Epist 54. ad Marcel serm 6. de Quadrag S. Hierome and S. Leo doe in expresse tearmes declare and mention is made of it in the Councell of Nice and in S. Ignatius the Apostles disciple Finally Aërius the Heretike vnto the Arrians heresie addeth this error as witnesseth * Ad Quod vult haeres 53. S. Augustine that prescribed set fasts were not to solemnely obserued but that euery one should fast when he would himselfe least we should seme to be vnder the law Behold M.P. very opinion plainely condemned for heresie 1200. yeares agoe yea before that time almost 100. yeares it was recorded for an heresie by that Godly and learned Bishop a Haeres 75. Epiphanius Before I end this point I may not forget M.P. owne objectiō against him selfe that forsooth some reformed Churches of the Protestants who cānot erre in his opinion obserue set dayes of fasting He granteth that they doe so indeed but not vpon necessity for conscience sake but for politike regardes whereas the Church of Rome holdeth it to be sinne to defer the set time of fasting til the next day Reply This answere first imployeth a notable errour that Protestants are not bound in conscience to obey their ciuill Magistrates lawes which S. Paul expresly condemneth Rom. 13. vers 5. saying Therefore be subject of necessity not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Wherefore the ciuill Magistrates commanding a set fast the Protestants must of necessity and for conscience sake obserue it or else they commit the sinne of disobedience at the least But besides this absurdity there is an other no lesse conteined in this answere For I doe aske whether the Protestants lawe of set fasting be good and allowable or no If good as M. P. graunteth then Christians surely are bound to keepe it because they are bound to obey their Gouernors in good matters and consequently their liberty of eating may be abridged by their Superiors lawes by their owne confession wherefore they must either condemne their owne Magistrates lawes for nought worth or else whether they will or will not allowe of ours And that excuse of the diuersity of endes is not to purpose For if the Magistrates may for a ciuill respect restraine our liberty much more may they doe it for a religious which is of a higher nature and more forcible to binde our consciences Now to the second point of difference Where M. P. findeth fault with two petty imperfections in the manner of our fasting before he commeth to the greatest to wit with the permission to drinke water wine Iudic. 20. vers 26. 2. Samuel 1. vers 12. or electuaries vpon fasting daies with the eating of one meale at or about noone-tide which he disproueth first because it is contrary to the practise of the old Testament To which we answere first that there is no mention made at al of drinking wine or water or of not drinking wherefore to that part it is altogether impertinēt And to speake a word by the way of drinking of wine vpon fasting dayes it was wholy forbidden in the East Church where the countries being exceeding hotte water alone might be drunken without dāger of health In other countries somewhat colder which haue no other drinke but wine and water as it is in Spaine Italy and in that climate where Nauarra liued there wine is premitted on fasting daies vsed in the winter season specially but yet wel tempered with water But in England and in other like places where we haue beere there to drinke much wine on fasting daies is not tollerable Touching the other point of taking the meale about noone-tide I grant that the Israelites in the two places cited by M. PER. did fast till euening but we are not bound to conforme our selues to that their fasting First because it was an extraordinary fast and so being but once vsed might easier be borne for one day Secondly mens bodies were in those daies stronger better able to beare out a long fast then they are at these and therefore our discreet deare Mother the Catholike Church condescending vnto the infirmity of her tender children doth not exact more then they are wel able to performe without danger of health And therefore albeit in the primatiue Church generally when men were stronger both in spirit and body the lawe custome was to fast vntill three of the clocke in the after-noone notwithstanding in these later daies when men are growne weaker the Church doth not exact any more of vs then to fast vntil noone though she like those better who being wel able doe fast longer Nowe to the maine point of difference of meates The Catholikes saith Master PERKINS allowe only white-meate on their fasting daies yea they allowe not so much neither in Lent but only fish and that of necessity and for conscience sake True All Catholikes hold themselues bound in conscience to obey the lawes of their Superiors in these cases if they be able if not to aske leaue of their Pastours to eate that vvhich will serue their turne But saith M. PER. out of the presumption of his owne wisdome we hold this distinction of meates to be both foolish and wicked Good wordes Sir I pray you for be it spoken without your disparagement farre wiser and better men then your selfe haue beene and are of an other opinion But he will proue his assertion so mightily that no man shall be able to gaine-say it Let vs heare him First it is foolish saith he because in such meates as they prescribe there is as much filling and delight as in flesh namely in fish fruites and wine Howe proueth he this Neither by reason nor yet by any authority of either foole or phisicion and therefore we must needes take him for an odde wiseman that so lightly vpon his owne phantasie only durst condemne the constant opinion of all Christians of many hundreth yeares for foolish and wicked But pleaseth it you to vnderstand good Sir that although there were no difference in the meates yet the commandement of our Pastours being to refraine from the one and not from the other were sufficient to make a distinction of meates and to binde vs to abstaine from them without any touch of folly For what difference for delight or filling was there betweene the forbidden fruite of Paradise and other fruites Yet because contrary to commandement our first parents Adam and Eue did eate thereof they became both foolish wicked therefore it is no foolish part to obserue a distinction of meates vvhen it is so appointed by our Gouernours To confute him more fully let vs heare what reason our Pastours had to prescribe such a distinction of meate fasting being specially instituted to bridle and subdue the vnlawfull desires of the flesh it was most meete that we should refraine from eating of flesh on fasting dayes because that the eating of flesh doth more nourish and pamper vp our flesh
power of their free will helped by the holy Ghost 2. Tim. 2. vers 15. whereas Paul ascribeth it wholy vnto God prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance c. Answere Of this point hath beene spoken in the questions of Freevvill and of Iustification and here M. PERKINS answereth and confuteth himselfe sufficiently when he maketh as a passione repentance by which God turneth our hartes to him so an actiue vvhereby a man first moued by God turneth himselfe to God so that by his owne doctrine the free-will of man helped by the holy Ghost concurreth to the first act of repentance And where he saith that the sinner was before dead and therefore could not moue any part towardes repentance we answere that the grace of God raysing him to repentance doth quicken him and enable him to doe that good worke The second abuse of mistaking of penance for the correction only of notorious offenders is a fable The third abuse saith M. PERKINS is that we make repentance not only a vertue but also a Sacrament whereas for a thousand yeares after Christ it was not reckoned among the Sacraments Yea it seemeth that Lumbard was one of the first that called it a Sacrament and the Schoole-men after him disputed of the matter and forme of this Sacrament not able any of them certainely to define what should be the outward element of it Answere I am sorry to see the man so carelesse of his credit what doe schoole-men doubt of this Sacrament it selfe or of either matter or forme of it or are they not yet agreed what should be the outward element or visible signe of it He needeth not feare to auouch any thing that wil not blush at such a palpable vntruth Sess 14. 3. for not only the Councell of Trent but long before it the Councel of Florence in the instruction of the Armenians doth teach the actes of the Penitent to wit contrition and confession to be the element or materiall part of it and the absolution of the Priest the formall The same aboue three hundred yeares past taught the Prince of schoole-men S. Thomas of Aquine Richard Durand and diuers others vpon the fourth of the sentences the fourtenth distinction and now is the common opinion of al men so that this was a lie in graine No more truth hath the former part of his wordes that Repentance for a thousand yeares after Christ was not reckoned among the Sacraments For Victor Cartennensis who liued a thousand yeares past doth in expresse tearmes proue that we must make much of the Sacrament of Penance Lib. de PoeniteÌ„tia cap. 20. and most of the auncient Doctors doe reckon and couple Penance with the Sacrament of Baptisme or with the Sacrament of the Altar To beginne with the latter that we may ascend vpward Victor Vticensis bringeth in the people speaking thus to the Priests which were going into banishment Vnto whome wil yee leaue vs poore wreatches Lib. 2. de persecut VaÌ„dalica whiles yee goe vnto your crownes who shall baptize these little ones in the fountaine of euerlasting water Who shall bestowe vpon vs the gift of Penance and by the fauour of reconciliation loose and vntie vs bounden in the bandes of sinne because to you it was said Whatsoeuer you loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen Is not Penance here joyned with Baptisme the very like hath S. Augustine vvhere he first sheweth vvhat recourse in times of danger is wont to be made to the Church Sâ—â—e crauing to be baptised other to be reconciled and to doe Penance Epist 180 ad Honor. euery one of them seeking comfort and the administration of the Sacraments where he not only reckoneth reconciliation and Penance with Baptisme but saith that they are Sacraments for vvhen the people seeketh after them he saith That they seeke after the administration of Sacraments And a little after If the Ministers or Priestes be present some are baptised some be reconciled none are defrauded of the communion of our Lordes body S. Hierome Let him be redeemed by the bloud of our Sauiour L. 1. cont Pelag. Lib. 1. de PoeniteÌ„tia cap. 7. eyther in the house of Baptisme or in Penance that doth imitate the grace of baptisme S. Ambrose speaking against the Nouatians saith Why doe yee baptize if sinnes may not be pardoned by a man for in baptisme there is remission of all sinnes neyther is it any matter whether Priestes by Penance or by Baptisme doe chalenge this right to be giuen vnto them for it is the same in both of the mysteries So man remitteth sinnes aswell in the mysterie or Sacrament of Penance as in Baptisme and the like vertue is in both by S. Ambrose judgement there the one is a Sacrament as vvell as the other And yet more then a 100. yeares before him Tertullian saith Lib. dâ— PoeniteÌ„tia That God fore-seeing the poyson and infection of sinne and hauing shut vp the gate of pardon and bolted the doore of baptisme hath yet suffered something else to lie open for he hath in the porch or portall placed the second penance that may be opened to them that knocke where he testifieth the second Penance that is Penance after Baptisme to be appointed of God to take away sinne after baptisme as baptisme did that vvhich was before it so that many worthy auncient Fathers doe reckon and account penance or repentance as he calleth it among the Sacraments of the Church and so doe most manifestly confute his shamelesse assertion But because I desire here at once to dispatch this matter I will proue that the Father of al Fathers that is Christ IESVS himselfe hath instituted and deliuered vnto vs this Sacrament of Penance viz. When breathing vpon his Disciples Ioh. 20. vers 23. he bid them receiue the holy Ghost and said that whose sinnes soeuer they remitted in earth should be remitted in heauen Whence we proue that as there should be sinners in the Church so men indued with power to absolue them from their sinne and because they are not to absolue any that desire not be absolued the party must in humble sort request absolution and declare from vvhat sinnes he desireth to be absolued for what wise man will absolue one from he cannot tell what and not knowing vvhether any restitution be to be made or no Wherefore the party humbly confessing his fault and the Priest absoluing of him in a religious manner thereby to magnifie God by the due dispensation of his gifts bestowed on men there must needes be a visible signe of grace of justification vvhich is at the same time conferred so that euen after the defâ—â—â—tion of the Protestants it is a true Sacrament for there is a religious ceremony instituted by Christ that hath a promise of justifying grace annexed to it And consequently so wide is that from truth that vvithin a thousand yeares after Christ repentance was not accounted
