apperteyne at all to the capitall and deadely crimes that man often tymes doothe comitte Therfore to be as plaine as may be necessary for the vnlerned or any other that is godly curious in thinges muche tending to the quiet rest off mannes conscience it is to be noted that this ordinary iustice of God in the lyefe folowing for the purgation of the electe can not discharge any man of mortall sinne A mortal sin not remitted in this lief is not discharged by purgatory whiche was not pardoned before in the Churche militant vpon earthe And therfore what crime so euer deserueth damnation and was not in mannes lyefe remitted it can not by purgatory paynes be released in the next bicause it deserueth death euerlasting and staith the offender from the kingdom of heauen for euer no paine temporall in this worlde or the next but Christes passion alone the benefite wherof is not by the sufferers will extended to any that sinneth vnto death being able to satisfy for the same As often then as thou hearest any Catholike man affirme Purgatory to poonishe or pourge greuous and deadly offenses be assured his meaning is off the temporall paine due vnto wicked men and theire sinnes after their bonde and debt of euerlasting death with the very faulte it selfe be in Goddes Churche remitted A deadly sinne remitted is in case of a veniall sinne For as S. Augustine saith a mortall sinne forgiuen is becomne a veniall trespasse and so deserueth no more paine then a veniall sinne which by transitory poonishment may be fully and perfitely released ▪ thus he saithe Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt De vera et falsa poenitent c. 18. in poenitentia fiunt venialia non tamen statim sanata There be sinnes saith he which being deadly off theire owne nature be yet by poenaunce made veniall thoughe not allwayes streght healed Then by this ruele what so euer is spoken of veniall sinnes or the purgation therof it is ment bothe by the smaule offenseis whiche of theire owne nature are veniall and allso of the greater so that they be forgeuen in Goddes church before wherby they are becomne veniall as the other and deserue propertionally as the other and may be taken a way as the same man affirmeth ether in this worlde or the next Euch. c. 71 by the same remedyes as the othere thoughe not alwayes so speedely Well then to close vp brefely all this haue we fownde by these scriptures alleaged that being diuerse degrees off men Purgatory apperteineth but to one sort Firste not to suche as lacke the faithe of Christe for they hauing no foundation are allredy iudged nether to suche as haue not builded vpon the foundation but rather defaced it withe woorkes of deathe and deuelishe doctrine For all these must lyke widdred branches be cast in to the fiere not to be purged but vtterly wasted There be yet other that kepe theire foundation faste and woorke there vpon bothe goulde and siluer but yet abased and sumwhat defiled by the mixture of other infirmityes not sufficiently redressed in this lyefe these must of necessity by Goddes ordinaunce suffer the Purgation by fire that theire woorkes purifyed and amended by the sentence of his iuste iudgement may at lengthe by mercy and grace bringe theyme to their desired end Nowe the perfect estate whiche hauing this groundewarcke and building thereuppon nothing for the most part but the tried fyne workes of heauenly doctrine and perfect charity can not feare the fyre as in whome it shall finde no matter of waste For if any drosse of seculare desires or worldly weakenesse was in theire frailty contracted they re fructefull poenaunce in theire liefe washed that away by the force of Christes bloude before the daie of oure Lorde greate and fearefull came vpon theime In whiche case God will not poonishe twise for one faulte Naum. 1. nor entre into iudgement with suche 1. Cor. 11. as haue iudged theime selues to his hand These therefore thus guarded by goddes grace in whom onely they chalenge this Priuilege can not feele anye daunger theire woorkes as S. Paul saithe abiding the brounte of the fiere thoughe they were in place of torment with the reste For if suche doo passe the fyrie sworde before they entre into the ioyes of heauen yet they shall euen there be so shadowed that to theim it can nether be any whit molestious nor one moments staye from the rewarde of theire pure gouldē woorkes whiche by fire can not perishe For off suche we muste beleue withe Goddes Churche that they go streght to heauen vpon theire departure with owte stay or poonishement in the next liefe Althoughe Christe onely of his owne force being not subiecte to any spotte of sinne did passe this fyre and entre in to heauen the aeternall gates opening theime selues vnto him as to the king of glory Who being before in the places of paine also Act. 2. yet coulde not possibly be touched thereby as the Apostle saith And that is S. Ambrose his meaning as I suppose whē he saide Vnus ille ignē hūc