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
punishment of sinne and is inflicted vpon the godly not to preuent sinne but for satisfaction to Gods Iustice. Whereto wee answere That to no purpose doth hee instance the common calamities of all men or death of all in generall seeing our controuersie heere is onely of satisfactory punishment proper to the godly in particular which Bellarmine himselfe confesseth the former not to be and so most clearly answeres for vs saying That Indulgences take not away Poenas naturales communes sed illam quae infligitur in foro poenitentiario haec enim est per quam Domino satisfacimus cui succedit nisi Domino satisfiat in praesenti purgatorii poena So that these other naturall and common calamities are the fruites of sinne but not satisfactions for sinne Againe Bellarmine more plainely as yet answeres for vs saying Mortis debitum non erat solum vt moreremur sed vt in morte perpetuò maneremus And this debt by his satisfaction Christ hath so freed vs thereof that death altering its nature to the godly is now but a safe passage to life of a curse made a full cure and blessing ending our fight leading vs to our crowne bringing vs to our countrey to the sight of God company of Angels societie of Saints and coniunction with Christ and therefore so expected with ioy and desired with longing which no punishment could bee Besides that hereby he contradicts himselfe saying that in baptisme the whole guilt and the whole punishment of sinne is remitted and yet sodainely after baptisme many Infants die To say therefore that the death of these is a satisfactory punishment when nothing is to bee satisfied for vnremitted fully is an absurd contradiction His third instance is of violent death inflicted on some as a satisfactorie and temporall punishment after the remission of the sinne as Exod. 32. of those that were killed for worshiping the golden Calfe Numb 14. of those that murmured against the Lord. 1 King 13. of the Prophet slaine by the Lyon and 1 Cor. 11. the death of those that vnworthily communicate We answer that these first that were slaine were manifest Idolaters of whose repentance or remission we reade not but of the iust deserued temporall punishment here and what such merite hereafter 1 Cor. 6.9 Next the others that murmured are called by the Apostle hard-hearted misbeleeuing wicked and disobedient and who as cleerely appeares Heb. 4.2.3 were also excluded out of the heauenly rest that which God remitted being according to Moses desire only their full deletion as God had threatned and their posterities To the other two examples we answer that all that they proue we grant to wit that disobedience and sinne is the efficient cause of temporall punishments but such punishments of the godly are not payments to God and redemptions of themselues So our difference is of the finall cause which is either for example to others to be aware or amendment of themselues or as Augustine saith cited by Bellarmine vel ad demonstrationem debitae miseriae vel emendationem labilis vitae vel ad exercitationem necessariae patientiae Neither read we of the Prophets repentance nor remission nor of the reconcilement of these vnworthy receiuers against whom that are such the Apostle threatneth the receiuing of their damnation Last of all when enforced by truth Bellarmine is made to confesse meritū Christi sufficere ad omnē culpam et poenam tollendam he comes to this shift that it must be applyed by Purgatory and all be it that in baptisme it take away all yet hee saith blasphemously quod deus tantum semel utitur ea liberalitate et postea contrahit nonnihil manum and will haue vs to satisfie for our selues and that for the temporall punishment quod vna tantum si actualis satisfactio et ea sit nostra Whereunto wee answer that wee grant that Christs merit is not auailable to any without application but the meanes are set downe expresly in the word to wit faith by the Word and Sacraments and by which meanes whensoeuer it is applyed it looseth none of its full vertue nor as they blasphemously affirme doth the Lord but once only vse such liberalitie to accept it for as much as it is worth towards the godly like the Pope who neuer but once at his Coronation scatters his copper money amongst the people but Faith applies it euer and he accepts it euer according to the full vertue and value thereof as being sufficient to free the godly as well from the temporall satisfactorie punishment which is the lesse as from the eternall which is the more Besides likewise that the meanes of applying a thing should be actiue and not a passion or torment so neither should these meanes be contrary to the benefit which we enioy by them as who to see should cloose his eie lids applying Gods mercie by the execution of his Iustice pardon by punishment discharge of debt by payment and applying the grace of Christ by a meanes derogating from his grace which is altogether impious and absurd As for his testimonies of Councels and Fathers that he brings in for prayer for the dead out of which hee would inferre Purgatory they neuer proue his point 1. Because this did proceede of an errour that sundry of the Fathers did hold and the whole Greeke Church as yet whom Bellarmine refutes that the soules of the Godly remained till the resurrection in certaine hid receptacles without seeing God 2. Their owne Canon of the Masse prayes