be placed because there is no mention thereof in the Gospell But to returne to the third place alleged by M. Allen out of S. Augustine ser. 3. Psal. 103. How would he haue vs to take it for a confirmation of his exposition of S. Paules wordes touching the paines of purgatory which are sayd to begin immediatly after this life when he him selfe confesseth that it is to be vnderstoode of the vniuersall conflagration of the world at the day of iudgement Thus you see that here were great bragges made that Augustines authority maintained his interpretation of those 2. textes of Scripture concerning popish purgatory which he him selfe contendeth to beginne as soone as men are dead When Augustine in both those places as the playne circumstance of the place declareth the one and the confâ—ssion of M. Allen admitteth the other speaketh of a kind of purging which he did thinke should not be before the whole world were purged at once by fire 3 And as S. Augustine taketh these base substances of wood hay or stuble to signifie worldly affections and secular desires so S. Ambrose noteth by the same vayne curious vnprofitable doctrines the drosse of which friuolous matter much corrupting the sinceritie of our faith must be separated from the foundation by the fire of the sayd fornace For this is a generall doctrine without exception that what so euer be vnderstanded by those light matters whether it be a difformity in life or in doctrine that onely defileth and not vtterly destroyeth the fayth which is the foundation nor wasteth the loue due vnto our Lord what so euer I say that be it must be tryed out by the spirite of iudgement and fire Briefly then thus S. Ambrose expounding the Apostles wordes He shall be saued by fire writeth Ostendit illum saluum quidem futurum sed poenam ignis passurum vt per ignem purgatus fiat saluus non sicut perfidi aeterno igne in perpetuum torqueatur The Apostle declareth that he shall be saued and yet suffer the paynes of fire that being purged by that fire he may so be saued and not as the vnfaithfull perpetually be tormented in euerlasting fire 3 As he sayth litle out of Ambrose so it is soone aunswered first it maketh litle for him that Ambrose expoundeth the wodde hay and stuble vayne curious and vnprofitable doctrine for that prouethe that onely the worke of teachers shall passe the triall of this fire which is the iudgement of Gods spirite the true discerner of doctrines but yet Ambrose expoundeth the fire to be a purging and a punishment But whether it be in this life or after this life you haue no ground out of this place of Ambrose and therefore it finally auaileth your cause And that Ambrose allowed no purging after this life is playne enough by those wordes which he writeth vpon the 40. Psalme For where the prophet sayth he shall be made happy on earth Ambrose inferreth Bene addidit in terra quia nisi hic mundatus fuerit ibi mundus esse non poterit He hath well added on earth for if he be not clensed here he can not be clensed there 4 This temporall torment of the next life S Hierom very fitly calleth A iudgement of God ioyned with mercy the continuance whereof or other circumstances to serue mens curiositie he dare not define being contented out of doubt to beleue that certaine sinners be in greuous torments and yet not without hope of mercy these be that holy mans words in his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esai talking by occasion of the continuance of purgatory paynes Quid nos solius Dei scientiae debemus relinquere cuius non solum misericordiae sed tormenta in pondere sunt nouit quem quomodo quandiu debeat iudicare Solumque dicamus quod humanae conuenit fragilitati Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me sicut diaboli omniumque negatorum atque impiorum qui dixerunt in corde suo non est Deus credimus aeterna tormenta sic peccatorum atque impiorum tamen Christianorum quorum opera in igne purganda sunt atque probanda moderatam arbitramur mixtam clementiae sententiam iudicis In English VVe must commit this secrete to Gods wisedom and knowledge whose not onely mercy but iudgement and iust punishment be paised For he right well knoweth whom how and what time he ought to punish And let vs onely as it becommeth our frailty cry out Lord in thy furious wrath argue me not neither correct me in thy anger for as we beleue the eternall damnation and torment of the deuill with the forsaken sort and wicked that sayd in their harte there is no God so we suppose that vpon sinners and euill men being yet christen men whose workes shall be both purged and tryed by fire shal be pronounced a moderate sentence mixed with mercy and clemency Lo here this worthy writer graunteth there be two sortes of punishments by fire one of the damned spirites and wicked men eternall and an other of certayne that in their life were sinners some wicked men too who yet being in Christes Church and vsing the benefite of the blessed Sacraments had their sinnes so forgeuen that not purging their wicked life by sufficient penaunce in their dayes they must of necessity enter into the torment of transitory fire there to be punished not in rage and rigor without pity but in anger of fatherly correction ioyned with clemency and much mercy 4 The last place is reserued for S. Ieronym who seemeth to geue a perfect testimony for M. Allens behoofe if he be no further examined then M. Allen rehearseth his wordes but howe litle they make for him if they be duely discussed except it be to proue Ieronym an Origenist and so to discredite his testimony I will stand to the iudgement of all reasonable Papistes that will vouchsafe to weygh the matter with me and not be wilfully deceiued For first it is manifest that Ieronym writing vpon these wordes of Esay whose worme shal not dye nor the fire be extinguished speaketh of the last iudgement in the ende of the world and then rehearseth the arguments of them that thought the punishment of that worme and fire shoulde be ended after long time and great torments which thing Ieronym sayth must be left to the onely knowledge of God c whom he confesseth to be a mercifull iudge and so it may be that he will release the eternall torments that wicked Christians haue deserued after the day of iudgement but he defineth nothing And as for M. Allens purgatory which he defendeth to begin streight way after mens departure hence he speaketh neuer a word But rather of the purging fire of Gods iudgement which some of the Origenistes did extend to the purifying and sauing of all Christians were they neuer so wicked from whose opinion he seemeth not
to wit that euen the same selfe men which shall be purged must afterwarde offer to God the sacrifice of iustice that being once thus amended of their vnrighteousnesse in which their offeringes could not be acceptable vnto God may afterwarde in pure and perfect iustice offer them selues as a most pleasaunt hoste and oblation vnto our lord But this question of purgatory paines I will differ to a further treaty hereafter All this hath S. Augustine VVhereby we may both acknowledge his minde and the Prophets meaning which according to the grace geuen vnto him in the expounding of Scriptures he hath sought out by conference of that place with other the like out of Esay by weying discretly the whole circumstance of the letter finally by comparing of the other meaning which to some might haue bene reckened apte and mete for that place In all which doing he was as farre from rashe iudgement as our newe doctors be from good aduisement But because he referreth vs to the further discussing of the same matter afterward in the named worke it shal be to our purpose not a litle to haue this dictors full minde constant iudgement therein In the xxj booke after much matter vttered and very deepe discussing of the cause he maketh this grouÌ„ded Conclusion Temporales poenas alij in hac vita tantum alij post mortem alij nunc nuÌ„c veruntameÌ„ ante illud saeuerissimuÌ„ nouissimúmque iudiciuÌ„ patiuntur Non autem omnes veniuÌ„t in sempiternas poenas quae post illud iudiciuÌ„ his sunt futurae qui post mortem sustinent temporales nam quibusdam quod in isto noÌ„ remittitur remitti in futuro saeculo id est ne futuri saeculi aeterno supplicio puniaÌ„tur iam supra diximus Temporall paines that is to say punishment which shall haue an end some men suffer in this life some other after their death other some both now then But all this before the day of iudgement that is the greatest and last of all other iudgements not all that be teÌ„porally punished after their departure come into paines perpetuall which shall be after the generall daye for we haue already declared that there be certaine which haue remission in an other worlde that is to say a pardon that they be not punished euerlastingly that had not forgeuenesse in this By these wordes we may be assured that as in the next life there be paines endelesse and perpetuall for the wicked so in the same worlde after our ende here there must needes be some transitory punishment and correction for such of the meane sorte as shall afterwarde be saued And againe he speaketh as I take it of the fier of Conflagration that shall in the latter day purge some that be meane and wast other that be wicked and sende them from that present punishment to further eternall damnation I will recite his owne wordes that ye may perceiue the perpetuall constancy of this excellent mans minde in this matter It shall also be a testimonie sufficient for the vnderstanding of S. Pauls wordes nowe before alleaged Si aedificauerit super fundamentum ligna foenum stipulam id est mores saeculares fundamento fidei suae super aedificauerit tameÌ„ si in fundamento sit Christus primum locuÌ„ ipse habeat in corde ei nihil omnino anteponatur porteÌ„tur tales Veniet caminus inceÌ„det ligna foenuÌ„ stipulam ipse inquit saluus erit sic tamen quasi per ignem Hoc aget caminos alios in sinistram â—eparabit alios in dexteram quodammodo eliquabit If any man erect vpon the foundatioÌ„ woodde hay or straw that is to say worldely affections vpon the groundewarke of his sayth if yet Christ be in the foundation and beare the greatest stroke in his harte so that nothing be preferred before him such may well be borne withall for the fiery fornace shall come burne the wood hay and stooble shall be saued as the Apostle saith though it be for all that through the fier that fornace then shall parte some to the lift hande and try forth other if a man may so tearme it to the right hande 2 The first place is geuen vnto Augustine because he is in a maner confessed to be a patrone of some of our opinions though he be not of all This doctor in his 20 booke de ciuitate dei is saide to expound the texte of Melachy as M. Allen hath doen of the paines of purgatory But reade the place with indifferent iudgement who so can and will and he shall plainely perceiue that Augustine speaketh not of M. Allens purgatory which is said to be immediatly after mens death but of certaine purging paines which he supposeth some shall suffer at the last daye of Gods generall iudgement and yet he is so vncertaine of that exposition that he doubteth whether this purging whereof the Prophet speaketh may not be vnderstoode of that seperation which shal be of the godly from the wicked in that daye Howbeit 21. booke cap. 13. of the same worke he concludeth very cleerely that some suffer temporall paines after this life This maye not be denyed but how vnconstant Augustine was in his error appereth by this that sometime he doubteth whether there be any such matter other whiles he seemeth plainely to deny all other receptacles of the soules departed beside heauen and hell For both in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium cap. 69. de octo Dulcitij in quaestionibus quaest 1. he sayeth that as it is not incredible that such a matter may be after this life so it may be doubted whether it be so or no. Likewise in his booke de fide operibus cap. 16. he hath these wordes speaking of that texte to S. Paule 1. Corinthians 3. Siue ergo in hac vita tantum homines ista patiuntur siue etiam post hanc vitam talia iudicia subsequantur non abhoâ—ret quantum arbitror a ratione veritatis iste intellectus huius sententiae Whether men suffer these things in this life only or whether such iudgements follow after this life also the vnderstanding of this sentence abhorreth not as I thinke from the waye of trueth Againe in Hypognost contra Pelagianos lib. 5. he acknowledgeth the kingdom of heauen for to receiue the godly and hell fire for the punishment of the wicked but a third place sayth he we are altogither ignoraunt of neither doe we finde it in the holy Scriptures He writeth against the Pelagians that imagined a third place for the rest of infants that were not baptised but the same reason serueth as well against the popish purgatory because we finde it not in the holy Scriptures to the like effect he writeth de verbis Apostoli sermone 14. where he acknowledgeth the right hand and the left hand of God that is the kingdom of heauen and the paynes of hell the midle place he vtterly denyeth wherein infantes may