haue no relation vnto any place neither is it of the essence of any quantity to be actually circumscribed by a place but it is a property flowing out of the essence of one only kinde of quantity to be apt and fit to be circumscribed and compassed about with a place And naturally all bodies except the highest heauen haue one place out of which they passe as S. Augustine said when they come into another but by the omnipotent power of God any body may be separated from his place or be in as many places at once as it shal please God to seate it because to be circumscribed with a place actually is a meere accident vnto a substantiall body and without the nature of quantity and God may not without blasphemie be disabled to seperate a substance from an accident By this is confuted also his second instance Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father therefore his body is not really and locally in the Sacrament This followeth not because it is in both places at once as S. Chrisostome in expresse tearmes teacheth Chris lib. 3. de Sacerd O miracle O goodnesse of God! he that sitteth aboue with his Father at the very same instant is touched with the handes of all men and giueth himselfe to them that will receiue and embrace him See more of this in the question of the blessed Sacrament where M. PERKINS citeth the very same authorities which he here repeteth see my answere to them there Thirdly he reasoneth thus In that we beleeue the Catholike Church it followeth that it is inuisible because thinges seene are not beleeued We answere that the persons in the Catholike Church are and euer were visible euen to Iewes and Heathens who persecuted them but the inward indowmentes of those persons that is their faith hope and charitie their assistance by Gods spirit and such like Christian qualities are inuisible and to be beleeued And euen as a man is truly said to be visible though he consist aswell of an inuisible soule as of a visible body so the Church is visible for the visible persons visible teaching and administring of Sacraments in it albeit the inward qualities of it be not visible His last objection against vs out of the Creede is That the articles of remission of sinnes resurrection of the body and life euerlasting containe a confession of speciall faith For the meaning of them is thus much I beleeue the remission of mine owne sinnes and the resurrection of mine owne body to life euerlasting Answere That is not the meaning vnlesse you adde some conditions to wit I beleeue the remission of my sinnes if I haue duly vsed the meanes ordained by our Sauiour for the remission of them which is after Baptisme the Sacrament of Penance Item I beleeue I shal haue life euerlasting if I keepe as Christ willed the yong-man to keepe Gods commandements or at the least if I doe die with true repentance Nowe whether I haue done or shall doe these thinges required of me I am not so well assured as that I can beleeue it for I may be deceiued therein but I haue or may haue a very good hope by the grace of God to performe them Neither is there any more to be gathered out of S. Augustine as some of the wordes by himselfe here alleaged doe conuince For he requireth besides faith that we turne from our sinnes conforme our will to Gods will and abide in the lappe of the Catholike Church and so at length we shall be healed See the question of certainety of saluation Note also by the way the vncertainetie of M. PER. doctrine Pag. 270. 275. concerning this point for he holdeth that it is not necessary to haue a certaine perswasion of our owne saluation but that it is sufficient to haue a desire to haue it and that doctrine he putteth there as he saith himselfe to expound the Catechismes that propound faith at so high a reach as fewe can attaine vnto yet here and else where the good man forgetting himselfe chargeth vs to crosse the Creede because we doe not wrest faith vp to so high a straine and so in heate of quarelling often expoundeth this contrary to his owne rule Nowe for proofe of S. Augustines opinion herein whome he only citeth take these two sentences for the two points he speaketh of For the first that we be certaine by ordinary faith of our saluation let this serue Of life euerlasting De bono perseuer cap. 22. De correct grat cap. 13. which God that cannot lie hath promised to his children no man can be secure and out of danger before his life be ended which is a tentation vpon earth Secondly that a man once truly justified may afterward fall We must beleeue saith this holie Father that certaine of the children of perdition doe liue in faith that worketh by charity and so doe for a time liue faithfully and justly they were then truly justified and yet afterward doe fall and that finally because he calleth then the children of perdition Thus much in answere vnto that which Master PERKINS objecteth against our religion out of the Creede which as you haue seene consisteth wholy vpon his owne forced exposition and vaine illations Hence he proceedeth to the tenne Commandements But before I followe him thither I may not omitte here to declare howe the Protestant Doctors doe fouly mangle and in manner ouer-turne the greatest part of the Creede Obserue first that according to their common doctrine it is not necessary to beleeue this Creede at all because it is no part of the written word secondly that Caluin doubteth whether it were made by the Apostles or no Cal. lib. 2. Instit cap. 16. sess 18 being then no part of the written word not made by the Apostles it must by their doctrine be wholy rejected Nowe to the particulers 1. Concerning the first article I beleeue in God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth they doe erre many waies First they doe destroy the most simple vnitie of the God-head Confess fidei gener by teaching the diuine essence to be really distinguished into three persons If the diuine nature be really distinguished into three there must needes be three diuine essences or natures ergo three Gods Caluin also saith In actis Serueti pag. 872. that the Sonne of God hath a distinct substance from his Father Melancthon that there be aswell three diuine natures as three persons in locis de Christo Secondly they ouerthrowe the Father in the God-head by denying the Sonne of God to haue receiued the diuine nature from his Father as Caluin Beza and Whitakers doe See the Preface Thirdly howe is God almightie if he cannot doe all thinges that haue no manifest repugnance in them But he cannot after the opinion of diuers of them make a body to be without locall circumscription or to be in two places at once which notwithstanding some others of
he was when it pleased him visible to his Apostles and at other times inuisible and yet was not his man-hood thereby abolished as M. PER. would make vs beleeue no more is it when his body is in many places at once or in one place circumscribed and in the other vncircumscribed For these externall relations of bodies vnto their places doe no whit at all destroy their inward and naturall substances as al Philosophie testifieth wherefore hence to gather that we denie both the Father and the Sonne to be God doth sauour I will not say of a silly wit but of a froward will peeuishly bent to cauill and calumniate Secondly Master PERKINS chargeth vs with disgrading Christ of his offices saying that for one Iesus Christ the onely King lawe-giuer and head of the Church they joyne vnto him the Pope not only as a Vicar but as a fellowe in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding in conscience to resolue and determine infallibly the sence of holy Scripture properly to pardon sinne to haue authority ouer the whole earth and a part of hell to depose Kinges to whome vnder Christ euery soule is subject to absolue subjects from the oath of alleageance c. Answere Here is a bed-role of many superfluous speeches for not one of all these thinges if we admitte them all to be true doth conuince vs to haue disgraded Christ of his offices which are these to appease Gods wrath towardes vs to pay the ransome for our sinnes to conquer the Diuell to open the Kingdome of heauen to be supreme head of both men and Angels and such like He may without any derogation vnto these his soueraigne prerogatiues giue vnto his seruants first power to make lawes that binde in conscience as he hath done to all Princes which the Protestantes themselues dare not denie then to determine vnfallibly of the true sence of holy Scripture which the Apostles could doe as all men confesse and yet doe not make them Christes fellowes but his humble seruants to whome also he gaue power properly to pardon sinnes Luc. 24. Ioan. 20. Mar. 16. Matt. 28. Whose sinnes you pardon on earth sbal be pardoned in heauen and finally to them he also gaue authority ouer the whole earth goe into the vniuersall world Ouer part of hell no Pope hath authority and when he doth good to any soule in Purgatory it is per modum suffragij as a suppliant and entreater not as a commander Whether he hath any authority ouer Princes their subjects in temporall affaires it is questioned by some yet no man not wilfully blinde can doubt but that Christ might haue giuen him that authority without disgrading himselfe of it as he hath imparted to him and to others also faculties of greater authority and vertue reseruing neuerthelesse the same vnto himselfe in a much more excellent manner As a King by substituting a viceroy or some such like deputie to whome he giues most large commission doth not thereby disgrade himselfe of his Kingly authority as all the world knowes no more did our Sauiour Christ Iesus bereaue himselfe of his power or dignity when he bestowed some part thereof vpon his substitutes He goes on multiplying a number of idle wordes to small purpose as that we for one Christ the only reall Priest of the newe Testament joyne many secondary Priestes vnto him which offer Christ daylie in the Masse We indeede hold the Apostles to haue beene made by Christ not imputatiue or phantasticall but reall and true Priestes And by Christ his owne order and commandement to haue offered his body and bloud daylie in the sacrifice of the Masse what of that see that question Furthermore he saith for one Iesus the all sufficient mediatour of intercession they haue added many fellowes to him to make request for vs namely as many Saintes as be in the Popes Kalendar yea and many more too For we hold that any of the faithfull yet liuing may be also requested to pray for vs neither shall he in hast be able to proue that Christ only maketh intercession for vs though he be the only mediatour that hath redeemed vs. Lastly saith M. PERKINS for the only merittes of Christ in whome alone the Father is well pleased what was he not well pleased with his Apostles they haue deuised a treasury of the Churches contayning besides the merittes of Christ the ouerplus of the merittes of Saints to be dispensed to men at the discretion of the Pope and thus we see that Christ and his merittes be abolished Answere The good man is somewhat mistaken for we hold not any ouerplus of merits in Saints the which we acknowledge to be by God fully rewarded in heauen but we affirme that some Saints and blessed Martirs haue suffered more paynes in this life then the temporall punishment of their owne sinnes â—eserued Iob 6. v. â— Who therefore might truely say with that just man Iob would to God my sinnes whereby I haue deserued wrath were weighed with the calamitie that I suffer euen as the sandes of the Sea this should be the heauyer Nowe parte of these sufferinges of Gods Saints as being needelesse for their owne satisfaction are reserued in the Churches store-house and may by the high steward of the Church to whome the dispensation of her treasure belongeth he communicated to others as very reason teacheth vs for who is fitter to dispose of any mans goodes then he to whome the charge thereof is giuen by his testament And thus I hope euery reasonable man doth finde vs Catholikes to be farre of from transforming Christ into an Idoll of mans conceite as Master PERKINS dreameth only we see a misconceited man labouring in vaine to deface Christes benefites toward vs to calumniate his chiefe seruantes and to skirmish more against his owne phantasies then against any doctrine of ours He layeth lastly a third kinde of Atheisme against vs for worshipping of God not with such respect as is sutable to his nature For saith he our worshippe is meere will worshippe for the most part without any allowance or commandement of God as Durand in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth it is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodylie rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the Heathens it is deuided betweene God and some of his creatures in that they are worshipped both with one kinde of worshippe let them paint it as they can c. Answere Ipse dixit Pythagoras hath pronounced his sentence yet you neede not beleeue him vnlesse you list because he fableth so formally doth Durand acknowledge that all our worship is meere will worship and that it hath no allowance of God O egregious and impudent deceiuer For that learned deuout Author Durand doth nothing else in all that booke then set out the Majesty and declared the meaning of the true worship of God vsed daylie in our seruice throughout the whole yeare And therefore doth entitle
Fathers plaine sentences for the Sacrifice of the Masse to make his poore abused followers beleeue that vvhen they approue the Sacrifice of the Masse as they doe very often and that in most expresse tearmes as you shal heare hereafter that then they meane some other matter Much more sincerely had he dealt if he had confessed with his owne Rabbins that it was the common beleefe of the world receiued by the best Schoole-men That in the Masse a Sacrifice is offered to God for remission of sinnes as a Lib. 4. Instit ca. 18. §. 1. Caluin doth deliuer vvhich b De captiuit Babilon c. 1. Luther graunteth to be conformable vnto the saying of the ancient Fathers And one c Li. cont Carolostadianos Alberus a famous Lutheran speaketh it to the great glory of his Master Luther that he vvas the first since Christes time who openly inueighed against it this yet is more ingenious and plainer dealing to confesse the truth then with vaine colours to goe about to disguise it And that the indifferent reader may be vvell assured howe Luther an Apostata Friar could come vnto that high pitch of vnderstanding as to soare vnto that which none sithence Christes time neither Apostles nor other could reach vnto before him let him reade a speciall treatise of his owne Cocleus Vlenbergius Intituled of Masse in corners and of the consecration of Priestes which is extant in the sixt Tome of his workes set out in the German tongue and printed at Ienes as men skilfull in that language doe testifie In his workes in â—â—tin printed at Wittenburge of the older edition it is the seauenth Tome though somewhat corrected and abridged there I say the good fellowe confesseth that entring into a certaine conference and dispute with the Diuell about this Sacrifice of the Masse Luther then defending it and the Deuill very grauely arguing against it in fine the Master as it was likely ouercame his Disciple Luther and so setled him in that opinion against the Sacrifice of the Masse that he doubted not afterward to maintayne it as a principle point of the newe Gospell and is therein seconded by the vvhole band of Protestants This is no fable but a true history set downe in print by himselfe through Gods prouidence that all the vvorld may see from vvhat authority this their doctrine against the blessed Sacrifice of the Masse proceedeth And if they vvill beleeue it notwithstanding they knowe the Deuill to be the founder of it are they not then most vvorthy to be rejected of God and adjudged to him vvhose Disciples they make themselues vvittingly and of their owne free accord Nowe to the difference OVR DIFFERENCE M. PERKINS Page 207. THey make the Eucharist to bee a reall and externall Sacrifice offered vnto God holding that the Minister of it is a Priest properly in that he offereth Christes body and bloud to God really and properly vnder the formes of bread and wine we acknowledge no such Sacrifice for remission of sinne but only Christes on the Crosse once offered Here is the maine difference which is of such moment that their Church maintayning this can bee no Church at all for this pointe raseth the foundation to the very bottome vvhich he vvill proue by the reasons follovving if his ayme faile him not Obserue that in the lawe of Moyses there vvere three kinde of proper Sacrifices one called Holocaust or vvhole burnt offeringes the second an Host for sinne of vvhich there were also diuers sortes the third an Host of pacification Holocaustes vvere vvholy consumed by fire in recognizance and protestation of Gods Soueraigne dominion ouer vs Hostes for sinne vvere offered as the name improteth to appease Gods vvrath and to purge men from sinne Hostes of pacification or peace vvere to giue God thankes for benefits receiued and to sue for continuance and increase of them Nowe vve following the ancient Fathers doctrine doe hold the Sacrifice of the Masse to succeede all these sacrifices and to contayne the vertue and efficacy of all three to vvit it is offered both to acknowledge God to be the supreame Lord of heauen and earth and that all our good commeth from him as vvitnesseth this oblation of his deare Sonnes body who being the Lord of heauen and earth vvillingly suffered death to shewe his obedience to his Father Secondly it is offered to appease Gods vvrath justly kindled against vs sinners representing to him therein the merit of Christes passion to obtaine our pardon Thirdly it is offered to God to giue him thankes for all his graces bestowed vpon vs and by the vertue thereof to craue continuance and encrease of them These points of our doctrine being openly laide before the eyes of the world M. PER. seemeth to reproue only one peece of them to wit That the Sacrifice of the Masse is no true Sacrifice for remission of sinnes and not joyning issue with vs but vpon that branch only he may be thought to agree vvith vs in the other two to wit that it is a proper and perfect kinde of whole burnt offering and a Sacrifice of pacification at least he goeth not about to disproue the rest and therefore he had need to spit on his fingers as they say and to take better hold or else if that were graunted him which he endeauoureth to proue he is very farre from obtayning the Sacrifice of the Masse to be no true and proper kind of Sacrifice For it may well be an Holocaust or Host of pacification though it be not a Sacrifice for sinne But that all men may see howe confident we are in euery part and parcell of the Catholike doctrine we will joyne issue with him where he thinketh to haue the most aduantage against vs and will proue it to be also an Host for remission of sinnes and that aswel for the dead as for the liuing which is much more then M. PER. requireth and by the way I will demonstrate that this doctrine is so farre off from rasing the foundation of Christian religion that there can be no religion at all vvithout a true and proper kinde of Sacrifice and sacrificing Priestes But first I will confute M. PER. reasons to the contrary because he placeth them foremost Hebr. 9. v. 15.16 ca. 10. vers 10. The first reason The holy Ghost saith Christ offered himselfe but once therefore not often and thus there can be no reall offering of his body and bloud in the Sacrament of his supper the text is plaine True but your arguing out of it is somewhat vaine For after your owne opinion it is the Priest that doth offer the Sacrifice of Christes body in the Lordes supper and therefore though Christ offered it but once as the Apostle saith yet Priests appointed by him may offer it many times Doe yee perceiue howe easily your Achilles may be foiled the good-man not looking belike for this answere saith nothing to it but frameth another in