for the soules of the faithfull which doe sleepe in the slumber of peace for so are the words Memento domin◠animarum famulorum famularumque tuarum quae nos pracesserunt in signe fidei et dormiunt in somno pacis And yet these soules so long since departed cannot be said now to be in the fire of Purgatory for none could sleepe peaceable or found in so easelesse a bed except they make labouring and rest sleepe and waking peace and torment to bee all one 3. Cyprian testifies that they offered for the Apostles and Martyrs whom yet they thought not to be in Purgatorie and in the ancient Missalls Bellarmine grants that on the day of Pope Leo the 8. canonized Saint the Church said Annuè quaesumus domine vt animae B. Leonis haec prosit oblatio and yet this prayer for his soule imported not by their owne confession that it was in Purgatory 4. Likewise they prayed for the dead for declaration of their loue to them and not doubting that the soules notwithstanding were in blisse already and in that ioy which they prayed for vnto them as Augustines words for his mother Monica plainely manifests et credo domine quod feceris quod te rogo sed voluntaria oris mei approba domine And whereas the same Augustine would seem more plainely to make for Purgatorie in other places againe he either calles it in doubt if
mention of Mortall sins any iudicious Reader will finde that thereby they vnderstand Peccata vastantia conscientiam or such great and grossâ— sinnes as vsually exclude penitentiall grace from the presumptuous Actour by which onely our sinnes become veniall Likewise seeing euery sinne name it as yee will if yee graunt it once to bee sinne is mediately at least committed against an infinite obiect who consequently requireth iustly an infinite punishment It followeth necessarily that the same is mortall although it were but as idle word which Bellarmine saith were a foolish thing in man to breake friendship for such light offences and can not bee vnderstood in God how it can deserue eternall punishment although in the contrary Christ hath said that euen of such account shall bee giuen at the day of Iudgement at which time onely eternall punishment shall bee inflicted and not a temporall such as they allot to veniall sinnes Wherefore it was requisite that as our Sauiour should haue our nature that in it sinne might hee punished iustly so this nature was to subsist in an infinite person that by it sinne might bee conquered fully But when 〈…〉 himselfe is to bee punished by God according to the merit of his vnpardoned offence the Lord not hauing meanes to satisfie his Iustice on an infinite person to make proportion betweene his Iustice and mans sinne some way hee chuseth an infinite time because the person punished is no wayes match with the partie offended therefore this punishment is truly called Passion but not Satisfaction whereas the infinitenesse of Christs Nature in person made his Passion to bee a sufficient Satisfaction From whence it followes that nothing can bee done by man either actiuely or passiuely in this life nor after the same that can be reputed a condigne satisfaction to God for any one sinne whatsoeuer committed by vs the guilt and whole punishment whereof is perfectly abrogated by Christ the first being imputed to him and the second inflicted vpon him that so all who are engraft in him may be freed from both the merit of his blood and fire of his spirit and not any other Purgatorie effectuating that to vs. Not that by this ouerthrow of that distinction of sinne into mortall and veniall which at last among the Papists becomes also venall that we denie an inequalitie to be in sinnes and so consequently in their due punishments For first wee hold sinnes to bee vnequall in respect of the obiect against which we sinne and so a sin against God is a greater sin then a sin against man and a sinne against the first Table is greater then a sinne against the second Table being compared in equall and paralell acts Otherwise if we compare a sinne in the least part of a Commandement in the first Table with a sinne in the greatest part of a Commandement in the Second Table the latter is more hainous then the first Likewise as a sinne against God is greater then a sinne against man for the essentiall diuersitie of the obiect so the sinne against one man may bee greater then a sinne against another for the accidentall diuersitie of the obiect as in eminencie of place against a King or propinquitie of blood bond of nature against a Parent for although all men naturally considered are alike and the same yet ciuilly and politickly they are not Secondly in respect of the matter wherein wee sinne there is an inequalitie so Murder is a greater sinne then Theft because life is more precious then goods Likewise if we compare sins in the same matter one may be greater then another according to the extent or quantitatiue measure as to kill three is a greater offence then to kill one and to steale 100. pounds is a greater theft then 10. Thirdly in respect of the manner how we offend there is an inequalitie of sinning and so a sinne of malice is greater then a sinne of infirmitie so is that of knowledge greater then that of ignorance As likewise sinnes that consist only in immanent action or thought of the minde are lesse then these that come to transient action being accomplished by the body euery further addition making