Hieronimi dothe declare The diuersity of the damneds case and of suche as be temporally poonished in purgatory But this is the greate misery and the difference that suche as be in the iudgement of Hel paines haue no hope of mercy no passage from theire infinite woe no ende of torment no release off payne no expectation of saluation no comforte by Christe but endlesse desperation hatered of vertue wearinesse of their creation sorowe of theire own beeing and persons and whiche is most vntollerable perpetuall blasphemy and grisely cursing of Goddes holy name The other being vnder theire mercifull fathers chastisemeÌ„t in purgatory suffer greate payne but in quiet peace of conscience in assured expectation and warraunt of theire saluation in loue of Goddes iustice and iudgement euen towardes theime selues in the vnity of the spirite of God bearing testimony of theime that they be the children of the howshoulde in perpetuall experience of mercy and grace in dayly hope of â—elease in perfect loue withe owte all sinne or daunger of sinning in gladde coÌ„ceiuing the benefite of their redeÌ„ption for the remission of theire offenses paste and in worship and confession of Goddes holy name then and after for euer more And this is the company of the inferiour partes whiche boweth theire knee Philip. 2. and reuerenceth the name of Iesus as the Apostle saith when the other which bein the deape hel the prophet bearing witnesse can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name whiche they bothe detest and blaspheme to theire vnspeakeable paine There hathe euer beÌ„ sence the death of the first vertuous man till this houre and so shall be till the day of later iudgment a company of electe and chosen people that doo honoure God in the loughers partes as till Christes descending to hell the fathers resting place in generall and some that suffered for sinne further paine beside And after coÌ„tinally as befor the place of Purgatory to endure for the ponishment of certaine til the latter day when all the elect shall reigne without greefe or paine with Christ for euer more Vide Greg. 4. dial 20 Isiodor de ordine creatur And althoughe the place of this torment and the nature thereof be nott certainly determined nor knoweÌ„ to any but such as God of his wisdom liste reuele it vnto yet it is with great probability and likelyhood thought of suche lerned men as deserue singulare credit that it is in the lower rowmes as sinus Abrahae may appear by scripture to haue ben and separated froÌ„ hell as it was bicause al places of ponishemeÌ„t after this liefe be cauled of holy writers conformably to scripture Inferna But with curious searche of these thinges as we be not charged so to beleue that iustice is there doone vpon sinners by muche sorowe and torment of theire soules by the authority of Goddes worde and church we are of necessity induced The care an coÌ„syderation whereof if it take deape impression in oure myndes I am sure it shall woorke exceding greate chaunge in oure whole liefe and maners Therefore I shall desire all Catholike readers as they beleue this graue sentence of God to coom and feare the rodde of our fathers correctioÌ„ that they praeuent the same by lowly submitting theime selues vnto the chastisement of our kinde moother the Churche Who with teares in this her contempt yet besecheth the children of hir owne howshoulde that they woulde rather willingly submitt theime selues to her meeke wande in this liefe then ageinst theire willes to the heuy skourge of theire angry and iustly moued father in the worlde to coom The paenaunce whiche her ministers doo charge vs with all is of it selfe not greate yet accepted with humility and coÌ„petent dolour of harte in this time of grace it maye for the most parte yf it any thing be answerable to the faultes or holpen by oure owne zele ether wholy discharge vs or muche ease and abbridge the paine to coom Let vs not sticke to adde vnto the praescribed paine by the priest oure pastour som such fructes of repeÌ„taunce as may more and more washe vs from our sinnes let vs make freÌ„des of wicked MammoÌ„ Luc. 11. Dan. 4. Let vs redeme oure sinnes by almoose and mercy towardes the poore Lett vs iudge oure selues with earnest fasting abuÌ„daunce of vnfaided teares often watching and continual prayinge and then doubtles we shall not be iudged of oure Lorde Let vs detest this abominable flattering security whiche this sinfull schole so earnestly exhorteth vs vnto It is the deuill no doubte that woulde haue maÌ„ passe his time in pleasure that he maye be reserued to his euerlasting paine A small remedy by mannes freedom in Goddes grace here willingly accepted may cleare acquitte vs of greate greefe to coom Loue alone and ernest zele of Goddes house in this multitude of forsakers I dare say shal couer a numbre of sinnes and that whiche by nature is but duety in this time of temptation I take it to be greate merit Let vs be circumspect therefore and woorke whiles the day is here for in the night off the next worlde sinners can not helpe theime selues nor woorke one moment towardes theire owne deliuery