our names vvhich is also good and true to vvit That the Apostle there speaketh of the bloudy Sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse which was but once offered which letteth not but that the same his body may be vnder the formes of bread and wine sacrificed often by the Ministery of Priestes in the Masse Yes but it doth saith M. PER. For the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes he will not for twenty pound say it was S. Paul taketh it for graunted that the Sacrifice of Christ is only one and that a bloudy Sacrifice for he saith Christ doth not offer himselfe often Hebr. 9. as the high Priestes did c. All this is true that Christ suffered but once vpon the Crosse but it is nothing against the former answere in which it is not said that Christ offered himselfe twise vpon the Crosse but that the same his body is daylie by the Ministery of Priestes offered vnbloudily vnder the formes of bread and wine vpon the Altar which being so plaine and sensible a man might meruaile at their palpable grossenesse if they cannot conceiue it I thinke rather that they vnderstand it well enough but not knowing what reasonably to reply against it doe make as though they vnderstood it not Whereupon this man not hauing said one vvord to the purpose against the answere yet concludeth as though he had confuted all that we haue in holy Scripture for this Sacrifice That the Scriptures forsooth neuer knewe the twofold manner of sacrificing Christ and then goeth on triumphing That euery distinction in diuinity not founded in the written word is but a forgery of mans braine Had he not need of a messe of good broath to coole his hotte hasty braine that thus runneth away with a supposed victory before he hath strooken any one good stroke but he saith further cleane besides the drift of his former argument as his manner is sometime to droppe downe a sentence by the way Hebr. 9. vers 22. which seemeth to make for him That without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes meaning belike that if our Sacrifice be vnbloudy then it doth not remit sinne Answere If no remission of sinne be obtayned nowe without shedding of bloud howe haue they remission of their sinnes by only faith vvhat doth their faith drawe bloud of them The direct answere is apparant in the Apostles vvordes vvho saith That all thinges almost according to the lawe are cleansed with bloud and that there was no remission of sinnes in the lawe of Moyses without shedding of bloud What a shamefull abusing of a text vvas this to apply that to vs in the state of the newe Testament vvhich vvas plainely spoken of the state of the old Testament and of Moyses lawe His second reason The Romish Church holdeth that the Sacrifice in the Lordes supper is all one for substance with the Sacrifice offered on the Crosse if that be so then the Sacrifice in the Eucharist must either be a continuance of the Sacrifice begunne on the Crosse or else an alternation or repetition of it Let them choose of these twaine which they will If they say it is a continuance of it then they make the Priest to bring to perfection that which Christ begunne If they say it is a repetition thus also they make it imperfect For to repeate a thing often argueth that at once it was not sufficient which is the reason of the holy Ghost to proue the sacrifices of the old Testament to be imperfect I answere that vvhen an argument consisteth of diuision then if any part or member of the diuision be omitted the argument is nought worth as the learned knowe so fareth it in this fallacy For the Sacrifice of the Masse is neither a continuance of the Sacrifice on the Crosse not for M. PER. friuolous reason for not all thinges are bettered but many made much vvorse by continuance but because the one is not immediately lincked with the other there going much time betweene them Neither is it to speake properly a repetition of the Sacrifice of the Crosse because that was bloudy this vnbloudy that offered by Christ in his owne person this by the ministery of a Priest that on the Crosse this on the Altar that to pay the generall ransome and to purchase the redemption of all mankind this to apply the vertue of that vnto particuler men So that although there be in both these Sacrifices the same body and bloud of Christ in substance yet the manner meanes and end of them being so different the one cannot conueniently be called the repetion of the other but the Sacrifice of the Masse is a liuely representation of the Sacrifice on the Crosse and the application of the vertue of it to vs. This is the third member of the diuision either not knowne or concealed by M. PER. the better to colour and cloake the deceite of his second false argument Nowe to the third The third reason A reall and outward Sacrifice in a Sacrament is against the nature of a Sacrament and specially the supper of the Lord for one of the endes thereof is to keepe in memory the Sacrifice of Christ Nowe euery remembrance must be of a thing absent past and done and if Christ be daylie really sacrificed the Sacrament is not a fit memoriall of his Sacrifice Answere Christes Sacrifice offered on the Crosse is long sithence past and done and therefore absent wherefore it may well haue a memoriall and there can be no other so liuely representation of it as to haue the same body yet in another manner set before our eyes as hath beene more then once already declared which may serue to answere the later proposition M. PERKINS confirmeth his former thus The principall end of a Sacrament is that God may giue and we receiue Christ and his benefits Nowe in a reall sacrifice God doth not giue Christ to vs but the Priest offereth vp Christ to God therefore one thing cannot be both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Answere One and the same thing may well be both but in diuers respects It is a Sacrifice in that it is an holy Oblation of a sensible thing vnto God by consuming of it in testification of his Soueraignity It is a Sacrament as it is a visible signe of an inuisible grace bestowed then vpon the receiuer So was the Paschall lambe first sacrificed to God as shall be proued hereafter and after eaten in a Sacrament In like manner the holy body and bloud of Christ are vnder the visible formes of bread and wine offered vp first to God by the sacred action of consecration and after broken and eaten in recognizance of his supreame dominion ouer all creatures which is a Sacrifice most properly taken Againe it is instituted by Christ to signifie and worke the spiritual nuriture of our soules by receiuing of it and so it is a Sacrament M. PERKINS fourth reason The holy Ghost maketh a difference Hebr.
the contrary if they can Reply Valiantly spoken but vvhy did he not proue his assertion what was it because he could not the contrary is very easie to be proued For if that diet of S. Iohn Baptist was only for temperance then belike if he had eaten meate as other men did he had beene intemperate and sinned in gluttony which if it be absurd to thinke more absurd is it to say that his continuall abstinence waâ— only for temperance sake Nowe to the third and last part of our difference Catholikes make abstinence it selfe in persons fitly prepared to be a part of the worshipping of God but we take it to be a thing indifferent in it selfe but yet well vsed to be a proppe or furtherance to the worshippe of God It grieueth me to see the doubling and deceite that this Minister many times vseth Doe Catholikes make fasting of it selfe vvithout his right end and all due circumstances a part of Gods vvorshippe if he say so as his vvordes leade a man to beleeue he belyeth vs shamefully For vve hold that no worke be it neuer so good in it selfe yet if it want either a good end or any other due circumstance it is not good or pleasing to God The point then in difference is this that vve esteeme fasting duly performed to be a part of Gods worshippe and to appease vvrath towardes vs to satisfie for the temporall punishment of our sinnes and finally to be meritorious which I will in a word confirme here referring him that desireth to see more vnto the seuerall Questions before handled of Satisfaction and Merits First that God is thereby worshipped Luc. 2.37 it it set downe plainely in holy Scripture Aurae by fasting and prayers serued or worshipped God as the Greeke vvord Latreuósa signifieth Rom. 12. vers 1. Againe exhibite your bodyes by fasting as the best Expositors declare a liuing Host or Sacrifice holy and pleasing God And the reason is manifest for vvhen vve for his sake doe afflict our bodyes both to master the euill passions of it and that our minde may more freely and feruently meditate vpon God it cannot but be a gratefull seruice vnto him Secondly that vve by fasting and humbling of our selues before God and punishing our bodyes there-by for our former faultes doe appease and pacifie the vvrath of God may be proued by many examples of the old Testament but these two may serue the turne which M. PERKINS toucheth The first of the Niniuites vpon whome God tooke mercy at the contemplation of their fasting and other workes of penance so saith the text And God sawe their workes Ionae 3. vers 10. c. And had mercy vpon them and therefore vve condemne M. PERKINS extrauagant glosse of Orleance as they say vvhich corrupteth so much the text That the Niniuites forsooth laide hold on Gods mercy in Christ by faith For that the Niniuites being Gentils had euer heard of Christ or knewe the mistery of his mediation Master PERKINS vvill neuer be able to proue The second example is of King Achab vvho being threatned vvith great punishment according to his deserts fearing the just judgements of God did fast and doe great penance Whereupon God delaide his punishment And M. PERKINS doth greatly ouer-shoote himselfe in affirming that this his repentance was but hypocrisie vvhen God himselfe doth say to Elias 3. Reg. 21. vers 29. Hast thou not seene Achab humbled before me Therefore because he hath humbled himselfe for my sake I will not bring euill vpon his house in his dayes but in the dayes of his Sonne God saith that Achab vvas humbled for Gods owne sake and M. PERKINS blusheth not to correct him and giue him as it vvere the lie saying that it was but in hypocrisie no meruaile if this man be bold with God his Church that feareth not to controule God himselfe Serm. de Laps Ioel. 2. S. Cyprian testifieth plainely that by fasting we asswage and mitigate Gods angre saying Let vs appease his wrath as he himselfe admonisheth vs by fasting weeping and lamentings The third fruit of fasting is to satisfie for the temporall punishment due vnto our sinnes after the remission of the eternall vvhich very reason perswadeth that they who haue offended God by taking vnlawfull pleasures of the flesh should by suffering some bodily chastisement recompence for their former faultes Lib. de jeâ—â—nio For as saith Tertullian Euen as fast the vse of meate did vndoâ— vs so fasting may satisfie God vvhich might be confirmed by the example of King Dauid and many others But M. PER. crieth out and saith It is blasphemy to hold that any other meanes should be applyed to satisfie for sinne besides Christes passion To this I haue answered at large in the question of satisfaction here I say in a word that all mortall sinne and the eternall punishment due vnto sinners therefore is freely through Christ remitted to euery repentant sinner but there remaineth after that remission other temporall paine to be endured by the party him selfe as wel to make him conformable to Christ his head as in punishment of his vngratefull fall after he was once freely and fully pardoned Fourthly fasting is very meritorious in Gods sight as Christ saith expresly when commanding vs to fast not vpon vaine glory as the Pharasees did but to please his heauenly Father he addeth the reward Math. 6. vers 18. Dan. 10 vers 12. And thy Father who seeth thee in secret will repay thee And to Daniel the Angell saith Because from the first day that thou gauest thy hart to vnderstand thou diddest afflict thee in my sight which was by fasting thy wordes were heard and I came for thy speeches sake S. Paul that chosen vessell of election doth chastise his body which was specially by fasting 1. Cor. 9. vers 27. as S. Chrysostome and the other Interpreters doe take it brought it vnder into bondage least whiles he preached to others he himselfe might become a reprobate If one would stand to collect the Sermons of the Holy Fathers made in the praise of fasting he might fill a whole volume take for a taste these fewe wordes out of S. Basil Homil. 1. de jejunio Moyses durst not haue ascended into the mountayne vnlesse he had beene fenced with fasting by fasting he receiued the Commandements written in a table by the Finger of God A little after Fasting leadeth vs to God feasting to destruction Samuel was by fasting and prayer obtayned of God What made the most valiant Sampson inuincible was it not fasting through which he was conceiued in his mothers wombe fasting conceiued him fasting nourished him and fasting made him strong Fasting breedeth Prophets it strengthneth the mighty it maketh lawe-makers prudent and wise besides it chaseth away temptations and armeth a man to Godlinesse it sanctifieth the Nazarite perfecteth the Priest Neither is it lawfull to touch the Sacrifice without fasting not only in this our
