I knowe that thou wilt answer it is to the ende the deceased may obtaine rest and find his iudge favourable thou weenest that thou must weepe for these matters but seest thou not that even in the same thou dost wrong him For considering that thou thinkest he is gon into the flowred fields why dost thou yet stir vp great stormes against him Againe in his 70. hom ad populum Antiochenum speaking of the funerals and the duty that we performe to the dead with torches and hymnes he saith What is the meaning of these flaming lamps No other but that we convey the Champions after the combat ended and these hymnes but that in them we glorifie God and giue him thankes that he hath crowned the dead and freed him froÌ„ all sorrowes that he now keepeth him about him hauing taken from him all vncertainties all which are actions of ioy Hee hath almost the same words in the moralitie of his fourth homily on the Hebrewes Both there and in his third homily on the Philippians hee gathereth that the duties that wee performe to the dead do testifie that their soules are in rest for the people say Convertere anima mea in requiem My soule returne into thy rest Againe in his 32. homily vpon Matthew Teares and lamentations beseeme the enemy not thee that goest to rest surely Death is a quiet hauen from all troubles Againe There is the spirituall bride bed and coelestiall And he saith that after death there is no more sorrow To bee briefe In Nilus Bâ—shop of Thessalonica we haue an expresse book against Purgatory which is an Apology for the Greeke Churches wherein they saie that this temporall fire was coÌ„demned in the fifth Councel as also to this day the Churches of the Greeks and Russians the Abissines and the Armenians knowe not what this Imaginary fire meaneth There also the Greeke Churches do protest that S. Chrysostome never beleeved any such matter nether any of their ancient Doctors whereof we doe gather that some places of this doctour which seeme to make for Purgatory either must bee vnderstoode of an other kind of Purgatory such as was the purging fire of Origen and Ambrose which shall be spoken of hereafter or els that those passages are corruptly inserted and suggested Tunc est tentatio finieÌ„da quando finitur pugna tunc est finienda pugna quando post hanc vitam succedet secura victoria paulo post milites Christi labori osa peregrinatione traÌ„sacta regnant felices in patria Illis omnia remissa sunt delicta nihil ob delicta puniâ—is for likewise in the couÌ„sell of Florence where the Greekes armed them selues with the auctority of their Doctours the Latins would not haue forborne to bring in these passages to convince them Prosper in his first book of Contemplatiue life cap. 1. saith Temptation shall end when the Combat is ended and the Combut shall end when after this life an assured victory shall succeed Againe soone after he saith The souldiours of Iesus Christ after they haue finished their laborious pilgrimage do raigne happyly in their Countrey Procopius vpon Exodus To those who by faith are entred into the number of their confederates and brethren and haue beene made partakers of the divine nature by the participation of the holy Ghost all their sinnes are pardoned they haue received no punishmeÌ„t for their offences Epiphanius in his second book of heresies heresie 39 which is the same of the Catares and Novatians seemeth to haue taken a smatch in the ConfutatioÌ„ of Purgatory where he saith In the age to come after a mans death there is no more helpe by fasting no more vocation of pennance no more exhibition of Almes hee also saith It is as the corne that swelleth not after it is reaped neither can be spoiled with the winde Finally he coÌ„cludeth The Garners are sealed vp the time is past the combat is finished the lists are voided and the Garlands are given Now saith hee all this is finished at the departure out of the body after which departure our adversaries do impose grievous penances and augment the difficulty of the fight and torments and doe deferre the giuing of the Crownes vntill the comming out of Purgatory that is to say many hundreds and thousands of yeares after death Arnobius in his second book against the gentils saith that Plato after this life hath set downe Rivers of fire in quibus animas asseverat volui mergi exuri where the soules are tossed plunged and burned But himselfe contrarywise doth holde that the souls out of the bodies can endure no sorrow Quis hominum non videt quod sit immortale quod simplex nulluÌ„ posse dolorem admittere Wherein albeit he erreth not yet doeth it sufficiently shewe that hee beleeveth not that the soules without bodies can after this life bee cast into a fire Note also that throughout all antiquity wee finde no mention of buls of fetching of soules out of Purgatory of Indulgences for the dead aulters and of fraternities that haue priviledge to fetch a soule out of Purgatory As this is but lately inveÌ„ted and as old age encreaseth in covetousnesse so hate Avarice beene more inventiue in this declining old age of the world for it is credible that the Apostles and their first successours omitted the fetching of foules out of this fire by indulgences for want either of knowledge either of abilitie either else of good will Also that togither with their greatnesse and riches skill spirituall power pietie and charitie haue growne vp in the Bishops of Rome That the Doctours in the primitiue Church in this matter had their errors which the Church of Rome reiecteth namely in this that for the most part they beleeved that the soules are detained in dennes or corners vntil the day of iudgmeÌ„t whereof neverthelesse it appeareth that they knew not Purgatory Irineus toward the end of his fourth and last booke condemneth two opinions the one that hell is in the world the other that the soule which hee calleth the inward man comming out of the body ascended into the region that is aboue the heauens Then he addeth For sith our Lord went into the middest of the shadow of death where the soules of the dead remained and is since corporally risen againe and after his resurrection was receaued on high It is evident therefore that the soules of his disciples for whom Iesus Christ acted and suffered these things shall also goe into an invisible place to them appointed by God where they shall remaine vntil the resurrection afterward being perfectly that is corporally raised as Iesus Christ was they shall appeare in the presence of God for no disciple is aboue his master c. In summe his meaning is that herein the condition of the faithfull deceased shall bee conformable to that of Iesus Christ whose soule came not into the presence of God before his resurrection but was in darknesse and
afflicted he went a stray but after his afflictions he kept the commandements of God And againe It is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy Statuts 2. Chro. 33 Was not Manasses for his conversion endebted to his captivitie And are not we for Davids Psalmes endebted to Saul and Absalon For the building of the Church of God in our daies are not we endebted to the Martyrdome and torments that our fathers endured for the Gospell By the word of God and experience we finde other ends of our afflictions then satisfaction and redemption to the iustice of God Therefore saith Chrysostome in his Homely of confession pennance that God punisheth vs not for the sinnes past Non exigens supplicium de peccatis sed ad futura nos corrigens but correcteth vs for that that is to come Here doe our adversaries rouse themselues and seeke all meanes to vnderprop their so ruinous a cause and to perswade that to pardon a sinne yet to punish it with satisfactory paines to acquit a debt and yet to make the debter pay it are things compatible such as doe well agree This doth the Frier proue by a Theologicall reason Among all the workes of God saith he doe equally shine his mercy and his iustice a propositiō that beareth many exceptions Pag. 75. As in the punishment of Divels we find soveraign iustice without mercy And God doth often minister the one without the other as himself saith in the Epistle of S. Iames cap. 2. There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy Only in the worke of redemption is this proposition true his mind is that in the Iustification of a sinner Gods mercy should be displaied in conferring vnto him the first grace and remission of eternall paines And to giue some way to his iustice he will haue it to take some satisfaction of the sinner by punishing him with temporall paines as well in this life as in Purgatory Wherein I beseech the Reader to consider the nature of the vntruth which consisteth in wrangling and iarring with his owne principles The frier said that among al the works of God his mercy his iustice did shine equally but here he maketh them altogether vnequall In that mercy revealeth her selfe in pardoning an infinite paine but iustice sheweth herselfe in making thē suffer temporall punishments which neverthelesse may be abridged and redeemed by some fasts and slight offerings made by the survivers for the dead Was it meete to seeke place for the iustice of God where wee might abase it so low and dishonor it in paying it in such base coine and clipped mony◠Even this might serue for an evident and most mightie testimony to the truth if wee proue that according to our beliefe gathered out of the word of God the Iustice of God and his mercy doe equally shine in the worke of our redemption are likewise infinit For God hath shewed himselfe infinitly iust in accepting at the hands of our pledge and redeemer Iesus Christ a sufficient price for all our offences also infinitly mercifull in allowing to vs this payment as made in our name His wisdome hath vnited things which otherwise seemed hardly to agree having found a meanes to punish all our sins and withall to forgiue them all by giving to vs his son the obiect of his iustice for an argument and matter of his mercy But to pardon a man all his sins and yet to make the same man to beare one part of the deserved punishment for satisfactiō for the same are matters contradictory The fire of Helie speaketh no better to the purpose Adam saith he had pardon for his sinne and yet both he and his posterity haue incurred many calamities 1. Hereto we do answere that to no ende hee here commeth in with the paines and sorrowes that are cōmon to all men sith that in this place wee deale only with punishments proper to the children of God 2. He deceiveth himselfe in thinking that the evils and paines for al men are punishments for the sinne of Adam For they are punishmēts because men do persist in the sin of Adam God never punisheth one man for another mans sin The child shall not beare the iniquity of his father saith Ezechiell 18.20 True it is that so manie Calamities had never befallen mākind had not Adam sinned but yet this stādeth ever firme That God never punisheth any before they haue throughly deserved it 3. He presupposeth that which is false and yet in question namely that the paines whereto the faithful be subiected by the sin of Adam be satisfactions payments and redemptions to the Iustice of God For of this kinde of paines do we now entreat because they make Purgatory to be of this nature We say then that al these evils labours diseases yea even death it selfe do alter their nature in the faithfull and of evils become medicines Of satisfactorie pains they are made healthsome exercises to the soule God by the wounds of the body healeth the woundes of the soule even in like manner as a triakle composed of venimous Ingrediences yet tempered by a skilfull Physition becommeth a very healthsome preservatiue The like do we say of the death of the faithfull It resembleth the passage over the red sea where Gods enemies are swallowed vp but his children doe finde way to the promised inheritance Farthermore if it be a punishment to satisfie the iustice of God wherfore do the faithful expect it with Ioie and in their desires even hasten the comming of it as did the Apostle S. Paule Phil. 1.13 Besides these reasons they alleadge many examples as of Mary Moses David who were punished after their offences were forgiven Namely David whose example they do vrge 2. Sam. 12. Where God having forgiven him his sinne said neverthelesse vnto him The sword shall not depart from thy house because thou hast despised me Againe Because thou hast given the Lordes enemies cause to blaspheme his name thy childe shall die There is not say they to the end thou shouldest not cause to blaspheme Likewise in the 7. of Micheas I will beare the wrath of the Lorde because I haue sinned against him wherein their iudgement fayleth them for they labour to proue that which we do grant Who denieth but that the sins of the faithfull are the efficient causes of the chastisementes that God layeth vpon them And that they fall vpon them because they haue sinned But our controversie dependeth not vpon the efficient cause but vpō the finall They say that it is to the end that Gods iustice may be satisfied by the punishment of the sinne we say that it is to the end A sinner may amend They will haue it That God punisheth as a iust iudge we that he punisheth vs as a loving father not to exercise his Iustice but correct our vnrighteousnesse for as for the satisfaction due to his Iustice the merits of
booke of Purgatory cap. 9. alleadgeth this place and falsifieth it both in the words and in the sense He saith that S. Hierom speaketh of the vnbinding of the soule that is made by speculation not of the transporting of the soule in her substance but by imagination and to set the greater shew vpon this glosse and contemplation hee omitteth these words propter tenuitatē substātiae which do proue that S. Hierom spake of the trāsport of the soule in her substance with all that contemplation doeth not deliver the soule from the body neither necessarily trāsporteth her into Paradice or into hell for Contemplation hath infinite other obiects Can. in praesenti In the decrees of the Romish Church Causs 13. Quest 2 there is a Canon taken out of S. Hierom and these be the words In this present world we know that we may helpe one another either by praier or by Councell but when we shall come before the tribunall seat of Christ neither Iob nor Daniell nor Noah can pray for any but every one shal bear his owne burden But the decree hath clowted on a taile and saith that S. Hierom spake of the impenitent But how can that be For S. Hierom putteth himselfe in the number saying But when wee shall come Gregory Nazianzen in the Epitaph of his brother Caesarius saith I beleeue the words of the wise namely that every honest soule that loueth God when it is delivered from this body that is tyed thereto and is departed away IMMEDIATLY it is admitted to the fruition and contemplation of that good that attend it and doth reioice in admirable pleasure Vpon this principle doeth hee ground his stedfast perswasion that his brother is already blessed Now was he neither Martyr nor Saint nor otherwise qualified then the ordinary of the faithfull The like he speaketh in the Epitaph of his sister Gorgonia S. Ambrose hath written an excellent treatise of the benefite of death De bono mortis Vt corpus resolvatur acquiescat anima autem cōvertatur in requiem suā which is no other but a refutation of the Purgatory of the Romish Church And it is to bee noted that he speaketh of the death of all the faithfull but omitteth the Saints and Martyres more priviledged by God In this third Chapter he doth thus define death Death is a separation of the soule from the body Then he addeth Now what doth this separation saving that the body dissolveth and resteth but the soule is set in quiet and free who if shee be faithfull shall be with Christ In the fourth Chapter he saith that Death is a haven after a storme and that shee reserveth vs to iudgement such as shee founde vs and addeth that by her Transitura corruptione ad incorruptionem à mortalìtate ad immortalitatem à perturbatione ad tranquillitatē We passe from corruptiō to incorruption from mortalitie to immortalitie from trouble to rest Againe in the 7. Requies post labores finis malorum Mors stipendiorum plenitudo summa mercedis gratia missionis Chapter The foole doth feare death as the soveraigne evill the wise man doth desire it as a rest after labour and the ende of all calamities In the same place Death is the fulnesse of wages the sum of rewards the favour or grant of dispensation or license In the tenth Chapter he mocketh such as thinke that the habitation of soules is vpon earth and saith Animarū superiora esse habitacula scripturae testimonijs varijs probatur It appeareth by many testimonies of the scriptures that the habitation of the soules is aboue In the last Chapter speaking of himselfe and of al that beleeue in Iesus Christ hee saith Intrepide ad Abrahamū patrem nostrum cum Dies advenerit proficisca mur intrepide pergamus ad illum sanctorum coetū c. When that day shall come let vs goe boldly to Abraham our father to the assembly of Saints and congregation of the righteous for wee shall goe to our fathers to the schoolemasters of our faith to the ende that albeit our workes faile vs yet faith may succour vs and the inheritance be kept for vs. And to the ende no man should thinke that he speaketh only of the most holy and perfect he saith Etiamsi opera desint albeit workes faile vs and soone after he saith that it doth appertaine to all the beleevers in God and that When the day of death shall come to the end the Popes factors should not put of that day to the issue out of Purgatory Also that our adversaries may no longer shrowd themselues vnder this passage in the 12. of Matthew Blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come he saith in the second Chapter of the same booke Qui hic non acceperit remissionem peccatorum illic non erit Hee that will not here receaue remission of sinnes shall not bee there S. Chrysostome hom 75. in Matth. If we now doe not that we should when wee come there we shall haue no meanes to satisfie Againe hom 22. ad populum Antiochenum Read the Scriptures of our Saviour and learne that none can helpe vs when we depart hence Also in his 2. hom vpon Lazarus Pay all here that without trouble thou maist come to that tribunall seat while we are here we haue great hope but so soone as wee are departed to goe thether it remaineth no longer in our power to doe pennance or to blot out or amend that we haue done amisse Hereto Bellarmine answereth that Chrysostome speaketh of the remission of mortal sinnes which no man saith are remitted in Purgatory And all this is false for Chrysostom speaketh of all sinnes and in any of all these places never maketh distinction betweene mortall and veniall sinnes indeed hee speaketh of the wicked rich man who was not punished for one sinne only but for all his sinnes withall that our adversaries do hold that in Purgatory they may beare the punishment for mortall sinnes but that by the mercy of God of eternall they be made tēporall Yea they proceed so far as to limit the time of this punishment namely seaven yeares for every sinne as wee shewed in the first Chapter Likewise vpon the 23. of Matthew hom 25. hee saith that pennance after death is as vnprofitable as the Phisitian who after death can doe no good The same he saith vpon the first of Genes hom 5. Also vpon the fourth to the Romans hom 8. Where there is grace there is forgiuenesse where there is forgiuenesse there is no punishment Now punishment being taken away and righteousnesse through faith granted nothing may hinder vs but that we shall be made heires of this promise which is by faith Himselfe vpon Matth. hom 32. asketh of the parents of the deceased these questions Wherefore after the death of thy friends dost thou call them poore Why dost thou desire the Priest to pray for them
