proofe out of the holy Scripture that he may be fully established in his faith and the aduersary heretike wholy confounded in his misbelefe If he list not rather as I heartely pray to God that he may geue ouer that vnnaturall plea holden to long against the Catholike Church our mother Geue eare then vnto the wordes of our Sauiour written in the Gospell of S. Matthew Esto consentiens aduersario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo ne forte tradat te aduersarius iudici iudex tradat te ministro in carcerem mittaris Amen dico tibi non exies inde donec reddas nouissimuÌ„ quadrantem Be at agreement with thine aduersary speedely whiles thou arte with him in the waye Lest that aduersary deliuer thee vp to the iudge the iudge commit thee to an officer by whome thou may be cast into prison surely I say vnto thee thou shalt not get out till thou haue discharged the vttermost farthing Now being desirous of the trueth and true meaning of this letter for the vnderstanding maketh all because there may arise by the darkenesse of that figuratiue speach some diuersity of sense let vs indifferently wey euery worde and with diligence examine the circumstances of the texte whereby any light may appeare And first being admonished to agree with our aduersary we may right well know that he meaneth not by the commoÌ„ enemie of our kinde that rometh about seeking whome he may deuour for his cruell assaultes must onely by resistaunce be withstand Neither the worde which the Euangelistes there vsed can properly signifie any malicious enemy that by hatered of our person is become our deadly foe as those which be skillfull in the language is wherein they wrote do confesse But rather as well the worde as the iust consideration of the place driueth vs to acknowledge that this our aduersary here signifieth our brother which hath iuste quarell against vs in iudgement for that we woulde not geue eare vnto him sharply admonishing vs of our faultes being therefore an aduersary to our viceis and fleshly coÌ„uersation In which sort to vs that are flesh and bloude and redy to euill from our youth all be aduersaries that preach Christ the amendement of licentious maners repentaunce of our lothsome life past or els vse against vs the rodde of correction and bodyly punishment that our soules may be saued in the day of the appearing of our Lorde To this kinde of aduersary Christ councelleth and commaundeth vs for our great good to agree and consent whiles we be here in the way of this our pilgramage and transitory life lest all these meanes which he wroght to reduce vs to the perfection of a Christian godly life be as it were a witnesse of our contempt him selfe our accuser before the iudge that shall so iustely reward euery man according to his deedes that is Christ him selfe to whome the father hath geuen all iudgement VVhose ministers being Angels either good or badde for the execution of iustice vpon sinners shall at his appointment cast vs into the prison and dongion there to be holden from life and liberty till we haue paide the last farthing the toleration of which bondes shall recompense the debtes which by wel doing and much mourning in the way of this world we refused to pay as S. Augustine piththely speaketh in these wordes Si non reddit faciendo iustitiam reddet patiendo miseriam he that paieth not his debt by dooing that which is iust right he shall pay it by suffering misery VVhich we trust the pitifull paines of that prison through the only desertes and merites of Christ our Lorde and God shall so discharge that after the payment either pardoned or fully made we may haue ioyfull accesse to his blessed presence For the forme of speache vsed in like ordre of wordes by both the Euangelistes doth vs plainely to vnderstande that we may through Christ make full payment thereof Ells he woulde not by likelihood haue saide that we shoulde not scape forth till we had discharged â–ª the vtmost farthing but rather that seuere iudge would haue geueÌ„ charge that the offender should be bouÌ„de hand and foutte and cast into the darke doungion of euerlasting daâ—nation prepared for the deuill and his angels which is the second and euerlasting death Namelâ— the worde of Imprisonment so well agreeing therevnto that it may not well admit any other meaning but a place of temporall torment For a prison is a place of correction chastisement of such as be on liue in which as longe as life lasteth a man may be in hope of liberty though his bondage for a time be neuer so vntollerable but when sentence of death is once pronounced in this worlde or damnation in the next then we may right well knowe Gods mercy to be shutte vp and the party desperate of all recouery Neither the name of Imprisonment in Scripture is lightly taken for the place of euerlasting punishment nor can by confereÌ„ce of the sundry partes of this letter haue here conueniently any such sense CAP. X. 1 HEre according to M. Allens orderly proceding is alleged for purgatory a place out of S. Matthew where Christ saith to him that neglecteth to reconcile him selfe to his aduersary before he came to the iudge that he shall be cast into prison from whence he shall not come vntill he haue payed the vttermost farthing The meaning of Christ is playne that he shall neuer come out no more then that wicked seruaunt which was cast in pryson vntill he shoulde pay the whole debt which was ten thousand talents Matth. 18. But before we goe any further let vs se how the doctrine of this chapter agreeth with that we had in the chapter next before Theâ—e we were told that purgatory serueth but for veniall sinnes or else for such mortall sinnes as by forgeuenes in this life obtayned are made veniall trespasses But here not onely vices and fleshly conuersation but also contempt of all that preach Christ and repentaunce of our lothsome life past c. are sayd to be the debt that must be discharged in purgatory to the vttermost farthing then the which no vice is more mortall nor farther from forgeuenes For he that not only leadeth a lothsome life but also contemneth all those meanes that Christ hath wrought to reduce him to the perfecton of a Christian godly life I vse his owne wordes how can he haue remission of his sinnes in this life and yet M. Allen dare promise him that the toleration of bandes in the prison of purgatory shall recompence his debt and bring him from thence into the blessed presence of Christ. M. Allen hath the most passing faculty of any that euer I heard to build one thing in one leafe and to ouerthrow it him selfe againe in the next Neuerthelesse I can not abide that he should promise a pardon of that payment
whose workes the aduersaries woulde be glad of one likely sentence And whose life and doctrine are so glorious in Gods Church that their owne aduersaries raling at vs aliue yet dare not but with great feare once blemish their names departed Though sometimes it brastithe out in some one of them to their owne miscredit So beutifull is the light of trueth And on the other side howe miserable is their carefull case that followe and defende that doctrine the authors whereof they dare neither acknowledge nor name whome all good men with open mouth boldely doe reprehend and their owne scholars dare not defende Such a glorious maiesty this doctrine of theires beareth that pricketh vp with pryde those that be alyue and blotteth out of honest memorie her doctors that be deade 10 Nay M. Allen though those doctors build some hay or stuble vpon the onely foundation Christ their case is ten thousand times better then yours which build nothing but dirt and donge tempered with hay and stuble vpon no foundation at all except it be the sande and seeke by all meanes to digge vp the onely true foundation of our fayth Iesus Christ making him nothing better then a common person except his bare name and woe may be to such Catholikes as can finde nothing but hay and stuble where such store of precious matter is and the most precious corner stone the foundation of all excellency And happy be those which not regarding the streames of waters that runne through the vaynes of earth but seeking to the onely fountayne of heauenly truth conteyned in the holy scriptures haue certeyne comfort of saluation while they are aliue and sure possession of felicitie with Christ as soone as they are dead yea which dye not at all because they beleue in Christ which is life nor enter into iudgement but passe from death of this body which is temporall vnto life of body and soule which is eternall The first Author of that secte vvhich denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good condicions and cause of his error be opened vvhat kinde of men haue bene most bent in all ages to that secte And that this heresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes CAP. XIIII 1 BVt yet because they haue diffamed our practise in praying and offering for the deade by referring it to a later origine then the Apostolike authority and tradition seeing we haue fathered our vsage vpon such as the aduersaries dare not blame we will helpe them to seeke out the fathers of their faithles perswasion lest by the feare and bashfullnesse of their owne scholars they be vnkindly forgotten Mary to finde out these obscure loyterers it will be somewhat painefull because as theeues doe they kepe by wayes and lightly treade not in honest mens pathes For the finding out of recordes for the testimony of our trueth we kepte the day light the high waye of Gods Church All the knowen notable personages in the holy Citye of God offered them selues both to witnesse and proue with vs VVe droue this trueth from our dayes through the middest of that holy communitie which S. Augustine calleth the Citye of God and our aduersaries will not saye otherwise but they were the liuely membres of that happy and heauenly fellowship VVe brought the practise of it to the holy Apostles by plaine accompte we went with the trueth of our cause to the lawe of