to lie that are so late where are we your scholares then It is not answered if yow conforte him with faire wordes
euen of the iust not otherwise amendid sharply visited Euseb Emiss homil de diuersis viti Therfor if Melanchthon graunt that the rightuous and reconciled persons may iustly beare the skourge of God for satisfying for their sinnes before pardoned in this worlde where thoughe poonishment be exercised for wickednesse properly yet at the least not so ordinarilye as in the next where God hathe laide vp the greate store of rewarde as well for the good as the badde he muste neades by force of reason acknouledge that the worlde to coom is no lesse iff it be not more apoynted of oure lorde for iuste iudgeing of oure faultes forgiuen then the tyme of this present lyefe where as many an euill lyeuer escapeth all poonishment so diuerse of greate vertue suffer full greuous torments Excellently well saide S. Augustine Euch. c. 6. Multa mala hic videntur ignosci nullis supplicijs vindicari sed eorum paenae reseruantur in posterum c muche euil may seeme here to be pardoned and with out all poonishment released but the paine for suche thinges is reserued tyll the worlde to com But let vs steppe a fout farther and yet so muche nearer the matter and note well whether we may fynde any case where the payment for sinnes remitted passeth the bondes of this lyefe and so required in the nexte â–ª that by plaine dealing and orderly proceadinge Marke vvell that God pounisheth in the nexte life the sinnes of the iuste we may the better instructe the simple confounde the aduersary and make truethe stand vpon it selfe Consider then withe me that oure first father pardoned of his sinne as I proued before was poonished for the same and withe him all the iuste off those dayes not only in the time of this praesent mortall lyefe but many hundrethe yeres after theire departure For whose deliuery the Catholike Churche houldeth and oure Crede teacheth â—lso that our master Christ descended doune in to helle And that no man heâ—e be deceyued he must vnderstande â—hat it was no smaule pounishment to be banished so many worldes to gether from the lande of the lyeuing and to â—acke the ioyfull fruition of heauens blisse whiche of it sellfe but that it was not aeternall Augu. En chi ca. 112 had ben more then all temporall paynes that may be suffered And this to be one of those miseryes whiche oure first fathers disobedieÌ„ce wrought and so to be payne for sinne I thinkâ— euery wise man will confesse Yea 〈◊〉 was the greatest dominion of sinne thaâ— coulde be for the ouerthrow of whiche Christ him sellfe vouchsaulfed to entre in to the lande of darknes It is called of the Prophet lacus sine aqua 〈◊〉 a lake withe oute water zach 9. 1. Pet. 3. And of thâ— Apostle Carcer a prieson Where the fathers be also named vincti tui thine that were bounde Wherby we must vnderstande that Christ had a flocke impriesoned and bounde for the debt of sinne in a nother worlde But that we may make inuincible proufe that this theire captiuity was a iuste inioyned plage and paenalty for sinne we must report what we finde in auncyent Ireneus of this matter And he affirmeth that Adam was iudged and condemned for his wilfull faule till Christes coomming Li. 3. ca. 33 in these wordes Necesse fuit dominum ad perdicam ouem venientem tandem despositionis recapitulationem facientem suum plasma requientem illum ipsum hominem saluare qui faâ—tus fuer at secundum imaginem similituâ—inem eius id est Adam implentem tempoâ—a eius condemnationis quae facta fuerat proâ—ter inobedientiam â–ª and streght after â—olutus est condemnationis vinculis qui capâ—iuus ductus fuerat homo thus I englishe 〈◊〉 It was necessary that oure lorde comming to the lost shepe and making a reâ—apitulation of his apoynted ordinaâ—nce and vew of his owne handewoorke should also saue the same man whiche was fourmed after his owne image and liknesse I meane Adam then fulfillinge the tyme of that condemnation whiche was for his disobedience apoynted and so the man ledde in to captiuity was released of the bondes of his condemnation Eusebius Emissenus yet more expressely helpethe oure cause as foloweth Homil. 1. de festo Pasch Confestim igitur aeterna nox inferorum Christo descendente resplenduit siluit stridor ille lugentium Cathenarum disruptae ceciderunt vincula damnatorum Out off hand at Christes comming in to helle that aeternal darkenesse shyened bright the gnasshing of the mourners ceased and the brosten bandes of condemned persons fell from theyme Here loe many one by the iudgement of this holy writer were loused from muche misery by Christes descending doune Where to oure purpose we must especially be aduertised that all the iuste in those inferiour partes were not in lyke faelicitye withe our father Abraham or other of suche perfect holinesse allthoughe he also suffered the common lacke in longe looking for translation to ioy for som there were of meaner vertue and yet in the fauour of God whiche suffered personall paine for purginge and recompense of theire sinnes committed in this lyefe Som vver released of paine at Christes desceÌ„ of whome this Author semeth to meane And as S. Augustine supposethe the scripture must nedes import suche a lyke thinge vndoubtedly teaching that Christe was not onely in the place off rest where Abraham and other in his harbour were but allso in placyes off torment wich coulde not touche his holy person Act. 2. Quem Deus suscitauit solutis doloribus inferni Whome God raised vp agayne after he had lowsed helle paines Thus saithe this holy Author Quia euidentia testimonia infernum coÌ„memorant dolores nulla causa occurrit Epist. â—9 cur illò credatur venisse Saluator nisi vt ab eius doloribus saluos faceret sed vtrum omnes quos incis inuenit an quosdam quos illo beneficio dignos iudicauit adhuc requiro suisse tamen eum apud inferos in eoruÌ„ doloribus consttutis hoc beneficium prestitisse non dabito Bicause saith he euident testimonies make mention bothe off Helle and paines I see not why we shoulde belieue that oure Sauiour came thether but to discharge som off the paines therof mary whether he loused all or summe whome he thoght woorthy of that benefite that woulde I learne For I am out of doubt he was in helle and bestowed that gracious benifite vpon som that were in paines â–ª thus far spake Augustine Let no man here take occasion to thinke that this father ment of any release of the damned in the inferious helle for that errour he euer detested and writeth ernestly ageinst Origen for the same De fide operibus cap. 16. Then it must neds be that he spake of som whiche were in paine and torment and yet woorthy to receyue mercy â–ª so he termethe theire estate bothe here Cap.
here in the worlde benethe which is a straunge case hath force and effect in heaueÌ„ aboue The poure of all potentates vnder the maiesty of the blessed Trinity in heauen and earthe is extreme basenesse compared to this By this graue authority therfore the pastors and priestes imitating goddes iustice haue exercised continually poonishement froÌ„ the springe of Christian religion downe till these daies vppon al sinners perpetually enioyning for satisfiyng of goddes wrathe poenaunce and woorkes of correction ether before they would absolue theime as the oulde vsage was or elles after the release of theire offensies wiche now of late for graue causes hath bene more vfed In whiche sentence of theire iudgment we plainely see that as there was euer accompt made emongest all the faithfull of paine due vnto sinne thoughe the very offense it selfe and the giltinesse as yow woulde saye thereof were forgiuen before so we maye gather that it was euer enioyned by the priestes holy ministery after the quality and quantity of the faulte committed Whereupon they charged som meaner offenders with certaine praiers onely other with large allmose diuerse with longe fasting many withe perilous peregrinations sum with suspending froÌ„ the sacramentes and very greuous offenders with curse and excommunication Wherby thou maiste not onely proue that there is paine to be suffred for thy sinnes Excommunication hath the image of goddes iustice in the vvorld to coom but allso haue a very image of that misery whiche in the next lyefe may faule not only to the damned for euer but allso to all other whiche neglected in this tyme of grace the fructes of poenaunce and woorkes of satisfaction for thanswer of they re lieues past This greate correction of excommunication and separation from the sacramentes Virgam S. Paule termeth the rodde wherwith he often threatened offenders 1. ad Timo. yea and somtymes thoughe it was with greate sorowe the pounishment was so extreame he mightely in Goddes steade occupied the same Cap. 2. 1. Cor. 5. As once ageinst Himemeus and Alexander and another tyme towardes a Corinthian vpon whome being absent he gaue sentence of theire delyuery vppe to Satan not to be vexed off him as Iob was for thencrease of merite In 1. ad Cor. ca. 5. saithe Chrisostom but in theire flesshe meruelously to be tormented for paiment for theire greuous offensyes and as the Apostle writeth of the Corinthian that his soule might be false in the day of oure lorde This poonishment was euer by cutting of from the Christiane society and often ioyned with torment of body or sicknesse And sumtymes withe deathe Act. 5. Note As in thexcommunication off Ananias and Zaphiras Whiche Christes vicar S. Petre to the greate terrour euen of the faithfull grauely pronounced on theyme for retayning backe certayne Churche gooddes whiche by promesse they had before dedicated vnto god and thapastles distribution August de Carrep gra ca. 5. This kinde of poonishment of sinners was euer counted so terrible that we fiend it caulled of the oulde fathers damnation Ita Gregâ— Nis orat de Castigatione as one that most resembles the paynes of the worlde to coom off all other And iff man coulde see withe corporall eyes the misery of the party so condemned in Goddes church his hearte would brast and it would moue terroure of forther damnation euen to the stubborne contemners off the Churches authoritye The which censure of goddes priestes thoughe it was sumtymes to the euerlasting woe off suche offenders as neglected the benefite of that present payne yet commonly it was but chastisement and louing correction of oure deare moother for theire deliuery from greater greefe in the lyefe to coom And for this cause as thexample off all agies past may sufficiently proue Aug. Euch cap. 65. were certeyne tymes and ordinary termes of poenaunce apoynted for iuste satisfaction for euery offense and by the holy Canons so limited that no sinne weetingly might be reserued to Goddes â—euy reuenge in the end of oure short dayes It were to longe to reporte the rueles and prescription of poenaunce out of Nice Councell or Ancyre â—icen c â–ª 12. Ancyre 5 or out of S. Cyprian for theire pounishment that fell to Idolatry in the tyme of Decius and Diocletianus or out of Ambrose the notable excommunication of Theodosius themperour By al whiche and the lyke in the historys of the ecclesiasticall affaires he that can not see what payne is due vnto sinne euen after the remission therof I houlde him bothe ignorant and malitious blinde And if any man yet doubt why or to what ende the Church of Christ thus greuously tormenteth her oune children by so many meanes of heuy correction whome she might by good authoritye freely release of theire sinnes let him assuredly know that she coulde not so satisfye goddes iustice alwayes by whome she houldeth hâ— authoritye to edifye and not to destroie to byind as well as to lowse Althoughe suche dolour for offensyes committed and so ernest zele may she sum tymes finde in thoffender that her chiefe and principall pastors may by theire soueraigne authoritye wholy discharge him of all paines to coom But elles in the common case of Christian men this poenaunce is for no other cause enioyned Ibidem but to saue theime from the more greuous torment in the worlde folowing In the whiche sense S. Augustine bothe speake the him self and proueth his meaning by thapostles wordes as foloweth Propterea de quibusdam temporalibus poenis 1. Cor. 11. quae in hac vita peccantibus irrogantur eis quorum peccata delentur ne reseruentur in finem ait Apostolus si enim nosmetipsos iudicaremus a domino non iudicaremur Cum iudicamur autem a domino corripimur ne cuÌ„ hoc mundo damnemur Therfore saithe he it is of certaine temporall afflictions whiche be laide vpon theire neckes that being sinners haue theire trespasses pardoned lest they be called to an accompt for theime at the latter ende that the Apostle meaneth by when he saith Iff we would iudge oure selues we shulde not then be iudged of oure lorde And when we be iudged of oure lorde then are we chastened that we be not damned with the worlde This onely carefull kyndnesse of oure moother therfore that neuer remitted sinne that was notorious in any age but after sharpe poonishment or ernest charge withe sum proportionall poenaunce for the same doothe not onely geue vs a louing warning to be ware and preuent that heuy correction of the world to coom whiche S. Paule callethe the iudgement of God because it is a sentence of iustice but allso in her owne practise here in earth of mercy in pardoning of iustice in poonishement she geueth vs a very cleare example off bothe the same to be vndoubtedly loked for at thandes of God him selfe by whome in the kingdom of the church these bothe in his behallfe be proffitably practised â–ª for iff there