is as I said before rather a marke that vve should shoote at and the end of a commandement then a thing commanded M. PERKINS second reason The compasse of the lawe is large and comprehendeth commandements not only negatiue but also affirmatiue and in the negatiue be not only forbidden the capitall sinnes as murther adultery theft but all sinnes of the same kinde with all their occasions c. And in the affirmatiue are commanded not only the contrary vertues but all helpes and meanes whereby the said vertues may be preserued thus doth our Sauiour himselfe saith he expound the lawe Vpon which ground her concludeth that all duties pertayning to life and manners come within the list of some morall commandement Answere The Commandements are but tenne and the exposition vvhich our Sauiour made Math. 5. 6. contained vvith in the compasse of two Chapters as he confesseth wherefore it is not a thing either impossible or very difficult to learne and obserue them with all their necessary branches and clauses Nowe to say That all duties of life appertayne vnto them is both false and not to the purpose for first it is most euident that the vvhole matter of the Sacraments and vvhatsoeuer else is proper vnto vs Christians by the doctrine of the Gospell and not common vnto vs with the Iewes is ouer and aboue the tenne Commandements I said also that the answere is impertinent for it proceedeth only in duties of life and we treate here of such points of perfection which no man in duty is pressed vnto but only may followe of deuotion for his aduancement in vertue and Gods fauour The other reasons following I haue answered in my former part yet because some will be vnwilling to be so often referred vnto another volume I will here againe briefly answere them M. PERKINS third reason Lucae 17. When we haue done all those thinges that are commanded vs we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duty to doe Can any man tell to what purpose this sentence is cited here Is it to proue that we cannot keepe the Commandements but it supposeth the flat contrary to vvit that the vnprofitable seruant had done all those thinges that vvere commanded him for he must say as it is in the text When he hath done that which was commanded c. Or it is to disproue workes of supererogation and counsaile but it hath not one worde of them but speaketh only of workes commanded which S. Ambrose noted 1200. yeares past saying This doth not the Virgin say De viduis this doth not he say who sold all to wit we are vnprofitable seruants but looking for a reward they say with S. Peter Lord we haue left all what therefore wilt thou giue vs c. Math. 19. But M. PERKINS will confute S. Ambrose for he saith That thinges commanded in that they be commanded are more excellent then thinges left at liberty What is this to the matter doth Christ speake of counsailes left to our liberty in that text because commandements be more excellent vvhat a sencelesse reply is this Of like stuffe is his other shift That counsailes are thought more hard then commandements and therefore if a man cannot profit himselfe by obseruing the easier much lesse by obseruing the harder First this is cleane besides the purpose then it is also false For no men commonly can profit themselues so much by thinges easie to be done as by some other thinges hard to be done for the more excellent that thinges are so much the more difficult are they to be compassed and done according to the Latin Adage Quo difficilius eo pulchrius M. PERKINS saith Papists answere secondly that although we 've vnprofitable to God yet we are profitable to our selues Reply This is reported to the halfes for we say that to God in himselfe no profit can arise from vs who needeth none of our goodes or seruice but in the Ministery of his Church he hath great seruice and honour done him by the industry and diligence of good men and therefore doth S. Paul say expresly 2. Tim. 2. vers 21. That men cleansed from sinnes become profitable seruants vnto our Lord which is venerable Bedes exposition vpon this passage of S. Luke Vers 9. But Master PERKINS saith That they are neyther profitable to God nor to themselues because the Master there doth not so much as thanke that seruant Reply Masters in deed doe not commonly thanke their seruants when they haue done their duties but yet they pay them their wages and giue them preferments also if they like their seruice and so the seruant reapeth commodity and profit by his seruice though he be not thanked at his Masters handes But we serue so kinde a Master that will before his Father and all the company of heauen thanke his seruants and say vnto them Math. 24. vers 23. Well fare thee good and faithfull seruant because thou hast beene faithfull ouer a fewe thinges I will place thee ouer many enter into the joy of thy Lord. A third answere Papists may make vnto Master PERKINS and tell him that hee hath desperately corrupted the text and omitted a vvorde vvhich altereth the vvhole sentence Christ saith not When you haue done all that is commanded you are vnprofitable seruants but then say that you are vnprofitable seruants That is haue you then an humble opinion of your selues and thinke rather vpon your owne imperfection then of your vvell-doing and if you finde all vvell thanke him that gaue you the grace to performe it and confesse that you haue done but your duty and leaue it to your good neighbour to praise you if he please and to God to recompence you so doth S. Chrysostome interpret this place But Master PERKINS to preuent this answere thought it pollicy to strike that vvorde out of the text O vvorthy cutter of Gods vvorde His fourth reason is That it is not in the power of man to keepe the lawe much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue the lawe Answere The antecedent and consequent are both false that vve be able with the helpe of Gods grace to keepe the lawe is proued in a whole question of the first part Page 78. That we may doe some workes of supererogation albeit we fayled in some workes of the lawe hath beene proued in the beginning of this question For though one vvorke of counsaile be harder to doe then one worke of the lawe yet is it of more difficulty to keepe thirty precepts of the lawe then three counsailes and againe a man may be more diligent in obseruing counsailes then commandements and so obserue them better Nowe to the arguments for the Catholike party The first is taken out of the Prophet Esay Our Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keepe his Sabbaoth Cap. 56. vers 4. and choose the thing that pleaseth him c. He will giue them a
of Gods seruants OF INTERCESSION OF SAINTS OVR CONSENT M. PERKINS Page 258. OVr consent I will set downe in two conclusions The first conclusion The Saints departed pray to God by giuing thankes to him for their owne redemption and for the redemption of the whole Church of God vpon earth The second conclusion The Saints departed pray generally for the state of the whole Church THE DISSENT THey hold that the Saints in heauen doe make intercession for particular men and that hauing receiued particular mens prayers they present them vnto God but this doctrine doe we flatly renounce vpon these groundes and reasons Esay 63. vers 16. The Church saith to God doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel knowe vs not Nowe if Abraham knewe not his posterity neither Mary nor Peter nor any Saint departed knowe vs and our estate and consequently they cannot make particular intercession for vs. To this vve answere two wayes first vvith S. Hierome vpon the same place that to knowe one is taken there for to like and approue him and his doings Psal 1. as it is very often in holy Scripture Our Lord knoweth the way of the just Item Christ vvill answere to them that were workers of iniquity Math. 7. vers 25. I knowe yee not as also to the foolish Virgins I knowe yee not that is I like you not euen so Abraham and Iacob could not then knowe that is approue the doing of those their wicked and degenerate children Secondly vve answere that Abraham and the holy Patriarkes vvere vntill Christ had by his passion paide their ransome not yet in the possession of heauenly joyes but detayned in a place of rest by the learned commonly called Lymbus Patrum To this second answere M. PER. replyeth If they say that Abraham was in Lymbo which they will haue to be a part of hell what joy could Lazarus haue in Abrahams bosome and with what comfort could Iacob say on his death bedde O Lord I haue wayted for thy saluation We rejoyne that albeit Lymbo be thought to be vnder the earth yet is it as farre remote from hell as the depth of the earth will giue it leaue for the place of Purgatory is betweene hell and it Further that in Lymbo there was no payne but a quiet expectation of their deliuerance from thence and translation into heauen vvhich brought them great joy besides the good company of many millions of holy soules that there attended the same happy houre of their deliuerance of all vvhich Lazarus vvas partaker being carryed into Abrahams bosome I vvill here omit that M. PER. in this very question maketh this matter of Lazarus but a parable and thereby not fit to confirme any point of doctrine in his owne judgement To the second place I say that Iacob might haue great comfort to thinke vpon his saluation vvhich should be accomplished in Christs time for Abraham who was father of them Ioh. 8. vers 56. 2. Reg. 22. vers 20. rejoyced to see Christs dayes which he sawe and was glad as our Sauiour himselfe testifieth The second reason Huldah the Prophetesse telleth Iosias that he must be gathered to his fathers and put in his graue in peace that his eyes might not see all the euill which God would bring on that place Therefore the Saints departed see not the state of the Church on earth this conclusion Augustine confirmeth at large To this vve answere first that the Prophetesse when shee saith he should not see the euill of that place meaneth no more then that he should be after his death in such a place of rest and contentment that it should not grieue and vexe him to see the just punishment of his owne Country Secondly it may be said of Iosias who dyed long before Christ as it is of Abraham that he vvas to remayne in Lymbo vvhen that euill should happen and so should not see it But Augustine saith he doth confirme this conclusion at large VVhy did not the honest man quote the place of S. Augustine as he is wont to doe was it because it would leade vs directly to the discouery of his deceit S. Augustine indeede doth very copiously handle the question what knowledge soules departed haue De cura pro mort ca. 15. 16. and resolueth that soules departed of their owne naturall knowledge doe not vnderstand what is done by their friendes here but that either by the report of other soules that come to them or of Angels that goe betweene or else by the reuelation of the spirit of God in whose presence Saints departed doe continually stand they may very well knowe that which is here done and thus much of S. Augustine in this place afterward you shall heare more of him concerning his opinion of the knowledge that Saints haue of our affaires The third reason of M. PERKINS No Creature Saint or Angell can be a Mediatour for vs to God sauing Christ alone for in a true Mediatour there must be three thinges First that the word of God must reueale and propound him vnto the Church Surely I should thinke that he must first be a perfect Mediatour before he be propounded for such a one Secondly a Mediatour must be perfectly just so as no sinne be found in him at all Such be all Saints in heauen Thirdly a Mediatour must be a propitiator that is he must bring to God some thing that may appease and satisfie his wrath for our sinnes so did Moyses vvhen he appeased Gods wrath justly kindled against the sinnes of the Israelites in the wildernesse thus might a man quickly answere M. PER. argument of his Mediatour But to explicate this matter more clearely and particularly I say that a Mediatour may be taken two waies First he may be called a Mediatour that doth in any sort imploy himself betweene two parties to agree them vvhether it be by perswasion or intreaty vvhether by letter or word of mouth and so is it commonly taken and that according vnto the proper signification of the word Secondly a Mediatour may be taken in an other sence not for euery one that vseth meanes of attonement but for him only that to make the agreement betweene the parties is content to pay the debt himselfe and to satisfie for al other damages and detrimentes and in this sence doth S. Paul say 1. Tim. 2. vers 5. That we haue one Mediatour the man IESVS Christ who gaue himselfe a redemption for all Note the latter vvordes and you shall see this my distinction of Mediatour to be gathered out of the Apostles owne wordes For saith he we haue one Mediatour that gaue himselfe a redemption for all that is that tooke the debts of all our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders and satisfied fully for all see here expressed the second kinde of Mediatour Nowe in the beginning of the Chapter he desireth that intercessions and prayers be made of the Christians for all men
