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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22701	Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.	Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.	1607 (1607)	STC 921.5; ESTC S1512	82,205	310

such as bee baptized and dead they become actions of thankes-giuing for such as were exceeding good and peace offrings for such as were not exceeding euill albeit for such as bee exceeding euil these helpes preuail not at al after they are dead howsoeuer they which be liuing do take comfort thereby And to whom soeuer these things shall bee auaileable they bee either auaileable to the full remission of their sinnes or else that thereby their damnation may be the more easie and tolerable Animaduersions vpon the 110. Chapter How far forth the godly workes of the liuing doe releeue the dead Neither is it to be denyed that the soules of the dead c. SAint Augustines greatest blemish in all this booke is contained in this Chapter as Danaeus saith this error of his growing out of the doctrine of Purgatorie which of a little sparke grewe to a great fier the opinion of that time being that the soules of men being not reprobats were after death releeued and purged from their sinnes by the charitable prayers of the godly that liued Which opinion was rather destroyed then founded out of the word of God Howbeit hereupon afterwardes grewe praiers for the dead Masses Anniuersaries and indulgences the cause thereof being imputed to a booke which Augustine did write touching the care that was to bee had of the dead the same being ●reduced by the fau●tors of that error of praying for the dead that his book being writtē to those onely and chiefly who were desirous to knowe whether it were auaileable to a christian after death that his body should be buried apud sanctial●cu●us memoriam his meaning therein being corrupted by other mens interpretations And howsoeuer hee thinketh in this Chapter yet Augustine was not permanent in that opinion For he writeth in other places That there can bee no helpe of mercy performed by the ●ust to the soules of the deceased although the godly were neuer so much inclined to mercy in that case because the sentence of GOD is immu 〈…〉 being alreadie pronounced of them at their death For saith hee in an other place Gods iudgement hangeth not in suspence touching the soules of the dead but is instantly giuen and certainely set downe Because as hee affirmeth as euery man dyeth so is hee iudged of God neither can Gods sentence be altered corrected or diminished Seeing therefore Augustine is not constant herein himselfe wee ought not to bee mooued by his assertion because it wanteth the true leuain of Gods word and assurance or warrant of faith Danoeus moreouer affirmeth that in the celebration of the Lords supper at the first there was a commemoration of the dead Martyrs of God who dyed memorablie and triumphantly for the name of CHRIST to incourage others to bee resolute and constant in the profess on of the Gospell Afterwards in time the memorie of them beganne to be celebrated in that 〈◊〉 of the L. supper which were no martyrs at all but dying desired that they might bee remembred in the celebration of the same And so at length euery one that was baptized was remembred therein as Austin writeth in this place wher he calleth the Lords supper a sacrifice because as hee saith in his 10. booke De ciuitate Dei and 20. Chapter It is the Sacrament of the sacrifice of Christ For it is the commemoration of Christ his death and our thansgiuing for so great a benefit at Gods hand Anselmus also saith that which men call a sacrafice is a signe of the true sacrifice In which sense the auncient writers called the Lords Supper a Sacrifice not because Christ himself should again be offered vp by any mortall Creature This appellation therfore doth nothing at all releeue either the Papists or their Masse Besides it appeareth in many of Saint Augustines writings what hee calleth a Sacrifice that is to say either workes of mercy towards our selues or towards our neighbours which bee rendred vnto God as also the prayses celebration of Gods name In other places of scripture and of his owne workes hee sheweth by what reason euerie Christian is a Pr●est The frequent deuotions vsed in the Church is the principall reason mouing Saint Augustine to thinke the soules of the godly deceased to bee releeued by the almes and prayers of the liuing because they began to be commonly and vsually performed in the Church for the dead Howbeit M. Caluin asketh how or by what warrant out of Gods word or example men dare do this Against whom if it bee replyed that in the 2. Maccabees 23. v. 44. it is written That it is godly to pray for the dead I aunswere that the excuse of the author is to be read appearing in the 15. Chapter From thenceforth it is not said that Iudas did sacrifice for the dead And these words Pium est ergo it is godly therefore be contained in the glosse and are no part of the text The ancient writers vsed fower reasons or arguments chiefely to make