in the shadow of death herevpon also doth Erasmus in his preface to the fifth booke of Irineus note that Irineus did suppose that the soules dismissed from the bodies did not immediatly enioy the sight of God but are reserued in some secret place vntil the resurrection The same father in the same booke not farr from the beginning saith that God hath placed man in Paradice Quapropter dicunt presbyteri quisuÌ„t Apostolorum discipuli eos qui sunt traÌ„stati illuc translatos esse which is the gardeÌ„ of Eden froÌ„ whence for his disobedience he was driven into the world and theÌ„ he addeth Therefore the ancient fathers that were the Apostles disciples do say that such as are translated from hence are translated into that place Hee therefore did thinke that the garden of Eden from whence Adam was expelled was the secret corner where the soules are hidden vntil the resurrection A frivolous doctrine yet such as testifieth that in his time there was yet no speech of purgatory which Erasmus also hath noted in the same preface Origen in his seventh homily vpon Leuiticus saith thus Nondum saÌ„cti receperuÌ„t laetitiam suaÌ„ c. The Saints no not the Apostles themselues haue not yet receaued their ioy but they expect vntil I bee made participant thereof with them And in his second book of his principles toward the end he saith with Irineus That the saints after their decease are transported into the earthly Paradice Eam Regionem sinuÌ„ dico Abrahae et si non coelâ—stem sublimiocem tamen inferis interim refrigerium praebituram animabus iustorum donec comsummatio rerum resurrectionem omnium plenitudine mercedis expungat Quae infra terram iaceÌ„t neque ipsa sunt digestis ordinatis potestatibus vacua Locus enim est quo piorum animae impiorum ducuÌ„tur c. Tertullian in his fourth book against Marcion cap. 34. I call Abrahams bosome that region albeit not celestiall yet higher then the hels which nevertheles must giue rest to the soules of the righteous vntil the consummation of things accomplish the resurrection through the fulnes of reward The same he repeateth in his fourth poeticall booke against Marcion cap. 6. in his booke of the soule cap. 55. Constituimus omnem animam apud inferos sequestrari in Diem Domini Wee hold assured that every soule is sequestred into the lower partes vnto the day of the Lord. The same hee also saith cap. 56.57.58 Nouatian in his booke of the Trinity and is to bee found among the bookes of Tertullian cap. 1. saith The things that are vnder the earth are not void of powers digested and ordered For it is the place whether the soules both of the faithfull and of the wicked are brought feeling already the foreiudgement of the iudgement to come Now were it to no purpose to say that Novatian was an hereticke for it is well knowne hee was never holden to be an hereticke for this opinion but because hee refused reconciliation to the Church to those that were once fallen Chrysostome on the first to the Corinthians hom 39. If the body riseth not againe the soule shall not be crowned but be kept out of the celestiall beatitude The same he saith hom 28. vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes In the same father we finde some sentences to the contrarie as indeed it was his fault to be of smale constancy and yet all that he saith doth yet make more against Purgatory And in his homily vpon the Epistle to the Philippians The righteous whether it bee here or whether it be there are ever with the king but there much more yea more neer not as it were by the way not in faith but face to face And wee consequently doe say not in a fire not in a prison vnder earth Theophilâ—ot a follower of Chrysostom vpon the 11. to the Hebrews The saints haue not yet obtained the celestiall promises Omnes in vna communi que custodia detinentur donec temp adveniat quo maximus iudex meritorum faciat examen Lactantius lib. 7. cap. 11. Let no man thinke that the soules be iudged immediatly after death for they are all detained in a common prison vntil the time come that the great iudge taketh the examination of what they haue deserved Victor in Martyr vpon the sixt of the Revelation saith that Saint Iohn saw vnder the alter the soules of the Martyrs and those that were slaine and these words sub ara hee doth expound sub terra Thus then hee placeth the soules of the Martyrs and Saints vnder earth S. Hillary vpon the 38. Haec humanae lex necessitatis est vt sepultis corporib animae ad inferos descendant c Psalme It is the law of necessity where to man is subiect that the soules should descend into the lower parts after the dead be buried Which law Iesus Christ for the accomplishment of a very perfect man did not refuse Neither may we say that hee speaketh of the fathers of the old Testament for in all that place hee hath not a word of them besides he would haue said This was the law but he saith This is the law Finally saying it is a humane necessitie which Iesus Christ vnderwent to become very man hee sheweth that it is a condition imposed vpon all man kind which if Iesus Christ had not vndergon hee had not participated in all that was proper to mankind Hee also vpon the second Psalme saith The daiâ— of iudgement is the eternall retribution of beatitude or of punishment but the houre of death in the meane time holdeth every one vnder her lawes whiles the bosome of Abraham or the paine reserveth every one to iudgement Euthimius vpon Luke 16. saith that the history of Lazarus is a parable wherein is described vnto vs what shall bee done in the day of iudgement And vpon the 23. Psalme he saith None of the righteous haue receaued the promises and the kingdome shal be giuen in the day of the vniversall retribution Wherevpon also Io. Hentenius a Monke of the order of S. Hierom hath noted in the margent that Euthimius as a Greek followeth the errors of the Greekes S. Bernard in his 3. sermon of all Saints maketh three habitations for soules Primum in Tabernaculis secundum in Atrijs tertium in Câ—â—lis The first in Tabernacles that in this body the second in Porches the third in heaven these receptacles hee tearmeth hals As for S. Ambrose and S. Augustine we finde them wavering and vnlike to themselues sometimes speaking according to the truth sometime carried away with the common error Ambrose indeed hath before told vs that the habitation of the souls separated is aboue and in the 11 Chapter he saith Incerâ—â— supremi Iudicij non verentur eventum But in his second booke of Abell and Cain cap. 2. he saith thus The Pilot arrived at the shore thinketh not himselfe at the ende of his travaile for
that baptisme was not necessarie for any but the children of vnbeleevers that out of our Kalenders we haue raised the Virgin Mary the Apostles and in their places haue inserted Luther and Calvin that our Ministers doe preach liberty of conscience without any apprehension of divine iudgemēt that we hold that it sufficeth vs that Iesus Christ suffered for vs and therefore that wee neede not doe any more that at the Funerals of the late Queene of England they sung Masse had their offertory and prayed for her soule that Luther and Calvin in liew of raising the dead to life did put the living to death and that they are our Masters Patriarkes and Apostles c. To bee briefe they set downe even all the slanders that hatred can devise or malice can suggest wherewith they seduce the people and abuse their simplicitie What shall I speak of their vprightnesse in alleaging the Scriptures All the passages that they produce are for the most part either falsified or wrested to a contrary sense or to no purpose With a Magisteriall license they force a number of passages quoined vpon the anvill of Avarice that are not to be found in the originals either Greeke or Hebrew yea and sometimes contrary to the Roman translations Of so much negligence or dulnesse of their reader do they presume assuring themselues that the people shall never perceaue any thing or can so much as cōsult with the Scriptures which vnto them are as sealed letters and suspected bookes albeit in the meane time they are permitted to read the monstrous Legends the Psalters of the Virgin Mary ful fraught with blasphemy and the frivolous and and fabulous bookes of the life of Iesus Christ O yee soules that long for your salvation will you still liue in such grievous bondage What shall we yet be so vaine as to passe the seas to looke vpon the relickes of some Saints and will we not heare Iesus Christ when he offereth himselfe vnto vs in the holy Scriptures Shall we stoop more to curiositie thē to necessitie To the cōtent of our eies then to the salvation of our soules Shall we still be so rashly negligent as in a matter of such importance to credit the first commer Contenting our selues with following in liew of knowing Placing pietie in the knoweledge of nothing thrusting our selues into the presse and shrowding vs amōg the multitude Againe when any man shall say vnto vs that Iesus Christ or any of his Apostles do in such a place or in such a place teach vs Purgatory or the Invocation of saints c. Shall wee be so cruelly cowards to our selues or so vnthankfull to God as not to take so much paines as to look whether the same be truely alleaged And indeed wherefore should these Doctors cite the places but that we might see them For what an absurditie is this to quote the places to the people and then to debarre them from seeing of them To referre them to the places and then to command them not to looke in the booke The people of Beroe practised this examination of the things that S. Paul taught Acts. 17.10 for albeit he preached with farre more auctoritie and certitude thē any man in our age yet did they examine his preaching by the reading of the Prophets farre more obscure then the new Testament Enter therefore in to this examination I say and yet I say vnto you especially if you haue recourse to the originals that you shall enter as it were into a shop where they sell vizards yea where they doe not only sell them but where they make thē so excessiue is their licentious liberty Of all this will wee in this Treatise produce sundry proofes according as occasion shall serue A Treatise whose principall drift is a defence of the only purging of our sinnes which is the bloud of our Saviour Iesus Christ against the fire of Purgatorie An argument that carrieth with it the confutation of the doctrine of the Limboes of Traditions of Prayer for the dead of mans satisfactions and of Popish Indulgences I plead the cause of Iesus Christ I confute the reasons and passages of these Doctors and their burning writings yet touch not their persons neither their furnitures full of Invectiues that concerne not the argument Two things there are neverthelesse which I cannot overpasse their folly in vanting and their false dealing in answering me Fire of Helic p. 4. First they paint forth many triumphs great conquests and an extreame shaking of our Church so many goodly soules such a multitude of notable personages namely forty at Diepe revolted to the Romish Church which now is in travel of them If they come to life they shal come forth These men doe packe them very grosly for enquiring of any such breach in the Church of Diepe I cannot learne of more long time revolted then two the one a maiden who allured by a carnall marriage hath violated her spirituall marriage with Christ the other an English Iesuit 2. Pet. 5.22 who vpon a fained conversion intruded himselfe into our company and is now returned to his vomit Howbeit let vs put the case that the reporte of these conversions were as true as they be forged at pleasure Is it any mervaile that some loue the world turn wing to that part that yeeldeth most quietnesse and worldly promotion Were it not rather a wonder if there were none such Ioh. 6.66 Iesus Christ was forsaken of his disciples how much more wee who haue nothing but by his bounty Men in these daies in matter of Religion do follow the course of the affaires and do fit their beliefe to their worldly commodities The belly hath no eares And as vsually such are deafe as dwell neere the downefall of great waters even so the word of God pierceth not into the eares that are deafned with the bruit of the world and stopped with the currāt of Covetize of voluptuousnesse and of ambition especially at Paris where mē are bought and sold where rewardes are propounded And God graunt that Idolatry possesse none but those whō she hath deerely paid for herein are we to acknowledge the work of God that notwithstanding so many allurements and discommodities yet do the flocke of Iesus Christ grow and encrease yea even since these men made their vaunts that our Church was so sore shakē But we boast not so much neither indeede are these victories ours but our Lorde Iesus Christs In their triumphs they paint mee forth make me a party in the proofs of their sufficiencie The auctor of Helies fire saith that in the disputation against the frier I was twise or thrice at a non plus and so made some of them merry but hee sheweth neither when nor whervpon It might peradventure be when the frier refused to enter into any orderly disputation or to propoūd his reasons in forme saying that he was not permitted so to do either when he said
that the theft was scourged Suetonius Iulius in segmento 73. Plautus in Aphitruone aut satisfaciat mihi aut adiuret in super nolle esse dicta quae in me in sontem protulit but not the thiefe That excogitatum Commentum signified a Commentary That the pardons of foure and fifty thousand yeares are good and receaueable That satisfacere signifieth not to acknowledg his fault to the partie offended or to testifie that he was sorry for it or when he saying vnto me that God should be vniust if there were no purgatorie I answered that then God should be vniust to such as should liue in the day of iudgmeÌ„t also to the Carmelites that dy vpoÌ„ the friday who as themselues report haue a priviledge that they shal remain in purgatory no longer but vntill the next saterday But who would thinke that vntruth could so farre exceed Verily I am one of the least amonge the servants of God yet would I be sorrie that my yeares or want of capacitie should any way preiudice the equity of my cause but the word of God is mighty even in the mouthes of babes Besides should I trouble my selfe with answering an vnlearned man vnseene in the Greeke and Hebrew as appeared when we were to haue recourse to the Originals in both those laÌ„guages wher vpon the Iesuits of Turnon tooke vpoÌ„ them to stuffe his booke with passages collected out of prophane auctors and the Rabbins into whoÌ„ hee never thrust his snowt which Iesuits neverthelesse were many times mistaken in diverse things The manner of these Doctors in answering as in place convenient shall appeare But how should they make faithful report of things spoken who make no coÌ„science to falsifie my writing See therefore how they entreat me They produce not my wordes they reverse the order of my speeches The frier beginneth with the last page of my booke here there they mangle snatch at my discourse one beginneth at one end an other in the middest If I speak any thing that biteth they can quietly passe it over with silence They obiect the matter that I answer but my answers they suppresse He that seeketh the truth ought to produce the very wordes of his adversary he should trace him step by step without counterfeiting curtalling or disseÌ„bling but these men by a certaine doctoral disposition do skippe as at their masse over whole leaues they conceale the most forcible and the sooner to lead the reader that followeth vs out of our tracke they shuffle the course of my reasons and bring the head forth last Then having thus sented my discourse they proclaime before the pallace their fiery burning magnificall and ridiculous titles Some coulor they might haue had for their flight had my first booke been either tedious or ful of wordes The chardges of the Impression with the readers impatiencie might haue serued them in steede of figge leaues to cover their shame but my writing contained few pages the Arguments lay close for I studied to lay the bones bare that the sinewes might bee the better seene Their vnfaithfull dealing doth proceed yet farther for they forge other obiections then mine and of mine do they take away the edge by propounding them in other manner then I did Thus do they skirmish and sport them in answering of themselues much like vnto the Bulles in the amphitheater to whoÌ„ they cast men made of straw vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ being provoked they dischardged their rage As if they should say vnto me you are too rough The Church of Rome must be more gently entreated Take away your forcible argumeÌ„ts for these reasons lie to hard vpon vs so wil we commune with you Thus and thus must you obiect that so wee may answere with some coulor but they forgat to giue this warning before I doe therefore protest that these writings of these Doctors doe not coÌ„cerne me for that I never spake manie things that they impute to me they haue either fearefully dissembled or malitiously corrupted my best obiections Neither can I thinke my selfe sufficiently satisfied vntill I see my own writing perfect in the writings of my adversaries and their answer set down article to article reason to reason without cutting of or altering my wordes or disordering the order of my discourse Reverend Doctors I beseech you in curtesie None of these Doctors haue yet answered therfore the victory yet resteth with the Aâ—uctor yea I adiure you by the relicks of your coÌ„sciences to entreat me with more equirie take this booke which againe I offer vnto you encreased amplified and corroborated with reasons and some passages of Scriptures and answer it in such wise as that my reasons may not be mangled nor thrust out of order but that all men may see your answers at the foot of my obiections If your desire to bring the truth to light faileth you not no more then your leasures meanes books and support albeit all these faile vs wee shall soone perceaue which of vs hath the word of God to warrant and from the encounter of our reasons truly and vprightly reported wil proceed the sparks of the truth The Lord God vouchsafe to direct our pennes and dispose our hearts to propound such matters as may bee profitable to the salvation of his people proper to the glory of God and comfortable to the truth of his word THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOKE 1. A description of the foure chambers or stages which the Church of Rome placeth vnder the earth Namely of Hell of the Limboe of Children of the Limboe of the fathers and of Purgatory Also of the meanes to get out of Purgatory 2. That in this controversie as in all other that concerne faith the holy Scripture ought to bee iudge also that the same speaketh not of Purgatory nether of any temporall torment after this life nether of any Indulgences wherewith to fetch soules out of this torment 3. That the holy Scripture overthroweth Purgatory and that there is no other purgation of our sinnes but the blood and death of Iesus Christ and consequently that papall Indulgences are vnprofitable to the deceased 4. Against mans satisfactions in general 5. Against Popish Indulgences and the extraction of soules out of Purgatory 6. A confutation of such passages of the holy Scripture as these Doctors haue alleaged 7. What the Doctors of the foure first ages after Iesus Christ did hold and beleeue concerning this matter and that they never beleeued any Purgatory Also of prayer for the dead of Indulgences and of the satisfactions of the primitiue Church A CONFVTATION OF PVRGATORY CAP. I. A description of the foure Chambers or stages which the Church of Rome placeth vnder the earth and particularly of the place called Purgatory THE Doctors of the Church of Rome doe hold that vnder the earth there bee 4. severall places which are so many prisons wherein the foules are either broyled or shutt vp The lowest place The auctor of
