ende that by them you shoulde satisfie for your sinnes or that you shoulde merite the kingdome of heauen and bée iustyfied For the faythfull man hath obteyned alreadye all that by the fayth of Iesus Christe whiche is our wisedome ryghteousnesse sanctification thorowe whose merite Paradise is gyuen vnto vs For that cause the holye Apostle calleth the eternall lyfe the gift of god Wherefore wée maye vnderstande that we meryte it not thorowe our good déedes but it is gyuen vs froelye thorowe Gods lyberalytie Euen as the Fathers enheritaunce is gyuen vnto the sonne not for that he hath deserued it but bycause that hée pleased hym so for that hee loued him and that hée is hys chylde and wyll gyue hym his goodes fróely Otherwyse grace shoulde bée no more grace but debte On the contrary when Saynct Paul did speako of the eternall death hée calleth it the wages of sinne declaringe thereby that man hathe well deserued it and that hée can deserue none other thinge but that that wages is due vnto hym for a recompence of the seruice that hée hathe done vnto the Diuell the Prince of this worlde euen as the wages which is payde vnto a souldyer for bearynge of weapons vnder hys Capitayne Wee 〈◊〉 then sée that the woorkes done by the chyldren of God and the seruice that the Angelles dooâ— vnto hym doe tende all vnto one ende to witte to glorifie GOD and to sanctyfie his name Euen as then the Angelles serue not GOD for to merite Paradyse of whiche they are alreadye in possession neyther for satisfaction of theire sinnes of whithe they are not entangled But onelye for the loue that they haue in GOD and the desyre of hys glorye so Gods electe doe regarde none other thinge for they are alreadye washed and purged from theire sinnes by the bloudâ— of Iesus Christ and they re hearte puryfied by the faythe in hym and thorowe the woorde that they haue hearde of hym And are already possessors of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ in hope the which is no lesse sure and certeine then if the thinge were present and that the Angels are assured of that that they haue Therefore the holy Apostle sayth that wee are saued thorowe hope and that Iesus Christ doth make vs sitte in the heauenly places And therefore when God doth chastise and cortect vs in this worlde that is as the Apostle also writeth vnto the Corinthians for to correct and chastise vs that we should not be damned wyth the worlde and the Infidels bicause that we are yet in the waye and capable of chastisment and ainendement But there is an other reason after thys lyfe héere when wee are out of the waye and néede and that wee cannot any more empayre nor amend And therefore the Lorde doth chasten vs héere as the good Father who beateth not his sonne for to haue any recompence thereby for the faulte that hée hath committed For the paine of the childe bringeth no profite vnto the Father Also he doth not beat him through rigor nor throughe mallice that hée hath to take vengeaunce of him For hée loueth him as his childe and the fatherly affection maketh him soone forget the faultes and iniuries that he hath done vnto him As it is cleerely shewed vnto vs in the Father of the prodigall childe Eusebius What hath the father then to do to chastise him Theophilus If hée knewe that he woulde neuer doe any more fault he would soone pardon him without any punishment But fearing least thorow his great patience â— gentlenesse shoulde fall agayne hee is constrained to beate and chastise him although that he doe it not willingly but it to that ende to make hym more prudent and wyse and to better aduise himselfe in time to come and that he take diligent heede not to sall againe in y fault or in any other greater The which is no more to be feared in those whome GOD hath called from this worlde Wherefore they cannot anye more rectius punishment whiche shoulde be to câ—nâ—en them as is y same of the father towards his child for to amend him But if there hée a punishment it is rather to declare the iudgement the seuerity of God towards the wicked and reprobates and to manyfest his goodnes and mercy towardes his elect As the Iudge doth condemne the traytor murtherer and other malefactors that haue deserued death not for to haue any recompence nor those vnto whom they haue done wronge and iniury For what recompence can they haue by their deathes neyther do they it for to cause them to walke in time to come more vprightly sith that they take from them their life But for to satisfie righteousnes and to mayntaine it to that end that other may take example and that they may know how auayleable it is to haue followed vertue and eschewed vice Eusebius To what purpose then doth Sainct Iohn in his reuelation say Their works do follow them what workes do follow them but the good déedes that men doe for them after their death For those that they haue done whilest they lyued went before not after Wherefore it followeth that there are some other which do profit them Theophilus Sainct Iohn speaketh it bycause that their workes do beare witnes that they are the children of god He sayth not other mens workes but theyr owne workes For as man lyueth of his owne soule and not of the soule of an other mans euen so doth the righteous man of his faith And as the righteous man lyueth of his faith not of the faith of an other euen so shal euery one be iudged according to his workes and not after those that other men shall doe For it is written Euery one shall beare his owne burthen And therefore Iesus Christ sayth by thy worde thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned That is so saye thy wordes and thy workes shal beare witnes of thy heart and by them thou shalt bée iuslified that is to saye absolued declared and pronounced iust and righteous Oâ— by them thou shalt be condemâ—ned knowen and iudged worthy of death and condemnation Not that God néedeth any witnes of our workes for to know whether we are worthy of absolution or condeÌ„nation For he knoweth y hearts néedeth none other witnes but his owne But y scripture vseth such maÌ„ner of speaking for to apply it to our capacitie for to manifest declare vnto vs better the Iust IudgemeÌ„t of god which wil shew foorth y hâ—pecriâ—e of maÌ„ heart For maÌ„ how wicked soeuer his heart be he wold alwaies hide it if one put it to his own coÌ„â—câ—éce although y he do condemne it he wil not for y leaue off to aduasice brag he y le an honest man vntil such time as he he také with his wicked déed as y theefe with his steaâ—ing For he is so peruers wicked
thoughte that manner of doing to be meruaylous straunge and would not beléeue it that ther wer people vpon the earth so inhumaine who had not great horrour and feare to eate the flesh of men But when I consider way the doings of our Priestes I finde the Scythians to be very humaine in comparison of them For they are not conteÌ„t to eate the dead onely but they eate both the quicke the dead not béeing content with y do also eate with them their wyues children parents friends with all their cheuances substance yet they cannot be suffised satisfied They make of their bodyes y sepulchers of the poore people whom they do englut and deuoure for to bury them more preciously in their bowels But you must not be abashed if they make of their bodies the sepulchers of the poore people as the Scythians did of their parents friends sith that they say that they are made dayly the sepulcher of Iesus Christ bicause they doe eate him dayly and bury him in their bodyes and entrayles The poore people haue then no iust occasion to complayne of their crueltie For they doe vnto them no worse then vnto their God if their doctrine be true but doe bury them as preciously honestly And hée that will not beléeue me let him read their booke which is intituled Stella Clericorum and he shall sée whether I lye or no but he shall there finde rather worse For it is there written sith that the Prieste is the sepulcher of Iesus Christe that if he doe presume to take the body of Iesus with his polluted mouth he doth worse then if he threwe it in the durte or mire But which is more he casteth it into a priuie Iudge therefore Eusebius whether that good God whom they haue forged be honestly lodged and whether he haue not a tombe and sepulcher very precious and according to his dignitie Eusebius If there are some wicked Priests who did vnreuerently handle Iesus Christ and who did dishonour their office must ye therfore despise the estate which is so worthy and excellent and blaspheame Iesus Christ in such sorte Hillarius When did you euer heare vs blaspheme Iesus Christ speake vnreuerently of god do you thinke ther is no differeÌ„ce betwene Iesus christ the true sauiour of y world As for me I finde as much difference as is betwen y true God of Israel the gods of the Babilonians and other Idolaters Wherfore if you will accuse me of blasphemy when I will not receiue those newe gods and that I speake in such sort you shall be also compelled to accuse the Prophets of the same crime when they doe so often mocke at the strange gods But wherefore are you not rather offended with them then with mée who haue not inueÌ„ted any thing but do speake only after them To what purpose doe they call the Priestes the Sepulcher of Iesus Christ Is not Iesus Christ risen agayne and ascended into heauen doth not the Apostle say Christ once raised from death dyeth no more For as much then as Iesus Christ liueth eternally at y right hand of god his father what needeth he of a sepâ—lohre especially of such as these are When he dyed for our sinnes he had his sepulchre in Hierusalem in which Ioseph of Aramathia and Nicodemus dyd bury him in They dyd not as the Scithians eate him fleshe and bones and bury him in their bellyes and entrayles But in a goodly new sepulchre hewen in stone The priestes then camibâ— saye that they are that sepulchre in which Iesus Christ was put and out of which he rose againe Wherefore if they be the sepulchres of Iesus Christ it must be that he is dead sithence and that he was buryed in theyr bellyes For I cannot vnderstande how he could be buryed if they haue not eaten him as the Scithians dyd eate theyr parents and friends And if you doe thinke that I tell you a thing that is strange consider and marke well the woords that the Apostle hath wrytten to the Hebrewes He witnesseth that Iesus Christ was once offered and he shal be no more Afterward telleth the cause For if he must be often offered he must dye often sith that there is no sacrifice without effusion of bloud Yet the priestes say that they doe offer and sacrifice really euery day Iesus Christ it followeth necessarily y either they do put him to death that he dyeth agayne or els y the holy Apostle is an euil Logicioner that he concludeth euilly knoweth not the rules and lawes of his Silogismes and consequences If it be so the Priestes may well be called the Sepulchers of Iesus Christ but not of the true Iesus Christ whom Saint Stephen did sée at the righte hande of God who as the Apostle witnesseth dyeth no more vnto whome I giue more credite then vnto all the Priests and Monkes which euer were or shall be And therefore eyther it must bée that they haue forged a newe Iesus Christ that dyeth and riseth agayne euery day and as often as they list and that they are all lyers or els that the Apostle hath written against the truth the which is impossible Wherefore it followeth that the first part of my proposition is true Eusebius Doe you not beléeue that the Priestes haue power to consecrate the body and bloude of Iesus and that they eate it flesh and bones as grose and as bigge as he was on the crosse Hillarius I doe aske you an other question wheÌ„ they haue eaten the flesh the bones what do thy with the skinne And how they could dine vpon Christmas day after that they haue eateÌ„ him thrée times For me thincketh they should haue their bellies too ful strouted Also wherefore doe you not demaund of me this question which is also very coÌ„mon among your deuines To weet whether Iesus Christ did eate himselfe Thomas What resolution doe they giue Hillarius That he did you may thereby know what reason there is in their doctrine Will you haue a more greater absurdite We do eate his flesh spiritually for to haue life But he who is the life what néede hath he to eat himselfe And if Iesus Christ did eat himselfe it must be that he hath two bodies the one which eateth and the other which was eaten O Lord God what dreams are these But if your Priests do eat the flesh and the bones they are worse then the Scithians For they were content with y flesh of man without eating the bones Neuerthelesse to the ende that you do not thincke that I will gainsay the word of Iesus Christ and that I am some Caparnaite who is offended with the preachinge that he made of eating his flesh and drincking his bloud or as the hearers who did forsake it I aunswere that there is thrée wayes to eate the fleshe and drincke the bloude of Iesus Christ The
