veniall and pardonable in one is mortall in another The parts therefore of this distinction doe iustle and encroch each vpon other besides I will say thus much more that it is rashnesse in our adversaries to define that there bee but seuen mortall sinnes that all other sinnes be pardonable for it is the office of the iudge not of the offender to determine what paine each sinne deserueth for in the sight of God we be all guiltie 20 Purgatory likewise bringeth with it many inconveniences for in that it teacheth that the fasts offerings and almes deeds of the living doe serue to bring soules out of Purgatory the same maketh many to bee more negligent to relie vpon their friends that surviue Daily examples we haue many of people that buy Masses hire men to pray for their soules whiles in the meane time they take license to practise all excesse dissolution and rapine All Doctor Du Valles answer stil resteth in recriminations Pag. 75. The auctor of the fire of Helie denieth that Iesus Christ hath fully satisfied He saith that we are they that make men carelesse in that we teach that Iesus Christ hath fully satisfied and that on our behalfe there is nothing to satisfie Hereto I haue before fully answered and at large Yea I doe protest that we hold no such beliefe Hee farther saith that the prayers made for such as are in Purgatory make not men more carelesse then the same which in this world one maketh for another whereto we say that it is true that the prayers of the living one for another make the sinner to be more negligent when these prayers are taken for payments redemptions and satisfactions Herevpon the Auctor of the fire of Helie to shaddow his purposes in liew of speaking of fasts offerings speaketh only of prayers which peradventure he would haue beene ashamed to reckon among the redemptions and payments for other mens offences sins 21 By this gate also came in the trafficke and the exchange was opened in the Church The rich do build obits and anniversaries for their soules for them are the privat Masses song the poore must be content with the generall praiers wherein the rich also haue their shares Al the Churches shal ring with peales praiers and diriges after the decease of a man that hath been extraordinary liberall and bountifull to the Clergie but for one that hath giuē nothing ye shal never heare so much as one Masse neither will the orders of begging Friers presse to a poore mans house By these means haue the church of Rome heaped togither so much goods that one only hospital entituled of the Spirit in Rome may in rents dispende foure thousande crownes a day His holynes keies are of gold a mettall that openeth both heavē Purgatory for this good prelate and his factors followers are better studyed in the golden number then in the dominicall letter which is the holy scripture Should a poore beggerly soule participate in those graces which his holinesse hath reserved for the greatest Lords It were a goodly sight to see some porter or pointmaker or some such base fellow sollicite in the Court of Rome for to purchase buls of delivery of the soule of some poore kinsman of his out of Purgatory and indeed the booke of rates in the Popes chancery hath sundry clauses of this nature Sed hoc tātum pro qualificatis Printed at Paris by Toussain Denis in S. Iames street at at the sign of the Crosse 1520. with priviledge of the court istae gratiae non conceduntur pauperibus By this reckoning Jesus Christ was deceived when he said Blessed are the poore considering that the rich haue such goodly priviledges by thē do so soon enter into Paradice This traficke also doth appeare in this that the Church of Rōedoth hold that children dying soone after Baptisme do go straight into Paradice which notwithstanding the Priests do not forbeare to take money for their Masses for such children also in that the Cleargie pay least for the souls of their friends there by acknowleging the slightnes of their marchandize Page 76. The Doctor Du Vall confesseth there is abuse so daintyly doth he speake of so horrible and publike abhomination The Frier knowing that this traficke the more it is stirred the more it stincketh saith nothing at all of it 23 The same errour maketh God more favourable to those that shal liue in the day of Iudgment then to others for they shall not come in Purgatorie at all to the Carmelite Friers then to the Franciscans for they pretend a priviledge to abide there but vnto the next saterday after their deathes to those that haue meanes and friendes to procure them Masses then to others For why should a poore man giue sixe pence to be named in the memento of the Masse if hee did not hope of some good that he should haue lost if he had not beene therein named Yet had hee not bin named if he had given nothing for with thē No peny no paternoster Let vs also cōsider that by this doctrin such as die immediately after they haue ended their Iubile go straight to Paradice and are exempt from Purgatory but