Lorde speaketh of For he was no timeseruer or dissembler none that either in forehead or haÌ„d bare the marke of the beast but that hated theÌ„ least ragge relicke and clour of the Romish harlote euery day more and more vnto his death O you Nobles and others of what calling soeuer learne and seeke to bee like to him liuing that ye may bee like to him dying Assure your selues that hee loued Gods sincere trueth vnfeynedlye thet hee made not his religion a stepping stone to clime vp to promotion by nor his drudge to serue his turne to coÌ„passe his worldly fetches and deuices by No no hee was no vaine and prophane politike that fauoured and countenanced religion for his own turne his vnfeyned loue appeared towardes it in that euen the feete yea the very feet of them that were messengers therof vnto him were alwaies beautifull in his eiâ—â— insomuch yâ— he tooke pleasure to reason coÌ„ferre with them most familiarlye curteously taking it as great honour vnto himselfe to patronise theÌ„ in their good cause â—â—â—â—mes and to further to his vtmost their honest sutes Truly when I consider of the one side how faithful acounseller her maiesty hath lost of him of how trusty â—patron the coÌ„monwealâ— is by this his departure froÌ„ vs hereaâ—ed and of 〈◊〉 and teÌ„der a father this our Church is therby also depriued and when I haue done enter into a consideratioÌ„ on the other side of the blessed and happy change that hee hath made which followeth here in my text I cannot tel whether we haue grater cause to mourne in respect of this threefold losse to vs thaÌ„ to reioyce in respect of the blessed happy state hereby befallen to him Sure I am we may now wel conceiue yâ— in this threefolde respect there is great cause why we sâ—â—â—ly mourn but I â—eare we shal euery day more and more perceiue this threefold misse and losse of him and therfore our mourning is rather likely to bee increased than otherwyse Howbeit to moderate it let vs proceed in yeâ—eâ—t that we may see thereby again what cause there is euen of loue towards him to make vs in his respect to be ioyful again In the handling whereof I wil be the briefer because I haue beene the longer in this Wherfore leauing him most certainly enrolled euen by Gods â—wne hande within the number of those that be vndoubtedly deaâ—â— in the Lord let vs see what is here saiâ— concerning the state of such aâ—d therefore consequently of himsâ—â— The secoÌ„d part of the general diuisioÌ„ wherein first is set down the method true sense of that part of the text with proofes thereof as followeth It followeth Blessed are they immediately thence forth Yea saith the spirite they rest froÌ„ their labours and their works accompany theÌ„ Wherin first their state is fer boâ—â—e by yâ— he â—â—â—â—ly voice what it is and when they enter vpon it and then the same is iterated somwhat explaned by the approbartion assem of the holy Ghost in that forthwith they resto froÌ„ their labours and their works accoÌ„pany them Their state is blessed As for them entraÌ„ce coÌ„tinuance in that state 〈◊〉 pressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the etinâ—â—â—logy of the word the vse of the word in the best Greeke authours and the very circumstance of the tâ—â—â— considered cause me to traâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—hâ—s Immediatly thenceforth Which to he the sense that it haâ—h in this place vnderstanding the place of maâ—â—yrs the Rheâ—ists themselues in the notes vpon this place â—ilâ—ingly confesse Yea they vnderstanding the place also generally of al diseased in â—ate of grace confesse it may theÌ„ also though they say it dothâ—â—â— properly so signifie in this place which they 〈◊〉 neuer proue â—efo takeÌ„ here vndersaÌ„ding it only of these that so deceased after Christs asceÌ„sioÌ„ vnles that impedimeÌ„t be in theÌ„selues Wherby it is euident that not the properly of the word but a desire to maintaine first their limbus patrum for those that departed in faith before Christs ascension and their purgatory for some that depart so since maketh theÌ„ vnwilling to yeeld that the natural sense of the word here is as I haue rendred it But who so coÌ„sidereth that the scope of the place is to coÌ„fort the godly and sincere seruants of god against the manifold assaults afflictions procured them in this life by Antichrist eueÌ„ with this that if these notwithstanding they perseuere vnto the end they shal presently so forth for euer be blessed shal therby perceiue that it must needs here haue that sense For to take it any otherwise would minister vnto them a colde comfort as for example say vnto them but in their sense which they would faine vtter for the sense if they durst for shame be of good cheare be constant vnto the end and then perhaps presently thou shalt go to blisse and perhaps to purgatory there to feele paines that exceede all the paines of this life at the least vntil thou hast satisfied