text Whether he meaneth saith this father by finall impaenitence or by any mortall sinne coÌ„tynued vnto deathe it is sure and plaine a man must not pray for him that diethe in it Then yf we be admonished not to pray for one sorte of departed the case is cleare that we may and are bownd and shall be hearde for the other sorte that sinneth not vnto death To this place also S. Augustine disputing in his booke de ciuitate dei that praiers proffiteth not all meÌ„ departed alludeth Lib. 21. Cap. 24. or rather leanethe vnto â—t as a sure grounde against the Orginistes that would haue goddes mercy by mannes praiers obteined for the wicked soules deceased after this sort Si â—ui autem vsque ad mortem habebunt cor imâ—anitens nec ex inimicis conuertuntur in filios numquid iam pro eis id est pro talium lefunctoruÌ„ spiritibus orat ecclesia cur ita niâ—i quia iam in parte diaboli computantur qui lum essent in corpore non sunt translati in Christum Yf there be any that till death conntinue in stubburne impaenitency of hearte and of enimies to goddes Churche will not be made children doethe the Churche make intercession for suche that is to say for the soules of theime being departed in that state and why praieth she not for theyme but bicause they be nowe reckoned for the deuilles lote being deade that would not moue to Christes part when they were in theire bodies And this is the cause that for suche as in desperation destroy theyme selues by any kind of wilful or violent death or in the stubborne mayntenance of haeresye offer theime selues to be extirpate as well owte of the society of mannes lyfe as oute of the communion of the Christiane company our holy moother the Church who by her practise is the best construer off goddes worde neuer vseth any meanes for theire quiet rest Bracarens Cap. 34. Wheron there is a holy decrie of councell in this sense â–ª qui sibi ipsis quolihet modo culpabili inferuâ— mortem nulla pro illis fiat commemoratio neque cum psalmis sepeliantur All those that by any vnlawful way procure their own deathe Vide Timoth Alexand. respons 14 let no commemoration be had of theime nor be broght home with psalmes The which hath bene both diligently obserued euer emongest ChristiaÌ„s and for terrour of the wicked often by holy canons renewed Wherof there is no other cause but this that such persons being at th end cutt of the common bodie can receyue no vtility of that where vnto they are not nor now can not be ioyned And as in that case where goddes church hathe plaine presumption of any persons euerlasting perishing ether by coÌ„tinuance in infidelytie owte of her happy family or by haeresie and separation of him selfe till the last ende leaping owte of her holy lappe where he once was before or being and continuing with sum open euidence therof an vnprofitable membre and a deade branche as I saye in any plaine proufe of these thinges the Churche neuer practiseth for his rest bicause she nether hathe hope of getting any grace nor meanes to conuey any benefite vnto suche as be not in the lymmes of lyefe so if our sayde careful moother doo bestow of her customable kyndnesse al her godly meanes vpon those whome she knowethe not otherwise but in finall piety and paenitence to haue passed this lyefe and yett in deede before god to whome onely all secrets of mannes hearte be perfectly open dyed as abiectes and owtecastes in sinne and impaenitencye she can not for all that any whit helpe they re aestate so miserable nor appeace Goddes wrathe towardes theyme being nowe owte of the tyme of deseruing oute of the churchies lappe effectually and finally separated from the chosen people and oute of the coÌ„pase of grace and mercye Muche lesse any priuate maÌ„nes prayer caÌ„ be any thing at al beneficial to his frend or other that dyed not in Goddes fauoure whose payne can nether be finished nor by any of these ordynary meanes one moment released or lessened Yet euery good faythfull person must imitate the diligence of Goddes churche herein that ceaseth not bothe to offer and pray for all sortes wythe in her lymittes that be heÌ„se in any likelyhood of repeÌ„tance departed who hadde rather they shulde abuÌ„de to the needelesse theÌ„ at any tyme lacke for the reliefe of suche that might wante theyme Therfore let no man withdrawe his almose charity or praiers from any of the houshoulde of faithe vpon any light praesumption yea or strong coniecture of any mannes finall continuance in sin or wickednes vpon whom in the laste spirite of breathe as God may haue mercy so mannes praiers then shall be bothe needefull and exceding beneficiall vnto him Only with conscience thow may and must cease with Goddes Churche to practise the waies of mercy vpon such as be not baptised or otherwise after theire baptisme haue by leauing this holy communion of the faithefull iudged theim selues vnworthy and made they re case vnapte by continuaunce therin to receiue any benefite ether of the Churche which of theire owne accorde they haue forsaken or of any membre thereof whervnto by faithe and loue they are not ioyned And so al haeretikes shal be voyde of this mercy and grace after theire death which did in their lyfe so ernestly abhorre the same Vpon all other where any hope may be hadd if thowe pray or procure the meanes of mercy it shal at least be to thy selfe a singulare helpe and gayne thoughe the partye for whome thowe doost it ether neede it not being allready receiued into blesse Homil. 21. in Cap. 9. Actuum or elles in perpetuall damnation of helle be helples for euer Si praeces pro mortuis facimus saith S. Chrisostom si eleemosinas damus et si ille indignus sit nobis Deus placatior erit If we pray for the deade and bestowe allmose for their sakes if he be fownd vnworthy yet God wil the rather be mercyfull to our selues And sure it is that who so euer be fownde so gracious as with much compassioÌ„ of the deceaseds misery to procure with study and care Goddes merciful pardon towardes theyme that such a one especially shall find grace and fauour at the time of neede and be meruailous apte to receaiue bene fite by others procurement ageine VVho be most apte to receiue benefite by the praiers of the lyuing For as it is certaine that no man can receiue benefite after his departure by any worke or will of the liuing sauing suche as in theire lyfe deserued the same so must it needes be that where these remedyes be needefull and profitable that yet more or lesse they shal worke vpon the party for his relyefe according to the more or lesse deuotion and deseruing in this lyfe Therfore this truth of mutuall participation of the deade withe the lyue geueth no man
shall so discharge that after the payment ether pardoned or fully made we may haue ioyfull accesse to his blessed presence For the forme of speache vsed in lyke ordre of wordes by bothe the Euangelistes dothe vs plainely to vnderstand that we may through Christe make ful payment therof Elles he would not by liklyhoodd haue sayde that we shoulde not escape fourthe tyll we had discharged the vtmost farthing but rather that seuere iudge woulde haue geuen charge that thoffender shoulde be bond hand and foutte and cast into the dark doungion of euerlasting damnation praepared for the deuill and his Angells whiche is the second and euerlasting deathe Namely the worde off Imprisonment so well agreing therunto Carcâ—r that it may not well admit any other meaning but a place of temporall torment For a prison is a place of correction and chastisement of suche as be on lyue in which as longe as lyefe lasteth a man may be in hope of liberty thoughe his bondage for a tyme be neuer so vntollerable but when sentence of deathe is once pronounced in this worlde or damnation in the nexte then we may right wel knowe Goddes mercy to be shutte vppe and the party desperate of all recouery Nether the name off imprisonment in scripture is lightly taken for the place of euerlasting pounishment nor can by conference of the sundry partes of this letter haue here conuenyently any suche sense And these notes well and diligently considered may geue greate light to the alleaged wordes otherwise somwhat obscure and therwith prooue our matter too They be not of my scanning onely as for som parte thowe shallte pecceiue by these wordes of Rupert Super. 5. cap. Matt. an excellent good author Aduersarius eorum qui erant eiusmodi sermo fuit euangelij omnis praedicator euangelicae veritatis potestatem habens non consentientem sibi tradere iudici non solum iudici verum etiam malo ministro quemadmodum vnus eorum tradidit hominem satanae The aduersary of suche men was the woorde of the gospel and eche preacher of the trueth who had powre to delyuer him that woulde not agree vnto him to the iudge yea further then that he had authority to committe him to an euil minister as one of theime gaue vpp a man to SataÌ„ Here we see what that aduersary is to whom we must consent in this lyefe and withall we haue an example in this iudgemeÌ„t of Goddes ministers howe man may be committed in the next lyfe to a tormenter that may vexe him then at Goddes prescripsion as he doothe nowe at the charge onely of his minister then in fauoure and mercy of the iudge as it is nowe in loue and charity of the vicegerent then for the atteyning of heauens blesse as it is nowe for the saluation of the person poonished For the execution of Goddes sentence may be ether by a good spirite Lib. