God what were purgatory promoted thereby Forsoth then of necessitie it must be induced that some parte of these sufferinges are aunswerable in the next worlde to come what necessitie call you this euen such as he suffereth which being bounde hande and foote with a strawe can not steare to helpe him selfe But lette vs see this adamantine chayne of Maister Allens necessity If any punishment remayne it must needes ryse by proportion weyght continuaunce number and quantity which if it be not all discharged in this lyfe then it is to be aunswered in the lyfe to come By proportion Maister Allen What proportion Arithmeticall or Geometricall If it be by arithmeticall proportion then so many thousandes of sinnes whereof euery one deserueth one death must be punished by so many thousand deathes If by geometricall proportion then so many offences committed against that infinite maiesty can not be aunswered but by infinite and eternal punishment and which way so euer you take it by weight number time or measure it is euident that while you seeke for purgatory you haue founde out hell For otherwise saith the spirite of God in the person of the faithfull He hath not dealt with vs according to our sinnes neither rewarded vs after our iniquities Psal. 103. But as heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare him This is an other maner of proportion M. Allen then you Papists can skill of which thinke such a necessity to be of this conclusion that if any sinnes be punished in this life they must be punished after this life also For if nothing but iustice be sought against sinnes then followeth nothing but eternal damnation if mercy may moderat the matter what necessity is in this consequence some sinnes are sometime punished in this life ergo in the life to come Thus I haue reasoned supposing that any man had graunted that the iustice of God must be satisfied with our sufferings in this life for I my selfe had rather see the Pope at the deuill then I would affirme the sufferings of Christ to be vnsufficient to aunswere perfectly the iustice of god But behold christian reader the blasphemy of these popish serpents first they will seeme in wordes throughly to acknowledge the benefite of Christes passion lest that euery man that heareth them speak should spit at them When they haue thus obtained audience then they will gather in them selues begin in some part to diminish the perfection therof so proceede vntill they haue in deede though not in wordes cleane excluded Christ and all his merits whereof thou hast a plaine example in this hipocrite who in the beginning of his first chapter confesseth liberally the effect of Christes death â–ª afterward restraineth the force thereof to sinnes committed before baptisme then bringeth in punishment for aunswering the iustice of God in this life afterward extendeth the same vnto the life to come last of all estemeth the punishment by proportion weight continuance number quantity of the faults committed which of necessity thrusteth backe againe the sinnes into eternall torments And what then becommeth of the propitiation for our sinnes purchased vnto vs by the bloud of the sonne of God 2 S. Paule in playne words writeth Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum stipendium peccati mors est The body is dead because of sinne and death is the reward of sinne And so of Dauid because thou hast slayne Vrias Non recedet gladius de domo tua saith the Scripture The sword shall not depart thy house And againe because thou hast made the enemies blaspheme my name thy child shall dye And of the people of Israell Visitabo hoc peccatum eorum I will visite this sinne of theirs also Yet in this light of Scripture whereas the punishment is named so it is expresly mentioned that sinne is the proper cause thereof the aduersary seeketh a blinde mist to dase the simplicity of the reader and to maintaine errour It helpeth our cause exceding much that the very shew of an argument driues them to such vnseemely shiftes S. Augustines wordes shall for me sufficiently refute this errour Veritatem dilexisti impunita peccata eorum etiam quibus ignoscis non reliquisti He speaketh to God in the Prophets person Thou loues righteousnes hast not left vnpunished no not the sinnes of them whom thou louest Notwithstanding this is very true that all these afflictions though they come of sinne aâ—d for the rewarde of mans offences yet God of mercy turneth them to the exercise of vertue and benefite of such as shal be saued But it is one thing to dispute of what cause they come and an other to reason of the wisedom of God in the vse of the same VVho as the said Augustine witnesseth is so mighty in his prouident gouernaunce that he is able to turne euen the very sinnes them selues to the benefite of such as by grace and mercy shal be raised vp to saluation And much more is he ready to frame the punishment which he him selfe of iustice worketh for correction of sinners to the saluation of the elect 2 This peace should proue that the fatherly rodde of Gods mercy is a sword of his iustice to punish those sinnes that are remitted But what maner of proues bringeth he S. Paule he sayth in plaine wordes writeth the body is deade because of sinne and death is the reward of sinne In deede S. Paule writeth so but is the mercy of God turned therfore into iustice or his rodde into a sworde or he from a mercifull father into an angry iudge to omit howe vnfitly he ioyneth these 2. places togither whose sense is so farre differing for in the former saying Rom. 8. he speaketh of the relicks of sinne that are not altogither abolished in them that are regenerate in the latter Rom. 6. he sheweth that they which serue sinne deserue eternall damnation what is this to the proofe of his conclusion but his purpose was onely to make some shewe of variety of places for by and by he returneth to the places alleged and aunswered before of Dauid and of the people of Israell whereunto he adioyneth the saying of Augustine that God leaueth not the sinnes of them vnpunished whome he hath pardoned One aunswere serueth al if there were ten times as much of this sort That God punisheth not to satisfie his iustice but to shew his mercy toward his children to bring them to repentaunce to humble them to make them beware of the like sinnes to admonish others by their example but in no wise that they should make a mendes by due punishment for that which by transgression was committed which aunswere howsoeuer he would seeme to eleuate by wordes yet he bringeth no matter against it but euen the places by him selfe alleged in the chapter before which either all or almost all doe
