to drinke Matth. 25. Marke how God doth giue them heauen for the doing of good workes Possesse saith he the kingdome for you gaue me to eate to drinke c. And somewhat before in the same Chapter Because thou wert faithfull ouer a few things J will place thee ouer many enter into the ioy of thy Lord. Marke this causall because thou wert faithfull This is the cause for which Christ saith he giueth heauen Let Luther let Caluin let those who care for no good workes name what other cause they please 4. That our good Workes are impetratory that is haue vertue to mooue the liberality goodnesse mercy of God to bestow in regard of them the grant of many fauours when by prayer they are offered vp for this end for if they be not thus offered vp as they are ioyned and applyed to this end by prayer perhaps not any good workes at all are impetratory excepting only prayer it selfe not all prayer but such as containeth some petition That I say good workes are impetratory wheÌ„ they are thus ioyned with prayer is euidently prooued out of that fast of Dauid who with the Prayer made for his sonnes life ioyned also other workes of pennance lying on the ground fasting c. For the child saith he whilst he did yet liue I did fast weepe but now seeing he is dead why should I fast 2. Reg. 12. 5. That our good workes are satisfactory that is that they performed and dignified by Grace graÌ„ted through Christ his merits haue vertue to cancell out sin and the paines due to sin is most cleare in Scripture Heretikes if loathnesse to make satisfaction for their sinnes did not blind them cannot but see it Almesdeeds free froÌ„ death and Almes-deeds it is which purgeth sinne and maketh vs find mercy and life euerlasting Tob. 12. Almes-deeds free from sinne and from death and they do not suffer the soule to goe into darknesse Tob. 4. Water quencheth the burning fier and Almes-deeds resist sinne Eccl. 3. In the eleauenth Chapter of S. Luke our Sauiour speaking to the Scribes and Pharises saith that they shall be condemned in the day of iudgment that the bloud of all the Prophets slaine from the beginning of the world shall be required at their hands and six times one after another he pronounceth Woe against them to those vncleane men our Sauiour at the very same time said Neuerthelesse for that which remaineth giue Almes and behold all things are made cleane vnto you as sinfull people as you are Wherfore let my counsell please thee it is the most excelleÌ„t counsell of the Prophet Daniel redeeme thy sinnes with Almes-deeds and thy iniquityes with the workes of mercy Dan. 4. 6. This being thus declared it may easily be vnderstood how things do passe wheÌ„ we offer vp any work for the soules in Purgatory For first the good worke thus offered vp is meritorious and therfore we alwaies merit by it neither can we giue this merit away because reward is only due Scripture promiseth it to those only who shall haue done well wherfore we loose not the least parcell of the merit of our good workes if we do them for the soules in Purgatory yea we much increase it as shal be shewed Secondly the good worke thus offered is impetratory that is it is apt to mooue Gods mercy to graunt that fauour for obtaining of which it is offered wâ—â— as a happy death peace among Christians the long and happy life of our noble King or such like things Now the obtaining of all these requests is not the least hindered but very much as we shall shew furthered though these workes which we do be giuen to the soules in Purgatory and offered vp to God for the satisfaction of the paines due vnto their sinnes not fully satisfied for Thirdly and lastly this good worke which we offer for the soules in Purgatory is satisfactory and according to this satisfactory vertue which it hath not as it is either meritorious or impetratory we do commonly apply it to the soules in Purgatory because the thing which these poore soules stand most in need of is making satisfaction for their sins not fully satisfied for which satisfaction we make in their behalfe as holy Job did in behalfe of his sonnes when he offered daily sacrifices for their sinnes How this is not against Charity towards our selues shall be declared hereafter CHAP. VIII That by offering our actions for the Soules in Purgatory we do not merit lesse but more 1. THat we do not merit lesse is euident out of the last Chapter that we merit more then otherwise we should haue done if we had not applied these our actions to the soules in Purgatory is taught by the Prince of Deuines S. Thomas l. 3. cont Gentes c. 158. in these words The affection of Charity in him who suffereth for his friend doth make his satisfaction more pleasing to God then if he had suffered for his owne selfe And it is certaine