or release And for the other sorte which haue ben deceiued by the Mearemaides songe I shall humbly in our sauiours blessed bloude beseeke theyme to consider with zele and indifferency what hath bene saide and whereon it standeth And if God him selfe hath in all ages chastised his best beloued people and dearest children bothe here and in the next lyefe yf the Churche hathe practised discipline by his authority vpon all obedient persons if all vertuous haue charged theime selues with paine if al lerned fathers haue both preached an done poenaunce for the auoiding of paines hereafter praepared yf the worde of God expressely make for this yf all lerned men with oute exception beleued it and feared it yf it agree with good reason if it settfourth Goddes iustice if it duely answer to the hatered of sinne yf it rayse the feare of God in mannes harte yf it be the bane of prowde praesumption yf it be the moother of mekenesse of obedience of deuotion and of all good Christian condicions lett it for Goddes loue I pray the once againe take place in thy harte and driue oute that rest and quiettnesse of sinne whiche these delycate doctours for thy praesent pleasure vnder the coloure off some honeste name haue deceitfully induced thee vnto Aske once of thyne owne maisters and if they be able to answer to any parte of this whiche I haue proued but by vnseemely wrasting of the the scripture shamefull denial of the doctours or deceitefull colouring of nothing in vaine wordes with owte grownd matter or meaning thowe maist better beleue theime and miscredet me But yff thowe finde they shall neuer be able to satisfy a reasonable man in this case then cast not thy sellfe away willingly with thime but betime
33. and in the .xij. booke of the literall exposition on the Genesis where he hathe the same wordes with more large proufe of the conclusion whiche nether agreeth with the state of Abrahams rest nor yet with the forsaken soules And the name of helle is nowe commonly taken for any one of the inferiour partes where God practiseth iudgement for sinne euerlastingly or temporally thoughe as Augustine saithe it can not be founde in plane scripture that Abrahams happy resting place shoulde be termed Hell or Infernum But I nede not seeke forther in the deape mistery of Christes affaires in the inferioure partes For as I am not ashamed to be ignoraunt vpon whom he bestowed the grace of deliuery so with Augustine or rather with Goddes Church I dare belieue that he loused sum vppon whome he exercised iudgement before And forther maye bouldely auouche that as ther were certaine at his coomming doune not vnworthy after longe paines tolerated to be released in his praesens so there be yet some which by mercy and meanes of goddes Churche be released dayly Not of that sorte whiche died oute of Goddes fauour Bernard ser de s Nicolao Quibus clausa est ianua misericordiae omnis spes interclusa salutis Vppon whome the doore of mercy and the hope of helthe be closed and shutt vp for euer but of the iust departed in faith and piety and yet not fully pourged of all corruption of iniquity Let thenimyes of Goddes truethe comme now and deny if they can for shame that Goddes iustice for sinnes remitted reacheth not sometimes to the placies of poonishement in the nexte liefe let theime withe purgatory rase vp the fathers resting place so plainely set fourthe by scripture beleued of the whole Church and alwaies tought by the holy fathers Yea let theime that will hauno pleace for sinners fiende with blasphemy hell like torments for Goddes oune Sonne with the damned spirites My hearte surely will scarse serue me to report it and yet cursed Caluine was not a fearde to write it and with arrogant vauntes ageynste the blessed fathers to auouche the same That miserable forsaken man sawe that the onely graunt of the oulde fathers poonishmēt by the lacke of euerlasting ioy might of force drieue him to acknowledge that God sometimes exerciseth his iustice vppon those whiche he loueth in the next liefe and so consequently that Purgatory paines might be inferred therevppon therefore he fel hedlong to this horrible blasphemy Caluins blasphemy vpon the article of Christes descention that Christe went not to lowse any from the paines of the next liefe but to be pounished in hell with the deadly damned him selfe for to amend the lacke of his passion vppon the Crosse O oure cursed time O corrupte conditions this beaste writeth thus ageinst oure blessed sauiours death and ageinst the sufficiency of the abundant price of our redemption and yet he lieueth in mannes memory yea his bookes be greedely redde redde Nay by suche as woulde be counted the chiefe of the cleargie and beare bishops names they are commaunded to be redde and the very booke wherein this and all other detestable doctrine is vttered The haeretikes priuely sett forth by bookes that vvhiche they dare not openly preach especially by theire authoritie commendid to the simple curates study that they might there lerne closely in deuilishe bookes suche wicked haeresies as the preachers theime selues dare not yet in the light