altogither to discent though he doe not plainly allow it And that he writeth vpon the first of Ezechiel to which place M. Allen sendeth vs he speaketh of the prouidence of God which so gouerneth the afflictions of his Sainctes that that which seemed to be a punishment is conuerted into a medicine As children imagine that spirites and goblines be in euery darke corner So M. Allen neuer readeth fire and torment but by and by he dreameth of purgatory Origen is alleged for our cause vpon vvhose errour in a matter somevvhat appertayning to our purpose S Augustins iudgement is more largely sought and therevvith it is declared by testimony of diuers holy authors vvhat sinnes be chiefly purged in that temporall fire CAP. VIII 1 THese three noble learned men might right well satisfie our search for the sense of the textes both of the Prophet and Apostle and perswade any reasonable man in the whole cause yet for that there be â—ome that meane not to relent in their lewde opinions for light proffers I will store them with testimonies Origenes one of great antiquity in many places of his works vnderstandeth both the sayd textes of Malachie and S. Paule in the like sorte by whom we may well take a great taste of the time and Church where he liued what men of wisedom vertue then iudged of thinges which now of fooles be contemned and of heretikes condemned also But namely vpon the Prophet Ieremy in these wordes Si post fundamentum Iesu Christi non solum in tuo corde aurum argentum lapidem preciosum superae dificaueris verum ligna foenum stipulam quid tibi vis fieri cum anima seiuncta fuerit a corpore vtrum ne ingredi vis in sancta cum lignis tuis foeno stipula vt polluas regnum Dei an propter lignum foenum stipulam foris residere vis pro auro argento lapide precioso nil mercedis accipere sed neque hoc aequum est Quid ergo sequitur nisi vt primum propter lignum ignis tibi detur qui consumat foenum lignum stipulam c. If vpon the foundation which is Christ Iesus thou do not onely builde golde siluer and preciouse stone but also woodde hay and strawe what doest thou looke for after thy death wilt thou entre into the holy places with thy woodde hay and stooble and defile the kingdome of God or els for thy wood hay and straw thou wilt abide forthe and so liese the rewarde of thy golde siluer and preciouse stone But that were no reason then there is no waye but one first to receiue fire for to consume and burne out thy woodde hay and stooble and then afterwarde to receiue for thy better workes the rewarde of saluation so sayth Origen VVhose iudgement if any man mistrust in this point because he erred in other let him learne to miscredit only his or other mens singular opinioÌ„s priuate phaÌ„tasies wherein they disagreed from the residue of the common body of Christ his Church not contemne in any man the confirmation of the vniuersall sense which he findeth in the vniforme doctrine of all other Christian Catholikes In deede it was so euident that this Purgatory fire of which the Apostle speaketh shoulde be in the other life that this learned man afterwarde leauing the meaning which the holy Church had opened for the proofe of certeine transitory punishment in the next worlde for meaner offenders would of his owne head go forwarde which is the bane of many a goodly wit and mainteine that all greuous crimes and most wicked maners might be purged by this fire after death and the parties in time saued so that they had faith for their foundation whereby as S. Augustine noteth of him he made onely faith to saue the wicked without repentaunce or good workes CAP. VIII 1 WHether M. Allen knew that his former witnesses did not agree or that he would geue a tast of his bountifull dealing in pressing vs with more testimonies then needed he will nowe produce Origen whom though he confesse to be infamouse for heresy yet eueÌ„ of his error he wil not doubt but to grounde his purgatory Origen will haue men passe through a fire but to make it plaine that he meaneth not the fier of Popish purgatory we shal perceiue by other places of his writings that he speaketh of such a fire as all men be they neuer so iust shall passe through affirming that all meÌ„ haue neede of purifications after his life ye Peter Paule and such like in Num. Hom. 25. in Psal. 36. Hom. 3. But all men passe not through the Popes purgatory I passe ouer here the grosse allegory that he maketh of the bloude of Deuils by which a man shal be washed and purified in the kingdome of God that being so purified and made cleane he may enter into the city of god Num. Hom. 25. But how soeuer he doteth about passage through fier and purifications after this life yet he affirmeth in an other place that the day of Christian mens death is the deposition of paine whereby it appereth that either he was not constant with him selfe or els that Origens purgatory was a painlesse purgatory His wordes are in Iob Lib. 3. Nam priores diem natiuitatis celebrabant vnam vitam diligentes aliam post hanc non sperantes Nunc vero nos non natiuitatis diem celebramus cum sit dolorum atque tentationum introitus sed mortis diem celebramus vtpote omnium dolorum depositionem atque omnium tentationum effugationem The former men did celebrate the daye of natiuity as they that loued but one life and hoped for none after this But now we doe not celebrate the daye of Natiuitie seeing it is the entrance of sorrowes and temptations but we celebrate the daye of death as that which is a deposition of all griefes and an auoyding of all temptations 2 Against which perniciouse error the said doctor often writeth and proueth that this place of S. Paule can not make for the deliuery of the wicked or greuous offenders in any case And being somewhat vrged by the aduersaries arguments or els because he woulde take all holde from them which they seemed to haue by that scripture he seeketh them out an other meaning not contrary at all to the trueth of Purgatory but yet farther of their purpose Declaring that this fire might as he saith there signify some griefe of this worlde for the abating of some inordinate affectioÌ„s that be found in many euen towards things otherwise lawfull Though he was very loth to auouch this as the vndouted meaning of that scripture being pleaced with any other whereby they shoulde not be forced to deny the eternall damnation of impenitent sinners as in deede he neuer gaue this meaning but where the Origenistes did vrge him and in such places onely where he aunswereth to Origens arguments for
vs entre into the search of the meaning of these two textes with such plainnes sincerity that I dare say the aduersaries them selues shall not mislike our dealing VVe will follow all likelihoodes by comparing the scriptures together and admit with all the counsell and iudgement of such our elders as by their confession shall be taken for holy learned and wise First the prophet and Apostle both make mention of purging of purifying sinne corruption of mans impure or defiled workes they both agree this cleansing or trying out of the filthy drosse gathered by corruption of sinne to be done by fier they both throughly follow the similitude of the fornace and goldesmith in fining his metalles and trying out the drosse and base matter from the perfect finesse of more worthy substaunce they both plainely vtter their meaninges of such as shall afterwarde be saued though it be with losse geuing vs to vnderstande that the parties so purged shall be after their triall worthy to offer a pure sacrifice in holynesse righteousnes They both note this purgatiō to be wrought by the hand of God. All these must needes be confessed euen of the cōtrary teachers which things together cōteine more probability for the proofe of our purpose then they can for any other sense finde But now touching the text neerer and finding that this worke of mans amending shall be wrought in the next life then it must nedes so induce this sense that no meaning may well be admitted which euidently setteth not forth the trueth of Purgatory And that this worke is not properly taken for any such trouble or vexation that may fall to man in this life but for a very torment prepared for the next worlde first the quality of the iudgement meanes in the executiō of that sentence of God which is named to be done by fier seemeth rather to import that then any other vexation the punishment of the worlde following alwayes lightely so termed Then man is in this purging onely a sufferer which belongeth namely to the next worlde But especially that this sentence shal be executed in the day of our Lord which properly signifieth either the day of our death or the sentence of God which streight followeth vpon death or the last and generall iudgement All the time of mans life wherein he followeth his freedome is called Dies Hominis the day of man because as man in this life for the most parte serueth his owne will so he often neglecteth Gods but at his death there beginneth Dies Domini VVhere God executeth his ordinaunce and will vpon man This triall then of mans misdeedes impure workes must either be at his death or after his departure by one of the two iudgements But if we note diligently the circumstances of the saide letter it shall appeare vnto vs that this purgation was not ment to be onely at mans death both because it shall be done by fire which as is saide commonly noteth the torment of the next life and then S. Paule expressely warneth vs to take heede what we builde in respect of the difference that may fall to such as builde fine workes and other that erect vpon the foundation impure or mixte matter of corruption but the paines of death being common to the best as well as to the worst or indifferent and no lesse greuous in it selfe to one then the other can not be imported