this Doctor opposeth himselfe against a corporation of Romish Doctors an Vniversity and the Councell of Trent 2. The not reiterating of baptisme against the Anabaptists which is the same with the baptisme of young children for the Anabaptists doe rebaptise those whom we haue baptised as holding baptisme in infancie to bee no baptisme 3. Rom. 8.9.11 Ioh. 14 26. 16.14 The proceeding of the holy Ghost which is proved by the places where he is called the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ and the comforter whom the father sendeth in the name of the sonne which taketh of the sonne c. 4. The consubstantialitie of the father and of the sonne Which is proued in this That the sonne is God Ioh. 1.1 Even our great God Tit. 2 13. consequently one God with the father for there is but one God 1. Cor. 8.6 and being one selfe God they are by consequence one selfe substance Wee haue also S. Iohn in his first Epistle cap. 5. who saith thus There be three that bear record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one 5. He would haue said Anti-dicomarianites or Heluidians The perpetuall virginitie of the Virgin Mary against the Anti marianites but this is no point necessary to salvation The seemelinesse rather then any necessitie induceth vs to beleeue it 6. The translation of the Sabaoth to the Sonday An article not necessary to salvation Apoc 1 I was ravished in spirit vpon a sonday yet doe we see by the Revel 1.10 and by the 1. Cor. 16.1 and by the Act. 20.7 that this Institution was made in the time of the Apostles 7. The celebration of the feast of Easter against the Quarto Decimanis Which also is of no greater importance to salvation witnesse the censure and reprimendum sent by Ireneus to Victor Bishop of Rome who skirmished fiercly in that quarrell This Epistle of Ireneus is extant in the Ecclesiasticall historie of Eusebius lib. 5. cap 23.8 That there are but three persons in the Trinitie a matter which neither the holy Scripture nor any maÌ„ that ever had any one drop of common sense did ever studie to perswade for in a dualitie there can be but two in a Trinitie three 9. Lastly he bringeth in The washing of the Apostle's feet which saith hee wee cannot proue to be no sacrament therevpon hee great lights De Maiorit obed tit 33. Can. Solita quanta inter solem lunam tanta inter Pontif. Reges differentia Arist Phis li. 4. cap. 4. the greater is the Pope and the lesser is the Emperor and kings as saith Pope Innocent the 3. These our Masters I say so full of their subtilties and invention in their explications which according to the doctrine of Aâ—axagor as doe draw all things out of al things could they not aswell proue these eight points by the scripture as we with all our doltishnesse haue fouÌ„d them out without any difficultie But the truth is that it was no want of inveÌ„tioÌ„ in them but lack of good meaning And these defects in the Scriptures doe they seek out the rather that we might not thinke much that in the Scriptures there is no speech of painting of the Trinitie of worshipping of Images of fetching soules out of Purgatory by Popish Indulgences of their Pastors abstinence from marriage of thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ctions of meats to be brief 〈◊〉 their traditions In these consiâ—â—â—â—ns it staÌ„deth them vpon to abâ—â—â— authoriâ—â— of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 accus◠〈◊〉 of imperfection Yet is it their surâ—â— course to prohibit the people from reâ—ding of them and from learning any thing but at their mouthes who haue most interest in the suppressing of theÌ„ and doe reape most commodity of the peoples ignorance I could therefore wish that the auctors of these torrents fires and furnaises would lay their haÌ„â—â— to their consciences if they caÌ„ find any and vpon their doctorall faith tell vs whether this vnwritten words these letters of credence be not a means prepared by the Pope thereby to forgâ—â— new articles for his commodity A secret corner wherein to coine false mony and to clip the word of God Theâ—â— consciences must say yes they are oveâ— wise to be ignorant thereof but worldly reasons carry them away in somâ— hope of gaine in some feare and in some worldly devises doe speake lowder and haue greater voice in the Chapter house then conscience In as much therefore as the word â—f God contained in the old and newe â—estament is the only and sufficieÌ„t rule â—f our faith and that Purgatory if wee â—eleeue our adversaries is to bee beleeâ—ed as an article of our faith that vnâ—er paine of damnation it is strange â—hat God in the old Testament having â—rdained sacrifices expiations for al â—orts of sinnes and pollutions even to â—he Leprosie to the bloody flixe â—nd to the touching of any dead â—ody c. did never ordaine any expiâ—tion sacrifice satisfaction or prayâ—r for the soules that were in Purgatorie The ancient Patriarkes good â—ervants of God Abraham Isaac Iacob â—oseph Moses Aaron Iosua Samuell or David never desired after their deathes â—o be prayed for neither did themselues pray for any that was dead that God would vouchsafe to bring them out of Purgatory True it is that they bewaiâ—ed their dead but among al their mournings weepings fastings and lamentations wee find no path to purgatory neither any one prayer to fetch the soules of the deceased out of Purgatory and indeed such lamentations and fastings were made even for the wicked such as died in Gods displeasure As for Saul to whom it was said by the Pithonesse not many houres before his death that God was against him who also died soone after his consultation with the witch David likewise bewailed Absalon who died in rebellion and treason against his owne father yet for such saith the Church of Rome wee must not pray How grievous were the teares vpon