were no respecte of the dredfull day in th end off oure lyefe nor any paine forther due for sinnes remitted in the next worlde then were it cruell arrogancy in theministers to charge men withe poenaunce needlesse to the offender and foly to the sufferer But god forbed any shulde be so malipert or misbeleuing as to miscredet the dooings and doctrine of the Catholike Church whiche by thauthoritye she hathe to bynde sinnes and the protection of the holy goste hathe vsed this rodde of correction to the proffite of so many and hurte of none euer sence oure maisters deathe and departure That the many foulde vvorkes and fructes of paenaunce vvhiche al godly men haue charged theyme selues vvithe all for theire ovvne sinnes remitted vvere in respecte off Purgatory paines and for the auoyding off goddes iudgement tempotall as vvel as aeternall in the next lyfe Cap. 4. THere be of the Epicures of our time that seeing the vsuall practise of paenaunce not onely by the Churcheis praescription but also by mannes oune voluntary acceptation openly to tend towardes the truth and proufe of Purgatory Melanch haue bouldely improued not withstanding the expresse counsell of the Apostle where he willeth vs to iudge oure selues all chastisement of our bodies as vnnaturall torments to the iniury of oure owne person and the excellencye of oure nature Ageinst these corruptors of Christen condicions and vertuous liefe thoughe the examples of all faithfull woorshippers of God sence the worlde began doo clearely stand yet the notable history of the Prophet Dauids repaire after his heuy faule bicause it hathe an especial warraunt of his pardon a plane processe in poenaunce a goodly platte of due handelinge the sores off oure sinnes after they be remitted and conteineth a manifest feare of Purgatory shall best serue oure turne This Prophet then thoughe he was assured of his pardon and afterwarde as I saide before by Goddes owne hād poonished yet crieth oute withe abundant teares Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea a peccatis meis munda me Psal 50. More and more washe me from my iniquity Cap. 4. Apol. Dauid and of my sinnes pourge me cleane Dauid offended saith S. Ambrose as kinges commonly do but he did poenaunce he wept he groned as kinges lightly doo not he confessed his fault he asked mercy and throwing him self vppon the harde grounde bewailed his misery fasted praide and so protested his sorowe that he laft the testimony of his confession to all the worlde to come What moued this blessed man by Goddes oune mouthe pardoned of his sinnes so to torment him selfe That happy awe and deape feare of Goddes iudgemēt in the next world whiche the cursed security of this swheete poysened doctrine of oure dayes hathe nowe taken awaie euen that necessary feare of the thinges that might faule vnto him in the next liefe caused this holy prince and prophet so to vexe and molest him selfe It was hel it was Purgatory that this poenitent did behoulde ether of whiche he knewe his sinnes did well deserue S. Augustine shall beare me witnesse in wordes worthy of all memory Yea the prophets owne wordes vttered in a bitter praier and a psalme full of sorowe shall beare me witnesse thus saith S. Augustine In psa 37. Haec iste grauiora formidans excepta vita ista in cuius malis plangit gemit rogat dicit Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me Non sum inter illos quibus dicturus es ite in ignem aeternum qui praeparatus est diabolo angelis eius Neque in ira tua emendes me vt in hac vita me purges talem me reddas cui emendatorio igne opus non sit This man besides the miseries of this liefe in whiche he was when he thus houleth and wepeth forther makethe sute and saithe O Lorde rebuke me not in thy furie let me not be one of theime to whome thou shalt saye awaie from me in to fier perpetuall whiche is prouided for the deuill and his aungells Nether yet correct me in thy wrathe but so purge me in my liefe time and wholy frame me that at lenght I may haue do neade of the Amending fier So farre speaketh this doctour By whome we may learne that Dauid after sharpe poonishement taken first at Goddes hand and then in the middest of many miseries of this mortall liefe did yet before hande behoulde the horrible iudgements in the next worlde th one for the damned soules and spirits thother for the amendment of such as God loued and shall be saued in the earneste memoriall of whiche assured paines and for the auoiding thereoff he so afflicted him selfe as is before sayde His hearte was in heuinesse his soul in sorowe his fleshe in feare and in his bones there was no rest before the face of his sinnes Thinke you here a protestant preacher withe a mery mouthe in Nathans steade coulde haue driuen him from this course of poenaunce dissuaded him from the feare of purgatory eased him with onely faith and sett him in securitye and perfect freedom from his offenses past Ecclesi 22. No no Musica in luctu importuna narratio Mirthe in mourning is euer out of season Flagella doctrina in omni tempore sapientia But roddes and discipline be allwaies wisedom These delicate teachers had neuer roume but where sinne bare greate rule And it is no small licklyhod of goddes exceding wrathe towardes vs in these daies that such soft phisitiōs please vs in so daungerous diseases It was not the doctrine of this time that healed Nabuchodonosor but this was his plaister Daniel 4. Peccata tua eleemosynis redime iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperum Redime thy sinnes by almose and thy iniquities by mercy towardes the poore It was exceding fasting and many sorouwfull sobbes that bare of Goddes hande from the Niniuites It was the paiynefull workes of poenaunce that Iohn the Baptist first preached This was Paules rule that if we woulde poonishe or iudge our selues then woulde not God iudge vs. In to whose handes it is a heuy case to faule 1. Cor. 11. Haeb. 10. Horrendum est saithe he incidere in manus Dei viuentis For he shall call to accompt and reakoning as S. Bernarde supposeth euen the very actes of the iuste In cant 55 ser if thei be not well and throughly iudged and corrected to his handes The vndoubted knowledge of whiche straite accompte moued oure forefathers to require suche earnest afflictions of the people for satisfiyng for their sinnes And here gentle reader geue me leaue though I be the longer to geue the a little taste of the oulde doctours dealinges in the sinners case ▪ that thowe maist compare oure late handeling of these matters with their dooinges and so learne to lothe these light marchauntes that in so greuous plages deale so tenderly with oure sores And yet I intend not so to
obteyned Wherin yet mercy at th ende hathe the chieff stroke by whiche the soule that was the principall vessell of sinne and no lesse abased then the body shall oute of hand in the perfectest sort obteyne the purity of Angelles and felowship with theime for euer I maruell not nowe to see the Prophet seeke not onely for the remission of his greuous sinnes but to be better cleansed to haue theime wholy blotted owte to be made as white as snowe behoulding the purity that is requisite for a citizen of the coelestiall Hierusalem And I note this the rather of the soule bicause I see that the body allso before it can shake of the stroke and plage of sinne must be driuen by the common course to doust and elementes that being at the ende raised vppe ageine in the same substance may yet wholy in condicion and quality be so straungely altered that in honoure and immortality it may euerlastingly ioyne with the soule ageyne To the newnesse wherof August li. 20. de ciuit ca. 16. 1. Cor. 15. the very elements that before answered it in qualityes off corruption shall be perfectly by fyre reformed and serue in beauty and incorruption aeternall Yff sinne then be so reuenged and throughly tryed oute of mannes body and all corruption owte of these elements for the glory of that newe and aeternall kingdom shall we doubte of Goddes iustice in the perfect reuenge of sinne in the soul or purifying that nature whiche as it was most corrupted and was the very seate of sinne Note so namely apperteyneth to the company of Angelles and glory euerlasting It were not otherwise agreeable to Goddes iustice suerely nor conuenyent for the glorious estate to coom it were nether right nor reason He will then where man neglecteth the day of mercy sharply viset with torment him sellfe and bothe pourge and purifye the drosse of oure impure natures defiled and stayned by sinne with iudgement and rightuousnesse Isaie 4. A bluet Dominus sordes filiarū Syō sanguinem Hierusalem lauabit de medio eius in spiritu iudicij spiritu ardoris Oure lord shall wasshe oute the filthe of the doghters of Syon and will cleanse blodde from the middest of Hierusalem in the spirite of iudgement and the spirite of burnyng But bicause we will not stand vpon coniectures in so necessary a poynt yowe shall see by what scriptures the graue and learned fathers haue to my hand confirmed this beleued trueth And first I will recyte those placyes whiche doo set furthe bothe the quality and condicion of that poonishment whiche God taketh vpon man for sinne in the other worlde and also did geue iust occasion to our forefathers of the name of Purgatory There be two textes of scripture to this purpose so like that many of the doctours for better conference in so weghty a case haue ioyned theime together to make their proufe full and so will I doo by theire example The first is in the thirde chapter of the Prophet Malachie in these wordes Malach. 3. Ecce venit dicit Dominus exercituum quis poterit cogitare diem aduentus eius Et quis stabit ad videndum eum Ipse enim quasi ignis conflans quasi herba fullonum sedebit conflans emundans argentum purgabit filios Leui colabit eos quasi aurum argentum erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in iustitia Et placebit Domino sacrificium Iuda Hierusalem caetera Beholde he commeth saith the Lorde of hostes And who maye abyde the daye of his comming Who can stand and endure his sight For he is like melting and casting fier and as the wasshers herbe Sope And he shal sit casting and trying oute siluer and shall pourge the children of Leui and clense theime as goulde or siluer And then shal they offer sacrifice in righteousnesse and the offeringes of Iuda and Hierusalem shall be acceptable vnto our Lorde And thus farre spake the prophet The second is this Cap. 3. taken out of the first epistle to the Corinthians Secundum gratiam Dei quae data est mihi vt sapiens architectus fundamentum posui alius autem superaedificat Vnusquisque autem videat quomodo superadificet Fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod est positum quod est Christus Iesus Si quis autem superaedificat super fundamentum hoc aurum argentum lapides preciosos ligna foenum stipulam vniuscuiusque opus manifestum erit dies enim Domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur vniuscuiusque opus quale sit ignis probabit Si cuius opus manserit quod superaedificauit mercedem accipiet si cuius opus arserit detrimentum patietur ipse autem saluus erit sic tamen quasi per ignem Thus in english According to the grace of God geuen vnto me as a discriete builder I haue laide the groundewark but another buildeth theron Let euery man be circumspect howe he buildeth on it For no fundation can be laide but Christe Iesus which is allready laide Yff any man builde vppon this groundewark gould siluer preciouse stones wodde hay or stooble euery mannes worke shall be laide open For the daye of oure Lorde will declare it bicause it shall appeare in fiere And that fiere shal trye euery mannes woorke what it is yf anye mannes woorke erected vpon that foundation doo abide he shall receiue rewarde but if his worke burne he shall susteine losse or it shall susteine losse meaning by the worke it self as the text well serueth also but him sellfe shall be saued notwithstandinge and that yet as throughe fire These be S. Pauls wordes Nowe as men studious of the truth careful of oure faithe and saluation and fully free from contention and partaking let vs entre into the searche off the meaning of these two textes withe suche plainesse and sinceritye that I dare saie the aduersaries theime selues shall not mislyke our dealing Plaine de aling We will folowe all lyklyhoodes by comparing the scriptures together and admit with all the counsell and iudgement of such our elders as hy theire confession shall be taken for holy learned and wise First the Prophet and Apostle bothe make mention of purging and of purifying sinne and corruption of mannes impure or defiled workes they bothe agree this cleansing or trying oute off the filthy drosse gathered by corruption of sinne to be doone by fier they bothe throughly folowe the similitude of the fornace and gouldsmith in finyng his metalles and trying oute the drosse and base matter from the perfect finesse of more worthy substaunce they bothe plainely vtter theire meaninges of suche as shall afterward be saued though it be with losse geuing vs to vnderstande that the partyes so purged shall be after theire triall worthy to offer a pure sacrifice in holynesse and righteousnes They bothe note this purgation to be wrought by the hande of God All these
must neades be confessed euen of the contrary teachers whiche thinges together conteine more probability for the proufe of oure purpose then they can for any other sense finde But nowe touchinge the texte nearer and finding that this woorke of mannes amending shall be wrought in the next liefe then it must nedes so induce this sense that no meaning may well be admitted whiche euidently setteth not forth the truthe of Purgatory And that this worke is not properly taken for any suche trouble or vexation that may fall to man in this liefe but for a very torment praepared for the next worlde firste the quality of the iudgement and meanes in the execution of that sentence of God whiche is named to be doone by fiere seemeth rather to import that then any other vexation the poonishement of the worlde folowing allwaies lightely so termed Then man is in this purging only asufferer which belongeth namely to the nexte worlde But especially that this sentence shall be executed in the day of our Lorde which properly signifieth ether the day of our death or the sentence of God whiche streghte foloweth vpon death or the laste and generall iudgement All the tyme off mans liefe wherein he foloweth his freedom is called Dies Hominis the daie of man bicause as man in this liefe for the most parte serueth his owne will so he often neglecteth Goddes but at his deathe there beginneth Dies Domini Where God executeth his ordinaunce and will vpon man This triall then of mannes misdeedes and impure workes must ether be at his deathe or after his departure by one of the two iudgementes But if we note diligently the circumstances of the saide letter it shall appeare vnto vs that this purgatiō was not ment to be onely at mannes death both bicause it shall be done by fyre whiche as is saide commonly noteth the torment of the next liefe and then S. Paule expressely warneth vs to take hede what we builde in respect of the difference that may fall to suche as builde fine workes and other that erecte vppon the foundation impure or mixte mater of corruption but the paines of deathe being common to the best as well as to the worst or indifferent and no lesse greuous in it sellfe to one then the other can not be imported by the fire whiche shall bring losse to th one sort and not paine thother 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 S. Paule plainely affirmeth that in this iudgement there shall be made an open shewe of suche woorkes as were hidde before from man and not discerned by the iudgement of this world whiche the priuate deathe of one manne can not doo And lightely thapostle warning man of the sentence of God in the next lyefe 2. Cor. 5. admonisheth him that oure dedes must be laide open before the iudgemēt seate of God so here Dies domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur the day of oure lord will open the matter bicause it shall be shewde in fyre Last of all the Prophet nameth the tyme off this sharpe tryal Diem aduentus domini whiche is a proper calling of one of the iudgements ether that whiche shall be generall at the last day or elles that whiche euery manne must first abyde streghte after his departure when he shall be called to the peculiare reckoning for his owne actes In ether of whiche iudgements Magis l. 4 dist 47. this purging and amending fire shall be fownde For as in that generall wast of the whole world by the fyre of conflagration 2. Petri. Cap. 3. whiche is called ignis praecedeus 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 and extreme payne for his poonishment or purgation and yet by that same fyre be saued euen so oute of doubt at this