Lord doe not goe to Purgatory yet many others may Lib. 20. de ciuit c. 9. because according vnto S. Augustines judgement and the holy bretheren of Geneua this place is to be vnderstood of Martirs only who die for our Lord. And we that confesse Purgatory doe hold that no Martir doth goe thither but being as it were a new baptized in their owne bloud doe appeare before the face of God without any spotte whereas other ordinary good Christians be not free from all such staines and may also haue much penance at their death not performed which they must endure in Purgatory I say thirdly that if the vvordes should be applyed to all Christians that die in the grace of God yet is there nothing in them against Purgatory For the wordes following may well be spoken of them that goe thither because they both rest from their labours which they had in their former life and also enjoy an assurance of heauen without any such peril or hazard thereof as they liued in before and their workes may very well be said to followe them for that according vnto the rate of their workes they must endure the fire of purgatory either more or lesse Fourthly I may answere with S. Augustine on that place that they who die in our Lord from that time there spoken off Vers 13. shall goe to heauen Amodo dicit spiritus from thence forth saith the spirit they shall rest from their labours Nowe to see what time is there spoken off reade the seauenth verse of the same chapter where are these wordes Feare our Lord and giue him honour because the houre of judgement is come so that from thenceforth that is after the last judgement there shall be no Purgatory vvherefore M. PERKINS very cunningly clipped the word from thence-forth out of the text for feare of breeding some scruple and thus you see that the text of Scripture so highly esteemed by M. PERKINS serueth nothing for his purpose Nowe to some fragments which he citeth out of the Fathers Hom. 50. Tom. 10. Augustine saith well after this life there remaineth no compunction or satisfaction This same text he cited before in the question of satisfaction somewhat otherwise viz. homil 5. tom 10. both quotations are most imperfect for in that tenth Tome of S. Augustines vvorkes there are sixe seuerall kinde of Homilies to wit De verbis Domini De verbis Apostoli 50. homiliarum de Sanctis de Tempore de Diuersâ—s which of these he meaneth I knowe not and to reade ouer the 50. and fift of euery of them for one line I list not the man belike tooke it by retayle But it may most easily be answered euen by the very next wordes that he citeth out of the same authour Enchirid. 115. Here is all remission of sinnes here be temptations that moue vs to sinne lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered but there is none of all these thinges So that in this life only there is compunction that is true repentance and turning from all sinne with satisfaction or a purpose to satisfie and he that dyeth without this true repentance shall be damned there is no Purgatory for them but for such only as die with true compunction and with full purpose to satisfie for their sinnes either in this life or in the next De verbis Apost 31. M. PERKINS citeth another line out of S. Augustine We be not here without sinnes but we shall goe hence without sinne Of whome speaketh he trowe you vvhat of all sortes of men then none shall be damned Againe what is this to Purgatory for they that goe to Purgatory must before they die by true repentance obtayne pardon of their sinnes or else they shall not goe to Purgatory but to Hell Lastly I haue read the Homily ouer and find no such word there Heare by the way out of the same workes of that most venerâ—ble Doctor three passages for Purgatory and conferre them with those cited by M. PER. and then judge what his opinion was of Purgatory In that Treatise called 50. Homilies homil 16. he writeth thus This punishment of hell fire tarryeth for them who shal perish euerlastingly to whome it is said Math. 3. The chaffe he shall burne with vnquenchable fire But they who haue done thinges worthy of temporall punishment of whome the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 3. If any mans vvorke burne he shal suffer detriment but he shall be saued yet so as through fire of which also the Prophet speaketh and a fiery floodde did runne before him Dan. 7. They shall passe through a fiery floodde and horrible foordes of burning flames And according to the greatnes of the matter of sinne so shall their stay and aboade be there and as much as their former faults required so much shall the reasonable correction of the flame take of the man Is not this a plaine description of Purgatory The second out of his Enchyridion Neyther is it to be denyed Cap. 110. but that the soules of the departed are holden by the piety of their friendes aliue when for them is offered the Sacrifice of our Mediatour or almes are giuen in the Church for them But these thinges profit them who when they liued did deserue that these thinges might profit them for there is a certayne kinde of life neither so good that it doth not neede these after their death neither so euill but that these thinges will profit him after his death There is a life so good that it needeth not these thinges and againe another so euill that cannot be holpen with them c. The third out of the third Treatise cited by M. PERKINS de verbis Apostoli It is not to be doubted but that men deceased this life Serm. 34. are holpen by the prayers of the holy Church and by the comfortable Sacrifice and by almes which are giuen for their soules that our Lord doth deale with them more mercifully then their sinnes required those men then were in Purgatory Thus much by the way out of S. Augustine for a taste of his opinion touching Purgatory Nowe to the rest of M. PERKINS testimonies Cyril saith They which are once dead Lib. 3. in Esaiam can adde nothing to the thinges that they haue done but shall remayne as they were left and wayte for the time of the last judgement Here is such a citation as sendeth to no peece of his vvorkes yet nothing difficult to be answered if any such be for the very next sentence that he alleadgeth will serue to solue it which is out of S. Chrysostome who saith That after the end of this life there be no occasions of merit To both vvhich the answere is that a man after his death cannot merit any more because merit only belongeth vnto men while they liue after death they may well reape the due reward of their merits or else suffer just punishment for their
doubted off by many and not generally receiued for Canonicall could afterward be made Canonicall to this I answere that the Protestants as vvell as we doe take nowe for Canonicall some such bookes as were 300. yeares after Christ doubted off to wit the Epistle to the Hebrewes S. Iames Epistle the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn S. Iudes Epistle and the Apocalipse or Reuelation of S. Iohn Nowe they themselues hauing admitted all these of the newe Testament for Canonicall vpon the judgement and declaration of the Catholike Church vvhy doe they not as vvell take those of the old Testament for Canonicall also the same Church hauing aboue a thousand yeares past approued them for Canonicall as well as the other At the first because of the great persecutions the learned could not so generally meete together to examine discusse such matters as afterward in the peace of the Church and therefore in that time diuers men vvere of diuers opinions concerning the authority of such bookes but vvhen the learned in the Church assembling together in the name of God and hauing the assistance of the holy Ghost to direct them had once declared which were Canonicall which not there was no further question among the obedient children of the Church only vnskilfull men or Heretikes because they will be choosers will admit of vvhich it pleaseth them and reject also those vvhich displease them But to leaue this digression the bookes of the Machabees cannot but haue euen with Heretikes farre greater credit then Liuie Plutarke and such like prophane hystories Pag. 307. as M. PER. also confesseth They then vvill serue to conuince any reasonable man that the custome of the people of Israell then the only chosen seruants of God vvas to pray for the dead and to offer sacrifice for the pardon of the soules that were departed because it is so recorded in the best hystorie of their times and is also seconded by Iosephus the sonne of Gordan in his booke of the Iewes vvarre Cap. 91. vvhere he saith that the Iewes were wont to pray for the dead vnlesse it were for such that had slaine themselues And thus much out of the old Testament nowe out of the newe Our Sauiour Christ willeth vs to agree with our aduersary whiles we are in the way with him least perhaps he deliuer vs to the judge and the judge to the officer and so we be cast into prison for verily saith he thou shalt not goe out from thence till thou repay the last farthing By this parable or example our Sauiour teacheth vs vvhiles we liue in this vvorld to agree vvith the lawe of God vvhich is our aduersary when we transgresse and offend against it otherwise at our death we shall justly be cast into prison and lye there till we haue fully satisfied and paid the last farthing of our debt The Protestants say that he who is so cast into prison shal neuer come out We say the contrary that this parable concerneth them especially that shall be deliuered at the length and proue it first because the parable is not taken from a murtherer or theefe vvho may be justly condemned to death or to perpetuall prison but of a debter who ordinarily doth gette out in time and therefore it agreeth better vnto men cast in Purgatory to pay the debt of the former trespasses then to them that are condemned to hell Besides the ancient Fathers doe so expound it Origen Albeit it be promised In epist ad Rom. that he shall at length come forth of that prison not withstanding it is designed that he cannot goe out vntill he hath paid the last farthing S. Cyprian It is one thing to stand for pardon Lib. 4. epist 2. and another to passe straight to glory one thing being cast into prison not to goe forth till you haue paid the last farthing and another to receiue presently the reward of faith and vertue one thing to be corrected and purged long time in fire for your sinnes and another by dying for Christ to haue purged all your sinnes Eusebius Emissenus Homil. 3. de Epiph. But they who haue deserued temporall paines vnto whome those wordes of our Lord appertayne that they shall not goe out thence vntill they haue paid the last farthing shall passe through a floode of fire So that both by the scope of the parable and by the interpretation of the Fathers many men dying in debt that is not hauing fully satisfied for their former sinnes are cast into the prison of Purgatory there to pay the last farthing vnlesse by the piety and intercession of their friendes their more speedy deliuerance be procured and obtayned Moreouer that there is such pardon graunted after this life to some is confirmed by that vvhich our Sauiour saith in another place Math. 12. That they who sinne against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come vvhich were a very improper kinde of speech if none were to be pardoned in the world to come As it should be for our King to say to some offendour I will not forgiue thee neither in England nor in Italy vvhereas he hath nothing to doe to pardon in a strange Dominion And the learned knowe that in enumeration of partes it is as foule a fault to reckon something for a part which is none as to omit some true part indeede so that then our Lord parting the forgiuenesse of sinnes into this world and the world to come in all congruity of speech we must vnderstand that some sinnes are forgiuen in the world to come which cannot be in heauen where none are nor in hell where there is no remission of sinne therefore it must be in a third place which we call Purgatory And this is no newe collection made by moderne Catholikes out of the vvord of God but as auncient as S. Augustine who hath these wordes Some men suffer temporall punishment in this life only Lib. 21. de ciuit c. 13. others after their death some others both here and there yet before that last and most seuere judgement For all men after their deathes shall not goe vnto those euerlasting torments of helfor saith he citing this place to some that which is not forgiuen in this world is forgiuen in the world to come as I haue taught before With S. Augustine agreeth S. Gregory Lib. 4. dialog c. 39. saying It is to be beleeued that there is a Purgatory fire before the judgement for certayne light faults for that the truth saith if any man blaspheme against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come In which sentence there is giuen to vnderstand that certayne faults are forgiuen in this world and certayne in the world to come for that which is denyed of one by consequence is vnderstood to be graunted to some others In 3. Mar.
in Adam c. I therefore ô my prayse my life and God of my hart laying aside for a season her good workes for which I rejoycing doe giue thee thankes doe nowe pray vnto thee for the sinnes of my Mother heare me I beseech thee through the salue of our woundes that hanged vpon the tree and nowe sitting at thy right hand doth plead for vs. I knowe that shee did many workes of mercy and from her hart forgaue all them that trespassed against her doe thou ô Lord also forgiue her her trespasses if shee committed any after baptisme Pardon her pardon her ô Lord I beseech thee and enter not into judgement with her let thy mercy surpasse thy judgements because thy wordes are true and thou hast promised mercy to the mercifull c. Could that most vvorthy Doctor more directly crosse Caluins false relation of his coldnesse in this matter or in better manner cleare himselfe from his spitefull slaunders Caluin blushed not to say that S. Augustine out of passion prayed for his mother but he himselfe relateth howe he did it some yeares after her death of setled judgement hauing his hart cured from humane affection And thus I end this question of Purgatory OF THE SVPREMACY IN CAVSES ECCLESIASTICAL OVR CONSENT M. PERKINS Page 283. TOuching the point of Supremacy Ecclesiasticall I will set downe howe neare we may come vnto the Roman Church in two conclusions The first conclusion For the founding of the primitiue Church the Ministery of the word was distinguished by degrees not only of order but also of power and Peter was called to the highest degree for Apostles were aboue Euangelists and Euangelists aboue Pastors and teachers nowe Peter was an Apostle and so aboue all Euangelists and Pastors howsoeuer he were not aboue other Apostles The second conclusion Among the 12. Apostes Peter had a three-fold priuiledge or prerogatiue first of authority I meane a preheminence in regard of estimation whereby he was in reuerence aboue the rest of the twelue Secondly of primacy because he was the first named as the fore-man of the quest Thirdly of principality in regard of measure of grace wherein he excelled the rest of the twelue but Paul excelled Peter euery way in learning zeale and vnderstanding as farre as Peter excelled the rest ANNOTATION MAster PERKINS as his manner is at the first vvould seeme to approch somewhat neare vnto the Catholike doctrine and therefore giueth as braue wordes for S. Peters prerogatiues as we doe to wit That he surpassed the other Apostles both in authority primacy and principality but pâ—â—â—ently after his old fashion he watereth his former wordes with such cold glosses that they shrinke in exceedingly for all Peters priuiledges doe extend no further then that he excelled the rest in priuate grace of learning zeale and vnderstanding and was therefore somewhat more esteemed then the rest and named first so that with M. PER. a great mill-post is quickly thwited as they say into a pudding pricke Againe all this is besides the purpose for the question is not vvhich of the Apostles excelled in those priuate gifts of vnderstanding zeale and piety for it is not vnlikely hat S. Iohn the Euangelist who sucked diuine mysteries out of our Sauiours breast was not inferior to either S. Peter or S. Paul in these spirituall graces of heauenly knowledge and charity but vve leauing these secretes vnto him vvho is the judge of the hart and of his inward gifts doe affirme S. Peter to haue beene aduanced aboue all the rest of the Apostles in the externall gouernement of Christes Church and the Bishops of Rome his successors to inherite the same supremacy THE DIFFERENCE by M. PERKINS THe Church of Rome giueth to Peter a supremacy vnder Christ aboue all persons and causes this standeth in a power to determine which bookes of Scripture be Canonicall and what is the true sence of any doubtfull place of them and for this purpose to call and assemble generall Councels and to confirme the decrees of them and by these meanes to decide all controuersiâ—â— about matter of faith Besides he can excommunicate any Christian be he King or Kaesar if they by obstinate withstanding Gods lawes or the decrees of holy Church shal justly deserue it Moreouer to him it doth belong to make Ecclesiasticall Canons and lawes for the due discipline and ordering of matters of the Church which doe binde in conscience Finally to confirme the election of Bishops and to decide all such greater controuersies as by appeale are brought vnto him from any part of Christendome These indeede be the chiefest points of the Popes supremacy as for that of pardoning of sinnes it is no proper part of his primacy but common vnto all not only to Bishops but also to Priests We saith M. PERKINS hold that neyther Peter nor any Bishop of Rome had or hath any such supremacy ouer the Catholike Church but that all supremacy vnder Christ is appertaining to Kinges and Princes with him in their Dominions And that our doctrine is good and theirs false I will make manifest by sundry reasons First Christ must be considered as he was a King two wayes first as he is God so is he King ouer al by right of creation and so as God hath deputies on earth to gouerne the world namely Kings and Princes Secondly he is King by right of redemption ouer the whole Church which he hath redeemed with his pretious bloud and so as mediatour and redeemer he hath no fellowe nor deputy for no creature is capable of this office to doe in the roome and stead of Christ that which himselfe doth because euery worke of the mediatour must arise from the effectes of two natures concurring in one action namely the God-head and Man-hood Againe Christes Priest-hood cannot passe from his person to any other whence it followeth that neyther his Kingly nor his Propheticall he vvould haue said Priestly office can passe from him to any creature Nay it is needlesse for Christ to haue a deputy considering that a deputy only serueth to supply the absence of the principall whereas Christ is alwayes present by his word and spirit it may be said that the Ministers in the worke of the ministery are Christes deputies I answere that they are no deputies but only actiue instruments because they doe only vtter the word but it is Christ that worketh in the hart In like manner in excommunication it is Christ that cutteth that excommunicate person from the Kingdome of heauen and the Church doth only declare this by cutting him off from the rest of Christes people vntill he repent so that in all Ecclesiasticall actions Christ hath no deputies but only instruments the whole action being personall in respect of Christ. Is not this trowe you a prety peece of an argument but we must beare with the length of it because it alone will serue as M. PER. opineth to ouerthrowe many points of Popery let it be therefore wel