Moyses from thense by like light to the lawe of nature But nowe for the other sorte we must leaue the cytie of God and the fellowship of these noble personages of doctors Apostles Prophets and Patriarches and seeke on the lifte hande in the other citye which is of Augustine named the citye or common welth as a man might call it of the deuill in which body all practise of mischiefe and origin of error ishuing from that vnhappy heade to the corrupt and deadly limmes thereof is to be founde VVe shall heare of the aduersary perswasion then in the company of Anabaptistes of Arrians of Saduceis of Epicures where so euer the weedes of the common enemies corrupte seede groweth there shall we find amongest breares and brembles this choking weede with all For as the true preachers the Apostles of Christ Iesu did sowe in the beginning of the Christian church which was the springe of the worde of lyfe and trueth amongest other heauenly seedes of true doctrine that profitable practise for the reliefe of such as were hense departed in the sleepe of peace with the decent ordre which euer fithens the Catholicke Church hath obediently followed euen so Inimicus homo superseminauit zizania the common enemy came afterwarde and ouersewe darnell and cockle either for the vtter choking or else for the especiall let of that good seede which the Maister of this fielde by his houshold seruauntes had plentifully sowen before This common aduersarie as our maister him selfe expoundeth it is the Deuill who as he in all other thinges beneficiall to mankinde is a great staye so Christian mens commoditie in this point he notably hindereth by his wicked suggestions and deuilish deuise whereby he prouoketh many vnder the shewe of Gods word or bare name therof for that is the lambes cote which this wyely wolfe boroweth to maske in to be vnkind vnnaturall and with out all godly affection towards their departed frendes The which contrary corrupt seede of false doctrine we right well know came of the sayd aduersary because it was long after ouersowen learning further of Tertullian Id verum esse quodcunque primum id adulterinum quod posterius That to be true that was first taught and that to be false and forged which came latter CAP. XIIII 1 WHen the Apostolike writing can not be shewed it is but the poynt of an heretike to boast of Apostolike tradition So did the Valentinians although their heresie were newe when they were confuted by the Scriptures shrowed them selues vnder the name of traditions as we haue shewed before out of Irenaeus lib. 3. ca. 2. And therfore it is but vayne bragging that you promise to seeke out any other fathers of our perswasion then the Apostles of Christ by whose holy writings we neuer refuse to be iudged what if any heretike haue affirmed some thing that is true is truth worse in an heretikes mouth The deuills them selues confessed christ Their confession was true their testimony was refused So if any heretike haue confessed the truth we may receiue the truth and yet reiect his testimony For truth hath testimony of God his word and whether it be affirmed or denyed by the deuill it is all one The high way that you prate of is a bye way for the Scripture is the onely high way to the truth with the guidance of Gods spirite And yet that way which you haue taken hath so many hills and holes woods and thickets that you haue rather flyen ouer it in a dreame and imagination
Gods iustice howe can the same suffering be mitigated by masses pardons merites c. or cleane taken away by a pardon of Iubely à poena culpa Againe howe can the merites of an other abate his punishment which must suffer him selfe to aunswere Gods iustice If the iustice of God be not aunswered by the offering of Christ how is it aunswered when any mans suffering is by any of your meanes mollified or taken away But it sufficeth you that your forefathers more then a thousand yeares agoe called that place of sufferance purgatory But I pray you what is it called in the Scripture either of the olde testament or the newe or in the first and second hundreth yeares after Christ Diuerse errours be older then a thousand yeares but age can neuer make falshoode to be truth and therefore I waye not your proude bragges worth a strawe I am one of the least of Gods ministers and not worthy in respect of my greatest infirmities of the lowest place in his Church yet by his grace and the authoritie of his holy word I shall be able to ouerthrowe both this and all other babylonicall bulwarkes that are cast vp by Sathan and all his instruments For the defence of popish heresie against the tâ—uth of god And neither the myst of mens inuentions which you call the light of apostolike tradition shall be able to darken the truth of the Gospell nor the errours of mortall men which you terme the force of Gods trueth shall beare downe thauthoritie of Gods holy spirite And as for the torment of conscience by inward acknowedlging of the truth openly withstanded it is not like you could so liuely describe it if you had not experience of it in your selfe Our consciences most humble and harty thankes we yeald to the infinite mercy of God are washed white and purged from all blacknes by the precious bloud of Christ which is the propitiation for our sinnes that cleaue vnto him by true liuely faith and open iudgement shall one day shew that all obstinate Papistes which seeke to establish their owne iustice shal be voyde of the iustice of God while they wrastle to come out of purgatory they take the high way to fall headlong into hell God lighten the eyes of them that are blinde of simplicitie and confound all such as sinne of malicious wickednes The excuse of your sharpe speach perhaps might seeme probable if you did not vse intollerable sclaundering and rayling which neither by zeale of trueth nor example of godly fathers can well be shadowed much lesse warranted THAT OFTEN AFTER OVR SINNES BEFOR GIVEN BY THE sacrament of penaunce there remaineth some due of temporall punishment for the satisfying of Gods iustice some recompence of the offences past CAP. I. 1 AS it is most true and the very grounde of all Christian comfort that Christes death hath payed duely and sufficiently for the sinnes of all the world by that aboundant price of redemption payed vppon the Crosse So it is of like credit to all faithfull that no man was euer partaker of this singular benefite but in the knotte and vnitie of his body misticall which is the Church To the members whereof the streames of his holy bloud and beames of his grace for the remission of sinne sanctification be orderly through the blessed Sacraments as condethes of Gods mercy conueyde All which Sacraments though they be instituted and vsed as meanes to deriue Christes benefites and bestow his grace of redemption vppon the worthy receiuers yet like effect or force is not by the meaning of their first author and institutor emploied vpon all receiuers nor giuen to all the Sacraments That may well appeare if we marke the exceding aboundant mercy that is powred vpon al men at their first incorporation and entraunce into the houshold of the faithfull by Baptisme In which Sacrament the merites of our masters death be so fully and largely caried downe for the remission of sinne that were the life before neuer so loden with most horrible offences that in this misery man may commit yet the offender is not onely pardoned of the same but also perfectly acquieted for euer of all paine or punishment other then the common miseries of mankind which his proper offences before committed by any meanes might deserue And no lesse free nowe then the childe after baptisme which onely originall sinne brought thither So sayth S. Ambrose by these wordes Gratia Dei in Baptismate non quaerit gemitum aut planctum aut opus aliquod nisi solum ex corde professionem The grace of God in Baptisme requireth neither sorow nor mourning nor any other worke but onely an hearty profession of thy faith VVhereby he meaneth that after our sinnes be once thus freely wiped away in our first regeneration there is no charge of punishment or penaunce for farther reliefe of the same But now a man that is so freely discharged of all euill life and sinne committed before he came into the family if he fall into relapse defile the temple of God then as Gods mercy alwaies passeth manns malice euen in this case also he hath ordayned meanes to repaire mans fall againe That is by the Sacrament of penaunce which therefore S. Hierome termeth the second table or refuge after shipwracke as a meanes that may bring man to the porte of saluation though lightly not without present dammage and daunger In which blessed Sacrament though Gods grace haue mighty force for mans recouery and worketh aboundantly both remission of sinnes and the discharge of eternall punishment due by iust iudgement to the offender yet Christ him selfe the author of this Sacrament as the rest meant not to communicate such efficacie or force to this as to baptisme for the vtter acquieting of all paine by sinnefull life deserued For as in Baptisme where man is perfectly renewed it was semely to set thoffender at his first entraunce on cleare ground and make him free for all thinges done abrode so it excedingly setteth forth Gods iustice and nothing impareth his mercy to vse as in all common welthes by nature and Gods prescription is practised with grace discipline with iustice clemency with fauour correction and with loue due chastisement of such sinnes as haue by the houshold children bene committed Nowe therefore if after thy free admission to this family of Christ thou doe greeuously offend remission may then be had againe but not commonly without sharpe discipline seeing the father of this our holy houshold punisheth where he loueth and chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth VVhose iustice in punishment of sinne not onely the wicked but also the good must much feare VVhereof S. Augustine warneth vs thus Deus sayth he nec iusto parcit nec iniusto illum flagellando vt filium istum puniendo vt impium God spareth neither the iust nor vniust chastising th one as his childe punishing the other as a wicked
