plainly confirme it as is before noted and none of them all confute it 3 But now the other sorte which be more curteise and confesse that in this world the iust may suffer of reason for his sinnes already remitted but not in the next life as their doctrine is very vntrue so it geueth great liceÌ„se and liberty to euill liuerâ— and is the very mother of presumption For if man were suere to be discharged at his departure hense of all paine for his sinnes then certes were it madnesse to trauell in this life further for his offensies then he must of necessitie Yea more it maketh the case of greuous sinners till the houre of their death so that they then at last repent much better then of small offenders conuerted longe before For these must be punished in their life the other can not be punished as these suppose after their death VVhat a vaine absurdity is this that the prophet offending once or twise in all his time shoulde suffer so heuie iudgement and the party which abideth in wickednesse till the ende of his life when sinne rather leaueth him then he sinne must because of his late conuersion without paine be caried at ease to heauen This is not doubtlesse semely to Gods iustice and ordinaunce whose wayes be truth and vprightnesse Est apud iudicem iustum poenae moderatio non solum pro qualitate sed etiam pro quantitate To a iust iudge there must be consideration had of punishment both for the quality quantity so saith Origine And the holy Scripture thus Quantum glorificauit se in delitijs fuit tantum date illi tormentum luctum Looke how high she exalted her selfe and how delicatly she liued and geue her so much woe and torment againe It is spoken as of Babylon in the reuelations of Saint Iohn And because this toucheth our matter and the very point thereof I will stand with the aduersarie the longer Here then I aske him why God taketh punishment in this worlde for sinne already remitted His aunswere must needes be for the reuenge and hatered of sinne and satisfying of iustice Nowe then doth God practise iudgement and iustice no where but in this worlde Or if it be not here aunswered because of lacke of space or late reconciliation of the offender shall our lorde of necessitie be forced to remitte the debte and release his sentence of iustice for lacke of meanes to punish in an other worlde No no Gods haÌ„de is not abbridged by the termes of this life Late repentaunce can be a benefit to no man God forbid it shoulde Especially seing punishment and iudgement for sinne as many learned do suppose and as reason with scripture beareth properly apperteineth not to this worlde but by a speciall grace and singular benefite which God of pity graunteth to such as he loueth that they may here preuent his anger which else in the next life should be found more greeuous where properly is the reward of sinne and iudgement kept ordinarily for the same As it is playne mercy grace when man may take punishment of him selfe as S. Paule sayeth and be his owne correctour to auoyde the iudgement of god And thereof the next life is termed commonly dies Domini where there is no place for our working but sufferance alone where the accompt of mans life must be straitly required and the sinnes euen of the iust not otherwise amended sharpely visited Therefore if Melanthon graunt that the righteous and reconciled persons may iustly beare the scourge of God for satisfying for their sinnes before pardoned in this world where though punishment be exercised for wickednesse properly yet at the least not so ordinarily as in the next wher God hath layd vp the great store of rewarde as wel for the good as the badde he must needes by force of reason acknowledge that the world to come is no lesse if it be not more appoynted of our Lord for iust iudgeing of our faultes forgiuen then the time of this present life whereas many an euill liuer escapeth all punishment so diuerse of great vertue suffer full greeuous torments Excellently well sayd S. Augustine Multa mala hic videntur ignosci nullis supplicijs vindicari sed eorum poenae reseruantur in posterum c much euill may seeme here to be pardoned and without all punishment released but the payne for such thinges is reserued til the world to come 3 He ascribeth more curtesie to the other sort whose opinion is of his owne framing but yet they please him not altogither because their doctrine geueth licence to euill liuers For if a man were sure to be discharged at his death for all payne for his sinne then it were madnes to trauaile further for his offences in this life then he must needes M. Allen speaketh here according to his owne affection the sence of all Papistes which will take no paynes to please God but onely for their profite they will not bestow one halfe peny for the loue of God nor suffer a fillippe for the glory of God but for the satisfaction of their sinnes and increase of their merittes And therefore that which is the chiefe cause that doth and ought to moue and the principall ende for which all godly men are moued to seeke to please God by good workes namely the loue of God and the glory of God the Papistes thinke to preuaile with no man because they are voyd of it them selues But may not a man now iustly enforce that the opinion of purgatory satisfactions of sinnes after this life is the very doctrine of licentiousnes to maintayne wicked men in their presumptuousnes For what hast will they make to amendement newnes of life when they haue hope of release after their death The other absurdity riseth of deuilish enuy that God shoulde be more liberall to them that repent at the houre of death then to them that were but small offenders conuerted long before And therefore M. Allen I wil aunswere you as the housholder aunswered those murmurers which grudged that they which wrought but an houre were made equall in reward with those that had borne the burthen heat of the day Is thy eye euil because God is good is it not lawfull for him to doe what he will with his owne Matth. 20. But this is that which alway deceiueth the papistes because they measure the reward by iustice and not by mercy I thinke M. Allen is angry with Christ that he did not send the penitent theefe into purgatory but euen that day promised to be with him in paradise For Origen is alleged to proue that a iust Iudge must haue consideration of punishment both for quality and quantity He neuer thinketh of Châ—ist all this while who was striken for our sinnes and wounded for our iniquities in whose punishment God had regard of such quality and quantity as his iustice required Es. 53. For the
which remember your mysteries of iniquity and are witnesses of your detestable doinges And yet you do clame of the decay of vertue in our dayes which whether it haue suffered a greater diminishing then in the time of your blinde and blasphemous gouernment let them that haue knowen both the times consider diligently and iudge indifferently Finally where as you affirme that your aduersaries cōfesse that the dayes of Chrysostome were holy and vndefiled and woulde make young men boyes beleue so you must either bring forth your authors that so confesse or else all men both young and olde must saye you are a shamelesse lyer we confesse that in those dayes the onely foundation Iesus Christ was taught and the article of iustification by the onely mercy of God was preached but yet we affirme that much straw wodde and other impure matter was builded vpon the foundation which was a preparation to the kingdome of Antichrist which was not longe after to be reueiled It may be a shame for you Papistes to leaue and condemne for heresie all that is true in those mens writings and agreable to the scripture and to make such vaunt for a fewe superstitious ceremonies and vnsincere opinions which yet if eyther young or olde wil indifferently compare with your abhominations of desolation they shall easily perceiue that they differe as much from you as we from them Man may be relieued after his departure either by the almes vvhich he gaue in his life time or by that vvhich is prouided by his testament to be geuen after his death or els by that almes vvhich other men do bestovv for his soules sake of their ovvne goods CAP. V. 1 ANd we finde the workes of mercy and charitie to helpe the soule of man in this life towardes remission of his sinnes or els in the next worlde for release of paine due vnto the same sinnes All which may be donne two dayes ▪ first by thine owne hands or appointment liuing in this world which is the best perfectest and surest meanes that may be for that purgeth sinnes procureth mercy maketh frendes in the day of dreade cleanseth beforehand staieth the soule from death and lifteth it vp also to life euerlasting Regarde not here the ianglers that will crie out on thee that mans workes must not presume so farre as to winne heauen or to purge sinnes lest they intermeddle with Christes worke of redemption and the office of onely faith make no accompt of such corrupters of Christian conditions liue well and carefully followe these workes of mercy so expressely commaunded and cōmended in the scriptures kepe thee within the householde of the faithfull and thy very good conuersation in operibus bonis shall refute their vaine blastes and improue their idle faith Say but then vnto them by the words of S. Iames. Maister Protestaunt let me haue a sight of your onely faith with out good workes and here lo beholde mine and spare not by my good workes VVhat religion so euer you be of I know not but I woulde be of that religion which the Apostle calleth religionem mundam immaculatam The pure and vnspotted religion and that is as he affirmeth to viset the fatherlesse and succoure widowes in their neede And then tell them boldely that the Church of God hath instructed thee that all workes whereby man may procure helpe to him selfe or other be the workes of the faithfull which haue receiued that force by the grace and fauour of God and be through Christes bloude so wattered tempered and qualified that they may deserue heauen and remission of sinne Doubt not to tell them that they haue no sight in this darkenesse of heresie in the wayes of Gods wisedome they haue no feele nor tast of the force of his death they see not howe grace prepareth mans workes they can not reach in their infidelitie how wonderfully his death worketh in the Sacraments they can not attayne by any gesse how the deedes of a poore wretch may be so framed in the children of God that whereas of their owne nature they are not able to procure any mercy yet they now shall be counted of Christ him selfe sitting in iudgement worthy of blesse and life euerlasting Bidde them come in come in they shall feele with thee in simplicitie obedience that which they could not out of this society in the pride of contention euer perceiue And if they will not so doe let them perish alone Turning then from them thether where we were let vs practise mercy as I sayd in our owne time in our helth when it shall be much meritorious as proceeding not of necessitie but of freedom and good will. And then after our departure the representation of our charitable deedes by such as receiued benefite thereby shall exceedingly moue God to mercy as we see it did sturre vp the compassion of his Apostle in the fulfilling of so straunge a request VVhereupon S. Cyprian sayth that almes deliuereth often from both the second death which is damnation and the first which is of the body CAP. V. 1 NOw we shall see how many wayes almes proffiteth mens soules First almes giuen by a mans owne handes is allowed for the best but that my thinkes M. Allen shoulde kepe men out of your purgatory and not helpe them when they be there And here you will seeme to be zealous in exhorting men to almes and charge vs with iangling against it because we affirme that mens workes must not presume to winne heauen nor to purge sinnes nor to medle with Christes worke of redemption and the office of onely faith which assertions you call corruptions of Christian cōditions O blasphemous barking of an horrible helhound Doth the glory of Gods mercy and grace the worke of Christes redemption and the office of onely faith hinder almes or corrupt good conditions who seeth not although it be a foolish thing to boast of our works but that we are compelled by this sclaūderous tongue of yours who seeth not more true almes which is giuen for Gods cause in one citie where the Gospell is preached then in a whole cuntrey where popery is receiued Neither doe we refuse the triall of S. Iames with the proudest of the popish hypocrites that make most of their merites And because you would be of that religion that S. Iames calleth holy and vndefiled which is to visite the fatherlesse children and widowes in their affliction If I should speake of singular persons the triall were neither certayne nor possible let vs therefore consider the whole states Shew me M. Allen if thou canst for thy gutts or name me any city in the world where popery preuayleth that hath made such prouision for the fatherlesse children and widowes and all other kind of poore as is in the noble city of London and in diuers other cities and townes of this land and by publike law appoynted to be throughout all the realme of England I knowledge and