out of holy Scripture that Charity doth adde an exceeding worth and value to our least actions for only Charity it is which maketh a cup of cold water giuen for Christs sake to be rewarded in the life to come And only Charity it was which made the poore widdows mite of greater price then the richest guifts 2. Now then all meriting hath for reward some higher degree of celestiall glory which degree should not haue bin purchased without that meritorious worke had bin done so that if there be two men who before were of equall merits the one of theÌ„ should but giue a cup of cold water more for Christs sake then the other should giue this man for this so small a good work should haue a higher degree of glory then the other and consequently he should see God for all eternity more perfectly and be for euer more happy then the other So that if we did truly loue either God or our selues we should thinke all sufferings whatsoeuer euen those of Purgatory to be a small price for the least degree of glory for indeed the least is a good so great that the suffering of neuer so long a Purgatory for purchasing it would not be so much as suffering a flea-bite to purchase the Empire of the whole world It would make a man blesse himselfe to see how starke mad men are in neglecting such a good 3. To our purpose theÌ„ I say that by applying our actions to the soules in Purgatory we do merit more then if we had not applyed them to this end and not onely more but very much more and therefore though we did sustayne other many and great inconueniences yet they were all to be accounted as nothing in comparison of these inestimable treasures of merit which by this deuotion we purchase The causes which make this act of so high merit may be many for as we haue shewed in the sixt chapter this deuotion may be a worke
cannot but know Now if I belieue that the vniuersall Church did shine with this custome of offering sacrifice for the dead as in prudēce I must how can I in prudence thinke that the vniuersall Church euen in that her golden age was stained with such a profane Errour as Protestants hold this to be It is saith the same S. Austin Ep. 118. ad Januar insolent madnes to dispute against that which is practised by the whole Church all the world ouer And why so Because he that will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen or Publican Matth. 18. Because the gates of hell cannot preuaile against her Matth. 16. Because the is the pillar foundation of truth 1. Tim. 3. The Church then being the foundation of truth may we not well cry out with S. Paul O mad-men who hath be witched you not to obey the truth Gal. 3. For was not Iohn Caluin thinke you bewitched when he spake these words Before a thousand and three hundred yeares saith Caluin aboue an hundred yeares ago it was by custome receiued that prayers should be made for the dead but they all I confesse were ingulfed in an errour lib. 3. Iustit c. 5 Thus Caluin as boldly as if it were cleere that for thirteene hundred yeares togeather none of thē all vnderstood the Scripture so well as he But by his leaue I think I may be of the contrary opinion I am very confident that S. Austin had as good a wit studied as much was assisted as much by the holy Ghost and consequently vnderstood the Scripture as rightly as M. John Caluin yet this profound Doctour and great Saint writeth these very words which I do most faithfully trāslate out of him By the prayers of the holy Church and the wholsome sacrifice and by the almes which are giuen for their soules it is not to be doubted but the dead are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercyfully by our Lord then their sins haue deserued for this deliuered from our Fathers the vniuersall Church doth obserue that for those who are dead in the Communion of the body bloud of Christ Prayer should be made when in the Sacrifice it selfe they in their place are remembred and that that Sacrifice should be remembred to be offered vp for them But when works of mercy are offered vp for their sakes who can doubt but that they auaile them for whom prayers are not in vaine offered vp to God It is not to be doubted in any case but that these things do profit the dead Serm. 32. de verb. Apost Thus writeth S. Austin repeating ouer ouer againe in so few lines It is not to be doubted who can doubt It is not to be doubted in any case that these things do profit the Dead This being so cleare all other authorityes may seeme superfluous He who desireth more testimonyes may read in Bellarmine de Purgatorio the words of S. Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Cyril Chrysostome Tertulliā Cyprian Ambrose Hierome others we also shall haue frequent occasions to cite many other places CHAP. II. Purgatory proued by Reason grounded in Scripture 1. AS it is a great Argument against Atheists who deny a God rewarder of good punisher of euil that all the world but they acknowledge such a God so it cānot but be a strong argument against Protestants who deny Purgatory that all Heathens Iewes Turkes and all ciuill nations do vse Prayer for the dead The reason why all agree so vniuersally in this point must needs be groūded in the light of naturall Reason which as it teacheth that there be some men very good who deserue nothing but reward others very bad who deserue nothing but punishment so it teacheth that there is a third kind of men who with the good they do worthy of reward do also some ill worthy of some though not eternall punishment consequently it will belong to higher Powers to giue these men due chastisment which as we see they escape often in this life it must therfore be giuen them in the next S. Austin thought this to be so manifest that he saith in Euchir c. 109. Jt is not to be denyed but that the soules of those who are departed are much relieued by the pitty of their liuing friends when either the Sacrifice of our Mediator is offered for them or Almes are giuen in the Church in their behalf because there is a certain state of life neither so good but that they may haue need of these helps after death nor yet so euill but that these offices may profit them And on the contrary there is another state of men so good that they need not this help and of others so euill that they cannot be helped by it when they are dead Wherfore heere in this life all merit is gottē wherby after this life a man may be relieued or not 2. The answer which Protestants vse to make is very weake for they say that although some men liue so that they do not deserue Hell and yet liue not so well but they deserue some punishment yet these men say they shall not go to Purgatory but by the onely vndergoing of the paines of death they shall be sufficiently punished for their sinnes This answere for two reasons is apparently false First for that the vndergoing of death is a punishment due vnto all men for originall sinne For saith S. Paul Rom. 5. by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men death did passe euen vnto sucking babes who for no other cause vndergoe this punishment Secondly we see the paines of death equally shared among the good and bad and in the floud of Noë all mē suffered the same death of being drowned yet the sinnes of many were most vnequall 3. This proofe drawne from naturall Reason is exceedingly illustrated and confirmed by three principles certaine in holy Scripture The first is that there are some sins only veniall and not lyable to eternall torments and yet lyable to some torments That seruant saith S. Luke cap. 22. who knoweth the will of his Lord and doth not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knoweth it not and doth things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Hence it is euident that there be some men who do things worthy of stripes which they shall not escape but yet they shall be beaten with few stripes But if these stripes be to be layd on for all Eternity as all stripes be which are payd in hell they will not be few because being euerlasting the number of thē will be without number will any one call these stripes few Or can any man perswade himself that a God who is all mercy will in this vnmercifull manner punish the speaking of one idle word yet Christ himselfe saith that we shall be accountable for euery idle word we speake Matth. 12.
Wherefore we must be lyable to some punishmeÌ„t for euery idle word so that if a man of full age conuerted from idolatry be baptized and by and by after killed before he commit any other sinne then the speaking of one idle word onely shall this man be tormented for euer and euer so long as God shall be God And shall the Father of mercyes giue this vnmercifull sentence Doubtlesse if any man can do a thing worthy of stripes for doing it deserue only to be beaten with few stripes this maÌ„ may hope for this mercy but for greater theÌ„ this he cannot hope seeing that Christ saith that some accouÌ„t is to be giuen for that idle word Some punishment therefore he must suffer but not eternall consequently not in hell but in Purgatory for he must be beaten with few stripes not with many or euerlasting stripes 4. The second Principle is taught vs in the Apocalips cap. 21. to wit That nothing defyled shall enter into the kingdome of heauen consequently a man defiled with one onely idle word and so dying shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen vntill he be cleansed in Purgatory-fyre For he who buildeth â—tuble vpon the foundation shall be saued yet so as by fyre saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. But saith S. Ambrose wheras S. Paul saith yet so as by fyre he sheweth indeed that he shall be saued but yet shall suffer the punishment of fyre that being purged by fyre he may be saued and not tormented for euer as the Jnfidels are with euerlasting fyre Serm. 20. in Psal 118. Most agreeable to this doctrine be the words of our Sauiour Be at agreemeÌ„t with thy Aduersary betyme whilst thou art in the way with him least perhaps thou be cast into prison Amen I say vnto thee thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repayest the last farthing Matth. 