Purgatory It would be remembred that among ancient Christians there were divers Errors concerning the state of the departed now justly disowned both by Protestants and Papists which might have given occasion to these Prayers as first many of them were of opinion that though all the Souls of the Faithful were in requie in a blessed rest yet they were not admitted to the Beatifick Vision before the day of Judgment Hence Sixtus Senensis lib. 6. Bibl. Annot. 345. to prove that many in the ancient Church were smitten with this Error he not only adduces testimonies from several particular Authors such as Irenaeus Justin Tertul Origen Lactantius Prudentius Ambrose c. but also the form of Prayer for the dead in James Liturgy 2. Many were of opinion that all were to pass through a fire of Purgatory at the great day Yea 3dly some were of opinion that by the Prayers of the living the pains of the Damned were eased among whom were Chrysostom and Prudentius c. of which see Sixtus Senensis lib. 6. Annot. 47. I should not willingly mention these mistakes and errors of Fathers did not the importunity of Romanists constrain me to discover the misapplications which are made of their Prayers to Purgatory But generally they believed that the Souls of the faithful at the present were in requie and therefore Tertul. lib. de Patientia accounteth it an injury to Christ to judge that the Souls of departed Saints are in a state to be pitied these mistakes of Ancients being now through the mercy of God cleared there is no reason to admit the superstructure built thereupon I cannot but add what learned Dallee hath observed lib. 6. de paenis satisfact cap. 2. that among all the Testimonies which Bell. hath mustered up for Prayers for the Dead there is none brought from the real writings of any Fathers who died before the beginning of the 3d Century and therefore judiciously concludes that seeing there is no mention of them either by Moses or the Prophets or by Christ and the Apostles or by the Fathers who immediately succeeded to them as Ignatius Irenaeus or Justin Marlyr that upon the forementioned accounts they have been introduced into the Church towards the end of the 2d Century but without any intuition to Purgatory Had they been then designed for Purgatory how came it that the Fathers never once gave this as the reason of these Prayers When Epiphanius was demanded by Aerius for what end Prayers were put up for the Dead it had been easie to have answered that it was for the deliverance of Souls out of Purgatory But he brings other reasons and has nothing to that purpose which is a clear demonstration that he was not of the present Romish Faith concerning Purgatory And surely its built upon most absurd Principles such as 1. the distinction of sins Venial and Mortal as if some sins of their own nature did not deserve everlasting punishment 2dly That when God forgives sin he forgives not all the punishment thereof 3dly That Christ has not satisfied Justice fully for our sins seeing we must in part satisfy our selves for them The testimonies cited by the Pamphleter having been often cleared by Protestant Authors I shall speedily dispatch them and first many of them as from Denys de Hierarch cap. 7. Clements Constit and Epistles and James Liturgie are spurious and yet make nothing for the purpose Learned Dallaeus de Pseudepigraphis Apostolicis hath not only proved against Jesuite Turrian and Bovius by Armies of arguments Clements constitutions to be spurious but also lib. 1. cap. 1. shews them to be held as such by most learned Romanists Bell. Barron Perron Margarinus de la Bigne Albaspinaeus Petavius c. to whom afterwards he adds Pope Gelasius and lib. 2. cap. 17. he makes it probable that these constitutions were compiled by some Impostor towards the end of the Fifth Century However these writings attributed to Clemens Denys and James speak of Prayers for them who undoubtedly are in a blessed Estate and therefore not for those who labour in the flames of Purgatory Hence Clemens lib. 8. constitut cap. 41. pro quiscentibus in Christo fratribus oremus and in the Liturgy ascribed to James animas beatas requiescere faciat Doninus and again Prayers are put up for all the faithful from Abel the just unto this day Consequently either none were in a blessed state or their prayers are put up for such In the citation of Origen he discovers little either of wit or honesty For who knows not that Origen