person A childe then of this houshold continuing in fauour though he can not euerlastingly perish with the impenitent sinners yet he must being not by some especial prerogatiue pardoned beare the rodde of his fathers discipline And gladly say with the prophet In flagella paratus sum I am ready for the roddes And whatsoeuer these wantons that are runne out of this house for their owne ease or other mennes flattery shal forge let vs continue in perpetuall cogitation of our sinnes forgeuen and by all meanes possible recompence our negligences past Let vs not think but God hath somewhat to say to vs euen for our offences pardoned being thus warned by â—is owne mouth Sed habeo aduersum te pauca quòd charitatem tuam primam reliquisti Memor esto itaque vnde excideris age poeniteÌ„tiam prima opera fac But somewhat I haue against thee because thou art fallen from thy first loue Remembre therefore from whence thou fell do penaunce and beginne thy former workes againe And the consideration of this diuersitie betwixt remission had by baptisme and after relapse by the sacrament of penaunce moued Damascen to call this second remedie Baptismum vere laboriosum quod per poenitentiam lachrymas perficitur A kinde of Baptisme full of trauell by penaunce and teares to be wroght In which God so pardoneth sinnes that both the offence it selfe and the euerlasting paine due for the same being wholy by Christes death merites wyped away there may yet remaine the debt of temporal punishmeÌ„t on our parte to be discharged as well for some satisfactioÌ„ of Gods iustice against the eternal ordre wherof we vnworthely offended as for to aunswere the Church of her right as S. Austine saith in which only al sinnes be forgeueÌ„ Mary when occasion of satisfying for our offensies in this life is neglected or lacke of time by reason of longe continuance and late repentaunce suffereth not due recompense in our life which is the time of mercie then certes the hand of God shall be much more heuie and the punishment more greuous And this is with out doubt to be looked for that the debt due for sinne must either here by paine or pardon be discharged or els to our greater grief after our departure required CAP. I. 1 ALthough the argument of this chapter be but one yet I thought it good to diuide the answere into two partes The former part containeth his proposition the latter his confirmation And first concerning the sufficiency of Christes redemption there is nothing can be spoken so magnifically but that the worthines thereof passeth and excedeth it I will therefore agree with you in that you say of the comfort sufficiency and aboundant pâ—â—ce of the death of Christ and I would you would alwayes agre with your selfe in the constant confession of the same truth I receaue also that which you affirme that the benefit of his death extendeth also to the members of his mystical body But in that which you make to be the onely meane whereby the same is conueyed and applyed vnto vs I can not but dissent from your iudgement For the meane on Gods behalfe by which we are made partakers of the fruites of Christes passion and so grafted into his body is his holy spirite of promise which is the earnest and assuraunce of our inheritaunce who worketh in vs fayth as the onely meane by which the righteousnes of Christ is applyed vnto vs Eph. 1. And as for the Sacraments which you seeme to make the onely condittes of Gods mercy we are taught in the holy Scriptures that they are the seales of Gods promises geuen for the confirmation of our fayth as was circumcision to Abraham when he was iustified before through faith Rom. 4. You will vs in the margent to marke the grounde of your cause which is in deede a good admonition For seeing the grounde of your cause leaneth vpon your onely affirmation and is contrary to thautority of Gods word iniurious to the spirite of God and neglecting the fayth of Christ what so euer you buyld thereuppon must needes be like the foundation But howe shoulde your free will be maintayned if Gods spirite had any place that distributeth to euery one according to the good pleasure of his owne will. 1. Cor. 12. And how should the Sacrament geue grace of the worke wrought if fayth were requisite in them that receiue them Of like authority it is which you say that like effect is not geuen to all the Sacramentes Surely all the Sacramentes of Christes institution haue lyke effect in Gods elect But let vs heare your difference By baptisme all sinne committed before and the punishment thereof is clearely forgeuen by the Sacrament of penaunce though the sinne be forgiuen yet there remayneth a temporal punishment When the Pope geueth a general pardon à poena culpa doth he not it by the sacrament of penaunce if he do it by that sacrament then are temporall paines also remitted therby Thus one falshod ouerthroweth an other But Christ you say the author of this sacrament meant not to communicate such efficacie â—o this as to Baptisme Here are two assertions first of the author then of the force of this Sacrament but neither of both able to be proued by the word of god Neuerthelesse here is brought in that which is thought to be the piller not onely of purgatory but also of all other popish satisfactions namely the chastisement and correction that God ministreth to his children whose sinnes he hath pardoned which is not a satisfaction for the sinnes past but a warning for the time to come and is neuer accompted in scripture for an answering of Gods iustice but a token of his mercy being not the punishment of a iudge but the chastisement of the father to the amendement of his childe that suffereth and for an admonition of other that they likewise offend not Heb 12. And after this manner are also those places to be vnderstood where God is sayd to punish the offences of his children But whereas M. Allen allegeth the saying of Christ vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Apoc. 2. But I haue somewhat against thee c. to proue that God hath somewhat to say for our offences pardoned I maruell whether he were sleeping or waking when he wrote it for there the pastor and Church is charged for their offence which is not to be pardoned except they repent if they repent to be clearly remitted But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or age poenitentiam with M. Allen is doe penaunce doing of penaunce with him soundeth to make satisfaction He professeth in one place his ignoraunce in the Greeke tongue but if he would but acknowledge what poenitere in Latine signifieth to be sory he neede not to haue occupied him selfe in alleging that place But proceding a litle further he maketh two causes why the debt of temporall punishment remaineth to be
discharged by vs One for some satisfaction of Gods iustice as though the satisfaction of Christ were imperfect An other to answere the Church of her right as S. Augustine sayth In deede the olde discipline of the Church required that open offenders should not onely repent priuatly before God but also shew open signes of harty repentaunce for satisfying the Church by whom they were to be receaued as before their repentaunce they were cast out And in this sense satisfaction is often vsed by the auncient fathers and not to fulfill the righteousnes of God either by doing or suffering of any thing Seeing therefore that Godâ— iustice is throughly satisfied by Christes suffering there remayneth no satisfaction to be supplyed by men For the afflictions of the faithfull are tâ—e matter of their patience and conformitie with Christ their head the punishments that are inflicted vpon them are the corrections of mercy not the satisfactions of iustice There remaineth therefore no temporall punishment for satisfying of Gods iustice in our life and much lesse after our death 2 And this to be the graue doctrine and constant faith of the fathers I must first declare both for that it shall firmly establish our whole matter and clearely open the case of controuersie betwixt vs and the forsaken company VVho would so gladly liue at ease in their onely faith that they list nether satisfie for their sinnes nor procure Gods mercy by well working In this case then let vs seeke the ordre of Gods iustice by the diligent consideration of some notable persâ—nages of whome we may haue by the plaine Scripture euident testimonie both of the remission of their sinnes and their penaunce and punishment after they were reconciled againe Our first father Adam in whome we may beholde almost the whole course of Gods iudgement and through whome both sinne and all punishment due for sinne entred into the world I thinke he had the first benefite by Christes death for the remission of his disobedience or at the least because I woulde not auouch an vncertain thing this I am sure that by Christ he was raised vp to Gods fauour againe Of whome we finde it thus written in the booke of wisdome Haec illum qui primus formatus est pater orbis terrarum cum solus esset creatus custodiuit eduxit illum a delicto suo This saith he meaning by Christ vnder the name of wisedom safely preserued him that was first formed of God the father of the world when he was created all alone and raysed him out of his sinne again The which disobedience with what other sinne so euer was thereunto in him ioyned though it was thus clearly pardoned yet the punishment thereof both he felt long after in his owne person and it lieth vpon his posterity till this day For which sinne he him selfe began to doe penaunce as Irenaeus saith euen in paradise and then God practised iudgement vpon him as Augustine noteth first by his disinheritaunce then by painfull trauell inioyned by the vnaptnesse of the earth to serue his turne by rebellion of the inferiour creatures by the troublesom motions of his owne affections