particulare iudgement streght vpon euery mannes death the soule of the departed if it be not before free must suffer paines and Purgation by the like vehement torment woorking onely vpon the soule as the other shall doo on the whole man And the prophets wordes now alleaged do meane principally of the purgation that shall be made of the faithfuls corrupted woorkes by the fiere of conflagration in the seconde comming of Christe thoughe his wordes well proue the other also as S. Paule too meaneth by theyme bothe That there is a particulare iudgement and priuate accompte to be made at euery mannes departure off his seuerall actes and dedes vvith certaine of the fathers mindes touching the textes of scripture alleaged before Cap. 7. ANd though such as shal liue at the comming of the iudge in the later daye shall then be purged of they re corruption and base workes of infirmity by the fyre that shall abetter and alter the impure nature of these corruptible elements or otherwise according to goddes ordinaunce yet the common sort of all men whiche in the meane tyme depart this worlde must not tary for theire purgation till that general amending of all natures no more then the very good in whome after theire baptisme no filthe of sinne is fownde or if any were was wiped a way by poenaunce muste awayte for they re saluation or the wicked tary for they re iuste iudgement to damnation The particulare iudgemēt But streght this sentence ether off iudgement or mercy must be pronounced and therfore it is called the particulare iudgement by whiche the soule onely shall receyue well the or woe as at the day of the greate accompt bothe body and soule must doo Of this seuerall triall the holy Apostle S. Paule saith Ad haebr 9 statutum est omnibus hominibus semel mori post hoc iudicium It is determined that euery man once must dye and after that commeth iudgement And a nother scripture more expressely thus Eccles 11. Facile est coram domino reddere vnicuique in die obitus sui secundum vias suas It is an easy matter before oure lorde that euery man at the day of his death shulde be rewarded according to his lyefe and ways Agayne in the same place Memor isto iudicij mei sic enim erit tuum mihi heri tibi hodie Haue in remembraunce my iudgement for such shal thy nowne be yester day was myne to day may be thyne And therfore S. Ambrose saith that with oute delay the good poore man was caryed to rest and the wicked riche owte of hand suffered torments That euery man saith he may feele before the day of iudgement Super 5. ad Roman what he muste then looke for And in another place the same holy man writeth that Iohn the beloued of Iesus is allredy gone to the paradise of euerlasting blesse In psa 118 ser 20. passing as fewe shall doo the fiery
and finally by comparing of the other meaning whiche to summe might haue bene reakoned apte and mete for that place In all whiche dooing he was as farre from rashe iudgement as our newe doctours be from good aduisement But bicause he referreth vs to the further discussing of the same matter afterward in the named woorke it shal be to oure purpose not a litle to haue this doctours full minde and constant iudgement therein In the xxj booke after muche matter vttered and very depe discussing of the cause he maketh this grounded Conclusion Cap. 13. Temporales paenas alij in hac vita tantum alij post mortem alij nunc et tunc veruntamen ante illud saeuerissimum nouissimūque iudiciū patiuntur Non autem omnes veniunt in sempiternas poenas quae post illud iudicium 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 supra diximus Temporall paines that is to say poonishement whiche shall haue an end some men suffer in this liefe some other after theire deathe and other som bothe nowe and then Temporall paines in the next liefe as vell as in this But al this before the daie of iudgement that is the greatest and last of all other iudgements not all that be temporally poonished after theire departure com in to paines perpetuall which shall be after the generall daie for we haue allready declared that there be certeine which haue remission in another worlde that is to saie a pardon that they be not poonished euerlastingly that had not forgeunesse in this By these wordes we may be assured that as in the next liefe there be paines endlesse and perpaetuall for the wicked so in the same worlde aftet oure end here there must nedes be som transitory poonishment and correction for suche of the meane sorte as shall afterward be saued And againe he speaketh as I take it of the fyer of Conflagration that shall in the latter day pourge some that be meane and waste other that be wicked and send theime from that praesent poonishment to further aeternall damnation I will recite his owne wordes that ye may perceiue the perpetuall constancy off this excellent mannes minde in this matter It shall also be a testimony sufficient for the vnderstanding of S. Pauls wordes nowe before alleaged Si aedificauerit super fundamētum ligna foenū stipulam Serm. 3. in Psal 103. id est mores saeculares fundamento fidei suae super aedificauerit tamen si in fundamento sit Christus primum locum ipse habeat in corde ei nihil omnino anteponatur portentur et tales Veniet caminus incendet ligna faenum stipulam ipse inquit saluus erit sic tamen quasi per ignem Hoc aget caminus alios in sinistram separabit alos in dexteram quodammodo eliquabit Yf any man erecte vppon the foundation woodde hay or strawe that is to saye worldly affections vpon the groundewark of his saith if yet Christ be in the foundation and beare the greatest stroke in his harte so that nothing be praeferred before him suche may well be borne withall ▪ for the fiery fornace shal come and burne the woodde hay and stoble and shall be saued as the Apostle saith thoughe it be for al that throughe the fyer that fornace then shall parte some to the lifte hande and try forth other if a mā man may so tearme it to the right hand And as S. Augustin taketh these base substances of wood hay or stoble to signify wordely affections and seculare desires so S. Ambrose noteth by the same vaine curious In com super hunc locum and vnprofitable doctrines the drosse of whiche friuoulous matter muche corrupting the sincerity of oure faithe must be separated from the foundation by the fyer of the saide fornace For this is a generall doctrine with owte exception that what so euer be vnderstanded by those light matters whether it be a difformity in liefe or in doctrine that onely defilethe and not vtterly destroyeth the faithe whiche is the foundation nor wasteth the loue due vnto oure Lord what so euer I saie that be it must be tryed oute by the spirite of iudgement and fier Briefly then thus S. Ambrose expoundinge the Apostles woordes He shall be saued by fier In commentarijs super 3. c. 1. ad Cor. wtiteth Ostendit illum saluum quidem futurum sed paenam ignis passurum vt per ignem purgatus fiat saluus non sicut perfidi aeterno igne in perpetuum torqueatur The apostle declareth that he shal be saued and yet suffer the paines of fyer that being pourged by that fyer he may so be saued and not as the vnfaithfull perpetually be tormented in euerlasting fire This temporall torment of the next liefe S. Hierom very fitly calleth A iudgmēt of god ioyned with mercy the continuance whereof or other circunstancies to serue mennes curiosity he dare not define being contented oute of doubt to beleue that certeyne sinners be in greuous torments and yet not with owte hope of mercy ▪ these be that holy mannes wordes in his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esai Cap. vlt et in primum Cap. Ezech in illud vi di quasi speciē electri taulking by occasion of the continuance of purgatory paines Quod nos solius Dei scientiae debemus relinquere cuius non solum misericordiae sed tormēta in pondere sunt nouit quem quomodo quamdiu debeat iudicare Solumque dicamus quod humanae conuenit fragilitati Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me sicut diabili omni umque negatorum atque impiorum qui dixerunt in corde suo non est Deus credimus aeterna tormenta sic peccatorum atque impiorum tamen Christianorum quorum opera in igne purganda sunt atque probanda moderatam arbitramur mixtam clementiae sententiā iudicis In englishe We must cōmit this secrette to Goddes wisedom and knowledge whose not onely mercy but iudgemēt and iuste ponishment be paised For he right well knoweth whome how and what time he ought to poonish And let vs onely as it becommeth oure frailety crie owte Lorde in thy furious wrath argue me not nether correct me in thy angre for as we beleue the aeternall damnation and torment of the deuill with the forsaken sorte and wicked that saide in theire harte there is no God so we suppose that vpon sinners and euil men being yet christen men whose woorkes shall be bothe pourged and tryed by fyer shal be pronounced a moderate sentence mixed with mercy and clemency Loe here this worthy writer graunteth there be two sortes of pounishments by fyer one of the damned spirites and wicked men aeternall and an other off certeyne that in
theire lyefe were sinners and sum wicked men too who yet being in Christes Churche and vsing the benefite of the blessed sacraments had they re sinnes so forgeuen that not purging theire wicked lyefe by sufficient poenaunce in theire dayes they must of necessety entre into the torment of transitory fyere there to be poonishid not in rage and rigoure with out pity but in anger of fatherly correction ioyned with clemency and much mercye Origen is alleaged for oure cause vpon vvhose erroure in a matter sumvvhat apperteyning to oure purpose S. Augustines iudgemeÌ„t is more largely soght and ther vvith it is declared by testimony of diuerse holy authors vvhat sinnes be chefely purged in that temporall fyre Cap. 8. THese three noble learned men might right wel satisfie oure search for the sense of the textes bothe off the Prophet and Apostle and persuade any reasonable man in the whole cause yet for that there be som that meane not to relent in their lewde opinions for light proffers I will store theime with testimonyes Origenes one of greate antiquity in many places of his woorkes vnderstandeth bothe the saide textes of Malachie and S. Paule in the like sorte by whome we may well take a greate taste of the tyme and churche where he liued what men of wisdom and vertue then iudged off thinges whiche nowe of fooles be contemned and of haeretikes condemned also But namely vpon the prophet Ieremy in these wordes Homil. 12. Si post fundamentum Iesu Christi non solum in tuo corde aurum argentum lapidem praeciosum superaedificaueris verum ligna foenum stipulam quid tibi vis fieri cum anima seiuncta fuerit a corpore vtrum ne ingredi vis in sancta cum lignis tuis foeno stipula vt polluas regnum dei an propter lignum foenum stipulam foris residere vis pro auro argento lapide precioso nil mercedis accipere sed neque hoe aequum est Quid ergo sequitur nisi vt primuÌ„ propter lignum ignistibi detur qui consumat foenum lignum stipulam c. Yf vpon the foundation which is Christe Iesus thou do not onely buylde goulde siluer and preciouse stone but allso woodde hay and strawe what doost thou looke for after thy death willt thow entre into the holy places with thy wodde hay and stoble and defile the kingdom off God or elles for thy woodde hay and straw thow wilte abyde furthe and so lyese the rewarde of thy goulde siluer and preciouse stone But that were no reason then there is no way but one first to receyue fier for to consume and burne owte thy wood hay and stooble and then afterward to receyue for thy better workes the rewarde of saluation â–ª so saith Origen Whose iudgement iff any man mistrust in this poynt bicause he erred in other let him learne to miscredet onely his or other mennes singulare opinions and priuate phantasyes wherin they disagreed from the residew of the common body of Christ his Churche and not contemne in any man the confirmation of the vniuersal sense Basil Cap. penult de spiritu sancto whiche he findeth in the vniforme doctrine of all other Christian Catholikes In deede it was so euident that this Purgatory fyre of whiche the Apostle speaketh shoulde be in the other lyefe that this learned man afterward leauing the meaning whiche the holy Church had opened for the prouf off certeyne transitory poonishment in the next worlde for meaner offenders woulde of his owne heade go forwarde whiche is the bane of many a goodly witt and mainteyne that all greuous crimes Vincent lyr and most wicked maners might be purged by this fyre after death and the partyes in tyme saued De fide operibus Cap. 16. so that they had faithe for theire foundation â–ª wherby as S. Augustine noteth of him he made onely faith to saue the wicked withowte repentaunce or good workes Ageinst whiche perniciouse errour the saide doctour often writeth and proueth that this place of S. Paule can not make for the delyuery of the wicked or greuous offenders in any case And being sumwhat vrged by the aduersaryes arguments or elles bicause he woulde take all howlde from theyme whiche they seemed to haue by that scripture he seeketh theime owte another meaning not contrary at all to the trueth of Purgatory but yet farther off theire purpose Declaring that this fyer might as he saith there signify summe grefe off this worlde for the abatyng of summe inordinate affections that be founde in many euen towardes thinges otherwise lawfull Thoughe he was very lothe to auouche this as the vndouted meaning of that scripture being pleaced with any other wherby they shoulde not be forced to deny the aeternall damnation of impaenitent sinners as in deede he neuer gaue this meaning but where the Origenistes did vrge him and in such places only where he answereth to Origens argumentes â–ª for in other places where he was free from contention with the saide sectes he euer in expresse termes grounded the doctrine of Purgatory vpon the Apostles wordes Yea euen in the same answere to the aduersary he was so mindful of Goddes iustice in the world to coom and ferd lest he might geue any occasion of the contrary errour to deny purgatory that in the same talke with the Origenistes he confesseth there might wel be summe greffe in the nexte lyefe allso which might likewise purge and delyuer a man from the loue of transitory thinges wherwithe the best sorte of men be in this our misery often very sore loden Allthoughe in dede he doubted whether any suche affection and loue of thinges deare vnto vs in this worlde as of wiefe kinred acquaintance Euch Câ—p. 67. 68. or suche lyke might remaine in man after his departure hense and so there in time to be lessened and in fine vtterly remoued or worne away by som greefe and sorow which in the nexte lyefe might by the lacke of the said things vexe and molest his minde As we see it commuÌ„ly faule in this present liefe where man by diuerse proffitable troobles of this worlde lerneth to set light by thinges which in ordre he might well loue being for all that more merite to forsake theyme Euch Cap. 69. And of this pointe S. Augustine hathe these wordes in one place Tale aliquid fieri etiam post banc vitam incredibile non est vtrum ita sit quaeri potest sum such thing may well be after this lyefe and therof quaestion may be made This clerkly argument our englishe apologie vrgeth By whiche wordes the haeretikes of oure tyme ether of ignorance or of malice whiche be euer yoked to gether in suche men haue borne the simple in hand that this holy doctour doubted of Purgatory A little houlde wil serue such wringers because he doubted of it they beleue as they thinke by good authority that