the like practise was assayed by Mahomet the deuills onely dearling by whome numbers of wiues togither often diuorcies and perpetuall change for nouelty was permitted By which doctrine of lust and libertie the floure of Christiandom alas for pity was caried away At which time though our faith Christes church were brought to a small roome and very great straights yet by Gods grace good order and necessary discipline this schoole of lust hath bene reasonably till our dayes kept vnder and the grauitie of Christian maners as the time serued orderly vpholden TO THE PREFACE 1 IF you had not promised and professed an orderly proceding in this cause we woulde neuer haue enquired whether good order would require that an heretike should haue bene first defined before he were diuided And especially in this controuersie where either partie chargeth other with heresie it had been conuenient that the right definition or description of an heretike had bene first set downe that men might thereby haue learned who is iustly to be burdened with that crime For an heretike is he that in the Church obstinatly mainteineth an opinion that is contrary to the doctrine of God coÌ„teined in the holy Scriptures which if any of vs can be proued to doe then let vs not be spared but condemned for heretiks But if iust proofe therof can not be brought against vs but contrarywise we be able to shew manifest euideÌ„ce that our aduersaries doctrine is cleane contrary to the Scriptures of God then let the name of heretikes be applied to them to whome the definition doth agree with further punishment due to calumniators that slaunder other men in that whereof they are guilty them selues Nowe to the matter of this Preface which as the argumeÌ„t declareth consisteth of three partes wherof the first is that there be two sorts of heretiks the one preteÌ„ding vertue the other opeÌ„ly professing vice This part is shewed in three leaues following In the substaÌ„ce of which point I will noâ— differ with you yet something will I note in your handling thereof as occasion moueth me First you affirme that heresie and all willfull blindnesse is vndoubtedly a iust plague of God for sinne I mislike not your affirmation but I maruaile how you can affirme this and be a good Catholike when we cannot say halfe so much but we are charged by you to make God the author of sinne But such is the force of trueth that oftentimes the enimies thereof them selues when they speake without contention cannot auoyed a true confession God therefore as this Papist can not now deny punisheth sinne with sinne not as an euil author but as a rightuous iudge Proceding further you say that Christ hath geuen all heretikes this marke that there vnsemely works should euer detect their fained faith wherein you speake not onely contrary to the trueth but euen to your owne affirmation before For our Sauiour Christ hath apoynted false prophetes to be knowne by their fruites which is there false doctrine contrary to Gods worde cloked with the sheepe skinnes of fained holinesse and vertue which though it be many times discouered yet is it many times so closely conueyed that it clearly escapeth the iudgement of all men Who was euer hable to chardge that damnable heretike Pelagius with any notorious crime or wicked behauiour in his outwarde life and conuersation you your selfe confesse that there appeared in him nothing but grauity constancy and humility If his doctrine had not bene found contrary to the word of God he shoulde neuer haue bene tried to be a faulse prophete by his workes Such are many of his scholers the free will men of our time whose opinion if it were not manifestly repugnant to the authoritie of the holy Scriptures there manners are vnreprouable in the iudgemeÌ„t of mortall men The like may be said of Iouinian who if he were so great an heretike as you make him yet he himselfe as you shew after out of Augustine offended not in that which he perswaded others to doe Your last example of heretiks openly professing vice is of Mahomet by whose licentious doctrine you affirme that your faith Christes Church were brought to a small roome very great streights If this be true thaâ— you affirme that the Catholike Church must be otherwise estemed and by other notes then you are wont to describe it or else your Church by your owne assertion can not be counted Catholike For if Christes Church be brought to a small roome and great streights where is vniuersality Consent of all nations multitude of people c. that you are wont to talke of But by your discipline the schoole of lust hath bene reasonably till our dayes kept vnder the grauitie of Christian maners as the time serued orderly vpholden You doe well to qualifie your asseueration with those termes reasonably orderly and as the time serued For otherwise the whole Christian worlde should be witnesse against you and yet to shew with what reason order or opportunitie the schoole of lust hath bene shut vp before our time or yet is Wher your doctrine most preuaileth let the filthy stewes and brothel houses