they gaue almes But next followeth a worthy authoritie of Clement the Apostles owne scholer and he forsooth in his Epistle to Iames the brother of our Lord commendeth obites prayer and almes for the dead But why doe ye not M. Allen rehearse his owne wordes as they are written in his Epistle belike you are ashamed of his lousie latine and thinke that all wise men would say you are madde if you beleue that Clemens which liued in the Apostles time could write no better stile thē the cobling counterfecter of those epistles For shame away with such a durty doctor as writeth to S. Iames to see there be no mise tordes murium stercora among the fragments of the Lordes portion c. Epist. 2. He was a beastly asse that writ such nasty stuffe and thought to make the world beleue that such a godly and learned father as Clemens was would write so foolishly so barbarously so filthily so malapertly of such bables as were not inuented 600 yeares after to so holy and excellent an Apostle as S. Iames was but the olde prouerbe must alwayes be true Draffe is good enough for swine But to put all out of doubt the example of Iobes sacrifice and almes which were auailable for his children and friendes sheweth that the almes of men aliue profite them that be deade In deede I reade in the booke of Iobes sacrifice and prayer but I reade not of almes giuen to merite for those that were liuing much lesse for those that were deade I doubt not but Iob gaue almes liberally when tyme occasion serued But I say those places are vnfitly of M. Allen alleged to shew the force of almes where no worde of almes is spoken Howebeit he sheweth his reason afterward why he allegeth this example of Iob because Chrysostome applyeth it to the same purpose I deny not but that Chrysostome doth as substantially alleage this example for prayers to profitte the deade as he doth the saying of God that he will protect the cittie for Dauid his seruaunts sake what shall we say Those good men in that declining state of the Church to superstition being destitute of the cleere testimonies of scripture to maintaine these plausible errors are driuen to such simple shiftes to vpholde them as it is great pitty to see It seemed to Chrysostome the best waye to staye the people from immoderate mourning but he might haue vsed a better way if he had comforted them as the Apostle teacheth 1. Thess. 4. 1. Cor. 5. Otherwise when he iudged vprightly and according to the scripture his wordes sounde cleane contrary to the opinion of purgatory and workes of other men to be meritorious for the deade as in the very next Homilie being the 42. 1. Cor. Quapropter oro obsecro vos adeoque ad genua supplex procumbo c. The wordes are long therefore I will rehearse them in English and let M. Allen finde fault with my translation if he can wherefore I praye and besech you yea and I fall downe as an humble suter to your knees while neuer so small a portion of your life remaineth be ruled by my sayinges be ye conuerted be ye amended into better lest like vnto that richman when we are gone hense we pouer forth teares which shall nothing profit there and lament in vaine for whether thou hast a father or a sonne or a freind or any other whome so euer that putteth his trust in the Lorde none of these shall deliuer thee being accused of thine owne workes For such iudgement is exercised there euery man is iudged of his owne deedes neither is any man otherwise saued there And these thinges I warne you of not as he that woulde make you sadde or bring you into desperation but that being fedde with vaine and vnprofitable hopes trusting in this man or that man we shoulde not neglect our owne vertue for if we be slothfull and doe slacke the matter neither any iust man nor Prophet nor Apostle shall helpe vs but if we be diligent hauing helpe enough of our owne workes we shall departe hense with great confidence and enioye those good thinges that are layed vp for them that loue the Lord which that we may all enioye let it be so through the grace and mercy of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Compare these wordes with the former and marke here not onely the sounde of his wordes but the weight of his reasons where as in all other places that he holdeth the contrary the wordes only fauoreth your cause his reasons are either feeble or none at all 4 But that I may serue not onely the turne of trueth but with plainnesse also instruct the vnlearned and with store satisfie the godly greedinesse of some that list see more for the comforte of their conscience I will report one notable place for the declaration of charities force euen towardes the deceased out of Gregory Nissen of the Greeke church and an other out of Athanasius the greate both directly touching the practise of good Tobie in compassion of the deade Thus sayth Gregory Dicitur bene quòd si qui hinc non praemissis bonis migrauerint postea à familiaribus neglecta oblatis reliquijs sarciantur imputari opus perinde ac ab eis factum fuerit est enim haec volūtas benignissimi Domini vt creaturae quae ad salutem petuntur sic petantur distribuantur vt exoretur non solum quando quis pro salute propria est anxius sed quando pro proximo aliquid operatur in english It is very well saide that if any depart this life his goods by alme◠being not sent to God before him and yet afterwarde the matter by his freindes in the offering vp the residue be amended that his freindes fact shall stande and be reputed as his owne worke For so hath God of his mercy ordeined that his creatures by vse whereof life and saluation may be obteined shoulde so be procured and in this ordre disposed that man shoulde not onely obteine his request in the carefull study of his owne saluation but also when he wellworketh for his frende or neighbour Here may we well perceiue that all the wayes of our Lorde be mercy and trueth And that he in a maner releeueth of his owne accorde our miseries both here and in the next life that there may be no damnation to such as be in Christ Iesus for whose sakes he turneth these base creatures of mans seruice in this life to the vse of his pardon and saluation in the life to come he accepteth the good will and trauell of other for the helpe of them which can not relieue them selues And which is the property of a most mercyfull father where he loueth he will raise the hearte of some good intercessor that by patronage and prayers of some lust Iob his fury may cease by his owne procurement But howe this mutuall worke of mercye is currant through the
worlde or the next but Christes passion alone the benefit whereof is not by the sufferers will extended to any that sinneth vnto death being able to satisfy for the same As often then as thou hearest any Catholike man affirme purgatory to punish or purge greuous and deadely offenses be assured his meaning of the temporall paine due vnto wicked men and their sinnes after their bonde and debt of euerlasting death with the very faulte it selfe be in Gods Church remitted For as S. Augustine sayth a mortall sinne forgeuen is becomne a veniall trespasse and so deserueth no more paine then a veniall sinne which by transitory punishment may be fully and perfitely released thus he sayth Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia non tamen statim sanata There be sinnes sayth he which being deadly of their owne nature be yet by poenaunce made venial though not alwayes straight healed Then by this rule what so euer is spoken of veniall sinnes or the purgation thereof it is ment both by the small offensies which of their owne nature are veniall and also of the greater so that they be forgeuen in Gods Church before whereby they are become veniall as the other and deserue proportionaly as the other and may be taken away as the same man affirmeth either in this worlde or the next by the same remedies as the other though not alwayes so speedely CAP. IX 1 NO maruell but you must crowe like a cocke of the game you haue obtayned such a noble victory out of Origens errour and specially you haue discouerâ—d such a solemne secrete to the yong petits of popery that onely veniall sinnes are clensed by purgatory that they are much beholding to you But lest your kitchen shoulde be colde if none but veniall sinnes should passe through the heate of purgatory you haue found out a sutle shifte howe to bring mortall sinnes also through the same pykes of purgatory for discharge of which you know men will bestow more cost then for release of those that with onely sprinckling of holy water as you wott well may be washed away Therefore mortall sinnes must be remitted in this life and then they may be purged in the fire of purgatory as being now become in the case of veniall sinnes O deepe mysteries reueiled out of the bottomlesse pitt which haue no grounde at all in the word of God but are manifestly ouerthrowne thereby euen from the foundations For the foundation of this doctrine is the distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes whereas the word of God plainly determineth that euery sinne is mortall and deserueth eternall death seeme it neuer so small Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all thinges that are written in the law to fulfill them Deu. 27. The soule that sinneth shall dye Eze. 18. The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6. And as for that distinction which S. Iohn maketh of a sinne to death a sinne not to death hath nothing common with that of the papistes for all sinne that by the mercy of God is pardonable he calleth a sinne not vnto death for which God is entreated that giueth life to them that haue so sinned And that sinne he counteth vnto death which is irremissible as obstinate wilful apostacy Heb. 6. blasphemy against the holy ghost Math. 12. c. for which it is not lawfull io pray Thus by iudgement of Gods word are all sinnes mortall which Papistes call veniall and all that they count mortall by Gods spirite are counted veniall For by the iustice of God all sinnes are mortall but by his mercy they are all pardonable except that sinne vnto death whereof S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 5. But to returne to M. Allens shift and to examine whether it will satisfie the iudgement of those olde writers which affirme that onely small and light offences are clensed by the fire of purgatory M. Allen sayth mortall sinnes become veniall by remission The Scripture teacheth that sinnes forgeuen are not imputed at all But M. Allens doctrine is that remission of sinnes doth not take sinnes away but onely chaungeth their nature from mortall to veniall yea he is not ashamed to vouch Augustine to warranty as though he should say that a mortall sinne forgiuen is become a veniall trespasse c. If all men were blinde this fellow would play trimly with their noses when he will be so bold with all men that can see Augustines wordes as he citeth them in Latine are these Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia that is there are some sinnes which are deadly of their owne nature but by repentaunce they are made veniall I haue translated them as he doth sauing that he calleth poenitentia penaunce which I to auoyd the ambiguitie of the english word as it is taken by the Papistes haue turned repentaunce Nowe is it all one to say that such sinnes as of their owne nature deserue death may yet be pardoned to him that repenteth which is the manifest meaning of Augustines wordes and that which M. Allen fathereth vpon him as though he said a mortall sinne forgeuen is become a veniall trespasse Againe this doctors wordes are playne of light and small offences and not of heynous and great offences that by pardon are made litle offences 2 VVell then to close vp briefely all this haue we founde by these scriptures alleaged that being diuerse degrees of men Purgatory apperteineth but to one sort First not to such as lacke the faith of Christ for they hauing no foundation are allready iudged neither to such as haue not builded vpon the foundatioÌ„ but rather defaced it with workes of death and deuilish doctrine For all these must like widdred branches be cast into the fire not to be purged but vtterly wasted There be yet other that kepe their foundation faste and worke there vpon both golde and siluer but yet abased and somewhat defiled by the mixture of other infirmities not sufficiently redressed in this life these must of necessity by Gods ordinaunce suffer the Purgation by fire that their workes purified and amended by the sentence of his iuste iudgement may at length by mercy and grace bring them to their desired ende Now the perfect estate which hauing this groundewarcke and building therevpon nothing for the most part but the tried fine workes of heauenly doctrine and perfect charity can not feare the fire as in whome it shall finde no matter of waste For if any drosse of seculare desires or worldly weakenesse was in their frailty contracted their fructefull penaunce in their life washed that away by the force of Christes bloude before the daye of our Lorde greate and fearefull came vpon them In which case God will not punish twise for one faulte nor entre into iudgement with such as haue iudged them selues to his hande These therefore thus guarded by Gods grace in whome onely
that for feare or worldly respectes denied their faith and offered to idols who afterward the storme of tyrannie somewhat being caulmed confessed their faulte and did penaunce for the same by S. Cyprian other good byshops prescriptioÌ„ that then ruled the Church of those dayes By whom after due satisfaction made they were admitted to the communion of the Christian company receite of the holy Sacraments againe But all pastours not of like mercy of seuerity in the case some were suspended from the vse of the Sacraments longer and othersome by more clemency with speede pardoned againe Now S. Cyprian though he were very seuere in such a cause as in all his workes it doth well appeare yet he was blamed by Antonianus others that he dealte ouer mekely with such as denied their faith in so speedy admission of them to the peace of Gods church as they then termed that reconciliation alleaging that if such wordely wind wauerers might be admitted so soone after the open deniall of their faith then there woulde none stedfastly stande to death by confession of their belefe and their maisters name any more the refusers being in as good case as they if pardon might so soone be procured But S. Cyprians aunswere is this that their admission can not withdrawe any mans zele from martyrdom or confession of Christes name seeing their reconciliation doth not set them on so cleare bord as martyrs be VVho being tried by their bloud shal straight receiue the crowne of glory VVhen the others standing but vpon pardon of their sinnes and not discharged of due paines for the same must into prison notwithstanding till they haue paide their vttermost duety and by longe amending by fire at the last come to that reward which the martyrs atteined by sufferance at the first And thus I thinke this holy Martyr meaneth His wordes surely be singular and being well vnderstande they conteine as much matter for our purpose as can be possibly in so litle roume besides the exposition of the texte wherein we yet do stande But I will adde more that all may be saâ—fe on euery side 3 The place of Cyprian hath more couller but yet not so cleere for purgatory as M. Allen would seem to make it For first it is plaine by the wordes both going before and following after that he speaketh of adulterers that are pardoned in the Church of whome some bishoppes that were Cyprian his predecessours had so harde a iudgement that they did vtterly seclude them from reconciliation and allowed them no place of repentaunce but Cyprian was not of that vnreasonable seueritie for his Church did receiue them although they compted them not equall with martyrs or continent persons For it is one thing to be admitted by pardon as adulterers are but yet with some note of ignominie an other to come to glory as martyrs and continent persones doe It is one thing by denying of reconciliation to adulterers in this life to driue them to that prison from whence they shall not come till they haue payed the vttermost farthing an other thing to compt them vnreconciled like them that immediatly receiue the reward of there faith and vertue It is one thing for a man after he hath bene longe time vexed with sorowe for his sinnes