house should be purified after that burying Although that we read not all these words of Ioseph so expressed placed in the bookes of Moses yet neuerthelesse Ioseph which was himself a Iew a man of great knowledge well séene in the customes Iudaical things was not ignorant of the manner of their burials funerals the causes wherfore they did all those things He maketh no mention no more then Moses the one should not make sacrifice nor offring for the health and saluation of the dead nor that one shoulde sprinkle it with holy water and with the consecrated water that they dyd héepe mingled with the asshes of a younge Heyfer for the purificatioÌ„ of that lyuing not of the dead but witnesseth only that the domestical or those of that house which wer assisting helping at that funerals burials or touched the body shâ—â—ld be purified by the ceremonyes ordeined of God principally by that consecrated water with that asshes of an Heyfer the which was a figure as witnesseth the Apostle of the bloud of Iesus Christ by which we are purified who hath done that whiche the water and the asshes of the Heyfer could not do Wherefore we haue no more néede of suche ceremonyes sith that they are accomplished and fulfilled by Iesus Christ And yet much lesse of other new inuented by mans presumption That then which the Israelites used certaine ceremonies and mournings about the dead had two respectes The first was to the ende that the people of God should not bee like unto the barbarous and heathen people as those of whom we haue already spoken off whiche did make lesse account of the bodies of that dead men yea of theire owne parents and friendes then of the carcases of brute beasts Agame euen as the Lord would that his people should be farre from such inhumanity and barbarousnes so would hee prouide on the other side for another greate vice which raigned amongst the Panims who did to much excéede in sorowing and mourning in ceremonies superstitions Idolatries and with to greate expenses about their dead and funerals Besides all this they did many things not seemely to men For some of them did rounde and poll their heades beards heares the mourning as Herodotus witnesseth of that Aegyptians There were also which did hurte and pricke themselues with lancets and made the bloud to come forth of their bodies in the honoure of the dead for to witnesse their dolor after the same sort as the Pricsts of Baal did in praying to their God Baal And the Priestes of Cyble in lyke manner who in that pointe followed them They did also make markes in theyr fleshe with greate superstition the whiche thinges the Lord did forbid his people namely in Leuiticus And therefore those good patriarches and prophets who were prudent and wise and guyded thorowe the spirite of God haue found a good meanes to let and stoppe those vices and excesse which they did commit aswell on the one side as on the other amongst the Panyms For if the Panims themselues haue regarded that and haue néede lawes and statutes for to correct the vndecent things that was there commytted And the pompe and foolysti cost that men bestowed about such banities we must not be abashed if the people of God who ought to be the rule and moderation of all others haue so well prouided for the same for to kéep a meane in all things For it is not possible that man how spirituall soeuer he be can rob or take from man all humayne aflection but that there abydeth alwayes a meruaylous desire in his heart of the person absent whom he loued especially when thorowe death it is seperated from him Sith then that one cannot plucke away altogether that affection from mans heart he must at the lcastwise set some lymitte to the ende that he excede not measure as the Panims did For so long as the affection is too great insomuch that it draweth vs from God and maketh vs to staye more vnto the creatures then is néedefull it cannot please god And therefore euen as the Lord leaueth vs to be man and suffereth our humayne affections which haue some agreeing with his nature and are the seede and prickes of vertues so will he not suffer them to flowe ouer or aryse aboue the lymittes of reason and honestie as we haue already touched in another place The same then that the Heorewes and Israelites had some certayne number of dayes for to mourne and lament their parents and friends that were dead was not for to restrayne euery one generally and perticularly to lament and mourne one so many dayes without adding or dimimshing any as if the number of the dayes were necessary or that it conteineth any relygion and holynesse in it but to the ende that those which should mourne and lamont if one coulde not kéepe them from it altogether without doyng greate biolence to their affections at the leastwise they should not passe that lymit and time which was bsed and prescribed and which was long inough and sufficient for to satisfie their heart and to mitigate their sorrow and heauinesse Wherefore I doubt not but that Saynt Ambrose hadde regard unto that honostie and modestie not for to induce the christian people unto Iewishnes but to follow rather the erample of the holy Patriarches and Prophets then of the Panims As we may manifestly iudge by his own wordes without seekinge the glose and interprctation any further For first of al he erhorted not that people to play vnto god for the soule of Theodosius but witnesseth euidétly the he accoÌ„pteth holdeth him to be saued affirmeth many times the his soule is at rest in lyght felicitie with Iesus Christ his lord Also he teacheth not the people to in uocate pray vnto him not withstanding the he holdeth him as a saint in the kingdoÌ„ of god but admontsheth to pay vnto the childre the which they do owe vnto the father saying they owe him more after he is dead then when he was liuing After wards declareth vnto theÌ„ the meanes how thei ought to acquite order themselues towards their good Prince after his death that is in commending his young children whom he hath lefte to be heires of the Cmpire and that they declare towards them the fidelytie faith loyaltie and loue that they had towards their father It is sufficiently declared the ther is no meane more proper nor any good déedes more agréeable nor more profitable for the dead then to haue in commendacion and prayse their successours children and friendes On the other side hée comforteth the children and chiefely goeth aboute to niltigate the doloure and sorrow of Honorius bicause that it was not lawfull for him to accompanye the relyckes that is to saye the other parte of the body of his father which was carryed to bée buryed vnto Constantinople as they accustomed to doe
the aunerent Doctors of the Church he laboureth and enforceth himselfe if he can relieue it through the ayde and helpe of the holy Scripture and taketh for his first defence and weapons the second booke of the Marchabees by occasion whereoff is intreated the difference which ought to be put betweene the bookes that are Canonicall those that are Apocryph And it is in like manner declared in what authoritie reputation that booke ought to be among the Christians Afterwards although peraduenture there shal be some matters which may seeme somewhat curious vnto some men yet neuertheles shall be spokē of the Limbes as wel of the auncient fathers as of the young children that are borne dead dead without circumcision baptisme of the difference which may be betweene thē which haue ben vnder the new old testamēt as wel little as great as wel quick as dead of their condition estate We do entreate of those things very amply bicause that many do moue questions that there is good prositable necessary points to be vnderstanded for to correct many errors abuses false opinions thuching those matters which are come among the Christians Ther shal be in like manner spoken of baptisine administred by womē declared by liuely plain reasons how Iesus Christ is the onely health satisfaction of all the elect children of God how the vertue efficacie of his death pasion extendeth it selfe frō the beginning of the world vnto the ende of the same Item what is the true baptisme of Iesus Christ the remission of sinnes the satisfaction worthy of the righteousnesse of god To what ende the god woorkes doe profit the Christian What is the iudgement of God vpon the good and euill and by what means some are deliuered and other some doe abide subiect Furthermore how the iudgement is alredy done vpon euery one and whether we ought yet to attend loke for it And how Hel and Paradise doe begin already in this world when their full and whole consumation shal bee It shal be in like manner declared how the place of the Machabees serueth nothing at all to proue the Purgatory And there shall be also declared of the manner by which the auncient people of God haue prayed for the dead and for the comming of Iesus Christ and wherein the Christians may follow it without speaking against the word of god It shal be also touched how in our time and by what meanes Sathan endeuoured himselfe to establish his Purgatory and the prayers for the dead and what maske instrument he hath chosen for to do that Wee doe call this Dialogue the Hels bicause that wee doe declare how many hel 's the Papisticall doctrine hath forged for vs and the lodgings and chambers that it hath there builded ¶ THE FIFTH DIALOGVE which is called the Hels EVsebius For as much as Thomas hath reserued for himselfe one part of this day for to make his Narration and of hys owne accord hath graunted vnto mée the greatest parte therefore it is good reason that hée do begin first Wherfore I giue him the choice whether he will go before or behinde Hillarius I desire for my part that Thomas doe rehearse first the cause of his enterprise and voyage For I doe much desire to heare it and vnderstand it Thomas Thou oughtest not to be much desirous of it For thou canst not heare of me any thing which is much worth Wherefore I am well content to holde my peace if you wyll For I feare greatly that after that you haue heard mée you will mocke me chiefly Hillarius who is so expert in that occupation I beléeue that it is the chiefest cause wherefore hée so greatlye desireth to heare my wordes Wherefore I thinke it best Eusebius that thou doe procéede-forwarde and prosecute thy intent For the matters that you haue to intreat off are better then those which you can heare of mée And in hearing you I may profite but in speaking I can but spende the time the which you wil employ and best nine to a better ende And therefore beginne and after if there be any spare time I will sée what I shal do Theophilus I beleeue that we shal haue time inough Feare not thē to begin sith y thou hast alredy told vs y thou wilt not be ouer long But thou wilt make vs finde the thing good For that cause dost loue to be entreated so much knowing that the more thou refusest to tel vnto vs that we demaund so much y more we desire it Thomas I haue regard vnto another thing I consider y which Salomon hath writtē saying if a foole do hold his tongue he shal be counted wise For he compareth man to a loohing glasse or a bell y which one doth know by the sounde whether they be broken or whole So in like manner may one iudge of man in hearing him speake whether hée be wise or foolish For one perceiueth the spirit of man in his word As his figure in a glasse and one may beholde in the same the nature of him as the complection of the body in his water vrine by which it is easie to iudge what drogues hee hath in the shoppe of his braine Hillarius Thou wilt that one should saye of thée that which a Philosopher once said of a certeine man y he did sée sit at a banket which spake not a word although y all the others did put foorth certeine questiōs gaue vnto him matter inough for to speake in his course If that man saith he be a wise man hée playeth the part of a foole if he be a foole he playeth the part of a wise man. Thomas I cannot well vnderstand that matter For me thinketh that it conteineth implyeth contradiction Hillarius He giueth therby to vnderstand that euen as too much speaking apperteineth vnto fooles ideots so alwaies to holde ones peace agréeth to beasts and not vnto men Wherfore ther must be a meane kept in all things Thomas That is the same to the which I pretend And I doe thinke that I speak ynough according to the place men with whom I am And bicause y I am not wise for to speak wel I wil at the leastwise thorow silence thorow silence counterfet the wise For it is cōmonly said it is euil to speak Latin before learned men When I am with ignoraunt men as my selfe I doe speake as a Doctor especially if I thinke that I haue the moytie of a dragme or scruple more of knowledge then they But when I come before you I doe loose by and by all my babling Hillarius Thou wouldest héere very gladly make an ende But thou must first declare vnto vs that thou hast promised Thomas Sith y thou vrgest mée so much thou shalt haue it But if thou doest mocke mée bée assured that I shall haue as good matter agaynst thee for
the opinion that they had that thorough the baptisme all the sinnes that might be in man were defaced and put out For that reason they tarryed as long as they could for to depart out of this world more purer and cleane from their sinnes But which is worse some vnder that hope did take the greater holdnesse to sinne Whome Chrisostome rebuketh shewing vnto them that peraduenture God wil not giue them the grace to haue space to be baptised if they did tarrie vntill the houre of their death and if they did abuse so the baptisme as he hath séene that it hath happened vnto many who thorough that vaine hope trust haue béene deceiued In like manner also hath Basill the great made a sermon expressing that matter and rebuketh very sharpely those which do so Euen as then the greate and old ones haue delayed their baptisme it is not to be doubted but that for these same reasons they haue done the like towardes their children And therefore we must not be abashed if saint Augustine hath written and spoken after such sort of baptisme for to correct such faultes negligences and opinions and the better to incytate and stirre vp the Christians to giue their indeuours in that as well for them as for their little children For that cause it was auncyently established in the Church that they shoulde baptise twise in a yeare That is to say at Easter and at Whitsâ—â—tyde â— although that the baptisme was permitted at all tâ—â—e in case of 〈◊〉 There was yet an other reason which â—ight haue giuen 〈◊〉 vnto saint Augustine to speake so He did sée and peâ—ceâ—ue that many 〈◊〉 infected with the hereâ—â—e of the Pelagians which did not attribute much vnto the grace of God and did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all originall 〈◊〉 but did greatly magâ—â—fie the vertues and strengthes of men â—or which causâ— they had not the baptisme in greaâ—e estimation And therefore woulde â—aint Augustine declare the nature of originall sinne and induce men to giue and beare more greater honour vnto the sacramentes Then the better for to manifest the same he declareth howe the young infants which haue not yet committed any aâ—tuall sinne are not yet neuerthelesse without sinne worthy of death and eternall dampnation bicause of their corrupt