a Sacrament that euen in Christes owne dayes and by himselfe it was instituted a Sacrament M. PERKINS objecteth for vs It will be said that remissions of sinnes and life euerlasting are promised to repentance and answereth That it is not to the worke of repentance but to the person which repenteth and that not for his works of repentance but for the merits of Christ applyed vnto him by faith Reply When there is no mention made of faith but only of repentance to attribute all to faith and nothing to repentance is a very extrauagant glosse specially he doing it of his owne authority without warrant eyther of reason or of any authour and thus much of the abuses forsooth of repentance in generall Nowe to the particular about Contrition Confession and Satisfaction The first abuse concerning contrition is that the Catholikes teach that it must be sufficient and perfect they vse to helpe the matter by a distinction c. O remarkeable abuse that Catholikes vvould haue contrition to be sufficient and perfect If vve vvould haue had it imperfect and not fit to serue the turne then loe we had hitte the nayle on the head what dotage is this vve say briefly concerning sorrowe for our sinnes past first that it ought to be the greatest that we can haue for nothing is vvorthy to be so vehemently lamented as that vve haue deadly offended our creatour and redeemer and are fallen from his grace into the slauery of our most deadly enemy the Deuill so that for this as for the greatest euill that could be fall vs we are to be most sorrowfull And this highest degree of sorrowe is requisite in contritio◠vvhen thereby alone vve doe recouer the grace of God but vvhen Contrition is joyned vvith Confession and is made a part of the Sacrament then loe though it vvere not so great before as is otherwise requisite it receiueth by vertue of participating with Christes grace in that Sacrament the full measure of sorrowe and so is made vp sufficient and perfect vvhich M. PER calleth the first abuse of Contrition but goeth not about to disproue it The second as he saith is that we ascribe to Contrition the merit of congruity Before he sticked not to say that vve made repentance the meritorious cause of remission of sinnes vvhich vvas a loude lie because vve teach that no man can merit remission of his sinnes for no man can merit ought at Gods handes vnlesse he first be in his grace and fauour vvhich no sinner is vvherefore we hold only that repentance as faith hope and a purpose of amendment be only good dispositions making the man fit and apt to receiue the grace of justification vvhich God freely of his infinite mercy without any desert of ours bestoweth vpon vs only for Christes sake That apt disposition some men call merit of congruity vvherein is no desert of the grace giuen but only a man is made thereby more meete and better prepared to receiue such grace Nowe mans merits doe so vvell agree and stand vvith Christes merits that Christes order is that none comming to the age of discretion shall be partaker of his merits vnlesse he by his owne merits doe make himselfe capable of them as hath beene sufficiently proued before in the question of Merits The third abuse That they make imperfect contrition or attrition arising of the feare of hell to be good and profitable and to it they apply the saying of the Prophet The feare of God is the beginning of wisdome But saith he seruile feare of it selfe is the way to eternall destruction c. Reply He vnderstandeth not what we say we teach that feare of being punished in hell fire maketh euill men abstaine from sinning and beginneth to put them in minde of Gods justice towardes impenitent sinners vvherewith many being strooken vvith the horrour of that euerlasting torment are moued to flie vnto God for mercy and so that seruile feare becommeth profitable vnto them first in that it causeth them to abstaine from that vvickednesse vvhich they vvould otherwise haue committed and then being helped with Gods grace they beginne to turne vnto his mercy and so feare of Gods punishments becōmeth vnto them the beginning of wisdome Thus much in effect doth M. PER. himselfe allowe of and yet vvould seeme to confute it his judgement is so slender Nowe to the abuses concerning Confession The first abuse That we confesse our sinnes to God in an vnknowne language What is there any language vnknowne to God or doth he meane that the vnlearned make their confession in Latin which is impossible for a man that vnderstandeth not one Latin vvord He vvould say I gheste that some of them begin their generall confession in Latin but we speake here of euery mans confession in particular that general of the Churches ordinance is commanded only to be vsed of them that are skilfull in the Latin tongue all others may vse the English Withall saith he we require the ayde and intercession of dead men We beleeue the Saints to be liuing which if he doth not he blasphemeth Touching the intercession of Saints I haue treated before Nowe as we request the helpe of their prayers so doe we acknoweledge vnto them howe grieuously vve haue offended that they seing our humility and sorrowe for our sinnes may the more earnestly entreate for the remission of them But let vs come vnto the principall point in controuersie about this matter viz. That we haue corrupted Canonicall confession by turning it into a priuate auricular confession binding all men to confesse all their mortall sinnes with the circumstances that change the kinde of the sinne as farre as they can remember once euery yeare at the least and that to a Priest vnlesse it be in the case of extreame necessity but in the word of God there is no warrant for this confession nor in the writinges of orthodoxe antiquity for the space of many hundreth yeares after Christ as one of their owne side auoucheth and he quoteth in the margent a man of small credit among vs Beatus Rhenanus for his authour Well let vs see a little vvhat warrant we haue in holy Scriptures and in the auncient Doctors for confession of our faultes vnto a Priest First it is euidently collected out of these wordes of our Sauiour Receiue the holy Ghost Ioh. 20. vers 23. whose sinnes yee doe forgiue in earth they shall be forgiuen in heauen and whose sinnes yee doe retayne they shall be retayned For giuing his Apostles power to remit and forgiue men their sinnes his meaning vvas not that they should pardon them whether they would or would not or that they should absolue any other then such as vvere contrite and did humbly craue absolution neyther should they absolue them from they knewe not of what but that they should knowe vvhat howe many and howe grieuous their offences were that they might be put to worthy penance and receiue particular comfort and counsell
for the amendment of their liues or else they should be the most foolish judges that euer vvere appointed vpon earth Wherefore seing that the Apostles had authority to forgiue sinnes and vvere in discretion to admmister the same vnto penitent sinners it must needes followe necessarily that the penitent should confesse all his sinnes in particular vnto them and that authority was to continue in the Church for euer it being giuen to the Apostles for the due gouerning of the Church and to the comfort of al sinners which should neuer fayle to be vntill Christes last comming to judgement They to defeate all this discourse answere That Christ gaue not his Apostles authority to pardon any mans sinnes but only to declare that their sinnes were pardoned if with true repentance and faith they receiued the preaching of the Gospell This interpretation first is repugnant to the text vvhich in expresse tearmes hath Whose sinnes yee shall remit or pardon not vvhose sinnes yee shall declare to be remitted Secondly it hath that Whose sinnes yee shall forgiue they are forgiuen to wit euen then when they remit them and not that they were remitted before as he should haue said if he had giuen them authority only to declare them to be remitted Thirdly the metaphor of keyes giuen vnto them doth demonstrate that power was giuen them to absolue and not to declare only they were absolued because keyes are giuen to open or shut dores and not to signifie that eyther the dores are already open or shall be vpon condition Lastly the Ministers pronouncing of men absolued should be very rash and friuolous if they doe not truly absolue them For if he pronounce them absolutely to be absolued without good assurance of their faith repentance he should but lie and if he doe pronounce them absolued conditionally if they beleeue aright and be truly penitent then vvere his absolution in vaine for it depending vpon their faith and repentance and not vpon the Ministers pronouncing it bringeth no further assurance then they had before yea they themselues being of the faithfull could not be ignorant of so much before to wit that he was free from sinne and needed not his absolution Nowe that the Apostles then and Bishops and Priests their successours euer sithence did truly absolue men from their sinnes and were not like to cryers only proclaymers thereof see first S. Chrysostome who saith That such power was giuen here to men Lib. 3. de Sacerdot which God would neuer giue to Angels who yet had power to pronounce saluation to penitent sinners Secondly That Priestes haue such power of binding and loosing ouer the soules as Kinges haue ouer their subjects bodyes vvhich is truly to binde or to loose them and not only to declare them bound or loosed Thirdly he saith expresly That the Priestes among the Iewes had power to purge the leprosie or rather to try whether they were purged from it or no but it is graunted vnto our Priestes not only to discerne whether the body be purged from leprosie or no but playnely to purge our soules from the filth of sinne S. Ambrose in diuers places proueth directly against the Nouatians that Christ gaue power to Priestes to remit sinnes Lib. 1. de Poenitent c. 2. 7. The Nouatians denyed not but that one might preach the Gospell vnto such sinners that vvere relapsed and promise them pardon too if they repented but would not haue the Priests to reconcile them vnto the Church by the Sacrament of Penance denying that Priestes had any such power ouer such sinners but that they must leaue them to God alone vvhich the holy Doctor confuteth by these places of Scripture Math. 16. vers 19. cap. 18. vers 18. Ioh. 20. vers 23. Whatsoeuer yee forgiue in earth shall be forgiuen in heauen Epist ad Heliodor S. Hierome saith God forbidde that I should speake any euill of them who succeeding in the Apostolike degree doe with their sacred mouth make the body of Christ and by whome we are made Christians who hauing the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen doe in a certayne manner judge before the day of judgement Lib. 20. de ciuit c. 9. S. Augustine doth define in these wordes Whatsoeuer yee shall binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauen that authority is giuen vnto the rulers of the Church to judge in spirituall causes and not only to declare Hom. 62. in Euang. S. Gregory vpon these vvordes Whose sinnes you forgiue c. Behold saith he the Apostles are not only made secure of themselues but haue power giuen them to release other mens handes and doe obtayne a prerogatiue of the heauenly judgement that in Gods steede they may forgiue to some their sinnes and binde some others and truly the Bishops nowe doe hold the same place in the Church they receiue authority to binde and to loose c. By this you may see in part vvith what fore-head M. PERKINS affirmed that for a thousand yeares after Christ there was no mention of the Sacrament of Penance and more you shall see shortly if that first I shall note out of the Scripture it selfe both the acknowledgement of receite of that power to reconcile and absolue and the practise and commandement of confession S. Paul acknowledgeth and declareth 2. Cor. 5. vers 18. 20. that God had giuen vnto them the ministery of reconciliation and addeth that they be Gods Legates and therefore exhorteth them to be reconciled but they that be sent Ambassadours vvith full commission to reconcile men vnto their Prince must knowe both howe grieuously they haue offended and what recompence they are willing to make vvhich must needes be by their owne confession Nowe for the practise of confession by the first Christians Act. 19. vers 18. 19. it is recorded That many of the faithfull came confessing and declaring their deedes and many that had followed curious actes brought their bookes and burned them in the presence of al the rest Note here both particular confession made vnto S. Paul of the seuerall deedes and factes and not in generall that they vvere sinners as the very vvordes doe witnesse Confessing their deedes that is vvhat they had done in particular And againe howe should he haue knowne their study of curious bookes if they had not told their sinnes in particular some Protestants conuinced by the text say That they confessed some of their sinnes in particular but not all But I meruaile how they came by the knowledge of that for vvhy should they confesse some more then others and the vse of Scriptures is by the naming of sinnes indefinitely to signifie all as when we pray Forgiue vs our sinnes we meane all our sinnes and when it is said of Christ He shall saue his people from their sinnes it is meant that he shall saue them not from some of their sinnes but from al. Lastly touching the commandement S. Iames doth charge vs a Iac.
