so incredible as this Do but belieue which will not paine your bones the least All All though it were a thousand times more is wholy forgiuen you And sinne as much to morrow if it be possible as you haue sinned in all the dayes of your life and you shall not cease for all this to be iustified if you do not cease to belieue which as they say you cannot cease to do Was there euer the like deuise to make wide the strait gate of heauen Wheras if you will obtaine a Catholick Indulgence First you must belieue but this is not all as it is with Protestants Secondly you must haue true hope Thirdly you must be in perfect Charity and in the state of grace and consequently you must haue had true and hearty repentance of all your sins you must haue a firme purpose to forsake them you must haue made an entire and contrite confession of them you must if you haue wronged any man haue made him due satisfaction and after all this you must do the thing which is required for obteyning of the Indulgence which though in some occasions it be little yet many times it is the fast of three dayes the visiting of Churches the deuout praying in them the giuing of Almes c. 16. And all this being duely performed that which is wanting to the full satisfaction of the paine due to your forgiuen sins shal be gratiously supplyed by the superabundant satisfactions of Christ our Lord applyed by his Vicar vnto you to this end So that euen after all this no one sin is by the Indulgence forgiuen you for all Catholicks teach that all the Indulgences in the world cannot forgiue the least mortall sin no nor veniall as most affirme but all that is forgiuen by way of Indulgence is the paine to which the sinner was lyable euen after his sin was forgiuen him And therfore if the sin remaine still vnforgiuen the paine due vnto it cannot by any Indulgence be forgiuen And this is a great reason why so few do obtaine a perfect plenary Indulgence of all that paine which they were liable vnto because there be but few who vse due diligence to procure all their sins euen veniall to be fully forgiuen them and therfore they do not obteine the remission of the payne due to those sinnes which remaine vnforgiueÌ„ though they obteyne the remission of the paine due to all which are forgiueÌ„ them The importaÌ„ce of this matter hath made me more to enlarge my selfe then I intended CHAP. XV. Two other meanes of higher Perfection by which we may relieue the Soules in Purgatory 1. THe first is to offer vp all our good actions thoughts words and sufferings desiring God to accept of them for the reliefe of such a Soule or Soules in Purgatory to offer them vp all I say as they are satisfactory for so they do eyther onely or chiefly profit them and so we remayne free to apply the same workes as they are impetratory for obteyning any thing we desire to pray for yet I would not haue this so vnderstood as though we were not in the first place to satisfy any obligation which perhaps we might haue of employing some part of our works for other intentions Neither would I aduise any man to performe the pennances enioyned him in confession for satisfaction of the sins of any other besides himselfe But out of these or such like cases I know not how we can better apply our actions as they are satisfactory for thus all our actioÌ„s are not lesse but more meritorious not lesse but more impetratory not lesse but more satisfactory Thus we may hope to escape all or the greatest part of Purgatory paynes Wherfore it is not against charity towards our selues to be thus liberall All these things haue bin proued in the former chapters 2. A man would thinke it were not possible to proceed any further in this charitable deuotion But Charity is so witty in her inuentions that she hath found out a way to giue more then she hath or euer had in this life You shall see this verified in a strange mannet and an vnheard of example which cannot be well vnderstood without we first let all know that whensoeuer any one dyeth in the Society of Iesus euen the meanest Brother in the house it is ordeyned by the Constitutions of the same Society that all of that house where the party deceaseth who are Priests are to say three Masses for his soule those who are not Priests three payre of beades and throughout the whole Prouince which many times consists of seauen or eight hundred persons euery Priest is to say two Masses and each one of the rest two payre of beades for the same intention And besides all these prayers euery Priest of our Society throughout the whole world is obliged euery weeke to say one Masse and ech one of those who are not Priests one paire of beades for those of their Order deceased out of their particular Prouinces for if the deceased be of the same Prouince then they are to say for them two a peece as eueÌ„ now hath bin said Hence it appeareth that there dyeth not any one in the Society for whom a very great multitude of Masses and prayers are not said Let vs put a probable supposition Suppose there be sixteene thousand persons in the Soâ—â—ety that one halfe of this number be Priests the rest either Students Nouices or lay-Brothers Let vs also suppose that taking one week with another there dy out of this number foure a weeke This supposed it followeth that euery one of these foure shall haue for his part alone neere two thousand Masses and as many payre of beades said for his soule out of the Prouince where he dyed besides those which are said for him in the House and Prouince in which he dyed This being so heare now a rare act of Charity 3. Father Ferdinand Monroy of the Society of Iesus a man of rare sanctity when he came to dye knowing and in that houre liuely apprehending what Comfort he might take in the multitude of Masses prayers which he knew should after his death be said for his soule according to the rule of his Order was notwithstanding so inflamed with ardent charity towards the soules of his Christs brethren suffering in Purgatory that he bequeathed vnto them by Will Testament all the Masses and other prayers which after his departure should be offered vp for his soule and so departed this life eyther directly towards heauen as is most probable or a wellcome guest to the soules in Purgatory Euseb Nierembergicus tract de Purgatorio Can charity proceed any further Let then the imitation of this example be a second meanes for them whose charity burnes so much hoater then Purgatory If a third meanes of relieuing these soules perfecter then this could be found yet all that could be done ought not to seeme too much seeing it is done