that man peradventute not so vitious neither oppressed with so many sinnes yet dieth before the yeare of Iubile goeth into Purgatory and is deprived of so great a benefite likewise that he that is wel horsed and dwelleth not far from the place where these pardons are to be had doth much more easily obtaine pardon for his sinnes then he who dwelling three hundred leagues of hath never a horse The same abuse also tyeth the mercy of God to one certain place as that al sinnes are remitted at the Frāciscans but not at the Carmelites or Iacobins Yea so far doth some pardon stretch that hee that in the Covent of the Franciscans shall say the praiers in the bull ordained obtaineth plenary pardon for al his sinnes but though he say ten times more praiers in an other couvent yea and that with much greater devotiō yet shal he al this notwithstanding obtaine thereby no remission of sinnes For like a foole he went to seeke remission of his sinnes in places that the Pope had not appointed Herevpon the auctor of the fire of Helie taketh vs at the first rebound and saith You say not well for mercy hath regard to the offence and eternall punishmēt but iustice hath regard only to the temporall Wel spoken of this doctor What hath not Gods iustice regard likewise to eternall paine Page 71. And doth he not also shew his mercy in remitting the temporall The same doctor doth also wōder that in all these things I can finde any inconveniencie And willeth vs here vpon in profound silence to adore the impenetrable Iudgements of the Lord. But I doe more marvaile that with me he doth not marvaile that at our hāds he should require adoration with silence where
booke of Purgatory cap. 9. alleadgeth this place and falsifieth it both in the words and in the sense He saith that S. Hierom speaketh of the vnbinding of the soule that is made by speculation not of the transporting of the soule in her substance but by imagination and to set the greater shew vpon this glosse and contemplation hee omitteth these words propter tenuitatē substātiae which do proue that S. Hierom spake of the trāsport of the soule in her substance with all that contemplation doeth not deliver the soule from the body neither necessarily trāsporteth her into Paradice or into hell for Contemplation hath infinite other obiects Can. in praesenti In the decrees of the Romish Church Causs 13. Quest 2 there is a Canon taken out of S. Hierom and these be the words In this present world we know that we may helpe one another either by praier or by Councell but when we shall come before the tribunall seat of Christ neither Iob nor Daniell nor Noah can pray for any but every one shal bear his owne burden But the decree hath clowted on a taile and saith that S. Hierom spake of the impenitent But how can that be For S. Hierom putteth himselfe in the number saying But when wee shall come Gregory Nazianzen in the Epitaph of his brother Caesarius saith I beleeue the words of the wise namely that every honest soule that loueth God when it is delivered from this body that is tyed thereto and is departed away IMMEDIATLY it is admitted to the fruition and contemplation of that good that attend it and doth reioice in admirable pleasure Vpon this principle doeth hee ground his stedfast perswasion that his brother is already blessed Now was he neither Martyr nor Saint nor otherwise qualified then the ordinary of the faithfull The like he speaketh in the Epitaph of his sister Gorgonia S. Ambrose hath written an excellent treatise of the benefite of death De bono mortis Vt corpus resolvatur acquiescat anima autem cōvertatur in requiem suā which is no other but a refutation of the Purgatory of the Romish Church And it is to bee noted that he speaketh of the death of all the faithfull but omitteth the Saints and Martyres more priviledged by God In this third Chapter he doth thus define death Death is a separation of the soule from the body Then he addeth Now what doth this separation saving that the body dissolveth and resteth but the soule is set in quiet and free who if shee be faithfull shall be with Christ In the fourth Chapter he saith that Death is a haven after a storme and that shee reserveth vs to iudgement such as shee founde vs and addeth that by her Transitura corruptione ad incorruptionem à mortalìtate ad immortalitatem à perturbatione ad tranquillitatē We passe from corruptiō to incorruption from mortalitie to immortalitie from trouble to rest Againe in the 7. Requies post labores finis malorum Mors stipendiorum plenitudo summa mercedis gratia missionis Chapter The foole doth feare death as the soveraigne evill the wise man doth desire it as a rest after labour and the ende of all calamities In the same place Death is the fulnesse of wages the sum of rewards the favour or grant of dispensation or license In the tenth Chapter he mocketh such as thinke that the habitation of soules is vpon earth and saith Animarū superiora esse habitacula scripturae testimonijs varijs probatur