opened in euery citie yea and at your mother citie of Rome most licentiously of all other not onely by your gouernours permitted but also by your doctors defended let them I say beare sufficient witnesse against you 2 But now once againe in our cursed dayes the great flowe of sinne turning Gods mercy from vs with exceding prouocation of his heauy indignation towards the wicked hath made our aduersary much mâ—re bold and long practise of mischiefe a great deale more skilful The serpent passed all other creatures in subtelty at the beginning but now in cruelty he farre passeth him selfe The downefall that he hath in a fewe yeares rage driuen man vnto by thopen supporting of sinfull liuing it is sure very wofull to remember and an exceding hearts greefe to consider Looke backe at the Christian Epicures whom I now named view the men of like endeuour in al ages compare their attempts to ours their doctrine to ours the whole race of their proceedings to ours And if we match them not in all pointes and passe them in most I except the wicked Mahomet and God graunt I may so doe long though they had out of his holy schoole their often diuorciâ—s and new mariages in their wiues life excepting him therefore if ours passe not in open practise of mischiefe and supportation of sinne all the residue miscredit me for euer This is euident to all men that thinges once counted detestable before God abhorred of the priestes straunge to the Christian people punishable by the lawes of all Princes be now in case to maintaine them selues to geue vertue a checke mate and without all colour to beare downe both right and religion Thus doth sacriledge boldly beare out it selfe and ouerreacheth the promoters of Gods honour so doth incest encounter with lawfull mariage the
them to life and placeth them in heauen with christ Ephes. 2. And as for that painfull penaunce that M. Allen complaineth to be so neglected in our tyme he chargeth vs vniustly with the cause thereof For within tyme of mans memory before the light of the Gospell did shine openly we saw no such painfull penaunce commonly but v. ladyes psalters v. pater nosters v. pence to v. poore men in remembraunce of the v. woundes v. fry dayes fast and such like And as for pilgrimage it was but a pastime for such as loued to roue about the cuntryes The hardest penaunce was to pay so deare for the paultry of Monkes merites and Fryers fables Popes pardons and such like Et hinc illae lachrymae This maketh the bitter complaint that this marchaundise will no more be bought but this is the iudgement of God vpon the great whore of Babylon 3 Considering therefore the great spread of contagion that this vntrue doctrine hath wrought both to the euerlasting miserie of heretikes them selues and also to the greuous punishment that almighty God of iust iudgement may take vpon vs that by his great mercy be yet Catholikes because we liue in wanton welth with out iust care or cogitation of our life past Neither doing any worthy fructes of penaunce nor yet endeuouring to make a mendes and recompense by satisfying for our sinnes before of mercy so pardned that to our damnation they can not now any more be imputed but yet for answering in summe parte of Gods iustice and perfect purging of the same sinnefull life past out of all doubte sharpely punishable for these thinges I say and for the stirring vp of the feare of God in my selfe the helpe of the simple the defense of the trueth and thabating of this great rage of sinne and heresie I thought good to geue warning moued therevnto by my frende also to all such as be not them selues able to searche out the trueth of these matters of that temporall or transitory punishment which God of iustice hath ordained in the other worlde for such as woulde not iudge them selues and preuent his heauy hand whiles they here liued our forefathers more then a thousand yeare since called it Purgatory The truth and certaine doctrine whereof I trust through Gods goodnesse so clearely to proue that the aduersary be he neuer so great with the Deuill shall neuer be able to make any likely excuse of his infidelitie And that so done I shall both open and proue the meanes which the Church of God hath euer profitably vsed for the reliefe of her children from the same punishment to the soueraigne good and comfortable for the faithfull soules departed And here I hartely pray thee gentle Reader whosoeuer thou be that shall finde iust occasion vndoubtedly to beleue this article of necessary doctrine euer constantly set forth by the grauest authoritie that may be in earth that as thou faithfully beleues it so thou perpetually in respect of the day of that dreadfull visitation study with feare and trembling to worke thy saluation Let that be for euer the difference betwixt the vnfruitefull faith of an heretike and the profitable beliefe of the true Catholike Christian that this may worke assured penaunce to perpetuall saluation and his vaine presumption to euerlasting damnation And though the matter which I haue taken in hand be nothing fitte for the diet of such delicate men as haue bene brought vp vnder the pleasant preaching of our dayes yet perchaunce change of diet with the sharpnesse of this eager sawse were if they could beare it much more agreable to their weake stomackes Trueth was euer bitter and faulshood flattering For th one by present paine procureth perpetuall wealth thother through deceitfull sweetenes worketh euerlasting woe But as for these pleasure preachers them selues because I feare me they haue indented with death and shaked hands with hell whatsoeuer may be sayd in this case they will yet spurne with the wordes of the wicked Flagellum inundans cum transierit not veniet super nos quia posuimus mendacium spem nostram mendacio protecti sumus Tush the common scourge when it passeth ouer shall not touch vs for we haue