Prouerb A wicked man being once departed is past recouery or hope Where the author writeth thus Heu misere hoc pertransit Origenes qui post vniuersale iudicium vitam credidit omnibus impijs dandam Notandum autem quod etsi impijs post mortem spes veniae non sit sunt tamen qui de leuioribus peccatis cum quibus obligati defuncti sunt â–ª post mortem possunt absolui Origen passed ouer this texte pitifully that beleued all the wicked should haue at lenght liefe euerlasting after the day of generall iudgement Yet this is to be noted that allthough there be no hope of pardon for the wicked after theire death yet there be certeine whiche may be released of lighter trespasses in the bond of which they departed out of this world And so dooth Oecumenius a greeke author expounde S. Paules wordes off veniall sinnes for the purgation of whiche he dobuteth not but that there is a fire of iudgement in the liefe to come Ipse autem saluabitur quis Super. 3. Cap. 1. ad Cor. Qui aurum argentum lapides preciosos superaedificauerit cum enim dixisset de eo quod mercedem accipiet nunc qualem mercedem aperit salutem scilicet Saluabitur autem non sine dolore vt par est saluari per ignem transeuntem adhaerentes sibi leues maculas purgantem â–ª thus in Englishe By whome is it spoken when he saith he shall be saued By him it is spoken that buildeth on the foundatioÌ„ goulde filuer and preciouse stones For when he had towlde vs that suche shoulde haue a rewarde nowe he openeth what that rewarde shoulde be to wiett saluation And yet he must not be saued witheoute all paine as there is no cause why he should that must passe through fier and therby be pourged of the smauler spottes whiche sticke by him In the same sense dothe Theodoretus bothe expounde the wordes of the Apostle and vtter his iudgement of Purgatory also Super. 3. c. Malach. and allmost the rest of all the latine or Greke writers whiche my purposed breuitye with plentifull proufe otherwise forcethe me to leaue to the studious reader One place more I will onely adde oute of Remigius bicause he learnedly may knitte vp the place by ioyning bothe the prophet and Apostles wordes together In. 3. cap. Malach. vpon whiche we haue stand so longe Thus that good author writeth Ipse enim quasi ignis conflans peccatores exurens Ignis enim in conspectu eius ardebit in circuitu eius tempestas valida Hoc igne consumuntur lignuÌ„ foenum stipula Nec solum erit quasi ignis sed etiam quasi herba fullonum qua vestes nimiuÌ„ sordibus infectae lauantur Porro his qui grauiter peccauerunt erit ignis conflans exurens illis vero qui leuia peccata commiseruÌ„t erit herba fullonum Hinc per Isaiam dicitur si abluerit dominus c. Qui enim haheÌ„t sordes leuium peccatorum spiritu iudicij purgantur qui vero sanguinem habent hoc est grauioribus peccatis infecti sunt spiritu ardoris exurentur purgabuntur Et sedebit conflans emundans argentum colabit eos quasi auruÌ„ argentuÌ„ hoc est intellectum colloquium vt quicquid mixtum est stanno vel plumbo camino domini exuratur quod purum aurum est argentum remaneat Et purgabit filios Leui In filiis Leui omnem sacerdotalem ordinem intelligimus a quibus iudiciuÌ„ incipiet quia scriptum est tempus est vt iudicium incipiat a domo dei 1. Petri. 4. alibi a sanctuario meo incipite Si autem sacerdos flammis purgandus est colandus quid de caeteris dicendum est quos nullum coÌ„mendat priuilegium sanctitatis These goulden wordes haue this sense He shall coom as the gouldesmithes fyre â—â—â—â—ing sinners For in his sight a flame â—â—l ryse and a mighty tempest rownd â—boute him by whiche fyre our wodde hay and stooble shall be wasted and worne away With that he shall be lyke the cleÌ„sers herbe wherby garmeÌ„ts very much stayned be purged To all those that haue greuously offended he will be a burning and melltyng fyre but to the light sinners he shall be as the wasshers herbe Whiche difference the Prophet Esai noteth thus Cap. 4. Yff oure lorde wipe a way the filthe of the doghters of Syon and blodd from the middest of Israel in the spirite of iudgement and fyre For such as haue onely the spottes of veniall sinnes they may be amended by the spirite of iudgement but men of bloodde to witte the more greuous offenders must be tried by fire And he shall sitte casting and purifying siluer and shall purge menne as goulde and siluer be purified that is to say our thoghtes vnderstanding and wordes I call stannum peuter moued by the circumstaÌ„ce of the letter from impurity and vncleanesse as from pewter and leade by Goddes fornace shall exactly be pourged and nothing shall be lefte but pure as goulde and fine siluer And he shall pourge the sonnes of Leui that is the ordre of priesthood where this heuy iudgement shall first begin For so it is writen 1. Pet. 4. Tyme is nowe that iudgement begin at the howse of God and ageine Begin at my sanctuary Yff the priest muste be purged and fined what shal we deme of other whome priuilege of holy ordre dooth not commende or helpe thus farre goeth the author in conference of diuerse scriptures Who with the rest of all the holy fathers that compased their senses with in the vnity of Christes Churche hathe fownd by euident testimonye of sundry scriptures the paines of purgatory whiche the busy heades of oure tyme by vayne bragging off scriptures in singulare arrogancy off they re owne wittes can neuer finde A forther declaration of this poynte for the better vnderstanding of the doctoures vvordes VVherin it is opened hovve purgatory is ordeined for mortall sinnes and hovv for smauler offenses vvho are like to fele that grefe and vvho not at all Cap. 9. ANd I thinke they nowe haue smaule aduantage by thexception of Origens testimony by occasion wheroff suche light is fownde for oure cause that we nowe by goodly authority haue bothe fownde the placies alleaged plainely to proue purgatory and allso what sinnes it namely pourgeth and what men after theire death may be ameÌ„ded therby â–ª that not onely the bare trueth but sum necessary circumstances to the studious of the truethe haue bene here by iust occasion opened and all errour wholy remoued Except this point may somwhat stay the reader that heareth in som places the paines of Purgatory to be bothe a poonishment for greuous sinnes and a purgation of lighter trespasses with all and yet that it now may appeare the contrary by the mynde off som learned authors who expressely make that payne as a remedy onely for veniall sinnes and not to
refresshing But howe so euer God worketh in this case with the perfyte sort this the churche beleueth and so this doctoure teacheth and therfore I dare be boulde to say it that suche nether suffer any payne nor taryaunce by the waye Though by nature that fyre or torment praepared for the amendment and poonishing of sinne or the drosse therof might of force and right take hould there where corruption of sinne by any meanes hath bene thath is not wholy purified before Therfore the soule of our sauiour being alltogether vnspotted coulde not be subiect to any sufferance in the worlde to com by any ordinaunce praepared for the poonishment of sinne that fyre hauing no further graunt by creation and naturall property but to waste there where sinne is fownd to haue bene Vpon other it woulde worke til all corruption were consumed if mercy did not praeuent bothe in purifyng those singulare elect vesselles and in repressing the nature of the flame praepared that it practise not iustice where God hath abundantly shewed grace and mercy before All beit I doo not say that the fyry sworde is in the passage of euery soule towardes heauen for that is Goddes secret and I will with S. Ambrose in the same place say Quod legi praesumo Ibidem quod non legi scientibus relinquo That whiche I haue redd in graue authority that will I bouldely auouche that whiche I haue not redde with feare and reuerence I commit to men of more knouledge As with owte exception I submit my sellfe to the determination of Goddes church in all these poyntes of mysteries whiche in this deape matter course of taulke may driue me vnto But now for the meaner sorte that with Christian faith and good workes haue yet som baser building of infirmity or lighter trespasses allso those must nedes be tried by the fire of iuste iudgemēt in the worlde to come And this is that which S. Augustin calleth so often the Amending fyre Vide Ruper tum in 3. ca genes In ser de s Nicolao S. Ambrose the fyry sword S. Bernarde termeth it the place of expiation In quo pater benignus examinat filios rubiginosos sicut examinatur argentum In whiche oure mercifull father trieth his rusty children as siluer is tried Whiche all these holy fathers with the rest oftentimes doo name by the common calling of Purgatory Reade all these place is named if thow haste occasion thy sellfe and there thow shalte finde to thy singulare comforth sufficient proufe of thy faithe greate motion of godly lyefe withe necessary feare of Goddes iudgements Thowe shalte maruell at the ignorance of oure time that could euer doubt of so plaine a matter thow shalt pity with all thy harte the vnworthy deceiuing of the vnlerned and haue large matter to withstand the deceiuers and to help the simple home againe A place alleaged for Purgatory ovvte off S. Matthevv vvith certeyne of the Auncient fathers iudgements vpon the same Cap. 10. ANd yet it shall be conuenient that I helpe the studious reader with further proufe oute of the holy scripture that he may be fully established in his faithe and the aduersary haeretike wholy confounded in his misbelife Yf he list not rather as I heartely pray to God that he may geue ouer that vnnatural plea houlden too longe ageinst the Catholyke Churche oure moother Geue eare then vnto the woordes of oure sauioure writen in the Ghospell of S. Matthew Esto consentiens aduersario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo Cap. 5. ne forte tradat te aduersarius iudici Lucae 12. iudex tradat te ministro in carcerem mittaris A men dico tibi nō exies inde donec reddas nouissimum quadrantem Be att agreemente with thyne aduersary speedely whiles thow arte with him in the waie Lest that aduersary deliuer the vpp to the iudge and the iudge committe the to an officer by whom thow may be cast into prison surely I say vnto the thow shalte not gett oute till thow haue discharged the vttermost farthing Now being desirous of the truethe and true meaning of this letter for the vnderstanding maketh all bicause there may arise by the darkenesse of that figuratiue speache some diuersity of sense let vs indifferently wey euery word and with diligence examine the circumstances of the texte wherby any light may appeare And first being admonished to agree with oure aduersary we may right wel knowe that he meaneth not by the cōmon enimy of oure kind 1. Petri. 5. that rometh about seeking whom he may deuoure for his cruell assaultes must onely by resistaunce be withstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nether the worde whiche the Euangelistes there vsed can properly signifye any malicious enymy Litigator seu actor that by hatered of oure person is become oure deadly foe as those whiche be skillfull in the languageis wherin they wrote doo confesse But rather as well the worde as the iust consideration of the place dryueth vs to acknouledge that this oure aduersary here signifieth our brother whiche hathe iuste quarel against vs in iudgement for that we woulde not geue eare vnto him sharply admonishing vs of oure faultes being therfore an aduersary to our vicies and fleshly conuersation In which sort to vs that are flesshe and bloodde and redy to euel from oure youth all be aduersaryes that preache Christe the amendment of licentious maners repentaunce of oure lothsom lyefe past Vide Bern. ser 85. super cantit or elles vse ageinst vs the rodde of correction and bodyly poonishment that our soules may be saued in the day of thappearing of oure lorde To this kinde of aduersary Christe councelleth and commaundeth vs for our greate good to agree and consent whiles we be here in the way of this oure pilgramage and transitory lyefe lest all these meanes whiche he wroght to reduce vs to the perfection off a Christian godly lyefe be as it were a witnesse of oure contempte and him selfe oure accuser before the iudge that shall so iustely rewarde euery man according to his deedes Act. 10. that is Christe him sellfe to whome the father hathe geuen all iudgement Whose ministers being Angelles ether good or badde for th execution of iustice vpō sinners shall at his appointment cast vs into the prison and dongion there to be howlden from lyefe and lyberty till we haue payde the last farthing the toleration of whiche bondes shall recompense the debtes whiche by well dooyng and muche mourning in the way off this world we refused to pay as S. Augustin piththely speaketh in these wordes Si non reddit faciendo iustitiam De libero Arbitrio lib. 3. c. 15 reddet patiendo miseriam he that paithe not his debt by dooing that whiche is iuste and right he shall pay it by suffering misery Whiche we trust the pitifull paynes of that prison through the onely desertes and merites of Christe our lorde and God