It appeareth by many testimonies of the scriptures that the habitation of the soules is aboue In the last Chapter speaking of himselfe and of al that beleeue in Iesus Christ hee saith Intrepide ad Abrahamū patrem nostrum cum Dies advenerit proficisca mur intrepide pergamus ad illum sanctorum coetū c. When that day shall come let vs goe boldly to Abraham our father to the assembly of Saints and congregation of the righteous for wee shall goe to our fathers to the schoolemasters of our faith to the ende that albeit our workes faile vs yet faith may succour vs and the inheritance be kept for vs. And to the ende no man should thinke that he speaketh only of the most holy and perfect he saith Etiamsi opera desint albeit workes faile vs and soone after he saith that it doth appertaine to all the beleevers in God and that When the day of death shall come to the end the Popes factors should not put of that day to the issue out of Purgatory Also that our adversaries may no longer shrowd themselues vnder this passage in the 12. of Matthew Blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come he saith in the second Chapter of the same booke Qui hic non acceperit remissionem peccatorum illic non erit Hee that will not here receaue remission of sinnes shall not bee there S. Chrysostome hom 75. in Matth. If we now doe not that we should when wee come there we shall haue no meanes to satisfie Againe hom 22. ad populum Antiochenum Read the Scriptures of our Saviour and learne that none can helpe vs when we depart hence Also in his 2. hom vpon Lazarus Pay all here that without trouble thou maist come to that tribunall seat while we are here we haue great hope but so soone as wee are departed to goe thether it remaineth no longer in our power to doe pennance or to blot out or amend that we haue done amisse Hereto Bellarmine answereth that Chrysostome speaketh of the remission of mortal sinnes which no man saith are remitted in Purgatory And all this is false for Chrysostom speaketh of all sinnes and in any of all these places never maketh distinction betweene mortall and veniall sinnes indeed hee speaketh of the wicked rich man who was not punished for one sinne only but for all his sinnes withall that our adversaries do hold that in Purgatory they may beare the punishment for mortall sinnes but that by the mercy of God of eternall they be made tēporall Yea they proceed so far as to limit the time of this punishment namely seaven yeares for every sinne as wee shewed in the first Chapter Likewise vpon the 23. of Matthew hom 25. hee saith that pennance after death is as vnprofitable as the Phisitian who after death can doe no good The same he saith vpon the first of Genes hom 5. Also vpon the fourth to the Romans hom 8. Where there is grace there is forgiuenesse where there is forgiuenesse there is no punishment Now punishment being taken away and righteousnesse through faith granted nothing may hinder vs but that we shall be made heires of this promise which is by faith Himselfe vpon Matth. hom 32. asketh of the parents of the deceased these questions Wherefore after the death of thy friends dost thou call them poore Why dost thou desire the Priest to pray for them
vides quotidie Meretricius nitor c intestina insanab est plaga Ecclesiae Hereof read the complaints of Petrarch in his Epistles and sonnets The Epigrams of Zanazarus the complaints of St. Bernard who tearmeth the traine of the Court of Rome the traine of the whore of Babylon and of Antichrist And after all this must these people with a Romish Catholike zeale come and preach to vs the necessitie of good workes and complaine that wee open â—he gate to all vice Faelicia saecula quaevos â—oribus opponunt habeas iam Roma puâ—orem But what if we shall proue that the â—octrine of the Church of Rome is a â—octrine of Licentiousnesse and openâ—th vnto men a large gate to escape at â—ow much people feeling the approch â—f the Iubile do emboldeÌ„ theÌ„selues vnâ—er the assurance of plenary pardon â—hat a gate of liceÌ„tiousnes do they opeÌ„â—o the rich who assure theÌ„selus that by â—iving to the Church after their deaths â—hey may haue masses enough song for â—hem and so abridge the paines of Purâ—atory And doth not the custome of â—uying other mens praiers make a man â—egligent in praying for himselfe Yea â—nd which is more by enioining the sin â—er for his penance to fast and pray do â—hey not make that a punishmeÌ„t which â—ught to be a consolation Also when â—hey make but seaven mortal sinnes calâ—ing the rest venial and easie sins such as may be blotted out with an Aue oâ— a little holy water do they not entertaine the sinner in wickednes and sow cushions vnder his elbowes to lul him the faster a sleepe in his vice Or terrifying the consciences with the feare oâ— Purgatory do they not therby corrupt piety vnder the colour of establishing it Making it not a filiall and voluntary obedience but a servile feare Led oâ— not for the loue of God but for fear