by the fire which shall bring losse to the one sort and not paine the other Besides all this that day which the Prophet speaketh of shall be notorious in the sight of the worlde and very terrible to many And Saint Paule plainely affirmeth that in this iudgement there shall be made an open shewe of such workes as were hidde before from man and not discerned by the iudgement of this worlde which the priuate death of one man can not do And lightely the Apostle warning man of the sentence of God in the next life admonisheth him that our deedes must be laide open before the iudgement seate of God so here Dies domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur the day of our Lord will open the matter because it shall be shewed in fire Last of all the Prophet nameth the time of this sharp triall Diē aduētus domini which is a proper calling of one of the iudgements either that which shall be generall at the last day or els that which euery man must first abide straight after his departure when he shall be called to the peculiar reckening for his owne actes In either of which iudgements this purging and amending fire shall be founde For as in that generall wast of the whole world by the fire of conflagration which is called ignis praecedens faciem iudicis because it awaiteth to fulfill Christes ordinance in the day of his second comming as in that fier the whole man both body and soule may suffer losse extreme paine for his punishment or purgation and yet by that same fire be saued euen so out of doubt at this particulare iudgement straight vpon euery mans death the soule of the departed if it be not before free must suffer paines and Purgation by the like vehement torment working onely vpon the soule as the other shall do on the whole man And the Prophets wordes now alleged do meane principally of the purgation that shall be made of the faithfuls corrupted workes by the fier of conflagration in the second comming of Christ though his wordes well proue the other also as S. Paule too meaneth by them both 3 Now I trow commeth the confirmation of purgatory out of the holy Scriptures or else it wyll neuer come when two textes are alleged at once But although M. Allen hath rather craftily confounded then faithfully compared these two textes together for all his protestation of plaine dealing yet will I seuerally consider them and shew both by the plaine circumstances of the places them selues and also by the iudgement of the auncient doctors that neither of them both appertaineth any whit to purgatory First Malachy prophecieth plainly of the first comming of Christ and of his fore runner Iohn Baptist as the wordes going before without all controuersy doe declare Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seeke shall spedely come to his temple euen the messenger of the couenaunt whom ye desire beholde he shall come sayth the Lord of hostes but who may abide the day of his comming c. witnesse of this is no lesse then euen our Sauiour Christ him selfe Luke the 7. alleging this saying of the Prophet for the comming of Iohn the Baptist. These wordes also where it is sayd that the Lord shall come into his temple doe sufficiently declare that he describeth the office of Christ in reforming the corrupt state of the Church at his first comming and not in iudging the quicke and the dead
he so litle doubteth that he calleth Purgatory damnatiō though not perpetuall as that which might be both eased and vtterly remoued by the sacrifice suffragies of the Church And thus did that graue author withstād Origen then whose followers were as it may be thought very busie and troublesome in those daies and long after But yet his sure staffe against that error was this and the most common defense of all Catholikes that the temporall paines in the next worlde coulde neuer deliuer the great greuous sinners that died with out repentaunce or remission of their sinnes from euerlasting death because that torment was prepared for the small offensies which we call veniall sinnes by which the holy Apostle ment vnder the names of the base substances of woodde hay and straw as these wordes of much importaunce may well declare There be diuerse sayth he that misconstruing these wordes of S. Paule before alleaged by ouer vaine security confidence deceiue them selues beleuing that if they do builde capitall and greuous crimes vpon the foundation which is Christ they shall be purged through fire and them selues afterwarde escape to euerlasting life but this vnderstanding good brethern must be corrected For those that so flatter them selues shamefully do beguile them selues For that fire which the Apostle speaketh of in these wordes He shall be saued through fier purgeth not mortall sinnes but smaller offensies onely 2 Now followeth a confuse and tedious discourse of Augustines iudgement touching Origens error but it may be reduced vnto these two pointes First why Augustine woulde not interprete that place of Paule 1. Cor. 3. of purgatory and secondly whether Augustine were in any doubt at all of purgatory betwene which two questions is begotten a thirde conclusion that purgatory serueth onely for veniall and light offences To the first he seemeth to say that Augustine refuseth to vnderstand that place of purgatory either because he colde not otherwise withstād the arguments of the Originests or els because he woulde take all holde away from them rather then that it was his constant iudgement because in other places where he was free from contētion he euer groūded purgatory vpō that place How honorable this aunswere is for Augustine or how beneficiall for Allen vsing Augustines authoritie I referre to be iudged of all them that be wise and learned To the second he sayth that Augustine neuer doubted whether there were any paines of purgatory after this life but whether men after their death reteined any carnall affections I will once againe reherse the wordes of Augustine that all indifferent men may iudge whether M. Allens aunswere may stande with his saying in a reasonable meaning Tale aliquid etiam post hanc vitam fieri incredibile non est vtrum ita sit quaeri potest It is not vncredible that some such thing is doen after this life and whether it be or no it may be enquired of that is sayth M. Allen whether men haue any carnall affection to their wiues children c. after this life it may be a question But Augustine goeth further in the same place and sayth Et aut inueniri aut latere nonnullos fideles per ignem quendam purgatorium quanto magis minúsue bona pereuntia dilexerunt tanto tardius citiusque saluari Non tamen tales de quibus dictum est quod regnum Dei non possidebunt nisi conuenientes poenitentibus eadem crimina remittantur And either it may be founde or still be hidde that some of the faithfull by a certaine purgatory fire by how much they haue more or lesse loued transitory Gods by so much later or soner are they saued but yet not such of whome it is saued that they shall not possesse the kingdome of God except the same crimes be forgeuen them being sufficiently repentaunt for them These wordes are so plaine against M. Allens new forged meaning that I suppose he neuer reade them in Augustines owne bookes but onely receiued his notes of some elder Papists that had spent more time in gathering them but had not such audacity to vtter them as M. Allen of which coniecture there is no small likelyhoode sone after I omitte his foolish supposition if S. Augustine had but saied belike there is no such meane place in the life following c. I haue already with out M. Allens suppositiō shewed that Augustine some where sayd he knew neither thirde place nor meane place nor none coulde finde in the holy Scriptures nor Gospell of god Neuerthelesse with much wrangling to defende the vncerteinety or vnconstancy of Augustines iudgement touching purgatory we haue wonne so much that purgatory serueth to purge none but very smal and light offences But how longe shall we holde this Scarse to the latter ende of this chapter For in the next capter he findeth out a shifte to wring in heynous and deadly sinnes also For els the release of small faultes woulde not be halfe so gainefull 3 To this purpose S. Hieroms wordes or the reuerēd Bedes whether you wil for either of their graue authorities shall serue my turne do wholy agree in the expositiō of this sentence Mortuo homine impio non erit vltra spes A wicked man being once departed is past recouery or hope VVhere the author writeth thus Heu misere hoc pertransit Origenes qui post vniuersale iudicium vitam credidit omnibus impijs dādam Notandum autem quod etsi impijs post mottem spes veniae non sit sunt tamen qui de leuioribus peccatis cum quibus obligati defuncti sunt post mortem possunt absolui Origen passed ouer this text pitifully that beleued all the wicked should haue at length life euerlasting after the day a◠generall iudgement Yet this is to be noted that although there be no hope of pardon for the wicked after their death yet there be certaine which may be released of lighter trespasses in the bonde of which they departed out of this worlde And so doth Oecumenius a Greeke author expounde S. Pauls wordes of veniall sinnes for the purgation of which he douteth not but that there is a fire of iudgement in the life to come Ipse autem saluabitur quis Qui aurum argentum lapides preciosos superae dificauerit cum enim dixisset de eo quod mercedem accipiet nūc qualem mercedem aperit salutem scilicet Saluabitur autem non sine dolore vt par est saluari per ignem transeuntem adhaerentes sibi leues maculas purgātem thus in english By whome is it spoken when he sayth he shall be saued By him it is spoken that buildeth on the foundatiō golde siluer and preciouse stones For when he had tolde vs that such shoulde haue a rewarde nowe he openeth what that rewarde shoulde be to wit saluatiō And yet he must not be saued without all paine as there is no cause why he should that must passe through fire and thereby be
