are all ready damned in hell and some are all ready in heauen And to proue this true he alledgeth the parable of the rich mā Luke xv I am sure my Lord is not so ignoraūt as to say that a parable proueth any thyng But the right vse of a parable is this to expound an harde texte or poynte that was before touched could not entre into euery mans capacitie Neither are all thynges lyke which are spoken in a similitude neither yet all thynges true that are touched in a parable but we must consider the thyng wherefore they be spokē and apply them onely to that they are spoken for and let the residue go as William Tyndall hath well declared vnto you in the parable of wicked Mammon This parable is very hard to be expounded The cause is this no man can wel espye by the text for what purpose it was spoken But this should séeme to be the cause that there were many of the Phariseis other multitude which would not beleue the preaching of Christ although he confirmed his wordes with the authoritie of Moses and the Prophetes but they were curious and some deale phantasticall and therfore would they not beleue his woordes except some apparitions had bene made vnto thē that they might haue bene assured by them that were before dead that hys wordes were true Vnto such it is lyke that hee speaketh this parable playnly concludyng that they should haue no such apparitions of the dead and also that it was not necessary but that they had Moses the Prophetes to whom if they would geue no credence then should they not beleue although one of the dead should ryse againe tell it them Notwithstandyng let me graunt it hym that some are all ready in hell and some in heauen which thyng he shall neuer bee able to proue by the Scripture yea and which playnly destroyeth the resurrection and taketh awaye the argumentes wherewith Christ and Paule doe proue that we shall ryse yet I say let me graunt it hym to sée how he will cōclude What foloweth on that Neither it is credible sayth he that all whiche are cast into hell should streight way goe to heauen therfore must we put a Purgatorye where they may be purged I aunswere All that liue are faythfull or vnfaythfull If he be vnfaythfull then is he damned Iohn 3. If he beleue then is he not condemned but is gone from death to lyfe Iohn 3. 5. The righteous man when hee dyeth shall rest in peace Sapi. 3. And euery faithful mā is righteous before God as y t whole Epistle to the Romaines proueth Ergo then euery faythfull man shall rest in peace and be tormented in the paynes of Purgatory And as touchyng this poynte where they rest I dare be bold to say that they are in the hand of God and that God would that we should be ignoraunt where they be and not to take vpon vs to determine the matter Peraduenture you would enquire of me sith the parable sayth that Lazarus rested in Abrahams bosome what Abrahams bosome is To that would I aūswere that Abrahams bosome were nothyng els then Abrahams fayth For all we are called the children of Abraham because of hys perfite fayth whiche we ought to folow In this fayth are many and in a maner infinite degrées notwithstandyng if it be no greater thē a mustard séede that is to say very small yet shal it saue vs. He that departeth in this fayth resteth in peace and wayteth for the last day when God shall geue vnto hys faythfull that is to his elect for onely are the elect faythfull the faythfull elect the crowne of his glorie which he hath prepared for them that loue hym This crowne doth Paule say that he shall receaue it in that day 2. Timo. 4. that is in the day of iudgement And in the meane season God hath so prouided for vs that they shall wayte vntill the number of their brethren which dayly suffer and shall suffer for Christ be wholy fulfilled and so shall they not be made perfite without vs. Hebr. xj If my Lord will vnderstād by Abrahams bosome heauen I will not be contentious let the Christen iudge which sentence semeth most true But this is once a cleare case that of this he cā proue no Purgatory For the vnfaythfull are all ready dāned and the faythfull rest in peace let him call that what he wil whether to rest in heauen or to rest in their fayth vntill the last day For I am sure there is no man so madde as to say that to rest in peace should signifie to lye in the paynes of Purgatory Furthermore this text shal rather make sore agaynst hym thē any thyng with hym For Lazarus whiles hée was lyuyng was not without sinne nor no man els 1. Iohn 1. so that no man as long as he hath breath in hys body can say that he is without sinne for then should hee make S. Iohn a lyar And yet was not Lazarus caried into purgatory to be purged of his sinnes which were remainyng in his body the houre of his death wherefore I may conclude that there is no such Purgatory For God is as iust vnto hym as vnto vs and therefore would he purge hym as well as vs agayne he is as mercyfull vnto vs as vnto him and will as wel forgeue vs as hym without broyling on y t coales in purgatory for his iustice and mercye are euer one and not alterable But our perfite purgatiō is the pure bloud of Christ which washeth away the sinne of the world And albeit we euer haue the remnauntes and dregges of sinne and rebellion of our mēbers as long as we haue lyfe yet are they wholy finished in death for of such efficacitie is Christes death that it hath turned the death of hys faythfull which was layed vpon vs as the payne of sinne into a medicine agaynst sinne which fully cureth it and maketh an end of it as it was well figured in Golias that was slaine with hys owne sword ANd where as my Lord bryngeth for his purpose Math. xij that mē shal geue accoumptes of euery idle worde I haue soluted that before agaynst M. More that I thinke he shal say hym selfe that he is aunswered For if men shall geue a rekonyng for them on the day of dome as the text sayth that should rather argue that there were no Purgatory wherein those sinnes should be purged for if they had bene purged before of them then shoulde they not geue an accoumpte for them And if it proued any thyng at all it should proue that there were a Purgatory after domesday which no man was euer so foolish as to graunt But the true vnderstādyng of this text is this There are two kyndes of men one faythfull the other vnfaythfull The faythful through their fayth in Christes bloud are all
out thine iniquities for mine own sake sayth God the father and thy sinnes will I no more remember Esay xliij Ergo then hee putteth them not away for broylyng in Purgatory He addeth also that hee will no more remember our sinnes call ye that no remembraunce to cast vs into Purgatory for them Whom God predestinated them he called and whom hée called them he iustified and what dyd he with thē then Dyd he cast them in Purgatory there to be clēsed forsooth the Apostle maketh no mentiō therof but addeth immediatly whom he iustified them he glorified Roma viij Wherfore let not vs put such obstacles and be vnkynde vnto the gracious fauour of God Besides that Paule forbidedth vs to be carefull for them that slepe that is to say for y t dead as they that haue no hope But surely if he had knowne of any Purgatory hee would haue bene carefull for them sith they fayne them in such miserable tormentes Now seyng he had occasion to make mention of the dead and spake not one word of Purgatory it is playne inough that he knew nothyng of it or els was hee very negligent to ouerhyppe it But yet had I leuer say that Purgatory were but a phantasie of mans imagination then to ascribe such forgetfulnes or negligence vnto that Apostle THe thyrd reason that Rastell allegeth is in the vj. chapter the sūme is this There are degrees of ioye in heauen and degrees of payne in hell And therefore may God passe euery mā and geue him accordyng to his deserte either more or lesse and neuer neede Purgatory Well let vs graūt these degrées for Rastels pleasure although the question be s◠disputable that I am sure be can not defend it What foloweth on this for sooth he bryngeth in proper examples if they could serue for y e purpose But let vs passe ouer to his solutiō which is in the end of the vij chapter Whē a man sayth Rastell is infected with a great mortall sinne and so depart then his soule ought not to doe seruice in heauen vnto God because it is putrified with that foule sinne But if that man had taken the medicine of full repentaunce in hys lyfe that medicine would haue restored him againe to his soule health and vertue But here you must remember that Christ is dead in vayne for if repentaunce be the medicine that restoreth agayne the health vertue of the soule what néedeth Christ Now forth But if he haue taken sayth Rastell some repētaunce for that sinne and not sufficient and had not sufficient tyme to make sufficient satisfaction therfore yet by the takyng of that medicine of repentaunce that sinne is expelled and gone and the soule of that sickenesse and sinne is clearely whole but yet the spottes and tokens of the sinne which is a deformitie to the soule doe still remayne till the soule haue a time to be purged from those tokens and spottes to make it pure and cleane of that deformitie This man is euer in one supposition which is both false and iniurious vnto the precious bloud of Christ I wonder who taught him that conclusion and why hee graunteth so soone vnto it for he would not haue graunted that there were a God neither that y ◠soule was immortall although they were both true vntil he had proued it as he thought him self by good naturall reason But as for this that is starke false that is to say that repentaūce while he excludeth Christ doth satisfie for our sinne hee neuer putteth in question but graunteth it by and by belike the Turkes haue such an opinion But let him go with his Turke and let vs Christen men graunt nothing contrary to the scripture but euer captiuate our reason vnto that for it is the infallible reasō and wisedome of God passeth our reason farre THe fourth reason is propounded in the viij chapter whiche is this that the soule vnpurged maye doe some meane low seruice to God in heauen though it bee not the highest best which thing is false agaynst Scripture Ephes v. Cāt. iiij But let vs sée what aunswere he maketh vnto it His aūswere begynneth in the ix chap. the summe is this Heauen is so pure and cleane of nature that it must expell all maner of impuritie and vnclennes neither can it suffer any thyng therin that is of any maner vnclennesse or euill or other thyng vnpleasaunt So now it foloweth that when a mā hath cōmitted a mortall