5. That is vntill thou shalt haue made satisfaction for euery one of thy least sins according to the expositioÌ„ of S. Hierome who telleth vs This is that which he sayth Thou shalt not go out of prison vntill thou shalt pay euen to thy little sinnes In c. 5. Matth. 5. The third Principle is that although our sins both mortall and veniall be forgiuen vs whensoeuer we are truly penitent for them yet all the paine due to these our sins is not always forgiuen togeather with the sins This may be demonstrated by many examples in the Scripture For breuity sake I will specify only two The first it this Originall sinne is forgiuen vs by baptisme yet the paines which are inflicted for originall sinne be not wholy taken away by baptisme but euen those innocent infants vnto whom by baptisme original sinne was forgiuen do suffer the punishment of death due vnto them for no other cause but for that very originall sinne which was forgiuen them by baptisme for that I say they endure death because by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men euen vnto innocents death did passe Rom. 5. The second example is this Dauid did so truly repent him of his sinne of adultery murther that God told him by the Prophet Nathan Our Lord hath taken away thy sinne 2. Reg. 12. Behold heere the sinnes of Dauid forgiuen and yet presently God tels him Neuerthelesse because thou hast made the enemyes of the Lord to blaspheme for this thing the sonne which is borne vnto thee dying shall dye Behold heere a punishment inflicted vpon Dauid euen for this thing for which God had pardoned him 6. Out of this Principle it clearly followeth that there is a Purgatory For seing that as we haue proued there remaineth many tymes some punishment due to the sinne which is forgiuen and seing that a man may dye before he hath suffered this punishment due by iustice vnto him it doth necessarily follow that this punishment must be giuen him in the world to come not in hell because the sinne is forgiuen but yet in the prison of Purgatory out of which he shall not goe vntill he hath payd the last farthing 7. But heere it may be demanded how this doctrine agrees with the saying of God When the wicked maÌ„ shall be conuerted from his impiety I will not remember his iniquities Ezech. 18. I answere that God is said not to remember them in his wrath vengance by remitting the eternal paine due vnto them So he did not remember the sinne of Dauid but did take it away from him yet neuerthelesse for this thing he took from him by an vntimely death his sonne whose life he begged so earnestly The matter may fitly be declared by this similitude If a man should owe me a millioÌ„ of pounds should beg of me to forgiue the debt I might be most truly said to grant his request though I should forgiue the debt on this conditioÌ„ that he should pay me only twenty shillings as it were for a fine Now we know our sinnes be our debts for one mortall sinne only a man is lyable to euerlasting torments but if this man being truly penitent beggeth pardon of this his sinne God is so mercifull that he will forgiue and forget it yet withall he is so iust that in place of it he will impose some small fine as I may say though this fine be far smaller then twenty shillings in comparison of a million of pounds for one pound a million of times doubled will come to be a million but a Purgatory euen of a million of yeares though it should be neuer so often doubled or redoubled can neuer come to make a summe of yeares equall to the yeares contained in the Eternity of paines due to this sinne before it was forgiuen This I haue set downe at large that all may see how mercifully God doth deale with vs wheÌ„ for one act of true pennance he exchangeth an Eternity of paines into the temporall punishment of some yeares in Purgatory for this caÌ„not be but a great mercy thogh this Purgatory were to last neuer so many yeares in number because the yeares of Eternity be without number CHAP. III. The first Motiue to pray for the Soules in Purgatory which is The greatnes of the sensible Paines they suffer 1. NAture doth teach vs that the most forcible Eloquence to mooue compassion is that which setteth forth the greatnes of our misery The miseryes which these poore soules suffer are reduced to two The one Paena sensus which is the sensible paine they feele caused by the excessiue bitternes of their torments The other is called Paena damni which is that inexplicable anguish of mind and grief arising from the liuely apprehension of the losse of God which for a tyme they are to sustaine To which we may add the long continuance of their torments From these three we will draw the motiues which if they be well pondered may make the hardest Pharao-like hart in the world to take some compassion on