the death of Iacob and Moses who as holy and rare lights of the Church could never bee confined into Purgatory The high Priest of the Law never granted Indulgences neither made any intercession to abridge this so scalding a punishment neither did they that died make any foundations of services Pag. 16.18 or sacrifices to redeem their soules out of this fire Here doth our frier seeke a starting hole but the clefâ— is to straight for him to creep through He complaineth that In liew of seeking the true light in the law of Grace that is to say the Gospell we looke for it in the darke and obscure law of Moses To speak plainly he refuseth the old Testament as an incompetent Iudge for the darkenesse thereof But to this obiection wee doe answer that indeed the prophecies of things to come and the ceremonies of the old Testament are not so cleere easie as the Gospel yet are Gods Commandements therein laid down in
Barrabas S. Paul defending himselfe before his Iudge Felix saith that he will satisfie for himselfe in Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I defend my self Yet in al this haue we no speech of paiment or redemption What is now become of our Coniurations and the demonstrations of my grossenesse Learn brother Minor and thanke me Now let vs wrastle with these humane satisfactions taken for redemptions payments to the Iustice of God for the payments due to our sins hereto serveth al that hath beene spoken against the satisfaction of Purgatory for the sufficiency of the only satisfaction of Iesus Christ now let vs thereto adioine the reasons 2 By the holy scripture we learne that Salvation is a gift yea a free gift Rom. 6.23 Luk. 12.32 Ephes 2.8 Pag. 102. we do not then buy it neither doe wee pay any price for it in part or in whole Du Val answereth not The frier saith that the two first passages are false and that there is not such a worde let vs therefore looke vpon the passages at large In the 6. to the Rom. v. 23. S Paule saith the gift of God is eternal life through Iesus Christ In the 12. of S. Luke v. 32. Iesus Christ saith Feare not litle flock for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Am I a falsifier or hee a slanderer You see it is his hope was that the reader woulde never haue searched out the places for their prohibition that none shall read the holy scripture emboldeneth him in this liberty yet doth it not serue his turne for having so falsely accused me of falshood in the next line himselfe committeth a notable falshood corrupting this excellent passage of S. Paul to the Ephes cap. 2. For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selues It is the gift of God Then NOT BY WORKES least any man should boast him selfe But this Frier to breake the force of this passage and to entāgle it maketh the Apostle to speak thus The salvation wrought by our Lord proceeded of the only grace of God of his mercy and loue He perverteth the sense and taketh away the words of most importance that it is not by workes that wee are saved but by the gift of God Where is truth and plaine dealing become Where is conscience O God how lōg shal thy advesaries tread thy holy word vnder foot 3 Against this so wholsome doctrine which appeaseth our cōsciences and giueth to God the glory of our redemption our adversaries doe obiect the Counsell that Daniell gaue to Nabuchadnezar Redeeme thy sinnes by alms 1. But this redemption was not toward God but toward men whome hee had robbed and was therefore to recompence them by liberalitie 2. Againe here the question concerneth satisfactory paines in which ranck Almes hath no place albeit it is a worke commanded to all and an exercise pleasing to the faithfull Never will any man exercise charitie as he ought so long as hee thinke it a punishment or satisfactorie paine Is that helpe where one member helpeth another as the hand doth the foot a paine We all are members of one selfe bodie saith Saint Paul 3. Which is more our adversaries will haue our satisfactions to serue to redeeme from the iustice of God not the sinnes but the punishment for the sinnes Now here it is Redeeme thy sinnes Here therefore haue we need of a glosse after the Romish manner that Sinne here signifieth the punishment of sinne as who should call Theft the whip Murder the gallows For everie absurdity is good with these men provided that yee beleeue a Purgatory 4. The principall point is this that this king Nabuchadnezar beeing a heathen needed no satisfactions which they say serue but to redeem tēporal paines and that after baptisme or after Circūcision but this king was never circumcised being out of the Church needed not these meanes to avoide eternal paine The frier produceth yet other passages as in the Proverbs cap. 5. v. 29. Almes purgeth sinne but this place is false the whol verse left out of the Hebrew yea even the Romane translatiō it hath no speech of Almes 2. To what purpose speake we of purgation where the question is of redemption 3. Finally we confesse that amendment of life purgeth sinne so farre forth as by this meanes the sinner becommeth cleane as cleanlynes purgeth the body succeeding after foulnesse as they say in the schooles non efficienter but formaliter But where the question concerneth such a purging of sinnes as by vertue thereof we shall appeare cleane and innocent in the day of iudgement there the holy Scripture saith that The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth vs from all our sins 1. Ioh. 1.7 Hee also citeth the 16. of the Proverbs Almes redeemeth iniquitie whereto I haue already answered vpon the place of Daniel besides the passage is falsely set downe for according to the Hebrew it is thus There shal bee propitiation for iniquitie by gratuitie and truth Yea even in the Romane translation there is no speech of almes That which hee