other creatures in part nor whole here nor hence therefore notably saith the Apostle By grace yee are saued by faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God then not by workes least any man should boast and so to conclude by the like reason then neither also by sufferings as Rom. 8.18 least any man should boast and consequently not by Purgatory Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of the godly that are justified saith the Apostle or who shall condemne seeing Christ hath dyed for them Whence we argue If nothing can bee laid to the godlies charge that are reconciled or iustified and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ as verse 1. because Christs death hath taken away all then there remaines not any guilt of whatsoeuer sinne or condemnation to any temporall fire after this life differing only from hells fire not in acrimony of paine but only in length of indurance But the Hypothesis is true and proued by the Apostle Ergo so is also the sequel that followeth thereon To the same purpose is it said Rom. 5.1 Being iustified we haue peace with God Whence we infer If the godly who depart being iustified haue peace with God through Christ then they are not by God adiudged to a fiery torment with the damned differing onely in indurance for these two are contraries to bee agreed and at peace and yet be cast in such a painfull prison as Math. 5.25 is most euident But the godly who depart being iustified haue peace with God through Christ as is said Ergo they are not cast in such a fiery prison to satisfie for themselues Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they who dye in the Lord for they rest from hence from their labours and their workes follow them Hence we reason If all these who die not onely for the Lord as well as in him as Martyrs but they also who only die in the Lord as all the godly doe who liue in him if they inioy present blessednesse after death consisting of rest and remuneration then presently after death they are not sent to restlesse torment and a long time delayed of their happinesse and reward euen till the last day as Bellarmine would haue the sense of the word amodo But all those who die in the Lord are pronounced presently blessed and straightway they rest and are rewarded Ergo they are not delaied of their blessed estate nor sent to any restlesse torment in Purgatory To the same purpose is that which is said 2 Timothie 4.7 I haue finished my course saith Paul and from hencefoorth is layde vp for mee a Crowne which the Lord shall giue mee in that day and not onely for mee but to all that loue the comming of Christ. 2. Corinth 5.1 If our earthly habitation bee destroyed wee haue an eternall in the Heauens In which place wee must first consider the meaning of this eternall habitation in the Heauens euen by our Aduersaries exposition that our Argument may be the stronger Bellarmine saith That thereby the Fathers either meane the immortall body which we shall haue at the last day or else eternall life and the present vision of God after death and of these he saith Sine dubio verior est haec posterior expositio and he giues his reason because the Apostle speaks in the present time after the bodies dissolution saying Habemus wee haue which if he had spoken of the immortall body after the resurrection and not of eternall life presently after death hee could not haue said habeâ—â—â— sed habebimus Therefore he saith Apostoli ergo argumentio est optima nimirum ista si vita haec mortalis perit habemus statim aliam longe meliorem in coelo ergo bonum est cito mori in hoc mundo vt cito vinamus in coelo Whence with Bellarmine we conclude If after the dissolution of the godly they in the very present thereafter haue statim or incontinently and possesse eternall life in the heauens then after their dissolution they are not a long time delayed thereof and sent to torment in Purgatory But by our aduersaries exposition and concession after dissolution the godly presently haue and instantly possesse eternall life in the Heauens Ergo they are not delayed thereof nor sent to the torment of Purgatory To the same purpose is that speech of the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued ioyning and to bee with Christ. Coloss. 