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 13. or oure aduersary Angel or by his wil and worde onely to whome all creatures serue and obey In this sense Paulinus who was S. Augustines peare writeth that the holy Gost and Goddes worde be mannes aduersaryes in earthe to whome if we applye oure selues obediently in this worlde our sorowe can not be long in the next lyefe But these be his owne wordes Ad AmaÌ„dum epi. 1. Neque septem dies luctus noster excedat si consentiamus in huius vitae via aduersario nostro id est spiritui ac verbo dei quod nobis peccantibus aduersatur c. Oure grefe can not be muche longer then seuen dayes he meaneth it shall be a temporall payne and not very longe yff we consent in the way of this lyefe to oure aduersary that is to witte the spirite and worde of God For they be oure aduersaryes when we sinne bicause the holy Gost chargeth the world with sinne and the word of God if we obey not will be oure accuser and promotour vpp vnto the Iudge who will haue an accompte of his talent to the vttermost farthinge Thus farre spake this Author and in lyke sense many moe whome I neade not nowe name Bicause there is such store of testimonyes that not onely in som part make for the opening of this scripture but alltogether for Purgatory And one or two of theime I will briefly recite bicause I determined with my sellfe and bounde my selfe for my discharge and the readers more safe warraunt to bring no texte of scripture for the proufe off my purpose excepte I might fynd som holy writers of the antiquity that vsed the same directly in that sense that if any man would repreheÌ„d my meaning yet he shoulde not be so bowlde withe suche as I can name and prooue to be my authors therin But whome may I more safely alleage for the contentation of sober wittes and repressyng the aduersaryes bowldenesse then the blessed martyr S. Ciprian Who in the fourth booke of his Epistles for the declaration that euery one whiche here is pardoned of his sinnes shall not streght be exalted to the glory of sanctes and martyrs after theire deathe vseth very fetly as he dothe all other placeis of scripture the forsayde text by these wordes Aliud est ad veniam stare aliud ad gloriam peruenire Epist. 2. aliud missum in carcereÌ„ non exire donec soluat nouissimum quadrantem aliud statim fidei virtutis accipere mercedem aliud pro peccato longo dolore cruciari purgari diu igne aliud peccata omnia passione purgari aliud denique pendere in die iudicij ad sententiam domini aliud statim a domino coronari In English it is another thinge to stande at a pardon then owte of hand to atteyne to glory it is a nother maner of matter to be commited to prison See hovve fully he expresseth bothe the vvord and meaning of purgatory thense not to depart tyl the last farthing be discharged and to receiue owte of hand the reward of faithe and vertue It is one thinge by greate sorowe to be tormented for oure sinnes He calleth the sentence off God in the next life iudgement and by longe fyre amended and pourged of the same and another to haue sufficiently pourged theim by martyrdom in fyne it is not all one to hange on Goddes sentence in the day of iudgement and owte of hand to be crowned of oure lorde These wordes as yowe see expressely prooue oure matter open the meaning of the scripture whereon we nowe stoode and doo clearely sett forth the ordre of Goddes iustice in the next lyefe And they shall content the reader better if he marke vpon what occasion this blessed man spake these wordes There were many in the persecution of that tyme that for feare or worldly respectes denyed theire faithe and offered to idolles who afterward the storme off tyranny somwhat being caulmed coÌ„fessed their faulte and did penaunce for the same by S. Ciprian
thowe so careful for wasting away in thy purgation what shal become of vs where all is drosse and no fine substance so continual sinning and so little sauluyng where the dignity of priesthood wherby thowe conceiued suche comforth is almost worn away his feare was so harty and his meditation of purgatory paines was so ernest that he conceyuith a doubt in respecte of his desertes of wasting away and further castinge in to damnation though he knewe right wel that man admitted to the temporall iudgement of the next worlde coulde not euerlastingly perishe but bicause the paines of the one is so lyke the other the greefe of theime bothe lightly occupieth mannes mynde at once especially where mannes case is doubtefull and often deserueth the worse of the twayne So S. Augustine lykewise after that he had vttered his feare of helle in the prophet Dauids person as I sayde once before streght he adioynethe his request vnto God to saue him from Purgatory paines by the Prophets wordes allso I will recyte his mynd in English In psal 37. O Lorde amend me not in thy anger but pourge me in this lyfe that I may escape the Amending fire whiche is praepared for suche as shall be saued throughe fire And why but bicause they buylde vpon the foundation woodde hay and strawe ▪ men might builde goulde siluer and praeciouse stones and so escape bothe the fyres th one off aeternall poonishment for the wicked and the other whiche shall correct theyme that must be saued through fyre But nowe bicause we reade that he surely shal be saued Note here Christian reader vvhether S. Augustin doubted of purgatory as the lying and vnlerned aduersaryes vvoulde make the simple people belieue therfore that fier is not much regarded And yet let theime be boulde of this that though they be saued by fier it shall yet be more fearse and greuous then any thing that man may susteine in this liefe thoughe bothe Martirs and malefactours haue suffered straunge tormentes Againe in an other place the same holy doctoure vttereth the like saing Whiche I will repeate also that the worlde may behowld the vniust dealing of the contrary part De vera falsae poeniten Cap. 18. that in the booke of theire excuse why they departed owte of the Churche they call it theire Apologie be not ashamed to auouche that S. Augustine sometimes denyed and sometimes doubted of Purgatory Thus he writeth then ageinst suche deceiuers and for the defense of him selfe and the Churches faithe Sed si etiam sic conuersus euadat vitam viuat non moriatur non tamen promittimus quod euadet omnem poenam Nam prius purgandus est igne purgationis qui in aliud saeculum distulit fructum conuersionis Hic autem ignis etsi aeternus non sit miro tamen modo est grauis excellit enim omnem poenam quam vnquam passus est aliquis in hac vita Nunquam enim in carne inuenta est tanta poena licet mirabilia passi sunt martyres multi nequiter iniqui tanta sustinueruut supplicia Studeat ergo quilibet sic delicta corrigere vt post moreem non oporteat talem poenam tolerare Yff a sinner saith he by his conuersion escape death and obteine liefe yet for all that I can not promesse him that he shal escape all paine or poonishmēt For he that differred the fructes of repentaunce till the next liefe must be perfyted in Purgatory fier And this fire I tell yowe thoughe it be not euerlasting yet it is passing greuous for it dooth farre excede all paine that man may suffer in this lyefe Neuer grefe in this flesh coulde be so greate as it thoughe Martirs haue abiden straunge tormentes and the worst sort of wicked men exceding greate poonishments Therfore let euery man so correcte his owne faultes that after his deathe he may escape that pityfull payne So farre S. Augustine By whom we see not only the trueth of our our Catholike doctrine lyuely and vehemently set forth butt to the greate feare of vs all the weght of Goddes sentence and the paine of that vntolerable poonishment as the Churche of his time taught and beleued to passe all mortall and transitory wo in the worlde Wherof The paines of purgatory hath bene reueled to many holy persons it hathe pleaced allmighty God sometimes to geue man a taste by calling summe one or other aboue the common rase of nature oute of this mortall liefe and speedy restoring him from the state of the departed to the company of the lyuing againe Whiche worke thoughe it be straunge in nature thought vnlykely to misbeleuers and contemned of such as woulde extinguishe the spirite of God 1. Tessal 5. yet it hath ben the vsuall practise sence the beginning of oure faithe and religion off the holy Gost so to trade mannes fraylty in faithe and feare of Goddes Iudgements Somtimes the liuing is in traunce or sodden chaunge by Goddes omnipotency taken vppe to the vewe as it weare of the vnspeakeable treasures of the praepared ioyes or extreme calamities of the world to coom So was the Apostle S. Paule he could not tell how him self 2. Cor. 12. called to the behoulding of Goddes maiesty and mysteries vnspeakeable Apocal. 20 So was S. Iohn in spirit caused oftē to behould and praesently in a maner to see not only the affayires of goddes Church til the worldes end but also the happy Seate of the lābe the aeternal ioy of thelect and the euerlasting lake of the damned with the infinite sorowe of all the forsaken sorte And so haue many one sith that time in the same spirite had a praesent taste of all those iudgements whiche by any meanes through the vnsercheable ordinaunce of God be praepared for sinners Ecclesi 46 1. Reg. 28. Sometimes also by the same force of the Spirite the departed haue appeared emongest the lieue as Samuel the prophet to king Saul vttering thinges to coom Or if that were not Samuel him self bicause that practise of vnlawfull artes may be thought not conuenient for the procuring of the Prophettes owne persons appirition Matth. 17. yet Moyses was in dede personally praesent with Christ in the Mounte at his trāsfiguration And as he at Christes cal came frō the dead owte of the bousom of Abrahā so did Elias at the same time coom frō Paradise as S. Augustin affirmeth and wer both conuersant and in talk with Christ and in the sight of the Apostles at once frō whense they departed att Christes appointement Intercourse betvvixt the liue and dead though it be not ordinary yet it is not impossible to theire seuerall abode and rest againe Whereuppon the same holy doctoure confesseth that these rare and meruelous workes of god though they folow not the common order of nature yet they be nether impossible nor vnpractised in Christes Churche Alij sunt saith he limites humanarum rerum alia diuinarū signa