them beleeue that these things were truely obserued in the Church for the dead The first was drawen from that which Luke doth write touching Lazarus and the rich glutton To which I aunswere that that whole storie or narration was but a parable and if any the like reason be collected from that place for reliefe of mens soules by the liuing after death I may as well gather out of the same that soules haue teeth a tongue and an hand Augustine himselfe affirming that this argument is weake and noddeth The second argument is this Why say they doe men that dye make wills if they can receiue no helpe or reliefe by the liuing This matter is aunswered againe by Augustine writing vppon the hundred and eigh●th Psalme Because there is saith hee a naturall care of posteritie ingrafted in all the godly while they liue vsing no wayes the crewell and profane speach of Nero saying When I am dead Let there be a confusion of heauen and earth The thirde argument is this why say they shuld the soules of the godly being dead appeare vnto the liuing if they felt not an effect of the workes of the liuing or that the liuing againe had none affinitie with them or did not belong vnto them I aunswere to this that the soules themselues are not sent but that these visions if GOD will so haue them appeare are presented vnto them by the dispensation of his prouidence for the comfort of the godly and terrour of the wicked being done by the operation of Angels and sometimes also by the power of Satan And where Augustine saith in his booke De cura pro mortuis cap. 15. that certaine which were dead we set vnto those which were liuing namely Samuel And on the contrarie amongst the liuing Paule was taken vp to Paradise I say plainely saith hee that this reason is weake and reeleth Their fourth and last reason is this The godly be taken out of this world before those euils which God meant to

without sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs as the holy Apostle saith CHAP. 65. Wee are not to despaire of any sinner in the Church in respect of the benefitte of penance left thereunto Howbeit the solemne and set times appointed for those which are to do open penance in the Church were ordained to a good ende NEither are they to despaire of the mercie of God in the remission of their sinnes be they neuer so great in his holy Church which performe penance according to the qualitie of the sin which euery one particularly committeth And in the dooing of penance when the fact committed is of that qualitie as the offender is cut off from the body of Christ in such a case the measure or limitation of time is not so much to be respected as the sorrow and griefe of the offender For God doth notdespise an heart that is contrite and humbled But because for the most part one man doth not knowe the sorrowe of another mans heart the same not being made apparant to other men either by wordes or other kind of demonstration because it is onely knowen to him to whom it is said My mourning is not hidden from thee Times therefore of penance were well appointed by those which beare authoritie in the Church that the Church might be satisfied in the which such sinnes are committed For out of the Church there is no remission of sins Because the Church most properly retaineth the holy Ghost for an earnest without whome no sinnes be forgiuen in so much as whosoeuer be absolued therby such be made partakers of euerlasting life CHAP. 66. That the force and effect of remission of sinnes as also the punishment of our sins is rather found and felt in the world to come then in this world FOr Remission of sinnes is ordained chiefly in respect of the day of iudgement which is to come For in this life that saying of Ecclesiasticus falleth out to bee true That there is an heauie yoak vpon the sonnes of Adam from the day of their comming out of their mothers woombe vntill the day of their burial into the earth the mother of all mankind insomuch as wee see that infants after their baptisme bee tormented with the affliction of many euills Whereby we may learne that whatsoeuer is accomplished by the sacraments for our saluation is rather to giue vs hope of future ioyes then hould or adeption of present felicities For in this life many sinnes seeme to be pardoned and not reuenged by any correction but their punishments reserued till the later day which is not vainely as it is properly called the day of iudgement wherein the iudge of the quicke and the dead shall appeare Euen as on the contrary many sins bee reuenged in this world and not withstanding they be here not forgiuen shal not stand vp against vs in the world to come Wherfore touching certaine of those temporall punishments which bee inflicted in this life vpō sinners to those whose faults are forgiuen the Apostle saith For if we would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged by God But when wee are indged wee are chastned of the Lord because we should not be cōdemned with the world TOVCHING PVRGArie Fire CHAP. 67. To those that liue wickedly in this world neither faith doth auaile any