1.20 For it pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things to himselfe whether they bee on earth or in heauen Whence we argue If the Apostle speaking of the Church expressely comprehends the same in these two only to wit that part which is on earth and that which is in heauen or militant and triumphant in via in patria then he knew no third part such as the Romanists put in their diuision and make to bee in torment and labouring in Purgatory But the Apostle comprehends the whole Church in these two parts onely to wit that which is on earth and that which is in heauen Ergo he knew no such tripartition as the triple crowned Pope and the Papists make and consequently that there is no such place nor any part of the Church therein As also to backe this Argument with our Aduersaries testimony of the ancient Churches beleefe Bellarmine relates While it was vpbraided to the ancient Catholikes by the Donatists that they made two Churches one consisting of good and euill on earth and another of good onely in the heauens The Catholikes answered That they made not two Churches but distinguished the two times onely of the Church Whence we inferre If the ancient Catholikes had then beleeued Purgatory and made any such tripartition as the new Romane Catholikes doe then the Donatists had vpbraided them not onely with making two Churches but with making three and the Orthodox Catholikes had answered them that they made not three Churches but distinguished the three times of the Church But this they did not Ergo the ancient Catholikes beleeued no such thing Galatians 6.8 Hee that soweth to the Spirit shall reape of the Spirit life eternall So Iob 7.2 2 Tim. 4.7 Reuel 14.13 Out of all which places thus we reason If in Scripture there bee a twofold time onely of sowing on earth and reaping in heauen of working in this life and reward in the next of fighting here and triumph hereafter of finishing our course at death and thenceforth getting the Crowne of life and of labouring now and immediately resting after our departure then surely there is no mid time nor place for the godly to feare or expect But there is a twofold time onely as is said and as Scripture proues Ergo there is no mid time of torment nor mid place of Purgatory The truth of which Argument most clearely doth that Parable Math. 20.1 illustrate where straightway at the end of the day the Labourers receiue their hyre Now Purgatory
is the estate of the godly soule departing without acknowledging any mid place or condition that when it is absent from the body by corporall death it is straightway present with the Lord in life euerlasting Bellarmine likewise in his first Booke of the Beatitude of the Saints to shew the conformitie that is betweene Christ and his members in their estate immediately after death brings in That as he was not after death immediately blessed in his bodie which rested three dayes in the graue till his resurrection but that in his soule notwithstanding he was immediately blessed and in Paradise according to his owne speech to the Thiefe on the crosse This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Therefore likewise the Saints to be conformed with Christ saith he while they rest in their graues according to their bodies yet according to their soules they are happy and blessed in Paradise Which conformitie then wee see will clearely euince that there is no going to Purgatorie but that as Christs soule immediately after death went vnto Paradise and was blessed there so doth the soules of the godly that are Christs members goe thither immediately after death and are blessed likewise else if immediatly they went any where else in place of a conformitie there should bee a disconformitie and as his bodie abode in the graue till his resurrection notwithstanding of the present beatification of his soule after death So that their bodies shall in like manner abide in the graue till their resurrection notwithstanding of the present beatification of their soules likewise after death 3. Fathers adduced by Bellarmine himselfe to proue that the Saints presently inioye the vision of God and making expressely for vs against the dotage of Purgatorie And first Dyonisius Areopagita Dyonisius Areopagita saith thus the Saints in their death knowe surely that that wholly they shall attaine rest and a full conformitie with Christ when they come to the end of this present life in cleerely beholding the way to immortalitie hard at hand they praise the Lords bountie and with a heauenly mirth reioyce speaking so of all the Godly in common Whereupon Belarmine doth will vs to remarke this Nota saith he dicere Dyonisium animas Sanctorum statim a morte hominis consequi immortalitatem which they could not doe nor so exceedingly reioyce in death if â— vicino or hard at hand they saw the tormenting fire of Purgatorie rather then a glorious rest to abide them Iustin Martyr saith thus But after the departure of the soule from the body statim or instantly there is made a distinction betweene the good and the euill for they are carried to the places that they are worthy of the soules of the godly by the Angels being carried to Paradise where the company and sight of the Angels and Archangels is as also the sight of Christ our Sauiour according to these words while we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord but the soules of the wicked are carried into