oâ— punishment not for hate to the sin buâ— for terror of the torment Rom. 12. The Apostlâ— exhorteth vs by the mercies of God to consecrate and offer our selues to God yet not for fear of his iustice PropouÌ„â— to the sinner the loue and excellenciâ— of the son of God shewing him that iâ— was our sin that crucified him that oâ—â— offences are the very nailes that pieâ—ced him what is there of greater forâ—â— to plant in his hart both a loue of Iesuâ— Christ and a hatred of sin which waâ— the cause of the torments of the son oâ— God Especially when he shal consideâ— that by this death himselfe shal obtaine â—ife that from a bondman of Satan he is bought to bee the sonne of God also that in beleeving in him he shal not perish but haue life everlasting Shal hee not feele himselfe moved to loue God and in acknowledgement of so great a grace to consecrate himselfe to God and after the rule of his worde to â—spire to the reward that God hath pitched him at the end of his course these men therefore by their traficke doe but subvert religion and in the fire of Purgatory in liew of true piety forge an â—dea and fantastical forme of the feare of God 15 The same fire blasteth and abaâ—eth the mercy of God as not pardoâ—ing vs at the full sith our selues must â—n a fire beare part of the punishment Wherefore shall we limit the mercies of God in matters wherein hee will bee pleased and glorified by doing vs good 16 The iustice of God is likewise â—iolated therein in that they make it to exact two payments for one debt The first which it receaved of Iesus Christ and was sufficient for all the punishments due to our sinnes what interest therefore haue these people that they are so willing to enter into this fire aâ—â— the charge of the glory of God whoâ— could be content freely to pardon thâ—â— through Iesus Christ 17 Againe every payment and satisfaction that is acceptable to Goâ— must be voluntary and not forced otherwise he accepteth it not But thâ— paine of Purgatory say our people 〈◊〉 vnto those that haue not sufficientâ— satisfied in this life inevitable and whether they will or no they must of necâ—â—sitie passe that way Then is it not a paâ—ment acceptable with God And albeâ—â— these men say that the poore soules dâ— patiently beare those paines yet câ—â— we hardly beleeue but that they had other presently be in Paradice then to â—bide a thousand or two thousand yeaâ—â— broiling in a fire 18 Hereof ariseth another reason namely that those soules do not satisfie God but that God rather satisfieth him selfe in punishing them against their wills 19 By the same doctrine also the consciences are in perpetuall torment through the apprehension of this fire for what would not we giue to avoid a fire of an houre long how much more if it should last a moneth Yet what were this in regard of many hundreds and thousands of yeares and that in a fire as hot as the fire of of hell saith our frier Ioh. 14.27 where is that peace promised by Iesus Christ or how in our death shall we haue these effects of the spirit of God dwelling in the hearts of the faithfull namely ioy and peace as saith Saint Paul Galat. 5.22 My adversaries doe contradict theÌ„selues in their answers which indeed are no answers but recriminations Pag. 106. A slaunder The frier saith that we doe preach liberty of conscience without apprehension of the iudgements of God which is false and slanderous Wee preach neither libertie nor licentiousnesse but peace of conscience to such as repent beleeue in Iesus Christ but to the impenitent we denounce the iudgements of God Thus this frier accuseth vs of flattering and lulling mens consciences asleepe But the fire of Helie contrariwise accuseth vs of holding them in torment because we account all sinnes both mortall and veniall equall Whereto I answer that albeit wee should hold those which they tearme veniall equall with the mortall yet in as much as we teach that both mortall and veniall are forgiven by Iesus Christ A slaunder wee doe no whit astonish the consciences But in truth it is a slander of our adversaries Wee acknowledge the inequalitie of sinnes In some God is more offended grieved then in other some yea even amoÌ„g the sinnes that they call mortall some are more hainous then other some To overskip a leafe or two at mattins or vnder color of shrift to talke of loue are smaller sins theÌ„ to slay his own king Sacrilege is more hainous then simple theft Incest then whoredome only we smile at their folly in distinguishing sins into veniall and mortall because this word veniall signifieth pardonable And we knowe that the sinnes which they cal mortall as murder and whoredome doe growe pardonable in such as doe convert and truly repent as in David who was defiled in both these sinnes But in the impenitent these sinnes are indeed mortall and punished with eternall death And so through ImpeniteÌ„cy that sinne which is