briefly in all pointes by a lothsom life and a dreadfull death Yea and that his punishment ceased not in this world by his death but many hundreth yeares after remained as further condemnation of his disobedience I shall more conueniently anone declare Now seeking further to haue cleare and open euidence in this case we can not wish more proofe then may be had by the straung working and dispensation of God in the manifold affaires of that sanctified people and chosen nation of the Israelites In which peoples perpetuall protection a man might finde a perfect platte of mercy and iudgement So often they fall so sodenly they rise so grieuously they offend such mercy they finde that it is maruelous to consider Of this elect family therefore thus God speaketh Si autem dereliquerint filij eius legem meam in iudicijs meis non ambulauerint visitabo in virga iniquitates eorum in verberibus peccata eorum misericordiam autem meam non dispergam ab eo neque nocebo in veritate mea If his children reiect my lawe and walke not in my iudgements with rodde will I visit their wickednes and in stripes their sinnes yet will I not take my mercy from him or them as it is also redde nor harme him in my truth This people at their first passage out of Egypt committing horrible idolatry was pardoned thereof at the instance of Moises yet so saith our Lord God vnto him Ego autem in die vltionis visitabo hoc peccatum eorum But yet in the day of reuengement I will visit this their offence also The same people offending greuously again by murmure and mistrust of Gods carefull prouidence towards them at their Gouernours humble sute were expresly forgiuen in these wordes Dimisi iuxta verbum tuum I haue pardoned them according to thy word But after their assured warraunt for the full remission of the fault the eternall paine due to that greeuous sinne behold yet their punishment temporall for the same Attamen omnes homines qui viderunt maiestatem c. For all that saith our Lord euery one that hath seene my maiesty and the wonders which I wrought in Egypt in the wildernes yet hath notwithstanding tempted me tenne times shall not beholde the land for which I bound my selfe by oth to their forefathers But passing the peoples sinne Moises and Aron them selfe in many pointes minister aboundant profe of this matter VVho both dying in perfect fauour of God yet for their mistrust were discharged of guiding Gods people or entring them selfe into the land so hartely desired and so long loked for before Of these two the Prophet sayth thus Custodiebant testimonia eius praeceptum quod dedit illis Deus tu propitius fuisti eis vlciscens in omnes adinuentiones eorum They obserued his testimonies and the charge that he gaue vnto them Lord God thou wast mercifull vnto them and sharply reuenged their owne inuentions The like ordinaunce of Gods iustice in punishment of such as he highly fauoured may appeare in Samson in Hely all other notorious personages in the whole Scripture But the heartely beloued of God King Dauids example so beareth downe our aduersaries that I can not wel omit it though I now long to be nearer my matter This Prophet had an expresse pardon with a plaine prouiso that he should notwithstanding beare the heauy hand of God for the punishment of his former sinne Once for taking pride in the multitude and numbring of his people God though he pardoned him yet by the prophet God gaue him leaue to chuse of thre named scourges which he would to whom he answered Coarctor nimis sed melius est incidere in manus Domini multae enim sunt misericordiae
to the places of punishment in the next life let them with purgatory rase vp the fathers resting place so plainely set forth by scripture beleued of the whole Church and alwayes taught by the holy fathers Yea let them that will haue no place for sinners finde with blasphemie hell like torments for Gods owne Sonne with the damned spirites My hearte surely will scarse serue me to report it and yet cursed Caluine was not afearde to write it and with arrogant vauntes against the blessed fathers to auouch the same That miserable forsaken man sawe that the onely graunt of the olde fathers punishment by the lacke of euerlasting ioye might of force driue him to acknowledge that God sometimes exerciseth his iustice vpon those which he loueth in the next life and so consequently that Purgatory paynes might be inferred therevppon therefore he fell headelong to this horrible blasphemye that Christ went not to loose any from the paynes of the next life but to be punished in hell with the deadely damned him selfe for to amend the lacke of his passion vppon the Crosse. O our cursed tyme O corrupt conditions this beast writeth thus agaynst our blessed Sauiours death and against the sufficiency of the abundant price of our redemption and yet he liueth in mans memory yea his bookes be greedely redd redde Nay by such as would be counted the chiefe of the cleargy and beare Byshops names they are commaunded to be redde and the very booke wherein this all other detestable doctrine is vttered especially by their authority commended to the simple Curats study that they might there learne closely in deuilish bookes such wicked heresies as the preachers them selues dare not yet in the light of the world vtter nor maintaine But other be not so farre fallen therefore they must of reason confesse that God by iust correction hath before Christes comming visited in the next world many hundred yeares togither the sinnes of those whome he dearly loued Although not onely in all that time the soules of the holy Patriarches felt the lacke of the aboundant fruition of the Maiesty but also for sinne they both then in rest and now in vnspeakeable felicity want till this day the encrease of ioy and blesse that by the receauing of their bodyes yet lying in dust they are vndoubtedly sure of Therfore it is ouer much presumption to limit the maiesty of God in the gouernment of his owne creatures to the borders of our short life and almost it toucheth his very prouidence with iniury to say that he letteth him scape without punishment for his sinnes that repented not till the houre of death as for whom he hath no scourge in the next life as he had here if death had not preuented his purpose These childish cogitations can not stand with the righteousnes of his will that for the first sinne committed doth not onely punish many euerlastingly of the forsaken sorte but also for the same punisheth both his best beloued in earth and for a time abateth the felicity of the blessed Sainctes in heauen But I will not stray after these men My matter is so fruitefull that I may not roue And though the sectes of these dayes haue so infected euery braunch of our christian faith that a man can not well ouerpasse them what so euer he taketh in hand yet I will not medle with them no further then shall concerne the quicke of our cause and the necessary light of our matter 5 Now this lusty gallaunt as though he had fully repayred and fortified the olde ruinous and battered towers of limbus patrum with canuas paynted walls he standeth vpon his bulwarke of browne paper and cryeth defiaunce to all his enemies and especially he vttereth his spite agaynst Caluine as a notorious enemy of his cause quarel Whom because he is to young to encounter withall by any witt learning reason or truth he spitteth out against him most impudent sclaunders raylings and lyes in which faculty he hath striued so much to shew him selfe eloquent that not satisfying him selfe with the voyce of a man he hath borrowed the tongue of the Deuill him selfe or at the least wise for feare he should not lye throughly geuen ouer his shamelesse tongue to be wagged by the father of lyes For what man with any shewe of humane reason would accuse Caluine to deny the sufficiency of the redemptiō of Christ to affirme that Christ went downe into hell after his death to be punished there with the damned him selfe for to amend the lacke of his passion vpon the crosse whose doctrine God him selfe the Angells and all the world doth knowe and testifie to be directly contrary to these sclaunders For who euer more constantly affirmed or more substantially proued the sufficiency of our redemption by Christes death what asse so vnlearned if he can but conster Caluins latine in his catechisme institutions or any part of his workes where he entreateth of that article of Christes descense in to hell may not plainly see that he vtterly denieth his descending into hell after his life affirming the same to be vnderstood of the wrath of God which he sustayned for our sinnes before his death at that time especially when he that was God complained that he was forsaken of God which mystery if M. Allen vnderstand not it is no maruell seeing he abridgeth so much the benefite of Christes redemption as all papistes doe alwayes and he specially in this his defence of purgatory and yet he is not ashamed to say of Caluine this beaste writeth against our blessed Sauiours death If I did not moderate somwhat my corrupt affections I could requite him the like reproches but this much I must needes say Is Caluine a beast for speaking the truth to the glory of Christes redemption Allen an honest man for sclaundering him to the defacing of Gods honour But because he would not be thought to haue spued oute all his poison against Caluine he goulpeth vp an other bowlefull of rayling and sclaundering against our Bishoppes who haue not onely suffered but also commended Caluins bookes to be reade and studied of the simple curates affirming that they doe priuily set forth by books that which they dare not openly preach If euery man that can be a witnesse that M. Allen lyeth in this matter should pull one heare from his heade or bearde they would leaue him neuer an heare of an honest man behinde them But that he maie returne to his gentle aduersaries with whome is lesse daungerous dealing there be some he sayth that graunt the punishment of the fathers after their death of whose liberall concession he doubteth not but to patch vp his Purgatory In which practise he is not vnlike a fonde fellowe of whome I haue hearde men iest in Cambridge who when he was non plus as they terme it in disputation and all his argument spent that he had prouided Now sayth he will I dispute of your concesses