of the worlde vtter nor maintaine But other be not so farre faullen therefore they must of reason confesse that God by iust correction hathe before Christes coomming visited in the next worlde many hundred yeares to gether the sinnes of those whome he dearly loued Althoghe not onely in all that time the soules of the holy Patriarches felt the lacke of the abundant fruition of the Maiesty but also for sin they bothe then in rest Excepting som that by peculiure praerogatiue haue alredy receyued theire bodyes and nowe in vnspeakable foelicity want till this day the increase of ioy and blesse that by the receiuing of there bodies yet liyng in doust they are vndoubtedly suer of Therfore it is ouer much praesumption to limit the maiesty of God in the gouernement of his owne creatures to the borders of our shorte liefe and allmost it toucheth his very prouidence withe iniury to say that he letteth him skape withoute poonishement for his sinnes that repented not till the houre of deathe as for whome he hath no skourge in the next liefe as he had here if deathe had not preuented his purporse These childishe cogitations can not stand with the righteousnesse of his will that for the first sinne committed doothe not onely pounishe many euerlastingly of the forsaken sorte but also for the same poonisheth bothe his best beloued in earthe and for a time abbatithe the foelicitye of the blessed Sanctes in heauen But I will not stray after these men My matter is so fructfull that I may not roue And thoughe the sectes of these dayes haue so infected euery branche of oure Christian faithe that a man can not well ouerpasse theyme what so euer he taketh in hande yet I will not medle withe theime no forther then shall concerne the quicke of oure cause and the necessary light of our matter That the practise of Christes Churche in the courte of binding and lousing mannes sinnes dothe lieuely set fourthe the ordre of Goddes iustice in the next liefe and prooue Purgatory Cap. 3. THis being then prooued that God him selfe hathe often visited the sinnes of suche as were very deare vnto him let vs nowe diligently behoulde the graue authority of lousing and binding sinnes and the courte of mannes conscience whiche Christe woulde haue kepte in earthe by the Apostles and Pastours of our soules where we neade not doubt but to finde the very resemblaunce of Goddes disposition and ordinaunce in poonishing or pardoning offensies For the honoure and poure of this ecclesiasticall gouernement is by especiall commission so ample Note that it conteineth not onely the preaching of the ghospell and ministery of the Sacraments but that whiche is more neare to the mighte and maiesty of God and onely aperteynethe to him by propriety of nature the very exacte iudgement of all our secret sinnes with lousing and binding of the same Ioan. 5. For as God the father gaue al iudgement to his onely Sonne so he at his departure hense to the honour of his spouse and necessary giding of his people did communicate the same in most ample maner as S. Chrisostom saithe to the Apostles and priestes for euer that they practising in earthe terrible iudgement vpō mānes misdedes might fully repraesent vnto vs the very sentence of God in poonishement of wickednesse in the worlde to coome Lib. de sacer 3. The princes of the earthe haue poure to binde too but no further then the body but this other saith he reachethe to the soule it selfe and practised
were no respecte of the dredfull day in th end off oure lyefe nor any paine forther due for sinnes remitted in the next worlde then were it cruell arrogancy in theministers to charge men withe poenaunce needlesse to the offender and foly to the sufferer But god forbed any shulde be so malipert or misbeleuing as to miscredet the dooings and doctrine of the Catholike Church whiche by thauthoritye she hathe to bynde sinnes and the protection of the holy goste hathe vsed this rodde of correction to the proffite of so many and hurte of none euer sence oure maisters deathe and departure That the many foulde vvorkes and fructes of paenaunce vvhiche al godly men haue charged theyme selues vvithe all for theire ovvne sinnes remitted vvere in respecte off Purgatory paines and for the auoyding off goddes iudgement tempotall as vvel as aeternall in the next lyfe Cap. 4. THere be of the Epicures of our time that seeing the vsuall practise of paenaunce not onely by the Churcheis praescription but also by mannes oune voluntary acceptation openly to tend towardes the truth and proufe of Purgatory Melanch haue bouldely improued not withstanding the expresse counsell of the Apostle where he willeth vs to iudge oure selues all chastisement of our bodies as vnnaturall torments to the iniury of oure owne person and the excellencye of oure nature Ageinst these corruptors of Christen condicions and vertuous liefe thoughe the examples of all faithfull woorshippers of God sence the worlde began doo clearely stand yet the notable history of the Prophet Dauids repaire after his heuy faule bicause it hathe an especial warraunt of his pardon a plane processe in poenaunce