the words of the Bul do run Manus porrigentibus adiutrices for such as shall put to their helping hands In the Church of S. Mary deliver vs from the paines of hell for that is the Churches name there are dailie granted eleven thousand yeares of IndulgeÌ„ce to such as shal bring an honest offering that is to say that shal giue not to the poore indeed but to the rich Moncks not to those that weep but to those that sing for now almes with the true vse thereof hath also altred the signification of the word In the church of S. Praxede you haue dailie twelue thousand yeares of verie pardon and as manie Quarentines of daies with the remission of the third part of your sins in such maÌ„ner that visiting this church three daies on a row you shal purchase plenarie pardon of all your sins and six and thirtie thousand years by provision besides the Quarentines which the Popes haue since encreased to sixscore thousand years for everie daie witnes the book of Indulgences printed at Rome in the house of Iulius Accolto an 1570. see also the book of Romaine Indulgences sundrie times printed at Rome namely in the yeare 1519 the second of Februarie by Marcell Franck. Yet are all these pardons but few in regard of those that belong to the Church of S. Iohn of Lateran Gab. Biel in his 17. lesson vpoÌ„ the CannoÌ„ of the Masse the somme whereof yee shal find either hanging vpon tables or graven in the wals of divers churches of Rome All this do we set downe to shew that as the plaister ought to be fitted to the largenes of the wound so the Popes haue thought it meet to perswade men to beleeue that the paines of Purgatorie are of long continuance sith they require so long a time to purchase release from the paines thereof withal presupposing that in that so fiery and scortching a countrey where the sun hath no being they reckon all by daies and by yeares This long continuance is also to bee gathered out of the Revelation of Venerable Bede in the fifth booke of his historie cap. 13. That is to say about some nine hundred years since where he saith that the souls which in his time were in Purgatorie should be delivered in the daie of Iudgement except some few that shoulde bee redeemed from thence by the praiers of the living Moreover besides all this the selfe doctors of the Romish Church doe agree that even during these so violent torments the soules neverthelesse are assured of their salvation out of the danger of hell neither do I know since when this opinioÌ„ crept into the church of Rome for in the Masse for the dead we finde a clause after the Gospell that contrarywise doth testifie that still they are in danger These be the words Libera Domine animas omniuÌ„ fidelium defunctorum de poenis Infernis de profundo lacu libera eos de ore Leonis ne absorbeat eos Tartarus O Lord deliver the soules of all the faithfull departed from the infernall paines from the deepe lake deliver them from the throat of the lyoÌ„ least the gulph of hell should swallow theÌ„ vp so they fall into vtter darknes Tearms over bitter to signifie Purgatory and such as may in no case stand with people assured of their salvation We haue also the ordinary prayers said â—t burials yea and vsed at the funerall of 〈◊〉 Pope wherein we find no mention of Purgatory Indeed this soule is brought â—n as praying to be delivered from hel and from eternall iudgement in these words Saue me o Lord from eternall death â—n the terrible day when the heauens and â—he earth shall bee moved Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. Sect 15. and when thou halt come to iudge the world by fire I treÌ„ble and quake and doe feare when the examination shall come and the day of wrath of calamitie and of misery that great and woÌ„derfull better day Speeches which caÌ„not proceed from a soul assured of her salvatioÌ„ Surely wheÌ„ these praiers were first penned these matters were not yet well considered of and this may we easily gather from Pope Gregory the first who in his dialogues placeth the Purgatory of some souls in bathes of some vnder the leaues and of some vnder the Ice and this do these three champions that haue assaulted my treatise both say and defend for nothing to them is to hard or to hot Damian speaketh of a soule that had her Purgatory in a river but whither she swam with the stream or against it he saith not The Rosarie of Bernardine hath of this nature many revelations and the Legend of S. Patricke telleth vs that in Ireland there is a caue that openneth into Purgatory to be briefe albeit many soules are returned from those partes which haue brought news yet did the matter still rest full of doubt vntil the Councell of Florence which among other occasions was assembled to perswade Purgatory to the Greeke Churches who both before and yet do deny it albeit their deputies in the Councell did agree vnto it in hope of succours against the Turk True it is that we find some more ancient Councels which made mention of prayer for the dead but hereafter we shall most evideÌ„tly proue that these prayers make nothing for Purgatory also that such prayers as we find among the ancients doe plainely shewe that they beleeved no Purgatory Even to this day doe the Greek Churches pray for the dead yet doe they deny Purgatorie In the last session therefore of this Councell holden in the yeare 1539. was it defined that wee should beleeue Purgatory In which Counsell as in all others holden within these fiue hundred yeares the Pope sat president and that with such auctority that hee grew to bee adored and intituled The Divine Maiestie the spouse of the Church the Saviour and Lion of Iuda the king Prince of all the world having all power both in heaven and in earth All which titles were attributed to Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran Thus in all these Councels nothing passed but by his will Sess 1. 3. 9. 10. in such wise that if any did contradict him hee was soone burned as was Iohn Husse in the Councell of Constance notwithstanding the safe coÌ„duct and faith given by the Emperour and al the Councell But to returne to our Matter The soules thus purged in this fire are brought into Paradice Howbeit because this purgation will growe somewhat long the Popes mercy doth sometimes abridge this punishment For besides that the paines that the living haue vndergon for theÌ„ as fastes almes whippings pilgrimages liberalities to the Church c. also that the Masses fouÌ„ded for the deceased which leaue any rents or annuities to a convent or abbey or other religious house if we may beleeue those that sing theÌ„ are of great vse to mitigate and allay the heat of Purgatory and to
diminish the paines thereof yet haue the Popes found out a more ready and gallant invention to the same end and this it is Hee raketh together all the superabundant satisfactions as wel of Iesus Christ as of all his Saints which remain in the treasurie of the Church whereof himselfe doth carrie the keyes and these doth he distribute among his Indulgences for the freeing of soules out of the fire of Purgatorie To the same vse doth he also apply his hallowed graines and medals which hee distributeth abroad granting hundreds and thousandes of yeares of pardon to all such as shal kisse or reverently keepe them And these pardons serue not only for this life but also for Purgatory The Church of the Fevillants at Paris haue this priviledge That the Masses in that church said for the dead vpon the moonday or wednesday doe every of them deliver one soule out of Purgatorie Many such Churches doth Rome containe S. Potentian S. Laurence without the walls S. Praxede c. vpon the 7. of May anno 1586. did Pope Sixtus the 5. grant to such of the fraternitie of the corde of S. Frances as should say 5 Paternosters as many Ave Marias vpon the Saturday before palme Sunday and vpoÌ„ the feast daies of St Iohn Evangelist and St Iohn Port Latyn plenary Indulgence for all their sinnes yea and more then then that for they shall moreover deliver one soule out of Purgatorie as appeareth in the booke of Indulgences granted to that reverend Corde printed at Paris by Iohn le Bouc vpoÌ„ Mount S. Hillary at the signe of diligence ann 1597. And these priviledges were reconfirmed by other letters pattents of the same Pope Given at S. Markes the 9. of August ann 1587. But the principall matter that we are herein to note is this That this grace is not conferred to any that is not of that fraternity albeit in the same places hee should say the 5. Paters and as many Avees yea and fifty more and that with farre greater devotion then that fraternity doth Some Alters also there be whereto his holinesse hath conferred such priviledges that vpon the saying of a set number of Masses vpoÌ„ them At Rome in the church of S. Praxe de and in many other places they shall bring a soule out of Purgatorie Some people also there bee that are so priviledged that after their deaths either they go not into Purgatory at all or if they go in they staie not there any time but come forth by and by albeit they be as heavy loaden with sin as any other such shall the elect bee that shall liue in the day of Iudgement or such as shall die immediatlie after the Iubile Sub auspiciis sapientissimi D.N. Bartholomei Guitart Navarrici Wee haue seene certaine Theologicall Theses disputed on at the Carmelites in Paris vpon the eighth of October 1601 by a certaine Carmelite named Iacobus de Rampont Carmelitarum presentatus ac Metensis Carmeli Alumnus at the end whereof the said Rampont in good sort and with a good grace maketh a briefe Oration in commendatioÌ„ of his order tearming the Carmelites the first Anachorites the Imitators of the Apostolicke life practising both the life wearing the habit of Elyas and Elizeus brethren ro the Virgin Mary and among al other preeminences endued with this singuler priviledge That whosoever is entred or shall vowe to enter into this fraternitie shall no longer abide in Purgatorie but from his death vntill the next Saturday following A priviledge which Cayer with tooth and naile defendeth in his Oven of Reverberate c. and promiseth shortly to show vs the Bull of that Pope which graunted this priviledge with whom the Carmelites are vnited who thereto haue set their seales and among the rest this frier RaÌ„pont And this is the reason that they vse so few Masses for the soules of their brethren especially if they die vpon the Friday The Pope himselfe sometimes granteth his Buls as our selfe haue seen whereby at the petition of some surviver of the kindred that craveth it hee fetcheth the soule out of this fier Yet for the expedition of such Buls as also of all other Buls of Absolution or dispensation the Penitentiaries That is to say Notaries dataries brethren of the lead c. Who farme their offices at the Popes hand must be greased in the fists and these our Masters must be paid in duckats of the chaÌ„ber as in the pallace of Paris the spices are paid only in crownes of the sunne Thus doe they wrong in subscribing their Buls Datum Romae for if they wold deale truly they should write Venditum Romae Hereof did Aeneas Silvius complaine before he was Pope saying Epist 66. ad 1. PeregalluÌ„ Nihil est quod absque argento Rom. curia dedatâ— nam ipsae manuuÌ„ impositiones Spiritus sancti dona venduntur nec peccatorum venia nisi nummatis venditur That is to saie in few words In the Court of Rome nothing passeth without mony no not the holy Ghost or remission of sinnes Thus is he named in the froÌ„t of the booke of the conformitie of S. Frances This might suffise for this argumeÌ„t were it not that I am willing to gratifie our Portugall frier in regarde of our friendship Whose patron the Typicall Jesus namely S. Frances in their booke of conformities compared with Jesus hath greatly contributed to the redeeming of souls out of Purgatory For the Rosary of Barnardin Thomas 2. quaest vlt. Artic. EandeÌ„ grati am consequuÌ„tur Religionem intrantes quam coÌ„sequuntur Baptizati Anton. tit 24 cap. 7 Rosarium Bernardini Assisium a towne in the Dutchy of SpoletuÌ„ wherein dwelt the first Franciscan Friers also Thomas vpon the fourth booke of Sentences doth testifie that the taking of S. Frances habit is of like vertue as Baptisme hereof it must needs ensue that whosoever dieth in this habit doth go straight into Paradice And in hope hereof there haue bin some who in the verie agonie of death haue cauled themselus to be shrowded in this habit Or haue at the least thrust an arme into the sleeue thereof Among others Robert King of Sicill as Anthoninus reporteth To this Reverend Saint being at his towne of Assisium in Italyan o 1223 appeared an Angell who told him that Iesus Christ the Virgin Mary and the â—ngels attended him in the Church â—alled St Mary of the Angels wherevpoÌ„â—e being come thether Iesus Christ â—aid vnto him Frances Luk. 2 22. demand any thing concerning the salvation of soules for thou art set to be a light to the Gentiles Frances answered I require thee to grant pardon for all sinnes to every one that shall enter into this Church and I beseech the Virgin Mary the advocate of mankind to assist me in this petition Then said Iesus vnto him Brother Frances thou hast desired a great matter but thou art worthy of greater Goe therefore to my Vicar to whome I
say that if it be spoken of Baptisme it cannot bee vnderstoode but in case of contempt That is to say if any man that may bee baptized hath opportunitie to cause himselfe to be baptized doth notwithstanding in cōtempt reiect it such a one cannot be saved of which baptisme S. Peter in the 3. chapter of his first Epistle maketh mention likewise of this washing of the soule speaketh Zacharias ca. 13.1 which the Church of Rome calleth Baptismus flaminis Whereas in the 7. of Iohn Jesus Christ said that Out of his belly that beleeved in him should flovv rivers of life S. Iohn addeth that by this water he meant the holy Ghost which they shoulde receiue that beleeved in him also as in the 3. of Matthew v. 11. It is said that Jesus Christ baptizeth or washeth vs with the holy Ghost with fire is meant with the holy ghost warming purifying our harts so that to bee borne of water and the holy Ghost signifieth to be regenerat by the holie Ghost washing and cleansing our harts which is a phrase of speech familiar among men and vsed in the Gospell as in S. Iohn the 14. 6. verse I am the waie the truth the life in liew of saying I am the true way to the life Of the limbo of the Fathers The fourth place is the Limbo of the fathers mothers that is to say The fourth place of such persons as lived before the comming of Christ There were say they Adam Eue Noah Abraham c. vntill that Jesus Christ vpon the day of his resurrection in his returne from hell delivered them out of this prison himselfe also say our adversaries by his ascention brought them into heaven For they suppose that the way into heaven was not open vntil that Christ by his ascentiō entered in But because Jesus Christ said vnto the thiefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice wherby it appeared that the thiefe passed into Paradice forty daies before the ascention of Jesus Christ our Monke preventeth him by vsing his priviledge hee will haue vs hereby Paradice to vnderstande the lower parts that is to say Limbo or Purgatorie For page 95. he saith wheresoever the presence of God is there is Paradice as much as if he should say The thiefe being on the Crosse was in Paradice because Jesus Christ was there present and that Jesus Christ did but mocke him in promising him that hee should shortly be in Paradice sith hee was there already Now in as much as it was forty daies betweene Christs resurrection and his ascention It may be said that these souls being come out of Limbo were set sentinels in some corner or other or that peradventure they walked their stations here below for of this matter we find no decision of the Popes Extrav de Constit tit 2. Can. licet to whom only it belongeth to decide all matters of Religion as to thē that cannot erre in faith in their Cānons doe boast that all right resteth in the shrine of their harts Our Franciscan and the auctor of Helies fire do say that during the forty daies those soules were with Jesus Christ that is to say Pag. 38. 44. when Jesus Christ was in the chamber with his Apostles all the soules of the old Testamēt were there also with him That when he went to Emaus they followed him That when he was by the sea side there also they were assembled and arranged vpon the sands Into this Limbo entred two sorts of soules The one sort such as without need of purgation came directly in the other they that after their purgation and satisfaction in Purgatory came neverthelesse thither In those daies was the torment of Purgatory of much lōger continuance then in this age it is For then the soveraigne high Priests gaue no Indulgences neither fetched any soules out of Purgatory whereby it appeareth that God being now more liberall they doe wrong to call the first age The goldē age Of this Limbo would our men make Iacob to speake in the 37 of Genesis where according to the Roman translation he saith I shall go down into hell bewailing my sonne wherevpon say we that it followeth that in the 42 Chapter where these words are repeated Iacob spake of this Limbo yet he there saith that his white haires shall go downe The soules then are hairy for these good fathers went downe into Limbo with gray haire whereof we are also to presuppose that in that country they haue barbers And all this absurdity groweth of this that they wil not vnderstand that Sheol in Hebrew namely in these places signifieth sometimes the state of the dead and somtime the Sepulcher albeit they be driven to it by sundry places of the scripture as in the 14 Psal ver 7. and in the 30. vers 4. in many other places They also produce the 9. of Zachary and the 4. of S. Paule to the Ephes but they do only quote the places and so leaue the reader to guesse at the matter and good reason for of Limbo there is no speech throughout al the scriptures but cōtrarywise we finde that Moses and Elias talked with Jesus Christ vpon the mountaine wherby it appeareth that they were not in a corner vnder the earth Againe if the death of Iesus Christ were of force to deliver the fathers of the old Testament out of hell why not out of Limbo which they say is a more easie prison As concerning the passage in the ninth of Zachary there is no speech of Limbo but of the deliverance from hell vnder the figure of the deliverance from the Captivitie of Babilon The words of the prophet are these In the blood of thy covenāt thou hast delivered thy prisoners out of the lake where is no water They also obiect vnto vs the 4. of S. Paule to the Ephes Where speaking of the Incarnation and habitation of Jesus Christ vpon earth hee saith that he descended into the lowest parts of the earth accommodating to our Savior Christ the words of David in the Psalme 139. v. 15 where he saith that he was formed in the lowest parts of the earth that is in his mothers wōb and according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the superlatiue but what communitie hath this with Limbo Much lesse is it meant of the fetching of the Fathers out of Limbo which is in the eight verse Hee led captivitie captiue for would he haue led captiue the soules of the fathers considering that they would that hee should haue brought them out of captivitie For in the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to lead into captivity those whō they haue taken at the swordes point These captiues thē are the divels death c. The Auctor of the fire of Helie giveth it vs brauely he maketh S. Paul Heb. 11. v. 39. 40. to say that these fathers are not rewarded before vs but neither there nor
this Doctor opposeth himselfe against a corporation of Romish Doctors an Vniversity and the Councell of Trent 2. The not reiterating of baptisme against the Anabaptists which is the same with the baptisme of young children for the Anabaptists doe rebaptise those whom we haue baptised as holding baptisme in infancie to bee no baptisme 3. Rom. 8.9.11 Ioh. 14 26. 16.14 The proceeding of the holy Ghost which is proved by the places where he is called the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ and the comforter whom the father sendeth in the name of the sonne which taketh of the sonne c. 4. The consubstantialitie of the father and of the sonne Which is proued in this That the sonne is God Ioh. 1.1 Even our great God Tit. 2 13. consequently one God with the father for there is but one God 1. Cor. 8.6 and being one selfe God they are by consequence one selfe substance Wee haue also S. Iohn in his first Epistle cap. 5. who saith thus There be three that bear record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one 5. He would haue said Anti-dicomarianites or Heluidians The perpetuall virginitie of the Virgin Mary against the Anti marianites but this is no point necessary to salvation The seemelinesse rather then any necessitie induceth vs to beleeue it 6. The translation of the Sabaoth to the Sonday An article not necessary to salvation Apoc 1 I was ravished in spirit vpon a sonday yet doe we see by the Revel 1.10 and by the 1. Cor. 16.1 and by the Act. 20.7 that this Institution was made in the time of the Apostles 7. The celebration of the feast of Easter against the Quarto Decimanis Which also is of no greater importance to salvation witnesse the censure and reprimendum sent by Ireneus to Victor Bishop of Rome who skirmished fiercly in that quarrell This Epistle of Ireneus is extant in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Eusebius lib. 5. cap 23.8 That there are but three persons in the Trinitie a matter which neither the holy Scripture nor any maÌ„ that ever had any one drop of common sense did ever studie to perswade for in a dualitie there can be but two in a Trinitie three 9. Lastly he bringeth in The washing of the Apostle's feet which saith hee wee cannot proue to be no sacrament therevpon hee great lights De Maiorit obed tit 33. Can. Solita quanta inter solem lunam tanta inter Pontif. Reges differentia Arist Phis li. 4. cap. 4. the greater is the Pope and the lesser is the Emperor and kings as saith Pope Innocent the 3. These our Masters I say so full of their subtilties and invention in their explications which according to the doctrine of Aâ—axagor as doe draw all things out of al things could they not aswell proue these eight points by the scripture as we with all our doltishnesse haue fouÌ„d them out without any difficultie But the truth is that it was no want of inveÌ„tioÌ„ in them but lack of good meaning And these defects in the Scriptures doe they seek out the rather that we might not thinke much that in the Scriptures there is no speech of painting of the Trinitie of worshipping of Images of fetching soules out of Purgatory by Popish Indulgences of their Pastors abstinence from marriage of thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ctions of meats to be brief 〈◊〉 their traditions In these consiâ—â—â—â—ns it staÌ„deth them vpon to abâ—â—â— authoriâ—â— of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 accus◠〈◊〉 of imperfection Yet is it their surâ—â— course to prohibit the people from reâ—ding of them and from learning any thing but at their mouthes who haue most interest in the suppressing of theÌ„ and doe reape most commodity of the peoples ignorance I could therefore wish that the auctors of these torrents fires and furnaises would lay their haÌ„â—â— to their consciences if they caÌ„ find any and vpon their doctorall faith tell vs whether this vnwritten words these letters of credence be not a means prepared by the Pope thereby to forgâ—â— new articles for his commodity A secret corner wherein to coine false mony and to clip the word of God Theâ—â— consciences must say yes they are oveâ— wise to be ignorant thereof but worldly reasons carry them away in somâ— hope of gaine in some feare and in some worldly devises doe speake lowder and haue greater voice in the Chapter house then conscience In as much therefore as the word â—f God contained in the old and newe â—estament is the only and sufficieÌ„t rule â—f our faith and that Purgatory if wee â—eleeue our adversaries is to bee beleeâ—ed as an article of our faith that vnâ—er paine of damnation it is strange â—hat God in the old Testament having â—rdained sacrifices expiations for al â—orts of sinnes and pollutions even to â—he Leprosie to the bloody flixe â—nd to the touching of any dead â—ody c. did never ordaine any expiâ—tion sacrifice satisfaction or prayâ—r for the soules that were in Purgatorie The ancient Patriarkes good â—ervants of God Abraham Isaac Iacob â—oseph Moses Aaron Iosua Samuell or David never desired after their deathes â—o be prayed for neither did themselues pray for any that was dead that God would vouchsafe to bring them out of Purgatory True it is that they bewaiâ—ed their dead but among al their mournings weepings fastings and lamentations wee find no path to purgatory neither any one prayer to fetch the soules of the deceased out of Purgatory and indeed such lamentations and fastings were made even for the wicked such as died in Gods displeasure As for Saul to whom it was said by the Pithonesse not many houres before his death that God was against him who also died soone after his consultation with the witch David likewise bewailed Absalon who died in rebellion and treason against his owne father yet for such saith the Church of Rome wee must not pray How grievous were the teares vpon the death of Iacob and Moses who as holy and rare lights of the Church could never bee confined into Purgatory The high Priest of the Law never granted Indulgences neither made any intercession to abridge this so scalding a punishment neither did they that died make any foundations of services Pag. 16.18 or sacrifices to redeem their soules out of this fire Here doth our frier seeke a starting hole but the clefâ— is to straight for him to creep through He complaineth that In liew of seeking the true light in the law of Grace that is to say the Gospell we looke for it in the darke and obscure law of Moses To speak plainly he refuseth the old Testament as an incompetent Iudge for the darkenesse thereof But to this obiection wee doe answer that indeed the prophecies of things to come and the ceremonies of the old Testament are not so cleere easie as the Gospel yet are Gods Commandements therein laid down in