nature which they haue drawen as from a right inheritance and proper heritage of their fathers and mothers in their conception and natiuitie For they haue béene conceiued and borne in sinne and inâ—quitie and can be none others then such as the sinnefull beginning from which they are come For that whiche is borne of the â—â—esh is flesh And a wolfe cannot ingender but a young Woolfe a Serpent a young Serpent And euen as wée doe not leaue off or cease to hate a young Woolfe although that he hath not yet eaten any shéepe or a Serpent notwithstanding that he hath not yet cast forth his venym but do iudge him worthie of death bicause of the peruerse nature that is in them so ought we to estéeme and thinke that God hath no lesse occasion to hate and condempne vs euen from our mothers bellie bicause of our perâ—ersitie and naturall malyce engendred with vs And though he shoulde dampne vs eternally he shoulde doe vs no wrong but onely that which our nature meriteth and deserueth For although that the young infant hath not yet done any worke which wée may Iudge to be euill and wicked sith that he hath not yet the vnderstanding discretion nor the power to doe it it followeth not therefore but that the peruersitie and malyce which is naturall in man hath alreadie his roote in him as one part of his paternall inâ—eritaâ—nce the which cannot please god For although that it bringeth not yet forth hir fruites yet they doe remaine still there as in their roote which will bring them forth in his time As the venym is alreadie in a Serpent although that he bite not and the nature of a Woolfe in a young Woolfe howe innocent so euer he seemeth to bâ—â— But from whence doe the fruites of the fleshe procéede and the sinnes which man committeth when hée is of age but of that vicious roote of that originall sinne and corrupt nature Then Saint Augustine did no wronge to aggrauate that natural corruption and to say that the infant from his mothers belly is culpable of e 〈◊〉 fire not onely the men that are of age if they do dye without baptisme if he doe vnderstande by the baptisme the grace and mercie of GOD which by the same is represented and communicated vnto the electe As I thinke verely that he did chiefely vnderstande it For if he woulde take it by the rigour for the exteriour baptisme and the materiall ceremony I cannot nor may not agrée with him sith that hée â—lledgeth not sufficient witnesses of the holy scriptures for so proue that proposition so rigorous and so repugnant vnto the bâ—untie and grace of GOD as wee haue alreadie sufficiently declared But I estéeme and iudge rather that hée vnderstandeth by the baptisme made in the name of the Father the Sonnâ—and of the holye Ghost the vertue and efficacie and the thing figured by the exteriour Baptisme whiche is the true signe and witnesse of him whiche is spirituall and interiour as the signe and exteriour ceremonye by the which yet neuerthelesse hée signifieth and comprehendeth all the vertue of the baptisme of Iesus Christ after the manner as the holy scripture hath accustomed to vse For in the same the signe the figure are oftentimes taken for the thing signed and figured comprehending the whole for parte bicause that the scripture addresseth it vnto the faithfull which do not receiue the sacraments in vaine and without a spirituall meaning Therefore the Apostle saith All ye that are baptised haue put on Christ And yet neuerthelesse Symon the Magitian was baptised outwardly by Philip and yet I do not beléeue that euer he did put on Christ sith that he did not truely beléeue Eusebius Notwithstanding it is written in the Actes that he belieued Theophilus It is certeine But yet neuertheles he hath well declared afâ—ewardes that the same which hée hath done was but dissembling and that he had neuer true faith But saint Luke who hath written the history speaketh after the common manner of speaking as wée doe say that a man hath receiued the gospell or that a Iewe hath made himselfe or is become a christian and hath beléeued in Iesus which yet neuertheles may doe it by hypocrisse and not in déede Yet neuerthelesse we doe speake euen as the thinges are shewed vnto vs leauing the iudgment of y heart vnto god So hath saint Augustine expounded that which saint Luke hath spoken that Symon Magus hath beléeued Hillarius I thinke Eusebius that thou oughtest to content thyselfe with the aunswere which Theophilus made vnto thée For it is so cleare and easie and so much confirmable vnto the
and féeling it to soone and more then they would The elect and blessed who through Iesus Christ are delyuered study not to know any further then God hath reuealed vnto them that they haue felt it in their consciences when they haue offended and that they haue bene grieued and pressed downe with the féeling of their sinnes Hillarius What will you say if this Ghostly father be one of Pithagoras Disciples and of that same opinion and that the soule of euery one of them whom of late the Poets doe witnesse to be descended into hel were entered into his body insomuch that he was one of the very same Theophilus Wée might very well haue thought no lesse in hearing these dreames and lyes But that wée knewe for certein that the opinion of Pithagoras is false although that many among the Iewes are yet dronken therewith that the same which the Poets and Monkes haue inuented are nothing els but dreames and lyings But yet although our Monke were some Theseus Vlisses or Pithagoras yet he might very well be deceiued For sithence that those were in those regions and countryes the fire hath begun there to kindle which hath burned all the wals of those dyuerse habitations and infernall chambers forged made and builded first by the Poets and after wards by the Monkes and Priests insomuch that there remained neither Limbus patrum or yet Purgatory but Hell onely where that inextinguible fire is Thomas Yâ—u do speake of the Limbus patrum and of Purgatory as though ther were none that the same that hath bene preached vnto vs was inuented of pleasure that they were but fables But doth not the Scripture make mention of it do you thinke that so many good prechers which haue ben in times past would haue taught such things if they had not beâ— true Theophilus I haue heard many preach y the children y are borne dead all those which do die before tâ—ey be baptized go straight way vnto the Lymbus patrum wherein they haue their chambers aparte seperated from hell and Purgatory and that they shall neuer enter into Paradise but that they shall be depriued for euer from y ioyes theroff Afterwards there was nothing that I heard so much commended in the sermons as the soules of Purgatory vnto whom also they giue chambers apart and doe kéepe them as prisoners in those dungeons and prisons vntill such time as they haue payd their raunsome Eusebius Doe you not stedfastly beléeue that the same is true that ther is a Lymbe and a Purgatory Theophilus I would beléeue it without any doubt or contradiction if I had read it aswell in the olde and new testament as in the bookes of Plato and of Plutarch and such other which were of the same opinion Hillarius You ought yet to haue added amonge y Greeke Poets Orpheus and Homere and Virgile among the Latine Poets who haue so well described the Lymbe hell Purgatory and the Popes paradise that I thinke it is not possible to paynt and set them out better And I cannot beléeue but that he was inspired with the same spirite by which they haue spoken who haue forged and inuented vnto vs those Lymbes and Purgatoryes and with which those were inspired who did sit in the Councells in which such doctrine was allowed and confirmed peraduenture he may finde some thing in the discription of Virgile which may seeme a lyttle to differ from the Popes Theologie But notwithstanding if the matters are wel examined and tryed one cannot finde so great errours that for thein hée may be iudged an hereticke in the Popes church nor yet repugnance which is not more easie to agrée then to make Scotus and Thomas Aquinas to agrée together the Reals and Noâ—â—alls the Sophistes and Doctors questionaries that be among them But for to proue it giue eare what the Poet speaketh â—n such sort as I may speake in our propre tongue And for to begin in order I wil recite vntâ— thee first the â—escription of tâ—e â—â—mbeâ— â—here the children are saying Anone vvere voyces heard and piteous cryes and vvaylings shâ—â—ll Of soules of tender babes and infants vveeping voyde of skill That plesure svveet of life did neuer tast but from their brest Vntimely death them tooke and Fortune grim hath down opprest He giueth vnto the lyttle children their chamber apart and appoynteth their dwelling at the entring in of hell the which he describeth more horrible and fearefull saying Yet syts a vvorse vâ—ithin Than hell it selfe that sinke-hole sâ—eepe Tvvo times as broad desceÌ„ds tvvo times as headloÌ„g dovvn right deep As heauen vpright is hye if men thereto from thence might peepe Ouer and besides these two places he addeth yet two others to wéete Purgatory and the fieldes Eâ—seas of which we will speake off héereafter when his tourne commeth Now al these which are lodged in those diuers chambers are handled euery one of them according to their merites and punished after diuers sorts For the torments and paynes are giuen vnto them eyther more grieuâ—ns and cruel or els more tollerable gentle according to â—uery ones mirites and desertes He putteth and placeth a large prison déepe and darke horrible and fearefull in the most lowest part of hell from which those shall neuer depart which once haue bene throwne therein That prison is the very hell it selfe wherein the great and most grieuous sinnes and offences are punished and that they are â—â—sanable and can by no meanes be purged as these sacriledge murder tyranny vyolences erecrable whoredome and such other crimes and chiefely those of the Tyrants Kings Princes and Lords whom Plato of which proceeded this Philosophâ—e lodged all in hell if in sléede to be good Princes and Pastours they haue bene tyrants and the deuourers of the people Thomas I doe already héere perceiue a great agreeing with our Priests and Monkes As concerning the Lymbes of the lyttle children there is no more difference but that Virgile putteth them all there and our priests doe not lodge put but those which are dead without being baptized Hillarius He is not so rude and vngentle vnto them For he depriueth them not of all ioy and consolation as these our priests do the poore little children of the Christians Thomas As touching hell I doe not much mistyke the opinion of Plato First bicause it approcheth nigh to the veritie of the holy Scriptures and that he declareth the iust iudgement of God vppon the tyrants For it is good reason sith that there is none who may chastice correct them in this world and y they will not be in subiection neyther to God nor man but do what they list they should haue double punishment in the other world And that they should vomitte and spew vp agayne their great cruelties vyolences and great enormities that they haue committed bicause they feared neyther iustice nor punishment Theophilus Although that the witnesse
of the holy Scriptures is sufficient for vs yet this ought further to moue vs to confound the Infidlls when we doe see the vertue of the truth to be so puissaunt and of such force that it constrayneth Philosophers Poets and others who haue bene ignorant of the knowledge of God to confesse it and to beare witnesse thereoff Thomas But me thinkes that our Priests and Monks do much differ from Plato Virgile in y they do lodge y richest people and the great Princes and Lords sooner in Purgatory then in Hel. Hillarius Do you not know the cause There came no profite vnto Plato nor Virgile of the Purgatory as commeth vnto those beléeue that although they had any profite they were of a better conscience and that for their owne perticuler gayne they would not haue so seduced the poore ignorant people For they do shew foorth by their writings that they had a certeyne feare and knowledge of God more then we may acknowledge in these our priestes For they watche after the deade bodyes as the Rauens doe vppon carrion And if they can méete with any dead man that hath his purse well stuffed with money wherewith hée is able to paye his raunsome they will be sure to make him tell who hath eaten the fat they will put him in such a place from whence hee cannot come out before they haue taken some fat from him For they are the tyrants of tyrants and the pillers of the great pillers and Vsurers whom they will not suffer to be broiled and tormented of the Diuells but they will be their hangmen themselues take away that office from them to whom God hath giuen it Thomas They shal be theÌ„ much tormeÌ„ted by this accompt For they shal be cruelly handled in this world and also in the other after their death as they haue vexed b tormented y worlde whilst they were alyue And suffer them not notwithstanding to fall into y hands of the Diuells But I would gladly know what payne the other haue that haue committed smaller sinnes Hillarius Plato and Virgile do lodge these in Purgatory especially the simple people which haue not bene of great credite and authoritie Wherefore they could not haue so great lycence to doe euill as the others And if they had committed any fault they had not the power so much to hurt the people as the others had For the sinnes of the Princes doe not hurt onely themselues But as well by them as by their euill example they doe hurte and destroye all the worlde where the simple people doe hurt but themselues And therefore they did thinke that their sins were sanable and that they might be purged For that cause they condemned them not vnto eternall dampuation For they thought y they had not committed euils inough for to be damned that ther was some remedie to be healed Also they lodged them not at y first dash in y fields of bliseas as the other great and vertuous men who thorowe their vertue haue merited to be incontinently receiued into blessednesse and toye or in the number of