made lying our succour and by lying are we garded Yet when the light of the Apostolike tradition shall dase their eyes and the force of Gods truth beare downe their boldnes their owne blacke afflicted conscience by inward acknowledging that truth which they openly withstand shall so horribly torment their mindes that denying Purgatory they shall thinke them selues a liue in hell But gentle Readers pray for them with teares that God of his mighty grace would strike their flesh with his feare And if my poore paine with the prayers of vs all could turne any one of them all from the way of wickednesse it would recompense doubtlesse some of our sinnes and couâ—r a number of my misdeedes And euer whilest we liue let vs praise God that in this time of temptation he hath not suffered vs to fall as our sinnes haue deserued into the misery of these forsakers To whom if I speake sometimes in this treatise more sharply then my custome or nature requireth the zeale of truth and iust indignation towards heresie with the example of our forefathers must be my excuse and warrant I wil be as plain for the vnlearneds sakes as I may the matter suffer And therfore now at the first I will open the very ground as neare as I can of so necessary an article that the ignorance of any one peece may not darken the whole cause Desiring the studious to reade the whole discourse because euery peculiar pointe so ioyntly dependeth of the residewe that the knowledge of one orderly geueth light to all the other And so the whole togither I â—rust shall reasonably satisfie his desire 3 Here as I take it in the second face of the 18. leafe beginneth the 3. matter promised in the argument namely a briefe note of the authors intent c. The chiefe consideration as I gather is for that men endeuour not to make amendes and recompence by satisfying for their sinnes and therefore for answering some part of Gods iustice and perfect purging of the same sinnefull life past there remayneth sharpe punishment after this lyfe I will commit to Christ to be reueÌ„ged the horrible iniury done to his death and bloud shedding which if it be not a full aunswering of Gods iustice and a perfect purging of all our sinnefull life in vaine shall we seeke it else where But I will reason with M. Allen in his owne principles What say you Sir remayneth there some part of Gods iustice to be aunswered by suffering Surely if the passion of Christ will not serue that was the immaculate lambe of God it were straunge that the suffering of a sinnefull man should satisfie the same And if suffering of the party that hath sinned be necessarily required for aunswering some part of
delicat teachers of our time that vnder pretence of preaching the Gospell auouching the glory of God and the grace of our redemption haue serued mens lustes abandoned the olde austerity of Christian life and rased out of the peoples hartes the feare of Gods iudgements were foreseene by the holy Apostle Iudas And he calleth them Impios transferentes Domini nostri gratiam in luxuriam VVicked men turning the grace of our Lorde vnto wantonnesse and lust Against whome also S. Paule made this exception that they shoulde not in any wise by the freedome of our redemption chalenge any liberty of the fleshe Notwithstanding Christes passion then we must not otherwise thinke but to suffer for our owne sinnes not as helping the insufficiencie of his merites but as making our selues apte to receiue that blessed benefit which effectually worketh vpon no man but by meanes nor serueth any to saluation but by obedience of his will and worde For if Christes death shoulde worke accordinge to the full force of it selfe it woulde doubtlesse suppe vp all sinne and all paine for sinne it might wipe away death both of this present life and eternall it woulde leaue neither Hell Purgatory nor paine the price and worthinesse thereof being so aboundaunt that it might being not otherwise by the vnserchable will and wisedome of the sufferer limited saue the whole worlde But now ordinary wayes by Gods wisedome appointed for the bestowing of that excellent medicinable cuppe as S. Augustine termeth it and condicions required in the parties beside Christes death doth not discharge vs of satisfaction for our sinnes nor of any other good worke whereby man may procure his owne saluation 2 The sufficiency of Christes passion is compted a light argument to M. Allen but the weight thereof shall not withstanding beaâ—e doune all the blasphemous doctrine of Popery He sayth thereby we cloke falsehoode and licentious liuinge The Lorde knoweth that he â—claundereth vs Then he will frame our argument therof as he list but there in he doth vs too much wronge But thus we reason in deede Christ hath payed the full price of our sinnes therefore there is no parte of the price left to be payed by vs Christ hath fully satisfied for our sinnes therefore their remaineth no satisfaction for vs Christ hath suffered for our iniquities therefore we are healed by his stripes And yet we neither exclude repentance nor the true fructes thereof which are good workes but rather we establish them For Christ hath payed the price of their sinnes that repente and beleue in him that follow his steppes that walke in his precepts but neither our repentaunce nor our fayth nor good workes deserue any thing onely the death of Christ is all our merite and the onely meane by which the same is applied vnto vs and we receiue it is our fayth thus the scripture teacheth thus we beleeue And as for that vaine amplification of M. Allen that the full force of Christes death woulde suppe vp all sinne death hell and paine we may see there by how Sathan deludeth heretikes to extende the benefits of Christes death vppon a fonde supposition beyonde the limittes of his will not to allow the same to stretch so farre as Gods determination hath