plain and open tearmes Wee therefore demand what commandement of God he can find throughout the old Testamēt wherein it is commanded to pray for the dead or to offer any sacrifice for them either among them to distribute the superabundant merits and satisfactions of holy men deceased as Abraham or Moses to helpe them out of Purgatory Here our adversaries are at a stand and bite the bit for were there any cōmandement that might bear wreasting to that sence they that can so cunningly rack the Scriptures to their purposes would no doubt haue produced it Here doth our Frier frie in his greace would faine shift it of with blasphemies as they that are beset with fires would gladly leap out at the windows He doth no longer accuse the olde Testament of obscuritie but of omission and impection How many things saith he hath God left vnmentioned in the olde Testament Pag. 16. to the end to take from the people all occasion of Idolatry and yet are necessarie to saluation As invocation of the Trinitie Pag. 18. the immortalitie of the soule c Againe he saith vnder the law prayers for the dead were not so frequēt publike least they should giue the Iewes occasiō with the Gentils to thinke that they ought to sacrifice to the infernall powers Secondly that in regard that before the redemption of man kind the estate of the deceased was not so well knowne as after that our Saviour Iesus Christ descended into hell And thirdly because they had not so good means to relieue the dead as they had after that the merits of the death and passion of our Lord were committed into the hands of the Church to apply them So many wordes so many monsters and blasphemies First in that hee denieth that in the old Testament there is any mention of the Immortality of the soule wee haue before heard the depositions of Daniell Salomon and the Prophet Balaam prophecying Let vs hereto adioine the taking vp of Enoch and Elias into heaven proofes of their immortality The wordes of Iacob on his death bed Lord I haue waited for thy salvation Gen. 49.18 Iob. 18.26 The hope of Iob who assured himselfe that after his skinne should be consumed he should yet see God in his flesh The words of God himselfe who saith I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac Mat. 22.32 and the God of Iacob God is not God of the dead saith Jesus Christ but of the liuing The only name of Religion importeth the Immortality of the soule which being taken away what is Religion but an intollerable yoake a scrupelous feare a superfluous labour If in this life only saith S. Paul we haue hope in Christ wee are of all men the most miserable 1. Cor. 17.19 what was the old Testament but the Religiō of Gods people It doth therefore presuppose and as it were in the forehead beare written this title The Immortality of the soule As for Invocation of the Trinity it is commanded in the old Testament for there we are commaunded to call vpon God and he that calleth vpon God calleth vpon the Trinitie But what shall we say to the discretion of our Moncke who maketh God marveilous provident in that he would not speake of the Immortalitie of the soule so to take from the Jewes all occasion of Idolatry alas poore man God cureth not one evill by an other much lesse a smaller evill by a greater Idolatry by Atheisme or superstition by Irreligion the mother of all excesse As if it should be forbidden to speak of God either good or evill for feare of blaspheming him or as if a man should cut of his head for saving the wearing of a cap. What discretion to loose the principall for saving of the dependant To sell the horse for saving of the hay God provideth not against evils in such manner as the Popes who will saie they prevent heresies by prohibiting the vse of Gods word the diminishing of Ecclesiasticall profits by prohibiting marriage of the Cleargie Dist 18 Can Sirac vxor filii per quos Ecclesiast solet periclitari substantia contrarie to the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Tim. 3.2 howbeit if God followed this precept of discretion in the old Testament why did he alter his mind in the new where with too much simplicity if we beleue this Moncke he doth in every place inculcate Eternall life Are men since the daies of Jesus Christ lesse bent to Idolatry Nay which is more The opinion of the death of the soule Idolatry do for the most part follow each other between them there is a fraternity The heathen that had little or no hope of eternal life were Idolaters did not Pope Iohn 24. celebrating his Masse kneele to the bread yet did he beleeue that the souls of men died as the souls of beasts for which small sin togither with 54. others Consil Const Sess 11. the Councell of Constance in their eleventh session condemned him That which ensueth is ferial smelleth of the friery He yeeldeth an other reason why in the old Testament prayers and sacrifices for the deade were so vnfrequented It was saith he because before the redemption of mankinde ehe estate of the dead was not so well knowne as after that Christ descended into Hell He doth therefore presuppose that Jesus Christ when he came from hell brought assured news as if that Jesus Christ before his death knew not the state of the dead as well as after his resurrection or els that either he would not or could not instruct his disciples of the estate of the dead as wel before his death as after But now I pray you what be the news that Jesus Christ brought vndoubtedly even the same that the golden legend and the booke of the life and death of Jesus Christ do report how he came to hel gates and the good thiefe Dinas carying a Crosse before him how hee made the gates to be opened how hee beat and hampered the Divels how he entertained the fathers whom he foūd in this Limbo with goodly discourses a thousande such Iolly gallant histories after the imitation of the Romanes all which the Evangelists had forgotten for either of these or of any other news that ever Jesus Christ brought out of Limbo out of Purgatory or out of Hell we finde not one sillable in all the newe Testament The souldier raised again of whom S. Gregory Dialogue 4. cap. 36. doth make mention and one Nicholas mentioned in the legend of S. Patricke who by a Caue that he found in Ireland entred into Purgatory at their returne related his things as they had seen below more exactly As that they had seen mē fryed in frying pans others fluttering about the chimnies like small flames a bridge of yce of two fingers broad vnder the which ran a torrent of fire and over this bridge must they passe that were to enter into Paradice Thus grew
the world very skilfull and a good boy but to the detriment of the purity and simplicity of the Gospell Lastly he saith that Vnder the olde Testament they had no such meanes to releeue the dead as they had after that the merites of Iesus Christ were committed into the handes of the Church to apply them These are three principles forged in the Vatican to vnderprop the Popes greatnes to bring in the traffique for soules first that the dead could not bee so well relieved before the cōming of Jesus Christ as now they are Secondly that the merits of Jesus Christ are nowe in the Churches hands to apply thē Thirdly that these merits of the death and passion of Iesus Christ were never passed over to the Church vntill since the comming of Iesus Christ since which time the dead haue beene the better relieved And this is to bee noted that by the Church we are to vnderstand the Pope who taketh vpon him to be the Guardian and treasury of this treasure of the Church where he shutteth vp the merits and supererogatorie satisfactions both of Iesus Christ and of the Saints Monks And this we cannot finde very strange Dist 95. causa satis and in the last councel of Lateran sess 9. Extrav De facund Eccl. Can. quoniā for having assumed to himselfe the name of God of the divine Maiesty and the name of Jesus Christ and tearming himself the Spouse of the church it is no great matter for him to take the name of the Spouse of Jesus also Let vs now therfore proceed to the examination of these three principles For the first That the dead could not bee so well relieved before the comming of Iesus Christ as since I demande whether he speaketh of the reliefe of man or of the reliefe of God To say that God hath now better meanes to relieue the dead then he had before is Blasphemy His power and goodnesse are ever infinite and without encrease and craue no helpe of any new means but if he speak of the reliefe of man I aske him who imparted to them now those meanes that their forefathers had not The Monke no doubt wil say that God gaue them to them thē belike God had thē If he had then I suppose he would then haue bestowed them as wel as men do in these daies whereof it must follow that the faithfull that liued before Iesus Christ might by praiers and sacrifices haue entreated God to employ those means which since he hath committed into hands the of men Wherefore did they not Wherefore was there in the law no sacrifice for the dead Nor no publike service instituted by God Thus doth this difficulty still remaine vnresolved The second principle is That the merits of Iesus Christ were cōmitted into the hands of the Church to apply them 1. Tim. 2.6 A doctrine as farre repugnant from the gospell as helping to the Popes commodity For by the scripture it plainely appeareth That Iesus Christ offered himselfe 〈◊〉 ransome to God for vs to whom wee were endebted and enthralled to eternall paine and emprisonment This ransome then did God receiue at his sonnes hands If he receiued it when did he againe dispossesse himselfe of it to passe it over into the Popes hands May it be lawful for vs in a matter of such importance which concerneth the participation in the merites of Jesus Christ to speake without the authority of the worde of God Againe what prodigious dealing is this that a creditor having received of his debtors surety the ransome for many prisoners shoulde deliver the same over into the handes of some one of his prisoners to apply it to the rest It is a matter not only without example but even besides all reason All men do know that in such a case it is enough that the creditor or detainer receiue the ransome and that the debter or prisoner reape and enioy the benefit God hath for me receaved the full ransom by the hands of my surety redeeme◠Iesus Christ God then hath it with himselfe therefore will I go neither to the Pope nor to any other to entreat them to distribute it to me but will rely onlie vpon Iesus Christ and will trust to his death and in acknowledgement of so great a favour will consecrate my life to his service The pastors are set over vs to preach this benefit to the penitent sinner to let him vnderstād that he is reconciled to God also that whosoever beleeveth in Iesus Christ shal through his name obtaine remission of his sinnes Act. 10.43 If our frier shall yet invent any reason to proue it to bee necessarie that the Pope or his Prelates should be the treasurers and dispensers of the merits of Iesus Christ he shal but skirmish with him selfe for he shal find the same necessities before the comming of Iesus Christ considering that both quick and dead in that age stoode in no lesse necessity of Gods graces then they that liue in these daies Againe if the Pope haue in his treasury the merits of Iesus Christ his Saints to distribute them to others how commeth it that he taketh none to himselfe Or why doth he not keepe for himselfe so many as may serue to keepe him out of Purgatorie How is it that after his death they saie so many Masses for his soule Must sillie Priests by their Masses and suffrages apply bestow the merits of Iesus Christ and his Saints vpon him who distributing them to others yea even so farre forth as to graunt to some one an hundred thousand yeare of plenary pardō could not reserue enough for himselfe albeit if we list to beleeue him himself continually carryed the keies of this treasure even to his last gaspe Where note withall that if the distributing and applying of the merits of Iesus Christ to the faithfull be a part of the Pastors charge it followeth that the dead haue no part in this the Popes liberality considering that he is no longer their pastor Now let the reader iudge whether this gay principle be not a butteresse or prop to support tiranny that the people may thinke that they cannot participate in the merits of Iesus Christ but by the hands of the Pope or of such as he doth authorize therevnto The third principle is the worst and as it were vpon the highest step of impietie and therefore it is our dutie to cast it downe headlong The merits of Iesus Christ saith hee were not in the hands of the Church vnder the old Testament as now they are and therefore there were not so good meanes to relieue the dead But here we wil set down another principle gathered out of the word of God That is that the merits of Iesus Christ were of power sufficient to saue the faithfull even from the beginning of the world as saith St. Paule 2. Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himself not imputing their sinnes
sufferingt Thus our Monke by doing of iustice and iudgement which signifieth to deale vprightly and to giue to every man his owne vnderstandeth it to chastise a mans selfe shewing himselfe a Novice in the phrase of the old Testament where this word Iudgement signifieth equitie and vpright dealing As in Deut. 32 4. Daniel 4.37 The Auctor of the fire of Helie answereth otherwise for they seldome concurre in their answers he will haue these words I will no more remember to signifie Pag. 6. I will not punish as an enimie that is to say with eternall punishment By his account the keeping of a man many thousands of yeares in a fire for his sinne signifieth not to remember his sinne How often did David pray to God to remember his sinnes and wickednesse of his enimies yet not so that he desired that God should punish them with eternall punishment After all this the frier maketh a digression wherein hee chargeth vs with sundry slanders but all besides the matter 2 Gods Angell Revelat. 14.13 saith thus Blessed are the dead that hereafter dy in the Lord yea truly the spirit saith that they rest from their labours their works follow them Surely if they rest from their labours they goe not into a burning fire This speech concerneth not the Martyres only as our adversaries doe faine for throughout that whole chapter there is not any word of the Martyres but of all such as keepe the commandements of God faith of Iesus as it is said one line before But if the Martyres only doe die in the Lord in whom doe the rest of the faithfull die Bellarmine saith they die in part in the Lord and in part not in the Lord Bellarm. de Purgat lib. 6. cap. 1. hee was ashamed to say in part in the Lord and in part in the divell 3 Esay cap. 57. v. 1. 2. saith The righteous perisheth and is taken away from the evill then he addeth Hee shall enter in peace or peace shall come they shall rest in their beds every one that hath walked before him Why did he not except those that goe to Purgatory or what peace or rest is there in a burning fire And this is the point wherein the Frier is brought into such a straight that his only recourse is to his ordinary boldnesse Pag. 19. and laboureth to make this passage a meanes to establish his Purgatory Hee affirmeth it to bee a prayer of Esay for the dead and to make it the more probable in liew of these words Peace shall come he saith let peace come also for They doe rest he saith let them rest contrary to the truth of the original Hebrew which hath Iavo that is to say shal come and Ianuchu they shall rest Yet let vs thus farre yeeld all this to his ignorance in the Hebrew tongue but herein doth he shew his bad meaning even in this that hee affirmeth it to bee a prayer of Esay sith by the words ensuing it appeareth that they bee the wordes of God who saith Yee witches children come hither yee seed of the adulterer and of the whore drawe neere Whome haue yee mocked c. and againe Can I be content with all these things and thou hast discovered thy selfe behind mee Throughout all this Chapter God opposeth the blessed estate of the righteous against the curse prepared for the wicked 4 S. Paule to the Corinthians saith 2. Cor. 5.1 If our earthly habitation be destroied we haue an eternall building in heaven But why did he not adde but that shall bee after you are purged with fire 5 The Apostle in the 9. to the Hebrewes saith It is ordained that all men shall once die after that the iudgement He forgat Purgatory that should haue gon betweene For throughout the holy Scripture we find not any other iudgment spoken of after death but the last and vniversall iudgement 6 In the 20. Matt. the laborers doe all receaue their promised wages towards the end of the day that is to say in the end of their liues and when their works is done but Purgatory can bee no part of this labour as the auctor of the fire of Helie would haue it to be for in that place they speake only of labouring in the Lords vinyard which is his church which hath no communitie with any torment in fire Againe Purgatory caÌ„not be the last houre of the day because they make it continue much longer then all the life Besides that even in this last houre some labourers are called and hired but in Purgatory no man is called to the service of God 7 In the holy Scriptures we haue many examples of men receaved into Paradice immediatly after their decease but no example of any soule sent into Purgatory Luk. 2.26 Simeon had a promise that he should not see death before hee had seene the Messias S. Paul 2. Tim. 4. saith that after he had fought the good fight there remained no more but to receaue the crowne of glory And S Luk cap. 1â— saith that the Angels carried the soule of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome where hee was comforted whiles the â—ich man was tormented but of any passage to Purgatory either to or fro we heare no newes 8 Iesus Christ said to the good theif This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice This thiefe was surely a great sinner satisfied civill iustice either for theft or murder But where had hee made satisfaction to God for all his sinnes committed all the daies of his life Hee that was converted to God in the very article of his death But God requireth no satisfactory paines of such as doe repent but for them hee doth accept of the obedience and death of Iesus Christ who hath sufficiently satisfied aswell for our sinnes as for the punishment due to our sinnes The auctor of the fire of Helie with the rest will needes haue this priviledge to bee granted to this thiefe in regard of the greatnesse of his faith of his hope of his charitie of his zeale c. wherein they doe the more accuse themselues 2. By exalting the faith of the thiefe they do at vnawares confesse that in case we haue a stedfast faith in Iesus Christ we shall not come in Purgatory 3. Herein also they do coÌ„fesse that it standeth with the iustice of God freely and without imposing any satisfactory paines to pardon alwaies provided that the sinner haue a stedfast faith and hope in Iesus Christ 4. How could this thiefe at Gods hand merite this privilege by his faith and hope considering that God endued him with this faith For what kind of merit is this to receaue the gifts and graces of God with a stedfast faith which faith also God gaue him who giueth not only the benefits but also the means to receaue them And the same doe I say also of other vertues which were the gifts and effects of the spirit of God in him For it is God