was condemned not only by Epiphanius Epist ad Joan. Hieros Hierom ad Pammach Austin Haeres 43. Austin de Civ Dei lib. 21. cap. 17. but also by the 5th Oecumenick Council yea and by Bell. himself lib. 1. de purg cap. 2. as maintaining there were no pains after this life but only Purgatory pains and asserting that there shall be an end of the pains both of Devils and wicked men and our Pamphleter had not so much judgment as to observe that Origen asserted this his Heresie in the testimony cited by him Vt efficiantur omnes aurum purum that all may become pure gold shall Judas shall Cain shall devils at length become pure gold as for Tertull. in his book de coron militis he speaks only of prayer for the dead which how it was used by the Ancient Church I have already told and in his book de anima cap. 58. he makes mention indeed of a carcer inferni but truly means no Purgatory but only the common receptacle of saints untill the day of judgment for a litle before cap. 55. he clears himself saying constituimus omnem animam apud inferos sequestrari in diem domini and there upon Bell. concluds him to be one of those who mantained the elect were not admitted to the beatifick vision untill the day judgment and the rather he calls it a Carcer for according to his Chiliast fancy he thought not that all should rise alike but some sooner some latter according to their degrees of sins or graces From Cyprian he cites that commonly objected Place ex Epist ad Anton. it s one thing to be amended for sins by long grief and to by purged with fire a long while another to have purged away all sins bâ— suffering Martirdome but this nothing concerns Purgatory As not only our divines but some of there own also as Rigaltius and Albaspinaeus have showed that Cyprian is there only speaking of the severities of discipline which the lapsi under went in order to pardon and comparing them with the felicity where of Martyrs after death are possessed That purging fire is the severity of Church disciplin which in primitive times was very long drawn out neither needs it seeme strange to any that it s compared to a fire seeing Hierom discribing the penitentiall exercises of Fabiola Epitaph fab ad Oceanum saies Sedit super Carbones ignis hi fuerunt in adjutorium and
oppugne him 4. Ibid. He sayes we protest against the wisdome of God saying that God obliges us to things impossible whereas 1 Joh. 5. 3. his commands are not heavy We do not say that God commands any things simply impossible Any impossibility that is we have contracted it sinfully in the loyns of our first Parents and so God is not to be blamed for it This accidental impossibility to keep the Law perfectly Scripture frequently holds out Rom. 8. 3. that which the Law could not doe in that it was weak through the flesh ver 8. they that are in the flesh cannot please God Joh. 12. 39. they could not believe Matth. 7. 8. a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit see Eccles 7.20 this is an old Pelagian Heresie against which Austin and Hierom did dispute as if the children of men were able to fulfil the Law of God perfectly by ordinary measures of Grace given to them in time revived by Papists and Quakers contrary to express Scripture 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. blowing up wretched sinners with vain fancy of a sinless state as for that 1 Joh. 5. 3. his commands are not grievous It must be understood in reference to the regenerate by the confession of their great Doway professor Esthius on the place for saith he to the unregenerate the commands of God are not only grievous but also quodammodâ— impossibilia in some kind impossible But the regenerate are strengthened by Grace to yield sincere evangelical obedience to the Commands of God yea and to delight in them Rom. 7. 22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man yet alas Jam. 3. 2 in many things we offend all but these offences the Lord graciously pardons to penitent believers through the blood of Christ and so still to them his commandements are not grievous Dum quicquid non sit ignâ—sciture 5. Ibid. He sayes we protest against Gods Veraeity saying that the Church can err contrary to Matth. 18. and 1 Timoth. 3. Nay inthis they contradict the varacity of God and not we saith not the Apostle Rom. 3. 