sentire nō potuit Christ only was he that could not fiele this fire He speakethe of the fire through whiche euen the good must passe before they coom to aeternall ioy Where he doubteth not to auouche that many a man that thinkes him selfe gould and is taken so to be of others too shall yet there be proued full of drosse and impurity long to be cleansed before his finall freedom and deliuery and yet to be saued throughe fyre But for those that be in dede perfect menne as Iohn the beloued of Iesus and Petre with the rest this holy doctoure was so sure of Purgatory that he thought these also to go throughe the same and yet the fiery flamme to haue geuē place as it did to the three childrē and as S. Augustin supposeth it shall do in the generall conflagration to the bodies of vertuous men Dan. 4. when at the very same time it shall bothe waste the wicked and purge the meane the workes of one sorte withstanding the flamme the drosse of the other in a maner feeding the same S. Ambrose therefore thus writeth of the holy Apostle De morte Ioannis aliqui dubitarunt Ser. 20. in psa 118. de transitu per ignem dubitare non possumus quia in paradiso est à Christo non separatur som doubt of Iohns death but of his passage by the fire bicause he is in ioy with Christ we can not doubt And of S. Peter he saith ▪ siue ille sit Petrus qui claues accepit regni coelorum Psal 65. oportet dicat transiuimus per ignem aquam induxisti nos in refrigerium Yea iff it be Peter him selfe to whome the keyes of heauen were commited he must say we passed by fyre and water and thowe haste brought vs into the place of
contynually criethe for helpe at theire hādes in heauen aboue Nowe the mēbres of Christes Church here yet trauelling in earthe they pray together they faste to gether they desire together they deserue together Christe oure heade in whose bloude this city and socyety standeth wil haue no woorke nor way of saluation that is not common to the whole body in generall and perculierly proffitable to supply the neede of euery parte thereof He whiche instituted the blessed sacraments will haue theyme in this vnity to woork in cōmon as farre as th end of eche of they re institutions requirethe and owt of it to haue no force at al he that maketh al our woorkes acceptable thoughe they be doone of one will haue theyme perteyn to all the holy sacrifice of the Churche by the will of the author and the liknesse of th'xemplare as in dede being in another maner the very selfe same is made so common that it ioyneth the sanctes and Angelles in heauen to the chosen and elect people ether in earthe or vnder the earthe benethe The soules departed in piety are of oure churche and felovvship And that this holy cōsent of good woorkes and mutuall agreement of prayer to the continuall supplying of eche others lackes doothe also apperteine to the soules departed no man that hathe any sense of this happy community can denie ▪ for being membres of our common body they must nedes be partakers of the cōmon vtilitye li. 20. de ciuit Cap. 9. And so saith S. Augustin in these wordes Neque enim piorum animae mortuorum separantur ab ecclesia quae nunc est regnum Christi alioquin nec ad altare dei fieret eorum memoria in communione Corporis Christi for the soules off the faythfull deceased be not seuered from the Churche wich is allredy the kingdom of Christe elles there shulde be no memory kepte for theime at the altare in the cōmunion of the body of Christe By the force of this vnity what so euer is proffitably practised in this worlde one for a nother as prayer allmose fasting Sacrifice the same thinges may and ought by thexample of the Churche to be carefully and withe owte ceasing procured for the helpe of our frendes and Christian brytherne departed And Athanasius that greate pillar he by a meruelouse fitt example setteth furthe howe the soules in another worlde may haue the benefites of the Church or Christiā people deriued downe vnto them Quaest ad Ant. 34. and what sensible feele of release they haue when we desire God for theyme Quemadmodum cum in campo vinea virescit vinum in vase occlusum rebullit ac propemodum feruet ita etiam sentimus quod peccatorū animae diuinis beneficijs incruentae Hostiae gratiarum actionis pro ipsis habitae gaudeant vt idem solus nouit ordinat deus noster The communion expressed betvvixte the lyue and the deade by the naturall agreement betvvixt the vine in the fielde and the vvyne in the vessel qui in viuos mortuos dominium exercet As when the vyne abrode in the fyelde dothe spring and waxe greene the wyne salfely kepte in barells at home doothe allso woorke in it sellfe and in a maner buyle euen so as we iudge the soules of sinners throughe the benefite of the vnbloudy hoste and sacrifice of thankes gyuing doone for theyme may waxe ioyfull and gladde as the same Lorde and God only knoweth howe and hathe ordeyned who exercyseth his might vpon the lyeue and the deade See I pray you how he by