Hell Cyprian saith excluding no godly soule O what dignity and security is it in a moment to close thy eies whereby men in the world are seene and to open them instantly that God and Christ may be seene Oh what great happinesse is it to bee suddenly pulled from the earth that thou mayest presently be placed in heauen Augustine saith thus speaking of all the godly O happy soule who how soone it is loosed from the body being set at liberty presently goeth to heauen and is secure and at rest And againe he saith surely the good that are faithfull since that time that they are redeemed by that price which Christ by his blood-shedde powred forth doe no wise know any infernall place after death Prosper saith thus because according to the speech of Scripture the whole life of man is a temptation vpon earth then is the temptation ended when the fight is ended and then is the fight ended when to the same secure victory succeeds at the very end of this life that so all the Souldiers of Christ who euen to the end of this their present life by diuine aide haue valiantly resisted their enemies hauing ended their painefull pilgrimage may presently thenceforth raigne happy in their natiue Countrey Anselmus thus speaketh the Preachers of the Church after that they haue departed out of the body they are no wise delayed of the present possession of their Heauenly Countrey but instantly as they depart from the flesh whereunto the soule was formerly tyed so soone are they made to rest in the heauenly seate 4. Reasons adduced by Bellarmine to proue the Saints present fruition of ioy and making directly for vs against Purgatorie God saith he is no readier or more inclinde to punish then he is to reward wherefore it followes that if the wicked be presently cast in torment as we see the example of the rich Glutton teaches vs that by a like equitie that the godly instantly after death likewise receiue their owne reward As Basilius notes saith he before Christs comming the death of the Godly was lamented but since that time the same is celebrated with mirth and why so but because to die then it was a misery but now death is the beginning of happinesse which surely it could not be say we if the soule went to a tormenting fire in Purgatorie but a greater miserie then when the soule went before as they say to a painelesse Limbo Leuit. 19.13 Thou shalt not retaine the wages of the hireling beside thee all night till the morning therefore lest God should seeme lesse iust or pitifull at the very end of the day of his life much more wil he giue glory to the godly according to that Parable Mat. 20. and consequently say we he will not delay them of that reward not only one night but many hundreds of yeares as the Papists hold tormenting their soules in Purgatorie Bellarmines Arguments for Purgatory answered 1. Out of the Old Testament 2 Maccab. 12.45 It was a holy and good thought saith the Authour to pray for the dead that they might bee absolued from their sinnes Whence it followeth saith Bellarmine that the dead after this life may be absolued and may haue sinnes to satisfie for whereof before their death they were not absolued And this is done in Purgatorie 1. Our generall reply to all such Arguments brought out of Apocripha is that no disputation can bee but out of principles mutually by both parties receiued such as these Bookes are not by vs as Canonicall And therefore it is that wee argue not with a Iew out of the New Testament 2. Our reason of reiecting them as not Canonicall is beside the consent of the Primitiue Church with vs confessed by Bellarmine and testified by Ierome the proofe which wee haue out of Canonicall Scripture and out of themselues For all Scripture saith Paul is by immediate and by diuine
inspiration But these Books as the Authour confesseth are not so but a mediate abridgement of another mans Bookes done with great paines which the Papists themselues hold not as Canonicall and therefore so neither can their compend be 3. The sinne of these men was mortall as is euident Deut. 13.7 the eternall punishment and guilt whereof comes not to bee satisfied for in Purgatorie as the Papists affirme and as for the temporall they had suffered for that already as v. 40. is cleare being slaine for their sinne euen as Bellarmine saith That the thiefes violent death on the Crosse was iustly his full temporall satisfaction and so these men had nothing to suffer or satisfie in Purgatory Neither saith the Text that it was to deliuer them from any temporall punishment that then they were in but hauing a regard to the resurrection to absolue them from the sinne it selfe which they had committed that as Bellarmine himselfe saith it might not bee imputed vnto them in that day of the resurrection of all flesh To all the subsequent places adduced out of the old Testament Bellarmines