from eternall life To the ende also that our adversaries should not make cursing a mortall sinne by their glosses and consequences their owne decree distinct 25. maketh a long list of veniall sinnes among which cursing hath his place saying Si cum omni facilitate vel temeritate maledicimus quoniam scriptū est nec Maledici possidebunt regnum Dei By the iudgement therefore of their own Canōs cursing is of two natures The one that it is veniall the other that it is excluded out of the kingdome of heauen and consequently deserveth eternall death Whereas our frier doth coniecture granteth that the calling of a mans brother foole draweth with it the sinne of wrath consummate hee shall hold vs excused although we admit not his coniectures for rules besids I will returne him to Cayer Caier p. 20 who will haue Gehenna here to signifie Purgatory not hel as the Frier would haue it Ioh. 8.11 6 Our Saviour Christ said to the woman taken in adultery Goe and sinne no more Dismissing her hee did not impose vpon her any satisfactory paines no more then S. Paul when hee pardoned the incestuous man That which particularly maketh against Purgatory is this That if neither Iesus Christ not S. Paul imposed any satisfactory paines vpon the sinners even when in apparance they might haue beene profitable for amendment howe much lesse will God impose satisfactory paines vp on his children in a burning fire when there is no farther place for amēdmēt Here doth our Monk come forth with such an answer as hitteth himselfe and his fellowes on the knuckles saying The griefe may ly so heauie on the sinner that it may satisfie for the whole obligation of the paine For besides that hee doth thus coniecture of the womās cogitation he also evidētly accuseth the Popes and Priests of manifest iniustice rashnesse in that they impose satisfactory paines vpon the sinner that protesteth sorrow and repentance For what know they whether the sinner bee so oppressed with sorrow as that heauinesse may serue for satisfaction Or what knowe they whether she hath sufficiently satisfied sith they wot not how grievous her sorrow was 7 Againe who hath givē the Pope or his Priests auctority to impose corporal or pecuniary punishments vpon sinners Let them shew vs any cōmandemēt from God or his Apostles The Primitiue Church indeed reproved sin by excluding men for a time from the communion of the faithful and that after the example of S. Paule who for a time cut of the incestuous person from the Church of Corinth but after absolution to impose Corporal or pecuniary punishment or to enioine men to pilgrimages or scourgings we find no example The old Testament doth indeed furnish vs of some examples of such as haue fasted and wept for their sins because weeping proceedeth from sorrow and fasting is a helpe to devotion and freedome of minde but as I said after forgiuenes to impose punishments vpon the sinner whereby to redeeme the paines of Purgatory and so to satisfie the Iustice of God I finde no example 8 And it seemeth that these our masters haue compounded with God that they are assured that God wil be content with any summe of mony or any pilgrimage and so wil bee appeased toward the sinner But if this seem hard to be beleeved how can mens consciences be at quiet How shal they be assured that God wil be cōtent with such satisfactions imposed by the Priest Whosoever vndertaketh to pay his debts must first inquire what he oweth as also consider of the valew of coines that he giveth to his creditor but the sinner knoweth not howe much temporal paine he oweth to God neither the value of every of his satisfactions How shal he then know when he hath sufficiently satisfied What knoweth he how neere every fast bringeth him to Paradice every pilgrimage every scourging and indeed we see how these consciences whom they haue captivated are in perpetual disquiet and so haue recourse to the satisfactions of others to buy Masses for after their decease to depart hence in marveilous feare anguish A iust punishment for choosing for the foundation of their hope other props and stayes then the only satisfaction of Iesus Christ 9 Againe in as much as some condemned to corporal pennances can exchange them into pecuniary how shall we be assured that God in liew of corporal punishments will be cōtent with money Penitent Ro. Tit. 9. c. 29. The Romane penitentiall telleth vs that A rich man may redeeme one fasting day for two shillings but an extreame poore mā must giue at the lest foure pence Thus may the poore man when he hath paid his money fast for more 10 If in absolution they pretende to loosen the sinner how doe they in loosing his bonds entangle him farther and by pardoning him condemne him to greater paines 11 I would farther demand whether the satisfactions that they impose be good works or no. If they bee not good why do they enioine thē If they bee good why doeth the Pope release them and by his Indulgences dispense with them Can we without horrour read that which Bellarmine hath writtē in his booke De poenitentia Bellar. de Penit l. 4. c. 13. Indulg