to be reformed as one that hath bene long purged in the fire an other thing by suffering persecution to haue purged all his sinnes Finally it is one thing to hange vpon the sentence of God in the daye of iudgement as they seeme to do which being penitent for their heynous sinnes yet are not absolued from them by the Church An other thing to be assured of their crowne which haue striued lawfully And this I take to be the simple meaning of Cyprians words agreeing with the circumstaunce of the place But if they were otherwise ment by him surely they can not but with carte ropes be drawene to the Popes purgatory For those that stande by pardon he excludeth from glory and those that are reformed by sorrow and purged by fire he suspendeth vntill the last daye and then maketh them vncertaine of the sentence also which can not stande with the Papistes opinion of purgatory no more then that which he writeth in his treatise against Demetrianus towarde the ende Quando isthinc excessum suerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae est nullus satisfactionis effectus Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur c. When men are gone hence there is no place of repentaunce no effect of satisfaction while we are here life is either lost or helde And exhorting Demetrianus him selfe to repentaunce which had bene a wicked man and a persecutor of the Christians he sayth to him Tu sub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occasu pro dilictis roges Deum qui vnus verus est confessionem fidem agnitionis eius implores venia confitenti datur credenti indulgentia salutaris de diuina pietate conceditur ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur If thou although it but a litle before the ende and decay of this temporall life shall pray to God for thy sinnes which is the onely true God If thou desire confession and faith of his knowledge pardon is giuen to him that confesseth and holsome forgeuenes of the goodnes of God is graunted to him that beleueth and euen from the howre of death he passeth into immortalitie By this appeareth what Cyprian his iudgement was of purgatory and the effect of satisfaction after this life 4 Eusebius Emissenus an author of great antiquity and much credit in the Church of God helpeth our cause by this notable discourse following Hi vero qui temporalibus poenis digna gesserunt ad quos sermo dei dirigitur quod non exient inde donec reddant nouissimum quadraÌ„tem per fluuium igneum de quo propheticus sermo commemorat fluuius rapidus currebat ante cum per vada feruentibus globis horrenda transibunt Quanta fuerit peccati materia tanta erit pertranseundi mora quantum accreuerit culpa tantum sibi ex homine vindicabit flaÌ„mae rationabilis disciplina quaÌ„tum stulta iniquitas gessit tantum sapiens poena deseuiet Et quia sermo diuinus quodammodo aeneae ollae animam comparans Pone ollam super prunas vacuam donec incalescat aes eius illic periuria irae malitiae cupiditates quae puritatem nobilis naturae infecerant exudabunt illic stannum vel plumbum diuersarum passionum quae aurum diuinae imaginis adulterauerant consumentur Quae omnia hic ab anima separati per eleemosynas lachrymas compendij transactione poteraÌ„t Ecce sic exigere habet ab homine rationem qui seipsum pro homine dedit confixus clauis legem mortis fixit Thus it is in our tongue As for all such vnto whome for their offenses our Lordes word is especially directed that they shall not come
meis fontem lachrymarum fortè enim non reperiret ignis exureÌ„s quod interim flueÌ„s lachryma diluisset Oh woulde to God some man woulde nowe before hande prouid for my heade abundaunce of waters to mine eyes a fountaine of teares for so happely the burning fire shoulde take no hold where ronning teares had cleansed before And thus againe the same blessed man debateth the matter with his owne conscience I tremble and shake for feare of fawling into Gods handes I woulde present my selfe before his face already iudged and not then of him to be iudged Therefore I will make a reckening whiles I am here of my good deedes and of my badde my euill shall be corrected with better works shall be wattered with teares shall be punished by fasting and amended by sharp discipline Prouision must be made that I bring not thether cockel in steade of corne or chaffe together with Wheate I shall rippe vp to the very bottome all my wayes and my whole studie that he may finde nothing vntried or not fully discussed to his handes And then I hope in his mercy that he will not iudge for the same faultes the second time In the like godly sense spake another longe before his dayes Beatus qui hic mala sua deflere qui hic debita sua festinat exoluere innocentiam quam iam non potest per baptismum reparare recuperare studeat per summum poenitentiae fructum ad tales merito ipse Dominus loquitur non iudicabo bis in idipsum Happy is he that euer he was borne that with speede bewaileth his sinnes and in time dischargeth his debtes that he may so endeuour to recouer by the fructes of penaunce his innocency which by baptisme he can neuer repaire againe to such surely our Lorde sayth that he will not call twise to accompte for one faulte CAP. XII AFter the exhortation to your fellow Papistes to stande in awe of purgatory you bringe in the meditation of Bernard for feare of the fire thereof If you meane thereby to terrifie your fellow Papistes it is somewhat for you know he is a very late writer and therefore his authoritie with vs is of small accompt in such cases as he followeth the common errour of his time I would both you your fellowes not for feare of temporall paynes but either for loue of God or feare of eternall damnation would leaue your blasphemous heresies contrary to Godâ— word your sclaundering persecuting and murthering of Gods Sainctes and reforming your life after the rule of Gods Gospel would take hold of Christ by faith to your eternall health and so sorrow for your sinnes that you might reioyce alwayes as the children of God doe The saying of Emissenus proueth no feare of purgatory but of Gods iudgement vnto condemnation preuented by repentaunce 2 S. Ambrose sheweth his feare also of Purgatory by this prayer Quod si etiam in illo adhuc saeculo aliquid in me vindicandum reseruas peto ne me potâ—stati daemonum tradas dum scelus meum Purgatoria poena detergis O Lorde sayth he if thou reserue any whit in me to be reuenged in the next life yet I humbly aske of thee that thou geue me not vp to the power of wicked spirites whiles thou wipes away my sinnes by the paine of Purgatory Lo good reader the feare and fayth of our fathers lo how olde this doctrine is how auncient the worde is But in an other place the same author expresseth his care and continuall cogitation of this iudgement to be practised in Purgatory comparing thus S. Peter his state with his owne Ille sayth he of S. Peter examinabitur vt argentum ego examinabor vt plumbum donec plumbum tabescat ardâ—bo si nihil argenti in me inuentum fuerit heu me in vltima inferni detrudar aut vt stipula â—otus exurar si quid in me inuentum fuerit auti vel argenti non per meos actus sed per gratiam misericordiam Christi per ministerium sacerdotij dicam fortasse ego Etenim qui sperant in te non coÌ„fundentur In english He shall be tryed as siluer but I must be searched and examined as leade till the leade melt awaye must I continually burne And if then there be no siluer matter founde wo is me I shall be throust downe to the neither partes of the deepe hell or wholy waste away as strowe in fire But if any golde or siluer be founde in me not through my workes but by grace and Christes mercy and for my ministery and priesthood sake I shall also once say those that put their trust in thee shall neuer be confounded Alasse Ambrose was thou so carefull fâ—r wasting away in thy purgation what shall become of vs where all is drosse and no fine substance so continuall sinning and so litle sauluing where the dignity of priesthood whereby thou conceiued such comfort is almost worne away his feare was so harty and his meditation of purgatory paines was so earnest that he conceiueth a doubt in respect of his desertes of wasting away and further casting into damnation though he knew right well that man admitted to the temporall iudgement of the next world could not euerlastingly perish but because the paines of the one is so like the other the griefe of theÌ„ both lightly occupieth mans minde at once especially where mans case is doubtfull and often deserueth the worse of the twayne 2 That Ambrose that writ the preparatory to masse might be afferd of purgatory of tormeÌ„ting by deuils also as his words are But Ambrose of Millayne wrate no such booke It is sufficient for Papists that euery vnlearned asse may intitle his fantasies to some auncient writer and then they must be authenticall But draffe is good enough for swine As for that Ambrose that wrote vpon the 118. psalme sheweth a feare of hell if God should deale with him according to his iustice but by the grace and mercy of God which is dispensed by his ministers he recouereth him self being assured that all they that trust in him shal not be confounded M. Allen translateth per ministerium sacerdotij for my ministery and priesthood sake as though he ioyned his priesthood with the grace of christ I had rather referre it to the priesthood of Christ but that I haue geuen the true meaning of his wordes before 3 So S. Augustine likewise after that he had vttered his feare of hell in the Prophet Dauids person as I sayd once before streight he adioyneth his request vnto God to saue him from Purgatory paynes by the Prophets wordes also I will recite his minde in English O Lord amend me not in thy anger but pourge me in this life that I may escape the amending fire which is prepared for such as shall be saued through fire And why but because they build vppon the foundation woode hay and strawe men might build gold siluer and
deprecantes the widowes compassed Peter round about weeping and crauing holding forth the clokes and cotes and all their wiedes which they had giuen them before not requesting for the good woman deceased so much by their wordes as by her owne good workes I pray God we be not ouer carelesse in offering to almighty God in these our dolefull dayes the vnestimable benefites which we haue receiued of our forefathers by the building of all our Collegies our Oratories Churchies and chappelles They were founded first to procure Gods mercy they were many yeares together in the mindes and memories of their beadsmen represented before the face of God at his holy altare they are now forgotten with most men and offered to God with teares almost of none VVe should be much more diligent for our frends offensies doubtlesse then the poore women were onely for restore of there benefactors liefe againe And the force of prayers and almes worketh rather mercy in remission of sinne then fauour for calling to the life of this worlde any more Therefore seeing we reade expressely that prayers and almes haue bene proffitable to many out of the state of our present life we can not deny but the workes of the vertuous passe by Gods prouidence to the soules separated from their bodyes and worke grace and fauour as the case and condicion of the party requireth 4 But when shall we make an end if we aunswere such arguments as these The widdowes entreated Peter to restore Tabitha and shewed such garments as she made whilest she liued therfore prayer and almes helpeth the soules in purgatory At a word I say here is no necessary nor probable consequence But this is notable that he allegeth the sorrowing of the vnbeleuing Iewes He is worthy of this benefite because he loueth our nation and hath builded vs a Synagoge Belike he would haue men thinke this Synagoge was some chauntry that he builded for the benefite of the soules in purgatory 5 The soule of Lazarus whom our Sauiour reuiued was 4. dayes in the place and state of the next world when Martha and Mary his sisters prayers procured his restore to the land of the liuing again VVhich wemen I am sure were as earnest suters for the rest of his soule as for recouery of his personage they wished Christ had bene present in his sicknes they were assured of his resurrection at the latter day but being stinking ripe they thought our maister would not presently call him vp at that turne yet for his rest we neede not to doubt but they made sute with sighes sorowfull teares euery day VVho by custom of their countrey as I take it kept solemne prayers for diuers dayes togither in certaine seasons at the sepulâ—hre as the coniecture of Maries friendes which came to comfort her in heauines may well declare vnto vs For as she sâ—denly at her sisters call brake from them they knowing the vsage of that solemne weeping at the sepulchre of the departed sayd one to an other quia vadit ad monumentum vt ploret ibi she is surely gone to his graue there to wepe In which weeping kept as it were by course order and tyme if our aduersaries yet deny to haue bene vsed any prayers or wordes of request then let them make proofe by Gods worde that they vsed nothing but vnprofitable lamentation which if it be immoderate hath especiall mistrust of the resurrection as S. Paule declareth but ioyned with prayers or almes as before is proued it hath the liuely hope of the life of those that sleepe in peace And that to be the true mourning for the dead S. Chrysostome witnesseth with me both often else and namely vppon the Epistle to the Philippians thus Defleamus istos iuuemus eos pro viribus procuremus illis aliquid auxilij modici quidem attamen iuuemus eos quomodo quaue ratione precantes pro illis adhortemur alios vt orent pro eis pauperibusque indesinenter pro illis eleemosinas demus habet res ista non nihil consolationis Audi quippe quid Deus dicat protegam ciuitatem istam propter me propter Dauid seruum meum si memoria duntaxat iusti tantum valuit quando opera pro tali fiunt quid non poterunt Let vs mourne and weepe sayth he ouer the deade and helpe them according to our abilitie somwhat let vs succour them though it be neuer so small yet let vs put to our helping handes But howe and by what meanes mary both our selues praying for them and mouing others to doe the like yea and with out ceasing let vs bestowe almes for them this is somewhat confortable For see I pray you what God sayth I will defend this city for mine owne sake and for my seruaunt Dauids sake Truely if the onely remembrance of a iust man might make so much with God what may not charitable workes done for the same intent obteyne at his hand This was the mourning meete for the Christian burialls as this noble father teacheth vs and this no other was practised in the fathers funeralls in Christes time and before As in an other place this same doctor earnestly correcteth the vse of vaine mourning or outragious costly and curious couering of the body buried Cessemus quaeso ab hac insana diligentia sed eam morientium curam habeamus quae nobis illis conferat ad gloriam Dei. Largas pro his eleemosinas faciamus mittamus eis pulcherrima viatica Eleemosina mortuos suscitauit quando circumsteterunt viduae ostendentes quae fecerat ipsis Dorcas Cum ergo moriendum sit quisque funus sibi paret persuadeatque vt indigentibus aliquid relinquat Nam si reges haeredes scribentes familiaribus partem relinquunt in puerorum cautionem cum Christum cohaeredem filijs tuis dimittis intellige quantam tibi illis concilias beneuolentiam Haec sunt funera pulcherrima remanentibus abeuntibus proficiunt caetera For Gods loue sayth he let vs leaue this vndiscrete and madde curiositie and let vs so prouide for the departed that we may both helpe them and our selues to the glory of god Large almes must we geue for them in so doing we shall sende vnto them as you woulde say a kinde of necessary foode and sustenaunce for their soules This hath raised vp the deade when the widowes stoode round about making shewe of the garnements that Dorcas made for them Therefore seeing dye we must it were not amisse that euery man procured his owne funerall before hande that is to say by determination to leaue somewhat to the poore needy For if mighty kinges making their heires do bequeath somewhat to their familiars for the salfe prouiso of their successours thou may well vnderstande when thou makest Christ the copartener with thy children thou procurest thereby his mercy both to them and thy selfe And these be the right obittes these shall be commodious to the lyuing