sinne and after taketh repentaunce by the whiche he is healed of the foule infirmitie Sée how he harpeth all of one string whiche is also so farre out of tune that I wonder how any man cā abyde him For if I can heale mine infirmitie through repentaūce wherfore dyed Christ But yet sayth he the spots and tokens remayne for lacke of ful satisfaction I aunswere that it remaineth euery whitte sinne spottes tokens all together except Christ haue takē it frō of vs through his death and bitter passiō Therfore saith Rastel God of his iustice may not condemne his soule to eternall paine in hell for that offence which is purged and put away Wherwith is it purged and put away There is no remission of sinne without bloud Hebr. ix If there be no remissiō without bloud what shall repentaunce doe where the bloud of Christ is excluded yea or what shall thy Purgatory doe for there is no bloudshed So is there nothyng that taketh awaye sinne but onely the bloud of Christ Iesu shed for our redemption And yet sayth Rastell God by his iustice and by hys discrete wysedome and goodnes ought not immediatly to receaue that soule into that cleane and most pure place in heauen to accompany the pure aungels c. No mary I waraunt thée be not afrayde of that for neither Gyngemin thy companyon nor thou neither shall enter in there either immediatly or mediatlye if ye exclude Christ as ye haue done hetherto no not if ye had taken all the repentaūce in the world and would thereto imagine as many Purgatoryes as will pesen into a Monkes coule But it is Christ the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinne of the world Iohn i. It is he that hath purged our sinne and now sitteth on the right hand of the father Hebr. i. It is he that hath purged our sinne hath made vs in hys own sight in y t sight of his father without spot or wrincle Ephes i. All beit in our own sight we finde our selues sinners i. Iohn i. But he maketh vs blessed and righteous and imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs. Roma iiij Then what néedeth Purgatory THe fift Argumēt that he bryngeth agaynst Purgatory is touched in his x. chapter the summe is this It should seeme conuenient that this Purgatory
graffed in Christ the roote of all goodnes In Christ God loued vs his elect and chosen before the world began and reserued vs vnto the knowledge of his sonne and of his holy Gospell and when the Gospell is preached to vs openeth our hartes and geueth vs grace to beleue and putteth the spirite of Christ in vs and we know him as our father most mercyfull and consent to the law and lone it inwardly in our hart and desire to fulfill it and sorrow because we can not which will sinne we of frailtie neuer so much is sufficient till more strength bee geuen vs the bloud of Christ hath made satisfaction for the rest the bloud of Christ hath obteyned all thyngs for vs of God Christ is our satisfaction redemer deliuerer sauiour from vengeaunce and wrath Obserue and marke in Paules Peters Iohns Epistles in the Gospell what Christ is vnto vs. By faith are we saued onely in beleuyng the promises And though fayth be neuer without loue good workes yet is our sauing imputed neither to loue nor vnto good workes but vnto faith onely For loue and woorkes are vnder the law which requireth perfection and the ground and fountayne of the hart and damneth all imperfectnes Now is fayth vnder the promises which damne not but geue pardō grace mercy fauour and what soeuer is contayned in the promises Righteousnes is diuers for blynd reasō imaguieth many maner of righteousnesses There is the righteousnes of workes as I sayd before when the hart is a way and is not felt how the law is spirituall and can not be fulfilled but from the bottome of the hart As the iust ministration ▪ of all maner of lawes and the obseruyng of them for a worldlye purpose and for our owne profite and not of loue vnto our neighbour without all other respect and morall vertues wherein Philosophers put their felicity and blessednes whiche all are nothyng in the sight of God in respect of the lyfe to come There is in like maner the iustifying of ceremonies whiche some imagine their owne selues some counterfaite other saying in their blynd reasō such holy persons dyd thus and thus and they were holy men therfore if I do so likewise I shall please God but they haue none aūswere of God that that pleaseth The Iewes seke righteousnes in their ceremonies which god gaue vnto them not for to iustifie but to describe and paynt Christ vnto thē of which Iewes testifieth Paule saying how that they haue affection to god but not after knowledge for they go about to stablish their owne iustice and are not obedient to the iustice or righteousnesse that commeth of God which is the forgeuenesse of sinne in Christes bloud vnto all that repent and beleue The cause is verely that except a man cast away his owne imagination and reason he can not perceaue God and vnderstand the vertue power of the bloud of Christ There is a full righteousnes when the law is fulfilled from the ground of the hart This had neither Peter nor Paule in this life perfectly vnto the vttermost that they could not be perfecter but sighed after it They were so farreforth blessed in Christ that they hungred and thyrsted after it Paule had this thyrst he consented to the law of God that it ought so to be but he found an other lust in his members cōtrary to the lust desire of his mynde that letted him and therefore cryed out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death thankes bee to God through Iesus Christ The righteousnes that before God is of value is to beleue the promises of God after the law hath confounded the conscience As when the temporall law ofttymes condenmeth the thefe or murtherer bringeth him to execution so that he seeth nothyng before him but present death and then commeth good tydinges a charter frō the kyng and deliuereth hym Likewise when Gods law hath brought the sinner into knowledge of himselfe and hath confounded his conscience opened vnto him the wrath and vengeaunce of God then commeth good tydinges the Euangelion sheweth vnto him the promises of God in Christ and how that Christ hath purchased pardon for him hath satisfied the law for him and peased the wrath of God And the poore sinner beleueth laudeth and thāketh God through Christ and breaketh out into exceedyng inward ioy and gladnes for that he hath escaped so great wrath so heauy vengeaunce so fearefull and so euerlastyng a death And he henceforth is an hūgred and a thurst after more righteousnes that he might fulfill the law mourneth continually commendyng hys weakenes vnto God in the bloud of our Sauiour Christ Iesus Here shall ye see compendiously and playnly set out the order and practise of euery thyng afore rehearsed The fall of Adam hath made vs heyres of the vengeaunce and wrath of God and heyres of eternall damnatiō And hath brought vs into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuill And the deuill is our Lord and our ruler our head our gouernour our Prince yea and our God And our will is locked and knit faster vnto the will of the deuill then could an hundred thousand chaines bynde a man vnto a post Vnto the deuils will consent we with all our hartes with all our myndes with all our might power strēgth will and lust so that the law and will of the deuill is written as well in our harts as in our members and we runne headlong after the deuill with full seale and the whole swyng of all the power we haue as a stone cast vp into the ayre cōmeth downe naturally of his owne selfe with all the violence and swyng of his owne wayght With what poyson deadly and venemous hate hateth a man hys enemy With howe great malice of mynde inwardly do we slea and murther With what violence and rage yea and with how feruent lust commit we aduoutrie fornication and such like vncleannes with what pleasure and delectation inwardly serueth a glotton his belly With what diligence deceaue we How busily seke we the thinges of this world What soeuer we doe thinke or imaginne is abhominable in the sight of God For we can referre nothyng vnto the honour of God neither is his law or will written in our members or in our hartes neither is there any more power in vs to folow the will of God then in a stone to ascende vpward of hys owne selfe And beside that we are as it were a slepe in so depe blindnes that we cā neither see nor feele in what misery thraldome and wretchednes we are in till Moses come and wake vs and publish the law When we heare the law truly preached how that we ought to loue and honour God with all our strength and might from the low bottome of the hart because he hath created vs and both heauen and earth for our sakes and made vs Lord
also coueteth to counterfayte his kinsmaÌ„ although the beames of his braines be nothyng so radiaunt nor his coÌ„ueyaunce so commendable in the eyes of the wise Notwithstandyng this Rastell hath enterprised to dilate this matter and hath diuided it into three Dialoges imaginyng that two men dispute this matter by natural reason and Philosophie secludyng Christ and all Scripture The one of them that should dispute this matter he calleth Gingemen fayneth hym to be a Turke and of Mahometes law The second he nameth Comingo an Almany of Christes fayth And he maketh the Turke to teach the Christen maÌ„ what he should beleue The first Dialoge goeth about to proue by reason that there is a God which is mercyfull and righteous The second entendeth to proue that the soule of a man is immortall Agaynst these two Dialogues I will not dispute partly because this treatise should not be ouer long and tedious and partly because that those twoo poyntes which he there laboureth to proue are such as no Christen man will deny although many of his probations are so slender that they may well be improued but as concerning his thyrd Dialogue wherin he would proue Purgatory it is wholly iniurious vnto the bloude of Christe and the destruction of all Christen fayth if men were so mad as to beleue his vayne persuasions And therfore I thought expedient to coÌ„pare this third Dialoge with all the deceitfull reasons vnto the true light and pure worde of God that at the least Rastell hym selfe might perceiue his owne blind ignoraunce and returne agayne into the right way And if any man haue bene deceiued through his booke as I trust there are but few except they bee very ignoraunt that they may repent with hym and glorifie GOD for his inestimable mercy which hath sent his light into this world to disclose and