the actiō of goddes Churche in the holy Masse in which the vnbloudy hoste and oblation is bestowed hathe founde som way of cariyng downe the benefite of Christes passion vpon the membres of his body benethe And though sum haue wickedly sought vtterly to breake the band of peace betwixt theyme and vs as they haue cursedly shaken thunytie of the liuing emongest theimeselues yet theire moother Christes spouse acknouledgeth her owne children stille she seethe by the spirite of god whereby she seethe all truthe the sorowe of her dearest so farre oute of sight but neuer oute of mynde she in a maner feeleth a parte of her owne body in paine And can not otherwise doo but by all possible meanes and approued waies assay Goddes mercy for theire deliuery And this naturall compassion of the Churche passeth throughe euery membre thereof and ought to moue euery man by the lawe of nature to procure as muche helpe as he may And so much the more do we owe this natural duety vnto theyme bicause they now cā not help theim selues being out of the state of deseruing and place of wel working onely abiding goddes mercy in the sore sufferance of paines vntollerable They theime selues as yet your brethern and a portion of your body require to be partakers of your benefites They feele ease of euery prayer your allmose quenshethe theire heate your fasting releaseth theire paine your sacrifice wipethe theire sinnes and sores so strong is the communion of sanctes that what so euer yowe doo that is acceptable it isshuethe abundātly downe to theyme Onely he that is cutte of from this happy society hathe no compassion of theime nor feelethe not howe they are knitt vnto vs by loue and vnity of one heade and one body Yow shal heare his vnnatural and worse then heathen wordes Dum mortuos a nostro contubernio subduxit dominus Cal. inst nullum nobis cum illis reliquit commercium ac ne illis quidem nobiscum When the Lord hathe taken the deade owte of our company he hath dispatched vs of al intermedleyng with theime or they withe vs. This man was borne to breake the bande of vnity which he hated bothe in the lyue and deade By whose meanes it is nowe comde to passe that those which of reason might clame oure aide are vnnaturally disapointed of al suche remedies wherby any conforte might to theyme arise Suche lacke of compassion is driuen into oure heades that we feele not the wo of our owne felowes oure kinne oure brethern and our owne membres It is a thowsand yere and more sith a holy father not hauing hallfe the cause that wee nowe haue yet noted the peoples lacke of compassion towardes the departed Ad frat in herem 44 in these wordes They that lie in torment vntollerable crie out for succoure and fewe there be that make answer they wofully caule but ther is none to comforte theyme O Bretherne what a kind of cruellty is this O howe much inhumanity is this those that in theire liefe time suffered muche sorowe for our sakes nowe crie ageyne for our ayde and we regard theyme not Lo howe the sicke caules and the phisitions are att hande the hogge gronethe and the whole hearde grontleth with all the poore asse fallethe and euery man helpes him vppe in hast but the faithfull alone caulethe in his greuous torments and there is none that
shal be well vnderstande to be with owte difference practised for the liue and deade together That therby we may by good reason conclude seeing sacrifice was then offered for purgation of euery light offense that it was doone for all states of persons that were ether in this lyfe or after theire death to be perfectelie clensed from the same Although the facte of Iudas Machabeus be a playne proufe that there was a common knowne ordre of sacrifice for elles howe coulde he haue conceyued any such sacrifice neuer hearde of before howe could he lymite the valewe of procurement thereof by a certaine summe for euery soule deceased howe coulde he gather in pretence of a thinge neuer vsed before the peoples almose withe owte theire murmoure or motion therein Why would he haue sent mony to Hierusalem to procure that whiche had no example in the lawe or vse in the church was he so ignoraÌ„t that he knewe not theire ordre herein or so vnwise to haue sent his monie for nothing S. Augustine Answering an haeretike Lib. 2. de Orig. Animae Cap. 11. that by thauthoritye of the facte of Iudas woulde haue prooued that by sacrifice men might be saued thoughe they died vnbaptized or in deadly sinne saithe vnto him that he is not hable to prooue that Iudas or any other in the lawe offered for his frend or any man elles being vncircuncised no more then the Church nowe practisethe for any man not baptised Wherby he plainely confessethe that the lawe had a sacrifice for the deade which beyng vrged by that heretike he might haue denied withe good helpe of his cause and answer to the aduersary but that the contrary case was so cleare not onely by that booke which he tooke for Canonicall scripture as before