shall so discharge that after the payment ether pardoned or fully made we may haue ioyfull accesse to his blessed presence For the forme of speache vsed in lyke ordre of wordes by bothe the Euangelistes dothe vs plainely to vnderstand that we may through Christe make ful payment therof Elles he would not by liklyhoodd haue sayde that we shoulde not escape fourthe tyll we had discharged the vtmost farthing but rather that seuere iudge woulde haue geuen charge that thoffender shoulde be bond hand and foutte and cast into the dark doungion of euerlasting damnation praepared for the deuill and his Angells whiche is the second and euerlasting deathe Namely the worde off Imprisonment so well agreing therunto Carcâ—r that it may not well admit any other meaning but a place of temporall torment For a prison is a place of correction and chastisement of suche as be on lyue in which as longe as lyefe lasteth a man may be in hope of liberty thoughe his bondage for a tyme be neuer so vntollerable but when sentence of deathe is once pronounced in this worlde or damnation in the nexte then we may right wel knowe Goddes mercy to be shutte vppe and the party desperate of all recouery Nether the name off imprisonment in scripture is lightly taken for the place of euerlasting pounishment nor can by conference of the sundry partes of this letter haue here conuenyently any suche sense And these notes well and diligently considered may geue greate light to the alleaged wordes otherwise somwhat obscure and therwith prooue our matter too They be not of my scanning onely as for som parte thowe shallte pecceiue by these wordes of Rupert Super. 5. cap. Matt. an excellent good author Aduersarius eorum qui erant eiusmodi sermo fuit euangelij omnis praedicator euangelicae veritatis potestatem habens non consentientem sibi tradere iudici non solum iudici verum etiam malo ministro quemadmodum vnus eorum tradidit hominem satanae The aduersary of suche men was the woorde of the gospel and eche preacher of the trueth who had powre to delyuer him that woulde not agree vnto him to the iudge yea further then that he had authority to committe him to an euil minister as one of theime gaue vpp a man to SataÌ„ Here we see what that aduersary is to whom we must consent in this lyefe and withall we haue an example in this iudgemeÌ„t of Goddes ministers howe man may be committed in the next lyfe to a tormenter that may vexe him then at Goddes prescripsion as he doothe nowe at the charge onely of his minister then in fauoure and mercy of the iudge as it is nowe in loue and charity of the vicegerent then for the atteyning of heauens blesse as it is nowe for the saluation of the person poonished For the execution of Goddes sentence may be ether by a good spirite Lib. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 13. or oure aduersary Angel or by his wil and worde onely to whome all creatures serue and obey In this sense Paulinus who was S. Augustines peare writeth that the holy Gost and Goddes worde be mannes aduersaryes in earthe to whome if we applye oure selues obediently in this worlde our sorowe can not be long in the next lyefe But these be his owne wordes Ad AmaÌ„dum epi. 1. Neque septem dies luctus noster excedat si consentiamus in huius vitae via aduersario nostro id est spiritui ac verbo dei quod nobis peccantibus aduersatur c. Oure grefe can not be muche longer then seuen dayes he meaneth it shall be a temporall payne and not very longe yff we consent in the way of this lyefe to oure aduersary that is to witte the spirite and worde of God For they be oure aduersaryes when we sinne bicause the holy Gost chargeth the world with sinne and the word of God if we obey not will be oure accuser and promotour vpp vnto the Iudge who will haue an accompte of his talent to the vttermost farthinge Thus farre spake this Author and in lyke sense many moe whome I neade not nowe name Bicause there is such store of testimonyes that not onely in som part make for the opening of this scripture but alltogether for Purgatory And one or two of theime I will briefly recite bicause I determined with my sellfe and bounde my selfe for my discharge and the readers more safe warraunt to bring no texte of scripture for the proufe off my purpose excepte I might fynd som holy writers of the antiquity that vsed the same directly in that sense that if any man would repreheÌ„d my meaning yet he shoulde not be so bowlde withe suche as I can name and prooue to be my authors therin But whome may I more safely alleage for the contentation of sober wittes and repressyng the aduersaryes bowldenesse then the blessed martyr S. Ciprian Who in the fourth booke of his Epistles for the declaration that euery one whiche here is pardoned of his sinnes shall not streght be exalted to the glory of sanctes and martyrs after theire deathe vseth very fetly as he dothe all other placeis of scripture the forsayde text by these wordes Aliud est ad veniam stare aliud ad gloriam peruenire Epist. 2. aliud missum in carcereÌ„ non exire donec soluat nouissimum quadrantem aliud statim fidei virtutis accipere mercedem aliud pro peccato longo dolore cruciari purgari diu igne aliud peccata omnia passione purgari aliud denique pendere in die iudicij ad sententiam domini aliud statim a domino coronari In English it is another thinge to stande at a pardon then owte of hand to atteyne to glory it is a nother maner of matter to be commited to prison See hovve fully he expresseth bothe the vvord and meaning of purgatory thense not to depart tyl the last farthing be discharged and to receiue owte of hand the reward of faithe and vertue It is one thinge by greate sorowe to be tormented for oure sinnes He calleth the sentence off God in the next life iudgement and by longe fyre amended and pourged of the same and another to haue sufficiently pourged theim by martyrdom in fyne it is not all one to hange on Goddes sentence in the day of iudgement and owte of hand to be crowned of oure lorde These wordes as yowe see expressely prooue oure matter open the meaning of the scripture whereon we nowe stoode and doo clearely sett forth the ordre of Goddes iustice in the next lyefe And they shall content the reader better if he marke vpon what occasion this blessed man spake these wordes There were many in the persecution of that tyme that for feare or worldly respectes denyed theire faithe and offered to idolles who afterward the storme off tyranny somwhat being caulmed coÌ„fessed their faulte and did penaunce for the same by S. Ciprian
let theime shewe wherupon theire own credets be growne so greate that withe owt reason liklyhod or authority men must neades beleue theime It is a straunge case that what so euer they auouche it must be Goddes worde what meaning so euer they make for mainteinaunce of their wicked foly it must be termed the true sense of scripture And the trueth it selfe shewing al force in the conference off diuers places off holy writte in weght of reason in the workes and wrytyngs of al antiquitye shall be so lightly regarded I woulde to God the people pitifully deceiued by suche vaine flying taulke coulde behoulde the vpright wayes of trueth The difference betvvixte the Catholikes dealing and the aduersaryes or coulde learne by the plaine dealing of oure side to require som grownded proufe of these new doctoures deuiseis They may well perceyue if they haue any necessary care of those weghty matters touching our saluation so nere that the Catholike neuer aduētureth to bring any scripture for his purpose but he wil be suer for his warraunt to haue the same so expownded by the auncient fathers of oure faithe lest by his rashnesse he deceyue other and father som faulshod vpon the holy writers of Goddes will whiche were horrible sacrilege But on the other side if a man might pose maister Caluin or Flaccius or suche other of that light family what doctour or scripture they folowed in the exposition of S. Iames his place Iacob 5. for the anointing with holy oyle when they were not ashamed to geue this sense of that scripture that it weare good to call the elders off the people that had som salue or ointement medicinable to ease the sike mannes sore what woulde they say I am sure suche felowes will not excuse theimeselues by ignorance for the arrogācy of that sort had rather be counted ether malicious or praesumptuous then vnskillfull but of passing bowldenesse all suche must neades be noted that dare shape suche an exposition off Goddes blessed worde whiche they neuer hearde surmised of any wyse man before 1. ad Tim. 5. What doctour did they or Luther folowe when they expounded S. Paules wordes of widowes mariage after vowes made whiche the texte calleth breaking theire first faithe to be meant by the promesse of the Christian faithe made in Baptisme Was not this a galant glose in this sense she that breakes her faith of baptisme shall be damned for mariage Aske theime wher these prety scholes were first picked Pose master Iuell where he had that the churche of God might erre Yowe shall see theime ernestly vrged in these matters howe little they haue to say and yet how fast they will tennesse one to another in taulke But I will not make a reckoning of theire vnseemly glosies I woulde their folowers would onely but aske theime in all matters from whense they had suche newe meaninges whiche they falsely father on Goddes word that we might once hedge theime with in som compasse of reason as we be contented with al oure heartes to charge our own selues in euery matter that we handle as partely they may conceiue by oure discourse and shall more clearely anone An ansvver to certeyne obiections of the aduersaryes moued vpon the diuersity off meanings vvhich they see geuē in the fathers vvritynges of the scriptures before alleaged for Purgatory and that this doctrine of the churche standeth not ageinst the sufficiency of Christes Passion Cap. 11. Obiect BVt nowe the other side seeketh for som shiftes and drawethe backe in thys extremyty thus That the places of the owlde and newe testament nowe rather alleaged for my purpose and the proufe of purgatory thoughe they be thus expounded of the doctoures yet they may haue some other meaninge and sumtymes be construed otherwise by the fathers theime selues Ansvver To whiche I answer and freely confesse that they so may haue in deede but the aduersary must take this with all that the pillars of Christes Churche woulde neuer haue geuen this sense emongest other or rather before all other meaninges that probabelyty or cōference of scriptures did driue theime vnto hadde it conteyned a plaine faulshood as the haeretike supposeth it doothe Yea had not the doctrine of Purgatory bene a knowne trueth in all ageis it should neuer by the graue iudgement of so many wyse men haue atteyned any coloure of scripture For thoughe many meaninges be fownde of moste harde places in all the bible yet there is no sense geuen by any approued doctoure that in it sellfe is faulse And thinke yowe diuerse textes of the holy scripture coulde haue caryed a faulse persuation of Purgatory downe from the apostles dayes to oure tyme for true doctryne Marke well and yowe shal perceyue that the Church of Christe hathe euer geuen roome to the diuersitye of mennes wittes the diuision of graces and sondry geftes in expositiō of most places of the whole testament Diuersity of sensies be allovved so that none of theime conteine any fallshood in it selfe with this prouiso alwayes that no man of singularity should father any faulshodde or vntrueth vpon any texte but otherwise that euery man might abund in his meaning Mary faulshood she neuer suffered one momēt to take hould or bearing of any scripture vnrepraehended The diligent vvatche that the churche kepeth ouer the truth Ecclesia multa tolerat saith S. Augustine tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non probat nec tacet nec facit the Churche beareth many thinges yet suche thinges as be hourtfull to faithe or good lyefe she neuer approuethe Epi. 110. nor dothe theime her selfe nor howldethe her peace when she seeth theime doone by others Therof we haue a goodly example in oure owne matter So longe as any conuenient meaning might be fownde owte by the holy writers of that place alleaged owte of S. Paule for suche as should be saued through fier she liked and alowed the same Som proued that the elect must be saued by lōg sufferāce som sayd the tribulatiō of this lyfe and world must trie mennes faith and workes som said the grefe of mind in losing that whiche they ouer muche loued was the burning fire of mannes affections som woulde haue the greuous vexation of departure owte of this lyefe to be a purgatory paines som construed the texte of the fyre of conflagration that shall pourge the workes of many in the latter day finially they all agreede that the temporall torment of the worlde to coom is litterally noted and especyally meant by the fire which the Apostle speaketh of All these so little doo disagree emongest theime selues that not onely by diuerse men but off one man they might well all be geuen And being al in theime selfe very true the holy Churche so likethe and alloweth theime eche one that yet by tho common iudgement of al learned men that meaning for Purgatory paines she approueth as the most agreeable
sense to the texte and whole circumstance off the letter But as soone as Origen went aboute to prooue by the same scripture that all wicked men shoulde at lengthe be saued after due purgation by fier then this pillar of truethe seeing an open faulshod gathered by the scripture of goddes worde coulde susteyne no longer She set vpp against this errour her pastors the graue fathers of our faithe ▪ who ceased not as occasion serued to geue men warninge of the deceite intended not onely stille mainteining the doctryne of Purgatory but allso expressely condemnyng all the reprehenders thereof as hereafter it shall be better declared and so misliking no sense that in it selfe was true the meaning of Purgatory yet hath bene of all the learned counted so certaine that in geuing any other lykly exposition that was euer added with all as most consonant to the will and wordes off the writers So dothe Theodoretus so dothe S. Augustine and so in a maner did they all And as the saide holy doctour saith with whose wordes I am much delited bycause he of all other maketh trueth stand most plainely vpon it self One texte of scripture may well haue so many vnderstandings as may stand withe truethe 12. Confes and be not repugnaunt to good lyefe and manners And he hedgeth the diuersity of mennes wittes in the exposition of scripture with in the dooble knott of loue which is towards God and our brother De doctri Christiana li. 1. c. 36. VVho so euer saith he takethe him selfe to vnderstande scripture or anye parte thereof and in that meaning aedifieth nothing at all the dooble loue of God and oure neightbour he misseth the true meaning thereof Butt who so euer can fiend owt such a sense that may be commodious to the increase of charitie althoughe it were not directly intended by the writer yet he is not harmefully deceiued nor fownde a lyar therein so saith he Nowe as for oure matter I am well assured there dare no man thoughe he were destitute of Goddes grace yet not for shame of him selfe affirme that the doctrine of Purgatory is hourtfull to vertuous liefe the onely miscreditt wherof hath vtterly banished al good Christian condicions oriniurious to the faithe of Goddes Churche whiche is not onely agreable but principally intended by the plaine letter of Goddes worde and consonaunt to all other meanings that may be gathered by any such scripture as we haue alleaged there for and to be short receiued of so many fathers so wise and so well learned as we haue named for that purpouse as a truethe moste reasonable most naturall and most agreeable to Goddes iustice Well then the misbeleuers can haue no shifte nor escape by the chalenge of Goddes worde or doctures or diuersity of sensies here is no houlde for erroure all I trust be safe and sure on euery saide Obiectiō Theire extreme and onely refuge is that the paine of Christes passion and his sufficient payment for oure sinnes standeth not with oure satisfaction or poenaunce in this liefe nor with paine or purgatory in the next O lorde howe farre may mannes malice reache that not contented to abuse theire reason and the worde of God in persuasion of erroure but are bowlde to referre Christes blessed deathe allso to cloke together with faulshood ansvver wanton and licentious lieuing Many vertuous persons haue ben prouoked by the meditation of oure sauiours sorowes to leaue the flattering welthe of this worlde and to charge theime selues with perpetuall vexation of body but that any did euer so rest vpon Christes passion that in respecte thereof they might passe theire dayes midle welthe off lust and liberty that was I trowe vnhearde of before this sinfull secte These felowes argue thus Christe hath paide the full price of our sinnes ergo we must doo no poenaunce nor suffer any paine for theime But S. Paule thus Christe by paine and passion is entred into the glory of his kingdome Rom. 8. ergo if we looke to be his felowe heires or partakers of his glory we must suffer affliction with him and ioyne with him in paines and passion S. Peter also thus Christe hathe suffered leauing you an example that ye should folowe his steppes 1. Petri. 