that worketh the will and the deed saith S. Paul Phil. 2.13 2. Cor. 3.6 and without him wee cannot thinke any good saith the same Apostle 5. Let vs step yet farther We demande how where or when the thiefe bare the satisfactory paines for his sinne towards God But here in liew of answering directly they stand vpon the magnifying and extolling of the faith charitie and zeale of this thiefe but to what purpose seeing vertues are no satisfactory paines but rather lenitiues and proppes to strengthen and fortify the soule against all the griefes thereof 6. That which I hold to be the principall in this case is this That these our Masters doe make the charitie zeale patience of this thiefe in a moment to be of so great merit as to exempt him from the torments of Purgatory yet that they will not graunt that the charitie of the faithfull that are in this burning fire their zeale or any other the vertues which in these soules were in greater perfection then they were in the thiefe in that hee was yet a sinner could haue any merit or power to draw them out of this fire But wherefore should they by their magisterial auctoritie take from these poore soules the power of meriting but only by prolonging the torments of the dead the consciences of the living being the more astonished might bee stirred vp to redeeme them whiles they may by masses anniversaries gifts to the Church yea and that so far forth as to perswade the people that an offering for the dead being by a surviver offred was of power and merit to free the dead from that torment and yet that in the dead himselfe neither his faith neither his charitie neither his patience no not the torments of many yeares haue any merit or can moue God to abridge this torment 7. Hereto let vs also adioine thus much that the punishment that the thiefe suffered being deserved inevitable and by civill iustice imposed vpon him could not bee counted for a satisfactorie worke to God for hee ought voluntarily to haue vndergon it and by order of the Church not by sentence of the Magistrate especially according to the doctrine of the Romish Church â— Moreover is it not a meere mockage â—o say that the exemption from enteâ—ing into Purgatory was a privilege granted to this thiefe Bellarm. lib. 1. cap 8 Privilegia paucorum legem non faciunt considering that â—hroughout all the worde of God wee caÌ„not find the example of any one that ever went into Purgatory Privileges are extraordinary but here they seeke to make that which is ordinary and without exception in the word of God to passe for a priviledge 9 In this also doe they much forget themselues that they wil here bring in privileges where the matter concerneth the Iustice of God which saith these men after the pardon of the fault will neverthelesse haue vs to satisfie for the paine If then Gods iustice hath suffered one man to enter into Paradise without any satisfactory paine for his sinnes why should it not suffer two If two why not ten If ten whie not a hundred or a thousand and so forth infinite Our Reverend writers of fires furnaises and torrents doe giue way to the maine body of these reasons as being to great too strong and too close set together and having hidden themselues doe afterward make semblance to appeare Pag. 68 but farre enough of The auctor of the fire of Helie no griefe to his person hath made vs a little merry for supposing that hee hath found some newe matter to make this privilege currant saith that the blood of Iesus Christ which they boiled and sprang vpon the thiefe carried him immediatly into eternall felicitie Where found he this Did the blood of Iesus Christ spring forth but on one side and so the eviâ— thiefe through disgrace could obtainâ— no aspersion of it Or how could a few drops of blood moistning the outward parts of the body bring forth so wholâ—some an effect Considering that in the Masse they hold that the wicked do receaue all Iesus Christ inwardly and yâ—â— are never the better nor more happy But now I remember where he found this fable hee remembred that blessed S. Longin who pierced the side of Iesus Christ and so recovered his sight for of that speare the Church of Rome hath made a speareman and of that speereman a Saint And why not sith that of Deucalion Pirrhaes casting of stones behind them men and women sprang vp That which he here produceth concerning the baptisme of the thiefe on the Crosse is already confuted in the first Chapter and this man maketh the heathen Executioners to be baptizers of Christians By all this it doth appeare that togither with this thiefe Purgatory was crucified for I am ashamed to produce the argument of these Doctors who doe make even this thiefe an advocate for Purgatorie The sire of Helie p. 67 For say they he craved succours not in this life for death was even betweene his iawes already but after his death he therfore beleeved that after death the soules stood in need of succours Hereto doe we answer that he craved indeed no succour for this life neither for after this death but even for the death it selfe and for the departure of his soule which Iesus Christ entring into Paradice tooke and brought with him into the coelestiall glory But who can here forbeare laughing at this Portugall The boldnesse of this fire p. 95. who would haue the worde Paradice here to signifie hell Or how can he faiâ— of an answer that suffereth himselfe soliceÌ„tiously to interpret the Scriptures 9 S. Iohn in his first Epistle chap. 1. saith The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth or cleanseth vs from all sinne Our sinnes are the spots and vncleanesse of our soules and there be no other Iesus Christ purgeth and taketh them all away saith S. Iohn then is there no more to purge so no more Purgatory For albeit after all our offences pardoned there should yet remaine some paine to be endured for the satisfying of the iustice of God yet could not this punishmeÌ„t be called a Purgation for who did ever here the whip or the gibbet called a Purgation for theft or murder Pag 69. A stander The fire of Helie slandering vs answereth and maketh vs to say that it is enough that Iesus Christ satisfied for vs so as for our parts wee need doe nothing at all An opinion which we abhorre and leaue to the prophane and Libertines Whereas wee say that the punishment of a sinne cannot be called a Purgation the frier affirmeth the contrary Pag 97. saying that it is never called otherwise and to that end he alleageth many places wherin he preteÌ„deth that to purge signifieth to punish and chastise Passages which I am even ashamed to confute The first maketh cleane against him all the rest are false The Apostle to the Hebrewes chap. 1.3
haue gathered of their owne confessions that the penance or repentance practised in the Church of Rome is not the stone that Jesus Christ and S. Iohn Baptist did preach for they indeed when sinners came to them imposed no satisfactory paines Note likewise that the same which when Iesus Christ preached it was a vertue is nowe become a Ceremony and from a changing of the soule is come to be an Exercise of the body and now set down for the redemption of our soules as before we heard in Bellarmine that men are Redeemers of themselues Neither may we omit that this their sacrament of penance serveth but for the sins committed after Baptisme whereof it followeth that if an old Pagan should convert to the faith he should be received without penance or repentance 13 There is yet more For as it were Ridiculous to sowe a piece of friese vpon a satten garment so is it a matter that can hardly agree to ioine our satisfactions our fasts our scourgings a haire cloath a corde a friers coule a roasting of soules with the passion of the only son of God to make vp the total of the redemptiō of our souls and of satisfaction vnto God 14 In this matter our adversaries do still retire to their withered and olde beaten principle that is that God after he hath pardoned the sin requireth satisfaction to his iustice by the punishment of the sinne We haue already shewed that to forgiue a sinne and thē to exact satisfactorie punishment for the same are things incompatible That God never required any such satisfaction of the theefe neither Iesus Christ of the woman taken in adultery neither S. Paule of the Incestuous person after he had forgiven him That Iesus Christ hath satisfied for all the paines due to our sinnes That the iustice of God accepteth of no payment but such as shal be most exact and to the proofe of his righteousnes But there is no satisfaction sufficient to vndergoe that examen but only the satisfaction of the son of God by Ieremy called The eternall our righteousnesse And therefore that our travailes and afflictions are profitable to exercise proue amend and humble vs but not to redeeme vs or to satisfie to Gods Iustice which is already fullie satisfied by Iesus Christ and which requireth not two paymentes for one debt 15 Yea which is more themselues do acknowledge that in baptisme God forgiveth both the fault and the punishment and requireth not of the sinner any satisfactory paine Bellar. de paenit l. 4. c. 10. It is not therfore repugnant to the iustice of God to forgiue without our satisfactions 16 But in as much as this is one of the greatest abuses in popery That God by Baptisme doth pardon both the fault the punishment of sinnes committed before Baptisme yet that wee must satisfie and pay the Iustice of God for the sins committed after Baptisme It is necessary we should a little crush out this impostume 1. Conc. Trid. Sess 24. c. 8. First who authorized them in matter of remission of sins and redemptiō to invent new articles of faith with out warrant of the holy scriptures If a heathē murderer or incestuous parson shoulde hypocritically cause himselfe to be baptized shall this baptisme blot out all his former sinnes or shal his hypocrisie prooue fruitfull before God Tertul. de paenit cap. 6. Tertullian indeed in his booke de Poenitentia saith that it cannot be yet doth Spaine furnish vs of many examples thereof where the Mahumetan Marannes do cause themselues dissemblingly to be baptized 2. Againe let vs represent to our selues a heathen man a murderer a sacrilegious person c. One who sinneth not of ignorance or of feare but of meere malice and at the last in his old age repenteth frameth himselfe to Christianity and receiveth baptisme which as our adversaries do say is of such vertue that God doth simply and without satisfaction forgiue him all his sins committed before his baptisme but for the sins that he shall afterward commit albeit smal and of in firmity yet God requireth that he beare the punishment as well here as in Purgatory Doth it stande with the iustice of God simply and without satisfaction to pardon the greater sinnes committed of malice at one time and at another time to impose fiery torments for much lesser offences committed ignorantly or of infirmitie Moreover when by baptisme we haue put on Christ as saith S. Paule Galat. 3.27 haue wee put him on only for that time or for all the daies of our life Or is the benefite of Christs death of lesse effect after baptisme then in baptisme 4. Wherein I pray you consisteth the vertue of baptisme but in this that thereby wee are made partakers in the merits of the death of Iesus Christ being by baptisme buried with him in his death Also if in the holy supper Rom. 6. and in the gospell apprehēded by faith we be also partakers why should we not feel the like effects 5. I would aske againe what the reason is that sith in their Masses is applied as they say the benefit of Iesus Christ why their Masse should bee of lesse efficacy then baptisme or wherefore it cannot exempt a sinner from satisfactory punishment Also for what cause they so highly extolling the excellency of their Masse do in this point so clip her wings and trusse her vp so short Yea and why they stand in neede of so many Masses to fetch one soule out of Purgatoty cōsidering that if their Masses doe apply to that soule the benefit of Iesus Christ they cannot apply it otherwise then it is namely hauing an infinit power and consequently able to deliuer that soule at the first dash But the mischiefe is that if this should bee performed by one Masse only then should the profits of the Clergie bee mightily diminished Now albeit all these things be as cleere as the day yet are we in small hope that those men can take any relish in them that are fed maintained by the abasement of the benefit of the death of Iesus Christ For the documents of Gods word can never pierce into the vnderstanding vntill the true zeale of God be first entred into the heart Avarice Idlenesse and Incredulitie do harden the minds exasperate the stomacks and as rude barbarous vngratefull porters hinder the entry and from our mindes stop vp all the waies to the doctrine of the gospell The fruits of the Sacrament of pennance Now if there be any thing that vpholdeth the tyranny that fostereth the vices or that nourisheth the idlenesse of the Clergie it is this newe sacrament of pennance which is as it were the Palladium of Babylon First by their auricular confessiō a member of this sacrament they search into the secrets of houses and make themselues terrible to those whoe after they haue revealed to them their filthines faults cannot behold them without feare and shame By this they
passages and falsifying others even so far forth as to make him say that the soules departed out of the bodies doe not enioy the beatitude before the resurrection albeit that Calvin hath beaten down this error in a treatise which he wrot expresly vpon that argument Calvini Psichopannichia he lastly in his 17. page beginneth his proofes by the holy Scripture 6. His words are these The holy Scripture which teacheth vs all that is necessary to saluation doth withall forbid vs any thing that may be contrary thereto now let any man shewe me so much as one place that forbiddeth to pray for the dead The fire of Helie saith the same Pag. 8. 62. only he denieth that the Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation and therefore giueth examples The baptisme of children The consubstantialitie of the father with the sonne The Trinitie of persons c. To all the which wee haue already answered in the second Chapter It were good these doctors could agree among themselues In the meane time in answer to the Fryer Isay It is a mishapen argument and two of the propositions are false The first Propositiō is this The holy Scripture commanding that which is necessary to saluation doth also forbid all that is cōtrary thereto Which we deny because here the question is of an expresse prohibition For the Frier requireth that we should shew him such a one but it is well knowe that God when hee hath commanded any thing doth not alwaies in expresse words adde the prohibition of the contrary he wil be prayed vnto but where doth he forbid that we should not pray to him It suffiseth that this prohibition follow the commandement albeit it be not expressed The second prohibition is also false That prayer for the dead is not forbidden For any addition to the commandement of God is forbidden Deut. 4.2 prayer for the dead is an additiō to the commandement of God it is therefore forbidden because it is not commanded Againe Prayer that is not of faith cannot be acceptable to God Iames 1.6 Hebrewes 11.6 Prayer for the dead is made without faith for faith cōmeth of the word of God and is grounded therevpon but throughout all the worde of God prayer for the dead is not spoken of It cannot then bee acceptable vnto God Which is more by the same argumēt we may proue al things we may say that all that is in Amadis or in the chronicle of S. Frances is true because wee find not that it is there contradicted And let this be spoken in answer to Doctor Du Val who groundeth his Purgatory vpon this that Iesus Christ did not condemne prayer for the dead which saith hee was put in practise among the Iewes yet Iesus Christ never reproued thē for it True it is that the Iewes had their abuses which are not condemned in the Gospell Ioseph in that place saith that the Esseans in the course of their life observed Pithagoras rule As the sect of the Esseans witnesse Pliny lib. 5. cap. 17. and Iosephus Antiquitatum lib 18. cap. 2. And their opinion was and yet is That the Messias should be a great Prince that should conquer the nations and subdue them to the Iewes Iosephus also in his 12. booke and 2. Chapter of the warres of the Iewes saith that the Pharises taught the passage of the soules out of one body into another yet did not Iesus Christ reproue them for the same As concerning the opinion of praying for the dead if any of the Iewes were tainted therewith yet was it not vniversall doctrine receaved among them Eccl. 49.10 besides that it hath no affinity with Purgatory For even to this day such Iewes as pray for the dead knowe not what Purgatory is and their ordinary prayer is that the memory of the dead may be blessed 7. These Doctors hauing thus produced their reasons without Sctipture do now alleage Scripture without reason Thus saith the Frier S. Iames in his fifth Chapter saith Pray one for another that yee may be saued Pag. 17. Here S. Iames tyeth not this to the liuing only Hee also alleageth S. Augustine in his 20. book of the City of God who saith that the soules of the dead are not seperated from the Church He farther demandeth whoe told vs whether our Lord teaching vs to say forgiue vs our trespasses c. limited this prayer for the living or for the dead This also is of the like nature and full of subteltie Pag. 40. Iesus Christ saith hee taught vs to pray for the dead when hee Instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist Where he said Drinke yee all of this for this is my bloode of the new Testament which shall be shed for MANY S. Luke saith for YOV In saying for you for many he meaneth both present absent and to come therefore it is not for you to limit the will of Iesus Christ only to the living To answere all this requireth much patience though smal dexterity for we are driven to reduce these men as litle children to the ABC of reason 1. First this passage of S. Iames is falsified for S. Iames speaketh of the cure of the body not of the salvation of the soule as appeareth by the verse next before Prayer in faith shall saue the sicke and the Lorde shall raise him vp againe And to the like end also was this vnctiō namely to cure the diseased Thus the Apostle healed many diseased by anointing them Marke 16. 13. Tertullian in his 2. booke Scepula c. 4. speaketh of one Proculus who cured the Emperour Severus by annointing him with oile 2. I would aske the subtle doctors to whom S. Iames writ whether to the living or to the dead or to both Surely he writ to the living for they vse to carry no letters into Purgatory then they whom he commanded to pray were living 3. What kinde of proofe call you this S. Iames excludeth not the dead neither doth he forbid to pray for them we must therefore pray for them Surely if this reason were of force we must also pray for the Angels for the Saints yea for the damned for S. Iames doth not forbid to pray for anie of the 〈◊〉 4. The same answere may serue for that which they say That the dead bee of the Church and one bodie with vs for who denyeth it Must we alleadge S. Augustine for that which we may learne in the word of God Apoc. 6 12 Heb 12.23 Ephes 3.17 But doeth it follow that wee must pray to God for all that be of the Church why thē doth not the Romish Church pray for the Saints and Martyrs 5. The mēbers of one selfe body must helpe each other when any one of them standeth in need of help But here we maintaine this is the somme of our difference that the faithful deceased need not our succours The Frier then presupposeth as granted that which is the main question The passage