expell theyr darke and blynd ignorauncy that they may see his wayes and walke in them praysing the Lord eternally Amen The first Booke whiche is an aunswere vnto Rastelles Dialogue THere is no man as I thinke that hath a naturall wytte but hee will graunt me that this booke of Rastels making is either true or false If it be false theÌ„ how so euer it séeme to agrée with naturall reason it is not to be allowed if it be true then must we approue it Naturall reason must bee ruled by Scripture If naturall reason conclude agaynst the Scripture so is it false but if it be agréeyng to Scripture then is it to be heard Of this may I conclude that if Rastels booke be agréeyng to Scripture then is it true and to be allowed if it determine coÌ„trary to the Scripture then is it false and to bee abhorred how soeuer it séeme to agrée with naturall reason Now is there no Christen maÌ„ but hee beleueth surely that if Christ had not dyed for our sinnes we should all haue bene damned perpetually neuer haue entred into the ioyes of heauen whiche thyng is easie to be proued for Paule sayth Rom. 5. As thorough one maÌ„s sinne that is AdaÌ„ ensued death in all meÌ„ vnto condeÌ„natioÌ„ Euen so thorough one mans righteousnes which is Christ came righteousnes in al men vnto y e iustification of lyfe Also Iohn xi It is necessary that one man dye for the people that all the people perishe not so that we had ben condemned and had perished perpetually if Christ had not dyed for vs. But Rastel with his Turke Gingemin excludeth Christ and knoweth not of his death wherfore al y t reasoÌ„s that they can make vnto domesday caÌ„ neuer proue Purgatory except they imagine y â— we must first go to Purgatory and then after to hell for this is a playne coÌ„clusioÌ„ that without Christ whom they exclude we can neuer come to heauen what fondnes were it then to inuent a Purgatory Now may you sée that Rastels booke is fully aunswered and lieth already in the dyrte and that his thyrd Dialogue is all false and iniurious vnto the bloud of Christ As for the first and second Dialogue although there be some errours both agaynst Diuinitie and all good Philosophy yet wil I passe them ouer for they are not so blasphemous agaynst God and his Christe as the thyrd is Notwithstandyng I will not thus leaue his booke although I might full well but I will declare vnto you what solutions he maketh to these seueÌ„ weake reasons which he hath propounded hym selfe for hee auoydeth them so slenderly that if a man had any doubte of Purgatory before it would make hym sweare on a booke that there were none at all Besides that it hath not one solutioÌ„ but there are in it certaine pointes repugnauÌ„t vnto Scripture so that it is greate shame that any Christen man should Printe it and much more shame that it should be Printed with the kynges priuilege The first and chiefest reason that moueth this man yea and all other to affirme Purgatory is this whiche he putteth both in the first Chapter of his third Dialogue and also in y â— last Man sayth he is made to serue and honour God now if man be negligent about the commaundements of God and committe some veniall sinne for which he ought to be punished by the iustice of God dye sodenly without repentaunce and haue not made sufficieÌ„t satisfactioÌ„ vnto God here in the worlde hys soule ought neither immediatly to come into the glorious place of heauen because it is somewhat defouled with sinne neither ought it to go to hell vnto eternal daÌ„natioÌ„ but by al good order of iustice that soule must bee purged in an other place to make satisfactioÌ„ for those offences that it may afterward â—ee receiued into the glorious place of heaueÌ„ And so by the iustice of God there must nedes be a Purgatory Forsoth this reason hath some apperaunce of truth and the similitude of wisedome howbeit in déede it is nothyng but mans imagination and phantasie For if we compare it vnto Gods word then vanisheth it away But we regarde not the word of the Lord and therfore chaunceth eueÌ„ the same thyng vnto vs that happened before vnto the children of Israell Psal 81. My people regarded not my voyce and Israell gaue no bede vnto me therfore let I them go after the appetites of their owne harts They shall wander in their owne imaginations Now what goe they about in this their inuention and imaginatioÌ„ of Purgatory but to ponder the iustice of God in the balance of maÌ„s iustice saying It is no reason that we should enter into heauen which haue not here satisfied vnto God for our iniquitie except that we should be tormeÌ„ted and purified in an other place We were surely in euill takyng if God were of mans coÌ„plection which remitteth the fault and reserueth the payne Nay nay Christ is not gredy to be auenged He thirsteth not after our bloud but suffered all
tormentes in his owne body to deliuer vs from the paines that we had deserued But seyng they thinke their reasō so strōg and inuincible I will confute it with one question that they shal not know whyther to turne them But first I will ground me vpon this Scripture S. Paule writeth 1. Thess 4. on this maner we that liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord vnto iudgemēt shall not come yere they that sléepe for the Lord himselfe shall descende from heauen with a shoute and the voyce of the Archaungell and trōpe of God And the dead in Christ shall arise first then shall we whiche liue and remaine bée caught vp with them also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord. Now harken to my question Those men that shal be found alyue at the last day for as it was in the tyme of Noe euē so shall the last day come vppon vs vnwares and as a théefe in the night Math. 24. those men I speake of shall any of thē be saued or not There is no mā that liueth but hee may well say his Pater nostor of the which one part is Forgeue vs Lorde our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs therfore is no man pure and with out all sinne And this confirmeth S. Iohn saying If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. 1. Iohn 1. what remedie now shall they all be damned There is no doubt but some of them shall not be very euill although they haue not made sufficient satisfaction vnto God in this world they ought not to go vnto hell to euerlastyng dānatiō as your owne reason proueth and then shall there be no Purgatory to purge and punishe them Besides that if there were a Purgatory at y ◠time yet could they not be cast into it for all shall be done in the twinklyng of an eye 1. Cor. xv and they shall be caught vp to mete the Lord. 1. Thess 4. Is God not as iust then as he was before will he not haue punished as well then as before Nowe sée you no euasion for all your suttle imaginations for they are not pure and without spotte as you say except they make satisfaction them selues vnto God But they must be without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauē as Rastell him selfe doth proue in the ix Chapter of hys thyrd Dialogue Howbeit I regarde not his testimony but the Scripture affirmeth that to be true as Paul sayth Ephesians 1. and. 5. Now sith they must be pure euē without spot or wrincle that shall enter into heauen and these persons are yet spotted with sinne and haue neither place nor space to purge them in you must néedes conclude whether you will or not that they must all bee damned and yet you thinke that vnreasonable to Sée whyther your Argumentes of naturall reason bring you But what sayth the Scripture verely Paule 1. Thess 4. espyed an other way for he saith and so shall we euer be with the Lord and not damned Of this may we euidently conclude that some shal be saued although they be sinners neuer come in Purgatory there taketh Rastell a fall all his faultours and sith God is as iust and mercyfull now as he shall be then why shall we go more in Purgatory thē they But marke I pray you how properly that substauntiall reason wherewith they go about to stablishe Purgatory concludeth which condemneth into hell so many thousandes yea and euen them whom Paule affirmeth to be saued And yet at the begynnyng it séemed very reasonable Now haue I proued you sufficiētly that this their reason can proue no Purgatory for as I sayd there shall sinners enter into heauen and neuer come in Purgatory Here peraduenture you bee desirous to know how Gods iustice is pacified For all sinne by the iustice of God must néedes be punished Now can the world espy no punishment here and therefore they thought it necessary to imagine a purgatory to purge punish sinne Here aunswere I with S. Paule Christ the sonne of God beyng the brightnes of his glory very image of his substaūce bearing vp all things with the word of his power hath in hys owne person purged our sinnes and is set on the right hande of God Behold the true Purgatory and consumyng fire whiche hath fully burnt vp and consumed our sinnes hath for euer pacified the fathers wrath towardes vs. Marke how he sayth that Christ in his owne person hath purged our sinnes If thou yet séeke an other purgation then are you iniurious vnto the bloud of Christ For if thou thought his bloud sufficiēt then wouldest thou séeke no other Purgatory but geue him all the thākes and all the prayse of thy whole health and saluation and reioyse whole in the Lord. Paul writeth ▪ Ephes 5. on this maner Christ loued the congregation And what dyd he for it sent he it into Purgatory there to be clensed Nay verely but gaue hym selfe for it that he might sāctifie it and clense it in the fountaine of water thorough the word to make it vnto hym selfe a glorious congregation without spot or wrincle or any such thyng but that it should bee holy and without blame Now if Christ by these meanes haue sanctified it and made it without spot wrincle and blame then were it agaynst all right to cast it into Purgatory wherfore I must néedes cōclude that either Paul saith not true which affirmeth that Christ hath so purged his congregatiō or els that Christ is vnrighteous if he cast them into Purgatory whiche are wtout spot wrincle and blame in his sight Christ those vs in hym before the begynnyng of the worlde that we might bee holy and without spotte in his sight Ephes 1. If through his chosyng and election we be without spot in his sight Alas what blind vnthāke fulnes is that to suppose that he will yet haue vs tormented in Purgatory Peraduenture euery man perceaueth not what this meaneth that we are righteous in hys sight seyng that euery man is a sinner 1. Iohn 1 Therefore I will briefly declare the meanyng of the Apostle This is first a cleare case that there lyueth no mā vppon the earth without sinne Notwithstandyng all they that were chosen in Christ before the foundatiō of the world were laid are without spot of sinne in the sight of God Ephes 1. So that they are both sinners righteous If we consider the imperfectiō of our fayth and charitie If we consider the conflict of the flesh and the spirite Gala. 5. If we consider our rebellious members which are sold vnder sinne Roma 7. then are we greuous sinners And cōtrarywise if we beleue that of mercyable fauour God gaue his most deare sonne to redeme vs