faciunt vt pro iis poenis quae nobis per Indul condonantur non teneamur praecepto illo de faci endis dignis paenitentiae fructibus Bellar. de paenit l. 1. c. 4. That Indulgences do dispense with obedience to this cōmandement in the third of Matthew Bring forth fruits worthy repentāce for sith they will needes haue it so that this saying Bring forth fruits worthy repentance to signifie to chastise a mans owne selfe and the Pope doth dispense with this chastisement it plainly appeareth that the Pope dispenseth with Gods Commandements 12 And here I beseech you consideratly to way howe farre superstition hath encroached vpon the auctority of the Gospel Our enemies do make a ceremony and a sacrament of Penance which indeed is of it selfe a vertue Being demaunded whether Penance were a sacrament before the comming of Christ they say no Cons Trid. Sess 4. c. 1. Even the prelates assembled in the Councell of Trent doe acknowledge that the pennāce which Iesus Christ before his passion and resurrection and Iohn the Baptist preached was no sacramēt for they wil haue it to be made a sacramēt since the resolution of Jesus Christ and that without any other proofe then their owne authority for they wil be beleeved vpon their owne words But wee haue one passage in the Revelation written since the ascention of Jesus Christ that expoūdeth vnto vs the signification of Agere poenitentiam to doe penance or to repent In the second of the Revelation God complaining of the Ephesians who were fallen from their first loue commandeth them to Repent and to do their first works therby shewing that Repentance consisteth in amendment of life At the least thus much we
confound it selfe But what need so many by waies when they might cut it cleane of franckly say that God doth not acquit vs freely As indeed the Frier in many places saith as much in his 99 page in these words God pardoneth the sinne howbeit for the satisfaction of his iustice he appointeth the chastisement The â—ing pardoneth a gentleman for some murâ—er committed yet coÌ„demneth him in great â—ines Sith then the pardon wherby the capitall paine is converted into pecuniâ—ry and so is no full pardon but a diminution of pain it manifestly appeareth that our adversaries doe hold that the pardon which God graunteth vs is no full or free pardon Hereto come their words That God doth freely remit the fault but not the pain the eternal pain but not the temporal for he that freely forgiveth his debtour the one part of his debt but not all cannot be said freely to giue or acquite the whole debt Neither can the pardon be said to be ful when there is a necessity imposed vpon the debtor to pay or suffer punishment for the sinne be it in the whole or in a part 11 Herein also appeareth the folly of their distinctioÌ„ between the fault and the paine The Frier saith Pag. 75. that the sin bringeth with it two things A faulâ— and a paine Had this good man beene perfect in his natural language the absurdity of his principle had been apparant for the word Culpa or fault in his language signifieth sinne witnesse the Priests words wheÌ„ in his Masse lie beateth his brest and saith Mea culpa it is my sin also Iacobs wordes to Laban for what sinne of mine Gen. 13.36 What fault haue I committed And the like throughout all the holy scripture Now let the reader iudgâ— whether the fryer had dined when hee writ or no when he saith that sin bringeth with it the fault that is to say sin The examination of the distinction between pain and fault Vpon this worthy distinction betweene the paine and the fault is Purgatory grounded and this pinne once pluckt out the whole frame falleth out of ioint They say then that God doth indeed acquit vs of all the fault but not of al the paine A saying not only vniust but even incompatible 1 The vniustnesse hereof is evideÌ„t for no man is iustly punished but for his fault and the fault taken away the offender is no longer guilty and being no longer guilty he cannot iustly bee punished These Doctors therefore do blemish dry vp the righteousnesse of God 2 The Incompatibility hereof is likewise manifest In that they say God doth forgiue vs all our offences yet punisheth them in a burning fire both to pardon and yet to punish one selfe offence are matters incompatible And when we forgiue our neighbour all his offences against vs we vse not to say I forgiue thee the fault yet wil I punish thee or I acquit thee of thy debt yet shalt thou pay me But as saith Tertullian in his fifth booke of baptisme Exemp to reatu eximitur poena 3 Againe sith our sinnes be debtes to the Iustice of God as Iesus Christ witnesseth where he teacheth vs to say Forgiue vs our debts of which debts the payment was paine satisfaction shal we not sin even against common sense if we affirme that God forgiveth al the debt but not all the payment Thus doâ— our Masters shadow vs forth Chimeraes and monsters in the aire 4 Let vs proceed How is it possible that by the death of Iesus Christ we should be