no apparance to impute the inventiō of this act to him therefore it were Impudencie to condemne him And this is the place where I meane to gratifie the frier For albeit this booke may as well bee false in this point as it is in the others that I haue laid open yet will I admit this history as a truth Thus it is at large After the battaile Iudas and his men came to gather vp the bodies of the slaine and to burie them but they found vnder their apparel things cōsecrated to the Idols that were at Iannia a matter forbiddē in the law Then had they recourse to praier and intreated that the sin committed might be forgiven and forgottē Iudas therevpon having made a collection sent to Hierusalem twelue thousand drams of silver to offer in sacrifice for the sin hitherto the history That which ensueth is the auctours Iudgement whom we receiue for an historiographer but not for a iudge or doctor in matters of faith In this history then which I pray you is the first word importing praier for the dead Or that concerneth Purgatory Had Iudas offered for the dead he would haue praied for all their sins and not for that sin only and vpon this reason did the Frier falsifie this passage and set in for the dead insteed of for the sinne Iudas therefore prayed that the sin of some might not pull downe the wrath of God vpon all the people as in the like case the sin of Acham had procured the overthrow of all the people of Israell Iosua 7. 10 The frier addeth yet one passage out of Toby forgiving Almes for the dead These saith he are the wordes of Toby Cast thy bread and thy wine vpon the graue of the righteous and beware thou eate not with sinners Toby 4.17 Whereto we saie first the book is Apocriphal al the testimonies produced against the bookes of the Macchabees are in force against the booke of Toby for it is in the same Rancke yea this book hath this in particular that it maketh the angel Raphael a lyer who being demanded by Tobyas who he was answered I am Azarias of the kindred of great Ananias and of thy brethren Yet let vs admit this booke were Canonicall and consider the passage Cast thy bread wine vpō the graues of the righteous then saith the Monke It must needs be there were almes for the dead 1. First this hath no such sequence neither can we hereof frame any good Argument 2. Againe no man denieth but it is good to giue almes for the dead that is to say not only inremēbrance of the dead but also for and insteed of the dead giving to the poore that which the deceased woulde haue given if he had lived but not for fetching his soule out of Purgatory for therof we find not one word in Toby The heathen that prayed not to fetch their dead out of Purgatory yet ceased not from giving almes and making funeral feasts ferales coenas silicernia Yea even among the Israelites there was some such matter not for the redemption of the soule departed but for the Consolation of the survivers as we learne in Ieremy Ierem. 167 Tertull. de Resur carnis c. 5. vnigus defunctos atrocissimè exaurit quos postmodum Gulosissimè nutriunt Qui in memoriis Martyr se inebriant quemodo a nobis approbari possunt c. Cyprianus de duplici Martyrio An non videmus ad Martyrum memorias Christianum a Christiano cogi ad ebrietatem where hee placeth this among the afflictions prepared for the Iewes They shall not stretch out the hands for thē in the mourning to comfort them for the dead neither shall they giue them the cup of Consolation for to drink for their father or for their mother Neither can this custome be reproued in case there be neither excesse nor superstition 3. The Christians in the primitiue Church on the day of the remembrance of the Martyrs tooke their repast neer to the graues and as abuse doth commonly intrude it selfe they many times overdranke themselues and buried their reasons vpon the sepulchers S. Augustin against Faustus the Manichean lib. 20. cap. 21. saith How can wee allow of those that drinke themselues drūken at the memories of the Martyres considering if they should do it in their houses al true doctrine would condemne them Hereby it appeareth that the meats set vpon the sepulchers were not a price or offering to deliver the soules of the dead for they were set vpon the sepulchers of those Martyres for whome the Church of Rome holdes that wee must not pray 4. Consider also I pray you whether this Monke desired to be beleeued and mocketh not himselfe when hee saith that this bread and wine was for those that were destined to weepe for the deceased and to pray for them that they might take some comfort For what a iest is this to buy teares with bread to haue certaine persons destined and affected to weeping thus to bring tears to be an occupation and so of an affliction to erect a trade A course indeed practised by the heathen and by the Iewes imitated yet by Chrysostome cōdemned which also the Prophet Ieremy mocketh saying Call for the mourning women and let them come But what appearance is there that these teares premeditated and hired may bee accepted for a payment and satisfaction to the iustice of God and so enable to redeem a soule out of Purgatory Fire of Helie pag. 12. 13. 11 The same Monke as also the fire of Helie doe inculcate many examples of weeping and fasting for the dead as the teares fastings after the deaths of Saul Ionathan Abner c Yet amōg all these lamentations we find no mention of prayer for the dead or of Purgatory Besides wee haue shewed that Saul died in Gods displeasure that Iacob and Moses were also bewailed who neverthelesse never descended into Purgatory and for such the Church of Rome saith we must not pray Places out of the new Testament for prayers for the dead 12 Now follow the Friers places gathered out of the new Testament to the same purpose The first is page 39. and is taken out of the Gospell of S. Iohn where Martha saith to Iesus Christ Lord if thou haddest beene here my brother had not died Yet doe I now know that what soever thou askest of the father he will giue it thee It is very certaine saith hee that Martha prayed our Lord Iesus Christ to make some prayer for her brother for shee beleeued not that Iesus Christ could of himselfe raise him againe All coniectures All false propositions and yet not without contradiction For if Martha beleeued that God would grāt to Iesus Christ whatsoever hee demanded shee beleeued that Iesus Christ could raise him againe for he could demand it In this place the Frier prates apace and doth imitate Cayer A slander who in the beginning of his booke saith that wee
beleeue neither heaven nor hell The intent of the Ministers saith he is to deny both Purgatory and Paradice for wee know that at Geneva in the Italian Church after they had argued of the means to root out the beliefe of Purgatory one of their Deacons rising vp said let vs doe that which we had once determined let vs deny the Immortalitie of the soule so shall wee soone see Purgatory laid along The fire of Helie saith it was not a Deacon but a Minister yea he saith moreover that one Perrat a Minister of Geneva in his life coÌ„plained that among vs the beasts are buried with greater honour then men But he speaketh as if a man already deceased so truely hee is informed but the man yet liveth and if the accuser or accusation did deserue it I could easily from himselfe procure the confutation of so cold a slander Herevpon were the Divell our principall enimie a man to be examined I would demand of him whether our fathers that suffered martyrdome for the Gospell who were so lavish of their blood and so sparing of the glory of God did think that there was no heaven or that the soules were mortall But in as much as wee meddle not with coniurings or making the spirits to appeare as our adversaries doe let the Frier take his place and be our Iudge therein Dare hee say that these persons did not aspire to eternall life The two Decij Curtius or Empedocles who with their deathes did purchase fame voluntary lost their liues to purchase commendatioÌ„s after death might haue done it without hope of immortalitie But where the death is accompanied with infamy the ashes overlaid with reproach what man will without hope of immortalitie seeke an inglorious death and voluntarily lose both his life and his honor Moreover who be our slanderers Even the props and pillers of the Roman sea a sea that hath beene blemished with Popes that haue made profession to teach that there is no Paradise and that the soules of men doe die together with their bodies as doe the soules of beastes Let these writers of fires furnaces torrents acknowledge whether these bee not the very words of the Councell of Constance Sess 11. Iohn the 23. Often and very often in the presence of sundry prelats and other good and honest men hath said supported taught and obstinately at the instigation of the divell maintained that there is no eternall life neither any other life after this yea he hath said and obstinately beleeued that the soule of man dieth with his body and is extinct as those of brute beasts He hath also said that man once dead shall neuer rise againe at the last day c. And afterward it is said that all this is publikely and well knowne O how the pulpets should haue rung of it if any one of vs had spoken but the huÌ„dreth part hereof 12 There resteth yet one place taken out of S. Paule 1. Cor. 15.29 What shal they doe that are baptised for dead The Frier in liew of these wordes for dead hath set downe for the dead The fire of Helie committeth a notable falsehood and disguiseth the passage thus Pag. 46. Falshoods What shall they doe that baptise themselues for the dead And then expoundeth that which he hath corrupted in this maner To baptise ones selfe signifieth to doe laborious and satisfactory workes for the dead and withall wee must vnderstand that it is to fetch them out of Purgatory Good God what a troublesome thing lying is This interpretation is taken from Bellarmine who according to his manner hauing alleaged the explication of a number of the fathers as Tertullian Ambrose Sedulius Theodoret Chrysostome Oecumenius Theophilact c washeth al their heads and for the establishment of his owne exposition confuteth all their explications And this doth the Frier confirme with the autoritie of Turrian the Iesuite who maketh vse of this passage An excelent testimonie and of great antiquity But the sense of these wordes must be taken of the Apostles intent This is bee seene in Mat. 5 16â— Marc. 1.10 his intent was to proue the resurrectioÌ„ here to hee imployeth baptisme which in those daies was celebrated by plonging the whole body in water in token that we are in death the comming forth of the water representeth the resurrection S. Paules meaning is that this signe were in vaine if there were no resurrection and that in vaine we are baptized for dead or as dead and to represent vnto vs that wee are in death if there be no hope of Resurrection The explicatioÌ„ of Theodoret groweâ—h much herevpon which also Caietan doth follow The places of scripture wherevpon these Doctors doe lay the foundations of their Purgatory 1. Cayer pag. 5. proveth the multitude of habitations vnder the earth by the creed where it is saide Descendit ad Inferos in the plurall number but his grammar faileth him for in the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular and Inferi in the plurall importeth no more diversity of chambers or habitations then Superi which signifieth those that liue vpon the earth Virgill Aeneid 6. Apud superos furto laetatus inani 2 Againe vpon the last of the Revelation where it is written Pag. 9. Out of the throne proceeded a river of water cleare as christall He foundeth Purgatory in rivers in bathes in yce vnder the leaues of trees c To the same end he alleageth the 92. Psalme The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree And this passage doeth hee make to serue for a defence of his flowred medow that lieth at the end of Purgatory Let vs yeeld Peter Victor Palme Cayer this Doctor taketh vp the straw which is not like the palme albeit he assumeth that name but rather like the figge tree which Christ cursed it bare no more fruit 3 Himselfe defendeth the altars wherevpon the saying of a stinted nuÌ„ber of Masses sufficeth to fetch a soule out of Purgatory Pag. 17. because in the lawe there was an altar of propitiation 4 In page 23. he heapeth vp a whole bedroule of passages for Purgatory as if they were paternosters 1. Because there was a flaming sworde before the garden of Eden and the same passage doth the fire of Helie make vse of 2. By the fire of sacrifices after the law of nature for he imagineth that the making of sacrifices by fire is a law of nature thus doth he confesse that he hath lost his humane nature because he doth not sacrifice by fire 3. Because the law was given in fire 4. By the perpetuall fire that was vpon the altar 5. By the iudgement of God that must be in fire 2. Pet. 3. Out of al this he coÌ„cludeth that there is a purgatory How many pens sonnets shall wee pin vpon this doctor in reward of his profound subtlety Some few other passages there bee but they wil be found among those of
his companions The auctor of the fire of Helie affordeth vs as devout ones He in his 11. page endevouring to stall his proofes which saith he are as cleere as the sun compareth me to Senecas maide but I trust to make him more like to Plutarches boy who plaid the Philosopher whiles they be laboured him 5 Hee cutteth vp his reasons with this knife flourishing at the gate of the earthly Paradice This sword is Purgatory and so did S. Ambrose vnderstand it but hereafter wee shall proue it false 6 Then commeth the ninth of Esay Impiety is kindled as fire and shall destroy the bryers and thornes This fire is Purgatory and well it may bee because it is compared to iniquity 7 Then followeth the Prophet Micheas the 7. Reioice not against mee O mine enemie though I fall I shall arise whē I shall sit in darknesse I will beare the wrath of God vntill hee plead my cause hee will bring me to light and I shall see his righteousnesse This darknesse and this wrath are Purgatory and these be the wordes of those poore roasted soules speaking to their enimies that doe reioice to see them tormented 1. But how do these enimies reioice if they be in hel 2. how doe they speake one with another 3. If these enimies be living who ever reioiced in his enimies death because he was in Purgatory Or who told him that he was there and why doth he not rather feare then persist in his hatred Why is he not rather sory that he is not in hel 4. How commeth it to passe that God hath not yet iudged the cause of these poore souls against their enimies 5. but reade the whole chapter and you shall perceiue that they that there speake be the living and not the dead 8 After commeth the ninth of Zachary In the blood of thy covenant thou haste delivered thy prisoners out of the pit where is no water Pag. 46. Pag. 68. This pit without water is Purgatory why doth he feare to put water in Purgatory sith hee hath put snow in hell Therefore also doth the frier contradict him and saith that the most common expositiō speaketh of delivering soules out of Limbo They shall agree if they list S. Augustine in his citty of God lib. 18. cap. 35. shall vnderstande this of the deliverance from sinne and from the miseries of this life S. Hierome in his cōmentary vpon this place vnderstandeth it of hell yet were it better that Gods word should be the iudge S. Matthew 21. v. 5. alleadging the former verses sheweth that this passage is meant of Iesus Christ Now what is the deliverāce of the Church through the bloode of Iesus Christ but our redemption from the captivity of Satan and eternall death Of this deliverance speaketh Zacharie albeit vnder the figure of the deliverance from the captivity of Babilon as also it were strange that Zachary speaking of the deliverāce of the Church through the bloode of the covenant shoulde speake only of Purgatory and Limbo and make mention of the redemption from hell and eternall death 9 That which followeth is verie pleasant Psal 66. We went through fire water but thou broughtest out into a refreshing In the former passage he woulde haue no water in Purgatory now he will haue both fire and water there Besides the place is falsified For according to the Hebrew text it is Thou haste brought me out into a plentifull place Other passages he hath which are to bee found among the friers passages The Frier pag. 30. 10 The first passage that he alledgeth is out of Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old It is even prepared by the king he hath made it deepe large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde kindling it like a river of brimstone This hee saith p. 34. Pag. 60.16 Tophet saith the Frier is Purgatory this king is God and the breath of the Lord bringeth with it consolation the end and the beatitude c. But against this doth Cayer quarrell and saie that it concerneth the iudgement of God against the iniquity of Assur and confesseth that this king is the king of Assur Pag. 47. The fire of Helie returneth the ball to the Frier holdeth this passage to be a Noli me tangere but as I haue answered so I answer stil that we groūd no articles of faith vpon Allegories 2. Secondly Tophet is a place neere to Hierusalem in the valley of Hynnon as witnesseth Iosua 15. and 2. King 23. where the Idolaters burned their children to Moloch or Baal Wherevpon the Prophet here taketh Tophet for the tormēt prepared for the wicked 3. That in the whole course of the text it appeareth that Esay speaketh of the wicked not of the children of God 4. That the frier falsifieth the passage in saying by the king where in the Hebrew it is for the king 5. The frier taketh Assur to be a mās name not of a Country As if I had said the king Assur but I said the king of Assur That this king is the king of Assur or of Assiria of whō we spake not many lines before 6. That this king being an enimie to God and his people the torment that is provided for him cannot be Purgatory The Frier in all this reproveth two things which make nothing to this question First he will not haue Tophet in this place to bee the place where they made their children to passe through the fire Gen. 31.27 Exod. 15 10 Ios 18.34 but let him then learne what is written 2. King 23. Iosias defiled Tophet which was in the valley of the children of Hynnon that no man should make his son or his daughter to passe through the fire to Moloch This word Tophet commeth of Toph which in Hebrewe signifieth a drumme because the Priestes of the Idoll so long as the burning of the children lasted made a noise with drums and basons after the manner of the Coribantes Maldonat Lyra upon the 5. of Matth. least the parents should heare the crie of their children Therevpon did Iob complaining that hee was disdained and shouted at say that hee was made Tophet a tympanization and a by-word or scorne as also the Greek doth so translate it The Roman translation turneth it and saith He hath made me an example The Fryer will haue this tympanization to be Purgatory or had there beene here any speech of a tub or of a lanthorne hee woulde also haue found some shift to proue that those things signified Purgatory Iob therefore by his account albeit aliue yet complaineth that hee was placed in Purgatory Secondly he doth contest that the children were not burned or consumed in Tophet but only purged this cannot proceed but either of grosse ignorance or of extreame malice for the Scripture is full of proofes to the contrary Ieremy 7.31 saith They haue built the high place of Tophet in the valley of the