goodnesse doth forgeue him and that that repentaunce is the onely satisfaction that God woulde haue made and done for that sinne And then sith a maÌ„ by such repeÌ„taunce hath made such payment and satisfaction for his sinne as God would haue to be made therefore if then that man should go to Purgatory and haue a new punishement after his death that repeÌ„taunce that he had before should be but voyde Forsooth I thinke that neither Rastell euer heard any such reason neither yet that any man euer would be so fonde as to say y t this argumeÌ„t coÌ„futed Purgatory except it were one y â— were cleane purged of hys wytte before But whose reason so euer it be whether Rastels or any other mans let vs lay it vnto y â— touchstone that is the Scripture to proue whether it be gold or copper vpright or counterfaite truth or vntruth And to bee short the first proposition and Maior of his reason is this that coÌ„trition or repentauÌ„ce is the very payment and satisfaction for sinne That is a starke lye to begyn withall For if we by all our contrition repentauÌ„ce sacrifices and woorkes I adde more to helpe hym can fully pay and satisfie for our sinnes then is Christ dead in vayne and mought full well haue spared his bloud This can no man deny but he that will set at nought both Christ all the Scripture Now marke how he procéedeth And they say saith Rastell that when a man committeth a sinne and after is repeÌ„taunt therfore that God of hys goodnesse doth forgeue him and that that repentaunce is the onely satisfaction that God would haue to bee made and done for that sinne That is the next part of his argument and containeth two lyes at once theined together for where he sayth that wheÌ„ a man committeth a sinne and after is repentaunt therefore that God of his goodnes doth for geue him you must first coÌ„sider that neither he nor his Turke Gingemin know any thyng of Christ Now if it were not for Christes sake all the repentauÌ„ce that man can imagine could not moâ—e the goodnes of God to forgeue one sinne But by his iustice where Christes death hath no effect he must nedes condemne The second lye is this that that repentaunce is the onely satisfactioÌ„ that God would haue made and done for that sinne for if this be true theÌ„ is our fayth false For our fayth holdeth that iâ— Christe had not dyed for vs we had all perished Then procéedeth he as though all that he had sayd before were true on this maner And then sayth he sith a man by such repentaunce hath made such paymeÌ„t and satisfactioÌ„ for his sinne as God would haue to be made therfore If then that man should go to Purgatory and haue a new punishement after his death that repentaunce that he had before should bee but voyde Euen iust if heauen fell we should catche larkes Now let vs sée how properly â—ée aunswereth vnto his owne question And you shall finde moe blasphemies agaynst Christ in his aunswere then preceded in y â— argument Thinke you this man hath not takeÌ„ great paynes To prepare him selfe vnto his matter hee bryngeth in thrée lyes in the first chapter The first is he sayth that onely the soule suffereth and not the body maketh Comingo whoÌ„ he fayneth to bee a Christen man to graunt it well and wisely Forsooth this is new learnyng in déede For if this be true then Christes body suffered no harme neither when he was scourged neither wheÌ„ he was crowned with thorne neither wheÌ„ he was nayled on the crosse But I report me vnto your owne selues if ye cutte but your finger féele ye no payne and yet I thinke ye will not say that ye cutte your soule From hence forward if you sée a poore man shiueryng for cold in the stréete you may byd him walke a knaue and beare hym in hand that he féeleth no harme for as this man saith his body féeleth no harme and I promise you of honestie that his soule catcheth no cold But what néede I to make mo woordes of this matter sith you may make experieÌ„ce your selues The second lye is this That maÌ„ was created of God to do him honour and serâ—ice For if a maÌ„ may say the truth man was not made for the entent to be a sâ—ruauÌ„t do seruice For God hath no néede of our seruice but was in as full honour and as well serâ—ed before the world begaÌ„ as he now is So that his honour ioye and seruice is whole in hym selfe and is by vs neither employed nor diminished But the cause why hee made man was this that man should haue y â— fruition of his ioy and honour Such was his goodnes he made vs not that hée should haue any pleasure by vs but that we should haue pleasure by hym The third lye is this that no other creature here in earth doth seruice and honour to God but onely maÌ„ This is also a starke lye for all creatures honour God through their creation and being for the whole glory of their creation redowneth into the honour of God and what seruice caÌ„ they do better theÌ„ so to glorisie God Neither yâ—t letteth he them bee idle but woorketh thorough them meruelous thynges and all to his glory Fire at his commauÌ„dement came downe froÌ„ heauen and burnt Sodome and Gomorra Genesis xix was that no honour and seruice he made a stronge and burnyng wynde to drye vp and deuide the red Sea Exod. xiiij At his voyce the winde and sea were obedient and wared calme Math. viâ—j was this no honour seruice But a man may sée that his wytte was so purged in Purgatory that hee hath not one droppe left to espye any truth at all But yet let vs sée how he aunswereth the argument and seuerally examine euery part The first part was that contrition or repentaunce is the very payment satisfaction for sinne To this hee aunswereth that when thou takest repeÌ„taunce and as kest mercy of God for thyne offeÌ„ce No maÌ„ ought to be so foolish to thinke that God should bee restrayned or coÌ„pelled but that it is at his libertie whether he will forgeue or no. I would be loth to moue the man and aske hym what repentaunce is for surely as farre as I can gather by his wordes he wotteth nothing what it meaneth But I pray you sée how substantially he aunswereth the argument It argueth that contrition or repentaunce is the very payment and satisfaction for sinne And to that auÌ„swereth he neither yea nor nay for feare of trappyng all beit the wordes are cleane agaynst Scripture But he aunswereth that when thou takest repentauÌ„ce and askest mercy of God for thy sinne no man ought to be so foolishe to thinke that God should bée constrayned or compelled to forgeue thée But for all y
â— this is sure inough that if repentaunce be the very payment and satisfaction for sinne as the argument falsly supposeth that God of his iustice must néedes forgeue me when I repent For theÌ„ haue I wholly payed him his and may require my right euen by his iustice If thou obiect that God were then restrayned compelled I aunswere nay But it were rather a greate pleasure vnto him to forgeue all meÌ„ if so they could make satisfaction vnto hys iustice by repentaunce for he reioyseth not in punishyng vs. Then addeth Rastell that it is at his libertie alway to execute iustice or mercy at his pleasure To that I auÌ„swere that he hath no pleasure to do agaynst his Scripture but therein hath he fully opened his pleasure His pleasure is to forgeue fréely all them that beleue in his sonne Christ Iesu and to condemne theÌ„ that beleue not If Rastell meane on this fashion then graunt we hym But if he vnderstaÌ„d that God taketh hys pleasure libertie in ministryng his mercy and iustice so that hee may condemne him which hath geuen the very payment and full satisfaction of sinne as it séemeth â—e should meane seing hee denyeth not the first part of the argument and agayne saue hym that beleued not then will I say that Rastell ruÌ„neth ryotte and taketh hys own pleasure For God hath no power agaynst hym selfe and hys Scripture but looke what he hath promised and that he will performe And therfore in this can Rastell proue no purgatory for all that hée groundeth hym on so many lyes But yet is it necessary that we declare vnto you what is the very satisfaction for sinne and then shall we sée whether Purgatory may stand with it or not Paule sayth Hebr. x. that Christ with one oblation hath satisfied for our sinnes for we are halowed saith hee by the offeryng of the body of Christ Iesu whiche was once done vppon the crosse and with that one oblation hath hee made them whiche are halowed perfite for euer Now if this be true that we are made perfite by the oblation of hys owne body vppon the crosse then is Purgatory in vayne For if he haue so purged vs what néede we an other purgation If we be made perfite thorough hym what néede we after this lyfe to bee purged Iâ— hee haue satisfied for vs why séeke we an other satisfaction why leaue we the fountaine of liuing water and séeke our refreshing out of polluted pooles and specially sith the headspryng is so ready at hand If we must make satisfaction vnto God for our sinnes then would I know why Christ died thinke ye that his bloud was shed in vayne This is no doubt if there were any other way vnto the father theÌ„ through Christes bloud whether Purgatory or sacrifices or what thou canst imagine theÌ„ was his death not necessary But alas what vnkindnesse is y â— so to deiect the precious bloud of Christ and to set his gracious fauour at naught If there be any meanes by the which I may satisfie for my sinnes I néede no redemer nor yet any â—auour But may call for my right and duety And so were there no néede of Christes bloud mercy fauor But what may be more blasphemous vnto Christes bloud and his frée redemption Christ is able fully and for euer to saue theÌ„ that come vnto God by hym seyng hee euer lyueth to make intercession for vs. Hebr. vâ—j If he be able fully for euer to saue vs why runne we from hym and séeke an other Purgatory If he make intercession for vs then is it lyke that he is no cruell stepfather towardes vs but rather y â— by all meanes hee séeketh our health why flye we from hym that offereth hym selfe so louyngly to vs why