Gods. Thomas Those then which were good people and which had not the power to doe so euill as the other doe go into Purgatory against their wils Neuertheles I am sure that God will not held them excused therfore For â—e regardeth the heart will and the affections and not onely the workes as the Philosophers doe Our priests differ not much from that opinion For they Cannonise lodge among the Saints those whome they doe iudge to haue bene most vertuous and holyest and the soules perfectly good the which doe fly straight into heauen and haue no néede of our good déedes Hillarius That is to wéete the most greatest Hypocrites superstitious and Idolaters those which haue done most for them and that haue best nourished and fed their fat bellyes Thomas They doe lodge in Purgatory those who haue not accomplished héere their penaunce which neuerthelesse dyed confessed and repentaunt or which do not carry deadly sinne with them but onely veniall sinnes the which may be purged by the fire For there is some remedy for those Hillarius Such is their doctrine But notwithstanding when it commeth to triall they neyther haue regarde to mortall nor yet veniall sinnes but sooner to the riches or to the pouertie It is all one with them whether the sinnes be mortall or veniall sanable or insanable so that the dead hath wherewith to paye their drougs medicines money for his raunsome and letters of grace that they make for them by their buls and pardons And as touching the poore of whome they haue no profite it is to them all one whether they go be it into Paradise Hell or Purgatory For they haue no care of the soules but onely of their purses Thomas I haue yet one thing to demaunde of thée Doe they say that there is fire in y Poets Purgatory as there is in y of the priests Hillarius It séemeth to mée that y Poets are a lyttle more reasonable and more merciful then the priests and Monks For they make not such broyling and rosting of the poore soules Thomas How then Hillarius Bicause that they haue assigned the payne a little easier and lyghter according to euery ones misdéedes For they condempne not all generally to y fire But they do make thrée differences according to the greatnesse and smalnesse of sinnes Those that haue sinned most grieuously and which are most full and stuffeâ— with sinnes and which are most earthly and most hardest to be purged béeing so harde glewed and tyed to the soule that it cannot be pluckt away nor made cleane by no meanes but thorow the fire are put and cast into the hot furnace For they must be melted all new agayne The other that are not altogether so filthy vile and that haue not their sinnes so glewed in the soule that one cannot pul them away are holden for a certeine time within the great goulfes of water for to be there washed and made cleane Ther are yet others y are lesse faultie and guyltie which haue committed but certeyne small sins that hath no neede of such strong purgation And therefore they are hanged but a lyttle in the ayre for to winde them For they néede but to haue a lytle winde for to blowe away the dust that cleaueth fast to the soule bicause of the coniunction that it hath with his body and his fleshe Thomas As farre as I perceiue they doe with the soules in that Purgatorye as we doe with our apparayle sheetes vessell and mettall For when we haue any clothes or shéetes that are dustie or whereof we doubt the Moths and Wormes we stretch them abroad and hang them vppon a pearch in the ayre for to winde and cleane them And if ther be any spot or staine that will not easely come out we wash them with water
a wise man doth not afflict nor lament himselfe too much when he looseth his children or his friends but beareth their death with such a stomack and heart as he would doe his owne For that cause amongst others was Anaxagoras praysed who without any trouble to himselfe answered vnto him which brought hun tidings of the deathe of his sonnes Thou tellest me of no new thing nor a thing but that I ahue longe looked for it For I knew very well that he whom I engendred was mortall Thomas When I doe heare spoken of the constancie and modestie that the Panims haue shewed in the death both of them and of their friendes I am greately ashamed of vs christians who haue so great feare and doe make such noyse and torment our selues after the dead Hillairus Thereby we declare that we are very ignoraunt and effeminated And therefore the Lycians did apparayle them with womwnes apparell when they did mourne and lament to the ende that they should bée moued thorow that deformitie of apparell and thereby constrayned to cast downe all that foolish sorrow Declaring by the same that they accompted it folly to lament and wéepe For that cause Lycurgus did not permit to the Lacedemonians but eleuen dayes to mourne and lament in and after at the twelfe day they must cast it downe after that they had made a sacrifice vnto Ceres Uppon that matter ahth Plutarch written that all things not accustomed nor vsed were applyed vnto those that dyd lament and mourne And therefore the men went foorth openly hauing their heads couered the woemen vncouered and shorne or altogether polde agaynst the order of nature that being ashamed of such desormitie they should be constrayned she rather to moderate themselues and the better to banqutsh and ouercome their affections And whereas the Romaines prescribed a yeare full out vnto the woemen for to mourne was not for to compell them to lament and mourne so long time but to moderate and correct them to the ende they exceeded not measure And therefore the widowes did cary the signes of sorrowfulnesse being apparayled with blacke and wearing white kerchiefes vppon their heades as the Papists doe at this day The which thinges ouid hath comprised in a fewe bearses speaking of the yeare ordayned by Romulus after this manner When funeralls were once fulfilde the wise with ruthfull cheere His husbands death dyd wayle the want the space of one whole yeere And the Poet Statius sayth also The woemen weare in their attire the haue of blacke and white To represent the difference betwixt the day and night And it was not lawfull for them to marry before that those tenne moneths were expired except the had a dispensation of the Senate and Counsell as wée haue vsed to take of the people For Numa Pompilius of the same made a law the which did condempne the widow which maried before that the terme and lawfull tyme was accomplished to sacrifice a Cow with calfe Not that he estéemed that it was a sinne worthy of great punishment in marrying hir before that terme but had regarde to the honestye for two causes The first was bicause that it was not honest for the woeman but very much contrarye vnto the shamefastnesse and naturall modestye which oughte to be in hir to marye agayne so soone and before that the féete of hir first husband as the common Prouerbe is be throughly colde The other cause is for to conserue and kéepe the lynage and generations without minglyng them and destroying the séedes For it may so chaunce that the woman shal be with chilce by hir first husbande and she shall not know it so soone Neuerthelesse when there is any person of great callyng the Senate and Counsell would dispense with him as it appeareth at the maryages of Anthony and Octauia who by the authoritie of the same were allowed notwithstanding that Octauia did mourne for C. Marcellus Theophilus It is most certeine that it lyeth not in mans power to make a law which is repugnaunt and agaynst that which the Lorde hath sayde by his Apostle Hée that cannot abstaine let him mary to the ende that none do put any snare about the necke of any man put his soule in daunger Therefore sayth he it is better to mary then to burne For that cause let vs not make a law for to bynde any man and to take from him his libertie in such things but let vs leaue y vnto euery ones discression following the customs most allowable Yet neuertheles it is requisite whatsoeuer infirmitie of the flesh that one can alleadge that one haue alwayes reason of honestie and Christian modestie For that cause friende Eusebius haue wée propounded vnto thée so many examples and sentences both of the holy scriptures of auncient Doctors and also of the Panims to that ende that thou maist the more cléerely know what hath bene the custome of the auncient Israelites and of the Panims and of the first Christians also what hath bene their mourning what daies they haue dedicated for the same for the dead and for what cause and how the auncient Doctors haue written and to what intent and how much the Christian religion hath degenerated frō his auncient puritie insomuch that it is not worthy to cōpare them in such things I say not vnto the auncient Iewes but vnto the Panims themselues which haue had some iudgement honestie And yet neuerthelesse S. Hierome doth desire that the christiās should be yet more sober in such things then y auncient Israelites whose maner of doing he praysed not greatly which they haue vsed towards the dead But he excuseth them bicause that they had not yet receyued so amply the lyght and knowledge nor the accomplything of the promises of God so amply so excellently as we Wherefore he would that we should be a great deale more moderate and that we should declare more lyuely the hope that we haue of the resurrection But if we can doe no better nor be more perfect then they let vs not be at the least more imperfect and lette vs not doe worse after the manner of the Papists who are mroe to be rebuked in those things then any people that euer was vppon the earth Wherefore it were better friende Eusebius that we should reduce our selues to the imitacion of the Apostolicall Church then to continue alwayes in our folly and madnesse vnder the colour of a word or two that we finde eyther in Ambrose or in some other auncient doctor for want of well vnderstanding them And it shal be a great deale more conuenient and meeter for vs to follow the example of Dauid who mourned lamented for his childe all the while that he was sicke and whilest that he was yet alyue not after that hée was dead For which all those of his house were much abashed For whilest that the childe was yet
sicke and that he had some hope of lyfe he watched fasted and prayed making request vnto God for the childe and dyd lye flat on the earth and during the space of seuen dayes all those of his house no not his auncients and counsellers could not make him to lye on a bed nor to aryse vp from the earth nor to eate nor drinke with them vntyll such tyme he vnderstoode that the childe was dead the which thing none of his seruaunts durst tell him off thinking that he would haue bene mernaylously sadde and pensise after that hée should bée aduertised of his deathe sith that all the time of his sickenesse whilest that there was yet some hope of lyfe he alwayes wepte and lamented But it happened cleane contrarye For as soone as hée knewe for a certeynetie that the childe was dead he arose from the earth and washed and anoynted himselfe and chaunged his apparell and went into the house of the Lord and prayed and after came to his own house and bad that they should set meate before him and he did eate And made greater cheere then before whereoff his seruaunts were much abashed and asked him what is this that thou hast done vnto whom he aunswered while the childe was a lyue I fasted and wepte For I thus thought who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me that the childe may lyue But now séeing it is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him agayne any more I shall goe to him but hée shall not come agayne to me Dauid teacheth vs a good lesson and learneth vs to praye the one for the other while wée bée in this lyfe and to make prayers vnto God and to lament and mourne for our bretheren and neighbours whilest they are alyue whether they be in health or sicke prosperitie or aduersitie and not after they be dead For whilst that they be sicke we ought to pray for them that it would please God to pardon their sinnes and ours to giue vnto them health and to suffer them a while to be with vs and comfort vs to serue moreouer vnto his church if he know that the same is most expedient for the glory of his name and our profite For whilest that man is sicke we know not certeynly what God meaneth to boe with him We know very well that his wil cannot be but good that he wil dispose all things to the best But we cannot know perticulerly wythout a singuler reuelation whether that it be better that the sick person doe lyue or dye both for him and for vs Wherefore we ought to pray and weepe for him whilest that we can ayde and helpe him and that he is yet alyue with vs in the which we haue place to repent to obteyn pardon for our sinnes and we ought chiesly to bewayle the poore sinners whom we see to goe to perdition as Samuel bewept Saul séeing him forsaken of God And Sainct Paule the Corinthians whom he law to be deteyned and kept in sinnes if it would please God to haue mercy vpon them But sith that God hath once declared vnto vs his will we must holde our selues vnto the same and to take no more care for those whome God hath called vnto himselfe from among vs but we ought onely to aduise and sludie how we should dispose and order our selues for to follow them after the example of Dauid Wherevnto agreeth very wel the doctrine of Daynct Iames who admonusheth the faithfull if any of them bee diseased to call vnto them the true Priests of the Gospell and Elders of the congregation for to comfort them with the worde of God and for to praye for them that they may haue the forgiuenes of their sinnes and to comfort and procure all that they can for the health of their bodyes and soules and for their health and thorow prayers and oyntments and other lyke things which God hath giuen vnto the primitiue Church the which hath receyued the gyfte to doe miracles and in the which the Apostles did miraculously heale the diseased Anoynting them with oyle not after the manner as the Papisticall Priestes doe which doe anoynt the diseased not thorow the hope that they haue to heale them