virtutū alia sunt quae naturaliter alia quae mirabiliter fiunt De cura pro mor Cap. 16. The cōmon course and limites of mānes matters be of one sorte and the woonderous signes of goddes powre and vertue of an other the woorkes that naturally be wrought are nothing like suche thinges as meruailously and miraculously be done And as Christ in his owne person made many extraordinary workes to beare testimony of his diuinitye so he woulde that the glory of god and faithe in him shoulde take deape roote and large encrease through owte al nations not onely by preaching and worde but by woorkes also whiche the same holy goste for the saluation of the beloued flocke disposeth by the aeternal wisedom where when with whome and as he listeth Mary as these be the most secret waies and vnknowē steppes of goddes spirite and therefor most humbly to be reuerēced of the faithfull so bicause they are so farre from the rase of naturall affaires and muche ouerreache flesshe and bloodde they are often of fooles contemned and of the vnwise wisdom off worldlinges as extreme madnesse improued The expresse signes of Goddes spirite Mat. 12. wrought by the Sauioure of the worlde in his owne person were with singulare blasphemy of the prowde Iewes referred to Beelzebub The tokens and wonders wrought by his Apostles VVicked men haue euer resisted the holy Gost were attributed to vnlaufull artes and misconstrued of most miscreants to false intentes It was euer a speciall note of incredulity to blaspheme these peculiare steppes of the spirite S. Cyprian complainethe of suche misbeleuers in his time that woulde not agree to the trueth after especiall reuelations had of the same Lib. 4. epist 9. Whiche kinde of men he noteth in the latter ende of an epistle by these wordes Quanquam sciam omnia ridicula visiones ineptas quibusdam videri sed vtique illis qui malunt contra sacerdotes credere quam sacerdoti Sed nihil mirum quando de Ioseph fratres sui dixerunt ecce somniator ille venit Allthoughe saith he I knowe right well howe litle accompte they make of visions whiche they aesteme as mere triefles But yet it is suche onely that had rather beleue ageinst then with Goddes priestes And no meruaile that is seeing good Iosephs owne brethern saide by him in mockage Genes 37. Lo yender cooms the dreamer So did they scoffe at him bicause he had more familiarity with the spirite of God then the other had Nowe as the ioyes of heauen and Paradise with the torment of sinners and other secrettes of the next liefe haue bene straungely represented to som one or other in all agies by sundry meanes most expedient to oure saluation and most seemely to the wisdom and will of the woorker so certainly no article was euer with more force of spirite or more graue authority set fourth sence the beginning of Christian religion then this one of Purgatory Neuer nation was conuerted to the faithe but it hadd this trueth not onely taught by worde but by miracle allso confirmed And namely in that abundant floodde of faithe when it pleaced God allmost at once to spreade his name emongest all these contryes it was thought most necessary to his diuine wisdom together with the true worship off his name to plante in all faithfull mennes heartes the awe and necessary feare of that greuous torment for the reuenge and iust iudgement of wicked lyefe This greuous payne was vttered by the very sufferers theime selues as we may see in the notable historyes off Paschasius and Iustus Cap. 24. l. 4. dialogorum reported by S. Gregoryes owne mouth This greuous poonishment was ageyne declared by Furseus who as the reuerent Bede reporteth Cap. 13. li. 3. had the behoulding of the aeternall blesse the euerlasting misery and the temporall payne of the nexte lyfe Drichelmus allso Li. 5. c. 13 by the ordinaunce of God taken from emongest mortall men into the state of the nexte worlde after he had seene lyke wise the terrible iudgement of God practised euen vpon the electe was restored to lyfe againe in oure owne nation and was a witnesse worthy of all credet of this same trueth not onely by his word wherof he was so sparing all his lyefe tyme after that he woulde not vtter this same mistery but withe singulare care and respect of the persons intent that asked him therof but namely by passinge greate poenaunce and incredible chastising of his body whiche proceaded of the sensible knowledge that he had of the paynes praepared And being asked sometime as holy Bede saithe why he so tormented him selfe in the willing toleration of extreme heate or contrary coulde bothe of froste and snowe he made answer simply and shortely Frigidiora ego vidi austeriora ego vidi Ah masters I haue seene cowlder I haue seene sharper Meaning by the vnspeakable paines of Purgatory The whole history of his visions with many the like R. Beda may be redde in the Ecclesiastical history of oure owne natiō writen by as faithfull a witnesse as euer was borne in oure lande of suche vertue that he woulde begile no man willingly of so greate wisdō that he woulde report no tale nor triefle rashly off suche grace and learning that he was well able to discerne a false fable and superstitious illusion from a true and diuine reuelation For as it were foly and mere vanity to geue credet to euery spirite so to condemne a spirite or reuelation or any woorke of Goddes finger approued by the Churche of God in which there hathe euer bene the gifte of discerning spirites 1. Cor. 12. it is properly a sinne against the holy Gost And bicause euery man hath not that gifte as I woulde not counsell any man ouer lightely to geue credet to euery priuat spirite and peculiar vision bicause they may coom of wicked intentes and sinister motiōs so I think it were good in feare reuerēce and humility to committ the discerninge of suche thinges to the spirit and iudgement of Goddes Churche With the belefe of euery peculiar mannes phantasy we are not charged with hūble submission of oure wholeliefe and beliefe to the Churche of Christe ther are we especially charged And bicause there is nothing reported ether in the woorkes of S. Gregory or in Bede or in Damascen or in any other the like concerning the paynes ether of the electe or the damned in the nexte life but as muche hath ben vttered before by all the holy and lerned fathers in greate agony of mind and feare of the saide iudgement we may be the more boulde to thinke the best or rather we are bownd to thinke the best of that spirite whiche so conformably agreeth with the doctrine of the Churche and faithe of all the fathers There can no man say more of Purgatory nor more plainely then S. Ambrose Damascenus vocat purgatoriū baptisma ignis being in