owne confession sufficeth as an answere Quod solum probabiliter suadeâ—â— but doe no wise necessarily inforce as by a short touch of them we shall here shew As for that of Tobit 4.17 Powre out thy bread vpon the buriall of the iust beside that the Booke is not Canonicall it imports no wayes Purgatory seeing the Primitiue Christians as witnesseth Augustine on the dayes of the remembrance of the Martyrs had their Loue-feasts and Distributions vpon the buriall places of the Martyrs and yet this they did not to deliuer them out of Purgatory seeing they grant that the Martyrs goe not thither As for Dauids mourning and the men of Iabesh Gilead for Saul and Ionathan c. it was not to deliuer Saul out of Purgatory who dyed desperately but as the Text shewes that Israel for their sinnes was fallen before their enemies as Ioshua for the like cause mourned Iosh. 7.7 As for Psal. 38.1 by correction in Gods wrath Purgatory cannot bee meant because the Papists grant that the partie is reconciled before hee goe thither as also In ira corripi saith Bellarmine secundum Augustinum est 〈◊〉 punâ—râ— post hanc vitam ad correctionem tamen emendationem which cannot beâ—-in-Purgatory neither For the same Bellarmine confesseth saying Nemo negare potest poenam Purgatorij non spectare ad fructum noua vitae As for Psalm 66.12 The two preceding verses shewe that by fire is meant the triall of the godly and by water is meant affliction when the Psalmist saith Wee went thorow fire and water And fire here is before water but so is not Purgatory which they meane by fire before Baptisme which they meane by water As for Isai. 44. which place saith Bellarmine Augustine expounds of Purgatory Augustine in the place cited by him saith that the meaning of Isai. is that same with that of Malac. 3.3 which Bellarmine lib. 1. de Purg. c. 1. expresly expounds to be Tribulationes hujus vitae Besides that the purging spoken of by the Prophet is said to bee by washing as well as burning and in the middest of Ierusalem but not vnder the earth As for Isai. 9.18 The Text speakes of deuouring but not of purging and that wickednesse burnes as fire but not that fire burneth wickednesse Nor is it vnremarkeable that this fire of theirs is by themselues called heere iniquitie for so it is in deed a maine poynt of the mysterie thereof As for Micha 7.9 Gods indignation cannot be said to bee borne in Purgatory because as is confessed by the Papists themselues the party being reconciled before he goe there is freed therefrom As for Zechar. 9.11 Math. 21.5 sheweth that by that pit is meant our spirituall captiuitie and as Augustine expounds it Humanae miseria sicca est profunditas Neither is our deliuery therefrom by our owne suffering but it is said to bee by the blood of the Couenant Nor yet followâ—s from the priuation of water the position of fire Bellarmines Arguments for Purgatory answered Out of the New Testament Math. 12.32 There is a sinne which shall not bee forgiuen neither in this world nor in that to come Ergo this implies that some sinnes are forgiuen in the world to come which is in Purgatory This Text speakes onely of remission of sinnes which cannot be meant of Purgatory where there is no remission of sinnes but punition for sinnes Neither doth the world to come signifie in Scripture Purgatory or any temporall estate of man but onely the last day and his eternall estate as Marke 10 30. is cleare where it is said that hee that forsakes ought heere for Christs sake he shall receiue an hundred fold in this time and life eternall in the world to come Next the Euangelists Marke and Luke as posterioâ— in one cleare word she 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 that disjunctiue speed of 〈…〉 no forgiuenesse at all is meant or that that sinne shall neuer be forgiuen Besides that it is against the rules of right â—eâ—soning as Bellarmine is forced to grant that of a negatiue an affirmation should follow chiefly the one being particular and the other generall 1 Cor. 3.15 If any mans worke burne he shall suffer losse but himselfe shall be saued yet so as by fire 1. Bellarmine grants this place to be allegoricall difficill and variously expounded both by Popes and Fathers from whom notwithstanding he professes himselfe to dissent and consequently the same is not argumentatiue 2. In the exposition of all the proceeding parts of the Text Bellarmine consents with vs till he come to the last words but himselfe shall bee saued yet as by fire yeelding that the fire which proueth the worke is not meant of Purgatory but Metaphorically to be taken but the fire whereby the person of the worker shall be saued is properly to be taken saith he and is that of Purgatorie But first Bellarmines owne explication of the similitude in the beginning of the fift Chapter testifies that in all the tenure of that