sonnes of Hynnon to burne their sonnes and daughters Againe They haue built the high places of Baal to burne their sons with fire for burnt offerings vnto Baal It is in the Hebrew Baar which signifieth to burne And this word Holocaust signifieth a sacrifice which they burnt and wholy consumed But because of late they begin to preferre the Roman translation before the Hebrew text that is to say a corrupt translation before the originall a troubled ditch before the cleere spring Let vs produce the same text of the commō translation Aedificaverunt excelsa Baalim ad comburendos filios suos igni in Holocaustum Ierem. 19.5 Immolauerūt filios filias suas daemonijs Likewise in the second of Kings 3. Accipiensque Rex primogenitum suum obtulit holocaustum It is therefore contrary both to the history and to the language to say that the selfe same translation in sundry places turneth lustrare filios for cremare purge for burne Here the Frier hath bethought him of a notable fable fetched out of the bottome of his budget Hee saith that my selfe being reduced to a shamefull silence An Englishman whome I had brought for my Gossip whispered me in the eare and told mee that lustare signified to burne This is a double vntruth for on the one part he maketh as if all the assistants holp him and that I was in a maner alone on the other part there was never an Englishman in the company indeed there was a young Flemming whom I never saw before when the Frier said that Excogitatum commentum signified a Commentary confirmed this explication by the autoritie of Rabelais who said waight of larde with a Comment As for this word lustrare I maintained that it ought to haue beene Cremare to burne also that the translation was false and I suppose I needed not make many protestations vpon a matter so vnworthy the meanest scholler In vaine therefore did hee borrow out of Calepin and from the Iesuits of Tournom those passages where lustrare signifieth to purge Wherein neverthelesse he spitteth nothing but barbarisme and blockishnesse Demost contra Aristocratem ait cum qui aliquem accusavit tactis sacris suovetaurisibus iurare solitum I will therefore read him a lesson therein doing him good for evill Hee alleageth a passage out of the third of Livy Ibi instructum exercitum ove siue tauris tribus lustrauit and then he doth expound it He purified his army by the sacrifice of one sheep or three bulls But had hee had but a cast of antiquitie he might haue heard of a kind of sacrifice frequent among the heathen named Suouetaurilia and he would not haue put Oue siue tauris insteed of Ouesuet auris but this passed the Monks learning and capacitie 11 They also make vse of the first of Samuell cap. 2. in the song of Hannah in these words The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue raiseth vp Now in liew of graue they put hel and this hell if we beleeue the signifieth Purgatory In Hebrew it is Shelo which signifieth the state and condition of the dead the pit the Sepulcher The Roman translation still translateth it hell As in the 140. Psalme Our bones lie scattered along the hell In the Hebrew it is the 141.7 also in the 30 Psalme Thou hast brought my soule out of Hell Iacob also in Genesis saith You shall bring my white haires into hell Againe Psalme 49. They shall be laid in hell or in the sepulcher like sheepe In these such like places who seeth not that the word hell is evill put insteed of death or the graue As for the passage in the song of Hannah the Frier confesseth that the same is meant of tribulatitions but he saith If it be by comparison who euer heard of things don that are not He saith true and therefore this comparison must not bee taken of Purgatory which is not as also the chiefe interpreters of the Romish Church Caietan Lyra and the ordinary Glosse doe not by this passage mean Purgatory S. Augustine in his 17. booke and 17. Chapter of the Cittie of God expoundeth this Canticle at large yet speaketh not one word of Purgatory The Frier speaketh as if it had bin himselfe that produced this Rabbin Read Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21 cap. 13. One of the Assistants vpon this passage meaning to helpe the Frier produced a Rabbin Isaac Alfeci the Arabian who speaketh of two hels whervnto albeit I could haue answered and proved that that had no communitie with Purgatory yet I thought it better to say That Gods enimies were not to bee iudges in the cause of God That the truth borrowed no weapons of her adversaries that Virgil and Plato had also spoken of Purgatory 12 The Frier saith he hath a whol sea of witnesses hee might haue said a forrest for that would haue serued to kindle Purgatory he thus therefore entereth into this sea the sixt Psalme O Lord rebuke me not in thy rage neither chasten me in thy wrath This rage is hell this wrath Purgatory with a law saith he of satisfaction and chastisement of the faithfull deceased but most severe S. Augustine vpon the sixt Psalme and these words Rage and Wrath saith thus Ego puto vnam rem duobus verbis significatam I think that one thing is signified by these two words As for the purging pains whereof in some places he speaketh in my next Chapter I will shewe that my adversaries do corrupt and wrong him The like we say of S. Hierom. 13 Then followeth an other out of the fourth of Esay The Lord shall wash the filthinesse of the daughters of Sion and purge the blood of Hierusalē out of the middest thereof by the spirit of iudgement and in the spirit of heate This purging and this spirit of iudgement and of heate is Purgatory But note that this purging is made in the midst of Hierusalē There then is Purgatory not vnder the earth not in the rivers not in the yce for it is too hot in Iudea 14 Here cōmeth a braue one out of Malachie the 3. Who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when he appeareth For he is like a blowing fire and the fullers sope This blowing fire is Purgatory for in his bible he hath Ignis conflans that is by the explicatiō of this poore doctor a blowing fire What Regent is there that would not whip his scholler for such a grosse fault Learne doctor that Conflare signifieth to forge or bake in the furnace Et curuae rigidum falces conflantur in ensem Surely it is a shame to overcome a man so impertinent 15 In the 7. of Daniel Pag. 37. A fiery streame ran before him This streame is Purgatory why did he forget Gedeons bottels or Sampsons Iaw bone of an Asse for in these things cold he by the subteltie of his brain haue foūd out Purgatory But to let
passe these toies let vs see whether in the newe Testament they can find any proofes more apparant 16 The first passage in the new Testament is in Matthew the 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his brother vnadvisedly shall be punishable by iudgement and whosoever saith to his brother Racha shall bee punishable by a Counsell who so shall say foole shall be punishable by hell fire Here see I never a word of Purgatory Likewise the principall Interpreters of the Romish Church as Lyra Caietan Maldonat and the ordinary Glosse haue otherwise expounded this passage as also S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Hillary Theophilact who writ expresse Commentaries vpon Matthew but against all these doth the Frier oppose S. Augustine and saith that in this place he hath found Purgatory in the first booke of the words of our Lord vpon the moūtaine and then he exclaimeth S. Augustine found it Falshood Du Moulin denieth it I had rather finde it with this holy doctour then so much as heare the blasphemy of the deniall from this tiercelet of an hereticke Herevpon I beseech the reader to see the place of S. Augustin wherin in truth this good doctor expoundeth this passage but he speaketh not of Purgatory neither of the torment or purgation of soules separate from the bodies Falshood This Monke alleadgeth also his 31. sermon vpon the words of the Lord wherein this passage is not so much as quoted so farre is it frō being expounded Nay more all the fourth sermon is vpō this passage wherein neverthelesse there is not any speech of Purgatory O frocke how many vntruthes dost thou cover how deerely wilt thou buy this licentious abusing of the people vnlesse God be mercifull vnto thee But the weakenesse of this argument doth appeare in that our doctours do contradict them selues in the expounding thereof Pag. 33. The Monke by hell vnderstandeth Eternall paine Cayer affirmeth that this Gehenna is Purgatory Pag. 21. A cup of theologicall wine to reconcile our doctors The autor of the fire of Helie saith that these three different punishmentes are after this life If Iudgement signifie Purgatory and Gehenna hell what shall become of the punishment by Counsell Vndoubtedly that is our flowred medow or some other part of Purgatory 17 This that followeth is pleasant and proceedeth from the same Evangelist and the same chapter and from S. Luke cap. 12. v. 58. who saith When thou goest with thy adversary to the ruler as thou art on the way labour to bee delivered from him least hee bring thee before the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the Iaylor and the Iaylor cast thee into prison I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast paid the last penny S. Matthew saith Agree quickly with thy adversary Insteed of these words labor to be soone delivered from him The allegory pleaseth them to say the adversary is the divell the way is the life the Magistrate is God the prison is Purgatory 1. would they haue vs to agree with the Divell or if the divell shall be the executioner who shall be the adverse party Some weening to speake skilfully do say that the adverse party is the lawe but it is worse 2. For S. Luke saith that we must labour to be delivered from this adverse party whiles wee bee on the way with him Are we on the way with the law Or do we go to the Magistrate with it 3. Where shall wee labour to deliver our selues to shake of this yoake Rather should shee alwaies rule and guide vs in this pilgrimage 4. But if the Divel be the Iaylor would they haue the Divell to lead the soules into Purgatorie 5. How dare they say that Purgatory is a prison from whence none shall depart before they haue paid the last penny considering that the Pope fetcheth forth the soules before the tearme of the full satisfaction expired The sense of this passage is cleere Iesus Christ exhortet vs to peace atonement with our neighbors that trouble and molest vs so do all the ancients take it S. Ambrose vppon this place saith that Iesus Christ speaketh De reconcilianda pace dissidentium fratrum of knitting againe of peace betweene disagreeing brethren Maldonat the Iesuit the same S. Hillarie in his comment vpō this place is more expresse Tertul de Anima c. 35 Tertullian in his booke of the soule of the same Theophilact reiecting the allegories expoundeth it thus Etiamsi iniuria affectus fueris ne abeas ad tribunal ne ob potentiam adversarij graviora patiaris Albeit thou hast wrong yet goe not to the Iudiciall seat least it fal out worse with thee through the power of thy adversary S. Hierome S. Chrysostome say the same Tertul. de Anima c. vlt To all this our men be dumbe champe on the bit Only the Frier alleadgeth an heresie of Tertulliā wherin he saith that the last penny implieth the least sinnes which are paid by the delaying of the resurrection And is it our Master friers will that this resurrection be the issue of Purgatory But he malitiously doeth dissemble the wordes of Tertullian ensuing Falshood Hoc etiam paracletus frequentissime commendavit For he vpholdeth this doctrine vnder the auctority of Montanus an Arch-hereticke who nameth himselfe the paraclete holy Ghost The same Frier committeth a notable falshoode in that to defend the explication of this passage he bringeth the auctority of S. Cypriā who throughout all his workes hath not expounded this place besids those words of S. Cyprian which hee hath alleadged he hath wrested and taken in a contrarie sense to kindle Purgatory as in our last Chapter we will proue After all this the frier as writing the Cock to the Asse in liew of answering accuseth vs that we do beleeue that the soules shall not enioy the glory vntill the day of iudgement Falshood which is false most sclanderous for we al do beleeue that the soules of the faithfull departed out of the bodies do enter into the heavenly glory It may be that in some places in the writings of our men some of them may say that they doubt whether the soules in the day of iudgement shal receiue any increase of glory or drawe neerer to the contemplatiō of the face of God not in place but in degree of glory but this is nothing to salvation neither toucheth the purity of faith withall it was the opinion of many of the ancients namely of S. Augustin who vpon Genesis in his twelfth booke cap. 35. saith They see not God as the Angels do see him because they haue still a natural desire to moue their bodies which withhold them c. A reason whereto we wil not subscribe howbeit we see that hee did thinke that after the resurrection the Saints shall haue an encrease of glorie Finally hee accuseth vs of sclandering Pope Iohn the 22. Note the Monk saith Ioh. 22. for 23.
saepe negemâ—â— or beetles or Cham who discovered his fathers shame But the greatest inconvenience is that the copies are divers discordant mangled and falsified yea so farre as to haue some tracts of other men suggested and inserted into them wherevpon I remember that I propouÌ„ded to the frier the preface to the last edition of S. Augustine wherin our masters the correctors doe confesse that they haue changed some things and taken forth the errours intruded by the malice of hereticks that is to say al that mislike them and in plaine tearms they say that The bookes of the ancient fathers must bee purged according to the decree of the tridentine Councell and to the same purpose I alleadged the Confession of the doctors of Doway in their Expurgatory Index in the letter The Index is printed at Antw. by Plantin 1571. by autority of K. Phil. the D Alua. B. where speaking of the purging of the book of Bertram they say thus Considering that in all other Catholick autors we beare with many errors which we do extenuat shake of and often times excogitato commento deny by some faigned Invention and do insert into them some commodious sense wee see no reason wherefore Bertram deserveth not the like equity and the same diligent review And this was the place where the Monke said that Excogitatum Commentum signified a Commentary But in this booke page 1. Hee saith that it is an explication devised contrary to the text Thus doth he confesse that it is his occupation to bring in such explications vnlesse hee should shrinke from the vnion of those purgers auctorised by his holinesse Here might I alleadge a great heape of falsifications brought in by these correctors albeit we know not the huÌ„dred part Yet are we greatly to praise God who hath not suffered them to compasse their intents but among the fathers hath yet left vs sufficient weapoÌ„s to fight with the Church of Rome And that is it that in this chapter wee are to produce yet with this protestation that I alleadge not the doctors fathers as meaning vpon their auctorities to hang the truth of my cause but to shew how our adversaries doe abuse them and make them to speake manie things contrary to their owne opinioÌ„s I take them not to bee advocates in my cause but am my selfe their advocate For Iesus Christ Iohn 5.14 telleth vs that he craveth not the testimonies of men neither doth his word neede their witnesse The truth that those good men haue spoken we do beleeue not because they spake it but because wee finde it in the word of God And this is the reason that I reserved this tract to the end least I shoulde mixe divine auctority with humane This is a chapter rather not superfluous then necessarie which we giue not to the necessity of the matter but to the stiffneckednesse of the age wherein the holy scripture is growne into suspition and men opeÌ„ their cares when wee speake of Origen Ambrose Tertullian c. But stop them when we speake of the Prophets or Apostles Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 4. cap. 12 The holy Bible say they is a booke for hereticks a sword for all hands a pecce of a rule a forrest of forraging yea saith the autor of the three truths It will make a man become an Atheist Passages of the ancient Doctors against Purgatory Iustin Martyr in his 75 question After the departure of the soule out of the body there is immediatly made a distinction betweene the good and the bad for by the Angels they are brought into the places worthy for them the soules of the good into Paradice where is the haunt and viewe of the Angels the soules of the bad into hell Himselfe in his 60. question saith that men cannot after the soule is departed from the body by any provision care or study get help and succour Cum anima à corpore evellitur statim aut in Paradiso promeritis bonis collocatur aut certè pro peccatis in in ferni tartara praecipitatur S. Augustine in his book of the vanitie of the world tom 9. c. 1. Knowe yee that when the soule parteth from the body shee is for her good workes instantly placed in Paradice or for her sinnes cast headlong into the pit of hell And our masters the Expurgators in their last edition at Paris found themselues so puzled with this saying that they set down in the margent Vbi nunc Purgatorium Where now Purgatory is Himselfe in his first Chapter of his second sermon of Consolation over the dead saith Recedens anima ab Angelis suscipitur collocatur aut in sinu Abrahae c. Tertium penitus ignoramus immo nec necesse esse in Scripturis sanctis venimus The soule at her departure if shee bee faithfull is by the Angels taken and carried into Abrahams bosome if a sinner into the charter of the infernall prison Himselfe in the fifth book of his Hypognostique saith The Catholick faith grounded vpon diuine autority beleeueth the first place which is the kingdome of heaven from whence all that are baptised are excluded also the second which is hell where every Apostata such as are estranged from the faith of Christ shall endure eternall punishments For any third place we knowe none neither doe we finde any such place throughout the holy Scriptures Yea and which is more In this place S. Augustine maintaineth that Children not baptised are excluded out of the kingdome of heaven therevpon gathereth this consequence Sâ—th they are not in Paradice they must of necessitie be in hell and in eternal torment because there is no third place Surely hee would never haue beene so rigorous towards these children had he knowne of any place of punishment more gentle and easie as Limbo or Purgatory The fire of Helie pag. 37. saith that S. Augustine denieth any such place as Pelagius doth paint forth A matter that this Doctor very presumptuously hath invented for hee there doth simply deny and saith that there is no third place at all neither doth hee there speake of any delights as hee would make vs beleeue In his 14. sermon vpon the words of the Apostle hee tearmeth the right hand the kingdome of heaven and the left damnation with the Divell and then addeth There is no middle place where thou maist put the children And soone after Nullum medium locum in Evangelio novimus We find not any middle place in the Gospell In his 18. Sermon he reproueth those who taking liberty to doe evill haue nevertheles some hope Duo enim sunt loci nec tertius est vllus He saith he that is such a man let him chuse where hee will dwell whiles yet bee hath time to change for there are but two habitations the one in the eternall kingdome the other in everlasting fire In his 232. sermon which is against drunkennesse Deere brethren let no man
deceaue himselfe for there are but two places and no third He that hath not deserued to raign with Christ shall no doubt perish with the divell In his booke of the deserts of sinne and of the forgiuenesse of the same cap. 28. There is no middle place and therefore hee that dwelleth not with Iesus Christ cannot abide any where but with the divell Our adversaries say that S. Augustine speaketh of eternall places and acknowledgeth but two wherin they doe diversly deceaue vs. 1. Read the passages and you shall see that hee speaketh in generall of all the places whatsoever 2. Had he known of any place of temporall punishment when hee so often said that there were but two and no third at all hee would surely haue added some restriction as that he meant not to exclude Purgatory and the places of temporall torment but spake this only of the eternall places 3. Which is more wee see by these passages that he excludeth the childrēs Limbo which cannot bee eternall for the Church of Rome placeth it vnder the earth which also cannot be eternal but according to the Scriptures must perish 4. But what an absurditie is it to say that he speaketh but of the eternall places For that is it that we maintaine neither could he speak but of these two eternall habitations Heaven and Hell because there is no other 5. Finally wee haue alleaged such passages as can in no sort admit this distinction as where he saith that instantly after death they are carried either into Paradice or into Hell But let vs againe heare the same Father In quo quecunque inuenerit suus novissimus dies in hoc cum comprehendet mundi novissimus dies quia qualis in die isto quisque moritur talis iudicatur In his 80. Epistle which is to Hesichius In like estate as the last day of mans life shall find him in like estate also shall the last day of the world take hold of him for such as a man shall die in that day such shall he bee iudged in the last day Cōferre this with that which our adversaries doe say and represent to your selues a man that dieth loaden with many sins for the which hee must be a long time tormented and purged in Purgatory at the end of which Purgation he shall come forth purged and cleansed Surely I say that the soule of such a one cannot in the day of iudgement appeare such as shee came forth of his body for say our men she came forth vncleane and in need of purging but now she is represented cleane and purged in the day of iudgement so this saying must be false Qualis moritur talis in die illo iudicatur Such as hee dieth such shall he be iudged in the day of iudgement Himselfe in the 9. booke of his confessions cap. 3. saith that his friend Nebrides deceased liveth in Abrahams bosome sine fine foelix for ever happy Againe in the fifth of his 50. homilies Let vs be at one with the word of God while we are in this life Posteaquam de hoc saeculo transierimus nulla cōpunctio vel satisfactio remanebit Index restat minister carcer for when wee are gon out of this world there shall bee no more compunction or satisfaction there remaineth no more but the Iudge the serieant and the prison But Purgatory is the principall and grievous satisfaction of the church of Rome After this life there is no satisfaction saith S. Augustine then no Purgatory This is also to be noted that this good Doctor saith this in his exposition vpon that passage of Matthewe which our adversaries doe make most vse of for their Purgatory Agree with thy adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him least thy adversary deliver thee to the Iudge c. It is much to be marvailed that throughout all this homely he speaketh not of Purgatory but how much more is it that evē there he overthroweth it Himselfe in his 37. sermon vpon the wordes of the Lord wresteth frō our adversaries their chiefest principle which is the sole foundation of Purgatory That Iesus Christ hath indeed discharged acquitted vs frō the fault but not from the punishment But he saith Suscipiendo paenam nō suscipiendo culpam culpam delevit poenā Iesus Christ taking vpō him the punishmēt but not the fault hath there by blotted out both the faulte and the punishment And this after Tertullian in the fourth Chapter of his book of baptisme Exempto reatu eximitur poena Now all these sentences of the doctor should be taken for so many resolutiōs vpon a doubt that somtimes had troubled him Whether after this life there were any temporall torment and a purging fire In his manual to Laurentius cap. 68. he saith that this fire which tryeth everie mans worke and is spoken of by S. Paule 1. Cor. 3. is the triall of affliction he saith it is in this life In the next chapter following Tale aliquid post hanc vitā fieri incredibile non est vtrum sit queri potest c. continuing the same argument he saith It is not altogither incredible but that some such matter may happē after this life and a man may doubt or enquire whether it be so whether it may be found or whether it bee a matter hidden that some faithfull haue beene saved by some purging fire either sooner or later according as they haue more or lesse loved the transitorie goods Againe in his first question of his booke of Dulitius 8. questions Be it that men do suffer such afflictiōs only in this life Sive etiam post hanc vitā talia quaedam iudicia subsequūtur non abborret quantum arbitror à ratione veritatis or that some such punishments may follow after this life it is not a matter as I thinke altogither estranged frō apparance of truth thus to vnderstand this sentence In this 26. Chapt. of his 21. book of the citty of God hee is yet in greater doubt having doubted whether mē are to suffer a fire of transitory tribulations whether there only that is to say after this life or both here and there or here to the end not there he lastly concludeth without conclusion I do not reproue it for peradventure it may be true As for some other passages wherein hee seemeth to speake for Purgatory wee will come to them hereafter Tertullian is so farre from beleeving that the souls after their departure out of their bodies are sent into any temporall fire that hee doth even thinke that the soule cannot suffer any torment so long as it is separate frō the body Neque pati quicquam potest anima sola sine stabili materia id est carne Testes nobis sunt Evangelii dives pouper quorum vnum angeli in sedibus beatarum in Abrahae sinu locaverunt alium statim poenae regio suscepit