vp for thy sinnes partely by thine owne bearing of those paines and partly by such other reliefe as good men shall prouide for thee when thou art gone and then thou shalt go to blisse and the comfort that it ministreth is as cold as lead Answereth this the circuÌ„stance of the text Nay tendeth it not rather to the plain contrary that is to their discomfort Well it seemeth they will not striue with vs for this sense of the word so we would be content to vnderstand it of al that die in grace since Christs ascension only and but of so many of those also as before their death haue fully satisfied for their sinnes but we may not graÌ„t them either of these limitations not the first because they that dyed in faith in Christ to come as well as those that dy since in faith in Christ come found their faith auailable to their saluation For Christ hath bin the selfe same slain lamb for euer in the sight of his heauenly father Reuel 13.8 and is one and the selfe same yesterday to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 And he himself to the plain confutatioÌ„ of this grosse opinion that the faithful that died before his ascension went not to ioy blisse placeth AbrahaÌ„ Lazarus with him in ioy blisse before his death Luk. 16.24 c. and promiseth the thiefe that day when he died that he should be with him in paradise Luk. 23.43 And as for the later the vainnes of the addition hath bin laid opeÌ„ already in that we haue learned that there is no other satisfaction for the sins of the faithfull but that which Christ made in his owne person once for al yet they are so loth that this place should be vnderstoode generally of all that depart in a right faith in Christ when where and howsoeuer that mistrusting belike that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not serue their turns in the
next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they traÌ„slate Now where as they know it is an aduerbe of affirming and not of time and signifieth Yea Also neuer now Why doe they not translate the saine word Mat. 5. Iam. 5. so also Which if they did theÌ„ we should read there for let your yea be yea let your now be now for let your speech be yea yea let your speech be now now But they found that their vulgar translation readeth it Iam. that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that truely the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not be so translated but that they cared not for as long as thus to craÌ„ state it though against al reason seemed to souÌ„d better to countenance their Limbus PatruÌ„ for so they gather of it Now saith the spirit c. that is since Christs ascension that it in thus with them that die in the Lord as thought it had not beene so before And it would be noted that the Greek word that is translated labors doth not signify any aâ—tion or operatioÌ„ whatsoeuer but such labor as is wearisome tedious to the doer or sufferer For we must not thinke that the soules of the righteous separated from their bodies liue in idlenesse without exercising theÌ„selues in any kind of action For no doubt of it they are occupied in the contemplation of God wherin their felicity lieth and in praysing him with ioifulnes But we are therby to vnderstand that such is the case of them that die in the Lord that thenceforth immediatly for euer al wo griefe paine whatsoeuer ceaseth to theÌ„ both in body soule with is one part of their blessednes happines here spokeÌ„ of But because blessednes lieth not onely in a not feeling of wo paine but especially in fruition of some present permanent ioy comfort therfore the better to explane vnto vs what blessednes it is that they that die in the Lord thenceforth for euer haue atteined vnto immediately vppon the dissolution of their soule and body it is farther added that the workes of such accompany them that is that presently all the good works of such eueÌ„ vnto the giuing of a cup of cold water to one of gods little ones in the name of a disciple shal be rewarded in heauen with vnspeakeable ioy and felicitie Mat. 10.42 I read it rather And their workes accompany them because so traÌ„slated the force of the greeke is the better expressed For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signify to follow a far off but to follow hard at the heeles therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a hand maid besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more properly read with theÌ„ thaÌ„ after them Also thus reading it according to the sense of the greek the circumstaÌ„ce of the place is better answered which was to animate those that liued in the Lord also to die in the lord with hope of present blisse vpoÌ„ their death Wheras if it were read And their works follow them a cauiller to their discoÌ„fort might say that may be so though it be not before the end of a thousaÌ„d yeres after their death so in the meane time they may fry in purgatory And thus it