addeth out of the 12. of Toby That almes maketh vs to finde eternall life is not in the greeke originals neither is it to the purpose for we do confesse that almes and all other good workes are the way to salvation and consequently to make vs finde salvation but here our questiō concerneth the price of our redemption from the paine due to our sinnes which also may bee an answer to that which he hath alleaged out of the 4 of Tobie Almes deliuereth from death and suffereth vs not to come into darkenesse For so it is in the greeke Surely no man doth deny but that good works be the way to salvation and in applying our selues to them we withdraw our selues from perdition Let vs goe on and sith the old serpēt though cut asunder knitteth himselfe againe let vs not cease mangling of him with the word of God and sword of the Gospell 4 God commanding vs to pray that he would forgiue our offences as wee forgiue them that haue offended vs doth thereby shewe that wee must looke for like forgiuenesse from him as we doe giue to our neighbours that is without revenging or exacting satisfactory paines 5 But what if I should proue to these advocats of mans satisfactions that man by satisfactory paines cannot satisfie God for paines due to the least sinne For if slandering of our neighbor or calling of our brother fool be in the Church of Rome veniall sinnes yet S. Paul saith in the first to the Corinthians the 6. that backbiters shall not inherit the kingdome of God Iesus Christ saith that hee that calleth his brother fool is punishable in hel fire when shal we haue satisfied for the paine due to such a sinne which many times evē the best doe incurre Or when shal we haue endured paines satisfactory for hel fire or for a sinne that deserveth deprivation
sonnes of Hynnon to burne their sonnes and daughters Againe They haue built the high places of Baal to burne their sons with fire for burnt offerings vnto Baal It is in the Hebrew Baar which signifieth to burne And this word Holocaust signifieth a sacrifice which they burnt and wholy consumed But because of late they begin to preferre the Roman translation before the Hebrew text that is to say a corrupt translation before the originall a troubled ditch before the cleere spring Let vs produce the same text of the commō translation Aedificaverunt excelsa Baalim ad comburendos filios suos igni in Holocaustum Ierem. 19.5 Immolauerūt filios filias suas daemonijs Likewise in the second of Kings 3. Accipiensque Rex primogenitum suum obtulit holocaustum It is therefore contrary both to the history and to the language to say that the selfe same translation in sundry places turneth lustrare filios for cremare purge for burne Here the Frier hath bethought him of a notable fable fetched out of the bottome of his budget Hee saith that my selfe being reduced to a shamefull silence An Englishman whome I had brought for my Gossip whispered me in the eare and told mee that lustare signified to burne This is a double vntruth for on the one part he maketh as if all the assistants holp him and that I was in a maner alone on the other part there was never an Englishman in the company indeed there was a young Flemming whom I never saw before when the Frier said that Excogitatum commentum signified a Commentary confirmed this explication by the autoritie of Rabelais who said waight of larde with a Comment As for this word lustrare I maintained that it ought to haue beene Cremare to burne also that the translation was false and I suppose I needed not make many protestations vpon a matter so vnworthy the meanest scholler In vaine therefore did hee borrow out of Calepin and from the Iesuits of Tournom those passages where lustrare signifieth to purge Wherein neverthelesse he spitteth nothing but barbarisme and blockishnesse Demost contra Aristocratem ait cum qui aliquem accusavit tactis sacris suovetaurisibus iurare solitum I will therefore read him a lesson therein doing him good for evill Hee alleageth a passage out of the third of Livy Ibi instructum exercitum ove siue tauris tribus lustrauit and then he doth expound it He purified his army by the sacrifice of one sheep or three bulls But had hee had but a cast of antiquitie he might haue heard of a kind of sacrifice frequent among the heathen named Suouetaurilia and he would not haue put Oue siue tauris insteed of Ouesuet auris but this passed the Monks learning and capacitie 11 They also make vse of the first of Samuell cap. 2. in the song of Hannah in these words The Lord killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue raiseth vp Now in liew of graue they put hel and this hell if we beleeue the signifieth Purgatory In Hebrew it is Shelo which signifieth the state and condition of the dead the pit the Sepulcher The Roman translation still translateth it hell As in the 140. Psalme Our bones lie scattered along the hell In the Hebrew it is the 141.7 also in the 30 Psalme Thou hast brought my soule out of Hell Iacob also in Genesis saith You shall bring my white haires into hell Againe Psalme 49. They shall be laid in hell or in the sepulcher like sheepe In these such like places who seeth not that the word hell is evill put insteed of death or the graue As for the passage in the song of Hannah the Frier confesseth that the same is meant of tribulatitions but he saith If it be by comparison who euer heard of things don that are not He saith true and therefore this comparison must not bee taken of Purgatory which is not as also the chiefe interpreters of the Romish Church Caietan Lyra and the ordinary Glosse doe not by this passage mean Purgatory S. Augustine in his 17. booke and 17. Chapter of the Cittie of God expoundeth this Canticle at large yet speaketh not one word of Purgatory The Frier speaketh as if it had bin himselfe that produced