purged quit and delivered from all our trespasses but not from the punishment due to our trespasses Considering that he did not otherwise beare our sins and offences but by bearing the paine due to them if he did beare the paine did he not beare it to the end to discharge vs from it Si tulit abstulit He hath borne our infirmities carryed our sorrowes saith Esay 53.4 To what end Even to discharge vs from them And this is it that S. Austin saith in his 37 sermon vpon the words of the Lord. Iesus Christ taking vpon him the punishment but not the sinne hath abolished both the sinne and the punishment 5 Throughout all this discourse this is to be noted that all our speech concerneth such paines as are paimeÌ„ts redemptions and satisfactions to the iustice of God for these our Doctours do tearme Purgatory a paymeÌ„t satisfaction to the Iustice of God These be the punishments which we say to be in compatible with a full pardon There is an other kinde of punishment which is tearmed castigatory and this is inflicted for amendment of the sinner and hath great affinity with the full pardon for God doth chastise his children even after he hath pardoned them Such chastisements are not payments and satisfactions to content the Iustice of God but fatherly corrections to bring the sinner to amendment They are not executions of his iustice but testimonies of his fatherly loue care not wouÌ„ds but salues and these can in no wise concurre with the tormenrs of Purgatory wherein it is said that the soules are already iust and can amend no more As therefore we vse to strike a man fallen into an Apoplexy not to get any satisfactioÌ„ at his hands but to awaken him so God smiteth his children when they sleep in their sinnes to make them feel their negligence He that otherwise interpreteth the afflictions that God sendeth and taketh them not for corrections health some to his soule but for satisfactions necessary to the iustice of God he maketh his afflictions bitter dippeth their edges in gall taking from them the spirituall consolations glory and ioy that supporteth the children of God in this combat Necessitie is a miserable consolation It hardneth the sore but healeth it not It raiseth the courage against the paine but asswageth it not For what mitigation is it to the afflicted to tell him that his sore is past cure and that of necessitie hee must satisfie the iustice of God Or how could S. Paule haue so boasted of his tribulations had hee beleeued they had beene payments which God did exact of him for his sinnes This doctrine being so healthfull so full of consolation and so evidently laid downe in the holy Scripture namely that God chastiseth vs for our amendment yet this frier Minor with a desperate presumptioÌ„ dareth avouch it to be a reason forged in our owne braine without the word of God without autoritie Pag. 78. and without reason Herevpon therefore let vs heare the word of God herein The Apostle to the Hebrews cap. 12. saith God chastneth vs for our profit to the end we may be partakers of his holinesse Againe Discipline bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to those that are exercised therein How often doth God say that he chastneth those whom he loveth Apoc. 3.19 Heb. 12.6 Iob 5.17 Prov. 3.11 David in the 119. Psalme confesseth that before he was
Barrabas S. Paul defending himselfe before his Iudge Felix saith that he will satisfie for himselfe in Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I defend my self Yet in al this haue we no speech of paiment or redemption What is now become of our Coniurations and the demonstrations of my grossenesse Learn brother Minor and thanke me Now let vs wrastle with these humane satisfactions taken for redemptions payments to the Iustice of God for the payments due to our sins hereto serveth al that hath beene spoken against the satisfaction of Purgatory for the sufficiency of the only satisfaction of Iesus Christ now let vs thereto adioine the reasons 2 By the holy scripture we learne that Salvation is a gift yea a free gift Rom. 6.23 Luk. 12.32 Ephes 2.8 Pag. 102. we do not then buy it neither doe wee pay any price for it in part or in whole Du Val answereth not The frier saith that the two first passages are false and that there is not such a worde let vs therefore looke vpon the passages at large In the 6. to the Rom. v. 23. S Paule saith the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ In the 12. of S. Luke v. 32. Iesus Christ saith Feare not litle flock for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Am I a falsifier or hee a slanderer You see it is his hope was that the reader woulde never haue searched out the places for their prohibition that none shall read the holy scripture emboldeneth him in this liberty yet doth it not serue his turne for having so falsely accused me of falshood in the next line himselfe committeth a notable falshood corrupting this excellent passage of S. Paul to the Ephes cap. 