whole metaphoricall speach it is but one fire that is meant no more sortes And this is so vsuall in Scripture that except in Sacramentall formes of speech one and the same word in one currant of a Metaphoricall speech is neuer diuersly taken and therefore that instance of Bellarmines 2 Cor. 5.21 is impertinent both the whole tenure of speech as is said not being metaphoricall and it being knowne euidently that according to the Hebrew phrase how oft Christ is called sinne as he is there is vnderstood that he was a sacrifice for sinne besides that the direct opposition cleareth that the word sinne in both places of that speech cannot be of one signification Next it is absurd the whole discourse being Metaphoricall as Bellarmine grants to take the word fire to be only proper But it is most absurd
to take it only Metaphorically there when no note of similitude is perfixed thereto as in the second place and to take it properly only there where expreslie in the contrary the spirit of God doth put vpon it a speciall note of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preuent any such fallacie as he doth in the last place Neither is that instance of Bellarmines vnto this valid to the contrary where out of Iohn 1.14 he would proue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not euer a note of militude which wee grant but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not euer a note of similitude hee shall neuer proue 1 Cor. 15.29 What shall they doe then that are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not Where by baptizing is meant afflicting saith Bellarmine which none needed to doe for the dead by mourning and fasting c. if they were not in Purgatorie 1. This is a most difficile place as Bellarmine grants and variously expounded by the Auncients all whose expositions hee reiect and therefore no ground of Faith can bee proued thereby 2. Admitting that to be baptized is to be afflicted yet this is not actiuely to afflict themselues but passiuely as the word beares to bee afflicted by others and although it were actually to afflict themselues by mourning and fasting for the dead yet this will not import that therefore they are in Purgatorie for the faithfull mourned for Stephen who being a Martyr is not thought by the Papists owne confession that therefore he was in Purgatory To be baptized then for the dead or rather for dead is o to be afflicted for the beleife and profession of Christs resurrection and the hope of the godlies resurrection through him whereof the Apostle speakes so as both in others account and their owne resolution likewise they were esteemed as dead men through the fiercenesse of persecution then in ieopardie euery houre as the Apostle saith and dying daily Or else the Apostles scope being to proue the resurrection he imployeth baptisme to this his purpose which then was by plunging the whole body in water in token that the baptized were to die and be buried to sin and out of which their comming vp againe did represent both the dutie to rise to holinesse here and the hope of a ioyfull resurrection hereafter Which mortification of sinne and being baptized for dead thereto by denying carnall pleasures to liue in them were needlesse for any man to practise but to liue like an epicure if there were not a resurrection to a better life hereafter So that whether wee consider our promise at baptisme to die to sinne or the representation that is in it of dead men thereto or the efficacie thereof flowing from Christs death to mortifie sin in vs or the hazard of Christians then amongst their enemies for the profession of Christian Baptisme as the Apostle shewes the sense is euer sound vnrested and orthodoxe Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost to wit heere saith Bellarmine and with fire that is in Purgatorie hereafter 1. If by fire Purgatorie were meant then it would follow that all whom Christ baptizeth with the Holy-Ghost here should goe to Purgatorie hereafter which Bellarmine himselfe denies Next Christ is only said to be the baptizer with fire here but by diuers reuelations saith Bellarmine it hath beene showne that soules in Purgatorie are baptized or afflicted with Deuills But what truly is meant by fire Chrysostome on this place declares saying Comemoratione ignis adiuncta rursus ipsius vehemens gratia et incoprehensibile signauit donum Mat. 5.26 Verily thou shalt not come out thence till thou paye the vttermost farthing Purgatorie then is this prison wherein men must satisfie for their veniall sinnes 1. This place is only properly to be taken as Theophylact Chrysostome Tolet vpon Luke and your owne Ferus on this place witnesse Christ therein perswading vnto brotherly reconciliation if it were but for eschewing of temporall incommodities 2. Giuing that it were allegoricall yet Augustine