apointâ—d it Christ hath satisfyed for our sinnes yet we must make satisfaction our selues Christ by his suffering is become a cause of saluation to all that beleiue in him yet euery man by good workes must procure his owne saluation These are the enemies of the crosse of Christ which glory in their owne shame whose ende is confusion 3 And I am not a frayde to vse the word Satisfaction with Cyprian Oâ—â—gen Ambrose Augustine and the rest of that blessed fellowship VVho right wel knew the valew of our redemption and the force of that satisfaction which our Sauiour made vpon the Crosse. I dare well leaue these pety diuines and speake with the grand capitanes of our faith and religion And I woulde to God I coulde as well in any part come after them in example of Christian life VVho not so much in worde as in the course of all their conuersation lefte vnto vs perfect paterns of great and greuous penaunce Their longe watching and wailinge their straunge weyelde and waste habitation their rough appareling their hard lying their meruelous fasting their perpetual praying their extreme voluntary pouerty and all this to preuent Gods iudgement in the worlde to come for those small infirmities and offensies of their fraile life may make our aduersaries ashamed of them selues that neither will followe their blessed steppes nor yet which is the greatest signe of Gods anger towardes them that can be like it and allowe it in others 3 Touching the worde of Satisfaction vsed by the olde writers I haue shewed before that they vsed it not in that sense which the Papistes doe And I confesse with M. Allen that they not onely knew but also haue expressed the valewe of our redemption by Christ in such words as it is not possible that the Popish satisfaction can not stand with them Against the valew of which redemption if they haue vttered any thing by the worde of satisfaction or any thing els we may lawfully reiect their auctoritie not onely though they be doctors of the Church but also if they were angels from heauen There heartie bewayling of their sinnes and fructes of true repentaunce that they shewed not to iustifie them selues thereby but to humble them selues before God and to cause their light to shine to his glorie we praye God we may follow not to set vp our righteousnesse but to the prayse of his name An euident and most certaine demonstration of the trueth of Purgatory and the greuousnesse of the paines thereof vttered by the prayers and vvordes of the holy doctors and by some extraordinary vvorkes of God beside CAP. XII 1 ANd we also that by Gods grace and great mercy be Catholikes must needs here conceiue singular feare of Gods terrible iudgments which of iustice he must practise vpon our wickednesse that liue nowe in pleasure and worldely welth after such a carelesse sorte that men may iudge we haue no respect of the dredfull day nor care of Purgatory which in wordes we so earnestly mainteine The deepe and perpetuall feare whereof caused our elders not only to leade their life in such perpetual paine but further forced them to breake out in bitter teares and vtter most godly prayers that they might escape the iudgement of God exercised by the paines of Purgatory at the ende of our shorte and vncertaine life Some of them I will recite that our hartes may melte in the necessary foresight of that terrible time and the heretikes be ashamed to deny that which so constantly in worde and worke they euer professed For feare of this fire to come holy S. Bernarde maketh this meditation O vtinam magis nunc daret aliquis capiti meo aquas oculis
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
Idolatrie proueth that there is a God but Idolatry is not therefore the true worship of god Of the heresie of the Pharisies that helde Pythagoras opinion of the passing of one soule into diuers bodies may be concluded the immortalitie of the soule but this doth not iustifie that errour of the Pharisies by the heresy of Origines which taught that all men should be saued at length not onely the immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection but also the infinite mercy of God may be concluded which all are true articles yet was not the heresie of Origine true for all this vnlesse M. Allen hath forgotten that olde sophisme which children can solute who so euer sayth you are an asse sayth you are a lyuing creature but he that sayth you are a liuing creature sayth true therefore who so euer sayth you are an asse sayth true And such for all the worlde is M. Allens reason who so confesseth prayers for the deade confesseth that the deade doe liue and shall rise againe but he that confesseth that the dead doe liue and shall rise againe doth not erre therefore he that confesseth prayers for the deade doth not erre 2 But now their aunswere must be here that this booke by which I haue vrged them so farre shall be no scripture And this is the ishue of heresie lo. These men that lightly writh wreast Gods worde from all true meaning to the maintenaunce of their matter being further charged by euidence of the wordes when other conuenient shifte can not be founde they are driuen to refuse vtterly the sacred canonicall scripture of God for notwithstanding their perpetuall bragges of scripture yet there can no scripture holde them but they will either finde a fonde shifte to loose it or els a shamefull stoutnes vtterly to brast and breake it They first seeke by suttelty to vnfasten the bonde of Gods trueth which is euery waye so enwrapped with the testimonies of holy Scripture then as they can not worke by wiles they boldely brast the bandes in sonder Thus when for misconstruing of this plane assertion of the booke of Machabees they can conuey no fit meaning they are driuen to harde shiftes and vnsemely to deny the whole booke to be scripture and therefore in matters of question of no