a goodly platte of due handelinge the sores off oure sinnes after they be remitted and conteineth a manifest feare of Purgatory shall best serue oure turne This Prophet then thoughe he was assured of his pardon and afterwarde as I saide before by Goddes owne hād poonished yet crieth oute withe abundant teares Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea a peccatis meis munda me Psal 50. More and more washe me from my iniquity Cap. 4. Apol. Dauid and of my sinnes pourge me cleane Dauid offended saith S. Ambrose as kinges commonly do but he did poenaunce he wept he groned as kinges lightly doo not he confessed his fault he asked mercy and throwing him self vppon the harde grounde bewailed his misery fasted praide and so protested his sorowe that he laft the testimony of his confession to all the worlde to come What moued this blessed man by Goddes oune mouthe pardoned of his sinnes so to torment him selfe That happy awe and deape feare of Goddes iudgemēt in the next world whiche the cursed security of this swheete poysened doctrine of oure dayes hathe nowe taken awaie euen that necessary feare of the thinges that might faule vnto him in the next liefe caused this holy prince and prophet so to vexe and molest him selfe It was hel it was Purgatory that this poenitent did behoulde ether of whiche he knewe his sinnes did well deserue S. Augustine shall beare me witnesse in wordes worthy of all memory Yea the prophets owne wordes vttered in a bitter praier and a psalme full of sorowe shall beare me witnesse thus saith S. Augustine In psa 37. Haec iste grauiora formidans excepta vita ista in cuius malis plangit gemit rogat dicit Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me Non sum inter illos quibus dicturus es ite in ignem aeternum qui praeparatus est diabolo angelis eius Neque in ira tua emendes me vt in hac vita me purges talem me reddas cui emendatorio igne opus non sit This man besides the miseries of this liefe in whiche he was when he thus houleth and wepeth forther makethe sute and saithe O Lorde rebuke me not in thy furie let me not be one of theime to whome thou shalt saye awaie from me in to fier perpetuall whiche is prouided for the deuill and his aungells Nether yet correct me in thy wrathe but so purge me in my liefe time and wholy frame me that at lenght I may haue do neade of the Amending fier So farre speaketh this doctour By whome we may learne that Dauid after sharpe poonishement taken first at Goddes hand and then in the middest of many miseries of this mortall liefe did yet before hande behoulde the horrible iudgements in the next worlde th one for the damned soules and spirits thother for the amendment of such as God loued and shall be saued in the earneste memoriall of whiche assured paines and for the auoiding thereoff he so afflicted him selfe as is before sayde His hearte was in heuinesse his soul in sorowe his fleshe in feare and in his bones there was no rest before the face of his sinnes Thinke you here a protestant preacher withe a mery mouthe in Nathans steade coulde haue driuen him from this course of poenaunce dissuaded him from the feare of purgatory eased him with onely faith and sett him in securitye and perfect freedom from his offenses past Ecclesi 22. No no Musica in luctu importuna narratio Mirthe in mourning is euer out of season Flagella doctrina in omni tempore sapientia But roddes and discipline be allwaies wisedom These delicate teachers had neuer roume but where sinne bare greate rule And it is no small licklyhod of goddes exceding wrathe towardes vs in these daies that such soft phisitiōs please vs in so daungerous diseases It was not the doctrine of this time that healed Nabuchodonosor but this was his plaister Daniel 4. Peccata tua eleemosynis redime iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperum Redime thy sinnes by almose and thy iniquities by mercy towardes the poore It was exceding fasting and many sorouwfull sobbes that bare of Goddes hande from the Niniuites It was the paiynefull workes of poenaunce that Iohn the Baptist first preached This was Paules rule that if we woulde poonishe or iudge our selues then woulde not God iudge vs. In to whose handes it is a heuy case to faule 1. Cor. 11. Haeb. 10. Horrendum est saithe he incidere in manus Dei viuentis For he shall call to accompt and reakoning as S. Bernarde supposeth euen the very actes of the iuste In cant 55 ser if thei be not well and throughly iudged and corrected to his handes The vndoubted knowledge of whiche straite accompte moued oure forefathers to require suche earnest afflictions of the people for satisfiyng for their sinnes And here gentle reader geue me leaue though I be the longer to geue the a little taste of the oulde doctours dealinges in the sinners case ▪ that thowe maist compare oure late handeling of these matters with their dooinges and so learne to lothe these light marchauntes that in so greuous plages deale so tenderly with oure sores And yet I intend not so to
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
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