After the sinnes of man be pardoned God oftentimes punisheth the offender the church punisheth him and man punisheth him selfe ergo there is some payne due after sinne be remitted Secondly this payne can not alwayes be discharged in this world eyther for lacke of space after the remission as it happeth in repentaunce at the houre of death or else when the party liueth in perpetuall welth without care or cogitation of any satisfaction therefore it must be aunswered in an other place Thirdly the common infirmities and the dayly trespasses which abase and defile the workes euen of the vertuous of their proper condition doe deserue payne for a tyme as the mortall offence deserueth perpetuall Therefore as the mortall sinne being not here pardoned must of iustice haue the reward of euerlasting punishment so it must needes followe that the veniall fault not here forgeuen should haue the reward which of nature it requireth that is to say temporall payne And therefore not onely the wicked but the very iust also must trauell to haue their daily infirmities and frailty of their corrupt natures forgiuen crying without ceasing forgeue vs our debts Quia non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis viuens For no man aliue shal be able to stand before the face of God in his owne iustice or righteousnes and if these light sinnes should neuer be imputed then it were needelesse to cry for mercy or confesse debt as euery man doth be he neuer so passing holy To be briefe this debt of paine for sinne by any way remayning at the departure hence must of iustice be aunswered VVhich can not be without punishmēt in the next life then there must be a place of iudgement for temporall and transitory paynes in the other world The whole discourse made before hath geuen force enough to euery part of the argument the Scriptures doe proue it the practise of the Church confirmeth it all the doctors by our aduersaries graunt agree vpon it If they haue any thing to say here I make them fayre play the ground is open the reasons laide naked before their face remoue them as they can Lette them deale simply if they meane truely and not flourish as they vse vppon a false ground that in flowe of wordes they may couer errour or in rase of their smoth talke ouerrunne truth And that euery man may perceiue that we haue not raised this doctrine vpon reason only or curiositie although the graue authoritie of Gods Church might here in satisfie sober wittes we will now by Gods helpe go nearer the matter and directly make proofe of Purgatory by holy Scriptures reciting such places of the olde and new Testament as shall proue our cause euen in that sense which the learnedst and godlyest fathers of all ages by conference of places or other likelyhood shall fynde and determine to be most true Alleaging none els but such as they haue in the flour of Christian faith noted and peculiarely construed for that purpose which now is in question That the aduersaries of that doctrine may rather striue with the said saincts and doctours then with me that will as they shall well perceiue do nothing but truely reporte their wordes or meaninge Or rather that such as haue erred in that case by giuing ouer light credit to the troblesome teachers of these vnhappy dayes maye when they shall vnderstand the true meaning of the Scriptures the constant doctrine of the Catholike Church the wordes of all auncient writers the determination of so many holy Councels the olde vsage of all nations by humble prayers obteine of God the light of vnderstanding the trueth and the gifte of obedience to his will and worde Or if there be any so sattled in this vnlickely sect that he purposeth not to beleue the graue writers of olde times nor receiue their expositions vpon such places as we shall recite for that preiudice which he hath of this owne witte and vnderstanding yet let him not maruell at my simplicity that had rather geue credit to others then my selfe Or that in this hote time of contention and partaking in religion I do repose my selfe vnder the shadow of so many worthy writers as anone shall giue euidence in my cause CAP. V. 1 TRiumphing before the victorie and that is more before the encontry of hāde strokes for we come to ioyning but now you will now win your spurs or els it shal be a blacke daye with all Protestantes I will be as shorte in mine aunswere as you are in your arguments And that I may put on an armour of proofe to beare of your terrible haileshot your first argumēt hath neither good forme nor matter no more hath your second no more hath your third If you or any for you will prepare your selfe to geue a bitter charge either I or some other shal be redy to shape you an other aunswere But because here is nothing in this briefe ioyning but which hath bene largly discharged before in aunswere to your longe excursions it were nedelesse to make such vaine repetition as you doe especially in your last shorte argument in which space all the substaunce of your large booke might easily haue bene placed only to fil vp a competent length of the fift chapter and with such a tedious inlarging of a superfluous matter as a yong practiser of Rhetoricke would be ashamed to vse in a fayned declamation much worse becomming an auncient master of arte professing to trusse vp his arguments by Logicke to make a perfect perswasion As for the promisse of further proofe both out of the Scriptures and out of the doctors that followeth after this gallant ioyning and lusty challenge shall haue no preiudice of my disabling of the meane to perform it vntill it appeare by playne conference of his arguments and myne aunswers that his words are but winde and his promisse but pratling That Purgatory paines doth not onely serue Gods iustice for the punishement of sinne but also cleanse and qualifie the soule of man defiled for the more seemely entraunce into the holy places vvith conferēce of certaine places of Scripture for that purpose CAP. VI. 1 IF we well cōsider the wonderfull base condition and state of mans nature corrupted by our first fathers disobedience and more and more abased by continuall misery that sinne hath brought into our mortall life we shall finde the worke of Gods wisedome in the excellent repaire of this his creature to be full of mercy and full of maruell But proceding somewhat further and weying not onely his restoring but also the passing great anauncement to the vnspeakable glory of the elect there shall reason and all our cogitations vtterly faint and faile vs. The kingdome prepared is honored with the maiestie of the glorious Trinitie with the humanitie of Christ our Sauiour with the blessed Mary the vessell of his Incarnation with the bewtifull creatures and wholy vndefiled of all the ordres of Angels There can nothing doubtlesse
stand with trueth and be not repugnaunt to good life and maners And he hedgeth the diuersity of mens wittes in the exposition of scripture with in the double knot of loue which is towards God and our brother Who so euer sayth he taketh him selfe to vnderstand scripture or any parte thereof and in that meaning edifieth nothing at all the double loue of God and our neighbour he misseth the true meaning thereof But who so euer can finde out such a sense that may be commodious to the increase of charitie although it were not directly intended by the writer yet he is not harmefully deceiued nor founde a lyar therein so sayth he Now as for our matter I am well assured there dare no man though he were destitute of Gods grace yet not for shame of him selfe affirme that the doctrine of purgatory is hourtfull to vertuous life the only miscredit whereof hath vtterly banished all good Christian condicions or iniurious to the faith of Gods Church which is not only agreable but principally intended by the plaine letter of Gods worde and consonant to all other meanings that may be gathered by any such scripture as we haue alleaged there for and to be short receiued of so many fathers so wise and so well learned as we haue named for that purpose as a trueth most reasonable most naturall and most agreable to Gods iustice VVell then the misbeleuers can haue no shifte nor escape by the chalenge of Gods word or doctures or diuersity of sensies here is no holde for errour all I trust be safe and sure on euery side CAP. XI 1 YOu shoulde breake your olde wonte if you did not in this chapter ouerthrow something that you haue builded in that which went next going before He hath labored all this while to proue that purgatory hath grounde in the Scriptures now he cōfesseth franckely that there hath bene no text of scripture by him alleaged to proue it but it may haue an other meaninge and is sometime other wise construed of the fathers them selues I will aske no more to proue that purgatory hath no grounde in the worde of God which is not an ambiguous oracle that may be drawen euery way like a leaden rule hath but one true sence or meaning which is the right meaning of the holy Ghost For although diuerse men may geue diuerse interpretations of some obscure and harde place which all conteine no impiety or falshode yet the spirite of God meaneth but one thing and not what euery mans wit and iudgement will take it to be True it is that so longe as the proportion of faith is kept the Church beareth with them that geue wronge interpretations but the spirite of God which is in his Church alloweth not wronge interpretations for right And where as M. Allen alloweth all the interpretatiōs that the fathers haue made of the text by him alleaged as true so long as they affirmed no error he may by the same reason affirme that contradictories are true as in