a maner a frade him self of wasting away in that horrible tormēt none more effectually then S. Augustine that confesseth there is no earthely paine comparable vnto it Lib. 4. Ca. 10. de ortho fid none more fearefully then Eusebius Emissenus who termeth it skaulding waues off fyre none more pithely then Paulinus that calleth those places off iudgements Ad Amandum epi. ◠Ardentes tenebras burning darknesse More peculiarely may the circūstances and cōdicion of that state by god be reueled but the trueth therof can not be more plainely declared nor better prooued These babes feared no bugges I warraunt yovv nether picked they Purgatory owte of Scipio his dreame but they had it owte of Goddes holy worde and tradition of the holy apostles and by the very suggestion of the spirite of truth All which if it can not moue the misbeleuer and stay the rashenesse of the simple deceiued sort it shall be but lost laboure to bring in any more for the confirmation of that trueth whiche all the holy doctoures haue so fully both proued and declared to my hand But nowe for vs that throughe Goddes greate mercy be Catholikes let vs for Christes sake so vse the benefite of this oure approued faithe to the amendement of oure owne lyues that where no argument will serue nor authority of Scripture or doctoure can conuerte the deceiued yet the fructe of this doctrine shewed by good liefe and vertuous conuersation may by Christes mercy moue theime Let the priest consider that this heuy iudgment must begī at the howse of God Epist 1. ca. 4. Ambros vbi supra as S. Peter affirmeth and so dooth S. Ambrose proue it must do In whom for the dignity of his honourable ministery as much more holynesse is requisite so a more straite reckoning must be required Let the Lay man lerne for the auoyding of greater daūger in the praesence of the highe Iudg willingly to submitt him self to Goddes holy ministers Who haue in most ample manner a commission of executing Christes office in earthe bothe for pardoning and poonishement of sinne that sufferinge here in his Churche sentence and iuste iudgement for his offensies he may the rather escape oure fathers greuous chastisement in the liefe to coom Therefore I woulde exhorte earnestly the minister of God that in geuing poenaunce he woulde measure the medecine by the malady aptly discerning the limitation of the poonishement by the quantity of the faulte not vsing lyke lenity in closing vp of euery wound For they shall not be blamelesse surely that doo the woorke of Goddes iudgement committed to theire discretion negligently nor the simple soule that lookes to be set free from further paine can by the acceptation of suche vnaequall remedies auoyde the skourge of iudgement praepared ▪ except he him selfe voluntaryly receiue as I woulde wishe all men should som forther satisfaction by the fructes of poenaunce that of his owne accorde he may helpe the enioyned paenalty and so by Goddes grace turne away the greate grefe to coom Excellently well Epist 2. and to oure pupose saide S. Cyprian in the fourthe booke of his epistles taulking of suche offenders as were not charged with poenaunce sufficyently or otherwise negligently fulfilled the same by these wordes VVe shall not herein any thing be preiudiciall to Goddes iudgmēt that is to coom that he may not alowe and ratifie oure sentence if he finde the perfect poenaunce of the party so require But if the offēder haue deluded vs by fayned accōplishing of his paenaunce then God who will not be deluded bicause he behouldeth the hearte of man shall geue iudgement of suche thinges as were hidde from vs. And so oure Lorde will amende the sentence of his seruauntes Wher this doctour seemeth to allude to the accustomed name of Pugatory whiche S. Augustin and other doo often call the amending fyere Thoughe it may well be that he here calleth the contrary sentence of iudgement to aeternall damnation vppon the impoenitent sinner whome the prieste bicause he coulde not discerne the fained hipocrasy of his externall dealing from the inward sorow of hearte pronounced to be absolued of his sinnes it may stand I say that he termeth that contrary sentence of God the correction or the amendement of the priestes iudgement Howe so euer that be it is a woorke of singulare grace and discretion so to deale with the spirituall patient that he haue no nede off the amending fyer Of the nature and condicion of Purgatotory fyre the difference of theire state that be in it from the damned in Hell vvith the conclusion of this booke Cap. 13. IF any curious head list of me demaunde where or in what parte of the world this place of poonishmēt is or what nature that fyre is of that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance I will not by longe declaration thereof feede his curiosity bicause he may haue both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe and many other workes of God moe The lerned may see that quaestion at large debated in the bookes of the City of God Lib. 20. and in the litterall exposition vpon the Genesis And yet after all searche that man can make this must be the conclusion with the author of those bookes Libro 8. cap. 5 Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni ille sinus Abrahae illa lingua diuitis illa sitis tormēti illa stilla refrigerij vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus a contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis I am sure saith S. Augustine the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent payne and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding but howe or of what nature that Hell flame and fyre is to be taken or Abraham his bosom or the glottens tong or the intollerable thurst in that torment or the droppe to quenche his heat All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfyed to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof But to contentious and curious ianglers they shal neuer be knowen Therfore better it is to be in doubt of these secretts then to stand in contentious reasoning off thinges vncertaine So must we thinke also of Purgatory that the paine thereof of what condicion so euer it be or where so euer the ordinaunce of God hath placed it is wonderfull horrible And by force of operation representeth the nature of oure fyre and bothe by scriptures and doctours is most termed by the name of fyre as Hell torment is It woorketh so vpon the soule of man as the other did vppon the riche mannes soule and all other that be allready in Helle before the receiuing of theire bodies into the same misery at the generall day of Iudgement And the sensible greefe may be as greate of certaine as in the other place of euerlasting damnation as Cyrillus Cyrill in vita
warraunteth to be proffitable for the soules departed A briefe note of the contētes and principall poyntes of this booke I will open what the principall pillars and in a maner the flowre of all the faythfull sorte in sundry a gies and allmost in all Christian contryes haue lefte in writynge for this poynte I wil declare what they practised for theire dearest frendes priuately and what the churchies of most notable Nations vsed for all deceased in Christes faith in theire publike seruice oppenly I shall prooue vnto yowe that the practise of suffragies and Sacrifice for the deade isshued downe to vs from the Apostles dayes I shall poynte yowe to the firste father of the contrary doctrine and his principall abettours in suche troublesom tymes as suche marchants were to be fownde Ye shall see theym knowen emongest all the holy of theire tyme by the name of haeretikes Yowe shall see theire doctrine improoued and theime selues condemned by the graue iudgement of Councelles bothe Generall and prouinciall for haeretikes Yf any of theime all can say any thing to the contrary off that whiche we vpon so good growndes maynteine he shall be answered with no worse then the very wordes of the holy auncyent writers Finally yf any other thinges be necessary besyde for the declaration of this matter to the simple or for proufe ageynst oure aduersaryes they shall not be omitted as occasion by course and fall of the matter may be geuen All which poyntes being auouched and not proued shall condemne me of arrogancy But bothe auouched and fully proued they shall deserue any reasonable mannes consent and beare testimony of the aduersaryes impudēcy here and witnesse of theire contempte of Goddes approued trueth in the world to coom That there be certayne sinnes vvhiche may be forgeuen in the nexte lyefe and that the deserued poonishement for the same may be eased or vtterly released before the extreme sentence be to the vtmost executed Cap. 1. ANd first that sinnes may be pardoned in the next world that were not in this lyfe forgeuen oure Sauiours owne wordes do teache vs writē in the Gospell of S. Matthew thus Ideò dico vobis omne peccatum blasphemia remittetur hominibus spiritus autem blasphemia non remittetur Et quicunque dixerit verbum cōtra filium hominis remittetur ei Cap. 12. qui autem dixerit contra spiritum sanctum non remittetur ei neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro I tell yowe that al maner of sinne and blasphemy shal be forgeuen vnto men but the blasphemy of the spirit shall not be forgeuen And who so euer shall speake ageinst the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But if he speake against the holy Ghoste it shall nether be pardoned in this worlde nor in the worlde to coom The same thing in sense Cap. 3. Cap. 12. hath Marke and Luke affirming that suche offense shall neuer be forgeuen The which worde Neuer S. Marke expresseth thus in aeternum non habet remissionem he shall not haue pardon as you woulde say in all aeternity by whiche he may plainely seeme to reache further then the limites and borders of this worlde for the remission of sinne And this speache hathe as muche pith and propre force in it as S. Matthewes who expressely distinctly and belike as Christe spake it vttereth that sense of the aeternity whiche passeth the measure of worldely tyme by these wordes Nether in this worlde nor yet in the worlde to come And for that cause S. Marke saith Reus eritaeterni delicti he shall be gilty of an aeternall faulte signifyng that in som case a man might perhappes not speede of a pardon in this lyfe and yet may obteyne it in the nexte But for that horrible blasphemy he in a maner dischargeth thoffender of all hope of remission ether in this lyfe or in the next that is to coom Whiche forme of wordes can