darâ— we not put our trust in hym whiche when we were his enemyes vouchsafed to dye for vs and to reconcile vs vnto his father Rom. 5. Now maketh he Comyngo his Almany to bryng in an example and in confutyng that he thinketh to wynne the fielde But we will shew you that his similitude is nothing lyke in dede But if he will imagine that it be lyke then doth he not coÌ„fute it but maketh it stronger The example is this If I owe thee an C. li. of true debt and humbly desire thee to forgeue discharge pardon me thou make me a cleare release therof then am I not bounde to make thee any other payment or satisfaction To proue that the similitude is nought and nothyng lyke to the purpose is very easâ—e For the purpose and first part of the argument was this that contrition or repeÌ„taunce is the very paymeÌ„t and satisfactioÌ„ for sinne Therfore if he will haue it like then must he suppose that this humble request of forgeuenesse discharge and pardon is the very payment and satisfaction for that C. li. and therfore vpoÌ„ that should they first haue agréed or els caÌ„ the example serue for nothyng Now if he make them lyke and imagine that this humble desire or forgeuenes is the very payment and satisfactioÌ„ for that C. li. then hath he made a rod for his own arse for he shall neuer be able to auoyde it But let vs sée his aunswere In the case that you haue put sayth Rastell if you desire me forgeuenesse of that C. li. yet is it at my libertie and gentlenes whether I will forgeue thee the whole C. li. or els part therof well hitte Master Iohn If I should pay you that C. li. in good curraunt money were it yet in your libertie and gentlenesse whether you would forgeue me a part or the whole therof Truly I would be loth to be one of your debtours if you â—e so hard to your creditours Be like you haue studyed some cautell in the law For I neuer heard but that if I owed you an C. li. gaue you the very payment satisfaction therof then should I bee cleane discharged whether ye would yea or nay and neither néede to thanke your liberalitie nor gentlenes But in your case the request and desire of forgeuenes is and must be the very payment and satisfactioÌ„ of y â— C. li. or els it is nothyng lyke the argument so that you may put your similitude in your purse til an other place and tyme where it shal better agrée wherfore I must néedes coÌ„clude that if I desire forgeuenes this standing that the sayd desire of forgeuenes is the very payment and satisfaction of that C. li. for els as I sayd it is nothyng lyke I am cleane discharged and néede neither to thanke your liberalitie nor gentlenesse Now where you obiect the recompense for the losse of tyme and damages hurt and hinderaunce that you haue had for the none paymeÌ„t of that C. li. and so forth that can not be applyed vnto God and the remission
e soule after Rastels learnyng must proue that heauen and hell be here in earth or els there cā be none Sée this learned man y t would proue Purgatory by good Philosophy The second cause that Purgatory should be a good example to the liuing to put them in feare to do any like offence is not soluted of Rastell but I haue soluted it before and will yet satisfie you agayne because Rastell leaueth it out We haue here in y e world Moses the Prophetes that is y e old Testament yea also Christ his Apostles which we call the new Testament now if we beleue not these thē shall we not surely beleue although we had Purgatory hel to amōg vs. And this may well bee gathered of Christes owne wordes Luke xvj Where he brought in y e parable of y e rich mā Lazarus for y e rich mā being in paynes desired Abrahā to send Lazarus vnto his v. brethrē to warne them that they might not come into that fire Abrahā aunswered agayne y t they had Moses the Prophetes And added let them heare them Thē sayd the rich mā Nay father Abrahā but if any of them that are departed appeare vnto them then will they beleue it And Abraham concludeth on this maner If they beleue not Moses and the Prophetes no more wil they beleue if any of the dead should rise agayne And therfore may I likewise conclude that if they beleue not neither yet feare the paynes which Moses and the Prophets yea and Christ and his Apostles haue prophesied to fall on the vnfaythfull then will they not beleue for feare of the paynes of Purgatory Now to the last pointe where Purgatory should be he aunswereth as you shall heare First y t it is a foolish question for hee can not aunswere vnto it by his Philosophy And then he sayth that no man can tell neither the place neither yet the maner of the payne Here maketh he S. Thomas yea and all our Scholemen fooles by craft partly because they take vpon them to aunswere vnto this question whiche he calleth foolish and partly because they fully determine that the place of Purgatory is the third place in hell and all to assigne fire to be the maner of y t payne And agayne in this last part hee proueth thē double fooles Once because they stoutly affirme that thyng which no man can tell as Rastel sayth And agayne because they restrayne God of his libertie that assigne any place make him oflesse authoritie then an inferiour iudge which hath no place assigned hym but may doe execution and punish the giltie in what place he will I wonder that our Scholemen may abyde this felow And then he sayth that Purgatory is in a place limitatiue And where soeuer God doth limitte the soule to bee purged there is the limitatiue place of that soule and there is the Purgatory of that soule So y t a man may gather by Rastell that the soules bee not limited to one place to be purged and punished And therto agréeth also his similitude of the iudge whiche assigneth one to be punished in one place and an other in an other place euen at his pleasure If such geare had come from beyond the Sea it should soone haue bene condemned although it had not bene halfe so greuous agaynst our Scholemen But let this passe as it is well worthy and let vs sée examine more of this new-fangled Philosophy NOw are we come vnto the sixte argument whiche begynneth in the. xij chapter the effect is this Repentaunce is the full payment and satisfaction of sinne and bryngeth remission therfore as soone as repentaunce is taken God of his iustice must geue remissiō and so there ought to be no Purgatory This argument is nothyng worth for the first part as we haue oftē proued is false For if repentaunce were the full payment and very satisfaction for sinne then dyed Christ in vayne Notwithstandyng if hee graunt this first part to be true neither he nor all his felowes shal be able to solute this argument whyle they lyue But because we will be short let vs passe ouer to his aunswere whiche is in the. xiij chapter In solutyng this argument hee groundeth hym on two lyes at once the firste is that God neuer geueth remission except he see in vs a conuenient cause counterpaysyng hys iustice What cause founde he in the man that was brought vnto hym sicke of the palsie to whom he sayd be of good comfort sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thée Math. ix Marke ij Luke v. what cause found he in the théefe that was crucified with him but that hee had bene an vnthryft all his life lōg And yet euen the same day that hee suffred with Christ was he partaker of ioye with him in Paradise Luke xxiij Where was Purgatory then where was the punishment that hee should haue suffered for his enormities If any mā should suffer in Purgatory it is like that this théefe should haue done it But he went from death to life neuer came in Purgatory wherfore I may conclude that no mā shall come there if there were any What cause I pray you doth Paule assigne as touching our redēptiō remission of our sinne forsooth no other but y t we were wretched sinners and the very enemyes of God Roma v. For sayth Paule if whē we were his enemyes we were reconciled vnto God through the death of his sonne much more now we are reconciled shall we besaued by his lyfe So that in vs is no maner cause of remission but onely miserie and sinne But the whole cause of the remission of our sinnes of our saluation is the bloud of Christ which hath fully counterpaysed the iustice of God the father hath pacified his wrath towardes vs that beleue He is the very Purgatory for all faithful which hath already purged our sinnes sitteth on the right hand of the father Hebr. i. The secōd lye is this he sayth that God of hys iustice must geue to euery thyng his own which own is the thyng that it deserueth to haue If this were true then should not one of vs enter the inheritaunce of heauen for we haue euery one of vs deserued death and damnation For as Paul saith Roma iij. we haue all sinned and want the glory whiche before God is allowed But we are fréely iustified through his grace by y t fayth that is in Christ Iesu If it be fréely through his grace then is it not by our owne deseruyng for thē grace were no grace And contrarywise if it be by our own deseruing thē is it not of grace for then deseruyng were no deseruyng Roma xj But the truth is this that God of his mercy had promised vnto our forefathers his deare sonne Christ that hee should deliuer them