4. let God be true and every man a lyar and is not their Church made up of men who can produce no more exemption from error then other Churches As for these Scriptures alledged for the Churches infalibillity they have been considered before But the truth is it s not the infalibility of the Catholick Church Romanists plead for but of the Synagogue of Rome and the head thereof the Pope as if to question the infallibility of the Pope of Rome and of a Cabal of his Trustees were to question the varaeity of the God of Heaven and if they be found lyars the most high God should be concluded a lyar Be astonished O heavens at so atrocious a blasphemy 6. Ibid. He faith we protest against the Providence of God saying that God has not given an infallible Judge Whereas Peter sayes no Scripture is of private interpretation Nay Sir we do but protest against the pride and providence of your Pope God having given the Scripture as an infallible rule there is no necessity of an infallible Judge because Scriptures are not of Private interpretation therefore the glosses imposed either by Quaker or Papal Enthusiasms ought to be exploed as flowing from a private spirit We are so far from allowing of private interpretations of Scripture that we desire all to be examined by the publick standard of truth 7. Ibid. sayes he we protest against the efficacy of Christs death saying that he hath freed us from the pain but not from the guilt of sin contrary to 1 Joh. 1. 7. O the impudency of a Jesuits forehead let the World judge whether they or we oppose the efficacy of Christs death for 1. They say he died for many who are or shall be damned But himself will acknowledge that we say for whomsoever Christ died they are or shall be saved 2. They say Christ hath not satisfied for all the sins of them that are saved not for these they call venial nor for the temporal punishment due to mortal sins but we say Christ satisfied fully for all sins of the Elect. 3. They say remissa culpa non remiâ—titur paena that the sin may be remitted and not the punishment that a proper punishment to be undergone here or in Purgatory may be kept over the head of a Creature after pardon But we affirm that when sin is forgiven the punishment is discharged what else is remission but the dissolution of the obligation to undergo Punishment May not all see the inconsistency of these Jesuit tenets with that Scripture 1 Joh. 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin how then charges he us as saying that Christs blood frees us from the pain but not from the guilt of sin Nay on the contrary we affirm that the blood of Christ frees us both from the pain and the guilt of sin We judge it impossible that the one can be without the other what is guilt but the obligation to punishment Can a man be freed by a holy and Just God from punishment and yet lie under the obligation to punishment But I believe the thing which this ignorant Pamphleter drives at is that original corruption may be pardoned through the blood of Christ and yet sinful concupiscenee remain in believers and in this what do we say more then St. Austin lib. 1. de nupt concupis Cap. 25. Non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur Doth not the Apostle who was in a justified estate bewail his indwelling concupiscence Rom. 7. 24 Yet from it also the blood of Christ shall make us free though here while we are In agone it be left for exercise Upon the hope of Victory is that doxology Rom. 7. 25. thanks be to God through Jesus Christ 8. Pag. 108. He sayes we protest against Gods order tying sanctification to Faith only I believe he would have said Justification contrary to Jam. 2. 24. It s not we but Romanists who oppose the order of God in the Justification of a sinner Doth not the Apostle conclude Rom. 3. 28. That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Indeed that Faith though it be sola in the instrumentality of our justification as some use the phrase yet it is not solitaria being joyned with other graces of the spirit and fruitful in good works For a justified state and the soundness of Justifying Faith is demonstrated by good works which is that which James affirms I must use the Freedom to tell this Pamphleter that Jesuits do not understand the nature of Justification and therefore they still confound it with Sanctification 9. Ibid. He sayes we protest against the appointment of God saying that good works done by grace do not merit contrary to Math. 10. where its said that Christ shall render to every one according to his works It seems this man cites the Scripture by guess as