that saying of him that shall not come out vntill he haue payed the vttermost farthing some haue expounded that he shal be alwayes punished some that he shall not be alwayes punished One sayth he shal neuer be released an other saith he shall be released at length how is it possible that both these interpretations can be true and yet both these interpretations are founde in some writers But his suerest shifte is that the doctrine of purgatory was a knowen trueth in all ages But this is the whole matter in controuersie For how can it be taken for a knowen trueth in all ages which hath none so suer grounde in any text of scripture that cā be wrested for it but the same text may haue an other and that a true interpretation But of the antiquity of that error we shall haue better occasion hereafter to discusse in the second booke where this matter is of purpose intreated of In the meane time we wil take that which is here graunted so liberaly that there is no text of scripture alleaged for purgatory but it may be otherwise truely interpreted and not of purgatory and that the fathers haue so done by M. Allens owne confession 2 Their extreme and onely refuge is that the paine of Christes passion and his sufficient payment for our sinnes standeth not with our satisfaction or penaunce in this life nor with paine or purgatory in the next O Lorde how farre may mans malice reach that not contented to abuse their reason and the word of God in persuasion of errour but are bolde to referre Christes blessed death also to cloke together with falsehood wanton and licentious liuing Many vertuous persons haue bene prouoked by the meditation of our Sauiours sorowes to leaue the stattering welth of this worlde and to charge them selues with perpetuall vexation of body but that any did euer so rest vpon Christes passion that in respect thereof they might passe their dayes in idle welth of lust and liberty that was I trow vnhearde of before this sinnefull sect These fellowes argue thus Christ hath paide the full price of our sinnes ergo we must do no penaunce nor suffer any paine for them But S. Paule thus Christ by paine and passiō is entred into the glory of his kingdome ergo if we looke to be his fellow heires or partakers of his glory we must suffer affliction with him and ioyne with him in paines and passion S. Peter also thus Christ hath suffered leauing you an example that ye should follow his steppes therefore all his blessed life passed in paine must be a perpetuall sturring vp of toleration gladde suffering for his name againe Iohn our maisters messenger prepared the way of Christes death and doctrine by worthy fructes of penaunce and that was the beginning of Christes owne preaching therfore I dare be bolde to say these thinges are not abrogated by the teaching of the Gospel nor voide by Christs passion which onely maketh our workes and merites to be of that value and acceptation that all Catholike men counte them of which els to the satisfying for sinne shoulde be nothing auaileable nor to the atteining of heauen any thing profitable But it is foly to make ouer many wordes in a case so plaine seeing the example of both God and good mens dealing abundantly proueth mans punishment either temporall or eternall to stande well with the excellent value of our Sauiours death For if paine for sinne were iniurious to Christes death then the holy prophet Dauid that liued long in greuous penaunce were iniurious to his Lordes death then the Church were iniurious to her owne spouse his death that chargeth all offenders with penaunce then God him selfe were iniurious to his owne sonnes death that sharply punisheth sinne forgeuen then Christ him selfe were iniurious to his owne death that both by his example and holy preaching did euer commend sharpe penaunce and paine These
dead to be practised at those burialls when in so many burialls as are rehearsed in the Scriptures with all ceremonies vsed about them neuer is there one word nay not one sillable to proue prayer for their soules And yet as a man with a marble face you are not ashamed to affirme that rites offices diriges obites trentalls c. were practised by them for the reliefe of the soules in purgatory It may be that much of your paultry by fond imitation was taken of such doings to counterfet the examples of the Patriarkes but once againe I say there is no mention in al the Scripture of prayer for â—he dead at any burial Wherfore the authoritie of Ambrose helpeth you litle who although he commendeth Honorius for solemnising the funeralls of Theodosius by the space of 40. dayes after the example of Ioseph yet he sayth not that prayer for the deade was taken by the example of Ioseph But see M. Allen if you can see any thing whether blind affection carieth you that you can not vnderstand the playne latine of Ambrose or else will not translate it a right Ambrose speaketh not of his fortieth dayes minde but of the solemnitie of his funerall kept 40. dayes togither as in the embalming of Iacobs body was by Ioseph But to say the truth how simple a reason this was to take example of for the time of solemnitie of funeralls it is playne by that place which Ambrose allegeth where it is sayd that 40. dayes were bestowed by the Phisitions or Apothecaries in embalming the body of Iacob to keepe it long from putrefaction And how slenderly he reproueth them that kept 7. dayes funeralls where if his reason were good by example of Iosephs Poticaries to keepe 40. dayes theirs were better by example of Ioseph him selfe to keepe 7. dayes These be the groundes of such superstitions as crept into the Church first by emulation of the Paganes and after seeking for colourable confirmation in the examples of the Patriarkes For auoyding of all which inconueniences that haue risen and may rise by ceremonies practised at burialls the Church of Geneua very wisely godly vseth no more ceremonies in burying their deade then are conuenient for the reuerent laying vp of the corps which is ordayned to ryse agayne with glory Whose still buriall is better then your yelling and howling and their mumming if you will needes so terme it more commendable then you masking 2 But in the second booke of the Kinges â–ª the example of the holy King Dauid is a playne proofe that they fasted also for the deceased Apprehendens Dauid vestimenta sua scidit omnesque viri qui cum eo erant planxerunt ieiunauerunt vsque ad vesperam super Saul Ionathan filium eius super populum super domum Israel eo quod corruissent gladio And Dauid taking holde of his garmentes tore them and so did the men with him and they howled wept and fasted vpon Saul and Ionathas his sonne with the residue of Gods people that there were slaine Now what other thing did Dauid here and his people but that which Iudas Machabeus did afterwarde for the like death of his souldiars I trowe there was no fasting to be found ouer any maner a person lyue or dead for thy selue or other in the whole course of scripture but it was to obteine mercy at Gods hande towardes the partie for whome thou didest it So did this same holy Prophet weepe fast lye on the grounde and change apparell for his childe which he begat of Vrias wife when he lay at the point of death stricken by Gods hande for the punishment of his fathers faulte The which he did as he protesteth him selfe to turne the angry sentence of God if it might be and recouer the childe againe But as soone as the childe was gone he brake of his longe fast geuing his frendes to weete that he tormented not him selfe so of onely naturall compassion towardes the childe or inordinate lous as they thought but to obteine his purpose by such bitter teares and fasting at Gods handes for the childs recouery Fasting then ouer any man and such solemne mourning is nothing els but an effectuall asking of mercy for whome so euer it be done As more plainely it is yet declared in the buriall of Saul and Ionathas before said celebrated by the Galadites and Saules souldiars VVhere as the scripture sayth after they had buried their bodies and bones they fasted vij dayes Et ieiunauerunt septem diebus For no other cause but thereby effectually to aske pardon of their offensies There can I am sure be no reasonable occasion of their fasting alleaged of no man but that which the honorable Bede testifieth for vs in these wordes Recte ad literam pro mortuis vt ad requiem peruenire valeant septem diebus ieiunatur quia post sex huius mundi aetates in quibus in carne laboramus septima est in illo saeculo aetas requictionis animarum carne exutarum in qua beatae tempus illud glorificum quando resurgere mereantur expectant Duely and according to the letter they fasted sayth he for the departed seuen dayes together to obteine rest for them because after the six ages of the worlde in which we trauell in flesh the seuenth age is looked for in that worlde when the soules be loosed from their bodies when the blessed and happy sort shall continually be in expectation of the glorious time by receiuing their bodies in the resurrection againe 2 As we haue had prayer for the dead so now we shal haue fasting for the deade In deede the wordes sounde more like such a matter then any thing that can be sayed of prayer for the deade But the sence is euident they fasted not for them to redeme their soules but they fasted to declare their sorrow because they were slaine with the sworde as it followeth in plaine wordes And yet to make the matter more plaine in the same Chapter followeth a large forme of lameÌ„tation made by Dauid for them where if euer he had vsed prayer for the deade he woulde haue vsed it if not for his father in lawe Saule yet at leste for his dearly beloued and sworne brother Ionathas But no such thing came in his minde as M. Allen foolishly fantysieth of him But M. Allen sayth this matter is more plainly proued by the Galaadites that fasted seuen dayes after the buriall of Saule and Ionathas and he is suer there can no reasonable cause be alleaged of their fasting but onely to aske pardon for their sinnes I take this to be a more resonable cause that they fasted and humbled them selues before God because they did see the wrath of God against the whole people in the calamitie of the king his sonne whose contumelious haÌ„dling by the vncircumcised stretched to the dishonor of god And this was coÌ„mon among the Israelites in any great calamitie