this Rabbin Read Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21 cap. 13. One of the Assistants vpon this passage meaning to helpe the Frier produced a Rabbin Isaac Alfeci the Arabian who speaketh of two hels whervnto albeit I could haue answered and proved that that had no communitie with Purgatory yet I thought it better to say That Gods enimies were not to bee iudges in the cause of God That the truth borrowed no weapons of her adversaries that Virgil and Plato had also spoken of Purgatory 12 The Frier saith he hath a whol sea of witnesses hee might haue said a forrest for that would haue serued to kindle Purgatory he thus therefore entereth into this sea the sixt Psalme O Lord rebuke me not in thy rage neither chasten me in thy wrath This rage is hell this wrath Purgatory with a law saith he of satisfaction and chastisement of the faithfull deceased but most severe S. Augustine vpon the sixt Psalme and these words Rage and Wrath saith thus Ego puto vnam rem duobus verbis significatam I think that one thing is signified by these two words As for the purging pains whereof in some places he speaketh in my next Chapter I will shewe that my adversaries do corrupt and wrong him The like we say of S. Hierom. 13 Then followeth an other out of the fourth of Esay The Lord shall wash the filthinesse of the daughters of Sion and purge the blood of Hierusalē out of the middest thereof by the spirit of iudgement and in the spirit of heate This purging and this spirit of iudgement and of heate is Purgatory But note that this purging is made in the midst of Hierusalē There then is Purgatory not vnder the earth not in the rivers not in the yce for it is too hot in Iudea 14 Here cōmeth a braue one out of Malachie the 3. Who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when he appeareth For he is like a blowing fire and the fullers sope This blowing fire is Purgatory for in his bible he hath Ignis conflans that is by the explicatiō of this poore doctor a blowing fire What Regent is there that would not whip his scholler for such a grosse fault Learne doctor that Conflare signifieth to forge or bake in the furnace Et curuae rigidum falces conflantur in ensem Surely it is a shame to overcome a man so impertinent 15 In the 7. of Daniel Pag. 37. A fiery streame ran before him This streame is Purgatory why did he forget Gedeons bottels or Sampsons Iaw bone of an Asse for in these things cold he by the subteltie of his brain haue foūd out Purgatory But to let
passe these toies let vs see whether in the newe Testament they can find any proofes more apparant 16 The first passage in the new Testament is in Matthew the 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his brother vnadvisedly shall be punishable by iudgement and whosoever saith to his brother Racha shall bee punishable by a Counsell who so shall say foole shall be punishable by hell fire Here see I never a word of Purgatory Likewise the principall Interpreters of the Romish Church as Lyra Caietan Maldonat and the ordinary Glosse haue otherwise expounded this passage as also S. Hierome S. Chrysostome S. Hillary Theophilact who writ expresse Commentaries vpon Matthew but against all these doth the Frier oppose S. Augustine and saith that in this place he hath found Purgatory in the first booke of the words of our Lord vpon the moūtaine and then he exclaimeth S. Augustine found it Falshood Du Moulin denieth it I had rather finde it with this holy doctour then so much as heare the blasphemy of the deniall from this tiercelet of an hereticke Herevpon I beseech the reader to see the place of S. Augustin wherin in truth this good doctor expoundeth this passage but he speaketh not of Purgatory neither of the torment or purgation of soules separate from the bodies Falshood This Monke alleadgeth also his 31. sermon vpon the words of the Lord wherein this passage is not so much as quoted so farre is it frō being expounded Nay more all the fourth sermon is vpō this passage wherein neverthelesse there is not any speech of Purgatory O frocke how many vntruthes dost thou cover how deerely wilt thou buy this licentious abusing of the people vnlesse God be mercifull vnto thee But the weakenesse of this argument doth appeare in that our doctours do contradict them selues in the expounding thereof Pag. 33. The Monke by hell vnderstandeth Eternall paine Cayer affirmeth that this Gehenna is Purgatory Pag. 21. A cup of theologicall wine to reconcile our doctors The autor of the fire of Helie saith that these three different punishmentes are after this life If Iudgement signifie Purgatory and Gehenna hell what shall become of the punishment by Counsell Vndoubtedly that is our flowred medow or some other part of Purgatory 17 This that followeth is pleasant and proceedeth from the same Evangelist and the same chapter and from S. Luke cap. 12. v. 58. who saith When thou goest with thy adversary to the ruler as thou art on the way labour to bee delivered from him least hee bring thee before the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the Iaylor and the Iaylor cast thee into prison I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast paid the last penny S. Matthew saith Agree quickly with thy adversary Insteed of these words labor to be soone delivered from him The allegory pleaseth them to say the adversary is the divell the way is the life the Magistrate is God the prison is Purgatory 1. would they haue vs to agree with the Divell or if the divell shall be the executioner who shall be the adverse party Some weening to speake skilfully do say that the adverse party is the lawe but it is worse 2. For S. Luke saith that we must labour to be delivered from this adverse party whiles wee bee on the way with him Are we on the way with the law Or do we go to the