authority In which pointe the authoritie of the Iewes moueth them more in denying the bookes to be in the canon of Gods scripture then the decree of the holy Church for the approuing of the same to be scripture But S. Hierome though he confesse the Iewes not to allowe them yet is bolde to recken them amongest the bookes of the holy Histories not measuring their authority by the canon of the Hebrues but by the rule of Christian councells The Canons of the Apostles will chalenge them from the Iewes and heretikes to be scripture still Innocentius the first in his rehersall of diuine bookes numbreth these of the histories of the Machabees also the Councell of Carthage the third authorisheth them S. Augustine in his bookes De doctrina Christiana numbring all canonicall scriptures with the reste reciteth these also Of which bookes in the xviij of the Citie of God he thus further testifieth Ab hoc tempore apud Iudaeos restituto templo non reges sed principes fuerunt vsque ad Aristobulum quorum supputatio temporum non in scripturis sanctis quae Canonicae appellantur sed in alijs inuenitur in quibus sunt MachabaeoruÌ„ libri quos non Iudaei sed Ecclesia pro canonicis habet From this time he meaneth after the history of Esdras there was no kinges but chiefe gouernours after the restitutioÌ„ repaire of the temple till Aristobulus time of all which time there is no Chronikle nor couÌ„te in the scriptures which be Canonicall but in other that be extant we finde that supplied as in the bookes of Machabees which bookes although the Iewes do not yet the Church of God counteth for canonicall scripture But what shoulde we stande in this point the whole Church of God and euery part or prouince thereof euery learned doctour and vertuous Christian man hath receiued and allowed them for scripture the which constant and perpetuall iudgement of the Church of Christ if any man refuse let him be esteemed an Ethnike Or because he defendeth the Iewes authority against the determination of Christes Churâ—h let him be at this time accompted for a iewe And yet I thinke he ouer shooteth them herein for they confesse the history to be true although not holy Scripture neither haue they found any such errour of doctrine therein conteined as he doth And as for the auncient Christian writers and famous doctours they alleage euen that place to proue the lawefull prayer for Christian soules departed whereby these fellowes take occasion to saie it is no scripture at all As godly Damascenus in these wordes Scitis enim quid dicat scriptura quomodo Iudas ille Machabaeus in Syon Ciuitate regis magni vt cognouit populum sibi subiectum à Palestinis hostibus occisum scrutatione facta inuenta idola in sinibus corum statim pro vnoquoque eorum ad dominum qui ad misericordiam facilis paratus est munera propitiatoria obtulit sane ob summam religionem fraternamque charitatem in hoc facinore vt in omnibus alijs a diuinissima scriptura magnificus admirabilis habebatur You know sayth he what the scripture reporteth how that worthy Iudas Machabeus of Syon the City of the great kinge after he vnderstood certeine of his subiectes to haue bene slaine of the Palestines his enemies and search being made had founde in their lappes idols straight wayes offered to God who is much inclined to mercy for euery of his souldiars so slaine propitiatory oblations â–ª who suerly for that act as proceding of wonderfull religion and brotherly loue and in all other affaires is of the holy writte esteemed mighty and meruelous Longe before this writer did S. Augustine vse the same booke and text of Machabees to proue the prayers sacrifice for the departed in peace In the booke of Machabees sayth he we reade that sacrifice was offered for the deade But if it were in none of the olde scriptures reade at all yet the authority of the vniuersall Church which for this point is plaine were of no small force whereby it is prouided that in the prayers which be made at the altare by the priest to our Lorde God the commemoration of the deade shall haue their place Thus by these auncient authors both the bookes be approued the text it selfe for which our aduersaries vnworthely denied the booke alleaged for the same purpose and the doctrine so sure that if no scripture coulde be founde it would beare out it selfe against all falsehood But this doctor handleth Pelagius the heretique denying the booke of VVisdome to be scripture because there was a sentence out of the fourth Chapter thereof brought
they gaue almes But next followeth a worthy authoritie of Clement the Apostles owne scholer and he forsooth in his Epistle to Iames the brother of our Lord commendeth obites prayer and almes for the dead But why doe ye not M. Allen rehearse his owne wordes as they are written in his Epistle belike you are ashamed of his lousie latine and thinke that all wise men would say you are madde if you beleue that Clemens which liued in the Apostles time could write no better stile thē the cobling counterfecter of those epistles For shame away with such a durty doctor as writeth to S. Iames to see there be no mise tordes murium stercora among the fragments of the Lordes portion c. Epist. 