they chalenge this Priuilege can not feele any daunger their workes as S. Paule sayth abiding the brounte of the fire though they were in place of torment with the rest For if such do passe the firie sworde before they entre into the ioyes of heauen yet they shall euen there be so shadowed that to them it can neither be any whit molestious nor one moments staye from the reward of their pure golden workes which by fire can not perish For of such we muste beleue with Gods Church that they go straight to heauen vpon their departure with out stay or punishment in the next life Although Christ onely of his owne force being not subiecte to any spotte of sinne did passe this fire and entre into heauen the eternall gates opening them selues vnto him as to the king of glory VVho being before in the place of paines also yet coulde not possibly be touched thereby as the Apostle sayth And that is S. Ambrose his meaning as I suppose when he saide Vnus ille ignem hunc sentire non potuit Christ onely was he that coulde not feele this fire He speaketh of the fire through which euen the good must passe before they come to eternall ioy VVhere he doubteth not to auouche that many a man that thinkes him selfe golde and is taken so to be of others too shall yet there be proued full of drosse and impurity long to be cleansed before his finall freedome and deliuery and yet to be saued through fire But for those that be in deede perfect men as Iohn the beloued of Iesus and Peter with the rest this holy doctour was so sure of Purgatory that he thought these also to go through the same and yet the fiery flame to haue geuen place as it did to the three children and as S. Augustine supposeth it shall do in the generall conflagration to the bodies of vertuous men wheÌ„ at the very same time it shall bothe waste the wicked and purge the meane the workes of one sorte withstanding the flame the drosse of the other in a maner feeding the same S. Ambrose therfore thus writeth of the holy Apostle De morte Ioannis aliqui dubitaruÌ„t de transitu per ignem dubitare non possumus quia in paradiso est à Christo non separatur some doubt of Iohns death but of his passage by the fire because he is in ioy with Christ we can not doubt And of S. Peter he sayth siue ille sit Petrus qui claues accepit regni coelorum oportet dicat transiuimus per ignem aquam induxisti nos in refrigerium Yea if it be Peter him selfe to whome the keyes of heauen were committed he must say we passed by fire and water and thou hast brought vs into the place of refreshing But how so euer God worketh in this case with the perfite sort this the Church beleueth and so this doctour teacheth and therfore I dare be bolde to say it that such neither suffer any paine nor tariaunce by the waye Though by nature that fire or torment prepared for the amendment and punishing of sinne or the drosse thereof might of force and right take holde there where corruption of sinne by any meanes hath bene that is not wholy purified before Therefore the soule of our Sauiour being altogether vnspotted coulde not be subiect to any sufferance in the worlde to come by any ordinaunce prepared for the punishment of sinne that fire hauing no further graunt by creation and naturall property but to waste there where sinne is founde to haue bene Vpon other it woulde worke till all corruption were consumed if mercy did not preuent both in purifying those singular elect vessels and in repressing the nature of the flame prepared that it practise not iustice where God hath abundantly shewed grace and mercy before Albeit I do not say that the firie sworde is in the passage of euery soule towardes heauen for that is Gods secret and I will with S. Ambrose in the same place say Quod legi praesumo quod noÌ„ legi scientibus relinquo That which I haue reade in graue authority that will I boldely auouch that which I haue not reade with feare and reuerence I commit to men of more knowledge As with out exception I submit my selfe to the determination of Gods Church in all these pointes of misteries which in this deepe matter course of taulke may driue me vnto But now for the meaner sorte that with Christian faith and good workes haue yet some baser building of infirmity or lighter trespasses also those must needes be tried by the fire of iuste iudgement in the worlde to come And this is that which S. Augustine calleth so often the Amending fire S. Ambrose the firy sworde S Bernarde termeth it the place of expiatioÌ„ In quo pater benignus examinat filios rubiginosos sicut examinatur argentum In which our mercifull father trieth his rusty children as siluer is tried VVhiâ—h all these holy fathers with the rest oftentimes do name by the commoÌ„ calling of Purgatory Reade all these place is named if thou hast occasion thy selfe and there thou shalt finde to thy singular comforth sufficient proofe of thy faith great motion of godly life with necessary feare of Gods iudgements Thou shalt maruell at the ignorance of our time that could euer doubt of so plaine a matter thou shalt pity with all thy hearte the vnworthy deceiuing of the vnlearned and haue large matter to withstand the deceiuer and to helpe the simple home againe 2 The rest of this chapter is so vainly consumed in serching how the perfect men shall passe through purgatory and feele it not that it is not worth the aunswering but onely to see how he is combred to reconcile the doctrine of the Papistes concerning purgatory and the opinions of the olde writers touching them that passe through fire into paradise For their opinion as we haue seene before was that all men were they neuer so iust passed through that fire and were purified thereby The Papistes affirme that perfect iust men come not at all in their purgatory as the M of the sentence teacheth lib. â— dist 21. M. Allen to retayne the authority of the olde writers holdeth that perfect iust meÌ„ passe through this purgatory without sense of payne or making any stay there yea he doubteth not to affirme that Christ him selâ—e passed through the fire of purgatory though he could not feele the smart of it because he was pure from sinne Is not this holsome doctrine think you to be so carefull to racke the fiery sworde that Ambrose speaketh of vnto purgatory that he is not ashamed to inuent a new article of our faith that Christ descended into purgatory A place alleged for purgatory out of S. Matthevv vvith certayne of the auncient fathers iudgements vpon the same CAP. X. 1 ANd yet it shall be conuenieÌ„t that I helpe the studious reader with further
that for feare or worldly respectes denied their faith and offered to idols who afterward the storme of tyrannie somewhat being caulmed confessed their faulte and did penaunce for the same by S. Cyprian other good byshops prescriptioÌ„ that then ruled the Church of those dayes By whom after due satisfaction made they were admitted to the communion of the Christian company receite of the holy Sacraments againe But all pastours not of like mercy of seuerity in the case some were suspended from the vse of the Sacraments longer and othersome by more clemency with speede pardoned againe Now S. Cyprian though he were very seuere in such a cause as in all his workes it doth well appeare yet he was blamed by Antonianus others that he dealte ouer mekely with such as denied their faith in so speedy admission of them to the peace of Gods church as they then termed that reconciliation alleaging that if such wordely wind wauerers might be admitted so soone after the open deniall of their faith then there woulde none stedfastly stande to death by confession of their belefe and their maisters name any more the refusers being in as good case as they if pardon might so soone be procured But S. Cyprians aunswere is this that their admission can not withdrawe any mans zele from martyrdom or confession of Christes name seeing their reconciliation doth not set them on so cleare bord as martyrs be VVho being tried by their bloud shal straight receiue the crowne of glory VVhen the others standing but vpon pardon of their sinnes and not discharged of due paines for the same must into prison notwithstanding till they haue paide their vttermost duety and by longe amending by fire at the last come to that reward which the martyrs atteined by sufferance at the first And thus I thinke this holy Martyr meaneth His wordes surely be singular and being well vnderstande they conteine as much matter for our purpose as can be possibly in so litle roume besides the exposition of the texte wherein we yet do stande But I will adde more that all may be saâ—fe on euery side 3 The place of Cyprian hath more couller but yet not so cleere for purgatory as M. Allen would seem to make it For first it is plaine by the wordes both going before and following after that he speaketh of adulterers that are pardoned in the Church of whome some bishoppes that were Cyprian his predecessours had so harde a iudgement that they did vtterly seclude them from reconciliation and allowed them no place of repentaunce but Cyprian was not of that vnreasonable seueritie for his Church did receiue them although they compted them not equall with martyrs or continent persons For it is one thing to be admitted by pardon as adulterers are but yet with some note of ignominie an other to come to glory as martyrs and continent persones doe It is one thing by denying of reconciliation to adulterers in this life to driue them to that prison from whence they shall not come till they haue payed the vttermost farthing an other thing to compt them vnreconciled like them that immediatly receiue the reward of there faith and vertue It is one thing for a man after he hath bene longe time vexed with sorowe for his sinnes to be reformed as one that hath bene long purged in the fire an other thing by suffering persecution to haue purged all his sinnes Finally it is one thing to hange vpon the sentence of God in the daye of iudgement as they seeme to do which being penitent for their heynous sinnes yet are not absolued from them by the Church An other thing to be assured of their crowne which haue striued lawfully And this I take to be the simple meaning of Cyprians words agreeing with the circumstaunce of the place But if they were otherwise ment by him surely they can not but with carte ropes be drawene to the Popes purgatory For those that stande by pardon he excludeth from glory and those that are reformed by sorrow and purged by fire he suspendeth vntill the last daye and then maketh them vncertaine of the sentence also which can not stande with the Papistes opinion of purgatory no more then that which he writeth in his treatise against Demetrianus towarde the ende Quando isthinc excessum suerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae est nullus satisfactionis effectus Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur c. When men are gone hence there is no place of repentaunce no effect of satisfaction while we are here life is either lost or helde And exhorting Demetrianus him selfe to repentaunce which had bene a wicked man and a persecutor of the Christians he sayth to him Tu sub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occasu pro dilictis roges Deum qui vnus verus est confessionem fidem agnitionis eius implores venia confitenti datur credenti indulgentia salutaris de diuina pietate conceditur ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur If thou although it but a litle before the ende and decay of this temporall life shall pray to God for thy sinnes which is the onely true God If thou desire confession and faith of his knowledge pardon is giuen to him that confesseth and holsome forgeuenes of the goodnes of God is graunted to him that beleueth and euen from the howre of death he passeth into immortalitie By this appeareth what Cyprian his iudgement was of purgatory and the effect of satisfaction after this life 4 Eusebius Emissenus an author of great antiquity and much credit in the Church of God helpeth our cause by this notable discourse following Hi vero qui temporalibus poenis digna gesserunt ad quos sermo dei dirigitur quod non exient inde donec reddant nouissimum quadraÌ„tem per fluuium igneum de quo propheticus sermo commemorat fluuius rapidus currebat ante cum per vada feruentibus globis horrenda transibunt Quanta fuerit peccati materia tanta erit pertranseundi mora quantum accreuerit culpa tantum sibi ex homine vindicabit flaÌ„mae rationabilis disciplina quaÌ„tum stulta iniquitas gessit tantum sapiens poena deseuiet Et quia sermo diuinus quodammodo aeneae ollae animam comparans Pone ollam super prunas vacuam donec incalescat aes eius illic periuria irae malitiae cupiditates quae puritatem nobilis naturae infecerant exudabunt illic stannum vel plumbum diuersarum passionum quae aurum diuinae imaginis adulterauerant consumentur Quae omnia hic ab anima separati per eleemosynas lachrymas compendij transactione poteraÌ„t Ecce sic exigere habet ab homine rationem qui seipsum pro homine dedit confixus clauis legem mortis fixit Thus it is in our tongue As for all such vnto whome for their offenses our Lordes word is especially directed that they shall not come