nether be founde in scripture nor in mannes common talke to haue any place in suche thinges as extend no further but to the transitory tyme of oure lyfe for in those matters it had ben vsually and truely spoken it shall neuer happen in this worlde And therefore instructing vs that sinnes or the payne due vnto sinnes may ether be released in this world or in the worlde to come he foloweth that phrase and forme of wordes in which man might wel cōceyue the reache of remission and pardoninge of sinnes farre to passe the compasse of our tyme and lyfe But bicause we haue to doo with fickle marchauntes that will not sticke to brast bowldely the bandes of euident scriptures as anone yowe shall see and therefore will as I think little be moued with reasonable and playne gathering oute of the scriptures nor muche aesteme this lyklyhode as ouer smaule a proufe in so greate a doubte therefore I will shewe my warraunt for this construction that thereby the studious reader may see whome the aduersaryes doo so rashly contemne herin and whome we haue as authors in this meaning of Christes wordes nowe recyted that nether they may be beleued with owte reason and proufe nor we miscredited after so good authority of the auncyent wryters as nether they for shame nor we of conscience can denye S. Gregory whose authority I may bowldly vse against theime bicause they mislyke not his iudgement when it may appeare to make for theime as in deede it neuer doothe he doubted nothing to gether of this oure Sauiours speache that sinnes might be forgeuen in the next worlde And thus he writeth for that poynt Lib. 4. dialog cap. 19. De quibusdam leuibus culpis esse ante iudicium purgatorius ignis credendus est pro eo quod veritas dicit Si quis in sancto Spiritu blasphemiam dixerit neque in hoc saeculo remittetur ei neque in futuro In qua sententia datur intelligi quasdam culpas in hoc saeculo quasdam in futuro posse relaxari quod enim de vno negatur consequens intellectus patet quia de quibusdam conceditur sed tamen vt praedixi hoc de paruis minimisque peccatis fieri posse credendum est For certayne smaule sinnes that there is a purgatory fyer before the daye of iudgement we must neades beleeue bicause the trueth it selfe vttered so muche in these wordes Yf any sinne against the holy Ghost it shall not be remitted nether in this worlde nor in the worlde to coom By whiche sentence it is geuen vs to vnderstande that as som offensies be released in this worlde so there may som other be remitted in the lyfe folowing For that whiche is denyed in one sorte the meaning is plaine that of som other kind it must neades be graunted But Onely small offensies be remitted in the next lyfe as is sayde before this is onely to be taken of lighter offensies thus farre spake S. Gregory and proueth lernedly beside by exāples and sondry scriptures throughe
owte 〈◊〉 Sathans bondage and conuerted to thâ—â—elowship of Christes Church and let vs 〈◊〉 thing doubt but that which oure owne â—postles bothe by worde and worke by mâ—â—acle and by martyrdom first proued vnto â—s is the very true and vnfallible faithe oâ— oure Christianitie For if that were not â—ue which at oure first conueâ—sion was preached vnto vs then we â—eceiued nott the faithe but faulshoode aâ— theire handes theÌ„ the histories doo rake a lowdelye in testifiing we were tâ—â—ned to the Christiane faith bothe at that time and by such men then it wer no conuersion froÌ„ heatheÌ„ Idolatrie to the woorship of Christ but it were a chaunge from one superstition to an other and this latter so much worse then the other bicause vnder the name of Christe there were practise perpetual of execrable sacrilege in instituting of a sacrifice to the defasing of our redemption in adoring bare breade as the hoste of our saluation in offering it vppe to God for the sinnes bothe of the quick and dead in practise of vnproffitable praiers for the soules deceased with the like faulse worship of God in all pointes Then theire preaching was highly to Goddes dishonoure pernicious to the people and damnalbe to theime selues Then haue all that euer ranne the rase of that faithe and doctrine till this daie whiche they taught perished withe theime then are they fownd false witnesseis whom we haue accompted as oure vndoubted true and lawfull pastors then God hath purposely deceiued vs with fained miracles full many with numbers off vaine visions then al our labour is lost till this day The holynesse of so many good princies and priestes is praised in vaine the bloude of Martyres shed in vaine the exercise of al sacrameÌ„ts in vaine and bicause all deuotion consisted in our fathers dayes in the earnest zele of so faulse a religioÌ„ as they thinke this to be then the more deuotion the farther from Christ the lesse religion more nere to saluation then happy was he that was the worst and cursed was he that was counted the best then is oure case most carefull then are we worse theÌ„ all other natioÌ„s that neuer receiued the name of Christ then are we worse theÌ„ we were befor our conuersion then to be shorte thereis no religion no Christ no God no hope of saluation All which thinges if they repugne to common sense and reason and to the comfortable hope of oure saluation which we haue receiued from god by Christe Iesus and the assured testimony of the spirite of God that we be a parte of his chosen Churche and sanctified in his holy name by the worde of truethe and lyfe which we by the ordinary ministery of man haue receiued signes and woonders coÌ„firming theire calling and doctrine then this religion which they planted first in our contrie must needes be in al pointes bothe holy true and acceptable vnto God Then as by that religion our fathers were ingraffed first in to Christes body misticall which is the Churche in which till this day they haue kepte the highe way to saluation so who so euer forsaketh this or any principall article or braunche therof and so leauethe that Churche into which we first entered at oure conuersion Note and take heed betime he leaueth assuredly lyfe and saluation and withe out all doubt euerlastingly perisheth AmoÌ„gest which pointes of doctrine oure aduersaries can not denie but the saing masse and offering for the deade the allmose and praiers for the departed was taught withe the firste and proued by miracles withe the rest The which ether to denie were ouer muche discredit of the antiquitye and plaine impudencie or elles to attribute theyme to the diuells woorking were oppen vntollerable blasphemie Yea this doctrine hathe brought the Churche to this bewtifull ordre in all degries as we haue seene All the noble monuments not onely in oure commoÌ„welthe but through Christes churche do beare sufficient testimonie of oure first faithe herin This doctrine as the whole worlde knoweth fouÌ„ded all Bisshoprikes buylded al Churchies raysed al Oratories Yf praing for the deade vvere takeÌ„ avvay there shoulde no steppe of religigion remaine instituted al Collegies indued all Schooles maintened all hospitalles set forwarde al woorkes of charirye and religioÌ„ of what sorte so euer they bee Take a way the praiers and practise for the deade ether al these monumeÌ„ts must fall or elles they must staÌ„d agaynste the first founders will and meaninge Looke in the statutes of all noble foundacions and of all charitable woorkes euer sithe the first daie of oure happy calling to Christes faithe whether they doo not expressely testifie that theire worke of almose and deuotion was for this one especiall respect to be prayde and songe for as they call it after theire deathes Looke whether your Vniuersites protest not this faithe by many a solemne othe bothe priuatly and openlye Looke whether all preachers that euer tooke degrie in the Vniuersity before these yeres are not bounde by the holy euangelistes to pray for certaine noble princies and praelates of this realme All oure superintendents are deeply and daily periured in euery of their sermons at Paules or other placies of name And so often as these preachers doo omit it so often are they periured so often as they ether eate or drinke of theire benefactors cost so often beare they testimony of they re owne damnation Answer me but one question I aske yowe Whether the firste authors of suche benefites as yowe enioye in the Churche at this day A harde question proposed to the ProtestaÌ„t ether of bisshopricke or colledge or any other spirituall liuelyhoodde say yowre mindes vnfeinedly whether they euer meÌ„t that suche men of suche a religion of suche lyfe of suche doctrine should enioye that allmose which they especially ordeined for other men and for contrary purpose say truethe and shame the deuill thoughte they euer to make roume in Collegies for your wiues meÌ„t they euer to mainteine preachinge against the masse against praiers for theire owne soules when they purposely vpon that grounde began so godlye a woorke if they in deede neuer ment it as I knowe theye did not and as your oune consciencies beare witnesse with theim and against your selues that they did not howe caÌ„ yowe theÌ„ for feare of goddes highe displeasure against theire owne willes vsurpe those commodities whiche they neuer ment to suche as yow be A lasse good men thei thought to make frendes of wicked mammon and full dearly with bothe landes and gooddes haue they procured enimies to theire owne soules But if there be any sense in those good fathers and fouÌ„ders as there is and if they be in heauen as they re good deseruing I trust hathe broght theime then surely they accuse yow most iustly of wicked vniustice before the face of God for deluding the people for breaking theire willes for vsurping theire commodities against theire professed mindes and meaninges Or if they be