it forth by plentifull showres did heape vp an immense treasure of satisfactions superabundantly sufficient to satisfy for any paynes due to any sinne or sins whatsoeuer for else our offences might haue bin greater then his satisfactions there wanteth not therfore a cause euen superabundantly sufficient to supply any possible want of satisfaction which any man can be in so infinite a treasure is this 5. Secondly there is in the Church lawfull power and authority to apply to such as want satisfactions these superabundant satisfactions of Christ for otherwise this infinite treasure of the superabundant satisfactions of Christ our Lord heaped vp for vs and for vs only would be wholy vnprofitable to vs merely superfluous It would be like the treasure which that miserable wretch in S. Luke did keep lapped vp in his handkercher or the talent which that other in S. Matthew hid in the ground Now as the holy Scripture saith A hidden wisdome and an vnseene treasure what profit is there in eyther of them Eccl. 41. 6. Wherefore that this treasure may profit vs as it is superabundant there must be left on earth power to dispence forth out of this superabundancy as much as our necessities may require Which being so to whom should we thinke this power to haue byn giuen rather then to him to whome it was said Joan. 20. Feed my sheepe rather then to him to whom it was said Matth. 15. To thee I will giue the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen For it is all one to haue the keyes of heauē and to haue authority to remoue the barre of the locke which shutteth heauen doore such a barre as sinne is not fully satisfied for I would know I say in whome we should put this power if not in him for to him the words following do clearly giue this commission Whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosened also in Heauen Marke that word Whatsoeuer that is what thing soeuer it be which can bind a Soule whether it be guilt of sinne or guilt of paine due to sinne if thou dost loosen this band on earth it shal be loosened in heauen This was a promise which doubtles Christ who alwayes made good his word did perfectly keep 7. Out of this which we haue said this conuincing argument may be taken There is power left in the Church to forgiue sinne it selfe which doth deserue the paines we speake of therfore it is no wonder that there should be power to forgiue the suffering of these paines That there is power left to forgiue sins the text of Scripture doth literally affirme The Protestant if he standeth to the words of the Scripture hath not a word to say He must fly to his owne exposition of the Word which exposition why should any man in prudence follow rather then the exposition of the most learned and most holy Fathers of the Primitiue Church who studyed the Scriptures day night and may be farre more prudētly thought to haue vnderstood them aright then those who liue in an age so farre from Christ intangled with so many vncertaine opinions or rather certaine errours 8. If the Protestants tell vs they were men and might erre we will defire them to remember that they are also men and at least as likly to erre as they were If the Protestant sayth he followeth Scripture the playne words of Scripture are cleer against him in this point which is a point fundamentall concerning the forgiuenes of sin a thing wholy necessary to saluation That the Fathers teach Priests to haue power of forgiuing sin I will shew in a word S. Chrysologus Serm. 84. writing vpon those wordes Whose sins you forgiue shall be forgiuen them sayth thus Where be those men that affirme sins cannot be forgiuen by men vnto men Peter doth forgiue sins and with all ioy doth receiue the penitent he imbraceth this power granted by God vnto all Priests S. Leo the Great writeth thus Ep. 91. ad Theo. Christ Iesus gaue this power to the gouernours of the Church that by the doore of reconciliation they should admit them to the communion of the Sacraments being now purged But what more cleare then that of S. Chrysostome l. 3. de sacerd initio Jt was only lawfull to the Priests of the Jewes to cleanse or to speake more truly not to cleanse but to approue as cleansed the leprosy of the body But to our Priests it was granted not to cleanse the leprosy of the body but it was granted vnto them I do not say to approue for cleansed but throughly to cleanse the filth of the soule Heere you see condemned in as cleere words as can be spoken the errour of the Protestāts who say that the power of our Priests is to declare our sins forgiuē and not to forgiue them but S. Chrysostome sayth that he doth not say this J do not say to approue for cleansed but throughly to cleanse the filth of the soule This being proued let vs proceed 9. If Christs Vicar vpon earth hath power to forgiue the sins which did deserue eternall paine consequently to loosen the band of eternall paines can it seeme much that he should haue power to loosen the bands of temporall paine with which the sinner is tyed after his sins are remitted The contrary surely would seeme the greater wonder Yet because so I come to declare the third point which I vndertook concerning the thing inioyned to be performed for the gaining of Indulgences because I say all power giuen by Christ vnto his Vicar is well ordered and granted for the edification not for the destruction of the Church this authority of dispensing the treasures of Christs superabundant satisfactions was giuen so that it might be dispensed forth with prudēt liberality not powred out with lauishing prodigality Wherfore all Protestants Catholicks are to vnderstand that our most esteemed Deuines in this age are of opinion that it is not in the power of the Pope to grant an Indulgence for the performance of a good worke so litle that it cannot be a proportionable cause to grant this fauour As for example it is the example of S. Bonauenture 4. dist 20. q. 6. to grant a great sinner a plenary Indulgence for giuing an Almes of three halfe pence 10. But it is exceedingly to be marked that when the Pope granteth a great Indulgence which may be obtayned by doing of something perhaps as small as giuing an Almes of three halfe pence the reason of the grant of this Indulgence is not meerly that so little a good worke should be performed for then as S. Bonauenture teacheth it would be an imprudent and an impossible grant but the reason of the grant of such an Indulgence is the obteyning of some very great good and a good so great for this Bellarmine seemeth to require that the obteyning of it maketh more to Gods glory is more gratefull to him then it would be to haue our forgiuen sins punished