eius I am sore vrged but better it is to fall into Gods handes for his mercyes be exceding many And so according to his election he had many thousandes of his people perished by Gods plague Of whose case S. Gregory sayth maruelous much in these fewe wordes Deus delictum delet sed inultum non deserit peccato non parcitur quia sine vindicta non laxatur God wypeth away mannes offence but he leaueth it not vnpunished sinne is not spared because it is not without reuenge released But before this he had a full warrant of remission of his horrible murder and adultery by the Prophet Nathan saying vnto him thus after his repentaunce Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tuum nonmori eris veruntamen quoniam blasphemare fecisti inimicos nomen Domini propter verbum hoc filius qui natus est tibi morte morietur Our Lord hath remoued thy sinne neuerthelesse because thou hast made thenimies blaspheme our Lordes name by this worde thy sonne which is borne vnto thee shall dye the death Of which matter S. Augustine by occasion talking against Faustus asketh what maner of pardon it was that the Prophet brought from God vnto Dauid And he answereth thus Ad quam rem nisi ad sempiternam salutem neque enim praetermissa est in illo secundum Dei comminationem flagelli paterni disciplina To what ende else had he his pardon but to euerlasting-saluation For he scaped not the scourge of his fathers discipline according as the threatning of God before did portend All the forsaâ—d examples then being so euident they must needes conclude this assuredly that after our offences be remitted there commonly yet remaineth some paine and right debt to be discharged by the offenders punishment before he receiue the ample benefite of eternall saluation 2 Now commeth in the colourable confirmation of this false proposition and that by examples of the holy Scripture which must therefore more diligently be wayed because they are so seldom alleged But first he must rayle a crash at the forsaken Protestantes which would so gladly liue at ease in their onely faith that they list neither to satisfie for their sinnes nor to procure Gods mercy with good workes Doubtles M. Allen they list not by seeking to iustifie them selues procure to be forsaken of god But you Papistes are they that seeke to iustifie your selues like the olde pharisees and boast of your prayers fastings and satisfactions but God knoweth what you are within As for our onely faith shall stand before God when your infidelity shall condemne you and the fruites of our onely faith shall appeare to Gods glory when the vayne bragge of your meritorius workes shal be discouered to your eternall shame But to come to your examples I must admonish the Reader that neither your wit memory diligence nor learning deserueth any commendations for alleging them that haue so often before bene abused by all them that of your side haue defended your cause of whom you are but a translator or borower not an author or obseruer your self And therefore I might iustly referre the Reader to the learned and godly aunswers of so many as haue impugned this heresie before but because euery man either can not or will not seeke further then this booke I will briefly aunswere euery example as it is an easy matter to doe they are so vnfitly applyed to the purpose for which they are alleged The first example is of our first parent Adam whose sinne though it were pardoned through Christ yet he and all his posterity feeleth the punishment thereof An argument very farre fetched to maintayne the paynes of purgatory The miseries of this life in that they be common to the godly with the wicked they sufficiently declare that they are no satisfaction for sinne but a demonstration of our miserable condition to humble vs make vs desirous of restitution by christ And although they were enioyned by the curse of God against sinne yet to those that are deliuered from the curse of God by the blessed seede Iesus they also are conuerted into blessings Hereof the godly reioyse in afflictions knowing that afflictions worke patience patience worketh trial triall hope and hope confoundeth not yea by them we are made conformable vnto Christ that suffering with him we may raigne with him Rom. 5. 8. As for that which Adam suffered after his death when you haue declared it then will I also confute it Next followeth the examples of the Israelites which often fell were punished and rose againe The former example was not so farre of in tyme as this is in matter for that example although it were impertinent yet it had some similitude with the cause for that Adam was pardoned and yet bare some part of punishmeÌ„t But here are brought in the whole people among whom many were wicked and commonly more hypocrites then true Israelites and yet the very text alleged out of the 88. Psalme declareth that the godly children which were punished were chastised in mercy and not condemned by iustice And as for the saying of god Exod. 32. that notwithstanding he had pardoned the Israelites yet he would visit their sinne in the day of vengeance litle helpeth the matter For the pardon was generall to the whole people that he would not destroy them from being a nation as appeareth in the 14. verse of that chapter but not perticular to euery one that he would remitte their sinne take them into his fauour as appeareth verse 33. where he sayth that who so euer had sinned he would put him out of his booke The same answere serueth for the like text Num. 14. But Moises Aaron are examples of this matter most manifest I answere to the punishment of Moises Aaron as to the punishment of all other faithfull persons they were not to satisfie the iustice of God but to declare his mercy in admonishing them and others by their examples how odious sinne is vnto him and yet euen the chastisement of God is a benefite vnto his children not onely because it is a signe of his fatherly loue toward them but also because he conuerteth it alwaies vnto their reward and profit As in the example of Moises and Aaron it was a fatherly rodde to discharge them of guiding Gods people and entring into the lande of promise but in the meane time it was a great benefite that they were discharged of a heauy and troublesome burden and entred sooner into that land of eternall life whereof the other was but a signe and shadow And therefore the Psalmist sayth iustly of them that God was mercifull vnto them in reuenging their inuentions But because S. Augustines words may be of more credit with you he sayth of the death of Moises Aaron that they were signa futurorum non supplicia indignationis Dei. Signes of things to come not punishments of Gods displeasure Quaestion Num. lib. 4. Quest. 53. But the
loued and shall be saued in the earnest memoriall of which assured paines and for the auoiding thereof he so afflicted him selfe as is before saide His heart was in heuines his soule in sorow his flesh in feare and in his bones there was no rest before the face of his sinnes Thinke you here a protestāt preacher with a mery mouth in Nathans steade could haue driuen him from this course of penaūce dissuaded him from the feare of Purgatory eased him with only faith set him in securitie perfect freedom from his offenses past No no Musica in luctu importuna narratio Mirthe in mourning is euer out of season Flagella doctrina in omni tempore sapiētia But roddes discipline be alwayes wisedom These delicate teachers had neuer roume but where sinne bare great rule And it is no small licklyhood of Gods exceding wrath towardes vs in these daies that such soft phisitiōs please vs in so dāgerous diseases It was not the doctrine of this time that healed Nabuchodonosor but this was his plaster Peccata tua eleemosy nis redime iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperū Redeme thy sinns by almes thy iniquities by mercy towards the poore It was exceding fasting and many sorowfull sobbes that bare of Gods hande from the Niniuites It was the painefull workes of penaunce that Iohn the Baptist first preached This was Paules rule that if we would punish or iudge our selues then would not God iudge vs In to whose handes it is a heuy case to faule Horrendum est sayth he incidere in manus Dei viuentis For he shall call to accompt and reckoning as S. Bernarde supposeth euen the very actes of the iuste if they be not well and throughly iudged and corrected to his handes The vndoubted knowledge of which strait accompt moued our forefathers to require such earnest afflictions of the people for satisfying for their sinnes 2 Now let vs heare what this bragger bringeth to proue that all godly men haue chastised their bodyes for feare of purgatory First Dauid in the 51. Psalme prayeth God to wash him throughly from his iniquitie c. ergo he was afrayd of purgatory I might iustly refuse to aunswere this argument lest I should deferre any thing vnto it But let Ambrose aunswere by M. Allen him selfe alleged He so protested his harty repentaunce that he left a testimony thereof to all the world to come But because S. Ambrose is alleged rather for the glorie of his name then for the helpe of his authoritie in this place S. Augustine is annexed to supplie that wanted in S. Ambrose But that you maie see what patching this proctor of Purgatory vseth of the doctors sentences he allegeth not Augustine vpon the very wordes of the 51. Psalme which make nothing for his purpose but vpon an other Psalme where the argument is nothing like If Augustine coulde haue founde Purgatory out of Amplius laua me he would haue vttered it there where he expoundeth those wordes whereby it appereth plainely that M. Allens argument standeth vpon his owne inuention and not vpon Augustines authoritie But yet Augustine speaketh of the amending fier in the place by him alledged He doth so in deede but I haue shewed before and more will shew hereafter that as Augustine had no ground of that fier but in the cōmon error of his time so sometimes he affirmeth that it is a matter that may be doubted of sometimes that there is no third place at all And that he hath no grounde of Scripture in that place of the 38. Psalme is euident because Dauid prayeth that God will not punish him in his fury nor in his wrath for when so euer he punisheth in his fury and plagueth in his wrath they must needes perish eternally he prayeth therefore that that sicknes or other affliction which God hath layd vpon him might be a mercifull chastisement of a father and not a iust punishment of a iudge But whereas the vnpure mouth of this Allen is once agayne opened in rayling against the godly preachers of our Church as flatterers of men in daungerous diseases I would he might heare the children of thunder inueying with mighty power of Gods spirite against sinne and wickednes and calling men to true vnfayned repentaunce peraduenture he might be moued to cease his sclaundering for shame of the worlde if he did not forethinke him of his wickednes for feare of god But Nabuchodonizer had a sore corrosiue playster applyed to him that healed him and that was almes mercy toward the poore He might haue alleged many examples and none lesse fitte to shew what paynfull penaunce as he termeth it was enioyned by godly prophets For it was the easiest that could be enioyned to so rich a prince for so great offences to be liberall to the poore Although Dauid in that place cited by him speaketh of no redemption of sinnes as that corrupt false translation which he followeth doth seeme to talke of But Daniel willed Nabuchodoniser to breake of thaccostomed course of his cruelty and tyranny by almes and liberality The Niniuites in deede by fasting and lamenting but most of all by turning from their wicked wayes shewed their harty repentaunce and Iohn Baptist requireth the fruites of repentaunce and what godly preacher doth not so but where did Nathan Daniel Ionas Iohn Baptist speake one word of purgatory or of satisfying the iustice of God for their sinnes by such meanes 3 And here gentle reader geue me leaue though I be the longer to geue thee a litle tast of the old doctors dealinges in the sinners case that thou maist compare our late handeling of these matters with their doinges and so learne to loth these light marchauntes that in so greuous plages deale so tenderly with our sores And yet I intend not so to roue but that the very course of our talke wel noted shal be the necessary inducing of that trueth which we now defende concerning Purgatory Especially if it be considered that in all prescription of penaunce by the antiquity the paine of satisfying was euer limited by the variety of the offense And then that the very cause of all paine enioyned was for the auoyding of Gods iudgemēt in the life to come First auncient Origen writeth thus Beholde our mercifull Lorde ioyning alwaies clemencie with seueritie and weying the iust meane of our punishment in mercifull and rightuous balance He geueth not the offenders ouer for euer therefore consider how long thou hast strayed and continued in sinne so long abase and humble thy selfe before God and so satisfie him in Confession of penaunce For if thou amende the matter and take punishment of thy selfe then God is pitifull will remoue his reuengement from him that by penaunce preuented his iudgement Thus we see this father so to measure the paine and punishment of sinners that he maketh his principall respect the auoyding of the sharpe sentence to come S. Cyprian