2. therefore all his blessed liefe passed in paine muste be a perpetuall sturring vppe of toleration Matth. 3. and gladde suffering for his name agayne Iohn oure masters messenger praepared the way of Christes deathe and doctrine by worthy fructes of poenaunce Mat. 4. and that was the beginning off Christes owne preaching therefore I dare be boulde to say these thinges are not abrogated by the teaching of the Ghospell nor voide by Christes passion whiche onely maketh oure workes and merites to be of that value and acceptation that all catholike men counte theime of whiche elles to the satisfying for sinne shoulde be nothing auaileable nor to to the atteining of heauen any thing profitable But it is foly to make ouer many wordes in a case so plaine seeing the example of both God and good mennes dealing abundantely proueth mannes poonishment ether temporall or aeternall to stand well withe the excellent value of oure sauioures deathe For if paine for sinne were iniurious to Christes death then the holy prophet Dauid that liued long in greuous poenaunce were iniurious to his Lordes deathe then the Churche were iniurious to her owne spouse his deathe that chargethe all offenders with poenaunce then God him sellfe were iniurious to his owne sonnes deathe that sharply poonisheth sinne forgeuen then Christe him felfe were iniurious to his owne death that bothe by his example and holy preaching dyd euer commend sharpe poenaunce and paine These delicate teachers of oure time that vnder praetence of preaching the Ghospell auouching the glory of God and the grace of oure redemption haue serued mennes lustes abandoned the owlde austerity of Christian liefe and rased oute of the peoples hartes the feare of Goddes iudgementes were foreseene by the holy Apostle Iudas And he calleth theime Iudas in epist Impios transferentes Domini nostri gratiam in luxuriam Wicked men turning the grace of our Lorde vnto wantonnesse and lust Ageinst whome allso S. Paule made this exception Ad Gal. 5. that they shoulde not in any wise by the freedom of our redemption chalenge any liberty of the fleshe Notwithstanding Christes passion then we must not otherwise thinke but to suffer for oure owne sinnes not as helping the insufficiencie of his merites but as making our selues apte to receiue that blessed benefite which effectually worketh vpon no man but by meanes nor serueth any to saluation but by obedience of his will and worde Ad Haebr cap. 5. For if Christes death shoulde woorke accordinge to the full force of it selfe it woulde doubtlesse supp vpp all sinne and al paine for sinne it might wype away death bothe of this praesent lyefe and aeternall it woulde leaue nether Hell Purgatory nor paine the price and
a maner a frade him self of wasting away in that horrible tormēt none more effectually then S. Augustine that confesseth there is no earthely paine comparable vnto it Lib. 4. Ca. 10. de ortho fid none more fearefully then Eusebius Emissenus who termeth it skaulding waues off fyre none more pithely then Paulinus that calleth those places off iudgements Ad Amandum epi. ◠Ardentes tenebras burning darknesse More peculiarely may the circūstances and cōdicion of that state by god be reueled but the trueth therof can not be more plainely declared nor better prooued These babes feared no bugges I warraunt yovv nether picked they Purgatory owte of Scipio his dreame but they had it owte of Goddes holy worde and tradition of the holy apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of truth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost laboure to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth whiche all the holy doctoures haue so fully both proued and declared to my hand But nowe for vs that throughe Goddes greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefite of this oure approued faithe to the amendement of oure owne lyues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctoure can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good liefe and vertuous conuersation may by Christes mercy moue theime Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgment must begī at the howse of God Epist 1. ca. 4. Ambros vbi supra as S. Peter affirmeth and so dooth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whom for the dignity of his honourable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckoning must be required Let the Lay man lerne for the auoyding of greater daūger in the praesence of the highe Iudg willingly to submitt him self to Goddes holy ministers Who haue in most ample manner a commission of executing Christes office in earthe bothe for pardoning and poonishement of sinne that sufferinge here in his Churche sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape oure fathers greuous chastisement in the liefe to coom Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing poenaunce he woulde measure the medecine by the malady aptly discerning the limitation of the poonishement by the quantity of the faulte not vsing lyke lenity in closing vp of euery wound For they shall not be blamelesse surely that doo the woorke of Goddes iudgement committed to theire discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of suche vnaequall remedies auoyde the skourge of iudgement praepared ▪ except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men should som forther satisfaction by the fructes of poenaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned paenalty and so by Goddes grace turne away the greate grefe to coom Excellently well Epist 2. and to oure pupose saide S. Cyprian in the fourthe booke of his epistles taulking of suche offenders as were not charged with poenaunce sufficyently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes VVe shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Goddes iudgmēt that is to coom that he may not alowe and ratifie oure sentence if he finde the perfect poenaunce of the party so require But if the offēder haue deluded vs by fayned accōplishing of his paenaunce then God who will not be deluded bicause he behouldeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of suche thinges as were hidde from vs. And so oure Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes Wher this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Pugatory whiche S. Augustin and other doo often call the amending fyere Thoughe it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to aeternall damnation vppon the impoenitent sinner whome the prieste bicause he coulde not discerne the fained hipocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stand I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement Howe so euer that be it is a woorke of singulare grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede off the amending fyer Of the nature and condicion of Purgatotory fyre the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke Cap. 13. IF any curious head list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the world this place of poonishmēt is or what nature that fyre is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity bicause he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The lerned may see that quaestion at large debated in the bookes of the City of God Lib. 20. and in the litterall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Libro 8. cap. 5 Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormēti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus a contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure saith S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent payne and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but howe or of what nature that Hell flame and fyre is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tong or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the droppe to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfyed to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shal neuer be knowen Therfore better it is to be in doubt of these secretts then to stand in contentious reasoning off thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaunce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of oure fyre and bothe by scriptures and doctours is most termed by the name of fyre as Hell torment is It woorketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vppon the riche mannes soule and all other that be allready in Helle before the receiuing of theire bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible greefe may be as greate of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus Cyrill in vita
the vnworthinesse of these our dooleful daies and bewailed his own misery as we shoulde doo oures Ita Policarp ex Iren. crying owt with an oulde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tēpora vt ista blasphema sustineā O Lorde that I shoulde be reserued for these times to abide suche blasphemie victor de persecut vandal Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruel haeretikes would not suffer the christian men whome he had slaine to be broght home withe seruice and sacrifice but then the good people woonderfully bewailed theire case seeing theim practise cruelty vpon theire soules allso in that they would not suffer theime to enioye at their departure and buriall the rites of goddes church Thus saithe that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrimis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitatehimnorū cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue fownd in his heart to be houlde then or could yet once thinke of it withe owte teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be broght to the graue and buried with owte all solemnity of himnes in silence and sorowe Ecclesi Cap. 7. It was euer giuen to wicked hard harted haeretiques to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercifull and to staie the fauoure of good men from the departed epist 8. li. 2. Nouatus as S. Cyprian chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctū sepelire would not bury his owne father deade of honger bane But to let suche men passe withe the praesent bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more conforte behould the steppes of good men past how kindely and brotherlyke they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for they re frendes and felowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the repraesentation of som holy workes of almose hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towards the release of the departed his payne what may we not hope to obteyne for oure britherne deceased when we shal ioyne in prayers withe the holy angelles with the blessed sanctes with Goddes holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole churche of god in that honorable action prayethe and Christe him selfe is both the sacrifice and the priest both the asker and the geuer of pardon when the maiesty of God the blessed trinitye is passingly pleaced by the merites of Christes deathe so liuely set out in these honorable but vnspeakable mysteries what may we not here procure for the soule of the churchies childe what shal be denied to so humble askers in the praesence of goddes own son and begging mercy for his deathes sake And so doth S. Chrisostom assure the faithfull in these goulden wordes Non frustra ab apostolis sancitum est vt in celebratione vener andorū mysteriorum memoria fiat eorum qui hinc discesserunt Homil. 3. in epistolā ad philipp nouerunt quippe illis multum hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis stante siquidem vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu item sacerdotali verendoque proposito sacrificio quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not for noght that the apostles decried and ordeined that in the celebratiō of the honorable mysteries there should be an especiall memoriall of the departed for they right well knewe greate commodity and benefite to arise ther vpon For the whole multitude houlding vp theire handes towards heauen together with the company and quiere of priestes and the dreadfull sacrifice set furth before all men howe is it possible but we shoulde appeace goddes wrath praying for theim loke ye what this mannes iudgement was and see from whense he had it euē of the holy apostles I warraunt yowe and no worse nor latter fownders But of that pointe for the full deriuing of our christian vsage frō the first fathers of our faith more cōuenient place shal be geuen herafter Nowe I wil serue the cause and the readers desire first withe certaine peculiare examples of most learned and godly fathers worthy of all credet in the godly prouision for certeine of theire dearest frendes by sacrifice and praier both made by theim selues and procured by others That we may haue here not onely whom to beleeue teaching the truethe but whome to folowe practising the same with deuotion which they preached withe cōstancye before 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 praiers vttered their beliefe in our matter Cap. 9. ANd I take the open practise of any point to be a more pithy protestation of a mānes faithe thē by words cā be made Therfore if a mā were doubtful ether of the trueth of any article or of the meaning of sum doctours wordes looke the same mannes practise and it shall put him owt of doubt thereof streght wayes as for an example seeme sum wordes of S. Augustin to make for the sacramentaries haeresie that Christe is in the honourable sacrament but by a figure or Theodoretus or any other auncient fathers declaratiō are their wordes doubtful to the reader leaue the wordes thē if thowe syncerely seeke for truethe with owte contention and seeke owte if thowe can sum practise of those same men and that Churche where they liued for the same point But what way of worke in this matter consisting in doctrine may assure vs of theire beliefe of whose wordes we doubted before Theodor. dial 2. August super psal 98. Dionis ecclesiast hierarch Cap. 3. Basil de spiritu sanct Cap. 27. Mary sir this looke howe they behaued theime selues in the receiuing of it in the ministering of it in the carefull keping of it whether they did adore it with godly honoure whether they solemnely shewed it to the people to be worshipped whether they praide by solemne and formall wordes vnto it whether they taughte theire children to caulle it God and Christe Lib. 3. de Trin. c.. 10 yea so farre that Augustine affirmeth that the children in his daies till they were after instructed thought that God appeared in the shappe of breade as all these yongers seeing the honour and reuerence of theire elders and theime selues nurtered to houlde vppe theire handes and knocke theire brestes must yet needes meruaile how these owtwarde formes came to so holy an vse further whether the Christiā people were not sclaundered for worshipping and doing sacrifice to Ceres and Bacchus Lib. 20. cōtra Faustū Cap. 13. when the wicked infidelles sawe theire behauiour towardes the holy Hoste whether it was not vsed in woorking of miracles in driuing away deuilles in daungerouse times of