propitiatory which he affirmeth the Popish priests to doe in their Masse But lest I might seeme to doe them wronge in denying vnto them that priesthoode which is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. Let vs here what the holy Ghost sayeth thereof Hebr. 7. And in as much as Christ was not made priest with out the othe where as they meaning the sonnes of Aaron were made priest with out an othe but he with the othe by him that sayed vnto him the Lord hath sworne will not repēt thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech by so much is Iesus made suertie of a better testament And among them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death but he because he abideth for euer had such a priesthoode as passeth not by succession VVherefore he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him seeing he liueth for euer to make intercession for them For such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmlesse and vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher then the heauens which needed not daily as those high priest to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes then for the peoples for that did he once for all when he offered vp him selfe For the lawe maketh men high priestes which haue infirmitie but the worde of the othe that was since the law maketh the sonne who is consecrated for euer more Marke well the plaine wordes of this testimonie and iudge indifferently whether I charge them with greater blasphemy then ensueth this there assertion That there priesthoode is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. 4 And yet neuerthelesse good Catholike Christian let vs thus perswade our selues that we haue so longe lost the vnestimable treasure of this holy sacrifice for our greuous sinnes it is our sinnes I say woe is vs therefore which haue deserued this plage which haue set vs at variaunce with God and our mercyfull redemer which haue taken from vs as vnworthy of so great a treasure the daily sacrifice the helpe of those which are a liue the comforte of those which are departed the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worship of god And our misery is the greater because fewe feele the sore The lacke of this sacrifice for the departed onely with the godly prayers therin was counted when Gods trueth and Church flourished the greatest and extremest punishment that coulde be deuised and euer enioyned for some notable crime to the terrour of other as for horrible desperation for willfull heresie for contempte of the decrees of Gods holy ministers as by the late alleaged place out of S. Cyprian may be very profitably noted Allasse we haue nowe in a manner lost that wholy which then was denied onely to such for their greuous punishments as were heynous offenders Otherwise in earnest consideration of our case can not I thinke but that this blessed iuell is now denied vs of almighty God generally for our greuous offensies which then was denied by his ministers to some one offender for the due punishment of sinne and wickednesse O good reader what would that holy martyr haue saide if he had liued in our dayes when to haue that oblation either for the quicke or deade which once was esteemed so necessary that no Christian man neither coulde in his life nor after his death lacke it is nowe if it selfe odious to most men and which abhorreth me to speake punishable by the lawes of the spiritualty and condemned well neere of all men what weene you this blessed bishoppe woulde haue saide if he had seene the holy hoste and offeringe to haue bene taken awaye which he once affirmed to be so necessary that if it were taken awaye or wasted there were no religion nor worship of God at all woulde not he thinke you with feruent zele of Gods house haue cried out vpon the sinnes of the people the blindnesse of the preachers and pastours the vnworthinesse of these our dolefull dayes and bewailed his owne misery as we shoulde doe ours crying out with an olde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tempora vt ista blasphemia sustineam O Lorde that I should be reserued for these times to abide such blaspemie Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the Vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruell heretikes would not suffer the Christian men whome he had slaine to be brought home with seruice and sacrifice but then the good people wounderfully bewailed their case seeing them practise cruelty vpon their soules also in that they would not suffer them to enioyne at their departure and buriall the rites of Gods Church Thus saith that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrymis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitate hymnorum cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue founde in his heart to beholde then or coulde yet once thinke of it with out teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be brought to the graue and buried with out all solemnity of hymnes in silence and sorowe It was euer giuen to wicked harde harted heretikes to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercyfull and to staie the fauour of good men from the departed Nouatus as S. Cypriā chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctum sepelire woulde not bury his owne father deade of honger bane 4 This collorable and hypocriticall complaint containeth nothing for vs needefull for to aunswere for the place of Cyprian is aunswered already But this maye be demaunded of him seeing he calleth the sacrifice of the Masse the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worshippe of God what religion or worshippe God had before the Masse came into the worlde But this is the howling of the merchantes for the decaye of Babylon because no man byeth their ware any more what so euer they pretend this is the cause of their mourning and this lamentation shal be continued euen vnto hell fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer 5 But to let such men passe with the present bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more comfort beholde the steppes of good men past how kindely and brother like they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the representation of some holy workes of almes hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towardes the release of the departed his paine what maye we not hope to obteine for our brethern deceased when we shall ioyne in prayers with the holy Angells with the blessed sainctes with Gods holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole Church of God
tell how the Sainctes departed shoulde know our necessities or heare our prayers cap. 15. Proindè fatēdum est nescire quidē mortuos quid agatur sed dum hic agitur postea vero audire ab eis qui hinc ad eos moriendo pergant Wherefore it must be confessed that the deade truely knowe not what is done here while it is a doing but afterwarde doe here it of them which by death doe passe from hence vnto them Wherefore if we will haue any thing vnto them we must tary vntill some deade may cary our passage and it must be such a one also as knoweth our case or else we are neuer the neere Possun◠ab angelis qui rebus quae aguntur hîc praesto sunt audire aliquid mortui It may be also that the deade here some what of those Angels which are present at such thinges as are done here cap. 16. Quanquam ista quaestio vires intelligentiae meae vincat quemadmodum opitulantur martyres ijs quos per eos certum est opitulari Although this question passeth the strength of mine vnderstanding howe the martyrs helpe them whome it is certaine to be helped of them These places and the whole discourse of that booke doth proue that although Augustine were willing to meinteine the superstition that was not throughly confirmed in his time about burialls and inuocation of Sainctes yet he hath nothing of certainety out of the worde of God either to perswade his owne conscience or to satisfie them that moued the doubtes vnto him 4 But leauing the thinges not principally intended as sufficiently by vse of the Church approued let vs turne to the practise of the oblation and prayers in the dirigies of the auncient that seeing them both praye and say Masse for their dearest freindes soules thou may be bolde to vse the same for thine That doe I call Masse which they call sacrifice Because S. Hyerom vseth it in the same sense in these wordes Sunt qui de leuioribus peccatis cum quibus obligati defuncti sunt post mortē possunt absolui vel poenis videlicet castigati vel suorum praecibus eleemosinis missarumque celebrationibus c. There be some which after their death may haue absolution of their lighter offensies in the debt whereof they passed out of this life either after iust punishment for the same suffered or else through the prayers and almes of their freindes with the celebration of Masses So sayth S. Hyerom or else as some thinke the reuerent Beda either of their graue iudgement weyeth more with me then any one mans alieue VVell therefore Masse oblation or sacrifice call it as you will all is one for our purpose and like hated of heretikes howe so euer it be named it was practised with praiers for the rest of the departed through out the Christian worlde S. Ambrose exhorteth other men to doe it for their freindes he did it for his owne VVriting therefore a letter of comforte to one Faustinus that ouer much bewailed the death of his sister thus with comforte he geueth counsell Non tam deplorādam quà m prosequendam orationibus reor nec maestificādam lachrymis tuis sed magis oblationibus animam eius Domino