A REMEMBRANCE FOR THE LIVING TO Pray for the Dead Made by a Father of the Soc. of Iesus By the Prayers of the Holy Cath. Church the wholesome Sacrifice of the Altar by Almes giuen for their Soules it is not to be doubted but the DEAD are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercifully by our Lord then their Sinnes haue deserued S. August Serm. 32. de verb. Apost tom 10. Permissu Superiorum Anno 1641. TO THE Deuout and Charitable READER LORD sayth holy Dauid Psal 8. What is mā that thou art mindfull of him The Hebrew word Enosch which Dauid in this place vseth to signify Man doth most properly signify a most miserable forgetfull Creature So that in the language of Scripture a Man a Creature most miserable and most forgetfull is all one This forgetfulnes is chiefly in things of the other life which though they be neuer so important neuer so much inculcated yet they find either no place at all or the very least last in our thoghts I did not therefore without particular reason entitle this briefe Treatise A Remembrance for the liuing to pray for the dead for I thinke deare Reader that if thou hast the hart of a Man and not a stone in place of a hart that this Remembrance will stir thee vp to affoard farre more assistance to these distressed Soules in Purgatory then thou didst vse to doe meerly for want of due Remembrance Reflection and Consideration of this matter I haue in this Treatise made much vse of a litle Book lately set forth in Latin of the same subiect for I found in it diuers points briefly touched which seemed to me most worthy of longer Consideration I haue done my best to obserue that method and vse that plainesse of style which might most help my Reader to carry away my whole discourse Sweet IESV who didst loue all Soules so dearly that thou didst powre out the last droppe of thy sacred bloud for them graunt I beseech thee euen by this excesse of thy Charity that we may not be so vncharitable to those very Soules whom thou didst loue so tenderly as to neglect their complaints to slight their sufferings and to leaue them without due assistance in their miseries A Remembrance for the Liuing to pray for the Dead The Preface BEsides many who erroneously think there is no such matter is a Purgatory and consequently that it is a vaine thing to pray for the dead there be many who either for want of sufficient instruction in that which they belieue or by inconsideratiō of what they belieue do passe ouer this important busines of praying for the dead so coldly as that they think they do inough to help their owne ye a Christs owne Brother if they do but say God rest his soule which is a most vnmercifull manner of proceeding For if we saw our litle Brother falne into the fier we should neuer be so hard-harted as to see him broile there and perswade our selues it were charity inough to throw a little drop of water into the fier somewhat to asswage his torments And so I know not how it comes to passe that many flatter themselues with the name of good-natur'd kind-harted Creatures who notwithstanding take so litle to hart this extreme necessity of their Brethrē that their thoughts are busied about nothing lesse then relieuing them The intention therefore of this presēt Treatise is first though very briefly to rectify the vnderstanding of those who thinke and belieue amisse of Purgatory Secōdly more at large to stirre vp in the will of all faithfull belieuers an ardent desire to redresse the vnspeakable miseries of these distressed Soules CHAP. I. PVRGATORY proued by all kind of sacred Authority 1. FIrst I must put my Reader in mind that it commeth all to one to proue that Prayers do profit the Dead to proue a Purgatory for prayers can neyther profit those dead who are in Heauen nor those dead who are in Hell and are past our help Those dead then who can receaue profit by our Prayers must neyther be in Heauen nor in Hell but in a third place which we call Purgatory where being detayned to suffer for their sinnes not fully satisfied for do stand in need of the help of their liuing brethren To pray for these soules we hould it Piety Impiety to deny them this reliefe 2. This we prooue first by the authority of the old Testament In the second Booke of the Machabees Cap. 12. it is recorded how the most pious and valiant Judas Machabaeus hauing to this end made a gathering of twelue thousand drachmes of siluer did send this mony to Jerusalem That sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this Scripture addeth A holy therfore wholsome thought it is to pray for the dead that they may be freed from their sinnes Hence it is cleare that the Iewes did hold prayer for the dead consequently a Purgatory seeing that they did all contribute for the making vp of this great summe of money to procure that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead And this pious custome of praying for the departed is vntill this very day kept and obserued by the Iewes Lastly chiefly this custome is recommended by Scripture as holy wholsome 3. The Protestāt wil perhaps say that these two Books of the Machabees be not Canonical Scripture I answere that a thousand and almost three hundred yeares ago these books were defined to be canonicall by the Councell of Carthage in which S. Austin himselfe being present did subscribe to this definitiō of the Councell The words of the Councel can 47. are The Canonicall Scriptures be these Genesis Exodus c. the 2. Books of the Machabees And S. Austin saith l. 18. de Ciuit. c. 36. The Books of the Machabees not by the Iewes but by the Church are held for Canonicall And S. Hierome in Prolog Although the books of the Machabees be not in the Canon of the Iewes yet by the Church they are reckoned among the historyes of diuine volumes If therefore we wil receiue the Canon of Scripture from the Church our question is at an end if we will not we may make questions without end So we see Luther himselfe calleth into question the authority of the Apocalyps saith in Praefat noui Testam that he esteemeth this booke neyther written with a Propheticall nor Apostolicall spirit yet our Gospellers who are so well skilled in the spirit scarce esteeme more any one booke of scripture But by the way I would aske of them how if the Apocalyps be true Scripture Luther can be a true Saint For in the end of the Apocalyps cap. 22. it is said If any man shall diminish from the words of the booke of this Prophecy God shall take away his part from the booke of life But Luther tooke away all the words of this Prophecy saying it was not