the like is nowe before proued Call vpoÌ„ theim and aske theim in earnest because it lieth vpon thy saluation whether thowe muste geue any credet to the perpetuall agreement and consent of all auncient doctors If they saye yea desire theime to answer first to all these placies so euidently confirming oure purpose that they can not abyde any clowde or couer of mannes sutteltye for theire shifting to any forged sense If they can not yet let theime alleage sum place of any auncient writer theime selues whiche doo expressely denye purgatory or praiers for the deade as we for they confirming thereof haue doone in plaine termes with owte crafte or colour many If they be not able to doo so much yet go further withe theime aske theyme whether they haue any expresse wordes in scripture that denie praiers to be proffitable for the dead not by a fonde gesse of theire own heades corrupt coÌ„sciencies or praeiudicate mindes expouÌ„ded to that prupose but I say by expresse wordes or at least which is liberty enoughe expounded for that meaning by any one man of all the antiquitie If they can alleage thee but one worde of scripture construed of any one I say in all agies to confirme theire vnderstanding to be currant and not framed for theire phantasy to serue the necessity of theire cause be bould to folow theim I would not put theime to the paines to make discourse throughowte all agies churches tymes and doctors as we haue doone but onely let theime to kepe theire credet and scholars and to saue theire honesties bring but one or two of all that euer wrote in the compasse of Goddes Churche and thowe maiste with lesse daunger and better reason folowe theire doctrine But there is no one suche place I assure the good reader neither in scripture doctour nor councell nor contrye nor age sith the world begaÌ„ I wil go so farre in this point where ther was euer stepp of any true worship of God there was praier fownd for the dead also They can not shewe me any forme of ministration in the Christian worlde that was approued whiche hath it not expressely if it be knowne that it was in deede the seruice of any auncient Churche not corrupted by theime selues The same I dare be boulde to auouche for the lawe of nature and Moises bicause it is proued already All theire bragging of thexample of the primitiue Church the massies of other contryes of the doctors of the scriptures of the councelles is but an vntollerable delusioÌ„ and abuse of the simplicity of such as be not skilfull in the authors whome they name For when the matter comes to an isshue when they be harde houlden ether in this or in any other matter theÌ„ the doctors whome they chalenged before the simple for theire partakers were but men then they might erre then they haue learned onely to credit the holy scriptures then there is nothing but goddes worde and booke with theime which elles full faine would haue the doctors consent out of whome it were but a meane place which they would not alleage for theire purpose if it might be fownde Then if deniall of all the doctors iudgements serue not theire turne In accusationem ipsarum scripturaruÌ„ conuertuntur they will not stick bowldely to condeÌ„ne the holy scriptures with all Irenaeus Lib. 3. Ca. 2. But if yowe thinke that I feane of theyme yowe shall see what shameful shiftes the maisters and captaines of the contrary assertion haue deuised for the defense of theime selues I dare say if the studious be but any whit indiffereÌ„t he will leaue their schoole for euer The chiefe Capitane of all these contentious heades lyke an vnshamefast childe affirmethe that the doctors praised and folowed the common errours of the ignorant people in allmose and praiers for the departed Brentius answerethe that Tertulian making mentioÌ„ of yearly oblations for the deceased In confessione VVittenber tooke his error of the hethen vsage of the gentility And Augustin he saithe affirmed purgatory praiers and almose for theime for thaffiance that he had in mennes merites towardes the remission of sinnes In Apologia Melancthon as thoughe he were no man that might erre him selfe saithe the doctors were meÌ„ and discented emongest theime selues As for the vsage of any celebratioÌ„ in the world what roume caÌ„ it haue with these champians Instit de Coena when Caluin coÌ„fesseth in plaine termes that the celebration of the Sacrament hathe bene contaminated euen in a maner sithe the apostles tyme and first planting of our religion and to reduce it to the puritie againe the man frames a newe one of his owne so farre from superstitioÌ„ that it hath no steppe of religion or true woorship of God But well the worde of God it yet safe with theyme there a man may houlde theyme No surely they are as saulsy with the very scripture it selfe when so euer it makethe against theime Brentius before named is not ashamed to saye that he pardoneth the author of the Machabeis of his errour and ignoraÌ„ce And that thowe may see the perfect image of a prowde haeretike Caluine saithe thus as for the booke of the Machabeis I will not vouchsalfe to make answer to it Mercifull God what faithfull hearte or eare coulde abide these blasphemous tonges who of vntolerable arrogancy doo so deface the examples and doctrine not onely of the pillours of the whole Christian Churche whome they impudently for lacke of a more reasonable answere condemne not onely of simple ignoraunce and errour in this point with the residew of the whole faythfull people which surely is ouer muche to say of suche lerned and godly men as they were but allso of wilfull errour and superstition in bearing and maintenaunce of the common ignoration and ethnike persuation of the worlde in theire daies and following the heathen vsage of the gentilitie And yet not content therwith these lying maisters of theire meere mercy be coÌ„tent to offer a pardoÌ„ to the author of that booke for his error which booke the whole catholike Churche of God throughe oute Christiandom taketh for canonicall scriptuture Which arrogancy and passing bowldnesse allthough I persuade my sellfe no vertuous man will in theyme alowe sith they nowe being put to they re shiftes vtterly doo condemne those fathers whose names with great oftentation they often to the simple repeate to make theyme suppose they be not with oute scripture or doctors for the proufe of theire wilfull heresies yet eueÌ„ the very answer it sellfe which they imagine her in to disgrace the doctors and delude the ignoraunt is contrary to it sellfe in sundry points For they one while affirme that S. Augustine and others allowed that erroure which the people by their superstious deuotion hadde before they re tyme broght in to the prayers of the Churche and â—n other while that Iudas Machabaeus did institute it who was before these â—uthors diuers hundereths of yeares
is muche regarded Nether will I spend any more time in gettinge theyme an author of theire secte seeing they haue choise of diuers Let theime go owt of the Citye of God froÌ„ emongest the holy coÌ„pany and turne on the lifte hand and look emongest the owtcastes of al agies and they shal haue freÌ„des and fellowes enowe That theire falsehood is condemned and the Catholike trueth approued by the authority of holy Councelles Theire pride in contemning and the Catholikes humility in obedient receyuing the same And a sleight vvherby the haeretikes deceyue the people is detected Cap. 15. ANd for oure parte it is sufficient good reader that we knowe the first founder thereof and that we be now right well assured that he in his time and his scholares in theres haue ben noted called and condemned for haeretikes in this as in other fonde peruerse opinions beside not onely by the singulare iudgements of diuers lerned meÌ„ but by the commoÌ„ sense and consent of the worlde and by auncient councells bothe general and particulare as we may reade in the CouÌ„cels of Carthage the iiij of Bracharense and Vase Cap. 79. Cap. 34. Cap. 2. the decrees of which by occasion we rehersed once before They are bothe auncient and of greate authoritye and honoured with the presence of many notable fathers as Augustine and other But especially for the approuing of our faith and condemnation of the aduersaries part the whole processe of the greate councell of Florence must be noted for there the question of purgatory and praiers for the deade was fullye handeled by the most learned of both the Latine and Greke church the Patriarche of Constantinople him self with the legates of Armenia and other nations of that parte being present and fully condescending with the Romane church vpoÌ„ the truth of purgatory and other graue mysteries in to the doubt of which that part of the churche by schisme and miscredet of theire forefathers had faullen into not long before and so made perfect protestation of they re faithe Note with thabiuring of the contrary as haeresie But omittting that longe processe and large treatie of the matter for the establishing of euery mannes conscience I will conclude vp all the matter with the councell and the holy gostes determination of all the whole cause in these words Si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfecerint et omissis eorum animas poenis purgatorijs purgari vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur pâ—odesse eis viuorum fidelium suffragia missarum scilicet sacrificia orationes eleemosynas alia pietatis officia quae a fidelibus pro alijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt In initio Concilij Florentini secundum ecclesiae instituta We define and determine The holy Councell of Trent hath allso determined the same againste the haeretikes of oure tymes that true poenitents departing in the fauoure of God before they satisfied for theire negligencies or faultes committed by worthy fructes of poenaunce shal be clensed by purgatory paines and lykewise for the release thereof the praiers of the faithfull the sacrifice of the blessed masse and allmose withe other thinges customably practised by the faithful for theire frendes decessed according to the ordinaunce of Goddes churche to be profitable The which graue determination if any man be so willfull to contemne Let him knowe that he dispicethe being but a mortall fraile man the grauest iudgement that God hath left in earthe for the determination of any matter Let him be ashamed that he being but one man taketh vpon him to controule diuers hundrethes of the most chosen for vertue for lerning for experience in the whole Churche of God yea let him if he haue any affection of grace tremble and feare to deface the dealing of that honourable and vniuersall parlament that repraesentith vnto vs Goddes holy whole churche hauing the assured promise of the holy gostes assistance for theire giding in all truethe Yet I see before haÌ„d the aduersaries wil not admitte the iudgement of these or any other Councelles nether in suche men doo I much meruell to finde so litle humility and so muche impudencie For all haeretikes condemned by councelles did euer condemne as they coulde the same councelles againe So were the first iiij councelles whiche all Christian men with S. Gregory accepte as the holy gospelles of God All haeretikes doo condemne councels vtterly refused by the parties in theim condeÌ„ned The Arians by greate force of worldely princies and many assemblies deuilishly withstood the Councell of Nice the Macedonians reiected the councell of Constantinople the first the Nestorians nothing aestemed the councell of Ephese Eutiches and Dioscorus litle regarded the councell of Chalcedon in which they and theire folowers were condemned of haeresy for sondry pointes which nowe were ouerlonge and not for oure purpouse to reherse Then by refusing the heauenly sentence of the churches iudgement they win nothing elles but the assured marke of an haeretike They declare theime selues that as they be in haeresy as deepe as the beste so they in pride and bouldenesse The humble obedience of Catholikes to the gouernoures of Goddes Churche be not behinde the worste But all Catholikes and faithfull beleeuers as soone as they knowe the determination of suche a numbre of so well learned fathers gathered in the vnitye of goddes Churche and spirite streght way they receiue it and submit theime selues as to the iudgement and reuelation of the holy gost For so the Christian bretherne that were molested by the contentious clamors of certeine troublesome heades at Antioche being onâ—e certified by the letters of that first Christian councell what was decried â—nd enacted concerning the matters â—â—lled in quaestion they then regarded â—o more what the aduersaries thought â—herin but owt of hand Ganisi sunt suâ—r Consolatione they reioysed in that â—omforte of theire agrement And â—uffinus writeth that wheÌ„ Constanâ—â—nus the greate vnderstoode the determination of the doubtes proposed in â—he greate councell of Nire he receiued it as the oracle of God Ruffâ—n Defertur ad Constantinum sacerdotalis concilij sententia ille â—aquam a Deo prolatam veneratur the decree saith he of the priestes was shewed to Constantine and he streght withe al reuerence accepted it as goddes owne sentence And if oure aduersaâ—ies coulde learne a little humilitye they might quickly be dispatched of â— greate deale of haeresie The which as â—t first began with the conceite of singularitie and contempt of other so it procedith with maliperte bouldnesse and endeth in plaine disobedience of of the Churche of the councelles of the scriptures and goddes own spirite Whom with owt moe wordes I would nowe geue ouer vnto God hauing as I trust alredy geuen theime sufficient occasion by the euident proufe of my matter to remembre theire misery and heuy condition but that I must remoue oute of the simples