breaketh her faith of Baptisme shal be damned for mariage is not worth a rush For S. Paule sayth not she shal be damned for mariage but because she hath reiected the first faith that is such wanton young houswifes procede so farre that at length they forsake widowhood christianity and all But if M. Allen were posed where he findeth this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture vsed for a vowe or promise made to God perhaps he would aunswere he is no Graecian then let him pose D. Hardinge or some other with the same question and with all let them shew how the first faith can be expounded for the last vowe that a body hath made if he haue made more then one For the Papists holde that these women made one vowe in baptisme an other of there widowhood What so euer M. Iewell hath affirmed against the Papistes he hath so substantially and learnedly defended that he neede not to haue any other man to aunswere for him Therefore if it were not to choke M. Allen in his owne coller I woulde trauaile no farther in this question The Church you say can not erre and that company is the Church which hath the Pope for their head if therefore it can be proued that the Pope and all they that take his part haue erred it is sufficiently shewed that the Church may erre S. Augustine was in this error as you will not deny that the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ was to be ministred vnto infants but of the same opinion he affirmeth that Innocentius Bishop of Rome and all the Church in his tyme was therefore the Pope and all the Church did erre reade Augustine contra Iulianum lib. 1. cap. 2. where he sayth of Innocentius Qui denique paruulos definiuit nisi manducauerint carnem filij hominis vitam prorsus habere non posse which hath defined that infantes except they eate the flesh of the sonne of man can haue no life at all in them And by eating the flesh of the sonne of mā he meaneth eating the Sacramēt of his flesh and bloud as it is euident to them that wil bestow the reading of Augustines discourse in that place An aunsvvere to certayne obiections of the aduersaries moued vpon the diuersitie of meanings vvhich they see geuen in the fathers vvritings of the Scriptures before alleaged for purgatory and that this doctrine of the Church standeth not against the sufficiencie of Christes passion CAP. XI 1 BVt nowe the other side seeketh for some shiftes and draweth backe in this extremity thus That the places of the olde and new Testament now rather alleaged for my purpose and the proofe of purgatory though they be thus expounded of the doctours yet they may haue some other meaninge and sometimes be construed otherwise by the fathers them selues To which I aunswere and freely confesse that they so may haue in deede but the aduersary must take this with all that the pillars of Christes Church woulde neuer haue geuen this sense amongest other or rather before all other meaninges that probability or conferēce of scriptures did driue them vnto had it conteined a plaine faulsehood as the heretike supposeth it doth Yea had not the doctrine of Purgatory bene a knowne trueth in all ages it should neuer by the graue iudgemēt of so many wise men haue atteyned any colour of scripture For though many meaninges be founde of most harde places in all the Bible yet there is no sense geuen by any approued doctour that in it selfe is false And thinke you diuerse textes of the holy Scripture coulde haue caryed a false perswasion of Purgatory downe from the Apostles dayes to our time for true doctrine Marke well and you shall perceiue that the Church of Christ hath euer geuen roome to the diuersitie of mens wittes the diuision of graces and sondry giftes in exposition of most places of the whole testament with this prouiso alwayes that no man of singularity should father any falsehood or vntrueth vpon any texte but otherwise that euery man might abounde in his meaning Mary falsehood she neuer suffered one moment to take holde or bearing of any scripture vnreprehended Ecclesia multa tolerat sayth S. Augustine tamen quae sunt contra fidem vel bonam vitam non probat nectacet nec facit the Church beareth many thinges yet such thinges as be hourtfull to faith or good life she neuer approueth nor doth them her selfe nor holdeth her peace when she seeth them done by others Thereof we haue a goodly example in our owne matter So long as any conuenient meaning might be found out by the holy writers of that place alleaged out of S. Paule for such as shoulde be saued through fire she liked and allowed the same Some proued that the elect must be saued by long sufferance some said the tribulation of this life and world must trie mens faith workes some saide the greefe of minde in loosing that which they ouer much loued was the burning fire of mans affections some woulde haue the greuous vexation of departure out of this life to be a purgatory paines some construed the texte of the fire of conflagration that shall purge the workes of many in the latter day finally they all agreed that the temporall torment of the worlde to come is litterally noted and especially meant by the fire which the Apostle speaketh of All these so litle do disagree amongest them selues that not onely by diuerse men but of one man they might well all be geuen And being all in them selfe very true the holy Church so liketh and alloweth them eche one that yet by the common iudgement of all learned men that meaning for Purgatory paines she approueth as the most agreeable sense to the texte and whole circumstance of the letter But as soone as Origen went about to proue by the same scripture that all wicked men shoulde at length be saued after due purgation by fire then this pillar of trueth seeing an open falsehood gathered by the scripture of Gods worde coulde susteine no longer She set vp against this errour her pastors the graue fathers of our faith who ceased not as occasion serued to geue men warning of the deceite intended not onely still mainteining the doctrine of Purgatory but also expressely condemning all the reprehenders thereof as hereafter it shall be better declared and so misliking no sense that in it selfe was true the meaning of Purgatory yet hath bene of all the learned counted so certaine that in geuing any other likely exposition that was euer added with all as most consonant to the will and wordes of the writers So doth Theodoretus so doth S. Augustine and so in a maner did they all And as the saide holy doctour saith with whose wordes I am much delited by cause he of all other maketh trueth stand most plainely vpon it selfe One texte of scripture may well haue so many vnderstandings as may
but they had it out of Gods holy worde and tradition of the holy Apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of trueth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost labour to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth which all the holy doctours haue so fully both proued and declared to my hande 5 The tales that you tell out of Gregory and Bede may be hearde as they are tolde and beleeued as they deserue but that you make the opinion of purgatory such an article of faith that no article with more force of the spirite nor with more graue authority was set forth sence the beginning of Christian religion and yet neuer taught in the scripture that is by no meanes to be borne with all If Sathan hath labored to plante that error which is most blasphemous against Christ and occasion of most licentious wickednesse in all them that professe Christ and beleue it if Sathan I saye hath bent all his force to plante such an error by which his kingdome is so much aduaunsed no wise man can maruell Of like leuen it is that you affirme That neuer nation was conuerted to the fayth but it had purgatory taught by worde and confirmed by miracle O impudent affirmer Of so many nations as S. Luke recordeth in the Actes of the Apostles to haue bene conuerted to the fayth name one vnto which you can proue that purgatory was taught eyther by worde or miracle But to be sure you name all euen of the primitiue Church when that aboundant floude of faith was spred ouer all countries But when the proofe commeth you leape but 600. yeares from Christ to Gregories dialogues from which time I will not deny but you may haue great store of such stuffe as you haue miracles now in Flaunders of the honest woman of the olde Baylye in London and such like 6 But nowe for vs that through Gods greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefit of this our approued faith to the amendement of our owne liues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctour can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good life and vertuous conuersatioÌ„ may by Christes mercy moue them Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgement must beginne at the house of God as S. Peter affirmeth and so doth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whome for the dignity of his honorable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckening must be required Let the Lay man learne for the auoyding of greater daunger in the presence of the highe Iudge willingly to submit him selfe to Gods holy ministers VVho haue in most ample maner a commission of executing Christes office in earth both for pardoning and punishment of sinne that suffering here in his Church sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape our fathers greuous chastisement in the life to come Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing penaunce he would measure the medecine by the maladie aptly discerning the limitation of the punishment by the quantity of the faulte not vsing like lenity in closing vp of euery wounde For they shall not be blamelesse surely that do the worke of Gods iudgement committed to their discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of such vnâ—quall remedies auoide the scourge of iudgement prepared except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men shoulde some further satisfaction by the fructes of penaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned penalty and so by Gods grace turne away the great greefe to come Excellently well and to our purpose saide S. Cyprian in the fourth booke of his epistles talking of such offenders as were not charged with penaunce sufficiently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes We shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Gods iudgement that is to come that he may not allow and ratifie our sentence if he finde the perfect penaunce of the party so require But if the offender haue deluded vs by fayned accomplishing of his penaunce then God who will not be deluded because he beholdeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of such thinges as were hidde from vs And so our Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes VVhere this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Purgatory which S. Augustine and other do often call the amending fire Though it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to eternall damnation vpon the impenitent sinner whome the priest because he coulde not discerne the fayned hypocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stande