cannot but know Now if I belieue that the vniuersall Church did shine with this custome of offering sacrifice for the dead as in prudēce I must how can I in prudence thinke that the vniuersall Church euen in that her golden age was stained with such a profane Errour as Protestants hold this to be It is saith the same S. Austin Ep. 118. ad Januar insolent madnes to dispute against that which is practised by the whole Church all the world ouer And why so Because he that will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen or Publican Matth. 18. Because the gates of hell cannot preuaile against her Matth. 16. Because the is the pillar foundation of truth 1. Tim. 3. The Church then being the foundation of truth may we not well cry out with S. Paul O mad-men who hath be witched you not to obey the truth Gal. 3. For was not Iohn Caluin thinke you bewitched when he spake these words Before a thousand and three hundred yeares saith Caluin aboue an hundred yeares ago it was by custome receiued that prayers should be made for the dead but they all I confesse were ingulfed in an errour lib. 3. Iustit c. 5 Thus Caluin as boldly as if it were cleere that for thirteene hundred yeares togeather none of thē all vnderstood the Scripture so well as he But by his leaue I think I may be of the contrary opinion I am very confident that S. Austin had as good a wit studied as much was assisted as much by the holy Ghost and consequently vnderstood the Scripture as rightly as M. John Caluin yet this profound Doctour and great Saint writeth these very words which I do most faithfully trāslate out of him By the prayers of the holy Church and the wholsome sacrifice and by the almes which are giuen for their soules it is not to be doubted but the dead are holpen that they may be dealt withall more mercyfully by our Lord then their sins haue deserued for this deliuered from our Fathers the vniuersall Church doth obserue that for those who are dead in the Communion of the body bloud of Christ Prayer should be made when in the Sacrifice it selfe they in their place are remembred and that that Sacrifice should be remembred to be offered vp for them But when works of mercy are offered vp for their sakes who can doubt but that they auaile them for whom prayers are not in vaine offered vp to God It is not to be doubted in any case but that these things do profit the dead Serm. 32. de verb. Apost Thus writeth S. Austin repeating ouer ouer againe in so few lines It is not to be doubted who can doubt It is not to be doubted in any case that these things do profit the Dead This being so cleare all other authorityes may seeme superfluous He who desireth more testimonyes may read in Bellarmine de Purgatorio the words of S. Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Cyril Chrysostome Tertulliā Cyprian Ambrose Hierome others we also shall haue frequent occasions to cite many other places CHAP. II. Purgatory proued by Reason grounded in Scripture 1. AS it is a great Argument against Atheists who deny a God rewarder of good punisher of euil that all the world but they acknowledge such a God so it cānot but be a strong argument against Protestants who deny Purgatory that all Heathens Iewes Turkes and all ciuill nations do vse Prayer for the dead The reason why all agree so vniuersally in this point must needs be groūded in the light of naturall Reason which as it teacheth that there be some men very good who deserue nothing but reward others very bad who deserue nothing but punishment so it teacheth that there is a third kind of men who with the good they do worthy of reward do also some ill worthy of some though not eternall punishment consequently it will belong to higher Powers to giue these men due chastisment which as we see they escape often in this life it must therfore be giuen them in the next S. Austin thought this to be so manifest that he saith in Euchir c. 109. Jt is not to be denyed but that the soules of those who are departed are much relieued by the pitty of their liuing friends when either the Sacrifice of our Mediator is offered for them or Almes are giuen in the Church in their behalf because there is a certain state of life neither so good but that they may haue need of these helps after death nor yet so euill but that these offices may profit them And on the contrary there is another state of men so good that they need not this help and of others so euill that they cannot be helped by it when they are dead Wherfore heere in this life all merit is gottē wherby after this life a man may be relieued or not 2. The answer which Protestants vse to make is very weake for they say that although some men liue so that they do not deserue Hell and yet liue not so well but they deserue some punishment yet these men say they shall not go to Purgatory but by the onely vndergoing of the paines of death they shall be sufficiently punished for their sinnes This answere for two reasons is apparently false First for that the vndergoing of death is a punishment due vnto all men for originall sinne For saith S. Paul Rom. 5. by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so vnto all men death did passe euen vnto sucking babes who for no other cause vndergoe this punishment Secondly we see the paines of death equally shared among the good and bad and in the floud of Noë all mē suffered the same death of being drowned yet the sinnes of many were most vnequall 3. This proofe drawne from naturall Reason is exceedingly illustrated and confirmed by three principles certaine in holy Scripture The first is that there are some sins only veniall and not lyable to eternall torments and yet lyable to some torments That seruant saith S. Luke cap. 22. who knoweth the will of his Lord and doth not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knoweth it not and doth things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Hence it is euident that there be some men who do things worthy of stripes which they shall not escape but yet they shall be beaten with few stripes But if these stripes be to be layd on for all Eternity as all stripes be which are payd in hell they will not be few because being euerlasting the number of thē will be without number will any one call these stripes few Or can any man perswade himself that a God who is all mercy will in this vnmercifull manner punish the speaking of one idle word yet Christ himselfe saith that we shall be accountable for euery idle word we speake Matth. 12.