who expounds it so makes the prison to be Hell as Bellarmine grants the payment eternall punishment donec to signifie no certaine time but neuer as Psal. 110.1 1 Cor. 15.25 is euident Againe vnreconciled persons with their aduersary are cast into this prison but the godly are reconciled with God before they depart hence say the Papists themselues therefore it cannot be they that goe to this prison And last of all by paying the vtmost farthing is meant as our vsuall phrase of speech witnesseth the full summe without the least want and so it is not to be vnderstood exclusiue of the greatest part but inclusiue of the least portion and whereby man so should be made perfectly to be his owne Sauiour Matthew 5.21 Out of this place saith Bellarmine Augustine gathers that there are three sortes of sinnes and three sorts of punishments after this life lighter sinnes hauing lighter punishment which saith Bellarmine is the temporall that soules sustaine in Purgatorie compared here to the councell 1. That there are diuers degrees of sinne and diuers degrees of punishment after this life wee willingly graunt with Augustine but that the godly sustaine any such in Purgatorie this place will neuer proue Neither from alligories can be drawne any such enforcing arguments or from words denotating only Courts of Iudiciall Decrees heere to proue places of execution or punishment hereafter euen as who would proue Golgotha by Gabbatha Next if it be rightly concluded by Bellarmine that punishments after this life are here spoken of decreted in foro poli because Gehenna is mentioned then by a like reason it will follow that punishments inflicted only in this life are by the other whereby he meanes Purgatory spoken of decreed in foro soli because such Iudicatories are only in this life and so that Gehenna is the only punishment that is after the same And last if Bellarmines exposition and argument out of this place were good it would follow that wrath euill speeches were but veniall sinnes for such are said only to deserue the counsell which he expounded to be Purgatorie and yet the Apostles Iames and Iohn shewe that such deserue eternall death and so both of them are belied by the Cardinall Luk 16.9 Make you friends of the Mammon of of iniquitie that when yee faile they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations and this is by their prayers saith Bellarmine deliuering them out of Purgatory This place is most cleare against them shewing that at the charitable Christians departure their soules are straight way received into Heauen without going to any Purgatory and therefore ther is one word of the deliuerance out of the but one only of the receiuing into the other So likewise as little makes that prayer of the Thiefe for them Luk. 23.24 disiring of Christ an entrie into his heauenly kingdome but no egresse out of a hellish
any such thing be as Bellarmine grants and saith posse dubitari et periculosissimum esse definire or else expresly he sayes that except Hell and Heauen he knoweth no third place 5. Last of all themselues say Masse for children dying soone after baptisme who haue not committed any actuall sinne and to whom the whole punishment of originall is remitted and so consequently can not be in Purgatory AN ANNEXE TO this Treatise of Purgatorie concerning the Distinction of Sinne into Mortall and Veniall which is the maine Pillar of this Pyrotechnie and being pulled downe makes the whole Fabricke to fall IF we consider aright what Sinne is of its own nature as Saint Iohn describes it to wit that all sinne whatsoeuer is a transgression of the Law or if we consider what is the proper wages of sinne of whatsoeuer sort it bee as Saint Paul cleares it to wit death or if we consider what is onely able to expiate and doth purge vs from all sinne name it as they will to wit Christs blood and death onely Then surely any such distinction of sinne into Mortall and Veniall by nature will quite evanish and sinne of it owne nature will bee acknowledged to bee mortall solely and to say Peccatum and yet Veniale simply and not Mortale properly will be 〈◊〉 to bee vertuall contradiction and we know that there is no composition of meerely opposites nor construction of mutuall destructiues Yea out of their owne mouth to condemne them how is sinne vniuerâ—ally distinguished by themselues into Veniall and Mortall if the Veniall bee not sinne and that properly and if it bee sinne or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then of necessitie it must bee as is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Saint Iohn and the wages thereof as the Lawe threatneth is Gods curse or as Saint Paul pronounceth doome is death So that euery sinne is as a Viper and there is no Viper if wee respect the meere nature of the best of them but shee killeth whom shee biteth yet