is confirmed likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must here import immediatly theÌ„ce forth For if the reward of their workes followe them so that it is present at their heeles then there is no mean space betwixt And yet I would not haue it hereupon inferted that my meaning is that souls departed in faith haue streight their consummation and full crowne of glory that is prepared for them For I know that that shall not be before the generall resurrection and that the setting of the crown vpon their heads is deferred vnto Christs 2. comming And therfore Iohn in a vision Apo. 6.10 heareth the blessed soules in heauen cry aloud for that day though so that they are contented wtout griefe for to obey the Lord is all their ioy theÌ„ to tary the Lords leasure to abide his pleasure But hereby I would haue it gathered for so it may wel that straight their blisse is such shal be theÌ„ceforth the neither body nor soule shal euer feele the least grief or pain again that presently the soule is in possession fruition of so excellent an estate in heauen in respect wherof it may worthily thinke it selfe right blessed and happy and so fully rewarded for all the workes done by it in the body that it shal not haue cause to coÌ„plaine that any one worke is forgotten not rewarded Euen this therefore hath the Lord from heaueÌ„ in by this word blessed expressed which is a word of greatest importaÌ„ce that he could vse For in blessednes and happinesse both Philosophers and diuines hold that mans chiefe felicity consisteth whereunto in his whole life hee must aime Wherefore no doubt of it euen this state of them that die in the Lorde that by this word and the phrases following to explane it is ment is such a state that the state of princes Emperors in this life let theÌ„ be otherwise as happy as it is possible for meÌ„ to be in comparison hereof is but a misery For what state here is euer was or shal be so happy which is not intermingled was or shal be with some labor paine Yea euen in the delights here greatest ioyes of this world there is saciety wearisomnes and there is no certainty nor vnchangeablenes in states here the best most florishing are so subiect to mutability and alteration but in this there is no griefe of mind nor sickenes or paine of the body no Gangrena nor any other woe Apoc. 21.4 And in the ioies there is continuall comfort delight without wearisomnes and that such as is euerlasting vnutterable and vnconceiueable by the tongue or heart of man And this is now the state and hath bin euer since his departure of this Noble Earle our honourable brother and shal be thenceforth as both God and angels ful wel know we men need not once to doubt this shal be ours also if we liue and die in the Lorde as he hath done It is told vs all so from heauen it is recorded so by a faithful witnes and approued and ratified by the spirit of God God grant vs al grace to beleue it one day to trie the truth certainty of it in our own persons by experience In the mean time let vs somwhat further consider of the doctrine and of the words as they lie wherin it is vttered that we may not only see thus as we haue done hither to the generall principall lesson therein taught vs but also euery particular truth coÌ„firmed therby error confuted therin that we may make the vse of it fully for which it was writen The particular lessons to be learned herein
of the paines of Purgatory to send thē to heauen As for scriptures Roffensis Perionius Soto are inforced to confesse yet they were great papists they haue none plain enough to proue it And how can they seeing Christ the father of the scriptures hath diuided al mē but into two sorts beleeuers in him and not beleeuers in him Iohn 3.18 and hath told vs there are two waies only the one broade leading to hell and the other streite leading to heauen Mat. 7.13.14 Luk. 13.24 placing for further explication of his minde concerning the state of those two sorts of mē taking the one of those two waies Lazarus an exāple of the one sort streight in ioy and felicity and the rich glutton example of the other sort streight in hell after death Luke 16. And truely as for Fathers to proue their purgatory withal they are to seeke also Some of them as Origen his folowers imagin a purgatory through which both good bad shal go wherin the wicked and the diuell also after the iudgemēt in the ende after long tormentes shall be saued Which beastly heresie Aug. worthily condēneth confuteth in diuerse places as they well know And I am sure they will not hold such a purgatory neither Some other as Theodor. Oecumenius Alcuinus talke of a purgatory fire at the last day wherewith Christ shall come when he commeth in glory as they imagine through which al shall passe but this is not their purgatory neither is it any thing but a meere phāsie indeed Some other among whom Aug. is as they take it the chiefe man seeme somewhat to allow their purgatorie