that holy and dreadfull Sacrifice which is placed on the altar is the greatest help for the soules for which it is offered See this place at large for nothing can be spoken more Catholikly 5. The Sacrifices of the old Law were esteemed by the chiefe only true belieuers of those tymes to haue such vertue to relieue the dead that when souldiers were slaine in battaile they made a gathering of no lesse then twelue thousand drachmes of siluer and sent this money to Hierusalem that sacrifice might be offered for the sins of the dead 2. Machab. 12. What esteeme then ought we to haue of our Sacrifice S. Austin l. 9. Confess c. 3. deseruedly praysed his dead Mother in these words She did not thinke how to haue her body sumptuously buried or embalmed but she desired only that her memory might be made at Gods Altar at which she neuer omitted any one day of her life to be present knowing that from thence is dispensed the holy hoast or Sacrifice wherby is blotted out the guilt of the world And this which she requested was fulfilled when the Sacrifice of our price was offered for her as S. Austin cap. 12. of the same Booke sayth it was 6. This piety which so flourished in the primitiue Church ceaseth not in the prime parts of the world to flourish in these our dayes No lesse then one thousand seauen hundred Masses vpon one and the selfe same day were in Madrid celebrated at the funerals of Margaret wife to Philip the third King of Spaine and besides a thousand Masses which this Queene by her will gaue order to haue said for her Soule the King of his liberality caused twenty thousand more to be said for her Gasman in vita Margar. Austriac p. 3. c. 3. It is not very many yeares since the death of the Archduke Albertus Prince of the Low-Countryes whose most pious wife Isabell did procure for the reliefe of his soule forty thousand Masses and for thirty dayes togeather she herselfe did heare 10. Masses daily for this her pious Lord and husband P.F. Iac. Curuoisier in Mansolaeo 7. As for fasting most remarkable is that which we read in the Scripture That after the death of Saul his sonnes the men of Iabes Galaad did take his dead body and the dead bodyes of his sonnes and buried them in the wood of Jabes and fasted seauen dayes 1. Reg. c. vlt. Vnder the name of fasts all other mortifications and austerityes are comprehēded as disciplines hayre-cloath lying on the ground c. But because some mens silken eares cannot endure so hard language as the naming of these things and others vnder pretence of health will plead inhability to performe such works I will adde some few acts of mortification which no man or woman can be too weake to exercise For example to debarre themselues of some lesse necessary recreations to abstaine from some sweet morsels for some smal space to keep silence not to see not to heare such and such curiosities But one act of Vertue there is which the weakest creature in the world may practise and it is an act of so high worth that the strōgest man in the world can scarce practice a better It is this for Christs sake to forgiue all those from your very hart who haue done any iniury or iniuries vnto you This is not my doctrine but the doctrine of S. Austin Serm. 41. de Sanctis in these words Those who desire to be deliuered from this temporall purging fire let them by continual prayers and frequent fastings large almes and especially by forgiuing them who haue offended against them redeeme their ordinary dayly sins This act which S. Austin doth so especially aboue all other commend hath a better recommendation in the word of God which doth in plaine termes promise to this act a plenary Indulgence a Iubily a full Remission of all sins in this large forme of Grant Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you Luc. 6. And againe For if you forgiue vnto men their offences your heauenly Father also will forgiue your sins vnto you Matth. 6. This pardon you may gaine for the soules in Purgatory Heare then a memorable exāple to this purpose 8 The only sonne of an honorable Widdow was murdered by a wicked fellow who being for this his murder in danger of being apprehended by the Officers had hid himselfe but the officers and the widdow had intelligēce where he lay The Officers went to the place to take him but the pious widdow did for Gods sake so truly pardon this greatest mischiefe which could haue byn done her that she did not onely certify the murderer of his danger to the end he might fly away in tyme but for this end did she furnish him also with money and gaue him the horse of her dead sonne that he might escape the better After this she retired herselfe to pray for her Sonnes soule when behold her sonne all in glory appeared vnto her and told her that for so great Charity towards his murderer God had already freed him from the fire of Purgatory which for many yeares he should haue suffered Orosius fer 6. post Cineres Thus much for this point We may also much relieue the soules in Purgatory by suffering for them such crosses as it shall please God to lay vpō vs as sicknes losse of goods of friends trouble of the mind and all kind of afflictions which are exceeding satisfactory if we accept them willingly or beare them patiently 6. A third kind of satisfaction most auailable to the soules in Purgatory is to exercise Almes-deeds which be most effectual to abolish all paine due to sin therfore most profitable to those poore soules both when they are giuen to any sort of poore men most of all when they are giuen vnto those who are voluntarily poore as all religious both men women are for they will be sure to pray deuoutly for the dead So that they receaue a double benefit both by the guift of the almes it selfe which is a worke highly satisfactory and also by the prayers of those to whom the almes are giuen who often are very great seruants of almighty God and their prayers most powerfull with him Hence is that excellent aduice of S. Ambrose l. 1. de fide resurrect who exhorteth the Parents to bestow the portions which they intended to haue giuē their children which now are dead in almesdeeds for the reliefe of their soules Excellēt also is that Counsell which some giue to rich men They aduise thē as often as they heare a poore man knocking at their doore to imagine themselues to heare the voyce of a poore soule in Purgatory begging for reliefe and if they haue any mercy in them this imagination will stir them vp to bestow some smal almes both for the spirituall reliefe of the soule in Purgatory and the corporal reliefe of their poore neighbour 10. How grateful to God and beneficiall