carefull admonitions of all these blessed fathers they shall perceiue that euery time that Christes holy bloude is represented vnto God in the Masse for the departed they feele a present benefite and release of theire paines Quaest 34. ad Antioch they doo reioyse saithe holy Athanasius when the vnbloudy host is offered for theim The owlde fathers to put a difference betwixt the sacrificing of Christes own body vpon the crosse and the same vppon the altare in the Churche doo lightly terme this way of offering the vnbloudy sacrifice and the thinge offered which is Christes oune blessed body they call lykewise the host vnbloudie And Chrisostō neuer putting any doubt of the firste authors of offering for the deade prouethe that it is exceding beneficiall to the deceased bicause the apostles full of goddes spirite and wisdom woulde elles neuer withe suche care haue commaunded this holy action to be doone for theime Alasse a lasse for oure deare frendes departed that they must lacke this comforte But wo euerlasting to theyme that are the cause of so muche misery But heare I pray yowe what notable wordes S. Damascen hathe for the vtility and institution of these thinges Ibidem The holy Apostles and disciples saith he of oure sauiour Christe haue decried that in the dread soueraigne vndefiled and lyuely Sacraments so he cauleth the Masse there shoulde be kept a memoriall of those that haue taken theire slepe in faithe the which ordinaunce vntyll this day withowt gainsayng or controwlyng the Apostolike and Catholike Churche of God from one cost of the wyde worlde to another hathe obserued and shall religiously kepe til the worlde haue an end For doubtlesse these thinges that the Christiā religiō which is with owt error and free frō faulshod hath so many agies and worldes continued vnuiolably not with oute vrgent cause those thinges I say are not vaine but profitable to man acceptable to God and very necessarye for our saluation Thus farre spake the doctor settyng furthe not onely his owne mynd but the faithe of a numbre of the peeres of goddes Churche wherin to proue this doctrine to be catholike he fitly followeth the same way which Vincentius Lyrinensis gaue vs once for a ruele to trye truethe by The rule of trueth Prouing that it hathe antiquitie as a thing that came and hathe continued euen from the beginnyng of the Christian religion declaring that it hathe the consent of all natiōs bicause it is and hath bene practised throughe owt al the costes and corners of the wyde world and last that it hath the approbatiō of the wiseist and holiest mē that euer were in the Church of Christ And more thē all this that it shal so cōtinue till thend though it be for a time in sum peculiare natiōs omitted bicause it is receiued into a parte of that woorship of God which in the Church cā not perishe And this praescription of trueth our aduersaries can not auoyde but with suche vnseemely dealing as I trust they theim selues now be ashamed of as all other reasonable men are For now let theim coom with brasen facies and blasphemous tonges and say that praiers for the deade be vnprofitable that the rites of the burial be superstitious that to say the masse and sacrifice to be propitiatory for the soules departed is iniurious to Christes death that the doctors praised the errours of the ignorāt people of their daies that they all erred and were deceiued that the church of Christe hathe bene ledde in darke ignorance till these oure daies let theime bestowe these vayne presumptious wordes where they may take place for nowe all wise men doo perceiue that all these haue theire holy institution by Christe and his Apostles practised vniuersally in the primitiue Churche embrased of all godly people and approued to be wholy consonant to goddes worde by the pillors of Christes churche who so cōsonantly agree together in this point as well for the practise and proufe as for the beginning therof that to dissent from theime and trust in these reedes of oure daies were mere madnesse that are pufte to and fro with euery blast of doctrine that care not what they say so that they say not as other theire forefathers sayed that had rather then they woulde geue ouer a singulare opinion of theire owne imagination refuse and denie the authoritye of so many notable wise auncient godly and well learned fathers whome we haue named Although we haue left owt many of no woorse iudgement planely auouching these thinges to coom in to Christes Churche and woorship by the ordinaunce of his holy Apostles All which thinges if oure aduersaries haue redde then they are in a most miserable and heuy taking that doo withstand an open knowne truthe Heretikes doo agaynst theire ovvne cōsciences and as I feare against theire owne consciencies too Or if they haue not redde these plaine assertions of all lerned men sithe Christes tyme then they are most impudēt that so vainely bragge in a matter whereof they are not skilful But I trust God wil opē their eyes and breake theire prowde hartes to the obedience of his holy Churche Yf the authors be past hope yet their folowers shall take goodly occasion to forsake suche wicked maisters and be ashamed of all theire vndecent dealyng if they note and consider with me that the firste preachers of this peruerse opinion were suche that none of all theire scholares durst euer for shame for the profe of theire assertion name theire owne doctors Note And truely a man might well meruel why haeretikes hauing sum that did plainely professe theire opinions had yet rather picke owte sum darke sentence of any one of oure holy fathers whome they knowe to be directly against theime then oute of those same doctors of their own which in expresse wordes make for theime Yow shall not lightly heare an haeretike that deniethe prayng to sanctes or houldeth with open breache of holy vowes alleage Iouinianus or Vigilātius Nor a Sacramentarie seeke for the autoritye of Berengarius or Wicleffe thoughe they be of sum antiquitie and with out colour plainely doo mainteyne the doctrine that so well lyketh theime But they will trauell to writhe with plaine iniurie to the author Note the gile of an heretike sum sentence owt of Augustine or Ambrose or sum other that by theire whole lyfe and practise open theime selues to the worlde to beleue the cōtrary and al this by sum shewe of wordes for the bearing of their faulse assertions Marke it well I saye in heretikes that they can not for shame of theime selues Note euer name any of the plaine auouchers of theire owne opininions The cause is that the onely vpholding of their opinions made theime infamous to the whole posterity And if any honoure grewe vnto theime emongest the simple bicause they lacked not the waies to procure the peoples consent with admiration of theire eloquence or other plausible and populare
is muche regarded Nether will I spend any more time in gettinge theyme an author of theire secte seeing they haue choise of diuers Let theime go owt of the Citye of God froÌ„ emongest the holy coÌ„pany and turne on the lifte hand and look emongest the owtcastes of al agies and they shal haue freÌ„des and fellowes enowe That theire falsehood is condemned and the Catholike trueth approued by the authority of holy Councelles Theire pride in contemning and the Catholikes humility in obedient receyuing the same And a sleight vvherby the haeretikes deceyue the people is detected Cap. 15. ANd for oure parte it is sufficient good reader that we knowe the first founder thereof and that we be now right well assured that he in his time and his scholares in theres haue ben noted called and condemned for haeretikes in this as in other fonde peruerse opinions beside not onely by the singulare iudgements of diuers lerned meÌ„ but by the commoÌ„ sense and consent of the worlde and by auncient councells bothe general and particulare as we may reade in the CouÌ„cels of Carthage the iiij of Bracharense and Vase Cap. 79. Cap. 34. Cap. 2. the decrees of which by occasion we rehersed once before They are bothe auncient and of greate authoritye and honoured with the presence of many notable fathers as Augustine and other But especially for the approuing of our faith and condemnation of the aduersaries part the whole processe of the greate councell of Florence must be noted for there the question of purgatory and praiers for the deade was fullye handeled by the most learned of both the Latine and Greke church the Patriarche of Constantinople him self with the legates of Armenia and other nations of that parte being present and fully condescending with the Romane church vpoÌ„ the truth of purgatory and other graue mysteries in to the doubt of which that part of the churche by schisme and miscredet of theire forefathers