For if they did thinke that they should heale them they would not anoynt them Hillarius They would not doe so For they should loose much nor they should haue so many fatte hydes Theophilus For that same cause they call that vnction extreme and the last sacrament And they giue it not for the health of the body nor for to heale the diseased as the Apostles did nor to that intent as Saint Iames hath written but did giue it for the health of the soule as thoughe their holy oyle could penetrate in the same and that the haly Ghost and forgiuenesse of sinnes wertied vnto the oyle I know not whereto the vnction can serue for the poore diseased such as the do vse sith that thei haue no promises of god that the gift of miracles is not giuen vnto thē as vnto the Apostles to that primitiue church they do none other thing but read the Psalter babble it in a strange language vnto the sicke person of which he receiueth no instruction nor any consolation at all Hillarius If thou know not wherto that vnction serueth I will tell thée First that is a witnesse for to proue that in that same they are the Apes of the Apostles for to counterfet their workes and myracles as they counterfetted those of Iesus Christ in the Baptisine of young children Afterward it serueth vnto the diseased for to make them hope to be healed as the comming of the hangman vnto the théeues when they doe sée him For they know right wel that he is the messenger of death So when the poore patients séeing the Priestes comming with their Creame bores Dyle and Drogues they may well thinke that men accompt them for deade and their time is come For such Phisitians haue not accustomed to come nor to bring their Triacle but at the very houre that the sicke person is abandoned and forsaken of other Phisitians They may iudge that their hangman is come who careth nor for the soule but requireth onely the body and the spoylyng thereoff Theophilus There is nothing truer Wherefore they cannot alledge Saint Iames for their defence nor also the auncient doctors whom they would take for bucklers for al their matters They make a great accompt of Denis who hath written the celestiall and ecclesiasticall Hierarchies saying that that is Saynct Denis of Athens who was conuerted by the preaching of Saynt Paul which is not lyke to be true For the stile of those bookes sinelleth not lyke vnto that of the Apostles nor of their tyme Furthermore Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall history maketh mention so dilygently of the bookes of Denis Bishoppe of Corinth and neuer maketh any mention of those of Denis
heare Theophilus I beléeue that that God of the Priestes defendeth hymselfe as well from the fire as hée defendeth himselfe from the myce wormes spiders when they doe eate him and that euen as they lyue of the accidents wythout the substaunce so hath the fyre burned the accidents wythout the substaunce And accordinge to the Philosophy of the scholasticall Diuines agaynst the senâ—ence of Aristotle and of all the olde Philosophers one may easely finde accidents qualities and quantities without substaunce wythout body and subiecte Yet neuerthelesse if they dyd well consider the vertue of the fyre they should be contrained to allowe mine opynion And I woulde to God that they woulde worshyppe the fire which hath the onely vertue to purge sinnes to wytte the same with which Iesus Christ baptised which is the holy Ghost Hillarius I doe also desire that they would worship that water of lyfe the which Iesus Christ hath promysed which is the same holy Ghost But they had rather make the materiall water a God of which wée may lawfully say as wée haue sayde of the fire For if they do make a God of the fire they muste in lyke manner make a Goddesse of the water to the ende they maye haue Gods and Goddesses a Vulcan a Vesta Thetis or Amphittite Leucothea or Naiades Nymphes goddesses of the waters as wel as the Panims had for many times they attribute vnto it as much vertue as to the fire sometimes more For if their water do quench put out y fire of purgatory it hath as much vertue more theÌ„ God Canopus furthermore what dyfference is there betwéene theire Aquaticall Theologye and the same of the Ibolatrous Greekes the which the Romaines haue learned of them euen as the Papistes of the auncient Romaines As wée maye iudge by that whiche Ouid hath wrytten saying Our olde men thought and did beleeue and in that hope did dwell That sinne by purging losed was and so let not to tell Greece was the first this order gaue and therewith did suppose Offenders to be rid from sinne and so let not to glose Theophilus That doctrine shoulde hée good if it referred it selfe to the purgation of our sinnes made or done by Iesus Christ and that it extended vnto his bloud But their thought is altogether otherwise Hillarius They vnderstande that of their purgations of whiche we haue spoken off and chiefly of the water Of which superstition the Panims themselues doe mocke and haue well had the iudgement to know that the same was but vanitie as wee haue already declared by the Apothegine of Diogenes And the verses of Persius a boue alledged pretend to the same as well as those héere of Ouid which I will now rehearse Ah too light credite doe they giue which doe suppose and thincke That that same fault of murther should by water be extinct Eusebius Wée are of an opinion altogether differinge from the same For wée dooe not beleeue that thorow the sprinckling of the holy water the mortall sinnes are put away but onely the veniall sinnes Theophilus They are not then defaced and taken away by the same For the sinnes are not mortall but vnto those whiche sinne vnto death and agaynste the holy Ghost and which perseuer in their sinnes withour dooing repentaunce and running vnto the mercye of god But vnto Gods elect all sinnes are veniall not by their nature but by the grace of Iesus Christ For there is no sinne be it neuer so little which of his nature is not mortall and worthy of eternall death if Iesus Christe make them not veniall and capable of pardon to those which beléeue in hym to whome there is no more condempnation Wherefore I am abaÌ„shed of your Doctors which take so much paines to purge the veniall sinnes And amongest others the sprincklyng of the holy water and that they doe allowe so muche the exorcismes and coniurations namely of Thomas of Aquin whiche yet neuerthelesse doe nothing dyffer from charmes and sorceryes But I am yet more abashed of that Canon so full of blasphemye which is taken of Pope Alexander the fift whome you accompte to bée the firste finder out and inuentour of holy water who sayth after thys manner Wée doe blesse the water sprinckled or myngled wyth salt amonge the people to this ende that all béeing sprinckled therewyth shoulde bée sanctified and puryfied the which thinge wée commaunde all Priestes to doe so For it the asshes of a younge Heyfer béeinge sprinckeled vppon the people doe sanctifie and make them cleane by a stronger reason the water béeinge mingled wyth salte and hallowed wyth diuine praiers doth sanctifie and make them cleane And if the salte béeinge cast in the water by the Prophet Eliseus hath healed and hoplen the barrennesse thereoff howe much more the water béeinge hallowed wyth diuine prayers doth take awaye the sterrilitie of hamayne thynges and sanctyfieth and purgeth the filthinesse and multiplyeth and encreaseth the other goodes and putteth awaye the assaultes of the Diuell and defendeth men from fantasies O Lorde God what greater blasphemye can one heare is not that to tourne all the worde of God vpsyde downe and to ouerthrowe all the vertue of the death and passion of Iesus Christ That which the holy Apostle attributeth vnto the death and bloud of Iesus Christe is it not héere altogether most euidentlye giuen vnto the salte and water For in stéede that the Apostle sayth If the bloude of Dren and of Goats and the asshes of an Heyfer when it was sprinckeled puryfied the vncleane as touching the purifying of the flesh Nowe much more shall the bloud of Christe whiche thorowe the eternall spyrite offered himselfe wythout spotte to GOD purge your consciences from dead woorks for to serue the liuing God In stéede that the Apostle sayth the bloud of Iesus Christ those héere doe put the salt the water But I wyll argue and reason after an other sorte agaynst Alexander If the asshes of an Heyfer and the holy water that they doe make by the ordinaunce and commaundement of God cannot purge the conscience and can scrue but for a certeyne carnall purification for to kéepe certeyne discipline in the Iewish Churche and to prefigurate the true purgation which by the bloud of Iesus Christe ought to be in the Christian Churche but it was necessary that the onely sonne of God shoulde shed out his owne bloud which onely hath that vertue how the salt the salted water coniured by the priests without hauing either law commaundement or promise of God do it better Hillarius I should haue ben greatly ashamed to haue stayed so long vpon those vaine chidish ceremonies but that I did sée that the most wisest and the most greatest Doctors haue bene abused and deceiued are fallen into so many execrable blasphemies Thomas How hath y ben possible If it be so as you say I am greatly abashed how y
now Eusebius There is no doubt of it Theophilus Sith that it is so tell mée what soules went thether For eyther it must bée altogether emptie and voide or else it must be that some went thether eyther those of the elect faithfull or those of the Infidels and reprobate Now I do not thinke that thou wilt say that the Purgatory was for the Infidels and reprobate Eusebius One may so iudge by that which is written of the wicked rich man. Theophilus Sith then that hell was for the reprobate it followeth then necessarily that the soules of the elect shoulde goe into Purgatorye If it hée so to what ende serueth the Limbe For you doe saye that all the Patriarches Prophetes and true faythfull whiche are departed out of this worlde before the death and passion of Iesus Christe were there kepte and deteyned and they coulde not goe into Paradise vntyll such time as Iesus Christe had satysfied for them Wherefore I doe conclude accordinge to your doctrine eyther that the Limbe and Purgatorye were all one place and lodginge or else that the one of them two was voyde and supersâ—uous or that there was but one or for to speake the truth neyther the one nor the other For if the Limbe were for to receiue the faythfull that dyed in the fayth of the promyse made vnto Abraham what néede was there anye more of Purgatorye bad they not Purgatorye suffycient inough in the Limbes Were they not sufficientlye tormented to bée excluded from Paradise and depryued from the ioyes thereoff and from the fruytion of the glorye of GOD as you doe affirme For what more greater torment can a faythfull man haue then to bee depryued from suche a good thinge That is not onely a Purgatorye but a very hell Eusebius I do know that in hearing thée speake that thou which wouldest teache others art yet in greater ignoraunce and that thou vnderstandest verye euyll this matter The Limbe then was for those which were in such estate as those are nowe which haue finished their penaunce and haue made entire and whole satisfaction for their sinnes in this world which doe go strayght waye into Paradyse sauinge that those there cannot yet enter bicause that the doore was shutte vntyll that Iesus Christ came to open it and to breake the gates of Hell. Theophilus Wherefore was the Purgatorye Had it in it yet a certeyne other sorte of soules and of an other condytion then those which went into the Limbes Eusebius Yea. For thou mayst well vnderstande that all the faythfull which haue procéeded and bene before the comminge of our Lorde Iesus Christe haue not all of them bene so holy and so perfect as the Patriarches and Prophetes Wherefore it were no reason that incontinently after they are deade they shoulde receyue as much felicytie as they wythout they doe first accomplishe and ende their penaunce in Purgatorye and satysfie for their sinnes the which they haue not done in thys world as the holy Patriarches and Prophets haue done or otherwyse GOD shoulde not bée iuste For what reason is it that hée whiche hath lyued in all viees and sinnes all the time of this lyfe vntyll the laste tyme of hys death in whiche gée hath had repentaunce of hys sinnes and hath asked mercye of God shoulde haue no more gréeuous punishment but should receiue as great reward as he which al his life time hath serued God faithfully and hath alwayes lyued in holynesse righteousnesse and innocencie Theophilus Take héede thou doe not blaspheme God and doe imurye vnto his grace and mercye For I doe greatly feare but that thou wilt bée like vnto the brother of the prodigall childe who was enuious against his brother and murmured against his father béeing angrye at the gentle receiuing and of the grace and fauour that hee dyd vnto his sonne whome he had recoured béeing reduced and brought into the right way or least that thou be one of the companions of theÌ„ which were hired to work in the vineyard which did murmure against the good man of the house bicause y he did giue as much wages vnto those whom he called at the eleuenth houre a little before night for to work in his vineyard as vnto those whoÌ„ hée appointed from the morning which haue borne the burthen and heate of the day Wherfore dost thou not accuse our Lord Iesus Christ who hath aunswered vnto that poore theefe who dyd hange vppon the Crosse â—â—yth him This daye shalt thou bée with mée in Paradise What good déedes had hée done before Art thou enuious of the grace which God doth vnto the poore sinners Eusebius God forbid But we must vnderstand that as God is mercifull so is hée righteous And if the théefe which was crucified with Iesus Christ had had that priuiledge it followeth not therefore that all haue the lyke or that they ought to haue it For as the lawe makers doe say the priuiledges of a fewe are not common lawes to all men Theophilus If that théefe hath receiued so greate goodnesse by one singular priuiledge I doe aunswere vnto thée further that none is saued but by priuiledge For all wée haue meryted eternall dampnation of our nature Inasmuch then as wée be saued that is thorow a singular priuiledge which is giuen of God vnto the elect by Iesus Christ which is not common vnto the reprobate Eusebius There is yet an other reason wherefore that théese went straight into Paradise wythout passinge by the fire and the paines of Purgatorye that is bicause that he had alreadye done his penaunce in this world and hath satisfied for his sinnes Theophilus What penaunce or satisfaction coulde hée haue made For the theftes and murthers for which hée was hanged on the Gybet Eusebius But it was the paine that hée endured and suffered and the death that he hath receiued for his demerites Theophilus As much did his companion suffer which was hanged on the left hande but yet neuerthelesse his torments haue serued him nothing at all and hée dyd not heare such promise of Iesus Christ as the other Eusebius Bicause that hée dyd not take his death and torment quyetly and patientlye and hath not beléeued in Iesus Christe and demaunded pardon of hys sinnes as his companion did Theophilus Thou alwayes commest vnto my compt and thou shalt hée compelled to confesse that there is nothinge which was the cause of his saluation but the faith which he had in Iesus Christ and the mercy of God which hée hath obteyned by the same without that that God had regard neither to his dignitie or worthinesse nor vnto his workes but vnto Iesus Christe his sonne for whose loue he hath pardoned him not for the forment and death which the théese hath suffred and the satisfaction that he could doe vnto him but for the forment death and passion which Iesus Christ hath suffred the satisfaction that he hath made for him the which