to the giuer those almes are which are bestowed vpon the soules in Purgatory or vpō others for their reliefe will appeare by a strange example which I haue read in seueral Authors of one Eusebius Duke of Sardinia This good duke was so deuoted to the soules in Purgatory that he bestowed all the tithes of his Dukedome in masses Almesdeeds and other pious workes for their deliuery and moreouer gaue one of his best Citties which was therfore called the Citty of God with all the reuenews therof to be employed for the same end It hapned that Ostorgius Duke of Sicily being at warres with this Eusebius surprized this Citty The newes wherof being brought to Eusebius he was so sensible of the losse that he protested he had rather haue lost halfe his Dukedome and so with all speed drawing his men togeather which were but a handfull in regard of the enemy marched boldly on to recouer the same In the way his Scoutes discouered a great Army approaching with armour horses banners all as white as snow at which report the Duke was somwhat stroken yet reflecting better on the matter conceyued hope of good from that ioyfull colour Wherfore sēding out foure choice men to learne who they were and what they intended they were answered by foure more of the white army coming to meet them that they need not feare for they were souldiers of the King of Heauen friends to Eusebius Enemyes to his Enemy The Duke was much comforted with this answere and therupon riding in person towards the army was presently met and kindly saluted by some of them who confirmed what had bin said before bidding him feare nothing but march on with his army after theirs So he did Then the white army which seemed to be 40. thousand strong making a stand neere to the camp of Ostorgius came presently to a parley gaue him to vnderstand that they were the souldiers of the King of Heauen sent to reuenge the iniust surprisall of that Citty belonging to their Maister and to put Eusebius againe in possession adding with all such threats that Ostorgius was extremely terrifyed humbly demanded peace promising all possible satisfaction By this tyme Eusebius was come vp to whom Ostorgius readily offered to restore the double of what he had taken and to make himselfe and his people tributary vnto him These conditions being agreed vpon Eusebius applyed himself to the white Army with such signes of gratitude as were fitting in that occasion and then beginning to inquire more particularly what they were had for answere that they were all soules deliuered by his pious liberality out of Purgatory so that he had iust cause of much content in what he had done and of encouragement to proceed in those charitable workes by which doubtles many more soules would be deliuered out of that place of punishment then taking a kind leaue they returned the same way they came Spec. Exempl tit Defuncti exemplo 25. Pinellus de altera vita l. 1. c. 28. De Bonniers in Aduocat Animarum c. 2. Histor. Sardiniae alij 11. We need not doubt but Eusebius was vnspeakably cōforted in this strange occurrence and must needs increase in deuotion liberality towards the soules which he found by experience to be so mindfull of paying and ouerpaying their debts And I pray God others who haue bags of gold and whole Lordships to cast away at Dice and Cards and wast in brauery and Epicurean feasting may learne by this example by what hath bin said before rather to spēd their riches hereafter with assurāce of getting a hundred for one then with mighty probability of loosing thousands for nothing and their owne soules into the bargayne I wish also that wealthy Parēts would giue care and credit to the exhortation of S. Ambrose cited before in this Chapter which doing they will certainly be ashamed to bestow more thousands vpon a Daughter wedding to the world then hūdreds on another choosing Christ for her spouse And if they had read and pondered well the complaint made by S. Austin l. 2. Confess c. 13. of his owne Father I belieue they wold make a scruple to be so close-handed in breeding their sonnes to learning vertue and so very prodigall in contributing to vayne and sometimes vicious courses If God his Saints be so liberall and louing to men how vngratefull and ill-natured are those men who deale so niggardly with God and with the soules of Saints crying out for help in the fiery flames of Purgatory CHAP. XIIII Of Indulgences 1. AMongst the meanes of relieuing the soules in Purgatory one of the chiefest is to gaine such Indulgences for them as are so granted that they may be applyed vnto them Now because eyther for wāt of instructiō in this poynt which is not so easily vnderstood or for dulnes of beliefe in it because we who are so bad are hard to belieue God should be so good very many are lamentably negligent in the vse of so great a treasure I haue thought conuenient to hādle briefly this poynt which indeed is necessary to be declared to solue the obiection made in the 12. Chapter 2. For the perfect vnderstanding of this matter we must call to mind that which hath bin sufficiently proued before in the 2. Chapter how that after any sinne is forgiuen there doth commonly remayne some guilt of paine due to so foule a crime Well then the grant of an indulgence is the grant of the remission of this paine remayning after the sinne is forgiuen which grant is communicated vnto vs to supply graciously our want of due satisfaction by applying the superabundant satisfactiōs of Christ our Lord which by his Vicar on earth are to this end applyed vnto vs by the performance commonly of some worke enioyned vs for gayning of this indulgence 3. So that you see here arise three things to be explicated First that the satisfactions of Christ are so superabundant that they are sufficient to supply any want of satisfaction which any man or men can haue Secondly that there is a Vicar of Christ on earth who hath lawfull power to apply these superabūdant satisfactions of Christ for the supply of any want of satisfaction which we may be in Thirdly somthing also must be declared of the things which by Christs Vicar vse to be inioyned that those satisfactions of Christ may be applyed in this manner vnto vs. 4. First then that the satisfactions of Christ are so superabūdant that they may be a cause sufficient to supply any though neuer so great want of satisfactions is easily grāted by all and cleare of it selfe if we do but remēber that the bloud of Christ was the bloud of God consequently of so inestimable worth and value that the shedding of one only drop of it was an act abundantly satisfactory for the sins of a whole world Now then our Sauiour shedding this his diuinely-pretious bloud not by small drops but powring