is proued but also by the fulle consent of all the Churche of God which bothe by plaine practise and most graue ordinaunce had from Christes time set forthe and approued the vndoubted truethe therof The conclusion of the vnhole booke vvith an admonition to the reader But here will I nowe make an ende desiring thee gentle reader with suche indifferency to weighe the dooing and dealing of bothe parties as the importaunce of the cause the loue of trueth the necessary care of thyn oweÌ„ saluation and thy duety towardes God and his Churche requireth There is none of al those pointes which the vnfaithful coÌ„tention of our miserable age hath made doubtefull in which thow maiste better beholde howe vprighte the waies of truethe and vertue be and howe pernicious double and deceitfull the dealing of haeresy is The one is vpholden by the euideÌ„t testimony of holy scripture the other mainteyneth her trayne by bowlde deniall of scriptures the one seketh with humility the mening at their mouthes whom God hathe vndoubtedly blessed with the gifte of vnderstanding and interpretatioÌ„ the other by singulare pride fowndethe her vnfaithfulnesse vpon the phantasies of lighte and lewde persons that are pufte too and fro with euery blaste of doctrine The one resteth vpon the practise of al nations the vsage of all agies and the holy woorkes both of God and maÌ„ thother holdethe wholy by contempte of oure elders flatery of the present daies and vphappy waaste of all woorkes of vertue religion and deuotion th one foloweth the gouernours and appointed pastours of oure soules whose names be blessed in heauen and earthe thother ioyneth to suche as for other horrible haeresies and wicked lyfe are condemned bothe a lyue and deade of the vertuous and can not for shame be named of theire owne scholars The one hath the warraunt of Goddes who le Church the other standeth on curse and excommunication by the grauest authority that euer was vnder God in earthe To be shorte trueth is the Churchis dearlinge haeresy must haue her mainteinauÌ„ce abrode This one holy Catholike and Apostolike Churche is it wherunto we owe all duety and obedience both by Goddes commaundement and by the bonde of oure first faith and profession There is no force of argument no probability of reason no subtelty of wit no depe compase of worldely wisdom no eloquence of man nor Angell nor any other motion that can be wrought in the world that shoulde make a man doubte of any article approued by her authority And if thow yet feare to geue ouer thy whole sense and thyne owne sellfe to so carefull a moother in whom thow wast begotten in thy better birthe compare oure Churche with theires compare her authority and theres her maiesty and theires Oures is that Church that hath borne downe hethen Princies that hathe destroyed Idolatrie that hath coÌ„uerted all nations to Christes faith that hath waded in bloude that hath liued in welth that hath bene assalted by hel by euil lyfe by haeresy and yet she staÌ„deth Take a way all this compare her constancy in doctrine with theire inconstant mutability compare the noble army of Martyrs the holy company of CoÌ„fessours the glorious trayne of so many blessed wise and learned Doctoures of many thowsand saintes that euer accompany her maiesty compare I say all these with the raskall soul diars of the contrary campe Vbicunquâ— fuerit corpus Mat. 24. illic coÌ„gregabuntur aquila I warraunt the gentle reader feare nothing for wher so euer so honorable a personage is there is the kingly company of egles Beholde her grace of miracles her workes and her wonders her authority in discipline her wisdom in gouerment her acquability in al estates and I am sure thow shallt confesse Quod dominus est in loco isto Gene. 28. ego nesciebaÌ„ Our Lord suerly is in this place and I was not aware therof For Christes loue if thowe hast folowed or yet haue any phantasy to the seuered company grope with owte flatery of thy sellfe the depthe of thyne owne conscience feele whether God hath not suffered the to faule for som sin Coom into this Church and at the same time thowe shalt be healed to thy aeternal reioysing Touche once the hemme of Christes garment adore his foutstoole cleaue vnto the alltare and if thowe â—nde not comfort of conscience ease â—f harte and light of trueth neuer creâ—et me more Proue once what is In â—orto concluso fonte signato in the garâ—en enclosed and the wellspring so suâ—ely sealed vp Cantic 4. Ioyne withe the sanctes â—n heaueÌ„ with the soules in Purgatory with the fathers of thy faithe in earthe with al holy meÌ„ both alyue and deade And thow shalt thinke thy self all ready in heauen to match with that happy and blessed felowship owte of whiche there is nether light lyfe nor any hope of saluation Merueile not that the maisters of dissension will not returne whome throughe pride of harte disobedience to Goddes Church and willfull withstanding the knowne trueth by the heuy hande of Goddes vnsercheable iudgement we see to be stricken withe blindnesse of minde and exceding darkenesse of vnderstandinge Learne to feare God betyme