meter they might well say that a goose had made it for any reason that is therin and yet as touchyng the meter the second verse lacketh a foote and is shorter then his felowes but if you put out this word Frith and put in this worde Rastell for it then shall his meter also be perfite and that halting verse shal runne merely with his felowes vppon hys right féete on this maner In the begynnyng of this yeare Iohn Rastell is a noble Clerke He killed a mylstone with his spere Keepe well your geese the dogges do barke Thus I haue amended his meter but as for the reason I leaue it to him selfe to amende it at his laysure In the end of his second chapter he sayth that I entende with my expositions to bring the people to beleue in foure other great errours wherof the first is that there is no hell ordeined for any that is of Christes faith although he do neuer so many sinnes but let vs sée how he proueth it An Aunswer to Rastels third Chapter which would proue that I deny hell IT séemeth sayth Rastel by the reasons that Frith hathe alleaged that his entēt is to bring the people in beléefe that there is no hel for I alleage in my aunswer to Rastels dialoge the saying of S. Paule Ephe. 1. Christe chose vs in him before the beginning of the world that we might be holy without spot in his sight and againe Eph. 5. Christ loued his cōgregation and gaue himself for it that he might sanctifie it in the fountaine of water thorow the word to make it wythout spot or wrincle or any such thing but that it should be holy and wythoute blame And vpon these textes I conclude that if Christe haue so purged vs that we are wtout spot wrinckle or blame in his sight as Paule testifieth then wil he neuer cast vs into Purgatorie For what should be purged in them that are withoute spotte wrinckle or blame And then somwhat to declare the matter how we be sinners as lōg as we liue and yet without synne in the sight of God adde these woordes which I would that all men did well note and bicause Rastell leaueth out the best of the matter I will rehearse my owne wordes againe Peraduenture euery man perceiueth not what this meaneth that we are rightwise in his sight séeing that euery man is a sinner 1. Ioh. 2. therfore I will bréefely declare the meaning of the Apostel This is fyrste a cleare case that there liueth no man vppon the earthe without synne not withstanding all they that were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world were laid are without spot of sinne in the sight of God Ephes 1. so that they are both sinners rightwise if we consider the imperfection of our faith and charitie if we consyder the conflict of the flesh and the spirite Galath 5. if we consider our rebellious membres whiche are vnder sinne Rom. 7. then are we gréeuous sinners and contrary wise if we beléeue that of that mercifull fauor God gaue his most deare sonne to redeme vs from oure sinne if we beléeue that he imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs but y ◠his wrath is pacified in Christe his bloud if we beléeue that he hath fréely giuen vs his Christe and with him all things so that we be destitute of no gift Rom. 8. then are we righteous in his sight and oure conscience at peace with God not thorowe oure selues but thorowe oure Lorde Iesu Christ Ro. 5. So maist thou perceiue that thou art a sinner in thy selfe and yet art thou rightwise in Christe for thorow him is not thy sinne imputed nor reckened vnto thée so are they to whome God imputeth not theyr sinnes blessed rightwise wtout spot wrinkle or blame Rom. 4. Psal 31. And therfore will he neuer thrust thē into purgatorie and for proofe of this I alledge as Rastel beareth me witnesse diuers texts of S. Paul Eph. 2. Rom. 4. 5. 7. 8. but that notwithstanding Rastel sayth that I haue not recited them sufficiently for I haue left out somwhat which I haue rehersed for the opening of the truth and then bringeth in that S. Paule exhorteth and biddeth vs we shall vse no fornication vnclennesse auarice filthe or foolish speaches for such shall haue no inheritance in the kingdom of heauē and euen so say I too but iudge good reader what is this to the purpose for it neither maketh for purgatorie neither agaynst it This text I coulde haue alleaged if I had endeuored my selfe that we should doe good woorkes which I neuer knew christian man deny but else as touching my matter it is nothing to the purpose and as well he mighte haue improued me bicause I bring in no text to proue that y t father of heauen is god or to proue that which neuer man doubted of Then he alleageth Paul Ro. v. vj. saying though grace doe raigne thorow Christ shall we therfore dwel in sinne nay God forbid sayth Paule euen so say I againe he alleageth Rom. viij that there is no dampnation to them which be in Christ Iesu if they liue not after the fleshe and euen so say I but Rastell will say the contrary anone Besides that he alleageth Rom. iij. we be fréely iustified by grace by Christes redemption to shew hys iustice for the remissyon of synne done before and yet saythe Rastell Paule sayth that the law is not destroyed by fayth but made stable but thys hathe Frith left out of his boke to cause the people to beléeue that they be cleane purged by the bloud of Christe only and that there néede no purgatorie By these words you may euidently perceyue what Rastell meaneth by thys alleaging of Paule for the establishing of the lawe verely that the worke of the lawe should iustifie and cleane purge you from synne whyche is contrary to Paul and all scrypture for euen in thys same Chapter that he alleageth Paule saith that of workes of the law no flesh shal be iustified in hys syght and saythe that the rightwisenesse of God commeth by faythe of Iesu Christ vnto all and vppon all that beléeue But as touching good works I wil touch more héereafter Furthermore Rastell sayth that if my argumentes coulde proue that there is no purgatory it must follow as wel that there is no hell for vs that be christen men though we continue still in sinne for if we be blessed with out spot wrinkle or blame and that therefore he will not cast vs into purgatory then he will not cast vs into hell whatsoeuer sinne we do commit Here Rastell vttereth his blindenes vnto you and sheweth you what vnderstanding he hath in scripture first he armeth himselfe wyth a false supposition and yet therupon he concludeth his argument falsly His supposition is this that al men which are baptized
for it is better to mary then to burne The Pope sayth all monkes Fryers and Nunnes shall vowe and sweare chastitie be it geuen them or not my Priestes also shall not be wedded but as for to kéepe whores and rauishe other mens daughters wiues shal be dispensed withall I will sée no such thinges for my Byshoppes haue yearely great mony by it like as baudes be wont to haue 57. Christ sayth all meates that maÌ„ taketh with thankes staineth not the soule for all things are pure to them that are pure The Pope sayth he that eateth egges butter or fleshe in these dayes that I haue commauÌ„ded to be fasted doth not onely stayne his soule wyth sinne but also is to be denounced an hereticke Dist 4. ca. Statuimus This agréeth with Christ euen as the lyght doth with the darcknes And yet haue we bene thus blynded long that we could neuer perceaue this Antichrist till now in the last dayes 58. Christ sayd vnto his Disciples that you bynde in earth shal be bouÌ„de in heauen and that you lose in earth shal be losed in heauen The Pope chalengeth greater authoritie for he will lose soules out of Purgatory and commaunde the angels to fetch them out and all for money without money you get nothing 59. Christ sayth wheÌ„ you haue done all thynges that I haue commaunded you yet say that you are vnprofitable seruauntes The Pope sayth do those thynges that I commauÌ„d thée and take a sure conscience vnto thée that thou art a iust and a religious maÌ„ and that thou hast deserued heaueÌ„ And as for I myselfe If I do wrong in euery thyng 〈◊〉 bring many thousandes with me into damnation yet shall no man rebuke me but cal me the most holiest father Dist. 40. ca. Si Papa 60. Christ teacheth vs to fulfill the woorkes of mercy to the poore euer commendyng mercy aboue offerings and sacrifice The Pope teacheth vs to geue our money for pardons masses diriges to images and Churches so that we may offer vnto their bellyes And he that sayth it is better to geue our charitie to the poore as Christ sayth is counted halfe an hereticke because he goeth aboute to marre the Popes market 61. Christe suffered death for our sinnes and arose for our iustification or els we all should haue perished The Pope sayth if thou bye my pardoÌ„ or els be buried in a gray Friers coate thou must néedes be saued so that Christ hath suffered in vayne sith a Friers coate will saue a man 62. Christ onely is our mediatour which maketh vnite betwixt hys father vs howbeit the prayer of a iust man is very good and profitable The Pope sayth The greatest power and saluation next to Christ is myne Dist 60. cap. Si Papa I maruell then why he is so curious to cause vs to worship the Saintes y â— are a sléepe And not rather hym selfe sith he chalengeth a greater power then euer they dyd while they lyued 63. Christ sayth who soeuer breake one of my lest coÌ„maundementes shal be called the lest that is to say none in the kyngdome of heauen The Pope sayth what pertaineth his law vnto me I am subiect to no lawes 25. q. 1. cap. Omnia therefore doth the Pope but seldome right And is alwayes agaynst right yea and agaynst his owne lawes as often as men do bryng hym money for that loueth he aboue all thynges 64. Christes law is fulfilled through charitie The Popes law is fulfilled by money if thou haue no money to geue them thou shalt carye a fagot though thou offende not money them they sée thée not do what thou wilt 65. Christ is the head of the Church as the Apostle doth testifie And also the stone whereon the Church is builded And this Church is the coÌ„gregation of the faythfull and the very body of Christ The Pope sayth I am the head of the Church Dist 19. cap. Enim vero And the seate of Rome is the stone wheron the Church is builded Dist 19. Ita Dominus Can any thyng be more contrary vnto the honour and glory of God then thus to dispoyle hym of his kyngdome whiche he so dearely hath bought shedyng his precious bloud for it 66. Christes law whiche is the holy Scripture came by the inspiryng of the holy ghost whiche dyd infuse it aboundauntly into the hartes of the Apostles and of the same spirite hath it his enduraunce and interpretation The Pope sayth I am Lord of the Scripture to alow and disalow it for of me doth it take his full authoritie ca â–ª Si omnes And for a token of this is the Scripture of Christ layd vnder his féete when he is at Masse 67. Christes Apostle sayth that a Byshop ought to be so well learned that he with the Scripture be able to ouercome all them that be agaynst the fayth The Pope and Byshops will dispute in Scripture with no man but cast them first in prison and proper engynes they haue inueÌ„ted to wring their fingers so sore that the bloude shall braste out at their fingers endes they pyne them and scourge theÌ„ with infinite other tormeÌ„tes payning theÌ„ to forsake the truth And after make them sweare on a booke that they shal tell no man of it thus cruelly do they entreate them against iustice And if they can not subdue them to theyr willes then do they committe them vnto y e seculare power to be burned 68. Christes accusation and cause why he was condemned vnto death was writteÌ„ ouer his head in Hebrew Gréeke Latine that all men might know the cause this was an argument that they vsed iustice although they condemned him vniustly sithe men might sée the offence and iudgement ioyned together The Pope and Byshoppes condemne men and committe them vnto the seculare power that they shold execute the sentence But this is a mischeuous abomination that they will not suffer the seculare power to know the cause why they put men to death worshipfull dis diuines Master Doctor O you gentle nobilitie ponder this matter indifferently Beware how you do execution except you know the cause why Thinke you the bloude shall not be requyred on you if for an others pleasure you destroy the worke of God They will say vnto you as the Iewes sayde vnto Pilate concerning Christ If he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto you Trust not their wordes for no doubt they are lyers know the cause your selues and heare the matter vnfaynedly Thinke you they woulde not let you know the cause and iudgement if they did iustice and not tyrannye Be therefore no longer â—oyes to theÌ„ which ought to be your seruauntes God hath geueÌ„ you his spirite grace and vnderstanding hide not the talent that God hath geuen you but do your diligence to sée iustice executed secluding all tyranny for that is your office appoynted you of