2. He was a beastly asse that writ such nasty stuffe and thought to make the world beleue that such a godly and learned father as Clemens was would write so foolishly so barbarously so filthily so malapertly of such bables as were not inuented 600 yeares after to so holy and excellent an Apostle as S. Iames was but the olde prouerbe must alwayes be true Draffe is good enough for swine But to put all out of doubt the example of Iobes sacrifice and almes which were auailable for his children and friendes sheweth that the almes of men aliue profite them that be deade In deede I reade in the booke of Iobes sacrifice and prayer but I reade not of almes giuen to merite for those that were liuing much lesse for those that were deade I doubt not but Iob gaue almes liberally when tyme occasion serued But I say those places are vnfitly of M. Allen alleged to shew the force of almes where no worde of almes is spoken Howebeit he sheweth his reason afterward why he allegeth this example of Iob because Chrysostome applyeth it to the same purpose I deny not but that Chrysostome doth as substantially alleage this example for prayers to profitte the deade as he doth the saying of God that he will protect the cittie for Dauid his seruaunts sake what shall we say Those good men in that declining state of the Church to superstition being destitute of the cleere testimonies of scripture to maintaine these plausible errors are driuen to such simple shiftes to vpholde them as it is great pitty to see It seemed to Chrysostome the best waye to staye the people from immoderate mourning but he might haue vsed a better way if he had comforted them as the Apostle teacheth 1. Thess. 4. 1. Cor. 5. Otherwise when he iudged vprightly and according to the scripture his wordes sounde cleane contrary to the opinion of purgatory and workes of other men to be meritorious for the deade as in the very next Homilie being the 42. 1. Cor. Quapropter oro obsecro vos adeoque ad genua supplex procumbo c. The wordes are long therefore I will rehearse them in English and let M. Allen finde fault with my translation if he can wherefore I praye and besech you yea and I fall downe as an humble suter to your knees while neuer so small a portion of your life remaineth be ruled by my sayinges be ye conuerted be ye amended into better lest like vnto that richman when we are gone hense we pouer forth teares which shall nothing profit there and lament in vaine for whether thou hast a father or a sonne or a freind or any other whome so euer that putteth his trust in the Lorde none of these shall deliuer thee being accused of thine owne workes For such iudgement is exercised there euery man is iudged of his owne deedes neither is any man otherwise saued there And these thinges I warne you of not as he that woulde make you sadde or bring you into desperation but that being fedde with vaine and vnprofitable hopes trusting in this man or that man we shoulde not neglect our owne vertue for if we be slothfull and doe slacke the matter neither any iust man nor Prophet nor Apostle shall helpe vs but if we be diligent hauing helpe enough of our owne workes we shall departe hense with great confidence and enioye those good thinges that are layed vp for them that loue the Lord which that we may all enioye let it be so through the grace and mercy of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Compare these wordes with the former and marke here not onely the sounde of his wordes but the weight of his reasons where as in all other places that he holdeth the contrary the wordes only fauoreth your cause his reasons are either feeble or none at all 4 But that I may serue not onely the turne of trueth but with plainnesse also instruct the vnlearned and with store satisfie the godly greedinesse of some that list see more for the comforte of their conscience I will report one notable place for the declaration of charities force euen towardes the deceased out of Gregory Nissen of the Greeke church and an other out of Athanasius the greate both directly touching the practise of good Tobie in compassion of the deade Thus sayth Gregory Dicitur bene quòd si qui hinc non praemissis bonis migrauerint postea à familiaribus neglecta oblatis reliquijs sarciantur imputari opus perinde ac ab eis factum fuerit est enim haec volūtas benignissimi Domini vt creaturae quae ad salutem petuntur sic petantur distribuantur vt exoretur non solum quando quis pro salute propria est anxius sed quando pro proximo aliquid operatur in english It is very well saide that if any depart this life his goods by alme◠being not sent to God before him and yet afterwarde the matter by his freindes in the offering vp the residue be amended that his freindes fact shall stande and be reputed as his owne worke For so hath God of his mercy ordeined that his creatures by vse whereof life and saluation may be obteined shoulde so be procured and in this ordre disposed that man shoulde not onely obteine his request in the carefull study of his owne saluation but also when he wellworketh for his frende or neighbour Here may we well perceiue that all the wayes of our Lorde be mercy and trueth And that he in a maner releeueth of his owne accorde our miseries both here and in the next life that there may be no damnation to such as be in Christ Iesus for whose sakes he turneth these base creatures of mans seruice in this life to the vse of his pardon and saluation in the life to come he accepteth the good will and trauell of other for the helpe of them which can not relieue them selues And which is the property of a most mercyfull father where he loueth he will raise the hearte of some good intercessor that by patronage and prayers of some lust Iob his fury may cease by his owne procurement But howe this mutuall worke of mercye is currant through the