had faullen into not long before and so made perfect protestation of they re faithe Note with thabiuring of the contrary as haeresie But omittting that longe processe and large treatie of the matter for the establishing of euery mannes conscience I will conclude vp all the matter with the councell and the holy gostes determination of all the whole cause in these words Si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfecerint et omissis eorum animas poenis purgatorijs purgari vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur pâ—odesse eis viuorum fidelium suffragia missarum scilicet sacrificia orationes eleemosynas alia pietatis officia quae a fidelibus pro alijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt In initio Concilij Florentini secundum ecclesiae instituta We define and determine The holy Councell of Trent hath allso determined the same againste the haeretikes of oure tymes that true poenitents departing in the fauoure of God before they satisfied for theire negligencies or faultes committed by worthy fructes of poenaunce shal be clensed by purgatory paines and lykewise for the release thereof the praiers of the faithfull the sacrifice of the blessed masse and allmose withe other thinges customably practised by the faithful for theire frendes decessed according to the ordinaunce of Goddes churche to be profitable The which graue determination if any man be so willfull to contemne Let him knowe that he dispicethe being but a mortall fraile man the grauest iudgement that God hath left in earthe for the determination of any matter Let him be ashamed that he being but one man taketh vpon him to controule diuers hundrethes of the most chosen for vertue for lerning for experience in the whole Churche of God yea let him if he haue any affection of grace tremble and feare to deface the dealing of that honourable and vniuersall parlament that repraesentith vnto vs Goddes holy whole churche hauing the assured promise of the holy gostes assistance for theire giding in all truethe Yet I see before haÌ„d the aduersaries wil not admitte the iudgement of these or any other Councelles nether in suche men doo I much meruell to finde so litle humility and so muche impudencie For all haeretikes condemned by councelles did euer condemne as they coulde the same councelles againe So were the first iiij councelles whiche all Christian men with S. Gregory accepte as the holy gospelles of God All haeretikes doo condemne councels vtterly refused by the parties in theim condeÌ„ned The Arians by greate force of worldely princies and many assemblies deuilishly withstood the Councell of Nice the Macedonians reiected the councell of Constantinople the first the Nestorians nothing aestemed the councell of Ephese Eutiches and Dioscorus litle regarded the councell of Chalcedon in which they and theire folowers were condemned of haeresy for sondry pointes which nowe were ouerlonge and not for oure purpouse to reherse Then by refusing the heauenly sentence of the churches iudgement they win nothing elles but the assured marke of an haeretike They declare theime selues that as they be in haeresy as deepe as the beste so they in pride and bouldenesse The humble obedience of Catholikes to the gouernoures of Goddes Churche be not behinde the worste But all Catholikes and faithfull beleeuers as soone as they knowe the determination of suche a numbre of so well learned fathers gathered in the vnitye of goddes Churche and spirite streght way they receiue it and submit theime selues as to the iudgement and reuelation of the holy gost For so the Christian bretherne that were molested by the contentious clamors of certeine troublesome heades at Antioche being onâ—e certified by the letters of that first Christian councell what was decried â—nd enacted concerning the matters â—â—lled in quaestion they then regarded â—o more what the aduersaries thought â—herin but owt of hand Ganisi sunt suâ—r Consolatione they reioysed in that â—omforte of theire agrement And â—uffinus writeth that wheÌ„ Constanâ—â—nus the greate vnderstoode the determination of the doubtes proposed in â—he greate councell of Nire he receiued it as the oracle of God Ruffâ—n Defertur ad Constantinum sacerdotalis concilij sententia ille â—aquam a Deo prolatam veneratur the decree saith he of the priestes was shewed to Constantine and he streght withe al reuerence accepted it as goddes owne sentence And if oure aduersaâ—ies coulde learne a little humilitye they might quickly be dispatched of â— greate deale of haeresie The which as â—t first began with the conceite of singularitie and contempt of other so it procedith with maliperte bouldnesse and endeth in plaine disobedience of of the Churche of the councelles of the scriptures and goddes own spirite Whom with owt moe wordes I would nowe geue ouer vnto God hauing as I trust alredy geuen theime sufficient occasion by the euident proufe of my matter to remembre theire misery and heuy condition but that I must remoue oute of the simples
waie suche stoombling stockes as perhappes might sumwhat trouble the vnlerned who for lacke of deepe iudgement be moste subiecte to the aduersaries deceites Hovve they practise vvith the simple And with suche thus they lightely practise first by lofty lookes and highe chaleÌ„gies they crake and boste with passing bowldnes that the learned meÌ„ of the world the sage fathers of the auncieÌ„t times al the graue couÌ„celles the whole vsage of the primitiue Church Great impudency in haeretikes with plaine scripture to be on theire parte And as for the contrary teaching that it came in of late with the decay of lerning and light of truethe in these barbarous tymes when superstition and darke ignorance had wasted the doctrine of the yeares past And in this bragge they stand till som Catholike man encounter with theime By whome wheÌ„ they see theim selues so driueÌ„ from the standinge which they kept with greate glory before that they must be wholy naked and destitute in the face of the worlde of al such helpes as they accompted to haue for the owtewarde shewe of theire deceitful doctrine then in plaine wordes they confesse theire teachig not to hange on the antiquitye not on councelles not on Doctors nor on any man but on Goddes holy spirite and worde which can not deceiue theime And so at th ende the owlde vse of the primitiue churche the fathers and the generall councelles arrogantly contemned or rather vnworthely condemned marke well theire prety conceites they make then a matche betwene theime selues with goddes worde on the one partye and the doctors and fathers withe owte Goddeâ— worde The sophistry of haeretikes on the other partye Affirming that they be not bound to beleue theime but where they agree with the scriptures of God And then turning theire taulke to the simple thus they preache vnto theime by a captious and foolishe demaunde whether they thinke it more reason or conuenient to beleeue the scriptures or doctors the determinatioÌ„ of the true and liuelye worde of God or elles the decrie of a generall councel which deceitfull wreasting of the state of our quaestion somwhat troobles the vnlearned which can not perceiue herby that they betray theime selues and deface theire own dooinges in so rude a defense For who seethe not nowe that they renouÌ„ce all that helpe of Councelles and Doctors which with vauÌ„tes they clamed before whiles they impudently make a diuision or contrarietie betwixte theime and the holy scripture And we take it at theire hand as an open acknouleging of theire lacke â—her wher they praeteÌ„did greatest store The whiche thinge if they likewise woulde confesse openly in pulpit and â—n plaine wordes as they meane nothing lesse wheÌ„ they shewe the people that they were but meÌ„ that they might â—rre that they folowed the custom of the common people in their time that they are not to be receiued but where they agree with scripture and that theÌ„i selues must trie whether they be coÌ„sonant to the worde of God or no if they woulde I say with owt suche cloked wordes bouldely pronounce as Luther theyr Master did that they cared not for a huÌ„dreth Augustines or Hieroms that they aestemed not the consent of all nations that they would be tried by the iudgement of no councel that they woulde purposely ronne Contrarye to the Councels decrye in al causies that they would take that for thonely trueth which is coÌ„teined in the holy scriptures and that for scripture which theime selues thought good and last of all that for the true meaninge which agreed best to the vphoulding of errour and haeresye then woulde the people leaue these lewde masters on the plaine field which now they kepe with them one while by the praysies of the doctors and antiquitye and sumwhiles by thabasing of theime ageine and deceyt full referring all to the onely scriptures to which they saye credet may salfely be gyuen where the docters with owt daunger can not be forther followed then as they benot fownde to disagree with goddes worde So that the cause seemethe nowe to be driuen to this isshue in the eyes of thignorant whether men shoulde rather beleue the scripture or the doctors the worde of God that can not be faulse or the fathers that weere but men and