2. For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selues It is the gift of God Then NOT BY WORKES least any man should boast him selfe But this Frier to breake the force of this passage and to entāgle it maketh the Apostle to speak thus The salvation wrought by our Lord proceeded of the only grace of God of his mercy and loue He perverteth the sense and taketh away the words of most importance that it is not by workes that wee are saved but by the gift of God Where is truth and plaine dealing become Where is conscience O God how lōg shal thy advesaries tread thy holy word vnder foot 3 Against this so wholsome doctrine which appeaseth our cōsciences and giueth to God the glory of our redemption our adversaries doe obiect the Counsell that Daniell gaue to Nabuchadnezar Redeeme thy sinnes by alms 1. But this redemption was not toward God but toward men whome hee had robbed and was therefore to recompence them by liberalitie 2. Againe here the question concerneth satisfactory paines in which ranck Almes hath no place albeit it is a worke commanded to all and an exercise pleasing to the faithfull Never will any man exercise charitie as he ought so long as hee thinke it a punishment or satisfactorie paine Is that helpe where one member helpeth another as the hand doth the foot a paine We all are members of one selfe bodie saith Saint Paul 3. Which is more our adversaries will haue our satisfactions to serue to redeeme from the iustice of God not the sinnes but the punishment for the sinnes Now here it is Redeeme thy sinnes Here therefore haue we need of a glosse after the Romish manner that Sinne here signifieth the punishment of sinne as who should call Theft the whip Murder the gallows For everie absurdity is good with these men provided that yee beleeue a Purgatory 4. The principall point is this that this king Nabuchadnezar beeing a heathen needed no satisfactions which they say serue but to redeem tēporal paines and that after baptisme or after Circūcision but this king was never circumcised being out of the Church needed not these meanes to avoide eternal paine The frier produceth yet other passages as in the Proverbs cap. 5. v. 29. Almes purgeth sinne but this place is false the whol verse left out of the Hebrew yea even the Romane translatiō it hath no speech of Almes 2. To what purpose speake we of purgation where the question is of redemption 3. Finally we confesse that amendment of life purgeth sinne so farre forth as by this meanes the sinner becommeth cleane as cleanlynes purgeth the body succeeding after foulnesse as they say in the schooles non efficienter but formaliter But where the question concerneth such a purging of sinnes as by vertue thereof we shall appeare cleane and innocent in the day of iudgement there the holy Scripture saith that The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth vs from all our sins 1. Ioh. 1.7 Hee also citeth the 16. of the Proverbs Almes redeemeth iniquitie whereto I haue already answered vpon the place of Daniel besides the passage is falsely set downe for according to the Hebrew it is thus There shal bee propitiation for iniquitie by gratuitie and truth Yea even in the Romane translation there is no speech of almes That which hee addeth out of the 12. of Toby That almes maketh vs to finde eternall life is not in the greeke originals neither is it to the purpose for we do confesse that almes and all other good workes are the way to salvation and consequently to make vs finde salvation but here our questiō concerneth the price of our redemption from the paine due to our sinnes which also may bee an answer to that which he hath alleaged out of the 4 of Tobie Almes deliuereth from death and suffereth vs not to come into darkenesse For so it is in the greeke Surely no man doth deny but that good works be the way to salvation and in applying our selues to them we withdraw our selues from perdition Let vs goe on and sith the old serpēt though cut asunder knitteth himselfe againe let vs not cease mangling of him with the word of God and sword of the Gospell 4 God commanding vs to pray that he would forgiue our offences as wee forgiue them that haue offended vs doth thereby shewe that wee must looke for like forgiuenesse from him as we doe giue to our neighbours that is without revenging or exacting satisfactory paines 5 But what if I should proue to these advocats of mans satisfactions that man by satisfactory paines cannot satisfie God for paines due to the least sinne For if slandering of our neighbor or calling of our brother fool be in the Church of Rome veniall sinnes yet S. Paul saith in the first to the Corinthians the 6. that backbiters shall not inherit the kingdome of God Iesus Christ saith that hee that calleth his brother fool is punishable in hel fire when shal we haue satisfied for the paine due to such a sinne which many times evē the best doe incurre Or when shal we haue endured paines satisfactory for hel fire or for a sinne that deserveth deprivation