it said vvhatsoeuer yee loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Therefore to no purpose were the keyes of heauen giuen to the Church we make frustrate the Gospell of God we make voyde the wordes of Christ finally we promise to our selues that which he denyeth vs c. See howe playnely and formally he so many hundreth yeares before hath confuted the Protestants shot-anker and only refuge of confessing their sinnes to God alone and assureth vs that it is a most vayne excuse and vvill not serue any mans turne vvhen as God himselfe hath set downe and decreed that he will pardon no man of his sinnes vvho doth not seeke absolution thereof from them to whome he hath committed the charge of that matter that is from Priestes And in right reason can there be any better bridle vnto our corrupt nature then the very shame and bashfulnesse of confessing our secret faultes vnto a learned good and graue man such as a Confessour is or should be Againe where true confession of sinnes is there men vse the best meanes that can be to driue them from the custome of sinning for besides the particular sorrow which they haue of their sinnes they must firmely purpose neuer to returne to any kinde of sinne afterward yea they must abstayne from all occasions alluring to sinne so that no man vsing wel this Sacrament of Confession can dwell in malice vsury leachery or any state of sinne Moreouer if they haue taken away the goodes or good name of their neighbour they are enjoyned in confession presently to doe their best to restore it backe againe These and many other great commodities being the inseperable companions of priuate Confession vve Catholikes doe attribute vnto the good vse thereof the greatest Godlines and deuotion that is amongst vs. And no maruaile though our common enemy doe so busily endeauour to withdrawe sinners from it amplifying vnto them the indignity and shame of it but if they would consider maturely that dying in their sinnes for lacke of due confession they shal be to their vtter shame and confusion made to confesse them all and euery one at the latter day before God all his Angels and Saints the Deuill and all damned soules being also present they would vndoubtedly make choise rather to confesse their sinnes to some one vertuous Priest vvho will neuer reueale them but in Christes name absolue and pardon them then to leaue them to that dreadfull day of Gods just judgements when besides the shame and confusion of them no pardon is to be hoped for And thus much touching Confession Lastly saith M. PERKINS The abuse of satisfaction is that they haue burned Canonicall satisfaction which was made to the congregation by open offendors into a satisfaction of the justice of God for the temporall punishment of their sinnes Behold here a most horrible prophanation of the whole Gospell Answere Behold here a most vngodly and sencelesse out-crye what doth the whole sanctity of the Gospell consist only in the point of our satisfaction it is too too absurd so to say And howe knoweth he that Canonicall satisfaction vvas only or principally to satisfie the congregation They that ordayned of old those Canons of satisfaction had a greater care to satisfie and appease the wrath of God justly incensed against such wicked offendors then to satisfie men but this prophane man very fondly dreameth that they rather sought to please men then God But of this matter there is a vvhole question in the former part there he that vvill may see howe all satisfactions are principally instituted to appease Gods wrath and that they doe apply vnto vs the satisfactions of Christ and make vs partakers of them and are besides most conuenient meanes to bridle out corrupt nature from all sorts of sinnes M. PERKINS to shewe that he vvas the same man in the end of his booke as in the beginning concludeth this part with a most palpable lie to wit That Priests are not put to death in England for their religion but for their treasons which they intend and enterprise Let their owne recordes be seene whether very many of them haue not beene condemned only because they are Priestes made after the auncient Roman manner without laying vnto their charge any enterprise eyther against the person of the Prince or peace of the State But what wil not a Minister auouch to disgrace poore Priestes vvho doe neuerthelesse not only pray but vvill be ready also to spend their bloud for the conuersion of men of his sort and for all others their deare country-men by them most pitteously seduced Hitherto M. PERKINS hath handled pointes of religion something like a schoole-man now like a pulpit-minister he goeth on with his text and maketh such an vnsauory glosse vpon it that it loathes me almost to looke on it yet because he raketh and heapeth togither all the most odious matter that he can deuise against vs I will giue it the whippe and hastily runne ouer it thus he beginneth Secondly out of the same text Goe out of her my people I gather Pag. 331. that the true Church of God is and hath beene in the present Roman Church as the corne in the heape of chaffe For though Popery ouer-spread the face of the earth for many hundreth yeares yet in the middest thereof God reserued a people to himselfe that truly worshipped him c. And this will serue the turne to stoppe the mouthes of Papists who demand of vs where our Church was one hundreth yeares agoe before the dayes of Luther We answere out of this text that our Church hath beene euer since the dayes of the Apostles and that in the very middest of the Papacy but it first beganne to shewe it selfe in Luthers time an vniuersall Apostacy hauing hidden it before for many hundreth yeares Answere Here is a proper peece of doctrine and proued as profoundly It is very ridiculous and absurd to say that their Church vvas in the Church of Rome for one that wil be both of their Church of the Roman must beleeue and professe not one or two but more then twenty articles flat contradictory the one to the other which is impossible Can a man at once beleeue the Pope to be head of the vniuersal Church and with-all sweare that he hath no authority in many Prouinces of it but that all Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction there belongeth to the Prince or that Christs naturall body is really present in the Sacrament and not really present and that Saints are to be prayed vnto and not to be prayed vnto nothing is more euident then that this cannot be no more could the Protestants Church be in the Church of Rome And if the Protestants vvould allowe them for theirs vvho beleeue most of the articles of the Roman faith contrary to their owne doctrine so that in some fewe points they doe agree and accord with them yet the Church of Rome wil neuer take them for any of her children who
before I come to the full period of this worke Curteous Reader BEARE WITH THE FAVLTS IN PRINTING WHICH CAN HARDLY BE FEW CONSIDERING THE MANIFOLD DIFFICVLTIES OF THE time And yet besides the ouer-sights in pointing are not very many which be thus corrected IN THE MARGENT THESE Generally a ss is set in the quotation of Caluins Institution for the Section or Number For. Page Reade Beza in Neoph. 9. in Creophag simil ibid. Simler sess 17. 2. 11. number 1. 2. Homil. in praeâ—rat 48. In priorem ad Corint Conc. 56. Canon IN THE TEXT THESE For. Page Line Reade declared 7 15 declare Atheisme 20 9 Atheismes was this 40 35 was it pithagorically 63. 22 pithagoricall I say to solemnely 86 22 to be solemnely Euchirines 135 24 Eucherius established 145 17 establish Cesanis 155 39 Caesarius Pomachius 156 1 Pamachius demised 180 18 deuised proofe 181 16 disproofe The quotation of S. Augustine which is in psalm 33. conc 2. is omitted in the 68. page Hier. cont Lucif cap. 6. wanteth page 209. And in the Aduertisment page the 25. for apud Dionysium 1. Cor. reade apud Ludolphum de vita Christi part 1. cap. 5. pag. 17. AN ANSVVERE VNTO M. PERKINS ADVERTISEMENT M. PERKINS Aduertisement to all fauourers of the Roman religion shewing as he weeneth that the said Religion is against the Catholike principles of the Catechisme that hath beene agreed vpon euer since the dayes of the Apostles by al Churches which principles be fowre The Apostles Creede the tenne Commandements the Lordes prayer the institution of two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes supper 1. COR. 11. vers 23. I HAD once determined to haue wholy omitted this goodly post-script because it containeth in manner nothing else but an irkesome repetition of that which hath beene I will not say twise before but more then twenty times handled ouer and ouer in this former small treatise notwithstanding considering both howe ready many are when they see any thing omitted to say that it could not be answered and also for that these pointes here reiterated are the most odious that he could cull out of all the rest to vrge against vs I finally resolued to giue them a short answere And further also by prouing their newe religion to be very opposite vnto those old groundes of the true religion to requite him with the like that I die not in his debt Thus he beginneth The Roman religion established by the Councell of Trent is in the principall pointes thereof against the very groundes of the Catechisme the Creede the tenne Commandements the Lordes prayer the two Sacraments THE Catholike religion embraced and defended by the Church of Rome was planted and established there by the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul fifteene hundreth yeares before the Councell of Trent and hath beene euer sithence by the Bishops of Rome their lawfull successors constantly reteined and most sincerely obserued and maintayned some articles thereof called into question by the Heretikes of this latter age were in that most learned generall Councell of Trent declared and defined And great meruaile it were if the principall pointes thereof should be against the groundes of the Catechisme which is in euery point most substantially expounded by the decree and order of the very same Councell Or is it credible that the Church of Rome with which all other ancient Churches and holy Fathers did desire to agree and which hath beene euer most diligent to obserue all Apostolicall traditions should in the principall points of faith crosse and destroy the very principles of that religion that hath beene agreed vpon by all Churches euer since the Apostles daies as he saith Is it not much more likely and probable that the Protestantes who slaunder all Churches euer since the time of the Apostles with some kind of corruption or other and who hold no kind of Apostolicall tradition to be necessary is it not I say more credible that they should shake those groundes of faith which come by tradition from the Apostles and haue beene euer since by all Churches agreed vpon I suppose that fewe men of any indifferent judgement can thinke the contrarie But let vs descend to the particulers wherein the truth will appeare more plainely Thus beginneth Master PERKINS with the Creede First of all it must be considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Bishoppe of Rome is the Vicar of Christ and head of the Catholike Church that there is a fire of Purgatory that Images of God and Saintes are to be placed in the Church and worshipped that prayer is to be made to Saintes departed that there is a propitiatory sacrifice daylie offered in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead These pointes are of that moment that without them the Roman religion cannot stand c. And yet marke the Apostles Creede which hath beene thought to contayne all necessary pointes of religion to be beleeued and hath therefore beene called the key and rule of faith This Creede I say hath not any of these pointes nor the expositions made thereof by the ancient Fathers nor any other Creede or confession of faith made by any Councell or Church for the space of many hundreth yeares This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these be newe articles of faith neuer knowne in the Apostolike Church and that the Fathers and Councels could not finde any such articles of faith in the bookes of the old and newe Testament Answere is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they will haue to be this I beleeue all thinges which the Catholike Church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this be as they say we must beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certainety of all doctrine necessary to saluation And thus the eternall truth of God the creatour shall depend vpon the determination of the creature And the written word of God in this respect is made insufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouer-seene that did not propound the former pointes to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these later times Thus farre Master PERKINS Wherein are hudled vp many thinges confusedly I will answere briefly and distinctlie to euery point The first is that in the Apostles Creede are contained all pointes of religion necessary to be beleeued which is most apparantly false as the Protestantes themselues must needes confesse or else graunt that it is not necessary to beleeue the King to be Supreame-head of the Church or that the Church is to be gouerned by Bishops or that vve are justified by Christes justice imputed to vs or that there be but two Sacramentes or that the Church seruice must be said in the
opinion of ours is by this very petition and M. PER. owne exposition of it much strengthned and confirmed and nothing at all weakened The fourth point of our doctrine hence impugned by M. PER. is that a man in this life may fulfill the lawe Whereas in this place euery seruant of God is taught to aske daylie pardon for the breach of the lawe answere is made that our daylie sinnes are veniall and not against the lawe though besides the lawe but this which they say is against this petition for a debt that commeth by forfeiture is against the band or obligation Nowe euery sinne is a debt causing the forfeiture of punishment and therefore is not beside but against the lawe Ans I graunt that euery sinne is a debt causing the forfeiture of punishment but this punishment may be small short and so the sinne veniall the debt not against the lawe directly yet against the band of some morall duty as the mispending of time vsing of some jdle wordes and the committing of such like light faults which I am bound in reason to auoid but not by any prescript lawe directly And thus in fine we see how fouly M. PER. was mistaken that thought to ouerthrow fower points of our doctrine at a clap when not so much as one is thereby any whit at all stirred He saith further In this clause as we forgiue our debters it is taken for graunted that we may certainely knowe that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled by God which all Roman Catholikes denie Answ Nothing lesse because much more is required to the one then to the other For it is farre easier to discerne whether I doe yet beare any euil will to my neighbour then to knowe assuredly that I doe hartily repent me of al my sinnes and that for the loue of God and further that I haue a firme purpose not to commit hereafter any kind of mortall sinne these thinges as euery one may plainely see are farre more difficult then the other of forgiuing them that trespasse against vs. In the last wordes and lead vs not into temptation we pray not saith he that God should free vs from temptation Psal 26. vers 1. for it is otherwhiles good to be tempted but that we be not left vnto the malice of Satan and held captiue of the temptation for here to be led into temptation and to be deliuered are opposed Nowe hence I gather that he who is the child of God truly justified and sanctified shall neuer fall wholy and finally from the grace of God and I conclude on this manner That which we aske according to the will of God 1. Ioh. 5. shall be graunted but this the child of God asketh that he might neuer be wholy forsaken of his father and led captiue into temptation this therefore shall be graunted Answ If this argument were sound neuer should any Christian that saith our Lordes praier fall finally and be damned because they all make this petition and that according to the will of God 1. Tim. 2. vers 4. who would haue all men saued Many thinges then besides saying our Lordes praier are required to saluation for want of which many that haue often said that praier fall finally Againe he mistaketh the true sence of that petition for therein we doe not aske that we continue not in sinne which we asked in the former petition forgiue vs our