Sainct Cyprian hath well vnderstanded of whom the witnes is alleged by the maister of the sentences For although all the deathes and forments that all men haue euer suffred Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles Martirs and confessors should be put together they should not be sufficient for to put out the least sinne in the world For God doth not take onlye for satisfaction the torment but regardeth the worthynes of the person of which he receaueth the raunsome the whiche was not found sufficient but in Iesus Christ Or otherwise if the torment which man doth suffer were approued and allowed of God for satisfaction and cause to auoyd the paines of Purgatory there shoulde bee no men more happier and blessed then the théeues murtherers brigandes and other malefactors which are executed by Iustice And there would bee none which would not but become a théese or murtherer or to coÌ„mit some fault wor thy of death for to be executed thorow Iustice to auoide the paines of Purgatory For if the doctrine of your diuines be true the fire of Purgatory surmounteth al the paine that a man can suffer in this life and it is so hot and burning that the visible and materiall fire of this world is but as a painted fire in comparison of that same Hillarius I cannot vnderstand in what place of the holy scripture they haue séene that I woulde rather beleeue that they haue learned it of Plutarch who hath witten that the dolors and paines of Purgatory are so great and so cruell that there is asmuche difference betwéene them and those that wee do suffer in our body and in the flesh as there is difference betwéene that which happeneth vnto vs in dreaming and that which happeneth vnto vs waking In somuch that all that whiche we doe suffer in this worlde is but as a dreame in the respecte of the same Wherfore if the fable that the Theologians haue rehersed of Sainct Gregory be true I shal not be abashed that hee had rather choose when the Aungell did giue vnto him the choyce of two things to be in paine and sickenes all his life then two daies in Purgatory bicause that hée prayed for Traianus and deliuered him from hell For although that he complained in his Epistles that hée is so much gréeuid with diseases and so great dolours that his life is vnto him nothing but paine yet neuertheles it is verye casle in comparison to be a quarter of an houre in Purgatory Thomas To what purpose hath the Angell giuen vnto him to choose one of those two paines By doing good ought euill to happen vnto him Hath hée fetched out Traianus from hell against Gods will If our Priestes had such a payment for to drawe soules out of Purgatorye I belaue that they would not be very much hotte after their masses Hillarius It were necessary that sithens they haue begunne the fable to ende it for to make it accorde and agrée with that of Theseus and Pyrothus who as the Poetes do witnes are punished in the hells bicause that they woulde take awaye Proserpina maugre the God Pluto Theophilus That is yet nothing in comparison to that that I haue said They do kindle that fire more For they do affirme that the same of Purgatory and that of hell is al one and that there is none other difference but that the same of hell is eternall touching his office but the same of Purgatory is not but as touching his substaunce bicause that the soules go out some time Wherefore they do conclude that not onely the paine of Purgatorye is the moste gréenous that euer was but whiche is more Thomas of Aquin hath written that that paine excéedeth and surmounteth the dolours torments which Iesus Christ hath suffred in his death and passion What blasphemy can be more greater For what hell can be more truell then that which Iesus Christe hath suffred for vs when hee take vpon him the cursse due for our sinnes for to deliuer vs Thomas Do they not alledge some place of the holye Scripture for to proue that Hillarius Where shal they finde it their probatien is an example which they do commonly put foorth and propounde taken out of the chronicles of the Iacobins of a Frier of that order who appeared vnto a very friende of his by whom beeing asked of the paines of Purgatorye aunswered that if all the world and all the visible things were on fire and did burne yet it could not be compared to the paine and beate of Purgatorye bost thou not thinke that the probation is worthy of such Theologians Eusebius Although that there were no Scripture that we had but our naturall sence the which God hath giuen vnto vs yet wee might well iudge that it is conuenient and necessarie that there be a Purgatorye in whiche the sinful men may he punished for those sinnes of which they haue not ended their penaunce For it is not written with out cause Nullum malum impunitum Nullum bonum irrenumeratum That is ther is none euil which shal not be vnpanished nor no goodnes which shal not be vnrewarded Theophilus Although that those wordes are not reryted in the scripture after that manner as thou doost receyte them yet neuertheles I am content to allow it to be true I doe not deny but that God is as iust as he is merciful For otherwise he could not be god But we ought to consider by what meanes he doth exercise his iustice mercie towards vs There is no doubt but the our sinnes do deserue great punishmeÌ„t And therfore hath he giueÌ„ vnto vs Iesus Christ his sonne hath deliuered him to death for vs that our misdéeds should be punished in him that he do satisfie for vs to his souereigne iustice for to obteine of him grace mercy in his name Thou seest theÌ„ that there is none euil which is not vnpunished for to satisfie the rightousnes iustice of god but ther is differeÌ„ce in the maÌ„ner of punishing Forâ—â— he that hath bâ—ne the euil beleeueth in Iesus Christ and hath full hope and trust that thorow his death passion he hath obtayned of God pardon and remission of his sinnes thorow that saith he is the true member of Iesus Christ and adopted for the sonne of god If hee bee a true member of Iesus Christ and a true childe of God hée his sinnes are punished in Iesus Christe who for that cense hath borne the iudgement and tursse of God for all the elect But if the sinner bee an Infidell and whiche hath no parte with Iesus Christ the wrath of God falleth vppon him and he cannot escape the Iudgement of God but that his sinne be punished in himselfe in hell fire And euen as our euill deedes are punished in Iesus Christ so are our good déedes rewarded in him and by him allowed of the celestiall Father which crowneth his good
many do affirme by the commaundement of his owne sonne who secretly sent vnto him the hangman And therfore for that he dyed excommunicated hée was not buryed in the holy ground vntil that he was absolued and deliuered from his excoÌ„municating after his death by y pope by y meanes of which absolution hée was caried to Spire to the sepulchre of his fathers Wilt thou now deny that the pope hath not more power then the Saintes that he is not greater Lord then Iesus Christ asmuch to be feared or rather more then God For Iesus Christ hath said witnessed â—â—â—rely that his kingdome is not of this world But the Pope will haue it both in this world and in the other Furthermore he admonisheth vs not to feare those which can but onely kill the body and do no more but let vs feare him onely which is able to destroye both body and soule and to cast them into hell Sith then that the Pope attributeth vnto himselfe such power that after that y he hath killed the bodyes he persecuteth stil the soules after the body is dead and excommunicateth the dead and sendeth them into hell who will deny that he is not God and that he may not vse the authoritie of his keyes as well towardes the dead as towards the liuing And that his buls and pardons doe not extend and stretch foorth vnto the dead and to the soules of Purgatory As it appeareth by the doing of Pope Sixtus the fourth Innocent the eight Pascale the fift Calistus and a great many other Popes which haue giuen full remission by their buls and indulgences both to the quicke and the dead And oftentimes for small causes As for to goe and visite a certeine Chappell to make a certeine voyage and other like matters But vpon condition that he haue alwayes ready money And the better to witnesse that Popish deitie Pope Boniface the eight would not haue his Iubile among the Christians as God had it amonge the Israelites but of an other sort For God ordeined the yeare of the great Iubile from fiftie yeares to fiftie yeares for to comfort the poore people for to render and restore the wages and possessions vnto the poore that are in debt for to deliuer the poore bondmen out of seruitude bondage and for to prefigure and foreshew the yeare of grace and the deliuerance liberty which Iesus Christ ought to bring vnto the Christian people according to the prophesie of Esay and of the other prophets But the Pope Boniface in the yeare 1300 as if Iesus Christ was not come and that he had not by his comming declared vnto vs the yeare of y great Iubile which shall indure vntill the ende of the worlde by the which we are affranchised froÌ„ the serâ—tude of sinne death diuell and of hell as putting himselfe in the place of Iesus Christ hath constituteâ— his Iubile by the which he hath promised full remission of sinnes vnto all those which will come visite at Rome the Chuâ—ch of Saint Peter and of Saint Paul And hath commaunded that it should be alwayes celebrated from an hundreth yeares vnto an hundreth yeares For he feareth least the olde custome of the auncient Panims should in succession of time be altogether abolished Thomas What custome Hillarius They haue accustomed to play in the honor of their Gods iests histories and diuers other playes which they do call seculer playes bicause they do not celebrate it but from an hundreth to an hundreth yeares And therefore the Heraldes doe crye which declare and publish them Come sée the games the which none of you shal neuer se any more Eusebius But Boniface hath done cleane contrary to that y thou sayest For he hath constituted the Iubile for to abolish the memory of those Panish plaies Hillarius He hath chaunged playes into playes and those which profited him nothing at all he hath chaunged theÌ„ into others more profitable for him But the other Popes which came afterwards seing and perceiuing that that Iubile was too long for them and that they could not haue so good a part for their pray haue abrogated and made shorter the time And therefore Pope Clement the sixt hath remitted it froÌ„ 50. years to 50. years And after him Pope Sextus the fourth who hath deiâ—ied and put among the saints S. Bonauenture hath agayne remitted it from xxv yeares to xxv years and hath celebrated the first in the yeare 1475. Afterwards Alexander the sixt who was pope in the yeare 1500. following the example of Sextus hath yet better enlarged that Iubile For â—e hath not onely held kept it at Rome but hath so enlarged it thorowout all Christendome that there remayneth almost no citie village nor parish but that he hath made them pâ—rtaâ—ers of it Thomas They may then bée well called Gods liuetenaunts in earth For sith that they do it 〈◊〉 y â— â—â—â—t Iesus Christ is well at leasure He â—ught to haue no great care neither for the quicke nor for the dead sith that he hath such liuetenauntes we shall bée compelled to chaunge our Credo and whereas in the same we consesse that he shall come from heauen for to be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead we must giue that title vnto the Pope Hillarius A good Sophister wil easily absolue thy doubt For wee confesse that Iesus Christ shall come at the time appointed Wherefore they will conclude that Iesus Christ is not yet really and in euery déede Iudge of the quicke and of the dead but that he shal be Or if thou wilt that I doe tell thée in their language That he is Iudge Non actu sed habitu aptitudine but that the Pope is not onely in power remote future but actu in potentra propinqua propinquissima that is to say of act dâ—ede worke and power néere and present Thomas Beholve a goodly solution In the meane while then Iesus Christ shal rest and the Pope shall docâ—all Theophiluâ— I am abashed if their buls indulgences pardons haue such power How Gregory hath passed them ouer without making any mencion of them when he comprehended all the meanes by which the liuing might comfort the soules of purgatory For hée did put aâ—d declare â—nt foure and touched not one word of the buls and pardons But there is yet an other pointe that which y doctor Hostiensis which is of great reputatioÌ„ among the papises was not of opinion that the pope can doe such thinges by his pardons and indulgences but hath holden the contrary â—ea and the other doctors as Bonauenture Thomas of Aquin Alexander of Ales Giles Dâ—rand Richard Peter of Tarentaisâ— and many other like hauâ— had sometime the thing in doubt and haue onely disputed of it as of an opinion afterwardes haue taken vpon them baldnesse to define vpon it and to giue their sentence as if they were