at the last appearing Finally the exact triall and purging that he speaketh of is the discouering of hypocrites by his doctrine wherof also Iohn Baptist preacheth that his fan is in his hand and he shall purge his floore c. To conclude that this may not be thought to be mine owne collection it is the iudgement and interpretation of Ieronym vppon this very text Malachy the 3. in euery poynt who with all his learning coulde finde no purgatory fire spoken of in this cap. Now to the other place o◠Paule that it can by no equity be drawen to purgatory for all M. Allens likelihoode numbring in the margent it shall be manifest by as many euident arguments First S. Paule speaketh not generally of all men but of preachers onely that are buylders of Gods Church Secondly he speaketh not of all their workes but of their preaching or building onely Thirdly he speaketh neuer a word of purging or making cleane of mens works but of the triall of the worke of building which is doctrine But what doctrine is tryed to be true or false substantiall or superficiall by the fire of purgatory Fourthly the workes are sayd that shall be tryed by fire and not the persons Fiftly the gold and siluer abideth the strawe and stuble consumeth through the fire of this triall which is the iudgement of God and not the paynes of purgatory And this is the iudgement of Ieronym vpon the place of Malachy before rehearsed where also he applyeth the text of Esay 4. before cited by M. Allen. fol. 59. The Lord sayth he is a consuming fire to burne vp our wodde hay and strawe The other obseruations be also taken out of that auncient doctor whose commentary vppon the epistle to the Corinthians hath gone vnder the name of Ieronym and is annexed to his workes sauing that by gold siluer wodde straw c. he vnderstandeth the men them selues and not their workes But as for purgatory he findeth none by that text S. Augustine also although otherwise inclining to the errour of purgatory yet he is cleare that this text proueth it not neither ought to be expounded of it and that he sheweth by many reasons Enchirid. ad Laurentium cap. 68. where he affirmeth that by the fire is ment the triall of tribulation in this life Chrysostom vpon the same text vnderstandeth by the fire euerlasting punishment euen of him that shall be saued through fire without any mention of purgatory except it be in reprouing them that denied immortall punishmēt to be meant by this place in 1. Cor. 3. Hom. 9. But if the place were to be considered absolutely without regard of circumstances as the Papistes doe when they expound it for purgatory yet can not it aptly be framed thereto because he sayth that euery mans worke or the man him selfe if they will shall passe through that fire but they thē selues affirme that perfect good men shall not come there at all nor very wicked men but onely men of a midle sort but by tryall of this fire whereof S. Paule speaketh good men shall receiue reward when their worke endure therefore this is not the fire of purgatory That there is a particulare iudgement and priuate accompt to be made at euery mans departure of his seuerall actes and deedes vvith certaine of the fathers mindes touching the textes of Scripture alleged before CAP. VII 1 ANd though such as shall liue at the comming of the iudge in the later daye shall then be purged of their corruption and base workes of infirmity by the fire that shall a better and alter the impure nature of these corruptible elements or otherwise according to Gods ordinaunce yet the common sort of all men which in the meane time depart this worlde must not tary for their purgation till that generall amending of all natures no more then the very good in whome after their baptisme no filthe of sinne is founde or if any were was wiped away by penaunce must awayt for their saluation or the wicked tary for their iust iudgement to damnatiō But straight this sentēce either of iudgement or mercy must be pronounced and therefore is called the particulare iudgement by which the soule onely shall receiue welthe or woe as at the day of the great accompt both body and soule must do Of this seuerall triall the holy Apostle S. Paule sayth statutum est omnibus hominibus semel mori post hoc iudicium It is determined that euery man once must dye and after that commeth iudgement And an other Scripture more expressely thus Facile est coram domino reddere vnicuique in die obitus sui secundum vias suas It is an easy matter before our Lorde that euery man at the day of his death shoulde be rewarded according to his life wayes Againe in the same place Memor esto iudicij mei sic enim erit tuum mihi heri tibi hodie Haue in remembraunce my iudgement for such shal thine owne be yesterday was mine today may be thine And therfore S. Ambrose sayth that without delay the good poore man was caried to rest and the wicked riche out of hand suffered torments That euery man sayth he may feele before the day of iudgement what he must then looke for And in an other place the same holy man writeth that Iohn the beloued of Iesus is already gone to the paradise of euerlasting blesse passing as few shall do the firie sworde at the entraunce of ioy without all stoppe or tariaunce because the fire of loue in his life time had such force in him that the amēding fier after his chaunge should take no holde of him at all so sayth Ambrose But of this priuate iudgement the Reuerend Bede hath a goodly sentēce in the fift of his historie Meminerimus facta cogitationes nostras nō in ventū diffluere sed ad examē summi Iudicis cūcta seruari siue per amicos Angelos in fine nobis ostendēda siue per hostes Let vs remēbre saith he that all our dedes thoghtes shal abide not be caried away with the winde but be reserued to the examination of the high Iudge so shall be laide before our face at our ending either by our good or aduersary Angels By all which it is euident that the soules sleepe not of which errour Luther was also noted nor be reserued in doubt of their damnation either perpetuall or temporall till the latter day but streight waye receiue as they deserued before in their life either welth or wofull paines In this day of our Lorde then this Purgatory paines must beginne to all such as haue after their Baptisme where they laide the foundation of Christes faith builded the workes of lesser sinnes and imperfection and not washed them a waye by penaunce in their life nor obteyned mercy for the same The which trueth the places of the Prophet and Apostle before alleaged with out all
but they had it out of Gods holy worde and tradition of the holy Apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of trueth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost labour to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth which all the holy doctours haue so fully both proued and declared to my hande 5 The tales that you tell out of Gregory and Bede may be hearde as they are tolde and beleeued as they deserue but that you make the opinion of purgatory such an article of faith that no article with more force of the spirite nor with more graue authority was set forth sence the beginning of Christian religion and yet neuer taught in the scripture that is by no meanes to be borne with all If Sathan hath labored to plante that error which is most blasphemous against Christ and occasion of most licentious wickednesse in all them that professe Christ and beleue it if Sathan I saye hath bent all his force to plante such an error by which his kingdome is so much aduaunsed no wise man can maruell Of like leuen it is that you affirme That neuer nation was conuerted to the fayth but it had purgatory taught by worde and confirmed by miracle O impudent affirmer Of so many nations as S. Luke recordeth in the Actes of the Apostles to haue bene conuerted to the fayth name one vnto which you can proue that purgatory was taught eyther by worde or miracle But to be sure you name all euen of the primitiue Church when that aboundant floude of faith was spred ouer all countries But when the proofe commeth you leape but 600. yeares from Christ to Gregories dialogues from which time I will not deny but you may haue great store of such stuffe as you haue miracles now in Flaunders of the honest woman of the olde Baylye in London and such like 6 But nowe for vs that through Gods greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefit of this our approued faith to the amendement of our owne liues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctour can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good life and vertuous conuersatioÌ„ may by Christes mercy moue them Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgement must beginne at the house of God as S. Peter affirmeth and so doth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whome for the dignity of his honorable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckening must be required Let the Lay man learne for the auoyding of greater daunger in the presence of the highe Iudge willingly to submit him selfe to Gods holy ministers VVho haue in most ample maner a commission of executing Christes office in earth both for pardoning and punishment of sinne that suffering here in his Church sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape our fathers greuous chastisement in the life to come Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing penaunce he would measure the medecine by the maladie aptly discerning the limitation of the punishment by the quantity of the faulte not vsing like lenity in closing vp of euery wounde For they shall not be blamelesse surely that do the worke of Gods iudgement committed to their discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of such vnâ—quall remedies auoide the scourge of iudgement prepared except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men shoulde some further satisfaction by the fructes of penaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned penalty and so by Gods grace turne away the great greefe to come Excellently well and to our purpose saide S. Cyprian in the fourth booke of his epistles talking of such offenders as were not charged with penaunce sufficiently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes We shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Gods iudgement that is to come that he may not allow and ratifie our sentence if he finde the perfect penaunce of the party so require But if the offender haue deluded vs by fayned accomplishing of his penaunce then God who will not be deluded because he beholdeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of such thinges as were hidde from vs And so our Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes VVhere this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Purgatory which S. Augustine and other do often call the amending fire Though it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to eternall damnation vpon the impenitent sinner whome the priest because he coulde not discerne the fayned hypocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stande I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement How so euer that be it is a worke of singular grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede of the amending fire 6 Here is an exhortation vnto Papistes first to the priestes that they will shew the fructe of this doctrine in their conuersation For my parte â— am perswaded if feare of eternall torments in Hell that God threatneth by his scriptures will not terrify them the fayned paines of purgatory which they can by their owne Masses and other like merits auoide will not restraine them The laye men are exhorted to submitte them selues to the priestes who haue such an ample commission that they may both pardon and punish sinne euen as Christ him selfe did vpon earth But what auayleth this submission when the ignorant or negligent priest that weigheth not the penaunce in euen ballance with the offence doth not by his absolution or pardonning take awaye one houres torments of purgatory as both M. Allen him selfe in effect confesseth and the Maister of the sentence also teacheth vnto whome M. Allen hath bene so good a scholler that he hath borowed of him not onely his iudgement but in diuerse places his very wordes also he hath translated Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire the difference of their state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke CAP. XIII 1 IF any curious heade list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the worlde this place of punishment is or what nature that fire is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity because he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The learned may see that question at large debated in the bookes of the City of God and in