Magistrate with it 3. Where shall wee labour to deliver our selues to shake of this yoake Rather should shee alwaies rule and guide vs in this pilgrimage 4. But if the Divel be the Iaylor would they haue the Divell to lead the soules into Purgatorie 5. How dare they say that Purgatory is a prison from whence none shall depart before they haue paid the last penny considering that the Pope fetcheth forth the soules before the tearme of the full satisfaction expired The sense of this passage is cleere Iesus Christ exhortet vs to peace atonement with our neighbors that trouble and molest vs so do all the ancients take it S. Ambrose vppon this place saith that Iesus Christ speaketh De reconcilianda pace dissidentium fratrum of knitting againe of peace betweene disagreeing brethren Maldonat the Iesuit the same S. Hillarie in his comment vpō this place is more expresse Tertul de Anima c. 35 Tertullian in his booke of the soule of the same Theophilact reiecting the allegories expoundeth it thus Etiamsi iniuria affectus fueris ne abeas ad tribunal ne ob potentiam adversarij graviora patiaris Albeit thou hast wrong yet goe not to the Iudiciall seat least it fal out worse with thee through the power of thy adversary S. Hierome S. Chrysostome say the same Tertul. de Anima c. vlt To all this our men be dumbe champe on the bit Only the Frier alleadgeth an heresie of Tertulliā wherin he saith that the last penny implieth the least sinnes which are paid by the delaying of the resurrection And is it our Master friers will that this resurrection be the issue of Purgatory But he malitiously doeth dissemble the wordes of Tertullian ensuing Falshood Hoc etiam paracletus frequentissime commendavit For he vpholdeth this doctrine vnder the auctority of Montanus an Arch-hereticke who nameth himselfe the paraclete holy Ghost The same Frier committeth a notable falshoode in that to defend the explication of this passage he bringeth the auctority of S. Cypriā who throughout all his workes hath not expounded this place besids those words of S. Cyprian which hee hath alleadged he hath wrested and taken in a contrarie sense to kindle Purgatory as in our last Chapter we will proue After all this the frier as writing the Cock to the Asse in liew of answering accuseth vs that we do beleeue that the soules shall not enioy the glory vntill the day of iudgement Falshood which is false most sclanderous for we al do beleeue that the soules of the faithfull departed out of the bodies do enter into the heavenly glory It may be that in some places in the writings of our men some of them may say that they doubt whether the soules in the day of iudgement shal receiue any increase of glory or drawe neerer to the contemplatiō of the face of God not in place but in degree of glory but this is nothing to salvation neither toucheth the purity of faith withall it was the opinion of many of the ancients namely of S. Augustin who vpon Genesis in his twelfth booke cap. 35. saith They see not God as the Angels do see him because they haue still a natural desire to moue their bodies which withhold them c. A reason whereto we wil not subscribe howbeit we see that hee did thinke that after the resurrection the Saints shall haue an encrease of glorie Finally hee accuseth vs of sclandering Pope Iohn the 22. Note the Monk saith Ioh. 22. for 23.
Church Whereas it is I fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Iesus Christ Let the reader look vpon the places and he shall finde that almost every where he corrupteth and changeth the wordes of the scripture for of many we deliver but few examples that so we may be the more briefe calâ—ing to minde the commaundement that is in the rule of S. Frances Dominus fecit verbum abbreviatum super terram Rom. 9.28 And therefore we must study for brevity CAP. 7. That the Doctours of the foure first ages knew not Purgatory with the refutation of the passages alleadged by our adversaries Also the beginning and progresse of Purgatory of prayer for the dead of Indulgences and satisfactions c. OVR controversies do not coÌ„sist only in coÌ„trariety of opinions but also in diversity of means to search out the truth Our adversaries wil haue the truth to be iudged by antiquity we wil haue antiquity iudged by truth They seeke to prooue the antiquity of their doctrine by the testimonies of men we proue the truth of ours by divine testimonies taken out of the holy Scriptures The Antiquity that they pretend requireth infinit passages out of divers auctors Tertul. in Marcionem lib. 1. Viva Germana divinitas nec de novitate nec de Vetustate sed de sua veritate censetur the truth that we mainetaine may bee defended by one only passage of the holy Scripture The way that we take is so much the shorter and better assured because reasons in disputations are better then yeares and the auctority of God then the testimony of men And which is more No man can denie but the truth is more ancient then the lie for the lie is but a corruption of the truth whereof it doth ensue that when a man hath proved the trueth of a doctrine he hath also proved the antiquitie thereof But contrarywise antiquity proved a man may neverthelesse doubt of the truth For lying hath beene even from the beginning and is in a manner as ancient as the truth which eveÌ„ since the fall of Adam hath borne the divels contradictions who said No you shall not die And that we may speake but of Christianitie S. Paule 2. Thess 2.7 telleth vs that in his time the entrie of the son of perdition was prepared and the misterie of iniquitie was in working But if we guide our selues only by the time what is there in the Church of Rome whereby shee may oppose against Iudaisme or Paganisme Againe if prescription may haue place in Religion let them tell vs how manie yeares maie suffice to