These be his words in the 48. chapt of his Apologeticall The soule alone can suffer no thing without some solide matter that is without flesh Hilary vpon the seconde Psalme toward the end saith Hell receaveth vs at the very instant and if we haue lived so wheÌ„ we depart out of this body we perish from the right way Hereof haue wee for witnesse the rich man and the poore in the Gospell of whom the one was by the Angels placed in the seat of the blessed and in Abrahams bosome the other was received into the Region of torments Theodoret in the fifth booke of his history cap. 9. Dominus nostâ—â— humano generi absolutissimam contulit salutem vt hominem totumà toto peccato occupatum à toto peccato liberaret citeth an Epistle of Damasus which saith Christ the son of God our Lord hath by his passion conferred to mankinde a most accomplished salvation to the end to deliver from all sinne man whollie possessed with all sinne But this must bee false if the faithfull shal yet endure torments to satisfie to God for their sins We haue also S. Cyprian a mighty enemie to Purgatory In his works he hath an excellent tract of mortality wherein we are to note that he therewith coÌ„forteth his auditory in a time of Contagion speaketh of the death not of the Martyrs but of such as dyed by sicknesse Lord novv leauest thou thy seruant in peace protesting and prouing that the seruants of God do theÌ„ enter into peace Expuncta hac morte ad immortalitatem venimus yea into a free and quiet rest vvhen being takeÌ„ out of the troubles of this vvorld they arriue in the hauen of Eternal rest and vvheÌ„ from this mortality they enter into immortality And againe God doth promise thee immortality at thy departure out of this vvorld and dost thou doubt of it TheÌ„ dost thou not knovv God Againe wishing the living not to weepe over their dead brethren he saith accersione dominica de saeculo liberatos Non exitus sed transitus temporali itinere de cursu ad aeterna transgressus That God having called them to him they are deliuered from this vvorld Non amitti sed praemitti That they be not lost but sent before That vve should not put on blacke garments vvhen our friends put on vvhite that death is the passage to eternity How cold woulde these comfortes bee to such as shoulde thinke their deceased friends to be tormented in a fire Surely such haue great cause to lament as thinke that their friends are in such horrible flames and of so long continuance Eius est mortem timere qui ad Christum nolitire Eius est ad Christum nolle ire quise non credit cum Christo incipere regnare who caÌ„not be said to put on white but red robes wheÌ„ they shall bee throwne into such scortching flames and scalding heates In the same sermon Hee may feare death that vvill not goe to Christ Iesus It is not for him to be vvilling to go to Iesus Christ who beleeueth not that he doth begin to raigne with Iesus Christ Aevi temporalis fine coÌ„pleto ad aeternae vel mortis vel immortalitatis hospitia dividimur Amplectamur dieÌ„ qui assignat singulos domicilio suo qui nos laqueis secularibus exutos paradiso restituit regno celesti Quando istinc excelsuÌ„ fuerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae est nullus satisfactionis effectus Tusub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occasu pro delicto roges Deum venia confitenti dabitur credenti Indulgentia salutaris de divina pietate conceditur ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur In the same place speaking of death Ad refrigerium iusti vocantur ad supplicium rapiuntur iniusti Datur velocius tutela fidelibus perfidis poena That is the righteous are called to a refreshing the wicked are haled to torments Safety is soone granted to the faithfull and to the transgressors punishmeÌ„t The same in his tract against Demetria This temporall life ended we are seuered into the habitations either of death or of Eternall life hee also speaking of the day of death saith Let vs embrace the day that bringeth every man into his house which hauing dravvne vs out of the snares of this world returneth vs into Paradice and into the kingdome of heauen Also toward the end of the same treatise Being departed hence there is no farther place for penance neither any fruit and effect of satisfactioÌ„ Then he addeth If at Gods hand thou cravest pardon for thy sin were it euen at thy end and departure out of this temporal life yet vpon thy confession it should be graunted thee and through the Divine goodnes salutary forgiuenes is giueÌ„ to all beleeuers and in death it selfe we passe to immortality What could hee haue spoken more expresly against Purgatory Againe in his aforesaid sermon of mortality Qualem te inuenerit Deus cum vocat talem iudicabet such as God shall find then when he calleth such will he iudge thee He there speaketh of the day of iudgement One place of Cyprian doe our adversaries alleadge but they corrupt it as wee will hereafter shew Cyrill of Alexandria in his 12. booke vpon Iohn cap. 36. saith The souls of the Saints departed from their bodies remaine not vpon earth then not in a fire vnder the earth Firmitur credentes in manibus Dei nos post mortem futuros vitamque multo meliorem ac perpetuo cum Christo victuros not in bathes not in rivers crept but are in the handes of God the father And then he addeth For Iesus Christ hath returned his soule in to the hands of his father to the end that the beginning being made by her we may haue a stedfast hope hereof stedfastly beleeving that after death we shall be in the hands of God and shall for ever liue with Christ in a far better life S. Hierome in his Epistle to Marcella concerning the death of Lea Scimus Nepotianum esse cuÌ„ Christo also in his Epitaph of Nepotian and Basill saith that their souls do already enioy the eternall beatitude that they are already entred into the light that they were receiued by a quier of Angels Himselfe vpon the 9. of Amos. When the soule freed from the bonds of this body hath her liberty Quando anima vinculis relaxata corporis volandi quo velit seu quo ire compellitur propter tenuitatem substantiae habis erit libertateÌ„ aut ad inferna ducetur aut certe ad sublimia sublevabitur in regard of the thinnesse or lightnes of her substance to fly where shee list or at the least where she is enforced to go then shall she be led into the hell whereof it is written sinners shall be reduced or cast into hell or els she shall be exalted into the Coelestiall heavens Bellarmin in his first
He held that all must passe through fire Iste transit vnam aliam septimanam immunditia sua tertia demuÌ„ incipiente ob oriri septima na purgatur and that the Saints such as were least laden with sinne should but passe through and be but slightly singed others not so pure should stay there a weeke or two but the wicked and the divels should abide there a longer time yet in the end after a long purgation should come forth of that fire be saved as appeareth in his homily vpon Leviticus on the 25. of Numbers and in the sixt vpon Exodus He is of opinion that this PurgatioÌ„ by fire must begin at the day of Iudgment at the entry into the world to come In many places namely in his 8 homily vpon Leviticus Of which purgation S. Augustin in his booke of heresies wherin he rancketh Origen among the heretickes in 43 heresie saith Many doctrins hath this OrigeÌ„ which the Catholike church doth not receiue whereof he is not wrongfully reproved neither can his defenders excuse him but principally in the point of purgation and deliverance Now let all men iudge with what conscience our adversaries can vse the auctority of Origen to establish their Purgatory Now albeit this doctrin was reiected by such as came after yet the actiue and quicke spirit of Origen drew many to admire him and into the mindes of some infused the sparkes of this purgatiue fire yet such as hath no resemblance with the Purgatory of the Church of Rome Wheras he limiteth an end to the purgation of the divels and then will haue them to be saved therein he is not followed otherwise he hath followers so farre forth as he wil haue the fire in the last iudgement to serue to purge even the Saints and Apostles Medico quoque de licto morâ resurrectionis expenso Iustos cum iudicaverit Deus igni eos examinabit TuÌ„ quorum peccata vel pondere vel numero praeualuerint perstringentur atque amburentur some more some lesse according to the multitude and weight of their sins We haue already heard one opinioÌ„ of Tertullian in his last chapter of his book of the soule that commeth neere to this where he saith They shall pay eveÌ„ their least sinnes by the delay of their resurrection Lactantius in his seaventh book cap. 21. When God shall haue iudged the righteous he shall examine them by fire thoÌ„ they whose sinnes shall prevaile either in waight or number shal by the fire be singed and lightly scortched He speaketh of a fire that is not yet but shall beginne at the day of Iudgement The Frier page 63. vseth this passage for his Purgatory but he doth but quote it for he coulde not for shame alleadge it at large S. Ambrose vpon the 36 Psalme is as plaine as any Igne purgabuntur filii Levi igne Ezechiel igne Daniel The sonnes of Levy shall bee purged by fire and Ezechiell and Daniell And these is they shall be examined by fire shall also say We haue passed through fire water Two things he here delivereth The one that even the most holy must passe by this fire The other that this purgation of the Saints of Ezechiel and of Daniell c. is not yet for hee saith Purgabuntur Examinabuntur Omnes opâ—rtet transire per flammaâ— sive ille Iohannes Evangelista sive ille sit Petrus They shall be purged and examined Againe in his 20 sermon vpon the 118 Psalm he saith thus All must of necessity passe through the flames yea were it Iohn the Evangelist whom our Lord loved or were it Peter to whom he delivered the keyes And there hee still speaketh of a fire which is not yet which also must bee even for the most holy Again in the same place he vseth the Allegory of the flaming sword placed in the entring into the earthlie Paradice and that with farre more dexteritie then our adversaries who practise to make vse of it for their Purgatorie for Ambrose who referreth this purging fire to the day of iudgement hath some smal colour for his Allegorie because the last iudgement is the entry as it were the gate into the Eternall kingdome as this sword was in the entry into the terestriall Paradice But there is no more proportion betweene this sword and the roasting of souls after death then betweene S. Peter the Pope S. Hierom taketh the same course and as he was a great imitator of Origen so doth he follow him in this excepting so much as concerneth the purging of divels and Infidels He therefore in the last lines of his Commentary vpon Esay setteth down two sorts of Impious and wicked persons The one that are Christians the other that are not Peccatorum atque impioruÌ„ tamen Christianorum quoruÌ„ operae igne probanda sunt atque purganda moderatam arbitramur mixtam clementiam sententium Iudicis Hee holdeth that the torments of the divels and of the wicked that are no ChristiaÌ„s shall be Eternall but as for the wicked and vngodly Christians their workes shall be purged by fire and that the sentence of the iudge shall bee moderated and mixed with mercie The Frier according to his vsuall fidelity pag. 36. citeth this place for his Purgatory as also he maketh vse of the auctority of Origen The same father vpon the 46. of Ezechiell tearmeth the last day which is the day of the ResurrectioÌ„ Omnis creatura ad comparationem creatoris immunda est ac divino igne parganda The Sabaoth and the seaventh day and saith Every creature in comparison of the Creator is vncleane and must bee purged by divine fire He theÌ„ here telleth vs two things one that this fire is for every creature and consequently for the Saintes and Martyrs the other that this fire is not yet for he saith purganda and expreslie he specifieth that it shal bee in the last day which he tearmeth The Sabaoth the seaventh day Emundatio que nos S. spiritus sanctificet adâ—â—entu iudicii igne noâ— decoquat Hilar. Can. 2. In Matt. Baptisatis in spiritu sancto reliquum est â—â—â—summari igna iudicii S. Hilary vpon the 119. Psalme in the pause Gimel expoundeth how many things are to bee vsed in the purging of vs from our sinnes besides Baptisme and there hee bringeth in the holy Ghost sanctifying of vs and the fire of Iudgement that doth purifie vs. And in the same pause or section hee doth more plainly deliver his opinion which is that the fire in the day of iudgment must bake and burne the faithfull yea even the Virgin Mary These be his words An cum ex omni otioso verbo rationeuâ— simus praestituri diem Iudicij concupiscimus in quo nobis est indefessus ille ignis obeandus in quo subcunda sunt gravia illa expiandae à peccatis animae supplicia Againe soone after Si in Iudicij severitatem
doubt of the Lords sentence in the day of iudgement The Friers falshood But our adversaries say that the soules in Purgatory are assured of their salvation and therefore the Frier pag. 56. omitteth these last words of S. Cyprian 3. Finally sith hee speaketh of such as doe pennance after their revolt it is not possible hee should speake of soules separated from their bodies either of Purgatory Wrongfully therfore doe my adversaries make so many brags of this passage for it is most vniustly and fraudulently alleaged As also the Frier pag. 63. citeth S. Hierom vpon the fourth of Ieremy and in his second booke against Iovinian also Nazianzē in his 39. oration and Basil in his oratiō vpon the 9. of Esay where hee speaketh of purging torments and afflictions of a fire that trieth the faithfull but in this life or at the day of iudgement And here doe our adversaries shew the third degree of their bad consciences in their allegations of the Doctors Of Commemoration and prayer for the dead practised by divers of the ancients and that it maketh nothing for their Purgatory Throughout the bookes of my adversaries there is nothing more grosse thē their false presuppositiōs that they make aboue an hundred times wherby so soone as they haue alleadged any father that speaketh of Commemoratiō Almes Oblations or Sacrifice for the dead they strait conclude Then is there a Purgatory A matter false and that for sundry reasons 1. Wherefore did Saint Augustine in writing a whole tract of the care for the dead set downe never a word therin of Purgatory 2. Why did they offer for the Apostles Prophets Martyrs and made sacrifices for them As witnesseth Cyprian in his third book Epist 6. and in his fifth booke Epist 4. dare my adversaries therevpon inferre that the primitiue Church beleeved that the Apostles were in Purgatory 3. Epiphanius accuseth Arrius of heresie because hee reiected praier for the deade and bringeth many reasons to proue that this prayer made for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles and al the faithful is profitable to bee received yet speaketh hee not one word of Purgatory albeit that was the place where to speak of it or not at all 4. Denis falsly tearmed Areopagite disputing of the cōmodity of prayer for the dead still presupposeth that those for whom wee pray are blessed propounded for examples to the living and for matter of thanksgiving but of Purgatory or of any fire that purgeth soules he hath not a word 5. We haue heard in the second of the Macchabees that to pray for the dead is but meere madnesse vnlesse we haue regard to the Resurrection so not to the torment of Purgatory 6. The Greeke churches do pray for the dead yet do they denie Purgatory 7. Wee heard before by Chrysostome in his 32. homily vpō Matthew that such as procured praiers for their dead parents did beleeue that they were in flowred meddowes in that homily in aboue twēty places he saith that Death is the entrie to rest and an end of sorrow S. Augustin in the ninth book of his Cōfessions praieth for his mother Monica and S. Ambrose for the Emperour Valētinian yet do they protest that they beleeue that these parsons deceased are with God do enioy the pleasures of Eternall life But the matter of greatest consideratiō is that S. Ambrose saith that Valentinian dyed without Baptisme Oratione de obitu Valentiniani Valentinian I say who was a great Emperour and a Christian even from his birth having so many cleargy men at his command at whose hands to haue received Baptisme who then did better deserue to bee confined into Limbo or Purgatorie then he yet saith Ambrose He is in coelestiall felicity 9. Wee haue heard that most of the ancients shut vp the soules of all men in certaine hidden receptacles where they desired refreshing thervpon had they some groūd to pray for the dead albeit they did not beleeue Purgatorie wherin appeareth the corrupt faith of the Frier for he sets a brag vpon the words of S. Augustine in the 110. chapter of his Manual Wee must not deny but that the soules of the dead are relieued by the piety of the liuing but hee was wiser then to alleadge the wordes going before namely The soules are in hidden receptacles euen from their decease vntill the resurrection For so it woulde haue appeared that the opinion of S. Augustin touching praier for the dead was grounded vpon an error which the Church of Rome reiecteth also that frō an error will soone spring an abuse 10. We haue alreadie heard the opiniō of Origen and his followers touching the fire of the daie of Iudgement that should scortch and burne the soules evē of the most holy and perfect Also wee haue shewed howe fearefull S. Hillary was of this fire All this therfore might haue ministred vnto thē argument sufficient to haue praied for the deade as trembling at the punishment to come 11. What more can we desire Let vs make our adversaries our iudges in this case Do not the Priests many times receiue money for saying Masses for the young children that dyed soone after Baptisme who neverthelesse as they beleeved were neither in Limbo nor in Purgatory Let them now choose whether they will confesse their error or acknowledge their Avarice their want of knowledge or their bad consciences 12. Do they not in their dailie Masse pray for the soules that sleepe in a slumber of peace and therfore are not in the horror of flames 13. Let vs therfore heare the forme of the ordinarie praiers of the Church of Rome for the dead This book of sacred cerem sect 5. c. 1. libera domine à morte aeterna in die illo tremendo Saue them O Lorde from Eternall death in that terrible day when the heavēs and the earth shall bee moved when thou shalt come to iudge the world by fire I trēble and feare when the triall shall come and the wrath to come that day of wrath of calamity of misery that great and mervailous bitter day They pray that the souls of the dead may be saved from eternall death and the last iudgement which is more Throughout all the publicke praiers of the Church of Rome for the dead we finde not one word of Purgatory which proveth that it was not yet established in the Church at that time when they praied onlie for the refreshing of souls in their hidden receptacles or for the last iudgement or to eschew Eternall death 14. Finally is it not a matter mervailous notable that among such a multitude of the passages of the fathers by our adversaries quoted for praier for the dead there is not one that saith that these praiers were made to redeeme soules out of Purgatory This thē is the fourth degree of the deceipts and fraudulent allegations that our adversaries do make whē at every speech they still inculcate praier for the dead for proofe of