if one shall light on the hand of Paul shee is shaken off into the fire without any harming but not the lesse is shee to bee feared and accounted deadly of her owne nature although the Apostle be safe Wherefore the distinction of sinne into â—ortall and Veniall ariseth 〈…〉 sed personis From whence it followes That all sinnes are damnable in all men but not to all men all deserving but not all receiuing damnation for to the reprobate no sinne is finally veniall and to the elect no sinne is finally mortall Notwithstanding that there is one sinne which is simply and vniuersally mortall because it is not only punishable but euer punished with eternall death and is that sinne against the Holy Ghost but is no wayes incident to the elect Therefore I call sinne mortall two wayes First by explication and generally and to say a mortall sinne is to shew the nature of all sinne Secondly by way of distinction and specially and so to say a mortall sinne is to designe that sinne against the Holy Ghost in particular and which sinne Impenitencie doth follow necessitate ineuitabili as an inseparable consequent where in all other sinnes it is rather contingent for as no sinne can bee forgiuen without repentance so this sinne excludes possibilitie of repentance and therefore is irremissible and is called Mortall in an eminent degree and neuer becomes veniall not because God in his absolute power cannot forgiue it but because in his iust will hee hath decreed neuer to forgiue it the partie so sinning being euer obdured by his owne vniust action and Gods iust desertion And this is that which is spoken Mathew 12.31 and which Christs beloued Disciple vnderstands saying There is a sinne to death and a sinne not vnto death distinguishing so not betweene some sinnes mortall in nature and some sinnes veniall by nature But betweene one sinne simply mortall in nature and in necessary effect vnto all and all other sinnes simply mortall in nature also but not in necessary effect vnto all and therefore possibly and by repentance veniall through grace vnto the elect Whereas the same sinnes are iustly through want of repentance retained and be comes finally mortall to the obdured reprobate Neither is it to any purpose which Bellarmine alledgeth out of Iames 1.15 that because concupiscence brings foorth sinne and sinne consummate brings foorth death therefore that concupiscence it selfe should not bring foorth death or be a mortall sinne but veniall Where in the contrary it is rather to bee reasoned that Concupiscence being the euill Tree budding or poysoned Spring flowing it is the cause of all that which proceeds therefrom to wit both sinne consummate and death inflicted as from the seed both stalke and each eare comes And in the very regenerate where no consent is thereto as it is called sinne properly and a rebellion against the Law of God Rom. 7.20 23. so the fruit and merit thereof is affirmed to be death vers 24 and Rom. 8.2 and consequently it is of nature mortall Neither is it forbidden in the Law with that restriction of giuing consent thereto but simply it is said Thou shalt not couet and therefore to lust or couet although it proceed no further as Christ himselfe expounds that Precept is a breach of the Lawe and consequently merits death and the curse Neither may we according to Bellarmines owne rule restraine that which God hath set downe more amply And as for that out of a 1 Corinth â— where veniall sinne is desweined saith Bellarmine Ex leuitate materiae wee may iustly say it is leuis probatio and whereas through wanting more solid stuffe for proouing their distinction they haue their recourse then to stubble they may fitly bee compared to that thralled people in the Egyptian bondage who wanting long straw were forced to gather short stubble to themselues to make vp their â—aske which they could not accomplish and for building such stuffe not vpon the foundation but rather thereby euerting the foundation they may feare a fearefull and consuming fire at last But heereunto wee will onely giue them but their owne answeres and fully pay them with their owne coyne Bellarmine then testifies that because by the Builders in that place is vnderstood Doctors therefore by the worke must bee vnderstood doctrine and consequently by Hay and Stubble saith hee is vnderstood curious and vnprofitable doctrine Next he saith That by the fire that burneth this combustible and light stuffe Purgatory wherein Veniall sinnes enter cannot bee meant because it purgeth not the worke but altogether consumes the worke This likewise is but Metaphorically then so called fire but that of Purgatory is reall Et ignis Purgatoriae qui verâ—â— realis est saith Bellarmine non potest opera comburero quae sunt actiones transeuntes jam transierunt And whereas the Ancients seeme to poynt at this Distinction making