auctorise a doctrine Or how many testimonies of men shal we need to institute an article of faith But wee say that lapse of time giveth no autoritie to the gospell also that the truth is of as great force alone as in companie That for the decision of doubts we are to bring the ballance of reason rather then the calculation of yeares Yea I say that he that teacheth the truth but vnderproppeth it with the testimonies of men in weening to establish it doth overthrowe it Theod hom Eccl. l. 1. c 7 a lie beeing no greater fault then such a defence of the truth For it is as much as if a man shoulde arme himselfe with paper taking vp strawes insteed of weapons shoulde in this furniture expose himselfe to the power and mallice of the Divell The worde of God naked is of more force then so armed Synod Constantinop 6 Act. 1. Propositis in medio sacrosanctis Evangeliis In that regard did the auncient Church in the beginning of their Synodes lay nothing vpon the table but the books of holie scripture but our adversaries haue great interest not to be content with this simplicity for even in the beginning a number of questions should be decided considering that in the Romish Church they confesse that they teach many things wherof they haue neither commaundement nor example in the holy scripture As Invocation of Saints worshipping of Images praying in a laÌ„guage vnknown to him that praieth Priestes vowes and single life Elevation and adoration of the Sacrament c. Therefore do they seeke a farther way about and having wrested the holie scripture out of Lay mens hands they crie out the fathers nothing but the fathers in liew of the soveraigne father which is God whoÌ„ neverthelesse they do at euerie opportunitie hit handsomelie over the thoÌ„bs and when these ancient doctors do coÌ„tradict each other in the explication of the scriptures as manie times they do these our Masters take vpon them to be the moderatours and iudges in their contrary opinions allowing sometime one and reproving somtimes an other and sometimes reiecting all and bringing in some explication more to the Popes availe They will graunt the fathers to be our iudges but with proviso that the Church of Rome shal iudge of the Fathers Let anie man reade the writings of the Iesuits Maldonat Gregorie of Valentia or Bellarmine and he shall see that I say the truth This maÌ„ner of disputation is to theÌ„ more coÌ„modious as giving theÌ„ meanes in their need to find a starting hole for it is an infinite field a bottomlesse sea a thicke darcknesse wherein to shrowde themselues as seeking only how to cavill and delay their plea. For among so manie auctors as might fill a house it is an easie matter to finde somewhat to wrest to a mans owne advantage and never to be perceived because few meÌ„ haue these books of them that haue them few do read them and of those that read them fewest of all doe vnderstand them for the fathers ordinarilie are repugnant among themselues and not only among themselues but everie man in himselfe and do retract confesse his ignorance Yea I dare say there is never an heresie howsoeuer extravagant for the which wee cannot finde some especiall passages in some of the doctors besides these divers ages haue retained the ancient words but altered the doctrine as also the phrase of many of them is obscure subiect to sundrie interpretations besides that many vsuall words haue altered their significations As these Indulgences satisfaction Pope Bishopricke aulter oblation sacrifice merit station sacrament excommunication pennance words extant in many auctors but in an other sense then in these daies and yet it is an easie matter to make theÌ„ passe for such as at this day wee take them and in regarde of the resemblance of the marke to perswade men that they are of the same substance Moreover if any Doctor hath forgotten him selfe or hath vsed any difficult tearmes these wil our adversaries stand vpon and vse them to their most advaÌ„tage therin resembling such beasts as can liue vpon serpents At Paris by Nivel in S. Iames Street at the storcks 1571. Ex sanctiss concilii Trid. Decreto veterum patruÌ„ Codices sunt expurgendi Cum in Catholicis veteribus plurimos feramus erreres extenuâ—mus excusemas excogitato per
saepe negemâ—â— or beetles or Cham who discovered his fathers shame But the greatest inconvenience is that the copies are divers discordant mangled and falsified yea so farre as to haue some tracts of other men suggested and inserted into them wherevpon I remember that I propouÌ„ded to the frier the preface to the last edition of S. Augustine wherin our masters the correctors doe confesse that they haue changed some things and taken forth the errours intruded by the malice of hereticks that is to say al that mislike them and in plaine tearms they say that The bookes of the ancient fathers must bee purged according to the decree of the tridentine Councell and to the same purpose I alleadged the Confession of the doctors of Doway in their Expurgatory Index in the letter The Index is printed at Antw. by Plantin 1571. by autority of K. Phil. the D Alua. B. where speaking of the purging of the book of Bertram they say thus Considering that in all other Catholick autors we beare with many errors which we do extenuat shake of and often times excogitato commento deny by some faigned Invention and do insert into them some commodious sense wee see no reason wherefore Bertram deserveth not the like equity and the same diligent review And this was the place where the Monke said that Excogitatum Commentum signified a Commentary But in this booke page 1. Hee saith that it is an explication devised contrary to the text Thus doth he confesse that it is his occupation to bring in such explications vnlesse hee should shrinke from the vnion of those purgers auctorised