as a sixth branch of Romish Idolatry the Adoration of the Popes of whom says the Lateran Council under Leo the Tenth Sess 3. 10. Est universis populis adorandus Deo simillimus and withal applies to him that Scripture Psa 72. Adorabunt eum omnes Reges teâ—rae Among other examples of adoring Popes Stembergius in Idea Papismi pag. 98. makes mention how in the Conclave immediately after the Creation of a new Pope he is adorned with Holy Vestments and a Triple Crown and set upon an Altar then the Cardinals kneeling and kissing his hands and his feet do Religiously adore him and this by the Italians is by way of Eminence says mine Author called L'adoratione To shut up this first instance either Idolatry is no part of ungodliness or the Popish Religion hath a manifest tendency to ungodliness Instance 2. The Popish Religion throws dâ—sgrace upon the holy Scriptures of God whereof I gave an account in many particulars Cap. 3. Sect. 1. consequently it must be an unholy Religion for God hath magnified his Word above all his Name Psa 138. 2. Instance 3. Popery opens a Sluice to and cherishes ungodliness by many of her Doctrines As first by Papal Dispensations Popes have dispensed with Poligamy Incest Sodomy whereof D. Beard giveth instances retract Motiv 1. It shall satisfie me to give you the judgment of the Popes Casuist Navarr Enchirid. cap. 22. Sect. 84. Edit Wirceburg 1593. The Pope saith he can dispence with all prohibited degrees of Consanguinity and Affinity excepting only with the Consanguinity inter ascendentes descendentes as betwixt the Father and his Daughter and betwixt the Mother and her Son And for Fornication the sentence of the Canon Law is famous Dist 34. Cap. 4. He that hath not a Wife but instead of a Wife a Concubine let him not be kept from the Communion They have dispensed also with Perjury disobedience to Magistrates and Rebellion against lawful Princes these Dispensations of Popes Bernard in his time justly called Dissipations Secondly by Papal Indulgences As Popes can dispense with sins before they be committed so they can pardon them after they are committed Who hath not heard of the Taxa paenitentiaria Apostolica whereby sins are set to sale and pardon granted for a little Money Yea in it prices are set down for his Absolution who hath killed his Father Mother Brother or Wife or that hath lain with his Mother or Sister They who cannot have the Book it self may find a considerable account hereof in Henry Foulis his Preface to the History of Romish Treasons where also he shews how debonnaire and frank Popes have been in giving Pardons for hundreds and thousands of years and which is more for ever and ever Hence one of their own Monks could sing Si dederis Mercas iis impleveris Arcas Culpa solveris quaque ligatus or is If thou with Marks will fill their Arks What e're thou dost commit By word or deed thou shalt be freed The Pope hath pardoned it Is it not the custom of Popes to send abroad an infinite number of Consecrated Crucifixes Medals agnus Dei's Holy Grains Beads and such like Trash that whosoever wears any of them if he be at the point of death and say but in his heart the Name of Jesus he shall have a plenary and full remission of all his sins Besides the great Mart for Indulgences at Rome have they not Priests and Jesuits like so many trafficking Pedlers venting these unlucky wares in all places Do they not hereby open a door to all licentiousness Who would fear to commit sin when Pardon may be obtained at so low a rate Thirdly by imposing upon infinite numbers of persons in Orders and on Votaries the necessity of living in Celibate whether they have a gift of Continency or not yea by teaching them openly that it 's better to fornicate than marry So Bell. lib. 2 de Monach cap. 30. Sect. sed adferamus and the Rhemists on 1 Cor. 7. c. How this hath filled the world with filthiness I hinted a little before from their own Authors insomuch that Cassander professed Consult Art 23. that not one of a hundred of their Monks Priests or Nuns lived chaste Fourthly by the Doctrine of Venial Sins teaching people to have low thoughts of sin as if there were some sins which of their own nature did not deserve Hell fire what will make people bolder on sin than this Fifthly by their Implicit Faith and by prohibiting the multitude to read the Scriptures they do nourish Ignorance which is both a sin it self and the cause of more sin And sixthly not to add