thing neither doth there remaine for them any fier of purgatorie to purifie them from their sinnes after this life CErtaine there be which beleeue that they which renounce not the name of Christ are baptized in his baptisme in the Church being not cut off from the Church by any schisme or heresie shall be saued by fier whatsoeuer sinnes they commit in this life although they neither put them away by repentance nor yet redeeme them by almes deedes but obstinately continue in them vntill the last day of their life vpō earth Howbeit that in respect of the greatnesse of such horrible and execrable sinnes they shall not bee punished with an euerlasting fier but with a fier that lasteth long But they which be of this beleefe and yet beare the name of Catholickes bee deceiued in mine opinion through a kinde of humane charitie or good will For if wee aske counsell of the holy scripture in that point it giueth an other resolution thereof And for mine owne part I haue written a booke touching this question intitled Of faith and workes Wherein I did demonstrate according to the holy scriptures so well as I could by Gods assistance that that faith did worke saluation Which Paul the Apostle most plainly expresseth saying For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Againe in in case it worke wickedly and not well truely according to Iames the Apostle that faith is dead in it self who saith againe If any sayth hee hath faith when hee hath no workes can the faith saue him Now if a wicked man shall bee saued by fier through faith alone that it is to be taken on that sort which the blessed Apostle Paul saith But hee shall be safe himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were by fier then consequently may faith saue without workes and that bee false which his fellow Apostle Iames formerly affirmed And that also shall bee vntrue which Paul also himselfe deliuereth in an other place saying Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous persons nor railers nor drunkards nor extortioners shall inherite the kingdome of God For in case they shall bee saued by faith notwithstanding their perseuerance in these sinnes how then shall they not bee partakers of the kingdome of God CHAP. 68. What these words of Paul do signifie that the fier shall trie the qualitie of euery mans worke BVt forasmuch as these most manifest euident testimonies of the Apostle cannot bee false that which is darkely spoken of them which build vpon that foundation which is Christ not goulde nor siluer nor pretious stones but wood grasse and stubble for of those it is saide that they shall bee saued by fire because they shall not perish euerlastingly by reason of the merit of Christ their foundation is so to bee vnderstoode as these thinges precedent being apparantly so in the letter there bee not any thing contradictorie to the same For wood grasse and stubble may not absurdly bee taken for such loue of worldly things although lawfully giuen vs to vse as that wee cannot yet lose thē without anguish of minde For when as sorrow is a fier which inwardely burneth if then Christ be layde as a foundation in our heart that is to say that nothing bee preferred by vs before the loue of him and that the man burning inwardly with such sorrowe had rather want the thinges hee so much affecteth than Christ this man is saued by the fier But on the contrarie If hee had rather houlde these temporall and earthly things in time of

vpon the onely motion of his owne will yet so that which soeuer of these he should choose Gods will should bee fulfilled either by him if man chose the better or vpon him if hee chose the worse Whether of these two hee is to make choyse resteth in Gods will comming certainly either from or of God Therfore because man would rather fulfill his owne will then Gods God did in like sort execute his will vpon him who of the selfe same Masse of perdition deriued from his own stocke and progenie doth make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that to honour by his mermercie the other to dishonour through his iudgemente to the ende that no man might make too great estimate of the condition of man or thereby consequently of himselfe CHAP. 108. Our saluation is so certainely of God as that we could not haue beene saued by Christ vnlesse as hee was made man so also hee had beene God FOr neither should wee haue been redeemed by that onely Mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus vnlesse also he had been God When Adam was created that is man in his righteousnes at that time he needed no mediatour But when sinnes had made a separation between God and man wee stood in need of the helpe of a Mediatour to reconcile vs to God being such an one as was solely born without sin and so liued was slaine vntil the day of resurrection of the flesh to life euerlasting to the ende that the pride of man might bee reprooued by the humilitie of God and therby made whole as also to make man knowe how farre hee was departed from God when as he was to be brought backe againe by God incarnate and that disobedient