here in the worlde benethe which is a straunge case hath force and effect in heaueÌ„ aboue The poure of all potentates vnder the maiesty of the blessed Trinity in heauen and earthe is extreme basenesse compared to this By this graue authority therfore the pastors and priestes imitating goddes iustice haue exercised continually poonishement froÌ„ the springe of Christian religion downe till these daies vppon al sinners perpetually enioyning for satisfiyng of goddes wrathe poenaunce and woorkes of correction ether before they would absolue theime as the oulde vsage was or elles after the release of theire offensies wiche now of late for graue causes hath bene more vfed In whiche sentence of theire iudgment we plainely see that as there was euer accompt made emongest all the faithfull of paine due vnto sinne thoughe the very offense it selfe and the giltinesse as yow woulde saye thereof were forgiuen before so we maye gather that it was euer enioyned by the priestes holy ministery after the quality and quantity of the faulte committed Whereupon they charged som meaner offenders with certaine praiers onely other with large allmose diuerse with longe fasting many withe perilous peregrinations sum with suspending froÌ„ the sacramentes and very greuous offenders with curse and excommunication Wherby thou maiste not onely proue that there is paine to be suffred for thy sinnes Excommunication hath the image of goddes iustice in the vvorld to coom but allso haue a very image of that misery whiche in the next lyefe may faule not only to the damned for euer but allso to all other whiche neglected in this tyme of grace the fructes of poenaunce and woorkes of satisfaction for thanswer of they re lieues past This greate correction of excommunication and separation from the sacramentes Virgam S. Paule termeth the rodde wherwith he often threatened offenders 1. ad Timo. yea and somtymes thoughe it was with greate sorowe the pounishment was so extreame he mightely in Goddes steade occupied the same Cap. 2. 1. Cor. 5. As once ageinst Himemeus and Alexander and another tyme towardes a Corinthian vpon whome being absent he gaue sentence of theire delyuery vppe to Satan not to be vexed off him as Iob was for thencrease of merite In 1. ad Cor. ca. 5. saithe Chrisostom but in theire flesshe meruelously to be tormented for paiment for theire greuous offensyes and as the Apostle writeth of the Corinthian that his soule might be false in the day of oure lorde This poonishment was euer by cutting of from the Christiane society and often ioyned with torment of body or sicknesse And sumtymes withe deathe Act. 5. Note As in thexcommunication off Ananias and Zaphiras Whiche Christes vicar S. Petre to the greate terrour euen of the faithfull grauely pronounced on theyme for retayning backe certayne Churche gooddes whiche by promesse they had before dedicated vnto god and thapastles distribution August de Carrep gra ca. 5. This kinde of poonishment of sinners was euer counted so terrible that we fiend it caulled of the oulde fathers damnation Ita Gregâ— Nis orat de Castigatione as one that most resembles the paynes of the worlde to coom off all other And iff man coulde see withe corporall eyes the misery of the party so condemned in Goddes church his hearte would brast and it would moue terroure of forther damnation euen to the stubborne contemners off the Churches authoritye The which censure of goddes priestes thoughe it was sumtymes to the euerlasting woe off suche offenders as neglected the benefite of that present payne yet commonly it was but chastisement and louing correction of oure deare moother for theire deliuery from greater greefe in the lyefe to coom And for this cause as thexample off all agies past may sufficiently proue Aug. Euch cap. 65. were certeyne tymes and ordinary termes of poenaunce apoynted for iuste satisfaction for euery offense and by the holy Canons so limited that no sinne weetingly might be reserued to Goddes â—euy reuenge in the end of oure short dayes It were to longe to reporte the rueles and prescription of poenaunce out of Nice Councell or Ancyre â—icen c â–ª 12. Ancyre 5 or out of S. Cyprian for theire pounishment that fell to Idolatry in the tyme of Decius and Diocletianus or out of Ambrose the notable excommunication of Theodosius themperour By al whiche and the lyke in the historys of the ecclesiasticall affaires he that can not see what payne is due vnto sinne euen after the remission therof I houlde him bothe ignorant and malitious blinde And if any man yet doubt why or to what ende the Church of Christ thus greuously tormenteth her oune children by so many meanes of heuy correction whome she might by good authoritye freely release of theire sinnes let him assuredly know that she coulde not so satisfye goddes iustice