remission for our sinnes 5. There is no satisfaction for sinne but Christes death 6. 1. Why temporall paynes are ordeined 2. Worldly paynes can not sufficiently punish sinne Scripture maketh no mention of Purgatory Rastels first argument Frith A fond argument The Maior of Rastels argument is a lye Rastell Frith Christes death onely is the cause of the forgâ—â—enes of our sinnes Rastell Rastels fond argument beaten to the ground Frith Three lyes at once What folye is in naturall reason to reason agaynst the Scripture A good conclusion Gods honour consiâ—teth not in our seruice Why man was made God made vs not for his pleasure but that we should receaue pleasure by him Gene. 19. Exod. 14. Math. 8. Rastell An other of Rastels foolish argumentes Frith Repentaunce is no satisfactioÌ„ for our sinne but Christes death onely Rastell Frith God forgeueth for Christes â—ake not otherwise Rastell groundeth hym vppon lyes imaginations 8. Heb. 10. Christes merites vtterly setteth aside Purgatory 9. There is no meane to purge vs but onely the death of Christ 10. Christ is hable fully to saue all that commeth to God by him Roma 5. Rastell Frith Rastels similitude is not good Rastell Frith Maior Minor CoÌ„clusio Rastels similitude clearely coÌ„founded Our doynges can maâ—… God neither better nor worse 11. Ezech. 33. 12. Ezech. 36. If Christ haue purged vs cleane wâ—…deth an other Purgatory 13. â—erem 33. 14. Ierem. 32. The second argument Rastell Frith Rastels second argument confuted Anyppyng conclusion Rastell Frith Rastell Rastelles fond argument to proue a Purgatory Frith Rastels second argument clearly coÌ„futed An aunswere to an obiection 15. 1. Iohn 2. If we fall into sinne We haue no remedy but Christ our aduocate 16. Iohn 13. 17. Math. 11. Purgatory â—icke purse 18. Esay 43. Broylyng in Purgatory putteth not away sinne 19. Those whom God calleth he iustifieth 〈◊〉 glorifieth Roma 8. 20. 1. Thess 4 â–ª Purgatory is but a phansie of mans imagination The thyrde argument Rastell The solution of Rastels thyrd argument Frith Rastell Frith Rastels naturall reasoÌ„ doth fouly deceaue both hym his Turke Gingeâ—…in The iiij argument Ephes 5. Cant. 4. Rastell Rastelles aunswere to his iiij argument Rastell Frith Rastell 21. Frith Hebr. 9. Sinne can not be takeÌ„ away but by y t bloud of Iesu Christ Rastell Frith A mery coÌ„clusion of Iohn Frith 22. Iohn 1. Heb. 1. Ephe. 1. 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 4. No nede of Purgatory The v. argument Rastell Frith How Rastel proueth that Purgatory is vpon the earth 23. Rastelles fond conclusioÌ„ of his v. argument We may not absteine from sinne for feare but for loue The law of God the law of man doth greatly vary The law of God requireth the hart and mynde The law of man requireth the body and outwarde deedes Rastels foolish solutioÌ„ of his fifth argument Rastelles solution Psal 143. Rastels reason fayleth hym Frith Rastell doth to much abuse him selfe Rastell Frith Rastell is contrary to hym selfe Rastell hath here a foule ouerthrow Rastels solution confuted Luke 16. A true and good conclusion Rastell Frith Rastell can not tell where purgatory is whether on the earth or els where Rastell proueth all the scholemen to be double fooles Rastell Purgatory is not in one place onely but in many diuers plates Rastels vi argument Frith Rastell Frith There can bee no cause in vs that may deserue the forgeuenes of sinne Luke 23. There is no Purgatory Roma 5. God of his mere mercy reconciled vs when we were hys enemyes 25. The shedyng of Christes bloud is our saluation Heb. 1. Rastell Frith Roma 3. Rom. 11. Gene. 12. Gallat 4. God for his truthes sake is mercyfull vnto vs. 1. Cor. 1. Roma 3. and 26. Phil. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Christ onely submitted himselfe to death for our sinnes Rastels ignorauncy Rastell A foolishe example set foorth by Rastell There is no way to pacifie the wrath of God agaynst our sinnes but fayth in Christ Frith Hebr. 7. Math. 6. Math. 18. There are two maner of satisfactions one to God and the other to our neighbour Except we be ready to forgeue theÌ„ that offend vs God will not forgeue vs. Rastelles seueÌ„ argument This similitude is not proper betwene God and man as it is betwene man and man Frith Agge 2. 〈◊〉 Cor. 12. God forgeueth no maÌ„ that offendeth hys neighbour except he first reconcile him self to his neighbour Rastell Rastelâ—… solution to his seuen argument Frith A perfect definition of Gods absolute power Marke â—6 God caÌ„ not be agaynst hym selfe Math. 1â— Whether God haue an absolute iustice There is no one power in God greater then an other Rastels imaginatioÌ„ of Gods absolute power is childish The conclusion of Rastels booke Frith The feare of Purgatory cannot kepe vs froÌ„ sinne but rather y â— fearâ— of hell and euerlastyng damnation Such as feare not God but for Purgatory and helles sake shall neuer come in heauen All the penaunce and repentauÌ„ce in y e worlde without fayth in Christes bloud can not saue vs. 27. 2. Cor. 5. Contradictories How two contradictories may be both true 28. We are recoÌ„ciled to god by y e death of Christ therefore neede not to booke for any other Purgatory The â—…th 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Purgatory although there were one 29. Iohn 3. â—…e â—…oÌ„ to say there is a Purgatory 30. Roma 8. Wâ—… dâ—… that God 〈…〉 〈…〉 Râ—… Christ hath purged ouâ— sinnes Roma 8. Math. 24. There is no Purgatory 33. Roma 〈…〉 34. Purgatory is a vayne imaginatioÌ„ Obiections Good workes we must do good workes because God hath so commauÌ„ded vs. Ephe. 2. Math. 5. An aunswere to an other obiection 1. Cor. 1. Roma 8. Ephe. 〈◊〉 We must worke with a single eye 35. Ephe. 2. Our saluatioÌ„ is y t gift of God and coÌ„meth not by workes 36. Roma 11. Rom. 4. Faith in Christ is our righteousnes Fayth is imputed for righteousnes 37. Iohn 3. Purgatory is nedelesse Iohn 5. I forged famed Purgatory 38. Psal 116. Apoca. 14. 39. Exod. 33. Mercy and Purgatory cannot agree 40. God is mercyfull forgeueth vs our sinnes Psal 103. 41. God hath forgeueÌ„ vs our sinnes and therfore wil not punish vs in Purgatory Rom. 11. Ezech. 18. 42. Luke 18. Luke 23. Luke 7. The thefe went not to Purgatory but to Paradise 43. Phil. 1. S. Paule knewe of no Purgatory Howe a Christen man should desire death 2. Cor. 3. Because dayly we offeÌ„d God therfore we should pray to be dissolued as Paul dyd 1. Iohn 1. 45. Sapien. 3. Abacuc 2. Roma 5. It is mere foolishnes to thinke there is a Purgatory 46. Rom. 10. The Pope sendeth no preachers into Purgatory M. More my Lord of Rochester can not agree 47. Prou. 23. Roma 7. we haue a will and minde to obey the law of God but our sinfull flesh will not consent thereunto Example God accepteth our good will if we do that in vs is to obey his
as yee ought by the commaundement of the Gospell and by the example of y t Lorde patiently to suffer there doe you the coÌ„trary not all onely not suffer but you doe wrong vnto them y t doe no wrong c. 209. col 1 Haymo sayth It is offence and sinne in you that you haue Iudicials For accusation engendreth strife strife engendreth discorde discorde engendreth hatred And least peraduenture they woulde say this is no sinne to require myne owne Therefore sayth y t Apostle Truely it is sinne vnto you for you do against the commaundement of y t Lord the which sayth Hee that taketh away thy good aske it not agayne Wherefore doe you not rather suffer losse that ye might fulfill the commaundement of the Lorde c. 209. col 1 That Auricular confessioÌ„ is not necessary to saluation translated into English out of his booke De Doctorum Sententijs ¶ De Poenitentia Dist 1. Cap. Conuertimini TVrne vnto me with all your hart and I will turne vnto you By turnyng is ment the turnyng vpsidedowne of the hart For if our hart bee turned thoroughly from euill vnto God it forthwith deserueth the frute of conuersion that God beyng turned from wrath to mercy may pardoÌ„ our offences which beefore hee intended to reueÌ„ge Wherby it is geuen vs to vnderstand that without any confession of mouth we may bee forgeuen By this meanes also these leypers whom the Lord wylled to shew them selues to the priestes were made whole and souÌ„d in the way before they came to the Priestes By which fact it is geuen vs to vnderstaÌ„d that before we shewe our faces to the Priest that is before we confesse our sinnes we are clensed from the lepry of â—inne It foloweth by this also that the Lord would declare that not by y t sentence of the Priest but by the gift of diuine grace the sinner is made cleane He cleÌ„sed the lepour by touching afterward according to the law coÌ„maunded him to offer sacrifice It foloweth but before hee came to the Priest hee is clensed whilest that by the contrition of his hart before the confession of the mouth remission of sinne is graunted Therfore onely coÌ„trition in the which is made a reuiuing taketh away sinne Hee hath therfore his reuiuour present with him and dwellyng within hym ¶ In the same place Cap. Scindite REnt your hartes and not your garmeÌ„t c. Shewyng that in the contritioÌ„ of the hart which is vnderstanded by the rentyng therof sinnes were forgeuen and not by confessioÌ„ of the mouth which is a part of exteriour satisfactioÌ„ which hee calleth the rentyng of our garmentes by a part vnderstandyng the whole ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius IN what houre soeuer a sinner shal be conuerted c. For it is not said wheÌ„ soeuer hee shal coÌ„fesse with his mouth but onely when hee shall bee turned shall bee sory for his sinnes hee