may be remitted that is to say either made lesse or els wholy released before the due execution of Gods sentence be extremely done For it is not ment that the freedom which man may haue after full aunswere and payment of his sinnes in that place of punishment temporall shoulde be properly termed a remission or pardon For that is aunswerable to Gods iustice and although there were no prayers or other wayes of helpe yet the patient by toleration in time might vnder the protection of Christes merites make full satisfaction and so be discharged who being a vessell of mercy can not be damned But when we say that sinnes may be forgeuen in the next worlde Gods Church which is the mother of all beleuers teacheth vs that some parte as well of the rigour and extremity of the paine as of the time and continuance thereof though God him selfe hath appointed that punishment may yet be mercyfull released 3 S. Augustine is much beholding to you that you giue men to witte that when he was wrangled withall by any misbeleuer he had occasion to wrest the Scripture otherwise then the words imported so you iudge of him because he would not for your pleasure expound the fire of tryall 1. Cor. 3. For your fire of purgatory But concerning this testimony of Augustine it maketh not so much against vs but it maketh as litle for you For if you haue translated his words according to his meaning as you haue not according to his wordes he vnderstandeth by this place remission of the paynes and not of the sinnes which helpeth you nothing to that which you haue taken in hand to proue that sinnes are forgiuen after this life And so he seemeth to say in the 13. chapter of the same booke Non autem omnes veniunt in sempiternas poenas quae post illud iudiciuÌ„ his sunt futurae qui post mortem sustinent temporales nam quibusdam quod in isto non remittitur remitti in futuro saeculo id est ne futuri saeculi aeterno supplicio puniantur iam ante dixi All they come not into euerlasting paynes which after that iudgement shall be to them that after death suffer temporall paynes for I haue sayd already that vnto some that which is not remitted in this world is remitted in the world to come that is that they should not be punished in the world to come In these wordes he speaketh of release of paynes but not of forgiuenes of sinnes But in the place by you alleged if the words be truly translated according to the discourse of that chapter he affirmeth that after the resurrection those paynes which the spirites of the dead doe suffer there shal be some vpon whom mercy shall be bestowed so that they shall not be cast into eternall fire c. So that Augustine in this place speaketh not of such sinnes as are remitted in purgatory but of such persons as are forgiuen in the last iudgement when purgatory is ended Wherefore though Augustine erred in this place yet he erred from your cause And whereas you affirme in the margent that sometime Gods iustice is aunswered fully by the payne of the party you are contrary to the rest of your family for they hold that the generall prayers and sacrifices of your mother Church doe help them Yea the maister of the sentence holdeth that a poore man hauing equall merites with a rich man though there be no special prayers masses fasting or almes done for him is holpen as well by the common almes and prayers as the rich man for whom speciall prayers and large almes are done lib. 4. dist 45. For otherwise the opinion of merites could not stand And vnlesse M. Allen thinke that all such masses and prayers in which the dead are generally commended be vnprofitable his proposition can not stand by his owne learning That the faithfull soules in Purgatory being novv past the state of dâ—seruing and not in case to helpe them selues may yet receiue benefit by the vvorkes of the lyuing to vvhome they be perfectly knitte as fellovv membres of one body CAP. II. 1 BVt now what meanes may be founde to ease our brethern departed of their paine or what wayes can be acceptable in the sight of God to procure mercy and grace where the sufferers them selues being out of the state of deseruing and place of well working can not helpe them selues nor by any motion of minde atteine more mercy â–ª then their life past did deserue VVhere shall we then finde ease for them surely no where els but in the vnity and knotte of that holy fellowship in which the benefite of the heade perteyneth to all the membres euery good worke of any one membre woÌ„derfully redouÌ„deth to all the rest This society is called in our Crede communio Sanctorum the communion of Sainctes that is to say a blessed brotherhood vnder Christ the heade by loue and religion so wroght and wrapped together that what any one membre of this fast body hath the other lacketh it not what one wanteth the other supplieth when one smarteth all feeleth in a maner the like sorow when one ioyeth the other reioyseth withall This happy society is not impared by any distance of place by diuersity of Gods giftes by inequality of estates nor by chaunge of life so farre as the vnity of Gods spirit reacheth so farre this fellowship exteÌ„deth this city is as large as the benefit of Christes death taketh place Yea within all the compasse of his kingdome this fellowship is founde The soules and sainctes in heauen the faithfull people in earth the chosen children that suffer chastisement in purgatory are by the perfect bonde of this vnity as one abundeth ready to serue the other as one lacketh to craue of the other The soules happely promoted to the ioye of Christes blessed kingdome in this vnitie and knotte of loue perpetually praye for the doubtfull state of their owne fellowes beneth the carefull condition of the membres belowe continually crieth for helpe at their handes in heauen aboue Nowe the membres of Christes Church here yet trauelling in earth they pray together they faste together they desire together they deserue together Christ our heade in whose bloude this city and society standâ—th will haue no worke nor way of saluation that is nâ—t common to the whole body in generall and peculierly proffitable to supply the neede of euery parte thereof He which instituted the blessed sacraments will haue them in this vnity to worke in common as farre as the ende of eche of their institutions requireth and out of it to haue no force at all he that maketh all our workes acceptable though they be done of one will haue them perteine to all the holy sacrifice of the Church by the will of the author and the likenesse of the exemplar as in deede being in an other maner the very selfe same is made so common that it ioyneth the Sainctes
or daunger or to shew their sorrow for prophanation of Gods glory And any of these are more reasonable causes then the superstitious surmise of Beda with his curious conceit of the six ages of the worlde where other make seuen and eight ages 3 And that charitable reliefe of the poore by open almes and doles was also practised for the welth of the departed in the obittes of olde time the scripture it selfe in the fourth chapter of Tobie maketh mention by report of that godly commaundemeÌ„t that the good olde father gaue is sonne herein Panem tuum cum esurientibus comede de vestimeÌ„â—is tuis nudos tege Panem tuum vinum tuum super sepulturam iusti constitue noli ex eo manducare bibere cum peccatoribus Eate thy breade with the hongry and needy and couer with thy clothes the naked Set thy breade and wine vpon the sepulture of the vertuous make not the sinnefull partaker therof which wordes of exhortation can haue no other sense but that as before in the same place he gaue his sonne in charge to bestow vppon all men according to his hability for that there was hope to all charitable almes giuers of Gods mercy so now he warneth him to feede the poore and breake his breade to such especially as should come to the iustes and funeralls of the departed He would neuer haue put him in minde to haue releeued the poore at burialls but for some commodity that might arise to the party deceased for otheâ—wise his charity might haue proffeted the needy at other times as well as vpon mens departure Some tooke foolish occasioÌ„ by this place to set store of meate vpon the graue it selfe where their father or freinde was buried as though the dead had bene desirous of corporall foode The which superstitious error S. Augustine earnestly improueth Other some made great feastes at the daye of their freindes death But the texte is plaine it was the needy and good people that were at those soleÌ„ne exequies or other wise by their prayers might be profitably present in the dayes of memories holden for them which practise was not prescribed as a newe thing to the yong Tobie but it was moued and praised vnto him as a holy vsage of other burialls in those dayes and alwayes before Bona est oratio cum ieiunio elecmosina Prayer is profitable sayth the holy Raphel when it is ioyned with fasting and almes and therefore as the fathers in their prayers for the dead fasted as we haue proued so nowe I doubt not but almes shall crie for mercy at Gods hande for the soule departed vpon whose sepulture these thinges be charitably wroght 3 What else if we had not doles at burialls proued by the example of the Patriarkes all were marred Therefore Tobias must saye for doles But first we haue shewed already by authoritie of Hieronym which is proofe sufficient against the Papist that the Church receiueth not this booke of Tobias for canonicall scripture And secondly if we shoulde receiue it yet here is nothing that helpeth M. Allens cause but his owne simple surmise He sayth in dede the wordes can haue no other sence yet all that he sayeth is not gospell but what if the truer texte of Tobias hath other wordes First in the Greeke there is no mention at all of wine as is in the Latine nor of setting breade and wine vpon the graue of the vertuous but the sence is this As before he exhorted his sonne to feede the hongry with his owne breade and to cloth the naked with his owne garments so nowe he willeth him to spare the breade out of his owne mouth to bury the righteous as he him selfe had done chap. 1. which is a cleere interpretation of this but to geue nothing at all to the vngodly or to be liberall to the rightuous euen to their death and to see them buried honestly As for the iustes and funeralls M. Allen dreameth that the poore came vnto to receiue penny dole or soule breade appeareth in the first and second Chapters how solemne they were when poore Tobie was fayne to steale the bodyes and bury them priuily by night yet vpon that corrupt Latine texte as it should seeme wherevpon M. Allen buildeth they vsed in Affrica to make sumptuous and dronken feastes vpon the graues of men in the places of buriall which they thought not onely to perteine to the honor of the martyrs but also to be some comforte to the soules of the deade This olde superstition Augustine reproueth epist. 64. Aurelio But it is pretily renewed in the funerall feastes of the Papistes as also the selling of oblations for the deade which he in the same place condemneth 4 VVe haue a notable example in the Actes of the Apostles of the force of almes with prayers which wroght life and procured mercy eueÌ„ in the next world For the benefit of faithfull workes and holy prayers will not be limited by the termes of this worlde it will haue course doune so farre as the fellowship of this Christian societie reacheth the deuill and all his abettours can not stoppe the rase thereof The onely shew of certaine cotes with the requeste of the pore widowes that wore them made to Peter the Apostle turned Tabitha to life againe after her departure those garments geuen by her when she was a lieue by the careful trauel of her almes folkes procured reliefe in the worlde to come They warmed the backes of widowes in earth sayth Emissenus and the geuer had comforth of them being gone from the earth It is good we shoulde all learne here that haue receiued benefite of any man in this liefe with loue and carefullnesse not onely in this present worlde but most of all when our frend is departed to represent vnto God before his altare and holy ministers with sorowfull weeping hearty prayer the memory of such thinges as we haue receiued by way of almes or loue at his hand It shall be a soueraigne remedy for his infirmities and the approuedst way to procure Gods mercy that can be The elders of the Iewes making earnest supplication to our Sauiour for the Centurions seruaunt lying in extremitie vsed the memorie of that gentilmans charitable actes in their church as the rediest waye to obteine grace and fauour at his handes They cried out together dignus est vt hoc illi praestes diligit enim gentem nostram synagogam ipse aedificauit nobis Lorde be gratious vnto him he is worthy that benefite for he loueth our nation and hath him selfe founded a Synagoge And S Cyprian sayth notably that good workes make a more effectuall intercession then good wordes he speaketh of the same Tabitha as followeth Circumsteterunt Petrum viduae flentes rogantes pallia tunicas omnia illa quae prius sumpserant indumenta monstrantes nec pro defuncta suis vocibus sed ipsius operibus
and profitable to the deceased Againe in an other place he argueth that this vnordinate mourning can not stand with the steadfast belefe of resurrection of the departed which the prayers of Gods Church and the rites of Christian dirigies do planely protest and proue these be his wordes Cur post mortem tuorum pauperes conuocas cur presbyteros vt pro eis velint orare obsecras non ignoro te responsurum vt defunctus requiem adipiscatur vt propitium iudicem inueniat his ergo de rebus flendum atque vlulandum arbitraris Non vides quà m maximè ipsi repugnas VVhy doest thou gather the poore people to come to thy frendes buriall VVhy desirest thou the priestes to pray for their soules Thy aunswere I am shure will be that thou doest these thinges to prouide for his rest and to obteine mercy and fauour at his iudgies handes VVell then go too what cause hast thou to mourne or bewaile his case doest thou not perceiue that thou art contrary to thy selfe in thy owne facte nowe all studious men may see what force the charity and almes of faithfull people euer had especially towardes the deade how litle weeping auayleâ—h how vnlikely it is that the prescribed dayes of the olde funeralls in the lawe of nature or afterward were spent in mourning with out wordes or workes for the departed but namely how this holy fathers sentence and minde fully setteth fourth the meaning of Tobies precept for setting his breade and drinke vpon the sepulchres to be nothinge els but a calling together of the poore people and feeding them for the benefite of the person departed that not onely they by earnest prayer but he by charitable workes might together obteine rest and mercy for his soule And here the simple sorte and such as be ignoraunt of the force of almes or our fathers practise for their yeares being brought vp in this sinnefull age when vertue is defaced and the workes of Christianitie scarse to be seene in a whole country and where they be much merueled at as thinges rare or contemned as vnprofitable or of the wicked condemned vtterly as superstitious vngodly such good young men must looke backe a great way with me to learne their dueties of the blessed times paste that were wholy free from the contagion of this pestilent waste in religion euen to those dayes that our aduersaries confesse to haue bene holy and vndefiled 5 What a shameles man is this to say the soule of Lazarus was restored to his body at the prayers of Martha Mary his sisters who as the Scripture is manifest did not hope for any restitution before the generall resurrection Yet we neede not doubt sayth he but they prayed dayly for his rest How proueth he that Forsoth Syr when Mary went out sodenly to meete Christ the Iewes sayd vadit ad monumentum vt ploret Alacke that M Allen could not put out that pl. and then it should be vt oret ibi But in good sadnes if the Iewes had thought that Mary had gone to pray at her brothers graue they would not haue followed her to hinder her deuotions but she went to wayle and they followed to comfort her to forbid her M. Allen sayth that immoderate mourning hath a speciall mistrust of the resurrection as S. Paule declareth 1. The. 4. But ioyned with praiers and almes it hath a liuely hope of those that sleepe in peace if they sleepe in peace what neede haue they of our prayers but will you see the ratte taken by his owne rumbling The place of S. Paule 1. Thes. 4. is directly to reproue immoderate mourning for the dead