mainteined perhaps by occasion of such vnproper speach as then was vsed of the sacrifice of the Masse and propitiation both of the quicke and the deade But that I may consider these places particularly whereof you make so great accompt First where you will vs to take our aduantage of your translation I say you haue falsyfied Augustines wordes and meaning in the latter ende of the first sentence to make fooles beleue that the priuate Masse was sayd in Augustines dayes as it is among you First you call memoriam sui fieri ad altare which is that remembraunce of her shoulde be made at the altar that a memory might be kepte for her as though she woulde haue her sonne to be a chauntry priest to sing for her c. Item you translate vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam where she knew the holy hoste was bestowed as though she had ment nothing but that the hoste was layed vpon the altar where as you should haue sayed from whence she knoweth the holy sacrifice was dispensed or ministred by which wordes it is manifest that the communion was daily receiued not of the priest alone but of all them that were present You are as bolde as one of your wisedome may be with such a man to will M. Grindall to looke in his grammer for Augustins figures but if I may be so bolde with so profound a clearke as you are I woulde desire you to looke in the etymologies of your grammer whether sui be for her and vnde where And if you can not proue these significations by that parte of grammer which is called Etymologie that you would defende them by that part of cunning where in you are better learned called Pseudologia but to the matter of this testimony we haue in this first remembraunce of her in the nexte we haue the sacrifice of our price offered for her In deede this soundeth more like the matter you would haue if S. Augustine had not before in plaine wordes expounded his meaning which is nothing else but that the communion was celebrated in ministration of which there was speciall remembraunce of her in the prayers as there was of all deade in the sayth a generall memory And if you aske me what figure S. Augustine vsed though I coulde referre it to diuerse figures yet it may best be excused by Acyrologia which is an vnproper kind of speaking to call that the sacrifice of our price which was but a thankes giuing for the sacrifice of our price which Christ onely offered once for all vpon the aultar of the crosse As Augustine him selfe when he speaketh properly will confesse The other two places proue nothing but prayer for the deade vsed by Augustine But that you may see all this was but superstition or will worship in him he him selfe in a maner confesseth as much in the same place where he prayeth most earnestly lib. Con. 9. cap. 13. Et credo quod iam feceris quod rogo sed voluntaria oris mei approba Domine And I beleeue that thou hast done already that which I pray for but Lord approue this voluntary offering of my mouth His meaning is to allude to the free will offerings of the lawe but in deede he declareth that he prayed not according to the rule appoynted by God but according to the corrupt motion of his owne minde As for the place of Possidonius proueth plainly that it was the sacrifice of thankes giuing that was offered for the commendation of the godly and quiet deposition or putting of of his body which he before describeth In steed of which M. Allen translateth for commendation of his rest as though he had bene out of rest sayth that not withstanding his holy life and godly departure yet euen that day the citie was taken had oblation for his rest But if the men of those dayes had bene of M. Allens opinion concerning purgatory they would not both haue compted Augustine for a perfect man and yet after his death to doubt of his rest Finally where he boasteth that none were saued in those dayes but in this fayth he followeth his owne vayne of lying and not any proofe of auncient writing For although they were in that tyme infected with some errours and that not so great as he chargeth them withall yet was the fayth of their saluation in the onely foundation Iesus Christ and not in merittes or Masses pardons or pilgrimage but in the onely mercy of god Tota spes mea sayth Augustine non nisi magna valdè misericordia tua Da quod iubes iube quod vis lib. con 10. cap. 29. Al my hope is nothing else but thy exceeding great mercy Giue that thou commaundest commaund what thou wilt That vve and all nations receyued this vsage of praying and sacrifycing for the departed at our first coÌ„uersioÌ„ to Christes faith And that this article vvas not onâ—ly conâ—irmed by miracle amongest the rest but seuerally by signes and vvounders approued by it selfe And that the Church is grovvne to such beauty by the fructes of this faith CAP. X. 1 MAny moe examples of these matters might be brought out of S. Gregory diuers out of Damascene enowe out of what writer so euer you like best such choise we haue in so good a cause whereof euery mans workes are full But I will passe ouer the rest that I may onely reporte one history out of our owne Church in the pure spring whereof the Apostolike faith aboundaÌ„tly ishued downe from the principall pastors of Gods Church with great spreade of religion which sith that time hath bewtified our country in all Gods giftes with the best And amongest many euident testimonies of this trueth with the practise therof both to be founde in Gildas and in holy Beda there is a straunge and a very rare example not onely for the plaine declaration of the vsage of our Church in the first foundation of our faith but for an open shew by miracle in this liefe how God releaseth of his mercye by the holy oblation at the altar the paines of the departed in the worlde to come It shall be comfortable to the Catholikes to consider this parte of our belefe to be confirmed by the miraculous working of God as all other lightly be in placies where the faith is first taught And that our whole faith which our nation receiued of S. Augustine the monke was so confirmed by the power of God not onely our owne histories do declare but S. Gregory him selfe affirmeth it writing his letters to Augustine in this sense that he should not arrogate any such wounderous workes to his owne power or vertue which then God wrought by him not for his owne holinesse but for the planting of Christes faith in the nation where those signes were shewde Beda therefore writeth this notable history of a miracle done not many yeares after our people was conuerted in the beginning of his owne dayes that in a