more have not the Popish Casuists especially Jesuits by their Doctrine of Probables and regulating of their intentions taught a way how to commit Villanies without sin at least a Mortal sin if this be not to open a Gap to impiety those who have any sense of the true fear of God may judge Instance 4. Popery contradicts the Great Design of the Gospel which is to set forth Jesus Christ as our compleat Saviour For first it teaches that Christ has not satisfied for all our sins but that we our selves must satisfie either here or in Purgatory not only for the punishment due to these sins which they call Venial but also for the temporal punishment due to Mortal sins yea Ruardus Tapperus as Bell. testifies lib. 4. de paenit cap. 1. adds that we may make satisfaction to God for the sin it self and the eternal punishment due thereto Secondly Popery teaches if we may believe the Rhemists Annot. in 2 Tim. 4. 8. that good works are truly and properly meritorious and fully worthy of eternal life and that thereupon Heaven is the due and just stipend Crown or recompence which God by his Justice oweth to the persons so working insomuch that they spare not to say Annot. in Heb. 6. 10. that God would be unjust if he rendred not Heaven for the same To the like purpose they speak Annot. in 1 Cor. 3. 8. Are not these impious Doctrines highly injurious to our Blessed Redeemer For if he hath satisfied fully for all our sins and merited Heaven fully for us there is no place left for our Merits or satisfaction And to set up humane merits and satisfactions is to accuse the satisfaction and Merits of Christ of imperfection It 's but a ridiculous and impious evasion of Papists that they derogate nothing from Christ by their satisfactions and merits because Christ purchased to them Grace to satisfie and Merit For besides that this is a meer figment and precarious Assertion without a shadow of ground from Scripture it carries a repugnancy in its own bosom for if humane satisfactions flow from Grace purchased by Christ they are not proper satisfactions seeing these must be ex propriis indebitis of that which is our own and not due to him to whom the satisfaction is made besides satisfactions must be ad aequalitatem
this imputation upon all Romanists for all have not Learned these depths of Satan But because I added in the Assumption that more especially the Popish Religion as maintained by Jesuits reaches most impious things against both the Tables of the Law of God hereof abundant examples may be had from the Provincial Letters of Montalt and the Jesuits Morals collected by a Doctor of Sarbon and Pyrotechnica Loyolana cap. 3. Sect. 2. pag. 38. c. I only collect from them a few particulars As 1. That Jesuits hold that it 's sufficient that men love God once before they die that we are not so much commanded to love God as not to hate him yea that a man may be saved without ever loving God That this is taught by Jesuits especially by Sirmondus is shewed Provinc Epist 10. and in notis Wendroke ad Epist 10. and by the Author of the Jesuits Morals Lib. 2. Part. 2. Cap. 2. Art 1. Secondly that a man may be saved without Contrition that attrition or sorrow for sin out of fear of Hell though only general without reâ—texion on particular sins though slender without intention of degrees and though of short continuance but for one instant yet if joyned with Sacerdotal Absolution may be sufficient for the pardon of sin And this Escobar holds out not only as one of their probable Doctrines but as a certain truth Tom. 2. Theoâ— Moral lib. 14. de Sacr. paenit Sect. 1. cap. 5. and confirms it from the Council of Trent Sess 14. cap. 6 7. yea Montalt Epist 10. shews from Greg. de Valentia that they hold Contrition to be hurtful to the Sacrament of Penance for Contrition blotting out sin of it self leaves nothing to be done by the Sacrament of Penance Escobar affirms as much on the matter lib. 14. de Sacram. paenit Sect. 2. Probl. 