soules and as they are impetratory they may be offered vp for the obteyning of what we please 2. True it is that sometyms the very thing which we do desire petition in our prayers is the reliefe of the soules in Purgatory we do actually craue intreat and beg for this and vnto this our so earnest request we do ioyne other works of fasting almesdeeds c. to moue the mercy of God to heare graciously this our petitiō then we need not wonder if our prayers as they are impetratory do not impetrate for vs other fauours for we neuer did demand them so when I pray for the health of my Father this prayer of mine doth not impetrate the health of my mother and euen as when I pray for both the health of my Father and of my Mother this prayer of mine is not so efficacious to obtaine the health of my Father as it would haue bin if it had bin made for that end onely and no other so I pray for other things and also for the soules in Purgatory this prayer of mine is not perhaps so efficacious to obtain those other things as it would haue bin if it had bin made for those only and for nothing els I did say perhaps for there be many reasons as we shall see presently for which Prayer thus made becommeth very efficacious for the obtaining those other requestes which I desire to haue granted which perhaps may further the grant of them far more then praying for them alone would do 3. But for the present let vs suppose that such a prayer is lesse effectuall for obtaining of other things yet this ought not to make men more backward to pray for the soules in Purgatory for shall I neuer pray for my Mother because by the same prayer I obtaine some what lesse for my Father then I should haue done if I had prayed for him only In the choice of thes intentions for which we pray we must regard many things as the greater glory of God the necessity of our Neighbour our owne spirituall aduancement the common good of the Church and the like Now perhaps all things well considered there will scarce be found any one thinge which ought so dearly to be commended to our deuotions as praying for the dead in the which among other thinges there is also this to be noted that as S. Thomas saith in suppl 3. p. q. 21. a. 5. God doth rather accept of prayers for the dead then for the liuing because they not being able as the liuing are to help themselues do more stand in need of the help of others To the which we may ad a worthy cōsideration of S. Denis that famous disciple of S. Paul de Eccl. Hier. c. 7. p. 5. to wit that when we pray for the liuing our prayer many times as it is impetratory obtaineth nothing at all because the thing we pray for is not conuenient to be granted or because to vse his example the sins of those we pray for do hinder this effect as the sins of Saul did hinder that the prayers of Samuel could not be heard in his behalf 1. Reg. 15.16 This in praying for the dead doth neuer take place for those who are departed in Gods grace as S. Augustine in Enchir. c. 100. teacheth deserued whilst they liued that these helps of prayers might profit them after their death 4. Let vs come now to the reasōs for which as I began to infinuate our prayers are far more impetratory when we remember the dead in them then when we omit this charitable remembrance The first reason is because this praying for the dead is an act of mercy so excellent that it doth in a super-eminent manner containe and surpasse all the corporall deeds of mercy put together as hath bin demonstrated Now there is no more efficacious meanes to stir vp the mercy and liberality of God towards vs then the exercise of works of mercy and liberality For as our Sauiour saith Math. 6. Blessed be the mercifull because they shall obtaine mercy And againe Marc. 4. In what measure you shall measure vnto others it shall be measured back to goe againe adijcietur vobis and measured back with great increase Will you know with how great S. Luke telleth you A good measure a heaped measure a measure pressed downe running ouer they shall giue into your bosome Luc. 6. With what words could the largnesse of this measure haue bin