by his holinesse Here might I alleadge a great heape of falsifications brought in by these correctors albeit we know not the huÌ„dred part Yet are we greatly to praise God who hath not suffered them to compasse their intents but among the fathers hath yet left vs sufficient weapoÌ„s to fight with the Church of Rome And that is it that in this chapter wee are to produce yet with this protestation that I alleadge not the doctors fathers as meaning vpon their auctorities to hang the truth of my cause but to shew how our adversaries doe abuse them and make them to speake manie things contrary to their owne opinioÌ„s I take them not to bee advocates in my cause but am my selfe their advocate For Iesus Christ Iohn 5.14 telleth vs that he craveth not the testimonies of men neither doth his word neede their witnesse The truth that those good men haue spoken we do beleeue not because they spake it but because wee finde it in the word of God And this is the reason that I reserved this tract to the end least I shoulde mixe divine auctority with humane This is a chapter rather not superfluous then necessarie which we giue not to the necessity of the matter but to the stiffneckednesse of the age wherein the holy scripture is growne into suspition and men opeÌ„ their cares when wee speake of Origen Ambrose Tertullian c. But stop them when we speake of the Prophets or Apostles Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 4. cap. 12 The holy Bible say they is a booke for hereticks a sword for all hands a pecce of a rule a forrest of forraging yea saith the autor of the three truths It will make a man become an Atheist Passages of the ancient Doctors against Purgatory Iustin Martyr in his 75 question After the departure of the soule out of the body there is immediatly made a distinction betweene the good and the bad for by the Angels they are brought into the places worthy for them the soules of the good into Paradice where is the haunt and viewe of the Angels the soules of the bad into hell Himselfe in his 60. question saith that men cannot after the soule is departed from the body by any provision care or study get help and succour Cum anima à corpore evellitur statim aut in Paradiso promeritis bonis collocatur aut certè pro peccatis in in ferni tartara praecipitatur S. Augustine in his book of the vanitie of the world tom 9. c. 1. Knowe yee that when the soule parteth from the body shee is for her good workes instantly placed in Paradice or for her sinnes cast headlong into the pit of hell And our masters the Expurgators in their last edition at Paris found themselues so puzled with this saying that they set down in the margent Vbi nunc Purgatorium Where now Purgatory is Himselfe in his first Chapter of his second sermon of Consolation over the dead saith Recedens anima ab Angelis suscipitur collocatur aut in sinu Abrahae c. Tertium penitus ignoramus immo nec necesse esse in Scripturis sanctis venimus The soule at her departure if shee bee faithfull is by the Angels taken and carried into Abrahams bosome if a sinner into the charter of the infernall prison Himselfe in the fifth book of his Hypognostique saith The Catholick faith grounded vpon diuine autority beleeueth the first place which is the kingdome of heaven from whence all that are baptised are excluded also the second which is hell where every Apostata such as are estranged from the faith of Christ shall endure eternall punishments For any third place we knowe none neither doe we finde any such place throughout the holy Scriptures Yea and which is more In this place S. Augustine maintaineth that Children not baptised are excluded out of the kingdome of heaven therevpon gathereth this consequence Sâ—th they are not in Paradice they must of necessitie be in hell and in eternal torment because there is no third place Surely hee would never haue beene so rigorous towards these children had he knowne of any place of punishment more gentle and easie as Limbo or Purgatory The fire of Helie pag. 37. saith that S. Augustine denieth any such place as Pelagius doth paint forth A matter that this Doctor very presumptuously hath invented for hee there doth simply deny and saith that there is no third place at all neither doth hee there speake of any delights as hee would make vs beleeue In his 14. sermon vpon the words of the Apostle hee tearmeth the right hand the kingdome of heaven and the left damnation with the Divell and then addeth There is no middle place where thou maist put the children And soone after Nullum medium locum in Evangelio novimus We find not any middle place in the Gospell In his 18. Sermon he reproueth those who taking liberty to doe evill haue nevertheles some hope Duo enim sunt loci nec tertius est vllus He saith he that is such a man let him chuse where hee will dwell whiles yet bee hath time to change for there are but two habitations the one in the eternall kingdome the other in everlasting fire In his 232. sermon which is against drunkennesse Deere brethren let no man