I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement How so euer that be it is a worke of singular grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede of the amending fire 6 Here is an exhortation vnto Papistes first to the priestes that they will shew the fructe of this doctrine in their conuersation For my parte â— am perswaded if feare of eternall torments in Hell that God threatneth by his scriptures will not terrify them the fayned paines of purgatory which they can by their owne Masses and other like merits auoide will not restraine them The laye men are exhorted to submitte them selues to the priestes who haue such an ample commission that they may both pardon and punish sinne euen as Christ him selfe did vpon earth But what auayleth this submission when the ignorant or negligent priest that weigheth not the penaunce in euen ballance with the offence doth not by his absolution or pardonning take awaye one houres torments of purgatory as both M. Allen him selfe in effect confesseth and the Maister of the sentence also teacheth vnto whome M. Allen hath bene so good a scholler that he hath borowed of him not onely his iudgement but in diuerse places his very wordes also he hath translated Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire the difference of their state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke CAP. XIII 1 IF any curious heade list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the worlde this place of punishment is or what nature that fire is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity because he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The learned may see that question at large debated in the bookes of the City of God and in
the literall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormenti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus à contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure sayth S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent paine and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but how or of what nature that Hell flame and fire is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tongue or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the drop to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfied to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shall neuer be knowen Therefore better it is to be in doubt of these secrets then to stand in contentious reasoning of thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaūce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of our fire and both by scriptures and doctors is most termed by the name of fire as Hell torment is It worketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vpon the riche mans soule and all other that be already in Hell before the receyuing of their bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible griefe may be as great of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus in vita Hieronymi doth declare CAP. XIII 1 THis is a very needelesse discourse vnlesse it were to make vp a browen doosen of chapters to enquire of the nature or condition of purgatory fire c. and then to be able to determine nothing of it If we shall geue credit to those visions reuelations and apparitions which M. Allen defended so pithily in the last Chapter before there is no man knoweth his owne house better thē we may know euery corner of purgatory the place the length the bredth the depth the fire the water the burning the scalding the broyling the frying the whipping the hanging c. At the least wise if M. Allen would haue taken so much foolish paynes as to haue translated out of that worshipfull author which he citeth that which he hath written of the qualitie and condition of the paynes of purgatory he migh◠haue enlarged this chapter by two or three leaues That beastly asse and shamelesse counterfector that calleth him selfe Cyrillus in the deuills name Bishop of Ierusalem writing to such an Augustine as he was a Cyrill of the miracles of S. Ieronym maketh a large discourse of the paynes of hell and purgatory as he learned of Eusebius and of 3. deade men whom Ieronym caused to be restored to life after he had shewed them the paynes of purgatory and hell and this to confute the errour of them that denyed purgatory I would maruell surely whether impudency in him that inuented that fable and set it out vnder the name of Cyrillus were greater then in M. Allen that allegeth his name authoritie as antique authentical sauing that that counterfecter played the foole in the night but Allen bringeth him forth in the brode daye light 2 But this is the greate misery and the difference that such as be in the iudgement of Hell paines haue no hope of mercy no passage from their infinite woe no ende of torment no release of paine no expectation of saluation no comforte by Christ but endlesse desperation hatered of vertue wearinesse of their creation sorowe of their owne being and persons and which is most vntollerable perpetual blasphemy grisely cursing of Gods holy name The other being vnder their mercifull fathers chastisement in purgatory suffer great paine but in quiet peace of conscience in assured expectation and warraunt of their saluation in loue of Gods iustice and iudgement euen towardes them selues in the vnity of the spirite of God bearing testimony of them that they be the children of the houshoulde in perpetuall experience of mercy and grace in daily hope of release in perfect loue with out all sinne or daunger of sinning in gladde conceiuing the benefit of their redemption for the remission of their offenses past and in worship and confession of Gods holy name then and after for euer more And this is the company of the inferiour partes which boweth their knee and reuerenceth the name of Iesus as the Apostle saith when the other which be in the deepe hell the Prophet bearing witnesse can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name which they both detest blaspheme to their vnspeakable paine There hath euer bene sence the death of the first vertuous man till this houre and so shall be till the day of latter iudgement a company of elect and chosen people that do honour God in the loughers partes as till Christes descending to Hell the fathers resting place in generall and some that suffered for sinne further paine beside And after continually as before the place of Purgatory to endure for the punishment of certaine till the latter day when all the elect shall reigne without griefe or peine with Christ for euer more And although the place of this torment and the nature therof be not certainely determined nor knowen to any but such as God of his wisedome list reuele it vnto yet it is with great probability and likelihood thought of such learned men as deserue singular credit that it is in the lower roumes as sinus Abrahae may appeare by scripture to haue bene and separated from hell as it was because all places of punishmēt after this life be called of holy writers conformably to scripture Inferna But with curious searche of these thinges as we be not charged so to beleue that iustice is there done vpon sinners by much sorow and torment of their soules by the authority of Gods worde and Church we are of necessity induced The care and consideration whereof if it take deepe impression in our mindes I am sure it shall worke exceding greate chaunge in our whole life and maners 2 Here we are taught what the difference is betwene the paynes of hell and purgatory This difference is not in quality nor quantity but in respect of continuance and of the persons The one is eternall the other temporall they that are in one are desperate and impatient the other in hope and patience without sinne or daunger of sinning Surely if those tales were true that are told of them that are in purgatory there appeared in some but smal patience One that was promised by an Angell that he should tarry but 3. dayes
the dead or any point of purgatory 6 I will declare what they practised for their dearest frends priuately and what the Churches of most notable Nations vsed for all deceased in Christes faith in their publike seruice openly I shall proue vnto you that the practise of suffrages and Sacrifice for the deade isshued downe to vs from the Apostles dayes 6 You shall not proue that either in publicke or priuate prayers the deade were commended otherwise then by waye of thankes geuing for their departure or that any suffrages or sacrifice was offered for them by the Apostles or their lawefull successors or many yeares after the Apostles times 7 I shall pointe you to the first father of the contrary doctrine and his principall abettours in such troublesome times at such marchants were to be founde Ye shall see them knowen amongest all the holy of their time by the name of heretikes 7 You shall shew no heretike that denied your doctrine but I will shew you other heretikes before him that allowed it 8 You shall see their doctrine improued and them selues condemned by the graue iudgement of Councells both Generall prouinciall for heretikes If any of them all can say any thing to the contrary of that which we vpon so good groundes mainteine he shall be aunswered with no worse then the very wordes of the holy auncient writers Finally if any other thinges be necessary beside for the declaration of this matter to the simple or for proofe against our aduersaries they shall not be omitted as occasioÌ„ by course and fall of the matter may be geuen All which pointes being auouched and not proued shall condemne me of arrogancy But both auouched and fully proued they shall deserue any reasonable mans consent and beare testimony of the aduersaries impudency here and witnesse of their contempte of Gods approued trueth in the worlde to come 8 How vayne your bragge is of generall counsels it appeareth by this that with in fouretene hundreth yeares after Christ you can finde none to serue your turne vntill you come to the councells Florens and Trent whereof the one was held in our grandfathers dayes the other within these 20. yeares your prouinciall councells shal be aunswered by as good prouinciall councells as they are And that which I haue to say in confutation of your heresie shall be no worse then the very word of God it selfe which is better then the consent of all the world against it And although the custome of praying for the dead be an auncient errour so that fewe of the latter writers there are but they shewe them selues to be infected therewith yet hath it not such an vniuersall consent of all writers but that I shall be able by Gods grace to shew that the most auncient and nearest to the Apostles tyme receiued it not and that they which of later time admitted it had neither any ground out of the Scriptures to warrant their doing nor any certainty of faith to assure their conscience which when it is found in the ende as it is now sayd in the beginning your arrogant boasting and impudent lying togither with the falshoode of your opinions shall be manifest to all men That there be certaine sinnes vvhich may be forgeuen in the next life and that the deserued punishement for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed CAP. I. 1 ANd first that sinnes may be pardoned in the next worlde that were not in this life forgeuen our Sauiours owne wordes do teach vs written in the Gospell of S. Matthew thus Ideò dico vobis omne peccatum