more fully set forth And indeed of so good a God we could expect no other far be it from him that our liberality should rather shut thē open his hands His deeds will euer prooue his saying true Giue it shall be giuen vnto you in the measure declared vnto you in this very place 5. And we may be the more confident of this particuler act because our Sauiour taketh it as done vnto himselfe and therefore doubtles as those soules which we haue deliuered cannot but be most ready to further any iust petition which we shall make so our deare Lord who counteth himselfe to be the person released will neuer be wāting in the furtherance of whatsoeuer we shall piously desire Now to haue his good word so sure on our side must needs be of greater cōsequence for obtaining any reasonable fauour then any thing we can deuise And as far as my capacity can reach I cannot conceiue in what māner we may more efficaciously compasse the grant of al our most important requests then by thus obliging as I may say Christ our Lord to speake in our behalfe with that earnestnes which we may imagin those soules to vse whom we haue relieued 6. The R. F. Alexis de Salo writeth thus of himselfe Part. 1. § 2. One of my particuler denotions is whensoeuer I desire to obtaine any fauour for my selfe or any other to say some few prayers for the dead and J assure you J haue experienced in my selfe others strange effects Many haue found and still do find wonderfull fauours in their iourneys by offering the labour of that dayes trauell or doing some other good work for the soules in Purgatory so that in some places this is very commonly practised and many such like deuotions are of more admirable effect then men will easily belieue 7. A further reason why our prayers when we remember the soules of Purgatory in them do become of far greater efficacy to obtaine our requests is this Because as hath bin insinuated this prayer though of it selfe it hath not this greater efficacy yet what it wanteth of it selfe it procureth to be far more effectually performed by the help of those voices which it winneth amonge which the first place is to be giuen to the Word incarnate whose words cannot but be heard I did know that thou dost alwayes heare me saith this our Lord Joan. 9. The voices also of Heauens whole Court cannot but ioyne with the Word both because their affections are vnited with an
inseparable true-louers-knot because there is not one in heauen who thinketh not himselfe to haue particuler interest in the furtherance of this cause for all that Blessed mansion loue the soule released euē as they loue their owne soules and therfore as a graue Doctor saith they all reioyce at the felicity of euery one of their Bretheren as much as at their owne Hugo l. 4. de anim c. 15. and consequently all and euery one of them will be in a manner as forward to assist vs as those soules will be who were released by our prayers And who cā expresse how ready these soules released or releiued by vs are to help vs in all occurences Tell me now what meanes can you inuent more efficacious to make in a māner sure whatsoeuer you request CHAP. X. That by offering our Actions for the Soules in Purgatory we do not lesse but more satisfy for our owne Sinnes 1. NOw we come to that point which onely hath difficulty in this matter for it may seeme clear that when we giue away to others the fruits of our owne satisfaction we cannot enioy these fruits our selues no more then we can pay our debts with the same mony which we pay for the debts of our frēds This difficulty is very solidly answered by saying that which is most true to wit that to pray for and assist the soules in Purgatory is an act so highly meritorious of grace and glory an act so impetratory of such things as may be eternally beneficial to our owne soules that the losse of the fruit of our satisfactions is nothing to be valued in regard of the gaine which we purchase as may appeare by what hath bin said before Cap. 8. nu 2. A second and sufficient answere might be that this losse may fully be repayred by the gayning of Indulgēces for our selues So though I cannot pay my owne debts with the same mony which I pay out for the debts of my friends yet I may by fauour procure a releasment of my owne debts and so be as free from them as if I had payd them with that mony which I liberally layd out to discharge my frends debt That such fauours or Indulgences may be obtayned we will proue at large Chap. 14. 