alwayes by whome she houldeth hâ— authoritye to edifye and not to destroie to byind as well as to lowse Althoughe suche dolour for offensyes committed and so ernest zele may she sum tymes finde in thoffender that her chiefe and principall pastors may by theire soueraigne authoritye wholy discharge him of all paines to coom But elles in the common case of Christian men this poenaunce is for no other cause enioyned Ibidem but to saue theime from the more greuous torment in the worlde folowing In the whiche sense S. Augustine bothe speake the him self and proueth his meaning by thapostles wordes as foloweth Propterea de quibusdam temporalibus poenis 1. Cor. 11. quae in hac vita peccantibus irrogantur eis quorum peccata delentur ne reseruentur in finem ait Apostolus si enim nosmetipsos iudicaremus a domino non iudicaremur Cum iudicamur autem a domino corripimur ne cuÌ„ hoc mundo damnemur Therfore saithe he it is of certaine temporall afflictions whiche be laide vpon theire neckes that being sinners haue theire trespasses pardoned lest they be called to an accompt for theime at the latter ende that the Apostle meaneth by when he saith Iff we would iudge oure selues we shulde not then be iudged of oure lorde And when we be iudged of oure lorde then are we chastened that we be not damned with the worlde This onely carefull kyndnesse of oure moother therfore that neuer remitted sinne that was notorious in any age but after sharpe poonishment or ernest charge withe sum proportionall poenaunce for the same doothe not onely geue vs a louing warning to be ware and preuent that heuy correction of the world to coom whiche S. Paule callethe the iudgement of God because it is a sentence of iustice but allso in her owne practise here in earth of mercy in pardoning of iustice in poonishement she geueth vs a very cleare example off bothe the same to be vndoubtedly loked for at thandes of God him selfe by whome in the kingdom of the church these bothe in his behallfe be proffitably practised â–ª for iff there
a maner a frade him self of wasting away in that horrible tormēt none more effectually then S. Augustine that confesseth there is no earthely paine comparable vnto it Lib. 4. Ca. 10. de ortho fid none more fearefully then Eusebius Emissenus who termeth it skaulding waues off fyre none more pithely then Paulinus that calleth those places off iudgements Ad Amandum epi. ◠Ardentes tenebras burning darknesse More peculiarely may the circūstances and cōdicion of that state by god be reueled but the trueth therof can not be more plainely declared nor better prooued These babes feared no bugges I warraunt yovv nether picked they Purgatory owte of Scipio his dreame but they had it owte of Goddes holy worde and tradition of the holy apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of truth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost laboure to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth whiche all the holy doctoures haue so fully both proued and declared to my hand But nowe for vs that throughe Goddes greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefite of this oure approued faithe to the amendement of oure owne lyues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctoure can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good liefe and vertuous conuersation may by Christes mercy moue theime Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgment must begī at the howse of God Epist 1. ca. 4. Ambros vbi supra as S. Peter affirmeth and so dooth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whom for the dignity of his honourable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckoning must be required Let the Lay man lerne for the auoyding of greater daūger in the praesence of the highe Iudg willingly to submitt him self to Goddes holy ministers Who haue in most ample manner a commission of executing Christes office in earthe bothe for pardoning and poonishement of sinne that sufferinge here in his Churche sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape oure fathers greuous chastisement in the liefe to coom Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing poenaunce he woulde measure the medecine by the malady aptly discerning the limitation of the poonishement by the quantity of the faulte not vsing lyke lenity in closing vp of euery wound For they shall not be blamelesse surely that doo the woorke of Goddes iudgement committed to theire discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of suche vnaequall remedies auoyde the skourge of iudgement praepared ▪ except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men should som forther satisfaction by the fructes of poenaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned paenalty and so by Goddes grace turne away the greate grefe to coom Excellently well Epist 2. and to oure pupose saide S. Cyprian in the fourthe booke of his epistles taulking of suche offenders