blasphemia remittetur hominibus spiritus autem blasphemia non remittetur Et quicuÌ„que dixerit verbum contra filium hominis remittetur ei qui autem dixerit contra spiritum sanctum non remittetur ei neque in hoc saeculo neque in fuâ—uro I tell you that all maner of sinne and blasphemy shall be forgeuen vnto men but the blasphemy of the spirit shall not be forgeueÌ„ And who so euer shall speake against the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But if he speake against the holy Ghost it shall neither be pardoned in this worlde nor in the worlde to come The same thing in sense hath Marke and Luke affirming that such offense shall neuer be forgeuen The which worde Neuer S. Marke expresseth thus in aeternuÌ„ non habet remissionem he shall not haue pardoÌ„ as you would say in all eternity by which he may plainely seeme to reache further then the limites and borders of this worlde for the remission of sinne And this speach hath as much pith and proper force in it as S. Matthewes who expressely distinctly and belike as Christ spake it vttereth that sense of the eternity which passeth the measure of worldely time by these words Neither in this world nor yet in the world to come And for that cause S. Marke sayth Reus erit aeterni delicti he shall be gilty of an eternall faulte signifying that in some case a man might perhaps not speede of a pardon in this life yet may obteine it in the next But for that horrible blasphemy he in a maner dischargeth the offender of all hope of remission either in this life or in the next that is to come VVhich forme of wordes can neither be founde in scripture nor in mans common talke to haue any place in such thinges as extend no further but to the transitory time of our life for in those matters it had bene vsually and truely spoken it shall neuer happen in this world And therfore instructing vs that sinnes or the paine due vnto sinnes may either be released in this worlde or in the worlde to come he followeth that phrase and forme of wordes in which man might well conceiue the reache of remission and pardoning of sinnes farre to passe the compasse of our time and life CAP. I. 1 YOu were as good to kindle a fire out of yâ—e and snow as to goe about to frame your fiery forge of purgatory out of this place The meaning of our Sauiour Christ is so playne his wordes so expresse that no reasonable man can gather any errour out of them For vndoubtedly the errour of purgatory was first inuented before this place was drawne vnto it So is there no heresie so absurd which Satan putteth into the head of wicked men but it may finde some sound of wordes in so many bookes of the holy Scriptures that by peruerse wit may be wrested vnto it But the doctrine of Gods truth and all articles of our beliefe are plainly taught in the Scripture either by manifest words or by necessary conclusion and argument which by no subtilty of SataÌ„ or his instrumeÌ„ts may be auoided or deluded And this is the difference betwene heresie and truth when they both apeale to the authorities of the Scripture Truth as she hath her foundation in the Scriptures and
their infinite abuses and blasphemies of their masse then is our celebration the very true communion of the body and blood of Christ and theirs a very wast of Gods worshippe a canker of religion c. and a very blasphemy of all blasphemies that euer were vttered sith the beginning of the world whereby euery scalde hedge priest is made not only equall but also superior to Christ him selfe whom he presumeth to offer who could not be offered by any but by him selfe 3 The deuill which is the olde serpent knowing by longe experience and often proofe that the holy Masse is the chiefe bane of sinne and his wicked kingdome hath euer from the beginning shot at this marke by all the cursed indeuours of wicked heretikes to roote out that stronge garde of vertue and pillour of deuotion religion How so euer they dissemble at their first interaunce the deuill hath that fetch in his false heade in all times of such toyle and perturbation of religion To which horrible indeuour though he hath for our sinnes and deseruing put greater force and wroght with more aduantage then euer before yet till the latter daye and â—onne of perditions appearing which is vnknowne to him he shall not bring it to passe The law the sacrifice the priesthoode the altar of the newe and eternall testament prefigured by Melchizedech perfected by Christ shall stand with and in the holy Church till the worldes ende It is not your bare breade and borde not your Ministers nor your Seniours nor Elders nor your Nuper intendents nor what so euer you lift be called that shall out face Gods Church She hath by the spirite of God beaten downe your proudders the Arrians the Macedonians the Anabaptistes and all your predecessours And now I tell you and be bolde of it as old as our mother waxeth as contemptible as you make her so litle as you regarde her she will once yet in her olde dayes gyue the Zwinglians the Lutherans or of what other straunge souldier so euer your campe standeth an open ouerthrowe For if Hell were broken loose and the gates open it coulde not preuaile VVe haue our Priesthood confirmed by a faire othe we haue our mothers righâ— by an open promesse established 3 This part of the chapter conteyneth nothing but blasphemous boasting and more then ruffianlike rayling First that the deuill which loueth the masse better then he doth holy water shall not abolish it vntill the last day and sonne of perditions appearing I doubt not but the deuill will doe all that he can to vpholde it to the ende of the world and whether he shall preuayle or no I will not dispute but this I will boldely affirme because I haue good warrant that the sonne of perdition who long agoe appeared and is now already greatly wasted and consumed with the breath of Christes mouth which is his holy word shall togither with the masse and al them that obstinatly defend it be vtterly abolished at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ in the ende of the world and from thence forth with him be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone there to be burned with the deuill and his angells world without end 2. The. 2. Apoc. 19. 20. Secondly he sayth that our bare breade bord ministers c shall not out face their Synagoge of Satan which he calleth the Church of god But the Lordes table with the breade and wine which we minister in remembraunce of Christes death and bloode shedding which our ministers Seniours or elders and Byshops or superintendents when they shall be all approued by the word of God shall be able to abyde the iudgement of God and be allowed for disposers of his mysteries and ministers of Christ when your aultar transubstantiation renting of the Sacrament in peeces robbing the people of the blood of Christ worshipping of creatures c with your Pope Cardinalls Priestes Monkes Friers Chanons Nunnes and all the rest of that romish rable hauing no testimony out of the word of God either of their names or of the signification of their names shall be condemned of heresie hypocrisie Idolatry and blasphemy and haue the rewarde that to such horrible profaners of Gods holy ordinance apperteyneth Thirdly you boast that your church hath beaten downe our prowders the Arians Macedonians Anabaptistes It was the Church of Christ that ouerthrew those heretikes not your Antichristian assembly of heretikes And therefore I tel you and be bold of it that olde rotten whore of Babylon your mother in whose name you threaten vs as one priuy of her mischieuous and malitious deuises shall neuer bring to passe that pestilent plat forme which was concluded against vs in the conspiracy of Trent The Lord shall mainteyne his Church as he hath done hitherto in spite of the deuill and the Pope for all their cruelty treason periury truce breaking and most vnnaturall murdering But of all other blasphemies who can abide this that your priesthoode in the deuills name is confirmed by a fayre othe Psal. 110. O Lord who would euer haue thought that any which professed the name of Christ would euer haue challenged vnto them selues against Christ that which neuer any Turke or Iewe durst presume to boast of What will you leaue to Christ O you hell houndes when you take from him both his kingdom and his priesthood yea his eternall diuinitie and euerlasting natiuitie For vnto whom so euer the priesthood is confirmed by othe of him that sayd Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchizedech to him is confirmed an euerlasting kingdome and an euerlasting priesthood of the same it is sayed The Lorde sayed vnto my Lorde sitte thou on my right hande vntill I make thy enemies thy foote stoole to the same it is sayed that The scepter of thy power The Lorde shall sende out of Syon rule thou in the middest of thine enemies finally take the priesthood confirmed with an othe and take the whole Psalme vnto you O Lucifer whether wilt thou clime wilt thou not be content with the olde Lucifer to be like vnto the most highest but wilt thou thrust downe the most highest him selfe euen the son of God from the right hande of his father and sit at the right hande of God thy selfe O ye that woulde see how Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God boasting him selfâ— to be God and exalted aboue all that is called God or worshipped as God drawe nere and harken what he saith of him selfe by one of his blasphemous mouthes Our priesthood is confirmed vnto vs by a fayer othe Psal. 110. For seeing he alleageth the Psal. 110. to confirme his saying he can not excuse or qualifie the matter by that generall royall priesthoode which all the children of God haue through Christ their heade to offer vp spiritual sacrifices vnto God. 1. Pet. 2. Apo. 2. For that priesthoode which he challengeth by othe is to offer a sacrifice