2. But these two Answers being for the present let passe I intend to make good the title of this Chapter and to shew that this deuotion is a rare kind of satisfaction For vnderstanding of which it is much to be noted that when we do any good worke for the soules in Purgatory for example when we fast or pray or giue almes for them we haue such a kind of act as this is J do offer this Fast this Prayer this Almes for such a soule or soules in Purgatory The thing therefore which we giue away is only such a fast prayer or almes and of the fruit of this worke as it is satisfactory we wholy depriue our selues consequently as it is satisfactory it maketh no satisfactiō for our sinnes but only for their sins for whom we did offer it yet that act by which I offering this Fast for another depriue my selfe of the fruit therof redoūdeth wholy to my profit neyther doth any part of it benefit any one but my selfe Now I affirme that with this act by which with so great charity to God my neighbour I giue away this fast this almes this prayer I do both satisfy for my sinnes and satisfy in no meane manner but in a manner far more excellent then is ordinarily conceaued 3. For first this is an act most meritorious consequētly most satisfactory For as the learned Vasquez teacheth 2. p. q. 94. dub 5. n. 3. Euery good worke for the self same cause for which it doth deserue to be rewarded in heauen deserueth also freedom from such impediments as may hinder the enioying of this reward such an impediment as the being in Purgatory would be Moreouer the more that we by our good deeds do endeare our selues to the diuine Maiesty the more we do recompence any former displeasure done vnto him Gratefull seruices cannot but abolish old offences Hence also Deuines of prime note do auerre that all good acts are in the selfe same degree satisfactory in which they are meritorious So saith Victoria Soto Ledesma c. Now we haue demonstrated that this act is in a very high degree meritorious therfore by consequence it must be in a very high degree satisfactory 4. But let vs consider a little more this act by it selfe First it cannot but be hard and laborious to corrupted nature to be willing to fast for another pray for another giue almes for another and if this be not very difficult why do you hold back so much seing it may be so beneficiall vnto you If you find no difficulty because your Charity towards your neighbour is such that with ioy you can do all these things for his sake this pious disposition of yours doth not lessen but increase the satisfactory vertue of this act For as excellently S. Thomas in suppl q. 15. a. 1. The lessening of the payne which proceeds from the readines of the will caused by Charity doth not diminish but increase the efficacy of our satisfaction 5. Againe this is an act of rare Charity towards God whose glory we aduance by thus procuring the increase of his honour done to him in heauen by the soules we release and towards our Neighbour to whō we procure the greatest good that may be Now as Konincke saith de Sacram. disp 10. de satisf dub 4. Not a few but all Deuines do teach that by an act of charity produced with neuer so much ease and delight a man may satisfy for all the paines he hath deserued The Scripture telleth vs as much Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much Luc. 7. Aboue all things hauing continuall mutuall charity among your selues because charity doth couer the multitude of sinnes 1. Pet. 4. And if this be not inough Charity doth couer all our sinnes Prou. 10. 6. Lastly this act is one of the chiefest deeds of mercy surpassing all the works of corporall mercy put togeather and therefore questionlesse it is an act most highly satisfactory for if of all corporall Almes it be written that they free from sinne and death and do not suffer the soule to go into darknes Tob. 4. That they resist sin as water doth the burning fire Eccl. 3. That if you giue almes all shal be clean vnto you Luc. 11. What shall we thinke of this spirituall almes by which heauen is giuen and purgatory paines forgiuen to a poore soule made of a most pittifull prisoner a most glorious Saint What a worke of mercy is this Of the works of mercy in generall S. Thomas sayth 2.2 q. 3. a. 2. The works of spirituall mercy are so much more excellent then the works of corporall mercy by how much the soule is more noble then the body