full resolution they will fall vppon this sence Although that Iesus Christ be dead as touching his flesh body and humanitie yet neuerthelesse he is quickened by the spirite that is to say by his eternall vertue and diuine power by the which hee is not onely risen from death but also hath giuen vnto vs his quickening flesh and hath tourned death into lyfe quickening by the same all those which were dead thorow sinne And to the ende that none should dispise Iesus Christ bicause that he is dead and was crucified as a vyle and an abiect person he declared that he is so dead that there is no lyfe but in his death and that none can lyue but by him and that he is not onely to day but euerlasting and that by the same spirite and diuine and eternall vertue he is already an other time come vnto the worlde and hath iudged and condempned the rebells the proude and peruerse spirits oppressed with wicked spirites which were not vnder their kéeping but did sléepe not thinking on the iudgement of god vntil such time as the floud ouerwhelmed and drowned them as he doth yet at this present by that same spyrite by the which hée Iudgeth an condempneth the world and saueth and quickeneth his elect euen as he did in the time of Noe. Hillarius It seemeth that that exposition is also a little vyolated far fetched neuerthelesse it commeth not euill to purpose but séemeth to agrée well inough to the letter of the text of S. Peter Theophilus Bicause that the place is obscure hard I dare not to define pronounce of it rashly But I would gladly put forth these expositions to that ende you may iudge of theÌ„ for to awake the spirits for to finde out some better thing Neuertheles I thinke that this héere is the simplest that is to say that S. Peter willing to shew foorth the efficacie vertu of Iesus Christ of his death and passion witnesseth that it was so great that the lyuing haue not onely felt perceiued it but the dead also vnto whom it is come But in what manner or after what sort How is it communicated vnto vs and all his giftes and graces but by his spirite and diuine vertue Euen as then by his spirite he hath giuen vnto vs his quickening flesh which is vnto vs spirite and lyfe and hath communicated vnto vs his vertue so hath he manifested himselfe by the same spirite vnto the deade both during their lyse and after their death For it is sayde of Abraham that he did sée the day of the Lord and reioyced If he hath then already during this mortal lyfe felt the efficacie and vertue of Iesus Christ long time before that he didde offer his eternall sacrifice wée cannot doubt but that he and all the others which were in his bosome haue felte it more fully when he did manifest himselfe more fully By this we may well vnderstand whereto this place can serue to proue Purgatory For if the vertue of the death and passion of Iesus Christ be of such efficacie that it goeth vnto the dead what néede haue we then of Masses and Suffrages of the Priests for to comfort the dead and to apply vnto them the merits of Iesus Christ sith that none can do it but he himself by the vertue of his spirite which quickeneth the quicke and the dead Now hée calleth that manifestacion predication not that he hath preached verbally or by mouth towards the dead such as is among the lyuing but bicause that euen as by the preaching and Euangelycall ministring Iesus Christ is manifested vnto vs and doe feele the vertue and efficacie of his death and passion Also the spirits of the dead haue theirs but in their maner and such as apperteineth vnto them euen as we doe vnderstande that God gaue himselfe to his Angells to be knowen and to make them tast of his bountie and goodnesse but by an other meane then vnto vs bicause that their condition was contrary We must not then dreame out a Lymbe and a materiall prison and a locale descending of the spirite of Iesus Christ into hell and a preaching such as wée haue But wée must vnderstande all those things spiritually For as it is not néedfull that Iesus Christ should descend locally from heauen for to make vs feele his vertue so it is not necessary to descend into hell For the vertue of his spirite is such that it filleth heauen and earth and is spread abrode euery where Hillarius As I thinke our dreaming Theologians had very much leasure wheÌ„ they setled themselues to dispute whether the soule of Iesus Christ did suffer in the hell Amongest the which some of them are founde to bée of opinion that he did Theophilus If they had wel vnderstanded that which Iesus Christ sayd vnto the théefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and how Iesus Christ descended into hell when his soule was sorrowfull and in anguish euen vnto the death and that he hath dronken vp the cup of the wrath and furor of God and hath borne his iudgement and our malediction and curse and the dampnation due vnto our sinnes insomuch that he was stroken beaten of God hath suffered death after which he descended into the sepulchre or graue they should not haue néeded againe to make the soule of Iesus Christ to descend from Paradise in which it was for to goe into hell For it is sufficiently giuen vnto the spirites of his elect to vnderstand which haue receiued consolation and vnto those of the reprobate declaringe vnto them from what goodnesse they were depriued without descending or assending Eusebius To what purpose then doth he speake of the prison and what other thing can hée vnderstand but the Lymbe of which it is also spoken in Zachery saying I haue let thy prisoners out of the pit where is no water Theophilus By the Words of Zachery the Lord giueth vs to vnderstand none other thing but that by the bleud of the alliance that he hath made with Syon he will deliuer his people that are captiue kept in the bottom of all miseries By the prisoners he vnderstandeh his people that bée in captiâ—itie by y euils he vnderstandeth a captinitie a goulse and bottome of all miserye from which it is not possible for them to come out by any meanes if God doe not delyuer them himselfe Therefore he calleth it Welles for to declare the depth yea yet without water in which one cannot swimme to the ende they may the better knowe their miserie and the grace and mercy of God towardes them When S. Peter did speake of the prison of the spirits he did it for to amplyfie the better the grace of the Gospell comparing those which wer vnder the seruitude bondage of the law vnder those shadows figures vnto those which shall be in a prison in
Christ 21â— Masses for the lyttle Infants 259. Masse of Requiem for the Saints 255 Mans reason the foundation of purgatory 222. Men that are dead Gods to the Idolaters 282. Mercury 269. Ministers of Sacraments 241. Moonkes dead to the world 274. Mortui non mordent 274. N. Necessitie 228. New Letanie 255. New transfiguration of Sathan 258. O. Obiection 2â—3 222. 232. Obiection of the necessitie of baptisme 237. Office of a Lieuetenaunt 27â— Offices Ecclesiasticall 241. The onely death of Iesus Christ satisfieth 220. One onely God. 280. Opinion of Lombard 227 P. Pagatory 276. Paynes of the Limbe 224 Payne for satisfaction 220. Payne and fault 251. Paynes of purgatory 224. Pardons to whom they profit 285. Pelagians 239. Poena damni poena sensus 224. Philip king of Fraunce 280. Pickelockes 286. Place of purgatory 279 Place of Saint Luke ca. 12. 287. Place of the Actes ca. 2. 289. Place of Saint Mathew ca 12. declâ—â—ed 271. Place of the Apoc. ca. 5. 292. Place of the 1. Corinthians ca. 15. 290. Place of the Philippians ca. 2. 291. Place of Saint Peter 1. ca. 3. 293. Place of Thoby contrary to the priests 262 Place of Saint Mathew ca. 5. expounded 267. Place of the second booke of the Machabees serueth nothing at all for purgatory 219. Playes and games of the Panims 283 Pope God and more then God. 278 Pope Clement the sixt cyted by Fryer walter being dead 286. Pope Lieuetenaunt of Saint Peter 274 Pope more puissant then Christ 252. Pope hath more power then the saints 278. Pope Iudge of the quick and the dead 284. Power of the keies and indulgences for the dead 274. Power of the keyes 274. Power of the keyes lymitted in this worlde 284 Power to giue pardons lymitted 285. Power of the dead vppon the Popes 286. Prayse giuen to God for all creatures 292. Prayers for the resurrection 252 Prayers for the Saints that be in Paradise 255 Prayer for the deade how that may be done 253 Prayer for the resurrection of the bodye and the comming of Christ 254. Prayers of the diuells 291. Predication to the dead 273. 293. 296. â—he Priests or woemen Priests 242. Priesthoode of the dead 276. Prison 297. Prisoners 29â— Prochet Archbishop of Genes 280. Propositions equipolents 271. The latter Prophets 217. Prouerbe common 211. 267 Priuiledge 220. Punishment vppon those that doe reiect the Gospell 289. Punishment of the elect with the reproreprobate 188. Punishment of sinnes 222. Purgatory the nurse of sinnes 222 Purgatory by what reason it is builded 219. Purgatory before the coÌ„ming of Christ 219. Purgatory of purses 276. Purgatory for the body 258. Q. Question of the Infantes of the Hebrewes dead without circumcision 226. Question Theologicall 230. R. Rage of Pope Stephen against Formosus 281. Raymond 251. Rebellion and dispising the commaundements of God. 223 Reconciliation fraternall 269. Regeneration 234. Regula 267. Renumeration of good deedes 222. Reward of foolish builders 26â— Requâ—escant in pace in Purgatory 293. De Roma the defiler of the faith 18â— S. Sacrifice of Christ eternall 24â— Saluation without exterior Sacraments 229. Saluation without Baptisme 237. Saluation lyâ—â— to the elements 233 Saluation without visible Baptisme 213. Saluation by piruiledge 220. Sara and Agar 256. Saued by fire 265. Saul a persecutor made an Apostle 299. See God before and behinde 279. Seigniory of Iesus Christ 291 Sence and meaning of the words of S. Peter 1. epist. Cap. 3. 296. Sence of S. Mat. words Cap. 5. 270. Sence of the words of S. Luc. Cap. 11. 270. Sence of the words of Iesus Christ vpon the 5. Cap of Saint Mat. 269. Sence of the parable 270. Sentence of Saint Augustine touching the children that are dead without baptisme 238. Sergeants of Purgatory 268. Sergius and Formosus 281 Shed out ones bread and wine vpon the graues of the iust 262 Sichimites 230 Signe to iudge the true and false Prophets 258. Signes and figures for the thinges signed and figured 240 Silla and Marius 281. Sillogisme 178 Signification of Limbe 225. Simâ—n Peter 276 Sinne against the holy Ghost 272 Sinne to death 256. Sinne originall 2â—9 Sextus 283. Skirmishers 257. Solution of Baptisme 237. Sâ—â—e of the Scripture of the auncient Doctors touching the Sacramets 236 Stella Clericorum 281. Speaking of dumbe and incorporal creatures 292 Spirite of Bacchus 213. Spirites prisoners 295 Spirite that preached to the dead what â—â— it is 294 Supper giuen to Infantes by Ciprian and Origene 234. Suburbes of hell and of Paradise 226. T. Theology inferior and metaphisical 257 Those which haue not beleeued in this world 298. Three sortes of baptisme 237 Treasure of the Church and the dispensation of the same 284 Treasure of the Church 264. Three hells 224 Torments of the reprobate agrauated 247. Transfer and giue kingdomes 280. True Gedeon 287. Two wayes 225 V. Vaineglory 257. Valentinian 233. Valew of twelue thousand â—ragmes 213 Vertue of Iesus Christ come to the dead 196. Vertue of the buls and pardons 283 Vse of Allegories 298. W. Warre of the Geants 256. Wells 297 Wells of Saint Patricke 212. Wells of fire and brimstone 293. What knowledge of God is necessary to saluation 279 298 Who doe boow the knee in hell 291. Witnesse of God. 218. Witnesse of conscience that he is a God. 248. Word of God Iudge and guide 212. Workes of hipocrites 223. Worme of the conscience 249. FINIS TABVLAE MIEVLX VAVLT MOVRIR EN VERTV QVE VIVRE EN HONCTE ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East dwelling by Paules wharfe 1579. A prouerbe Luc. 16. l. 20. The cause of y temptation to the elect Heb. 4. d. 15. The fall of Peter Mat. 26. g. 25. Luc 22. l. 60 The errour of Saul Act. 7. 8. 9 The darknesse of the vvorld Exo. 10. l. 22. The Aegyptians at this present time Aegypt and Babilon One onely veritie The meanes for to finde out the truth Prouerbe The foole counsaileth the vvise Sape etiam est holitor valde opportuna locutus The lavve of the Babilonians for the diseased Herodo It. 1. Bxo. 23. 〈◊〉 Latine bookes All languages good to God. Luc. 4. d. 23. The gift of tongues Act 2. 2. 1. French bookes Anacharsis Amos. 7. d. 13. Dauid Esay The Apostolicall eloquence and humaine â—loquÌ„ence Curious men of speaches Manglers of Latine These vvhich doe auoide the reading of dinine bookes Prouerbe Velut Canis Nilo All Artes and disciplines the handmaides of holy bookes Doctrinall of Alexander Eloquence vvithout the feare of God. Cleero and Gariline Eschines and Demostlienes The true science and eloquence Esa. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Iohn 17. 23 Out of east of the bread of life Curious readers of foolish bookes The svveet smellings vnto hogs Vile and filthy bookes Fooles bables Good books despised forbidden The Christian all to all men 1. Cot. 9. c. 20. Holy deceyts Booke discouering the abuses The office of fooles and scoffers Vile and 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An idle vvord Mat. 12.