man must be taught obedience by the exāple of God being made man As also that the fountaine of mercie should be opened by the onely begotten taking vpon him the forme of a seruant who had not by any former action deserued such indignitie And that also the redeemer himselfe should goe before and shew vnto vs in his own person the resurrection promised to the redeemed And that the Diuell should be subdued by the same nature which he reioyced that he had deceiued Notwithstanding al which man was not to boast least pride should be eftsoones reuiued in him and if any thing else can be inwardly conceiued or said concerning so great a mystery of the Mediator by such as growe and increase with the increasings of God or onely may bee conceiued in thought if it cannot be vttered in speech TOVCHING THE Place and State wherin our soules remaine after this life CHAP. Cix That the soules of men presently after death remaine in certaine receptacles vntill the later day THe time that is betweene the death of man and the resurrection doth containe the soules of the deceased in certaine secret and vnseene receptacles accordingly as euerie of them haue deserued rest or paine by the deeds of the flesh whil'st they liued Animaduersions vpon the Cix Chapter That the soules of men presently after death remaine in certaine receptacles vntill the later day HOwsoeuer Augustine in this Chapter affirmeth that the soules of men after death remain in certaine receptacles vntill the day of doome being drawen to that opinion as is thought by Irenaeus a most auncient writer who as Danaeus setteth downe in his Comment vpon this Chapter sayeth plainely That the soules of Christes Disciples for whome hee had wrought these happinesses or eternall blessinges should depart away into an inuisible place appointed vnto them by God where they should remaine vntill the resurrection and that being done should afterwardes put on their bodies againe and rise in greater perfection Yet afterwards in an other place Augustine doth make a question thereof being doubtfull of that doctrine and thinketh it may be for certaine affirmed that the soules of the godly be transported presently after death into that place which is more glorious and excellent than mortall bodies or any shapes of bodies that place being aboue all the heauens and that heauen where Christ is dwelling Afterwards writing vpon S. Iohn Tract 49. vpon better iudgement hee would haue the soules of the godly after they be out of this body as touching the place to be with Christ according to that of Iohn Cap. 17. ver 24. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am c. And Luk. 23. v. 43. This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And more plainely Augustine in his fift Sermon touching Saints saith that the soules of the holy are to be beleeued to be with Christ And afterwards discoursing of Paradise whether it were locall or spirituall hee saith That the Lotte ordained for the godly is called Abrahams bosome Which his opinions being laid together lot the later and better bee preferred before the worse looking into Saint Augustines booke of Retractations wherunto Danaeus dot brefer those who would be better satisfied of him in matters wherein he was either ledor misled by the error of himselfe or of that Age. CHAP. Cx. How farre-forth the godly workes of men while they liue bee auaileable NEither is it to be denied that the soules of the deceased are releeued by the godlinesse of their liuing friendes when as either the sacrifice of the Mediatour is offered for them or almes distributed in the Church But these thinges bee auaileable but onelie to such who when they liued did meritorious workes to make them auailcable vnto thē For there is a kinde of life neither so good but that it needeth these helpes after death neither so euill but that it may bee benefited by them And there is a kinde of liuing so good as needeth not these helpes and there is a kinde of liuing so euill that it can receiue no helpe or benefit by these when the course of this life is finished Wherefore in this life man procureth a possibilitie of being releeued after this life or subiecteth himselfe to a necessitie of greeuous and helpelesse punishment For let no man hope when hee is dead by any after-merite to redeeme his neglect of well dooing while he liued with God Therfore these deuotions which the Church doth sooftē vse in praying for the dead bee not repugnant to that sentence or assertion of the Apostle wherin it is said for we shal al appear before the tribunal of Christ to receiue iudgement according to our deedes in the flesh as they haue beene either good or euill Because euery man while hee liued in the flesh did such thinges as deserued this fauour of God that the prayers of the Church might bee effectuall for him after his departure death For they are not auaileable for all And wherefore are they not auaileable for all but in respect of the diuersitie of euery mans action in this life When as therefore either the sacrifices of the altar or of any sort of almes be offered for all