the sinne more intense in degree And as sins are vnequall so are their punishments God in his distributiue iustice allotting seuerall portions of paine to the seuerall proportions of sinne The priuatiue punishment or poena damni in time degree is alike to all Depart from me c. The posiâ—iue or poeâ—a sensus is partly from an inward cause which is the gnawing worme of conscience whose life is perpetuated in death or from an outward cause which is such exquisite meanes whereby at last the whole man is afflicted decreed by God in his wisedome executed by his power to demonstrate his iustice and is ordinarily called the fire of Hell And as the outward paine of fire primarily inflicted on the body doth worke effectually to afflict the soule so doth the inward paine of the worme which is in the soule worke effectually to afflict the body that as they were brethren in euill and participated in sinne so they may bee coupled likewise and pertake in torment And as the soule hath one estate in her selfe at death independant vpon the body by her seperation from it and another in the body vpon her revniting with it at the resurrection so in the first she suffereth outward paine immediately and in the second by the body mediately In all which the punishment of all is equall in time because in respect of duration there is neither more nor lesse in that which is eternall but the punishment is vnequall in degree Gods iustice hauing a relatiue respect to mans sinne And so although we denie that any sinnes are veniall by nature yet we affirme some to be lesse then others and in a lesse measure punished and so the vniust slander of our Aduersaries affirming that we make all sinnes and consequently all punishments equall may easily hence appeare FINIS Reuel 18.13 Mant. de colam temp Aeneas Syluius ad 1. pereg Ep. 66. 2 Cor. 3. Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 15. Aug. li. de trin c. 3. cont Mend. c. 6. * Math. 4.9 Ephes. 6. Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 14. Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 1. Et lib 2. c. 6.9 10. Bell. lib. 1. de Indul. c. 9. Ibidem Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 12. Bell. lib 4. de Pan. c. 13. Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. c. 13. Lomb. l. 4. Sent. dist 18. Chrys. in 4. ad Rom. Hom. 8. Aug. Ser. 27. de verbis Domini Col. 1.19 Bell. lib. 1. de Indul. c. 4. 1 Tim. 2.6 Col. 1.19 Iohn 1.16 Acts 4.12 Bell lib. 4. de Poenit. c. 13. Ephes. 2.8 Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 12. Bell. lib. 1. de Sanct. c. 3. Philip. 1.23 2 Tim. 4.7 Bell. lib. 3. de Eccles. c. 9. Iob 7.2 Exod. 20.6 Psal. 110.4 Bell. lib. 1. de Sanct. c. 6. Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 5. Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 14. Ibidem Bell. lib. 2. de indul cap. 7. Ibidem cap. 5. Bell. lib. 1. de Indul. c. 2. Bell. lib. 1. de Indul. c. 4. Ibidem Bell. lib. 1. de Sanct. c. 3. Ibidem Ibidem Ibidem Bellar. lib. 1. de Sanct. c. 4. Bell. ibidem Iustin. quosi 75 Bell. l 1. de Sanct. c. 5. Cyprian de exhor Mart. cap. vlt. Aug. med c. 22. et l. 20. de ciuit dei c. 15. Prosp. l. 1. de vita contemp c. 1. Ansel. in 2. ad Cor. Bell. l. 1. de Sanct. c. 6. Bell. Ibidem Bell ibidem Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 3. Answere 2 Tim. 3.16 c. 2.23.26.28 Iosh. 7. Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 12. Bell. l. 1. de Purg. c. 3. Aug. Confess lib. 6. c. 2. contra Faust. l. 2. c. 21. 1 Sam. last 31. 2 Sam. 1.12 Bell. lib. 2. de indul cap. 13. 1 Pet. 1.7 4.12 Aug. l. 20. de Ciuit. Dei c. 25 Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 18. â— 35. Answere â—o Luk. 10.35 Ephes. 1.21 Marke 3.29 Luke 12.10 Answer Bell. l. 1. de purg C. 6. Answer Rom. 6.6 Answer Bell. lib. 1. de purg ca. 5. Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. c. 13. Bell. lib. 1 de purg ca. 7. Answer Bell. l. 1. de Purg. ca. 7. Bell. lib. 1. de purg ca. 8. Answer Iam. 3.6 1 Ioh. 3.14 Answere Answere Answer Bell. l. 1. de Sanct. c. 6. Isai. 45.23 Bell. l. 1. de Christ. c. 13. Reuel 20.7 Iude 1.6 Aug. Epist. 99. ad Euodium Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. c. â— Answer Deut. 29.29 Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. c. 14. Bell. lib. 1. de purg ca. 11. 2 Sam. 12. Numb 12. Hebr. 12.7 Gen. 2.17 Rom. 5.17 Rom. 6.23 Bell. lib. 2. de Indul. c. 1. Bell. lib. 2. de Indul. c. 4. Bellar. lib. 4. de poenit c. 2. Answer Heb. 3.4 2 Thes. 2.12 1 Tit. 1.15 Bell. lib. 1. de purg ca. 14. Ephes. 3.17 Rom. 10.17 Gal. 3.27 1 Cor. 10.16 Bell. l. 1. de purg c. 9. Aug. l. 21. de ciuit dei c. 27. Bell. lib. 1. de Sanct. c. 2. Lactan. l. 7. cap. 11. Cyp. l. 3. epist. 6. et l. 5. epist. 4. Bell. lib. 2. de Purg. ca. 1. et ibid. ca. 18. Aug. confess l. 9. ca. 13. Aug. l. de ciui dei cap. 16. Bell. l. 1. de purg cap. 10. Aug. lib. 21. de ciuit dei cap. 26.27 Enchirid. c. 69. Aug. c. 1. secundi Serm. de consol super mortuos et l. 5. hypognost Bell. l. 2 de purg cap. 1. 1 Iohn 3.4 Rom. 6.23 Galat. 3.10 Hebr. 9.22 1 Iohn 1.7 Galat. 3.10 Rom. 6.23 Actes 28. Hebr. 6.4 1 Iohn 5.16 Bell. lib. 1. de purg ca. 11. Math. 5. Bell. lib. 4. de Poenit. c. 13. Bell. l. 1. de purg c. 5. Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 11. The inequality of sinne or degrees thereof The inequalitie of punishment or degrees thereof
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