26. Num. 125. of the impious Doctrines of Jesuits concerning repentance see the Author of the Jesuits Morals discoursing at length lib. 2. Part. 1. Cap. 2. Art 1. Thirdly that Jesuits allow horrid Idolatry yea and witchcraft particularly that they allowed their proselited Christians in China and the Indies to joyn in Heathenish Idolatry by this subtil evasion of hiding under their Cloaths an Image of Christ to which they might by a Mental Reservation direct these publick Adorations which they gave to the Heathenish Idols Cachim Choan and Keum Fucum This Montalt proves to be done by them Epist 5. and that it 's lawful to use Charms to consult Conjurers that the diligence of an expert Conjurer in Diabolical Arts is worthy of a reward This the Author of the Jesuits Morals lib. 2. Part. 2. cap. 2. Art 1. Poynt 4. pag. 289. proves from Tambourin Zanchez and Sanctius and Montalt Epist Provine 8. Fourthly Jesuits excuse and extenuate the sins of swearing blaspheming as is shewed copiously in the Jesuits Morals pag. 291. To swear lightly and unconcernedly is only a venial sin saith Zanchez yea the Author of Pyrotech Loyol pag. 40. says they bold it to be a less sin than to eat an Egg in Lent that to call God to be witness to a little lye doth not deserve damnation that by the Bulla Cruciata a man may be dispensed with the Vow he hath made not to commit Fornication or any other sin Fifthly Jesuits have so little regard to the Spiritual Worship of God that they affirm that it 's enough that a man be bodily present at Religious Service though he be absent as to his mind providing he behave himself with external reverence This Montalt Epist Provinc 9. proves from Gaspar Hurtadus Conink yea brings in Vasquez and Escobar granting that a man may satisfie the Command concerning the Worship of God though he come with positive intentions not to attend the Worship of God sed libidinose aspiciendi faeminas Sixthly Jesuits destroy the duty which Children owe to Parents Tambourin and Castro-Palao cited by the Author of the Jesuits Morals pag. 298. affirm that a Child may design the death of a Parent that he may succeed to the Inheritance and Inferiours may long for the death of Superiours to obtain their places and they can allow Children to marry without the consent of Parents I will here transcribe from the Jesuits Morals pag. 300. the words of Jesuit Tambourin as to this case how he goes over the Belly of Scripture Fathers and Popes though saith Tambourin Pope Euaristus have ordained that a Daughter should not be held for a married Wife if her Father agreed not to the Marriage though Pope S. Leo and S. Ambrose say that it 's not becoming the modesty of a Virgin to chuse an Husband but that she ought to attend on her Fathers judgment Though in the holy Scripture this charge be laid upon Fathers that Daughters be given in Marriage by them though many examples of Saints do shew this manifestly yet I answer saith he with Sanchez that these and such like prove well that it 's very commendable for them to demand their Fathers advice but not that they in not doing so fall into the horrible disorder of mortal sin Thus Jesuits insolently elude Scriptures and Fathers to countenance disobedience and impudence in children and to favour Rapes and Clandest me Marriages Seventhly Jesuits contrary to the sixth Command authorize most bloody murthers as that a man who could escape by flying may kill another who intends to assault him for his life So Lessius de Just Jur. lib. 2. cap. 9. dub 8. Num. 44 45. yea that he may kill for a box in the ear for reproachful words or gestures albeit the Crimes objected be true So Lessius ibid. dub 12. num 7. 8. 81. or for the defence of his goods were it but for an Apple or a Crown if this should occasion reproach or disgrace That this is the Doctrine of Amicus and other Jesuits is shewed by the Author of the Jesuits Morals pag. 312. c. Eighthly Contrary to the seventh Command they teach that though a woman were sensible what an ill effect her vain and gorgeous Dresses would work on the Bodies and Soâ—ls of those that should see her yet were it no sin at all to make use thereof as Montalt Epist 9. shews from Escobar and Baunius and the Author of the Jesuits Morals pag. 334. brings in Tambourin Azorius and Fagundez asserting that there may be invincible ignorance in some of the Precept which forbids Fornication and consequently according to these Authors it may be practised by such innocently and without sin And pag. 337 338. he cites Lessius Tolet Sanchez and Escobar affirming that pollution for health and other ends may be desired and rejoyced in I blush to relate the filthy cases and impious decisions of that Jesuited Casuist Diana resolut Moral Part. 2. tract 17. resolut 37 38. Ninthly Contrary to the eighth Command Jesuits teach and approve theftuous practices Emmanuel Sa. verbo furtum pag. 262. teaches that it is lawful to steal from a rich