as were not charged with poenaunce sufficyently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes VVe shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Goddes iudgmēt that is to coom that he may not alowe and ratifie oure sentence if he finde the perfect poenaunce of the party so require But if the offēder haue deluded vs by fayned accōplishing of his paenaunce then God who will not be deluded bicause he behouldeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of suche thinges as were hidde from vs. And so oure Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes Wher this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Pugatory whiche S. Augustin and other doo often call the amending fyere Thoughe it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to aeternall damnation vppon the impoenitent sinner whome the prieste bicause he coulde not discerne the fained hipocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stand I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement Howe so euer that be it is a woorke of singulare grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede off the amending fyer Of the nature and condicion of Purgatotory fyre the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke Cap. 13. IF any curious head list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the world this place of poonishmēt is or what nature that fyre is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity bicause he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The lerned may see that quaestion at large debated in the bookes of the City of God Lib. 20. and in the litterall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Libro 8. cap. 5 Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormēti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus a contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure saith S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent payne and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but howe or of what nature that Hell flame and fyre is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tong or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the droppe to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfyed to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shal neuer be knowen Therfore better it is to be in doubt of these secretts then to stand in contentious reasoning off thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaunce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of oure fyre and bothe by scriptures and doctours is most termed by the name of fyre as Hell torment is It woorketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vppon the riche mannes soule and all other that be allready in Helle before the receiuing of theire bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible greefe may be as greate of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus Cyrill in vita
is muche regarded Nether will I spend any more time in gettinge theyme an author of theire secte seeing they haue choise of diuers Let theime go owt of the Citye of God froÌ„ emongest the holy coÌ„pany and turne on the lifte hand and look emongest the owtcastes of al agies and they shal haue freÌ„des and fellowes enowe That theire falsehood is condemned and the Catholike trueth approued by the authority of holy Councelles Theire pride in contemning and the Catholikes humility in obedient receyuing the same And a sleight vvherby the haeretikes deceyue the people is detected Cap. 15. ANd for oure parte it is sufficient good reader that we knowe the first founder thereof and that we be now right well assured that he in his time and his scholares in theres haue ben noted called and condemned for haeretikes in this as in other fonde peruerse opinions beside not onely by the singulare iudgements of diuers lerned meÌ„ but by the commoÌ„ sense and consent of the worlde and by auncient councells bothe general and particulare as we may reade in the CouÌ„cels of Carthage the iiij of Bracharense and Vase Cap. 79. Cap. 34. Cap. 2. the decrees of which by occasion we rehersed once before They are bothe auncient and of greate authoritye and honoured with the presence of many notable fathers as Augustine and other But especially for the approuing of our faith and condemnation of the aduersaries part the whole processe of the greate councell of Florence must be noted for there the question of purgatory and praiers for the deade was fullye handeled by the most learned of both the Latine and Greke church the Patriarche of Constantinople him self with the legates of Armenia and other nations of that parte being present and fully condescending with the Romane church vpoÌ„ the truth of purgatory and other graue mysteries in to the doubt of which that part of the churche by schisme and miscredet of theire forefathers had faullen into not long before and so made perfect protestation