which is not meete for them that haue hope But how hapneth it that prayer and almes be not there ioyned to moderate mourning yea how hapneth it that in so necessary a place S. Paule findeth no other comfort to moderate the mourning of the faythfull but onely the quiet rest of them that are a sleepe in the Lord and the hope of their glorious resurrection Surely if S. Paule had bene of Chrysostomes minde he would haue prescribed other maner of comforts as Chrysostome doth But where learned Chrysostome that prayers and almes had any comfort in them for the dead Surely he allegeth Scripture but he applyeth it madly and yet he often applyeth it to the same purpose belike it was the best he had for that purpose God sayth vnto Ezechias I will defend this citie for myne owne cause and for Dauid my seruaunts sake Alas good man what maner of reason is this be it as he sayth that the memory of Dauid being a righteous man and not rather the trueth of Gods promise made to Dauid moued him to defend the cittie from the enemies doth it therefore followe that prayers and almes are auailable for the deade for whome we haue no scripture no commaundement promise nor example to pray Who if they be of the number of Gods elect be in so happy estate as they can not be better by our prayer which supposeth them to be in misery Hieronym vpon the 37. of Esay where the same sentence is repeted referreth these wordes Propter Dauid c. to the memory of Dauid being a vertuous man wherby the Iewes were admonished that not for their merite but for his mercy sake and for their ancestors sake God woulde protect them but prayer for the deade he findeth not auailable by these wordes The other place of Chrysostome alloweth rather almes that men geue before their death or bequeath in their testâ—ment because it is a worke of their own then that almes which other men geue for them For if Dorcas was restored to life through her almes it was through her owne almes that she did giue when she was a liue not for any almes that other did bestow for her when she was deade The third place of Chrysostome sheweth how hardly the people being once nâ—slâ—d in superstitioÌ„ coulde be kepte in any moderation no not in those times where there was great care diligence and knowledge in their pastors but soone after as these thinges decayed in the teachers so superstition daily increased and where as you note in the margent that priestes in that time were desired to praye for mens soules I will proue afterwarde in a more proper place that in the older time they were called together at burialls for an other purpose But such is the nature of mens deuises that although at the first they seeme not altogether euill yet in processe of time they grow to more and more inconueniens vntill at the last they come to be altogether abominable And therefore your collection M. Allen being all vpon false groundes is nothing to be regarded of olde or younge But Sathan your suttill maister hath taught your rather to appeale to the iudgement of the yonger sorte who haue not knowen your horrible idolatrie and mischeiuous marchandise of mens soules then to men of any riper yeares
reasonable cleere light for the good simple peoples instruction and with full safety from all the force our aduersaries can make against vs The Patriarches example the wordes of scripture the practise of the Church the naturall society betwixt the partes of Christes misticall body in this worlde and his members in the next and all our fathers faith haue wonne so much that almes and offeringes in sundry memorialls and diuers obseruations of mindes and obittes be singular and soueraigne to procure Gods mercy for the pardon of the soules deceased And nowe lest any man take occasion of Gods mercy which he seeth to be so ready that it may be wone by other mens workes to liue in contempt of vertuous exercise and to passe the time of his owne life in carelesse negligence presuming to purchesse fauour at Gods hande so mercyfull by other mens merites with out his owne deede or deserte let that man be aduertised quòd non habet partem in sermone isto that he shall in that case haue no benefite by our talke the mercy which we speake of perteineth not vnto him such idle drone beyes can take no fructe of other mens labours neither quicke nor deade For that membre which in this body was so vnprofitable to him self it is no right nor reason he should haue any gaynes by other mens trauell Therefore all these liberall promisies of fauour and grace to be procured by the workes of the liue towardes the departed reach neither to the vnfaithfull out of this house nor to the impenitent who was but an vnprofitable burden of the house These thinges sayth Clement we meane of the godly for if thou gaue all the welth of the world to the poore for the wicked sake thou couldest not profite them a heare For he that dyed in Gods displeasure can not looke for more mercy then he deserued Therefore S. Iohn the Apostle seemeth to abbridge our prayers and the obteining of our petitions by borderinge them as with in certaines bondes after this sort VVe know that God doth here vs what so euer we require we be sure he will accomplish our requestes which we make vnto him Therefore he that knoweth his brother to sinne being not a sinne to death let him pray and life shall be geuen to him that sinneth not to death there is a sinne to death for such I do not will any man to praie This place of the Apostle seemeth to declare the wonderfull force that the prayers of the faithfull haue in procuring grace and remission for others so that they be â—rethern and passe hense with out the bonde of mortall sinne And the letter well weyed shall make exceding much to proue the prayers for departed in piety as it in a maner forbiddeth all intercession for such as be knowen to passe in continuance of mortall sinne There is no crime so greuous that man may commit in the course of this life but the Church vseth prayers customably therefore and for her reuerence is often hearde Therefore it may well be thought that the party must be deceased of whome such diuersity of desertes doth arise for all that be a liue with out exception if they be brethern of our familie must be prayde for And so longe as they be in this worlde and may repent their sinne is not so vnto death but life by prayers may be and is commonly at Gods hande obâ—eined Then it may well be deduced that the Aposâ—le meaneth to incourage the faithfull to pray for such their brethren departed as dyed without bonde of deadly sinne to their sight in a maner warning them that for such their prayers shall be acceptably hearde But for others continuing in sinne to death he willeth not them to praye nor can assure them they shall be hearde So doth Dionysius a man not very auncient but of a full spirite and good grace expounde this text VVhether he meaneth sayth this father by finall impenitence or by any mortall sinne continued vnto death it is sure plaine a man must not praye for him that dieth in it Then if we be admonished not to pray for one sorte of departed the case is cleare that we may and are bounde and shall be hearde for the other sorte that sinneth not vnto death CAP. VII 1 HItherto but that you loue to tell your chickens before they be hatched you neede not greatly to boast of your winnings But now you will shewe that prayer and almes helpeth not them that dye in mortall sinne and that beside your Clement with whose cloutes you cloy your booke you woulde fayne proue out of the Epistle of S. Iohn cap. 5. For that which S. Iohn speaketh of the prayers that Christian men make for their brethren aliue whom they see to sinne but not vnto death you would take if you could for prayers to be made for them that are deade but passed not hence in deadly sin â–ª that which he sayth of prayers not to be made for them that sinne not vnto death you weene he ment of them that are known to passe hence in continuance of sinne But you that dare not presume to make any interpretation without authoritie of the olde Martyrs when all commeth to all haue none to father your new exposition vppon but Denys the charterhouse Monke a yesterdayes bird But seeing you are not onely voyd of all auncient authoritie but also haue all the olde writers against you that euer interpreted or alleged this place let vs see what is your reason Forsooth the letter well weighed maketh much for you by the way it may be noted that you call the word of God the letter in that sense that S. Paule sayth the letter killeth but I omitte that grosse contumely against the holy Scriptures where S. Paule sayth the letter killeth he meaneth not that the holy Scriptures killeth in which is contemed life but that the law which onely commaundeth and giueth no power to fulfill it pronounceth sentence of death to them that breake it But to follow your reason There is no crime so greeuous that man may commit in this life but the Church prayeth for it is often heard therfore it may be thought that the party must be deceased of whom such diuersitie of deserts doth arise I deny your antecedent For the church of Christ prayeth not for them that sinne against the holy Ghost our Sauiour Christ affirmeth that he which sinneth against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen who so euer pray for him and of such sayth S. Iohn that there is a sinne vnto death for which we ought not to pray Samuell was not heard when he prayed for Saule 1. Sam. 16. Ieremy is oftentimes forbidden to pray for the obstinate Iewes Iere. 7.11 14. And the Lord testifieth that if Noach Daniell and Iob prayed for the wicked they should not be heard Ezec. 14. Therefore there be sinnes for which the Church ought not to pray and though she
qui me crucifigent Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendaui spiritualiter intellectum viuificabit vos You shall not eate this body which you see not drinke this blood which they shal shed which shall crucifie me I haue commended to you a sacrament which being spiritually vnderstoode shall quicken you As for Dionysius because he is a coūterfect antiquitie I will not vouchasafe to aunswere him Basill in his booke de spiritu sancto cap. 27. hath these wordes The wordes of inuocation when the breade of thankes geuing and the cuppe of blessing is shewed which of the holy Apostles hath lefte vs in writinge Before we goe any further I will take this by the waye that what so euer it was that he spake of it is not tought by the scripture no more then many other ceremonies that he rehearseth in the same place Howbeit it is plaine enough that he meaneth not that the wordes of inuocation were sayed vnto the breade or the cuppe but vnto God who was called vpon to blesse those his creatures that they might be sanctified to the holy vse of Christ his institution The shewing of the breade and the cuppe ▪ was not to adore it as M. Allen dreameth for then he woulde haue called it the body and bloode of Christ but either to stirre vp the people to praye effectually or to admonish them that all thinges were readye that they might prepare them selues to communicate And whereas he alleageth out of Augustine De Trinit lib. 3. cap. 10. that children were taught to call it God and Christ he shamefully abuseth his reader for no such thinge can be gathered out of Augustins wordes which are these Illas etiam nubes c. Nowe as touching those cloudes or fire howe the Angells did make them or tooke them vppon them to signifie that which they did bring message of Although the Lorde or the holy Ghost was shewed in these formes what man a liue doth know euen as yong children know not what is set on the altar and when the celebration of piety is finished is spent out whereof or how it is made whereof it is taken into the vse of religion And if they shoulde neuer learne by experience of their owne or of others and neuer see that shewe of thinges but in the celebration of the sacraments where it is offered and giuen and saide vnto them with most graue authoritie whose body and bloude it is they woulde beleue nothing els but onely that the Lorde hath appeared to the eyes of mortall men in that liknesse and that out of such a side being striken that the same liquor did flowe These wordes are plaine that Augustine affirmeth that no man knoweth more of those shapes in which the Angells did appeare then young children would imagine of the presence of Christ in the sacrament if they were not otherwise instructed then in telling them when they receiue it that it is the body of christ wherby the cleane contrary to that which Allen affirmeth is plainely gathered that children were otherwise instructed first by experience bycause they sawe breade els where then in the celebration and also by doctrine when they were able to vnderstande that it was not the Lorde him selfe in the shape of breade but onely a sacrament and representation of him And by the waye note here one practise of a notable error in Augustines time that the sacrament of the Lordes supper was geuen to children which wist not what it ment contrary to the worde of God who requireth men to examine them selues before they receiue it wherefore if any other practise were in his time or allowed by him contrary to Gods worde we are no more bounde vnto it then vnto this which euen the Papistes them selues will confesse to be erroneous Finally what the Christiās did by that they were sclaundered with all is a sory proofe they were sclaundered to haue worshipped an Asses heade to kill men and eate them to vse all maner of beastlines in their metings The rest of the practise that M. Allen nameth with out shewe of proofe I passe ouer as vnworthy of aunswere The practise of Gregory although it were much more modest then of his successors yet can it not be excused but it was contrary to his doctrine whereby he reproued an other in that he was not altogether cleare him selfe Bernarde was but of late time wherefore although he might note some abuses of the Masse yet he might also saye it him selfe but how often I can not tell Touching Ambrose which was sodeinely made a byshop before he was a perfect Christian if some steppes of hethenishe inuocation or rethoricall apostrophees and prosopopees appeare to be in him and some other also about his time yet was not that generally receiued of all the Church in his time nor agreable to the doctrine of S. Paule who sheweth that we can inuocate none but him in whome we beleue which to all true Christians is God onely 2 And where may we better beginne then with this famous Chrysostome he bare the last wittenesse with vs for the reliefe of the departed by the prayers and holy oblation therefore the practise of that excellent benefite shall first be shewed vpon him selfe This blessed man therefore being banished by the meanes of the Empresse Eudoxia for the defense of the Ecclesiasticall discipline there in exile departing out of this world was after her death by the happy and gracious childe Theodosius ▪ the yonger translated from his obscure resting place to Constantinople which was his owne seate there with meete honour to be buried where with grace wonderful dignity he ruled the Church before The History reporteth that the people of that citie as thicke as men euer went on grounde passed the waters of Bosphorus and couered that coste wholy with light and lampe with tapers and torcheis to bring that blessed byshoppes body that was their owne deare pastor home againe The which passing treasure being with all reuerence laide vp in the saide citie then loe the gracious good Emperour earnestly beholding the graue of S. Chrysostome made most humble prayers to almighty God for his father and mothers soule the late Emperour and Empres beseching him of pardō forgiuenes for banishing that good Catholike byshop because they did it of ignorance so the words may well be taken that he asketh Chrysostome him selfe mercy also for his parents offense vniustly committed against him and withall full kindly prayeth for their deceased soules And so being buried in his owne Church he was then by Atticus a worthy man his second successour written in the roule of Catholike bishoppes to be praide for at the altar euery day by name Cum Ioannitae saith Cassiodorus out of Socrates seorsim apud seipsos sacra solemnia celebrarent iussit vt in orationibus memoria Ioannis haberetur sicut aliorum dormientium episcoporum fieri consueuit VVhen Chrysostoms partakers saide Masse by them selues aside Atticus