but indeed the chiefe places which they cite out of him for it are such where he speaketh but doubtfully as thus For sitan verum est non est incredibile An sit quaeripotest that is perhaps it is so It is not altogether incredible It may be a question whether there be any such place or no as in his booke de Ciuitate Deilib 21. cap. 26. in Enchirid cap. 69. And yet in diuers other places belike better aduised and more settled he flatly determineth that there is no such third place For in a sermon of his de vamiate huius saecul◠I read thus Scitote vos quod cū anima a corpore auellitur statim in paradiso collocatur aut in inferni tartara praecipitatur that is Knowe yee that when the soule is taken from the body either by and by it is placed in paradise or thrown into Hell And in hie Hypognosticon the 5. booke he saith thus The first place the Catholike faith by Gods authoritie beleeueth to be the kingdome of heauen the second place that same catholike faith beleeueth to be hell where all runnagates and all that are without the faith of Christ shall tast euerlasting punishment As for any third place penitus ignoramus that is we vtterly know none saith he neither shal we finde in the holy scriptures that there is any such And in his booke de peccatorum meritis li. 1. ca. 28. he hath these words Non est vlli vllus medius locus vt possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo there is no middle place for any but that he must needes be with the diuel if not with Christ And truely for the releeuing of soules departed by things done for thē here by others as you haue heard the scriptures are against them so the fathers be also For Augustine saith flatly to Hesichius Epist 80. In what state thy dying day findeth thee the last day also shall come vpon thee And Hierom. vpon the 9. of Eccles before alleadged gathereth that there can nothing bee added to the dead by any thing done hereafter And accordingly writeth Cyprian de mortalitate saying Qualē t◠inuenit Deus cū hinc euocat talē pariter iudicat that is In what state God findeth thee whē he calleth thee hence such a one he wil also iudge thee Indeed they may haue these fathers the heathen philosopher Plato in his Gorgia Homer in his 1. 3. Odyss Virgil in his 6. book of AEneid Ouid in his 2. Fastorū Aristotle the Alcoran such like to fetch their purgatory from others of any sound credit they haue none And as for their reasons they are but discourses of their own wit or of others like themselues laste before named And their best are when they are driuen to the vtmost but counterfait writings of fathers falsly bearing their names and writen by some of their owne crew of later time false tales lying apparitions of men and diuels For rather than Purgatory shal be left without an author the diuell shal be he and they will make much of his authority also For they write in Lombardica historia that Saint Odilio at Vulcania of Sicilia hearing that the howlinges and cries of Diuels were hard mourning that soules were takē from them after their departure out of the body by the almes praiers of their friendes liuing caused the feast of the cōmemoration of the dead for the reliefe of soules in purgatory to be ordeined The truth is dearly beloued that their doctrine in this point is such that if ten thousand angels and al the fathers should tel vs that it were true we ought to bold both them and their assertiō accursed it is so blasphemous and iniurious to the precious boud-shed of Iesus Christ the only purgatory indeed both of soul and body For to maintain this they first must hold that the merites and satisfactions of Christ are not sufficient of themselues and by themselues without these paines suffering in purgatory also and this other relief to saue the soule of the beleeuer in him Secondly they must hold that in the bloud of Christ the beleeuer hath forgiuenes of sinnes but not of the punishment due therefore Thirdly that God is such a God as will punish a soule with such hellish torments for the same sinnes which he hath already forgiuen in his sonne and therfore promised to remember no more Heb. 10.17 And lastly they must attribute power to do that to the paines of purgatory and to this their reliefe that they talke of which they hold the bloud of Christ hath not done without these to such You see therfore that these fellowes that are so busy in purgatory are wel worthy for their labour to finde nothing els whē they depart but hell and hellish torments And no doubt of it they sell heauen so fast to others that if they repent not there wil be no place els left for them but hell But to leaue them to their fained king the pope and to this his new kingdome which he hath appropriated to him and his it is further to be noted that in that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie vp by but noteth also a continuāce of time thenceforth that to the full comfort of them that die in the