waie suche stoombling stockes as perhappes might sumwhat trouble the vnlerned who for lacke of deepe iudgement be moste subiecte to the aduersaries deceites Hovve they practise vvith the simple And with suche thus they lightely practise first by lofty lookes and highe chaleÌ„gies they crake and boste with passing bowldnes that the learned meÌ„ of the world the sage fathers of the auncieÌ„t times al the graue couÌ„celles the whole vsage of the primitiue Church Great impudency in haeretikes with plaine scripture to be on theire parte And as for the contrary teaching that it came in of late with the decay of lerning and light of truethe in these barbarous tymes when superstition and darke ignorance had wasted the doctrine of the yeares past And in this bragge they stand till som Catholike man encounter with theime By whome wheÌ„ they see theim selues so driueÌ„ from the standinge which they kept with greate glory before that they must be wholy naked and destitute in the face of the worlde of al such helpes as they accompted to haue for the owtewarde shewe of theire deceitful doctrine then in plaine wordes they confesse theire teachig not to hange on the antiquitye not on councelles not on Doctors nor on any man but on Goddes holy spirite and worde which can not deceiue theime And so at th ende the owlde vse of the primitiue churche the fathers and the generall councelles arrogantly contemned or rather vnworthely condemned marke well theire prety conceites they make then a matche betwene theime selues with goddes worde on the one partye and the doctors and fathers withe owte Goddeâ— worde The sophistry of haeretikes on the other partye Affirming that they be not bound to beleue theime but where they agree with the scriptures of God And then turning theire taulke to the simple thus they preache vnto theime by a captious and foolishe demaunde whether they thinke it more reason or conuenient to beleeue the scriptures or doctors the determinatioÌ„ of the true and liuelye worde of God or elles the decrie of a generall councel which deceitfull wreasting of the state of our quaestion somwhat troobles the vnlearned which can not perceiue herby that they betray theime selues and deface theire own dooinges in so rude a defense For who seethe not nowe that they renouÌ„ce all that helpe of Councelles and Doctors which with vauÌ„tes they clamed before whiles they impudently make a diuision or contrarietie betwixte theime and the holy scripture And we take it at theire hand as an open acknouleging of theire lacke â—her wher they praeteÌ„did greatest store The whiche thinge if they likewise woulde confesse openly in pulpit and â—n plaine wordes as they meane nothing lesse wheÌ„ they shewe the people that they were but meÌ„ that they might â—rre that they folowed the custom of the common people in their time that they are not to be receiued but where they agree with scripture and that theÌ„i selues must trie whether they be coÌ„sonant to the worde of God or no if they woulde I say with owt suche cloked wordes bouldely pronounce as Luther theyr Master did that they cared not for a huÌ„dreth Augustines or Hieroms that they aestemed not the consent of all nations that they would be tried by the iudgement of no councel that they woulde purposely ronne Contrarye to the Councels decrye in al causies that they would take that for thonely trueth which is coÌ„teined in the holy scriptures and that for scripture which theime selues thought good and last of all that for the true meaninge which agreed best to the vphoulding of errour and haeresye then woulde the people leaue these lewde masters on the plaine field which now they kepe with them one while by the praysies of the doctors and antiquitye and sumwhiles by thabasing of theime ageine and deceyt full referring all to the onely scriptures to which they saye credet may salfely be gyuen where the docters with owt daunger can not be forther followed then as they benot fownde to disagree with goddes worde So that the cause seemethe nowe to be driuen to this isshue in the eyes of thignorant whether men shoulde rather beleue the scripture or the doctors the worde of God that can not be faulse or the fathers that weere but men and therfore might erre deceiue and be deceiued But this is not the state of oure controuersie nor of any question betwixte the Catholikes and theime And that they knowe full well thoughe they craftelie cloke it with chaunge of wordes â–ª for we acknowledge most gladly that if any Doctor Prophet Apostle or Angell if it were possible preache vnto vs any thing against the word and trueth of goddes scripture that he is accursed of God and to be reiected of men But here is the stand and the point of al oure doubtes in generall note it well master protestaunt whether the auncient fathers sum of theime being in Christes time diuers of theime scholars to his apostles here lieth the doubt and diuer siti betvvixte haeretikes and Catholikes many within one hundrethe or two of yeres afterward most of theime more then a thowsand yeres since I speake of suche as we haue named in oure cause and all wonderfully learned as well in the knouledge of the secrets of goddes mysteries as the tonges all mercifully indued withe greate giftes and gracyes all exceding studious in the scriptures all hauing the same testament and written worde of god that we nowe haue all vsing meruelous diligence in the coÌ„ference of diuers placies for the true meaning and vnderstanding of the same all hauing feruent zele in teaching the christian people al at times appoynted resortinge together froÌ„ diuers partes of the world to sum one generall search in wich by humble conferens together and praier thei doubted not to obteine the spirite of truth as it was by our maister promised the question is nowe then I saie whether those holy men thus holpen by nature diligens tyme and grace be not more lyke to vnderstand the scripture theÌ„ these men wich ether lacke all these helpes or moste of theyme Secondly it foloweth there vpon whether we shoulde rather geue credit to theim affirminge purgatory and praiers for the deade to be not onely consonaÌ„t but planely proued by the scriptures or elles to oure newe aduersaries auouching these thinges to be agaynst the scripture Wherbye yow see we must not nowe reason whether we ought to beleue the doctors or the seriptures better but whether for the true sense we must not beleue the owlde fathers better then these newe fooles An ansvver to suche arguments as the haeretikes doo frame of the holy scriptures not vvell vnderstanded against the practise of Goddes Churche in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory Cap. 16. THerfore to stoppe their waye at euery turne and bicause they taulke so fast of scripture full fayne woulde I heare what scriptures they haue that make ether expressely agaynst purgatory
that haste before thyne eyes in these forsakers an image and a perfect platte of damnable desperation Mightily hathe God executed this sentēce of iudgemēt vpon al sortes of mē that hath withstand the trueth The Iewes feeling it till this day the folowers of Mahomet the Arians and all other haeretikes that haue forsaken the felowship of the faithfull The lamē table case of haeretikes and haue left the fowntaine of lyfe cowld neuer be reduced to the truethe coulde neuer see they re owne misery bicause God hath giuen theime ouer for their withstanding And let not the forsakers wōder that I shoulde compare theire case to the misery of the Iewes August in psal 30 seeing S. Augustine confesseth that all haeretikes be much more blinded then they bicause the Prophets speake more plainely of the Churche which properly all haeretikes doo impugne then they doo of Christe him self whome the prowde Iewes doo contemne And therefore let vs that be Catholikes blesse Goddes name for euer that he hath not taken his mercye from vs that he hathe not dealte with vs according to oure sinnes We haue offended surely and haue deserued this plage our Priestes haue offended our Princies haue offended and oure People haue offended yet for his own name sake he hath loked vpon vs and hathe kept vs withe in the howsehould of saluation Glory and honoure be to his holy name for euer more Amen FINIS Quoniam Liber iste Anglico Idiomate conscriptus est lectus ab Anglis Sacrae Theologiae peritis mihi optimè notis qui eum per omnia Catholicum nationi Anglicae perutilem attestantur iudico expedire vt admissus imprimatur Itae testor Cunnerus Petri de Browershauen Pastor Sancti Petri Louà niensis indignus 8. Martij an 1564. Stilo Brabantiae THE ARGVMENTES of euery Chapiter of bothe the Bookes Of the first Booke THe Praeface where in be noted two sortes of haeretikes th one pretending vertue thother openly professing vice And that oure time is more troubled by this second sort VVith a briefe note of the Authors principall intent in this Treatise praef argu fol. 9. Cap. 1 That often after oure sinnes be forgiuen by the sacrament of poenaunce there remaineth summe due of temporall pounishment for the satisfying of goddes iustice and som recompense of the offensies past fol. 12. Cap. 2 The double and doubtefull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion are remoued and it is proued agaynst one sort that these foresayde skourgies were in dede pounishments for sinnes remitted And against thother secte that this trāsitory paine hath often endured in the nexte liefe fo 29. Cap. 3 That the practise of Christes churche in the courte of binding and lousing mannes sinnes dothe lieuely sett fourthe the ordre of Goddes iustice in the nexte liefe and prooue Purgatory fol. 39. Cap. 4 That the manyfoulde workes and fructes of poenaunce whiche all godly men haue charged theime selues withe all for theire own sinnes remitted were in respect of Purgatory paines and forthe auoyding of goddes iudgement tēporall as well as aeternall in the nexte lyfe fol. 44. Cap. 5 A briefe ioyning in reason and argument vpon the proued groundes withe the aduersaries for the declaration and proufe of Purgatory fol. 53. Cap. 6 That Purgatory paines doothe not onely serue Goddes iustice for the poonishement of sinne but also cleanse and qualify the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entraunce into the holy placies with conference of certaine textes of scripture for that purpose fol. 56. Cap. 7 That there is a particulare iudgement and priuate accompte to be made at euery mannes departure of his seuerall actes and dedes with certaine of the fathers minds touching the textes of scripture alleaged before fol. 64. Cap. 8 Origen is alleaged for oure cause vpon whose errour in a matter sumwhat apperteyninge to oure pupose S. Augustines iudgement is more largely soght and there with it is declared by testimony of diuerse holy authors what sinnes be chefely purged in that temporall fyre fol. 73. Cap. 9 A forther declaration of this pointe for the better vnderstanding of the doctoures wordes Wherein it is opened howe Purgatory is ordeined for mortal sinnes and howe for smauler offenses who are like to feele that grefe and who not at all fol 82. Cap. 10 A place alleaged for Purgatory owte of S. Matthewe withe certeine of the Auncient fathers iudgements vpon the same fol. 88. Cap. 11 An answer to certaine obiections of the aduersaries moued vpon the diuersity of meanings which they see geuen in the fathers writinges of the scriptures before alleaged for Purgatory and that this doctrine of the Churche standethe not againste the sufficiency off Christes Passion fol. 98. Cap. 12 An euident and most certaine demonstration of the truethe of Purgatory and the greuousnesse thereof vttered by the praiers and wordes of the holy doctoures and by sum extraordinary workes of God beside fo 105. Cap. 13 Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in hell with the conclusion of this Booke folio 117. An end of the Argumentes of the first Booke ARGVMENTA CAPIT LIBRI II. TThe preface of this booke wherein the matter of the treatise and the ordre of the Authors poceeding be briefely opened fol. 23. Cap. 1 That there be certaine sinnes whiche may be forgeuen in the nexte lyfe and that the deserued poonishement for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed fol. 127. Cap. That the faithful soules in Purgatory being novve past the state of deseruing and not in case to help theime selues may yet receiue benefite by the woorkes of the lyuing to whome they be perfectly knitte as felowe membres of one body folio 132. Cap. 3 What the Churche of God hathe euer principally practised for the soules departed by the warraunt of holy scripture with the defense of the Machabees holy history against the heretikes of oure time folio 137. Cap. 4 That the funeralles of the Patriarches bothe in the lawe of nature and Moyses and Christe had practise in theime for the reliefe of the soules departed folio 146. Cap. 5 Man may be relieued after his departure ether by the almose whiche he gaue in his lyfe time or by that which is prouided by his testament to be geuen after his death or elles by that almose whiche other men doo bestowe for his soules sake of theire own gooddes fol. 158. Cap. 6 Of certaine offeringes or publike almose presented to God for the deceased in the time of the holy sacrifice at mennes burialles and other customable daies of theire memories and of the sundry mindes kepte in the primitiue Churche for the departed fol. 169. Cap. 7 That the benefite of praier and allmose apperteineth not to suche as dye in mortall sinne though in the doubtefull case of mannes beeing the Church vseth to pray for all departed in Christes faithe fol. 177. Cap. 8 What that holy sacrifice is whiche was euer counted so beneficiall to the liue and deade The punishment of oure sinnes by the heuy losse thereof The greate hatered whiche the diuell and all his side hath euer borne towardes Christes aeternall priesthood and the sacrifice of the Churche And that by the saide sacrifice of the Masse the soules departed are especially relieued folio 187. Cap. 9 That the practise of any pointe in religion maketh the moste open shewe of the fathers faithe And that all holy men haue in plaine wordes and moste godly praiers vttered their beliefe in our matter fol. 195. Cap. 10 That we and all nations receiued this vsage of praing and sacrificing for the departed at our first conuersion to Christes faith And that this article was not onely confirmed by miracle amongest the rest but seuerally by signes and woonders approued by it selfe An that the Churche is growne to such beauty by the fructe of this faith fol. 210. Cap. 11 That in euery ordre or vsage of celebration of the blessed Sacrament and Sacrifice through owte the Christian worlde since Christes time there hath bene a solemne supplication for the soules departed fol. 220. Cap. 12 The haeretikes of oure time and contry be yet further vrged withe the practise of prayiers for the deceased theire conrary communion is compared with the owlde vsage of Celebration They are ashamed of the firste originall off theire Christian faithe they are weery of theire owne seruice they are kepte in ordre by the wisdome of the Ciuile magistrates and are forced to refuse all the Doctors fol. 230. Cap. 13 That the praying for the dead was appointed to be had in the holy sacrifice by the Apostles commaundement and praescription And that our doctors by the maiesty of their name beare downe oure light aduersaries fol. 242. Cap. 14 The first Author of that secte whiche denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good condicions and cause of his error be opened what kind of men haue bene most bent in all agies to that secte And that this haeresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes fol. 257. Cap. 15 Their falshood is condemned and the Catholike truethe approued by the authority of holy Councelles Their pride in cōtemning and the Catholikes humility in obediēt receiuing the same And a sleight wherby the heretikes deceiue the people is detected f. 267 Cap. 16 An answer to suche arguments as the haeretikes doo frame of the holy scriptures not well vnderstanded against the practise of Goddes Churche in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory fol. 274. Cap. 17 An answer to theire negatiue argument with the conclusion of the Booke fol. 281. FINIS