therfore might erre deceiue and be deceiued But this is not the state of oure controuersie nor of any question betwixte the Catholikes and theime And that they knowe full well thoughe they craftelie cloke it with chaunge of wordes â–ª for we acknowledge most gladly that if any Doctor Prophet Apostle or Angell if it were possible preache vnto vs any thing against the word and trueth of goddes scripture that he is accursed of God and to be reiected of men But here is the stand and the point of al oure doubtes in generall note it well master protestaunt whether the auncient fathers sum of theime being in Christes time diuers of theime scholars to his apostles here lieth the doubt and diuer siti betvvixte haeretikes and Catholikes many within one hundrethe or two of yeres afterward most of theime more then a thowsand yeres since I speake of suche as we haue named in oure cause and all wonderfully learned as well in the knouledge of the secrets of goddes mysteries as the tonges all mercifully indued withe greate giftes and gracyes all exceding studious in the scriptures all hauing the same testament and written worde of god that we nowe haue all vsing meruelous diligence in the coÌ„ference of diuers placies for the true meaning and vnderstanding of the same all hauing feruent zele in teaching the christian people al at times appoynted resortinge together froÌ„ diuers partes of the world to sum one generall search in wich by humble conferens together and praier thei doubted not to obteine the spirite of truth as it was by our maister promised the question is nowe then I saie whether those holy men thus holpen by nature diligens tyme and grace be not more lyke to vnderstand the scripture theÌ„ these men wich ether lacke all these helpes or moste of theyme Secondly it foloweth there vpon whether we shoulde rather geue credit to theim affirminge purgatory and praiers for the deade to be not onely consonaÌ„t but planely proued by the scriptures or elles to oure newe aduersaries auouching these thinges to be agaynst the scripture Wherbye yow see we must not nowe reason whether we ought to beleue the doctors or the seriptures better but whether for the true sense we must not beleue the owlde fathers better then these newe fooles An ansvver to suche arguments as the haeretikes doo frame of the holy scriptures not vvell vnderstanded against the practise of Goddes Churche in praying for the deade or the doctrine of Purgatory Cap. 16. THerfore to stoppe their waye at euery turne and bicause they taulke so fast of scripture full fayne woulde I heare what scriptures they haue that make ether expressely agaynst purgatory
and praiers for the deade or elles by any one lerned maÌ„ in all the world was euer expounded for any such sense And lo now good reader what scriptures they alleage that can abide nothinge but scripture Firste owte of Ecclesiastes Cap. 11. The tree whether it faule to the southe or the north it lyeth ever wher it lighteth Then they alleage owt of S. Matthews ghospell Cap. 7. that there be two waies one to bring to heauen and thother leading streght to helle And then owte of the seconde to the Corinthians they bring in Cap. 5. howe we must all stande before the iudgement seat of Christe there to receiue eche of vs according to our workes and life and that by other mennes labour oure state can not be amended Again they alleage this sentence of the Apocalipse Cap. 14. Beati mortui c. blessed be the deade that dye in our Lorde for after that the spirite saithe that they shall rest from trauelles All which textes and the lyke of that sorte make no more ageinst purgatory then they doo ageinst hell or heauen excepte that aâ— Anaxagoras the philosopher saide Phisic 1. l. all thinges were in euery thinge so these diuines can finde euery texte of scripture to make for what purpose they liste and yet if the Catholikes alleage a number of scriptures and theime with the mind and iudgement of the whole worlde that doubteth not but they proue that for whiche they be recited yet they set light by theime and impudently with clamors beare men in hand that they haue no scriptures at all Which thinges as they smelle of muche arrogancie in al men so in these foulke that so malepertly controwle others where theyme selues haue no scripture at all it is vntolerable And for these which they here or elleswhere alleage I aske theyme sincerely and desire theime to tell me faithefully what doctour or wise learned man of the whole antiquity euer expounded these textes recited or any one of theyme or any other whiche yowe bring in elles when ageinst Purgatory or practise for the deade Yff they did not howe can yowe for sinne and shame dissent from the whole Churche off Christe vpon so light grounds Or howe dare yowe be so boulde that seeke in euery controuersy expresse scripture to alleage these placies whiche wyse meÌ„ nor I think your selues take for any suche purpose Or howe may yow for shame reiecte the euident word of God by vs truely reported for the triall of oure matter your selues hauing almost nothing that can be wraasted to youre sense An ansvver to the first place If yow stande to the triall of youre alleaged testimonies yowe will be muche abasshed I knowe For howe can yowe imagine that the place recited out of Ecclesiastes should further youre intent any thing at all Seeing that euen then when the wyseman spake those wordes the soule of man streght after her departure and the faule of the bodye continued not where it first fell for the iuste had a place of abidinge and rest in the inferiour partes whiche was called of Ezechias the gate of helle Isai 38. In the ghospel Sinus Abrahae the bosom of Abraham and nowe Lymbus Patrum in whiche they all abode till they were deliuered by the bloude and trauell of oure sauioure Iesus Bern. ser 4 de fest omnium sanct Amb. super 5. ad Romanos Withe whome they after were translated to the aeternal ioyes of heauen Whiche thinge if it be true as it can not but be true and certaine whiche the whole course of scripture the article of oure faithe in Christes descension in to hel and al the auncient fathers doo constantly setforth what blindnes be they in then that bring this place againste Purgatorie which as it is a stay of certaine for a time from heauen so the other before Christe was the staye off all And therefore it is plaine that this faulynge of the tree meanithe nothinge lesse then that euery man shoulde streght vpon his departure be conueyde ether to hell or heauen Or if any wedded to Caluines blasphemous and vnfaithefull paradoxies doo with Purgatory deny the fathers place of abode before the cooming of Christe and impugne the beleefe of Goddes churche so muche that he withstand the article of oure Crede for Christes descendinge in to hell or turne the cause of his going into hel to sum other purpose then the lowsing of theire captiuity that there were in expectation of his ioyfull apparance Caluins absurde doctrin is refuted yet I woulde demaunde so much of Caluins successor or scholare seeing he wil of this figuratiue speach of the trees fauliÌ„g gether so grounded and generall a rule that with owt delay euery man must to heaueÌ„ or hel streght after his death there to remaine in perpetuall state of his faule in the nexte life ether good or badde I woulde aske of him I saye what he thinketh by all those that were by the Prophets Apostles or Christe him selfe raysed vppe againe from deathe to lyfe Who receiuing by death that faule by theire accompt must needes abide where they first fell and so not in case to be reuoked by this theire faulse conclusion they diminishe the powre of the spirite in woorking their raisinge againe Or elles they must impute deceite to the holy men and oure master Christe whiche abhorreth me â—o speake for that they raysed theyme not beinge perfectely deade but in sum deadlye traunce or apparance of deathe But bicause the soule of Lazarus was nowe iiij daies owte of his bodye before Christe wroght vpon him The state of such in the next vvorlde as by goddes omnipotency vvere raised to lyfe againe it is sure and most certaine that it had sum place of abyding after the separation from the fleshe I can not thinke that his soule was in heauen nor it is not like that oure sauioure woulde so muche abase the happy condicion of him whome he loued so well as to reduce him to the vncertaine state of this lyfe I will define in this my ignorance nothing touching the secrettes of goddes wisdom herin But very like it is that the parties raysed from theire faule and deathe were not in the ioyes of heauen As before Christes death I am sure they were not but I speake of Tabitha also or other reuoked by thapostles handes that then after Christes passion might full well diyng in perfect state of lyfe go streght to heauen of suche I say it is very reasonable that they were not in the ioyes of thelect For elles Tabitha shoulde not haue had suche a benefite by her almose as the fathers doo witnesse she hadde And they vse her for an exaÌ„ple of the benefite which may rise to one after departure by charitable woorkes doone in this lyfe It had bene a smaule pleasure to haue plucked her from hauen to this mortalitye againe and misery of oure common lyfe and I trowe no