of they re faithe Note with thabiuring of the contrary as haeresie But omittting that longe processe and large treatie of the matter for the establishing of euery mannes conscience I will conclude vp all the matter with the councell and the holy gostes determination of all the whole cause in these words Si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfecerint et omissis eorum animas poenis purgatorijs purgari vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur pâ—odesse eis viuorum fidelium suffragia missarum scilicet sacrificia orationes eleemosynas alia pietatis officia quae a fidelibus pro alijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt In initio Concilij Florentini secundum ecclesiae instituta We define and determine The holy Councell of Trent hath allso determined the same againste the haeretikes of oure tymes that true poenitents departing in the fauoure of God before they satisfied for theire negligencies or faultes committed by worthy fructes of poenaunce shal be clensed by purgatory paines and lykewise for the release thereof the praiers of the faithfull the sacrifice of the blessed masse and allmose withe other thinges customably practised by the faithful for theire frendes decessed according to the ordinaunce of Goddes churche to be profitable The which graue determination if any man be so willfull to contemne Let him knowe that he dispicethe being but a mortall fraile man the grauest iudgement that God hath left in earthe for the determination of any matter Let him be ashamed that he being but one man taketh vpon him to controule diuers hundrethes of the most chosen for vertue for lerning for experience in the whole Churche of God yea let him if he haue any affection of grace tremble and feare to deface the dealing of that honourable and vniuersall parlament that repraesentith vnto vs Goddes holy whole churche hauing the assured promise of the holy gostes assistance for theire giding in all truethe Yet I see before haÌ„d the aduersaries wil not admitte the iudgement of these or any other Councelles nether in suche men doo I much meruell to finde so litle humility and so muche impudencie For all haeretikes condemned by councelles did euer condemne as they coulde the same councelles againe So were the first iiij councelles whiche all Christian men with S. Gregory accepte as the holy gospelles of God All haeretikes doo condemne councels vtterly refused by the parties in theim condeÌ„ned The Arians by greate force of worldely princies and many assemblies deuilishly withstood the Councell of Nice the Macedonians reiected the councell of Constantinople the first the Nestorians nothing aestemed the councell of Ephese Eutiches and Dioscorus litle regarded the councell of Chalcedon in which they and theire folowers were condemned of haeresy for sondry pointes which nowe were ouerlonge and not for oure purpouse to reherse Then by refusing the heauenly sentence of the churches iudgement they win nothing elles but the assured marke of an haeretike They declare theime selues that as they be in haeresy as deepe as the beste so they in pride and bouldenesse The humble obedience of Catholikes to the gouernoures of Goddes Churche be not behinde the worste But all Catholikes and faithfull beleeuers as soone as they knowe the determination of suche a numbre of so well learned fathers gathered in the vnitye of goddes Churche and spirite streght way they receiue it and submit theime selues as to the iudgement and reuelation of the holy gost For so the Christian bretherne that were molested by the contentious clamors of certeine troublesome heades at Antioche being onâ—e certified by the letters of that first Christian councell what was decried â—nd enacted concerning the matters â—â—lled in quaestion they then regarded â—o more what the aduersaries thought â—herin but owt of hand Ganisi sunt suâ—r Consolatione they reioysed in that â—omforte of theire agrement And â—uffinus writeth that wheÌ„ Constanâ—â—nus the greate vnderstoode the determination of the doubtes proposed in â—he greate councell of Nire he receiued it as the oracle of God Ruffâ—n Defertur ad Constantinum sacerdotalis concilij sententia ille â—aquam a Deo prolatam veneratur the decree saith he of the priestes was shewed to Constantine and he streght withe al reuerence accepted it as goddes owne sentence And if oure aduersaâ—ies coulde learne a little humilitye they might quickly be dispatched of â— greate deale of haeresie The which as â—t first began with the conceite of singularitie and contempt of other so it procedith with maliperte bouldnesse and endeth in plaine disobedience of of the Churche of the councelles of the scriptures and goddes own spirite Whom with owt moe wordes I would nowe geue ouer vnto God hauing as I trust alredy geuen theime sufficient occasion by the euident proufe of my matter to remembre theire misery and heuy condition but that I must remoue oute of the simples