commendandam arbitor I suppose thy sisters case should not so much be lamented as she by thy prayers ought to be relieued Thou must not sadden her soule by teares but by oblations commende her to our Lorde How many byshoppes now in England of the new gise woulde follow this kinde of consolation by letters Howe many woulde exhorte their freindes to got Masse saide or prayers for their louers reste So many as be like good Ambrose surely woulde so doe that is neuer a one make their accompt as neere as they can But will you see how he practised vpon his owne prince the Emperour Theodosius Da requiem perfecto seruo tuo Theodosio requiem quam praeparasti sanctis tuis Illò conuertatur anima eius vnde descendit dilexi ideo prosequar cum vsque ad regionem viuorum nec deseram donec fletu praecibus inducam virum quò sua merita vocant in montem Domini sanctum Giue rest good Lorde vnto thy good seruaunt Theodosius euen that rest which thou hast prepared for the holy Sainctes Let his soule ascende from whense it came I loued him and therefore I will prosecute him vnto the lande of the liuing I will neuer leaue him till with teares prayers I bring that man according to his deseruinge to the holy hill of god This man knew his duety towardes his prince whome he loued a lieue and forsooke not being deade So did he pray and offer for Gratianus and Valentinianus so did he vse the same for his owne deare brother the worthy Satyrus in these wordes much to be noted Now Lorde almighty to thee doe I commende the good soule of my brother Satyrus now lately departed to thee O Lorde doe I make my oblation accept I besich thee this due office of a brother and mercyfully looke vpon the sacrifice of a priest See loe this good father vsed of brotherhood prayers and because he was a priest he did sacrifice in that respecte and saide Masse for his brothers soules rest VVhome in his funerall oration he setteth forth with many singular prayses and commendations especially that he was both Christianed and buried in the vnity of the Romane Church that is to saye as him selfe expoundeth it of the Catholike faith 4 All this while we haue weighted for dirige and Masse according to your promise and now belike we shall haue it out of S. Hieronyme I trowe But who will graunt you that the commētary vpon the prouerbes out of which you alleage your testimony is Hieronyms worke The olde coppies in parchment as Amerbachius confesseth declare that Beda was the author of it Which you can not vtterly deny your selfe but all is one with you But so it is not with vs to bragge of S. Hieronyms authority and then to alleage one that is 400 yeares younger then he But either of their iudgements weyeth more with you then any one mans a liue beware what you saye doe you not esteeme the Popes iudgement more than either Bede or Ieronym but perhaps you will answere me that the Pope is no man Nec Deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vtrumque Thou art neyther God nor man but a neuter betwene both you know who writ this verse vnto the Pope and how it is allowed for catholike in the booke of the Popes canon law Well passing ouer Bede we will come to Ambrose who in deede alloweth prayer for the deade as it was a common errour in his time but not the sacrifice of the Masse in that sense the Papistes doe I haue shewed before howe vnproperly he vseth the name of sacrifice as in his booke de virginibus lib. 1. Virgo matris hostia est cuius
diuers of the auncient fathers that the fall of the tree into the Southe parte maye signifie vnto vs the departure of man in the happy state of grace and the Northe side likewise the cursed and damnable state of the wicked and thaâ— he which passeth hense in either of these estates and condicions as euery lyuing man doth can not procure by other neither deserue by him selfe the chaunge of his happy lot or his vnluckie happe otherwise then in his life time he deserued That is to saye if he passe this worlde an electe person in the loue and grace of God he is out of doubt of all damnation or rather out of possibilitie to be reiected and so the case of the forsaken is vtterly remedilesse And further by that figuratiue speache you had not best on your owne head to be ouer bold least some Saducete of your sect gather the perpetuall reste of the bodye without all hope of resurrection I can not tell how it falleth but yet so it doth that your doctrine and arguments minister ouer much occasion of errour and that to the deceiued in the depest matters of our faith But I will rubbe you no more on that sore I warned you before to take heede to the resurrection 3 If we had no stronger testimonies then these and you no better aunswers then you make to these yet should not we haue so much cause to be abashed at our allegatioÌ„s as you to be ashamed of your confutations Your first aunswere is that the soules of men at that time continued not where they at the first fell but went first into the inferior partes which you call Lymbus patrum but neither Ezechias nor the Gospell knew any such place For Ezechias speaketh of the graue the Gospell of that place of comfort where the soules of the faithfull are in happy estate euen where Christ is But O learned Logitian that aunswereth one controuersie with an other as much controuersâ—d Nay stay a while the article of Christes descending into hell maketh all out of doubt If that be so why doe we not say that Christ descended into Abrahams bosome or into Lymbus patruÌ„ or seeing Christ sayd he would be in Paradise why say we not that he descended into paradise and seeing he commended his spirite into the hands of his father why say we not he descended into his fathers handes But because these be no absurdities that follow of M. Allen that papisticall assertion you shall heare Caluins absurd doctrine refuted by the sayd famous Clerke M. Allen with famous reasons He will aske for his aunsweres be questions what is it to be thought of those that were raysed from death to life seeing they receiued their first fall This were a pretty question for a Sophister in Oxeford to demaund in their parleis But the poore man tormenteth him selfe in vayne they which deny prayers to be profitable by that place of the wise man vnderstand the fall of the tree to the South or to the North to be the iudgement of God concerning euery man either of reward or of punishment which can not be altered after a mans death This restreyneth not God from working miracles and sending some to life againe but sheweth what the ordinary state of men is after their departure This place is of them that dye remaine in death vnto the day of the generall resurrection as for the other although they were dead yet they were appoynted to liue againe they fell in deede but to haue a particular rising but when they fell to abyde the generall rising they were in the same case with the rest But examples will make the matter cleare The soule of Lazarus was 4. dayes from his body M. Allen thinketh he was not in heauen for Christ loued him too well to bring him out of heauen and not that onely but to reduce him to the vncerteyne state of this life As though it were iniury to Lazarus to forbeare the ioyes of heauen for the short tyme of this life to become such a glorious example of the maiestie of Christes power and as though Christ which brought him to lyfe temporal was not able in the incerteinty of this life to preserue him to eternall life O prophane heathenish Sophister of Gods high mysteries But seeing you thinke M. Allen he was not in heauen where thinke you in your conscience he was in hell or in purgatory or in Abrahams bosome for you haue store of diuerse places if he were in hell you hold there had bene no redemption And it is not like that he whom Christ loued so well was 4. dayes in torment If you say he was in Abrahams bosome yet he was in comfort and certeinty of saluation then by your owne reason it is not like that Christ which loued him so well would abase his happy condition to bring him to the state of this life which is miserable and as you say vncerteyne yea he had bene better in purgatory for you holde he shoulde haue bene in certainety of saluation but so he was not when he returned to the vncerteine state of this life the like may be saide of Tabitha But these be foolish and vnlearned questions M. Allen which the Apostle willeth vs to auoyde as gendring strife rather then edificatioÌ„ And yet when you haue questioned about them all you can you shall neuer proue the common case of the departed in Christ by these fewe peculiar cases For when so euer and how so euer it pleased God that their soules remained it was determined of God that they shoulde be restored to their bodies And although there soules were in heauen and in happines as I doe not doubt but they were yet was it no iniurie nor hurt vnto them to serue the glory of god For I doubt not but as all the Godly in this life confesse it to be a parte of angelicke felicitie to be obediente to the will of God so those that were so raised from death so long as their secoÌ„d life continued caried in their hartes a heauenly fruition of the glory of God shining in their restitution and of their thankefull obedience submitting them selues to the will of god But when these matters passeth the reache of M. Allens sophystrie as of which he can prate much and define nothing he falleth to an other shifte that the fall into the southe signifieth the certainty of saluation that the elect be in after this life and the fall into the North the certainty of damnation that the wicked are in For though the elect be in purgatory yet they be in the fauour of God and certaine of saluation But this glosse corrupteth the texte for then they should alwayes lye in purgatory which is a warme south if it be as they saye for the certeinty or vncerteinty of their saluation is as great before they were borne as after they be deade It can not be therefore that the wise man speaketh thereof And because you cracke