shall liue and not dye ¶ In the same place Cap. Facilius THey doe more easely purchase gods fauour which beeing not conuicted by mans iudgement but of their own accord acknowlege their faultes which doe either by their owne confessions bewray the same or els when other meÌ„ know not what priuye offenders they bee doe coÌ„demne them selues to voluntary excommunication and seperating them selues from the aulter whereon they ministred not by compultion but willingly bewayle their life as no life beeyng sure that they beeyng recoÌ„ciled by the fruites of effectual peniteÌ„cy they do not onely recouer things that were lost from God but beeyng also made Citizens of the euerlastyng habitation they may come to ioy euerlastyng ¶ Chrisostome vpon the Psalme Miserere mei Homi. 11. COnfesse thy sinnes that thou mayst blot them out if thou be abashed to confesse that thou hast offended coÌ„fesse them dayly in thy soule I doe not say that thou shouldest confesse to thy companion or felow seruaunt who may obrayed thee declare theÌ„ to God who hath regarde of them But if thou declare them not is God ignoraunt of them or will hee learne them by thee When thou didest theÌ„ hee was at haÌ„d wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mittest them hee had perfect knowledge ¶ The same Chrisostome vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues LEt vs therfore persuade our selues that we haue sinned nor let the toung onely pronounce it but the inward conscience also Neither let vs onely say that wee bee sinners but let vs specially accompt euery singulare offence I doe not say y t thou shouldest bewray thy selfe publikly neither that thou shouldst accuse thy selfe to others but I would haue thee obey the Prophet saying Reuele thy waye vnto the Lord. ¶ S. Ambrose De Poenitentia Petri Sermo 46. PEter brust forth into teares askyng nothing with his voice I doe finde that hee wept but I finde not what he sayed Of his teares I read but of hys satisfaction I read nothyng ¶ S. Augustine lib. 10. coÌ„fession cap. 1. THerfore to thee Lord am I manifestly knowen what soeuer I am what profiteth me then to confesse my selfe vnto thee Neither doe I it with wordes of the flesh or with voyce but with the wordes of my soule and with clamour of my thought which thy eare vnderstandeth For whereas I am euill to confesse my selfe vnto thee is nothyng els but to mislike of my selfe And when I am godly to confesse me vnto thee is nothyng els then not to attribute the same to my selfe Because thou Lord doest blesse the iust but first thou doest iustifie hym beeyng wicked My confession therfore my God in thy sight is made vnto thee both secretely and not secretly For it is secret in speach but crieth out in hart Neither doe I say any good thyng vnto men which thou hast not first heard of me neither thou also shalt heare any such thyng of me which thou hast not first shewed vnto me What therfore haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confession as though they should heale all my sorowes griefes who commonly are wont to bee curious to know an other mans lyfe and slow to amende their owne Why demauÌ„d they of me to heare what I am which will not heare of thee who they them selues are And how know they that they heare of me to bee true Forasmuch as no man knoweth what is done in man but the spirite of maÌ„ that is in man ¶ De Poenitentia Distinc 1. Cap. Quinatus FOrasmuch therfore as it is proued that before our confession wee are quickened by grace and made the children of light it manifestly appeareth that onely by the contrition of the hart without confession of the mouth sinne is remitted ¶ In the same place Cap. Omnes qui. THerfore confession is made for the vtteraunce and not for obtaynyng of pardon And euen as Circumcision was geueÌ„ to Abraham as a signe of iustice and not as the cause of iustificatioÌ„ So the confession to the Priest is offered as a signe of
pardon already had and not as a cause of remission to bee receaued ¶ S. Ambrose vpon the. 1. Cor. 2. TO remit sinnes and to geue the holy ghost is onely in Gods power If God therfore gaue the effect of our saluation maÌ„ hath nothyng in this behalfe to glory of 5. Beda in Lucam Lib. 5. cap. 68. GOe your wayes and shew your selues vnto the Priest And it came to passe that as they weÌ„t they were made cleane It is not found that the Lord sent any of those to whom hee shewed these corporall benefites vnto the Priestes but onely lepers soothly because the Priest hode of the Iewes was a figure of the regall Priesthode to come which is in the Church by the which all pertainyng to the body of Christ the hyghest Priest and Prince of all others are coÌ„secrated And who soeuer from hereticall malice or gentilical superstition or iudaicall trechery or els with brotherly discord as from the spotted coullour of leprosie shal bee clensed by the grace of Christ it is necessary for hym to come to the Church and there shew the true coullor of his fayth which he hath receaued But other vices as it were diseases of the members of the soule the senses y e Lord by him selfe inwardly in the conscience and vnderstanding doth heale and correct them S. Chrisostome Tomo 6. Sermone de confessione BVt now is it not necessary that our sinnes should bee confessed before witnesses Let thy offences be searched out in thy inward thought and let that shewyng bee without a witnesse and let God onely heare thy coÌ„fession God I say that obbraideth not thy sinnes but looseth them because of thy confession ¶ S. Ierome vpon Math. 16. TO thee I will geue the keys c. This place the Byshops Priestes not vnderstandyng doe arrogate vnto theÌ„ selues some thyng of the Phariseis pride forasmuch as they thinke they may condemne innocentes or release sinners Where as beefore God the seÌ„teÌ„ce of the priestes is not regarded but the lyfe of the offenders is considered We read in Leuiticus of the lepers where as they are willed to shew them selues to the Priestes And if they had the lepry then by y t priest were they made vncleane not that the Priestes did make men lepers vncleane but because they had the knowledge who were lepours who were not and could discerne who were cleane and who were vncleane Lyke as therfore the Priests dyd there make the lepour cleane or vncleane so doth our Byshop or Priest loose or bynd not those which bee sinnefull or innocent but accordyng to his office when hee hath heard the varieties of the sinnes hee knoweth who is to bee bound and who is to bee losed S. Origine in Math. Homel 1. IT was therefore truely sayd to Peter Thou art Peter c. Notwithstandyng it semeth to bee sayd also to all the Apostles and to all perfect faythfull men because they bee all Peters rockes and vppon them all is the Church of Christ builded agaynst no one of those that bee such shall the gates of hell preuayle Notwithstandyng by that which foloweth let vs see farther Doest thou thinke that to Peter onely were geuen the keyes of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ and shall no other of the blessed Saintes receaue them If it be coÌ„mon to all that was sayd I will geeue thee the keyes why should not all that was referred to Peter before seeme to bee common to all the Apostles For in the Gospell of S. Iohn Iesus geuyng the holy Ghost to his Disciples by breatnyng sayd these wordes Receaue the holy ghost c. as though hee said it to all such so affectionated as Peter was For all which bee folowers of Christ in like maner are named rockes Thou art Peter c. But because they which do chaleÌ„ge the place of a byshop doe vse this text as Peter dyd teach vs that they haue receaued the keyes of the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ from Christ because that who soeuer bee bound by them they bee bound in heauen also they which bee loosed by theÌ„ y e is haue receaued remission of their sinnes bee loosed in heauen also We must say that they say well if they haue those good workes for the which it was sayd vnto Peter Thou art Peter and if they bee such as Peter was that on them may bee builded the Church of Christ if the gates of hell shal not preuayle agaynst theÌ„ Otherwise it is a vayne iest to say that he which is tyed with the bondes of sinnes and draweth his sinnes after hym as a long rope and his iniquities be as the hoofes of a calfe for that onely that hee is a called Byshop should haue such power that they which bee loosed of hym bee also loosed in heauen or who so bee bounde in earth by hym bee bounde also in heauen Let the Byshoppe therefore whiche doth bind or loose an other man bee irreprehensible him selfe Hee that is worthy to bynd or lose in heauen must bee the husband of one wife sober chast comely apparelled a louer of hospitalitie apt to teach not geueÌ„ to ouer much wyne no striker nor greedy of filthy lukre but gentle no quareller abhorryng couetousnes one that ruleth well his owne house hauyng childreÌ„ in subiection in all chastitie If hee bee such a one hee shall not vniustly bynde vpon earth neither shall hee lose without good aduisement For if there shall bee as I may say a Peter and hath not these giftes here mentioned as it weâ—e to Peter and shall thinke that he can so bind sinnes that the same shall bee bound in heauen so lose theÌ„ that they shall bee losed in heauen hee deceaueth him selfe not vnderstandyng the meaning of the Scripture but puffed vp hee falleth into the iudgement of the deuill ¶ Tripartita historia lib. 9. cap. 35. Verba Sozemeni BEcause it is knowen to bee a diuine thyng and aboue maÌ„s nature neuer to sinne God commaunded remission to bee geuen to sinners that doe repeÌ„t But they which refuse to acknowlege their sinnes they heape vnto theÌ„selues a greater burthen of sinnes Wherfore it seemed good to the auÌ„cieÌ„t Byshops that as it were vpon a stage vnder the testimony of the Ecclesiasticall people their sinnes should be opened And for this purpose they appoynted a Priest of good conuersation a wise man and a keeper of secretes vnto whom they commyng that had offended confessed their owne sinnes But hee accordyng to euery maÌ„s offence assigned a penaltie Which custome also hitherunto is obserued in the Weasterne Churches especially at Rome where there is also a certaine place appointed for repentaunt sinners For the offenders stand amongest the peniteÌ„tes and morners For when as the holy celebration is a doyng they not participating the communion prostrate them selues vppon the earth with mornyng and lamentation vnto whoÌ„ the Byshop repayring hee also prostrateth him selfe with