propitiatory which he affirmeth the Popish priests to doe in their Masse But lest I might seeme to doe them wronge in denying vnto them that priesthoode which is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. Let vs here what the holy Ghost sayeth thereof Hebr. 7. And in as much as Christ was not made priest with out the othe where as they meaning the sonnes of Aaron were made priest with out an othe but he with the othe by him that sayed vnto him the Lord hath sworne will not repēt thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech by so much is Iesus made suertie of a better testament And among them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death but he because he abideth for euer had such a priesthoode as passeth not by succession VVherefore he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him seeing he liueth for euer to make intercession for them For such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmlesse and vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher then the heauens which needed not daily as those high priest to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes then for the peoples for that did he once for all when he offered vp him selfe For the lawe maketh men high priestes which haue infirmitie but the worde of the othe that was since the law maketh the sonne who is consecrated for euer more Marke well the plaine wordes of this testimonie and iudge indifferently whether I charge them with greater blasphemy then ensueth this there assertion That there priesthoode is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. 4 And yet neuerthelesse good Catholike Christian let vs thus perswade our selues that we haue so longe lost the vnestimable treasure of this holy sacrifice for our greuous sinnes it is our sinnes I say woe is vs therefore which haue deserued this plage which haue set vs at variaunce with God and our mercyfull redemer which haue taken from vs as vnworthy of so great a treasure the daily sacrifice the helpe of those which are a liue the comforte of those which are departed the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worship of god And our misery is the greater because fewe feele the sore The lacke of this sacrifice for the departed onely with the godly prayers therin was counted when Gods trueth and Church flourished the greatest and extremest punishment that coulde be deuised and euer enioyned for some notable crime to the terrour of other as for horrible desperation for willfull heresie for contempte of the decrees of Gods holy ministers as by the late alleaged place out of S. Cyprian may be very profitably noted Allasse we haue nowe in a manner lost that wholy which then was denied onely to such for their greuous punishments as were heynous offenders Otherwise in earnest consideration of our case can not I thinke but that this blessed iuell is now denied vs of almighty God generally for our greuous offensies which then was denied by his ministers to some one offender for the due punishment of sinne and wickednesse O good reader what would that holy martyr haue saide if he had liued in our dayes when to haue that oblation either for the quicke or deade which once was esteemed so necessary that no Christian man neither coulde in his life nor after his death lacke it is nowe if it selfe odious to most men and which abhorreth me to speake punishable by the lawes of the spiritualty and condemned well neere of all men what weene you this blessed bishoppe woulde haue saide if he had seene the holy hoste and offeringe to haue bene taken awaye which he once affirmed to be so necessary that if it were taken awaye or wasted there were no religion nor worship of God at all woulde not he thinke you with feruent zele of Gods house haue cried out vpon the sinnes of the people the blindnesse of the preachers and pastours the vnworthinesse of these our dolefull dayes and bewailed his owne misery as we shoulde doe ours crying out with an olde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tempora vt ista blasphemia sustineam O Lorde that I should be reserued for these times to abide such blaspemie Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the Vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruell heretikes would not suffer the Christian men whome he had slaine to be brought home with seruice and sacrifice but then the good people wounderfully bewailed their case seeing them practise cruelty vpon their soules also in that they would not suffer them to enioyne at their departure and buriall the rites of Gods Church Thus saith that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrymis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitate hymnorum cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue founde in his heart to beholde then or coulde yet once thinke of it with out teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be brought to the graue and buried with out all solemnity of hymnes in silence and sorowe It was euer giuen to wicked harde harted heretikes to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercyfull and to staie the fauour of good men from the departed Nouatus as S. Cypriā chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctum sepelire woulde not bury his owne father deade of honger bane 4 This collorable and hypocriticall complaint containeth nothing for vs needefull for to aunswere for the place of Cyprian is aunswered already But this maye be demaunded of him seeing he calleth the sacrifice of the Masse the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worshippe of God what religion or worshippe God had before the Masse came into the worlde But this is the howling of the merchantes for the decaye of Babylon because no man byeth their ware any more what so euer they pretend this is the cause of their mourning and this lamentation shal be continued euen vnto hell fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer 5 But to let such men passe with the present bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more comfort beholde the steppes of good men past how kindely and brother like they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the representation of some holy workes of almes hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towardes the release of the departed his paine what maye we not hope to obteine for our brethern deceased when we shall ioyne in prayers with the holy Angells with the blessed sainctes with Gods holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole Church of God
quotidiano sacrificio vis diuina placatur A virgine is the oblation of her mother by whose dayly sacrifice the wrath of God is pacified But speaking expressely of the celebration he sheweth that Christ is not offered but by him selfe and that the oblation which is here made of him is but in an image and representation Officiorum cap. 48. Hic in imagine ibi in veritate vbi apud Patrem pro nobis quasi aduocatus interuenit Here he is offered in representation there in deede where he maketh intercession for vs with the father as an aduocate As for the oblations whiche he nameth in the 8. Epistle to Faustinus be nothing but prayers For as he doth but vary his wordes where he sayth weeping and mourning which are all one euen so it is all one where he sayth prayers and oblations And whereas you say there are none of our new Bishops will followe Ambrose in such kind of letters they can shewe better reason not to follow him where he went amisse then your popish Prelates can shew not to followe him where he writte well which of your Prelates will follow him in his commentary vppon the epistle to the Romaynes where he so often affirmeth that a man is iustified before God by faith onely Or in his commentary vppon the Apocalyps where he interpreteth the whore of Babylon to be the citie of Rome or where he affirmeth that not Peter but the fayth the confession of Peter is the foundation of the Church and that the primary of Peter was a primacy of faith not of honour of confession not of authoritie or higher order De incarnat Dom. cap. 4. 5. or in an hundreth places of his writinges beside The other places that you allege out of Ambrose Paulinus do not so much helpe your purpose with prayer for the deade as they are contrary to your doctrine concerning purgatory For Ambrose praying for Theodosius calleth him a perfect seruaunt of God but you hold that perfect men come not at all in purgatory and therefore you haue qualified the matter by translating perfecto famulo to thy good seruaunt Gratianus was not baptised and therefore by your doctrine he should not come in purgatory but strayt to hell As for the wordes that Ambrose speaketh of oblations for his brother Satyrus you doe shamefully wrest them contrary to his meaning For he was so farre of from beleuing his brother to be in purgatory that he prayeth to him as a Sainct in heauen and the oblation and sacrifice that he offereth to God is the soule of his brother and not prayers or masses for his soule Tibi nunc omnipotens Deus inno xiam commendo animam Tibi hostiam meam offero cape propitius ac serenus fraternum munus sacrificium sacerdotis haec mei iam liba praemitto To thee now O Almighty God I commend his innocent soule to thee I offer my sacrifice receiue mercifully and fauorably this gifte of a brother and sacrifice of a Priest this sacrifice as a part of my selfe I now send before me By which wordes as it is euident that he meaneth not the sacrifice of the masse so it is manifest howe licentiously he vsed the name of sacrifice oblation that we may know when he speaketh of the sacrifice of the body of Christ he meaneth not so grosely as the Papistes take it and vse it them selues 5 Paulinus one of the same time and Bishop of Nola declareth him selfe to be of the same faith by the like practise He prayeth bitterly him selfe for a brother departed and besecheth Amandus a holy man of his acquaintaunce to ioyne with him for the helpe of the departed soule By his wordes the paine of Purgatory is noted and the benefite of our prayers is proued ▪ thus he sayth Impense rogamus vt quasi frater vnanimos fratres iuuans hanc meritis fidei tuae mercedem accumules vt pro eo infirmitati nostrae compatiaris orandi ab ore conspires vt misericors miserator Deus qui facit omnia in coelo in terra in mari abyssis refrigeret animam stillicidijs misericordiae suae per orationes vestras quia sicut ignis accensus ab eo ardebit vsque ad inferni nouissima ita proculdubiò etiam ros indulgentiae inferna penetrabit vt roscido pietatis eius lumine in tenebris ardentibus aestuantes refrigeremur I hartely beseeke ye that as one brother helping an other you woulde increase the desertes of your holy faith by taking compassion with me ioyning prayers with me for the departed soule that the God of pity and compassion who worketh all thinges in heauen and earth in the sea and the depthe woulde at the contemplation of your prayers refresh and coole his soule with some droppe of his mercy For as the fire kindled by him will burne to the bottom of hell beneth so doubtlesse the dewe of his grace and mercie shall passe downe to the neither partes that by the comfortable louely light of his piety the soules broyling in burning darkenesse may be refreshed And writing also to Delphinus he alludeth to the feruent heate that the rich man suffered in Hell when he craued for Lazarus helpe And prayeth him to refresh the mans soule deceased with some droppe of pity and his holy prayers This man was very deare to Paulinus in his life time for whome he was so carefull after his death he doubted not of his saluation though as he sayth he went out of this worlde a debter and therefore feared him to be in great paine So certaine was the doctrine of purgatory in the primitiue Church and so profitable were the prayers counted for the deceased in Christ. 5 The wordes of Paulinus importe that he thought those whom he prayed for were in hell howe so euer you dissemble it by translating inferna the nether partes and dare not rehearse his wordes vnto Delphinus where he iudgeth them that were prayed for to be where the rich man was that desired refreshing of Lazarus For purgatory in those dayes was but euen a breding yet not throughly shaped out of prayers for the deade and such other superstitious ceremonies as were vsed about the departed 6 But if you will haue an examplare and a full waraunt of your duety and deuotion with vnderstanding the vsage of the auncient Church in such aboundance of many the like you shall I thinke be fully satisfied for this parte by S. Augustine in the goodly historie of his mothers death a blessed woman and worthy of such a sonne Her name was Monica well knowen in Gods Church and numbred amongest the sainctes This good matrone prouided especially by her testament that she might not be forgotten at the altar of God when the names of the faithfull departed were in the sacrifice remembred For that was common in all Churchies as partly is and yet shall be better declared anone The which her