Sermo dominie 20 post Trinita Virg. Aen. 3. Aene. 6. Requieseant in pace Virg. Aene. 9 The â—â—vv of Numa Vino rogum ne respergito Demostb in Aesâ— chi Virg. Georg. 1. Et mistica vannus Iaâ—â—bi Emperiques Melters The Purgatory of those that haue the poxe The dyet The rentall of Purgatory The Art for to teach y priestes to be sober The salutacion of the Souldiers vnto the holy fathers Mat. 17 dâ—at To driue ouâ— Diuels thorow fasting prayer Carnal Gospellers The fastings prayers of the Christinas Hovv Purgatory is burned Hell 2. Pet 3. d Hell and the paines of hell are eternal Mar. 9. g. 4 4 Esa 66. g. 24 Esa. 30 g. 30. Pluto To demaund tribute of the dead Aristo li. 2 Râ—eto Sueto in veâ—â—as Tribute of vâ—â—ne of the stevves Vespasian Titus Sâ—â— to in Vespas â—ixâ—i bonus odor exre quâ—â— libet Bâ—â—ry sauour is good so that mony come The auarice of the Romaines Necrocorinthâ—a The Christians contributaries before they be borne and after they be dead Baptisme Confirmation Confession Singing of Masses The Supper Marriage To take orders Extrem vnctioÌ„ Arithmeticians the schole of Arithmaticke The blessings of the Missell the Portus and of the Manuel of the Priestes Benedictio â—ladi salis ouorum Benedictio rasurni Benedictio pera baculi Benedictio anuli lecti Benedictio panis et seminum Benedictio domus nouâ— Benedictio easula Benedictio ad omnia The rapines and extortions of 〈◊〉 the Emperour Caligula Sueto TraÌ„q in Calig The pride of Caligula Ioseph Anti. li. 18. ca. 15. Tribute of vittailes and of proces Tribute of get pâ—nce and of harlots Tribute of marriages Tribute of plaiing at cardes dice. The papisticall tribute of the viâ—â—aâ—les The crueltie of Pope Clement Dispensations for to eat flesh and milke Phil. Beroal in Sueto Caig. Tribute of vvhores Prafecti Bulle tarum Deut. 23. c. 18 Alexander Seuerus emperour lampi id in Alexand The Bishoppes Bavvdes to the priestes The selling of Offices Nero. Sueto Tran. in Nero. Scis quid mibi opus sit hoc agaâ—â—s ne quis quiâ—quâ—n habeat Alexander Emperour Necesse est vt qui emit vendaâ— Ego non patior mareatores potestatum The buryall solde Grego in Reg. Iann 〈◊〉 1. â—a◠〈◊〉 2. Quâ—sta Ib. d. â—â—â—ro in Geneâ—â— 4. post quaÌ„ 〈◊〉 Tuâ—â—a In eccle si â—â—â—o ca. precipiendum Ephron â—braham Gene. 23. b. 10. Math 27. a. 〈◊〉 Act. 1. c. 18 A true history of our tyme. Our lady of Lausanna hir miracles False miracles Iohn 11. e. 43. 12 a. 2 Mar. 5. d. 42 Luc. 7. c 15 Act. 9. g 40 Act. 20. b. 9 The olde vvomen that doe keepe the children that bee borne dead Ravv earth Apuli li. 6. Asini aur Et si sorte pâ—ae manu non fuerit nâ—mo expirate pauperem patiotur Phocion Plut. in Phocion The poyson of the Athenians Death bought The custome of the dead the sâ—â—ry money of Charon Naulum Oâ—â—alus Ver. Aâ—ne 6. The prayer of those that are depriued from â—â—â—riall Rerâ—c sperg Serâ—o dominic 24 post Trinita 〈◊〉 all Apâ—li li. 6. Asin aâ—r â—rgo inter mortuos anaritia Vâ—iâ— neâ— Câ—aron ilie ditis pater tantus Deus quiequam gratuito facit pauper mortens debat viaticum quarere The Milanois Ioh 1. d. 21 â—â—c 〈◊〉 5 c 14 〈◊〉 o. b. 7 Valer. Max. li. 2 â—a 1. de iust aut Gothes Aduenturers To spoyle the dead and to pil the naked A true historie Blonduâ— The Priestes are the graues of men and of Iesus Christ Stella clericorum O saccrdos corâ— puâ— tutâ—m efficitur quotidic sepulchruÌ„ Christi Stella clericorum Mundi precium proiieitur in sterquilinium id est in oâ— immundi sacerdotis The true God and that of the Priestes The Sepulchre of Iesus Christ Act. 1. a. 2 Rom 6. b. 9 Mat. 2â— g. â—7 Mar. 15. d. 42 Luc. 23. g 50 Iohn 19 g. 35 The sacrifice of Iesu Christ Heb. 7. d. 27. 9. c. 12 Marc. 16. d. 19 Luc. 24. g. 51 Act. 1. b. 9 To eate Iesus Christ De consecra distic 2. in glos cap. nee Moyses Lib. de sacram Ioan chanois Vtrum Christus comederit seipsâ—o in die coenae Respondet quod sic Vt communiter tenent Docto. res Vnde versus Reâ— sedet in â—oene turba â—inetus duodena Se tenet in manibus se cibat ipse cibus Caparnaites Iohn 6. f. 55 To eate Iesus Christ three vvaies The spirituall â—nanducation Iohn 6. g. 63 The presence of Iesus christ Ephe. 3. c. 17 Rom. 8. b. 1â— The Temple of God. 1. Cor. 6. d. 19 2. Cor. 6. d. 16. Iohn 6. d. 31. Heb. 13. c. 10 The carnall manducatioÌ„ Capernaites The papistical manducation The hones of Iesus Christ are vvhole Iohn 19. f. 33 The pascall Lambe Bxo. 12. 2. 5 Induction Members of Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 12. b. 12 Rom. 12. b. 5 To persecute Iesus Christ Act 9. 〈◊〉 4 To eate Iacob Psa 79. b. 7 Psa. 53. a. 5 Psa. 14. a. 4 Metonimia Virg. Aene. 2 Vealegon ardet Deuourers Gods heritage 1. Pet. 5. a. 3 Sillogismus in darii To eate the skinne and the bones Mich. 3. 2. 2. A sop in the throte Shepheards feeding themselues Bze 34. 2. 2. Serberus the porter of hell Vir Aene. 6. DuÌ„me dogs and cryers Esa. 56. c. 11 Prouer. 30. b. 14. The daughters of the horselech Horat in art Poet. Non missura cuteÌ„ nisi plena cruoris hirudo The insatiable thinges Pro. 30. b. 16 The fire insatiable Hell or y graue insatiable Psa 5. c. 10 Esa. 5. 6. 14. Harpyes Vir. Aene. 9 Virginei volucruÌ„ vâ—ltus fodissima ventriâ— Proluuies vnca que manus pallida semper Ora fame Painted Sepalchres Mat. 29 b. 14 Mar. 12. d. 39 Luc. 20. g. 47 The ornaments of the painted Sepulcâ—res Sepulchers of Iesus Christ The difference betvveene to speake 〈◊〉 euill and to speake truth All Papisticall Priestes excoÌ„municated To take money for y sacrameÌ„ts ecâ—lcsiastical offices Gela. Papa l. quae 〈◊〉 Baptiz â—â—dis Item Caâ—â—st 〈◊〉 Grego NaziaÌ„ze c 1. 3 Qâ—i stude Ambr. de myâ—te ca. cum ordinaâ—â—ntur Item can Qâ—busdam pueri Papists excommunicated Act 8. d. 20 Simony Simontack Merchaunts in the Churcâ— 1. Pet. 2. 2 3 Plati in vâ—ta Leonâ— pont 2. Concâ—liuâ— Elbertinum Ex cnoci Telet 11. Ca. Quiequid â—x â—yno ca. 6. Nuilâ—s â—x conc Calc 1. q. 1. cap. Si quis Ex conc Carth. 4. cap Placuit Emendan Dictum Concâ— Tiburiensis The selling of the buriall Psal. 24. a. 1. Math. 10. a 8. Ex con Vatensi cap. Praecipiendum Grego in Registro Ianuarius bishoppe Nereida 13. q. 2. cap. Questa est Ephron Gene. 23. b. 10 Tertulian Apolog aduer Gent. ca. 13. Tributary gods and to be sold Begging Religion Tertul. in Apoâ—duer Gent a. 42 Begging Gods Vnto vvhome vve must