in the shadow of death herevpon also doth Erasmus in his preface to the fifth booke of Irineus note that Irineus did suppose that the soules dismissed from the bodies did not immediatly enioy the sight of God but are reserued in some secret place vntil the resurrection The same father in the same booke not farr from the beginning saith that God hath placed man in Paradice Quapropter dicunt presbyteri quisuÌ„t Apostolorum discipuli eos qui sunt traÌ„stati illuc translatos esse which is the gardeÌ„ of Eden froÌ„ whence for his disobedience he was driven into the world and theÌ„ he addeth Therefore the ancient fathers that were the Apostles disciples do say that such as are translated from hence are translated into that place Hee therefore did thinke that the garden of Eden from whence Adam was expelled was the secret corner where the soules are hidden vntil the resurrection A frivolous doctrine yet such as testifieth that in his time there was yet no speech of purgatory which Erasmus also hath noted in the same preface Origen in his seventh homily vpon Leuiticus saith thus Nondum saÌ„cti receperuÌ„t laetitiam suaÌ„ c. The Saints no not the Apostles themselues haue not yet receaued their ioy but they expect vntil I bee made participant thereof with them And in his second book of his principles toward the end he saith with Irineus That the saints after their decease are transported into the earthly Paradice Eam Regionem sinuÌ„ dico Abrahae et si non coelâ—stem sublimiocem tamen inferis interim refrigerium praebituram animabus iustorum donec comsummatio rerum resurrectionem omnium plenitudine mercedis expungat Quae infra terram iaceÌ„t neque ipsa sunt digestis ordinatis potestatibus vacua Locus enim est quo piorum animae impiorum ducuÌ„tur c. Tertullian in his fourth book against Marcion cap. 34. I call Abrahams bosome that region albeit not celestiall yet higher then the hels which nevertheles must giue rest to the soules of the righteous vntil the consummation of things accomplish the resurrection through the fulnes of reward The same he repeateth in his fourth poeticall booke against Marcion cap. 6. in his booke of the soule cap. 55. Constituimus omnem animam apud inferos sequestrari in Diem Domini Wee hold assured that every soule is sequestred into the lower partes vnto the day of the Lord. The same hee also saith cap. 56.57.58 Nouatian in his booke of the Trinity and is to bee found among the bookes of Tertullian cap. 1. saith The things that are vnder the earth are not void of powers digested and ordered For it is the place whether the soules both of the faithfull and of the wicked are brought feeling already the foreiudgement of the iudgement to come Now were it to no purpose to say that Novatian was an hereticke for it is well knowne hee was never holden to be an hereticke for this opinion but because hee refused reconciliation to the Church to those that were once fallen Chrysostome on the first to the Corinthians hom 39. If the body riseth not againe the soule shall not be crowned but be kept out of the celestiall beatitude The same he saith hom 28. vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes In the same father we finde some sentences to the contrarie as indeed it was his fault to be of smale constancy and yet all that he saith doth yet make more against Purgatory And in his homily vpon the Epistle to the Philippians The righteous whether it bee here or whether it be there are ever with the king but there much more yea more neer not as it were by the way not in faith but face to face And wee consequently doe say not in a fire not in a prison vnder earth Theophilâ—ot a follower of Chrysostom vpon the 11. to the Hebrews The saints haue not yet obtained the celestiall promises Omnes in vna communi que custodia detinentur donec temp adveniat quo maximus iudex meritorum faciat examen Lactantius lib. 7. cap. 11. Let no man thinke that the soules be iudged immediatly after death for they are all detained in a common prison vntil the time come that the great iudge taketh the examination of what they haue deserved Victor in Martyr vpon the sixt of the Revelation saith that Saint Iohn saw vnder the alter the soules of the Martyrs and those that were slaine and these words sub ara hee doth expound sub terra Thus then hee placeth the soules of the Martyrs and Saints vnder earth S. Hillary vpon the 38. Haec humanae lex necessitatis est vt sepultis corporib animae ad inferos descendant c Psalme It is the law of necessity where to man is subiect that the soules should descend into the lower parts after the dead be buried Which law Iesus Christ for the accomplishment of a very perfect man did not refuse Neither may we say that hee speaketh of the fathers of the old Testament for in all that place hee hath not a word of them besides he would haue said This was the law but he saith This is the law Finally saying it is a humane necessitie which Iesus Christ vnderwent to become very man hee sheweth that it is a condition imposed vpon all man kind which if Iesus Christ had not vndergon hee had not participated in all that was proper to mankind Hee also vpon the second Psalme saith The daiâ— of iudgement is the eternall retribution of beatitude or of punishment but the houre of death in the meane time holdeth every one vnder her lawes whiles the bosome of Abraham or the paine reserveth every one to iudgement Euthimius vpon Luke 16. saith that the history of Lazarus is a parable wherein is described vnto vs what shall bee done in the day of iudgement And vpon the 23. Psalme he saith None of the righteous haue receaued the promises and the kingdome shal be giuen in the day of the vniversall retribution Wherevpon also Io. Hentenius a Monke of the order of S. Hierom hath noted in the margent that Euthimius as a Greek followeth the errors of the Greekes S. Bernard in his 3. sermon of all Saints maketh three habitations for soules Primum in Tabernaculis secundum in Atrijs tertium in Câ—â—lis The first in Tabernacles that in this body the second in Porches the third in heaven these receptacles hee tearmeth hals As for S. Ambrose and S. Augustine we finde them wavering and vnlike to themselues sometimes speaking according to the truth sometime carried away with the common error Ambrose indeed hath before told vs that the habitation of the souls separated is aboue and in the 11 Chapter he saith Incerâ—â— supremi Iudicij non verentur eventum But in his second booke of Abell and Cain cap. 2. he saith thus The Pilot arrived at the shore thinketh not himselfe at the ende of his travaile for