trespasses but we pray that we be not ouercome by the Deuill by yeelding our consent to the temptation and so fall into sinne Lastly he forgetteth himselfe much when he saith that it is good to be tempted for he holdeth for certaine that the very first motions to sinne in vs which is the beginning of the temptation are mortal sinnes and so by himselfe it is good to fall into mortall sinne if it be good we should be tempted Finally he saith this clause Amen signifieth a speciall faith concerning all the former petitions that they shall be graunted and therefore a speciall faith concerning remission of sinnes Answ It signifieth a speciall hope and confidence to obtaine them but no certainety of faith vnlesse vpon a condition which is vncertaine that is if we doe our partes God will not faile of his if we doe hartily repent vs and vse the Sacrament of Penance duly we shall assuredly obtaine remission of our sinnes Hitherto M. PER. hath argued against vs out of the Lordes praier nowe I will briefly shewe howe the Protestantes doctrine contrarieth it I haue in my answere to his objections touched some points already I adde that one position of their doctrine crosseth three of the first petitions I proue it thus In euery petition we must be assured as M. PER. holdeth or at the least haue a good hope to obtaine that we pray for or else it booteth vs not to pray but according to the Protestants doctrine no man can be assured nay can haue any hope to obtaine the three first petitions for if originall sinne doe continually dwell in vs and infect all our actions with deadly sinne as they teach Gods name cannot be sanctified in vs that are infected with such an vncleane leprosie neither secondly can God raigne as a King in vs if sinne possesse command all our members and thirdly Gods wil cannot be done by vs on earth as it is done in heauen if we cannot keepe his lawes and commandements which they in heauen doe wherefore the Protestantes haue no assurance to obtaine the three first petitions who are by their teachers assured that they are not to be expected or hoped for nor they cannot according to their owne rules from their hart make the said petitions being out of all hope to obtaine them In the fourth we aske aswell to be made partakers of Christes blessed body in the Sacrament which is the food of our soules as for our daylie corporal susteinance For so doe the ancient Fathers expound that petition as namely S. Ciprian in oratione Dominica S. Hierome in 6. Mathaei S. Ambrose li. 5. de Sacrament c. 4. where he hath these memorable wordes of the blessed Sacrament that before the wordes of Christ it was bread but after it is the body of Christ Why then saith he is it called here bread he answereth that it is called bread not simply but supersubstantiall bread For so doth the greeke word Epióusion signifie as well as daylie it is saith he not such bread as passeth into our body but it is the bread of eternal life that vpholdeth the substance of our soules Nowe you may be well assured that Protestantes who will not beleeue any such bodily presence doe not pray to God to giue it them And touching forgiuenesse of their debts to God and sinnes they are so assured of that before hand by the certainety of their new faith that they can no more request of God forgiuenesse of their sinnes then they can aske that God will make them reasonable creatures which they
serm 66. in Cant. Euen so doe S. Bede and S. Bernard with diuers others expound those wordes of our blessed Sauiour The third text of the newe Testament shall be taken out of S. Paul to the Corinthians vvhere he by a similitude of building declareth that some men vpon the only sound foundation IESVS Christ 1. Cor. 3. doe build gold siluer and pretious stones that is very excellent and perfect workes others doe build vpon the same foundation wood hay and stubble that is imperfect and many vaine trifling workes He addeth that the day of our Lord which shall be reuealed in fire shal proue the workes of the afore-said builders and they who haue built gold siluer and pretious stones because their workes will abide the proofe of fire shall receiue their reward but because the other sort of builders workes cannot resist the fire but will burne they shall suffer detriment but shall be saued yet so as by fire Hence we gather that after the triall of Gods judgement some men who are found guilty of lighter faults shall be saued because they keept the foundation notwithstanding they shall suffer detriment and passe through the fire of Purgatory as a man that hath an halfe-timber house couered with thetch set on fire he being in the middest of it must passe through the flames of fire to escape and saue his life The Protestants say that it is the fire of tribulation in this life that doth try our workes and that through it only lighter faults are purged We reply first that tribulation of this life doth not commonly discerne and try good mens workes from the badde because very often good men are more afflicted in this world then the badde Againe it is said in the text that at the day of our Lord this tryall shall be made vvhich day of our Lord being expressed vvith the Greeke article as here it is ordinarily in Scripture signifieth the day of his judgement so that by the very circumstances of the text it is very plaine that the Apostle S. Paul deliuered the doctrine of Purgatory which yet is made more assured by the vniuersall consent of the holy Fathers who take this place to proue Purgatory See Origen homil 6. in Exodum S. Basil saith He threatneth not vtter ruine and destruction In cap. 9. Esay but signifieth a cleansing according vnto the Apostles sentence but he shall be saued yet so as by fire Theodorete This same fire we beleeue to be the fire of Purgatory In scholijs Gr. in 1. Cor. 3. In psal 36 in which the soules of the departed are tryed and purged as gold is in the furnace Oecumenius and Anselmus vpon the same place be of the same judgement S. Ambrose vpon those wordes Sinners haue drawne their swordes saith though our Lord will saue his yet so they shall be saued as by fire and albeit they shall not be consumed with fire yet they shall be burnt S. Hierome in 4. cap. Amos. S. Augustine in almost twenty places expoundeth this text after the same manner Heare this one taken out of his Commentary vpon the 37. Psalme O Lord reproue me not in thy indignation that I goe not to hell neither correct me in thy wrath but purge me in this life and make me such a one that shall haue no neede of that purging fire prepared for them who shall be saued yet so as by fire And why so but because here they doe build vpon the foundation wood hay and stubble if they did build gold siluer and pretious stones they should be safe from both fires not only from that euerlasting which is to punish the wicked euerlastingly but from that also which shall correct them who shall be saued by fire for it is said he shall be saued yet so as by fire And because he shall be saued that fire is contemned yea truly though they shall be saued yet that fire is more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life These fewe testimonies of the most approued Doctors may suffice to assure vs that the Apostles speeches are to be taken of a purging fire prepared after this life for them that vpon their true faith in Christ doe build through the frailty of our nature many idle odde and vaine workes The last text of holy Scripture shall be this taken out of S. Iohn 1. Epist 5. vers 16. He that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and life shall be giuen him there is a sinne to death for that I say not that any man aske Hence I reason thus a sinne to death must in this place needs be taken for sinne wherein a man dyeth for which no man can pray because that he vvho dyeth in deadly sinne shall neuer afterward be pardoned wherefore a sinne not vnto death is a sinne of vvhich a man repenteth him before his death and for such a one doth S. Iohn exhort vs to pray therefore the prayer which he speaketh of when he biddeth vs not pray being prayer for the dead the other prayer also must be prayer for the departed and so doth he will vs to pray for such men departed that dyed not in deadly sinne but with repentance The Caluinists say That S. Iohn speaketh rather of Apostataes and some such like haynous offendors for whome yet aliue he would not haue vs to pray But this is very vvicked doctrine for vve may pray euen for Turkes and Iewes and the most sinnefull persons that liue whiles they liue and haue time to repent for vvhat knowe vve whether God vvill take them to mercy or no and S. Paul saith expresly that he would haue vs to pray for all persons 1. Tim. 2. vers 1. De correct gratia cap. 12. whiles they liue Much more conuenient therefore is that exposition before rehearsed which is taken out of S. Augustine who affirmeth That a sinne to death is to leaue faith working by charity euen till death To these arguments selected out of holy Scripture I will joyne another of no smaller moment with vs Catholikes which is drawne from Apostolicall tradition and the practise of the vniuersall Church in her primitiue purity which hath vsed alwayes to pray for the dead Let vs heare two or three substantiall vvitnesses speake in this matter S. Chrysostome that most renowmed Patriarke of Constantinople shall be the first vvho saith Hom. 69. ad populū That it was not without good cause ordayned and decreed by the Apostles that in the dreadfull mysteries there be made a commemoration of the dead For they did knowe that they should receiue thereby great profit and much commodity S. Augustine as famous for his learning and sincerity in the Latin Church as the other was in the Greeke De verbis Apostoli serm 34. saith to this point thus It is not to be doubted but that the dead are holpen by the prayers of holy Church and by the
comfortable sacrifice and by the almes that are giuen for their soules that God may deale more mercifully with them then their sinnes deserued For saith he the vniuersall Church obserueth and keepeth this as by tradition receiued from the Fathers that for them who are departed in the communion of the body and bloud of Christ when at the sacrifice there is made a commemoration or mention of them they are prayed for and the sacrifice is remembred to be offered for them The third witnesse is Tertullian a most auncient and learned authour De corona militis who reckoneth it among the traditions of the Apostles to pray for the soules of the faithfull departed It appearing then so manifest by the testimony of such approued witnesses that to pray for the dead is an Apostolicall tradition generally receiued and practised in the most flourishing state of the Church S. Augustines verdict must needes proue true who saith that it is a point of most insolent madnesse to dispute against that which the whole Church doth practise Wherefore our Protestants vvere 1300. yeares agoe condemned for Heretikes in this point in one Aerius vvho vvas censured by that holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius haeres 75. and by S. Augustine ad Quodvult deum haeres 53. an Heretike because that to the Arrian heresie he added this of his owne that we must not offer sacrifice nor pray for the soules of the departed so that to denie prayer for the dead is by the judgement of the auncient Church deemed flat heresie To these former authorities let vs adde one reason deducted also out of the vvord of God When a sinner is truly conuerted though the fault and eternall paine due to it be through Christes merits freely pardoned him yet there remayneth some temporall punishment to be suffered by the party himselfe for the same offence before remitted This proposition is denyed by the Protestants but it is so manifestly set downe in Gods vvord that they cannot but be put to great shame for it if they be vrged with the examples of the children of Israell of Aaron and Moyses and Dauid Num. 14. Ibi. c. 20. ver 24. Deut. 32. vers 51. 2. Reg. 12. who were all first pardoned of their sinnes and afterward put to penance for the very same offences as I haue in the matter of satisfaction more amply proued Nowe to the present purpose But many who haue beene great offendors are not conuerted till towardes their death or else being conuerted long before doe not fulfill such penance as in justice is due vnto their grieuous and manifold former offences therefore the due order of Gods justice requireth that after their death they accomplish that which was wanting in their life time To this nothing else can be answered but that which some of them doe answere that the very death vvhich euery one endureth doth serue to supply all former defectes of his life and purgeth him cleane from all payne due to his former sinnes but this is said both without authority or any reason For a naturall death is due vnto all the Sonnes of Adam for original sinne in so much as the very innocents baptised are not freed from it and therefore that cannot be also a satisfaction for all other actuall sinnes Againe some vvho haue deserued great punishment die suddainely and vvith small payne so that there is no proportin betweene the payne of their death and their former trespasses We denie not but that such may be both the length and sharpenesse of the sickenesse whereof some die that it being patiently taken may either greatly diminish or perhaps wholy extinguish al former offences but to say that euery ones ordinary death doth cancell all former obligation of sinnes howe many or howe great soeuer they were hath neither â—ime or reason in it I could for a conclusion assemble the sentences of the fathers and shew howe they prayed for the soules departed in their funerall Orations for them as Gregory Nazianzene for the soule of Cesanis S. Ambrose for the soules of Theodosius Valentinian and Satyrus promising also to offer sacrifice for them In epist. ad eundeÌ„ Lib. 5. hystor c. 26. Lib. 3. Institut c. 5. §. 10. S Hierome commending Pomachius for praying and giuing almes for the soule of his wife and Theodorete praysing the Emperour Theodosius the younger for prostrating himselfe at the Relikes of S. Iohn Chrysostome and praying there for the soules of his parents Arcadius and Eudoxia I could I say bring a clowde of witnesses to this purpose but Caluin easeth me of that labour who acknowledgeth That for 1300. yeares before his dayes that is almost from the first time that the auncient Fathers beganne to write the custome of praying for the dead hath beene vsed in the Church Marry he would haue vs beleeue that it was brought in by the vulgar sort after the imitation of the Gentils But we haue shewed that the best learned and most sincere and Godly Preachers and Doctors haue both out of the word of God and Tradition of the Apostles taught their flockes that point of Christian doctrine and further by name condemned them of heresie that taught the contrary so that very fondly doth Caluin taxe S. Augustine for praying for his mothers soule saying forsooth that he did it only to satisfie the old womans request and saith yet more impudently that in his booke of the care to be taken for the dead he doth very coldly handle the matter vvhereas you haue heard I hope sufficiently out of him howe resolute and peremptory he is for Purgatory See the beginning of it and cap. 4. And in that said booke his principall intent is to approue the burying of the dead neare vnto the body or relikes of some Martir to the intent that he vvho remembreth the body of his best beloued to be there buryed may vvith greater deuotion recommend vnto the same Martir his deare friendes soule And therefore he doth much commend a deuout Matron for burying her sonne neare vnto the relikes of S. Foelix and counsaileth others so to doe adding that if they cannot procure any such burying place for their friendes yet that in no case they ought to cease from necessary prayers and supplications for them For saith he wheresoeuer the body of the departed doe lie the rest and peace of his soule is to be procured and sought for And whether out of fond affection towardes his mother or out of a most setled judgement he prayed for her and vvhether it were coldly or no let his owne wordes declare thus he beginneth to proue Caluin an audacious lyer Lib. 9. Confess cap. 13. But nowe I hauing my hart cured of that wound in which humane affection might be faulty doe powre forth vnto thee our God for that thy seruant his mother Monica another manner of teares which floweth from a minde stroken with feare by consideration of those perils which followe euery soule that dyeth