in Purgatory with due rigour of iustice For example such a good would be the conuersion of Infidels Extirpation of Heresies constant Peace in the Church of God the notable aduancement of some great or some necessary act of piety fayth Religion Charity c. The obteyning of such goods as these is the thing which moueth the Pope to grant these Indulgences and to dispense forth the treasure committed vnto him by Christ for the greater glory of Christ which is a very prudent and well-ordered dispensation for so those who are put in charge with others goods do most faithfully exercise their charge if they lay them out for the greater benefit of those who did put them in trust 11. I see well that it will be obiected that though the Pope doth piously and prudently to imploy the treasure committed to his charge for obteyning of a greater good yet it seeemeth that he doth imprudently to vse for obteyning of it such an vnproportionable vnfit meanes as is to inioyne only the performance of a good worke so little to be done for this end as for exāple to inioyne only the saying of 5. Pater Nosters for obteining so great a good as is the Conuersion of Infidels extirpation of Heresies c. And therfore though the cause of this Grant be reasonable yet the meanes applyed seeme most vnreasonable I answere that the performance of so little a good worke as is the saying of fiue Pater Nosters for obteyning the good for which the Indulgence is granted may be a very effectual meanes for obteyning of so great a good Which that I may shew let vs but consider what doth dayly happen when the Pope granteth such an Indulgence as this is The grant of this Indulgence is no sooner made knowne vnto the Church but presently you shall see all faythfull people by thousands with one heart and one soule doing that which is necessary for gaining of this Indulgences that is by a true entire and harty Confession and contrition putting themselues if they feare they were not in it before in state of grace and friendship with God and then after this for this must be done for gaining of Indulgences deuoutly performing the good worke inioyned them to be performed and performing it to the end for which it was inioyned Now though this good worke be but little though it be but the saying of fiue Pater Nosters for the foresayd intention yet when euen so few praiers are sayd with one heart and one soule by so many thousands of thousands as vse by the grant of so great an Indulgence exacting only the performance of so small a worke to be stirred vp to the deuout recitall of these prayers the quantity of all these prayers put together amoūteth to an immense summe a summe so great and made vp by such an vniforme deuotion of so many faythfull people that it may in prudence be thought to be a meanes sufficient to effect the good intended 12. Hence it appeareth that the performance of a little thing may be an effectuall meanes to obtaine a great good when by the exacting of a thing so small euery body is inuited to do what is necessary to the perfect performāce of it wheras if they were inuited by a small Indulgence or by a great one which could not be gained but by some great good worke as fasting many dayes saying many prayers c. very few would be induced to gaine this Indulgence And so it may well happen that Christs Vicar cā scarce vse any meanes more effectuall to obtaine a good which maketh so much to Gods glory the benefit of his Church then by granting some great Indulgēce which may be gained by doing some small good worke for his intention For it is very likely that a farre greater quantity of good works will be raysed whilest euery one contributeth a little then when almost euery body layeth aside all care of doing any thing because without he doth a great deale he is neuer the neerer for as much as concerneth the gaining of the Indulgence We vse to say t' is well for poore men that brasse farthings goe currently for now euery body coms easily off with a farthing wheras their charity would hardly be great inough to part with a penny 13. All which we haue said hath farre lesse difficulty when an Indulgence is granted to bring in publicke practise some important act of piety or to hinder decay of some great deuotion especially of some vertue necessary to saluation as Fayth Charity Contrition c. Because in this case not only all these things do make more to Gods glory then that ordinary seuerity of punishing by the paines of Purgatory but it is easily vnderstood how these so important things may effectually be procured by the performance of things but small in themselues though great in their effects For example it is a thing most important that all faythfull people should professe vnion with their supreme Pastor and also the decay of this vnion is much to be feared by reason of the power of Heresy Againe this vnion may be effectually brought into great request by making sometimes in a yeare some publick and solemne profession of it which may be done by cōming hūbly to receyue his benediction in some great festiuity therfore the Pope both may doth most piously and prudently in granting a great Indulgence for performing an act in it selfe so easy and little as is to aske his benediction 14. In like māner true faith without which it is impossible to please God is lost by obstinately reiecting the authority of the Church though in matters otherwise of no exceeding great consequence therfore the maintayning of faith in all such matters when there is danger of the losse of it maketh very much to Gods glory and the good of soules Now the pious beliefe of these points so important may efficaciously be vpholden broght into publick practise and veneration by the practice of some acts which are most easily performed for example sake Prayer for the dead veneration of Reliques gaining of Indulgences are points of faith which Hereticks seeke by all meanes to ouerthrow Againe they may be efficaciously maintayned in a continuall and most deuout practice if the Pope would grant some great Indulgence for making some frequent pious acts which may reuiue these deuotiōs and keep the practice of them in dayly vse 15. Now to stop in a word the mouths of Protestants which are so wide open to cry downe these Indulgences I will onely put them in mind of their owne Doctrine They say A man is iustified by faith onely in so much that if a mā were as great a sinner as could be yet this man if be would but make one act of true Faith should be in a moment iustifyed not so much as lyable to the least punishment for all his innumerable and enormous sins Is any pardon Indulgence or Iubily so easely obteyned or