worthy will her sonne Augustine so alloweth that he setteth it forth in the ninth of his confessions to her eternall memorie in these wordes My mother sayth he when the daye of her passing hense was now at hande much regarded not how her body might curiously be couered or with costly spice is powdered neither did she counte vpon any gorgious tumbe or sepulcre these thinges she charged vs not with all But her whole only desire was that a memory might be kept for her at thy holy altar good Lorde at which she missed no day to serue thee where she knew the holy hoste was bestowed by which the bonde obligatory that was against vs was cancelled Marke good reader as we go by the waye what that is which in the blessed sacrifice of the aultar is offered how cleare a confession this man and his mother doe make of their faith and the Churchies belefe concerning the blessed hoste of our daily oblation beholde that women in those dayes knew by the grounde of their constante faith that which our superintendents in their incredulity now a dayes can not confesse Consider how carefull all vertuous people were in the primitiue Church both learned and simple as to be present at the altar in their life time so after their death to be remembred at the same VVhose worthy indeuours as often as I consider and often truely I doe consider them I can not but lament our contrary affection which can neither abide the sacrifice the hoste nor the altar in our dayes and therefore can looke for no benefite thereby after the daye of our death once come vpon vs as our fore fathers both looked for and out of doubt had But leauing the peculiar consideration of such thinges to the good and well disposed let vs go forwarde in the fathers pathes and see whether this so well learned a clerke counted this zele of his olde mother blinde deuotion as we brutes thinke of our fathers holynesse now a dayes For which matter we shall finde that first euen as she desired the sacrifice of the Masse was offered for her not onely for the accomplishment of her godly request but because the Church of God did that office for all that was departed in Christ as we reade in sundry placies of this mans workes and as in the same booke of confessions he thus declareth and testifieth I leaue the Latine because the treatise growes to greater length then I was aware of at the beginning if I corrupte the meaning or intent of the writer let my aduersaries take it for an aduauntage thus he sayth therfore Neither did I weepe in the time of the prayers when the sacrifice of our price was offered for her not yet afterwarde when we were at our prayers likewise the corps standing at the graue side c. VVhereby euery reasonable man must needs acknowledge that both prayers and sacrifice was made for her as her meaning and godly request was before her passage she being thus therefore brought home with supplication and sacrifice solemnely was not yet forgotten of her happy childe But afterwarde he thus very deuoutly maketh intercession for her quiet rest Now I call vpon thee gratious Lorde for my deare mothers offensies geue eare vnto me for his sake that was the salue for our sinnes and was hanged vpon the crosse who sitteth on the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs I know she wrought mercyfully and forgaue those that did offend her and nowe good God pardon her of her offensies which she by any meanes after her baptisme committed forgeue her mercyfull God forgeue her I humbly for Christes sake pray thee and entre not into iudgement with her but let thy mercy passe thy iustice because thy wordes are true and hast promised mercy to the mercyfull And in the same chapter a litle afterwarde he thus both prayeth him selfe for her and earnestly inuiteth other men to do the same in these wordes Inspire my lorde God inspire thy seruauntes my brethern thy children and my masters whome with will worde and penne I serue that as many as shall reade these maye remembre at thine altar thy hande mayden Monica And her laite husbaÌ„d Patricius through whose bodies thou brought me into this life and worlde Thus was that holy matrone by her good child made partaker after her death of the thing which she most desired in her life And him selfe afterwarde in his owne see of Hippo in Aphrike had sacrifice saide for him at his departure though the daye of his death fell at the pityfull hauocke which the Vandalles kept being Arians in those parties commaunding the christian Catholikes to be buried with out seruice as I saide before This blessed Bishop departing out of this life in the besiege of his owne Citie had notwithstanding oblation for his reste as Possidonius writing his life and present at his passage doth testifie Augustinus membris omnibus sui corporis incolumis integro aspectu atque auditu nobis astantibus videntibus ac cum eo pariter orantibus obdormiuit in pace cum patribus suis enutritus in bona senecture nobis coram positis pro eius commendanda corporis depositione sacrificium deo oblatum est sepultus est Augustine sayth he being sounde in his limmes neither his sight nor hearing fayling him I being then present and in his sight praying together with him departed this worlde in peace vnto his elders being continued till a fare age And so we being present the sacrifice for the commendacion of his rest was offered vnto God first and straight vpon that was he buried Thus loe all these fatâ—eâ—s taught thus they practised thus they liued and thus they dyed none was saued then but in this faith let no man looke to be saued in any other nowe 6 I haue sufficiently already declared what Augustine meaneth by the sacrifice of the altar the sacrifice of our price the sacrifice of breade and wine and what so euer name he geueth it beside He meaneth nothing else but the sacrifice of thankes geuing for the onely propitiatory sacrifice of Christ wherof the celebration of the sacrament is an effectuall memoriall and liuely remembraunce In Celebration of which sacrameÌ„t although the superstitious error of that time allowed prayers for the deade generally or speciall remembraunce of any in the prayers yet is it not the belefe of S. Augustine nor of any other in that time that the sacrament was the naturall body and bloude of Christ nor that the naturall body of Christ was there sacrificed as a propitiation of the sinnes either of the liuing or the deade Seeing therefore that he hath so plainely expounded what he meaneth by the name of sacrifice as I haue shewed in the beginning of this chapter it is to much folly vpon these vnproper but yet in that time vsuall termes to goe about to builde such blasphemous doctrine as afterwarde gâ—ue to be
mainteined perhaps by occasion of such vnproper speach as then was vsed of the sacrifice of the Masse and propitiation both of the quicke and the deade But that I may consider these places particularly whereof you make so great accompt First where you will vs to take our aduantage of your translation I say you haue falsyfied Augustines wordes and meaning in the latter ende of the first sentence to make fooles beleue that the priuate Masse was sayd in Augustines dayes as it is among you First you call memoriam sui fieri ad altare which is that remembraunce of her shoulde be made at the altar that a memory might be kepte for her as though she woulde haue her sonne to be a chauntry priest to sing for her c. Item you translate vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam where she knew the holy hoste was bestowed as though she had ment nothing but that the hoste was layed vpon the altar where as you should haue sayed from whence she knoweth the holy sacrifice was dispensed or ministred by which wordes it is manifest that the communion was daily receiued not of the priest alone but of all them that were present You are as bolde as one of your wisedome may be with such a man to will M. Grindall to looke in his grammer for Augustins figures but if I may be so bolde with so profound a clearke as you are I woulde desire you to looke in the etymologies of your grammer whether sui be for her and vnde where And if you can not proue these significations by that parte of grammer which is called Etymologie that you would defende them by that part of cunning where in you are better learned called Pseudologia but to the matter of this testimony we haue in this first remembraunce of her in the nexte we haue the sacrifice of our price offered for her In deede this soundeth more like the matter you would haue if S. Augustine had not before in plaine wordes expounded his meaning which is nothing else but that the communion was celebrated in ministration of which there was speciall remembraunce of her in the prayers as there was of all deade in the sayth a generall memory And if you aske me what figure S. Augustine vsed though I coulde referre it to diuerse figures yet it may best be excused by Acyrologia which is an vnproper kind of speaking to call that the sacrifice of our price which was but a thankes giuing for the sacrifice of our price which Christ onely offered once for all vpon the aultar of the crosse As Augustine him selfe when he speaketh properly will confesse The other two places proue nothing but prayer for the deade vsed by Augustine But that you may see all this was but superstition or will worship in him he him selfe in a maner confesseth as much in the same place where he prayeth most earnestly lib. Con. 9. cap. 13. Et credo quod iam feceris quod rogo sed voluntaria oris mei approba Domine And I beleeue that thou hast done already that which I pray for but Lord approue this voluntary offering of my mouth His meaning is to allude to the free will offerings of the lawe but in deede he declareth that he prayed not according to the rule appoynted by God but according to the corrupt motion of his owne minde As for the place of Possidonius proueth plainly that it was the sacrifice of thankes giuing that was offered for the commendation of the godly and quiet deposition or putting of of his body which he before describeth In steed of which M. Allen translateth for commendation of his rest as though he had bene out of rest sayth that not withstanding his holy life and godly departure yet euen that day the citie was taken had oblation for his rest But if the men of those dayes had bene of M. Allens opinion concerning purgatory they would not both haue compted Augustine for a perfect man and yet after his death to doubt of his rest Finally where he boasteth that none were saued in those dayes but in this fayth he followeth his owne vayne of lying and not any proofe of auncient writing For although they were in that tyme infected with some errours and that not so great as he chargeth them withall yet was the fayth of their saluation in the onely foundation Iesus Christ and not in merittes or Masses pardons or pilgrimage but in the onely mercy of god Tota spes mea sayth Augustine non nisi magna valdè misericordia tua Da quod iubes iube quod vis lib. con 10. cap. 29. Al my hope is nothing else but thy exceeding great mercy Giue that thou commaundest commaund what thou wilt That vve and all nations receyued this vsage of praying and sacrifycing for the departed at our first coÌ„uersioÌ„ to Christes faith And that this article vvas not onâ—ly conâ—irmed by miracle amongest the rest but seuerally by signes and vvounders approued by it selfe And that the Church is grovvne to such beauty by the fructes of this faith CAP. X. 1 MAny moe examples of these matters might be brought out of S. Gregory diuers out of Damascene enowe out of what writer so euer you like best such choise we haue in so good a cause whereof euery mans workes are full But I will passe ouer the rest that I may onely reporte one history out of our owne Church in the pure spring whereof the Apostolike faith aboundaÌ„tly ishued downe from the principall pastors of Gods Church with great spreade of religion which sith that time hath bewtified our country in all Gods giftes with the best And amongest many euident testimonies of this trueth with the practise therof both to be founde in Gildas and in holy Beda there is a straunge and a very rare example not onely for the plaine declaration of the vsage of our Church in the first foundation of our faith but for an open shew by miracle in this liefe how God releaseth of his mercye by the holy oblation at the altar the paines of the departed in the worlde to come It shall be comfortable to the Catholikes to consider this parte of our belefe to be confirmed by the miraculous working of God as all other lightly be in placies where the faith is first taught And that our whole faith which our nation receiued of S. Augustine the monke was so confirmed by the power of God not onely our owne histories do declare but S. Gregory him selfe affirmeth it writing his letters to Augustine in this sense that he should not arrogate any such wounderous workes to his owne power or vertue which then God wrought by him not for his owne holinesse but for the planting of Christes faith in the nation where those signes were shewde Beda therefore writeth this notable history of a miracle done not many yeares after our people was conuerted in the beginning of his owne dayes that in a