bitter death vnto him for a full pardon and remission of all their sinnes O Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world we beseech thee throgh thy seauen words which are full of mercy and mystery that thou wilt mercifully pardon these poore soules whatsoeuer they haue offended in the seauen deadly sinnes or any branch of them Miserere THE XXVII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the vanquisher of death descending with the banner of thy crosse into hell O how were those Prisoners which so many yeares with longing desires had expected thee comforted when as they saw thee and knew thee to be God and man their Lord and redeemer and that Adam said I see heere that hand that framed me O deerest Sauiour we beseech thee through the Ioy those holy soules had when thou didest lead them out of that Infernall Prison and by that vnspeakable gladnesse thou hadst when thou beheldest the first happy fruit of thy death and passion through al thy merits that thou wilt lead forth these poore soules out of all captiuity Miserere THE XXVIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus foūtaine of loue and mercy and represent to thee how Longinus furiously opened thy side with a speare which transpeirced euen thy Sacred hart of out which flowed both water and bloud O deerest Lord we humbly thanke thee for this most liberall effusion of thy precious bloud and humbly beseech thee by it to receiue these poore Soules into thy sacred woundes and hart and cleanse them with thy precious bloud and by the fiue woundes of thy handes feet and hart all the other sacred woundes of thy most precious body mercifully to pardō all their sinnes Miserere THE XXIX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the innocent sacrificed Lambe represent vnto thee how thy wounded body was takē downe frō the Crosse laid in the lap of thy sorrowfull Mother from which crosse thou wouldst not descend vntill thou haddst accomplished the worlds redemption O deerest Lord through that thy infinite mercy and all other merites of thy bitter passion we humbly beseech thee to vnloose these poore soules frō all the chaines wherewith they haue bound themselues by their sinnes we humbly beseech thee also O Sacred Mother of God through the sorrow and tender compassion thou hadst to see the wounded body of thy deerest sonne lying dead in thy lap that thou wilt offer his and thy merites for these poore Soules vnto the eternall Father to obtaine a full pardō remissiō of all their sinnes Miserere THE XXX PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus and offer vnto thee thy holy buriall how after all thy labours and miseries thou didest rest in thy graue We humbly beseech thee to giue these soules rest in the holy City of heauen forgiue them who haue so often times withdrawne their soule from thee by the distraction of temporall thinges and not suffered thee their peacefull king to rest in their hartes Miserere THE XXXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus the ioy of Angels and saluation of men and represent to thee thy glorious resurrection and ioyfull apparitions to thy holy Mother deere friends through which we humbly beseech thee O conquerer of death that thou wilt with thy diuine power shew thy selfe to these poore Soules finish all their bitter paines Mise THE XXXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne King of glory and represent to thee thy Glorious Triumphant Ascension and Assumption of those Soules which in Limbo so long time had expected their Redēption most humbly beseeching thee sweet Sauiour that thou wilt be pleased through thy infinite goodnesse to lead these Soules into thy eternall glory where for euer they may behold thy diuine and heauenly face O good Iesus and deere Sauiour we beseech thee by thy holy conuersation and painfull passion to pardon them all their sinnes and bring them into thy eternall rest and fruition of thy glory Miserere THE XXXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô eternall increated Sonne of God full of grace and mercy the reward of all those that hope in thee most humbly beseeching thee mercifully to forgiue vs all our omissions of intention in these prayers let thē not be throgh our coldnes lesse meritorious to these poore Soules but receiue them according to the worthinese of the sacred mysteries mentioned therin through that infinite loue wherewith they were accomplished and the worthinesse of the person that wrought them by all which we humbly beseech thee to deliuer these poore soules frō all paines and reioyce them with thy heauenly presence for all eternity Miserere The Conclusion O Most sweet Lord Iesus soueraigne Lord life of our soules we humbly beseech thee to encline thy eares to our prayers deliuer these Soules or this Soule from all paines and admit them into thy eternall glory Let thy preciou◠bloud thy deep woundes thy cruell torments thy bitter passion innocent death thy Nobl◠Soule and the prayers and merits of thy sacred Mother and all the holy Angels and Saintes be vnto them a full satisfaction for all their sinnes negligences and omissions and suffer no◠their Soules whom thou hast redeemed with thy preciou◠bloud any longer to be separated from thee O Redeemer o◠the world we hūbly offer these prayers for them to thy ttanspeirced Hart beseeching thee to grant them the fruition of thy eternall Glory Amen FINIS