Mediator betweene thy heauenly Father vs sinners and represent to thee that cruelty wherwith the cursed Iewes stretched forth thy sacred leggs so violently with a cord that all thy veines sinewes were broken and nayled thy holy feet vnto the crosse with great and boystrous nayles throgh thy great patience suffering them to do to thee whatsoeuer they would as if thou hadst said I lye heere to the end I may accomplish my Fathers will and redeeme mankind O what great and excessiue paine caused euery stroke of the hammer vnto thy hart and also to the tender hart of thy blessed Mother O deerest Sauiour we render thee infinite thankes for that most intollerable torment which thou didst endure in that dolourous nayling of thy sacred feet and that immense loue charity wherwith thou didest suffer it most hūbly beseeching thee therby to pardon these soules all they haue committed against thee by sitting or lying sleeping or waking knowing or not knowing or in what sort soeuer through thy painfull lying on the crosse and extreme torments shame and ignominy Miserere THE XIX PRAYER O Most sweet Lord Iesus we humbly salute thee and represent vnto thee that pittifull rearing vp of the crosse wherby thy cruell enemies did miserably shake thy sacred body vsing many clamours opprobries and iniurious despites against thee letting the crosse fall after they had raysed it violently downe into the hole they had made for it in the ground through the force wherof all thy woundes were renewed and most cruelly rent and torne out of which as from riuers flowed forth thy precious bloud in great aboundance O deerest Sauiour with what infinite Charity diddest thou hang there to make satisfaction for all sinnes past present and to come for which we render thee immortall thankes and humbly beseech thee to let one drop of that thy precious bloud which thou didest then shee l descend vpon these Soules for a full satisfaction of all the sinnes they haue committed in the whole course of their life Miserere THE XX. PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus who knowest the desires of our harts before they be declared by wordes and represent to thee that great charity wherewith hanging on the crosse thou didest pray for thy enemyes saying Father forgiue them for they know not what they do which mercifull prayer of thine was of such force that it conuerted many of them that were guilty of thy bloud O true comforter of all sorrowfull hartes we beseech thee throgh the merit of that thy Prayer that thou wilt vouchsafe now to pray to thy heauenly Father for these poore soules that they may be as fully pardoned of all their sinnes offences as those who were then receiued into grace through the merit of thy precious bloud Miserere THE XXI PRAYER WE salute thee ô soueraigne Lord Iesus sweet Father of mercy and represent to thee how hanginge betweene two thee us the one wherof blasphemed thee the other besought thee to be myndefull of him when thou camest in thy kingdome whom thou didest bountifully pardon and receiue into thy mercy in such sort as he was the first vnto whom thou didest promise paradise throgh which bottomlesse mercy we beseech thee as also throgh the merits of thy precious bloud which thou impartedst to the Theefe to let the same precious bloud descend now vpon these soules vnto a full forgiuenesse of their sinnes and through thy infinite mercy bring them into thy euerlasting glory Miserere THE XXII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most Blessed Lord Iesus sweet solace of the sorrowfull and offer vnto thee all that internall suffering thou haddest seeing thy deere Mother standing vnder the crosse ouerwhelmed in a sea of deadly anguishes through loue and compassion towardes thee whom thou didest commend to thy beloued Disciple S. Iohn which greately renewed her griefe and bitter sorrow for thy death O deerest Lord through this loue and care thou haddst of thy sweet Mother in thy torments we humbly commend vnto thy mercifull goodnesse these soules beseechinge thee to deliuer them for all paines and torments through thy merites and the merites of thy blessed Mother Miserere THE XXIII PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Lord Iesus soueraign shepheard of thy holy Church and faithfull forgiuer of sinnes and offer vnto thee that sorrowfull Prayer thou madest vnto thy heauenly Father when thou saidest my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he hauing left thy holy Humanity destitute of all help and comfort in those thy bitter angushes and tormēts for all which we humbly thanke thee beseech thee by them and the merits of thy sacred Prayer that thou wilt mercifully heare our humble prayers which we now present to thee for these poore soules deliuer them through thy infinite mercy and merits from all their paines tormēts Miserere THE XXIV PRAYER WE salute thee ô sweet Iesus fountaine of liuing waters and represent vnto thee how thou saidst I thirst which thirst must needs be excessiue great for that there was not left one drop of bloud in all thy whole body but chiefly didest thou thirst for our saluation for which we humbly thanke thee as also for the bitter gall eysell thou didest take and the secret sorrow thou hadst remembring that thy bitter death shold be lost on so many soules all which we humbly offer to thee ô most sweet Sauiour and beseech thee that thou wilt let thy precious bloud descend on these poore Soules to refresh them and to deliuer them from all their paines Miserere THE XXV PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus inestimable treasure of the diuine riches and represent vnto thee how in the end of thy life thou calledst to mind all the holy workes thou hadst done all thy life and in one summe offeredst them all vp to thy celestiall Father saying It is consūmate we most humbly beseech thee to offer that inestimable treasure of thy merits which neuer diminisheth vnto thy heauenly Father for these Soules and therewith pay all the debts of their sinnes and all other they are charged with Miserere THE XXVI PRAYER WE salute thee ô most sweet Iesus giuer of life to all creatures and soueraigne commaunder of life and death and represent vnto thee thy lamentable hanging vpon the Crosse all deformed with bleedinge woundes a deadly palenesse at the time of thy death when casting downe thy heauēly eyes which were dimmed with tears and began to breake with the anguishes of death and declining thy head which was compassed about with thornes to shew thy Obedience to thy heauenly Father and reconcile thy Church to him thou rendredst thy sacred soule crying with a lowd voyce Father into thy handes I commend my spirit O crucifyed Lord as thou didst commend thy sweet spirit into thy Fathers handes so we commend these poore Soules into thyne beseching thee to reconcile them vnto thy heauenly Father and offer thy precious bloud and