chiefest Bishops or Patriarks of the East were either Authours or their fautors This was the cause that often the Orthodoxall Bishops of Greece in defence of truth were forced to fly for succour to the Romaine as did Athanasius and Paulus the one Patriarke of Alexandria the other of Constantinople and others (h) Sozom. l. 1. c. 7. To end which dissentions by his Authority Supreme vnder God vpon Earth ouer the flock of Christ he hid procure that Councells might be called in Greece the discipline of the Church requiring that Councells meete examine the cause and punish offenders where the fault was committed Soe that the cause why those Councells were kept in Greece not in Rome was the Purity of the one neuer falling into Heresie and the infelicity of the other neuer to be without inuentours of such monsters 15. This sinceritie likewise of Doctrine as Ruffinus noteth (i) Ruffin in expositione Symboli is the cause that the Church of Rome did neuer add any word or syllable to the Creed but kept the same entyre without addition which saith he happened not in other Churches because other Churches hauing had heresies sprong vp within their owne bowells did add some wordes to the Creed to crosse and meet with such errours which the Romane neuer did nor had need to doe seeing no heresie had neuer beginning in it Thus Ruffinus wherefore seing the Roman Church caused those Councells to be held in Greece confirmed the same afterwards and their Creeds to be receaued through the whole Church who cā deny but we had those foundations of Faith more principally from the Roman then any other Church the Principall Sea from whence saith (k) l. 4. ep 8. S. Cyprian Priestly dignitie one great Pillar and Foundation of Christianity did flow Vnto which Tertullian (l) Praescr c. 31. Irenaeus (m) l. 3. c. 3. Optatus (n) l. 2. cōt Parmen Epiphanius (o) Haeres 27. S. Augustine (p) Epist 165. being vrged by Heretikes did fly as vnto the head deriving Scriptures Creeds and all other Ecclesiasticall traditions from them Wherefore I must thinke that many sick and sory feathers were in that Ministers head that caused you to call them rather Grecian then Roman Plumes though so light a word as Plumes applyed to so graue matters as Scriptures Creeds and Councells doth sauour of the leuity of your phrase 16. This leuity you shew in the prayses you giue to the Church no lesse then in the reproaches Thus you preach Who is he say (q) Lett. p. 67. you that saith not of the true Church with Augustine Non parua Ecclesiae auctoritas well doth her Modesty well doth her fidelitie deserue honorable esteeme she taketh not vpon her to controule the holy Scripture her Mother from whom she drew her first breath she openeth not her mouth till her mother hath deliuered her mynde she commeth not of her owne head with any sleeuelesse arrant Thus you discourse describing the Spouse of Christ and Mother of Christians as a mannerly young Mayd brought vp in Luthers schoole You demaund who is he that doth not say with S. Augustine Great is the authority of the Church And yet you your self are the Man who call that Authority of the Church which S. Augustine in that very sentence reuerenceth as great and venerable idle and sleeuelesse like the Butcher that called for his knife he had in his mouth These are S. Augustines wordes (r) De cura pro mortuis c. 1. We read in the Books of Machabees that Sacrifice was offered for the dead but if this were no where read in the old Scriptures yet ther is no small authoritie of the vniuersall Church which shineth in this custome Behold S. Augustine calleth Doctrines deliuered by the Church without expresse Scripture great shining which you reuile and contemne 17. Thus you contradict the saying of S. Augustine whilst you would seeme to applaud it yet is not this contradiction so witlesse as is your Assertion impious that Doctrines and Decrees of the Church not deliuered in Scriptures are sleeuelesse the perpetuall virginity of the B. Mother after her sacred birth of the Sonne of God you seeme so to beleeue that you would stop your eares against any that should dispute therof (ſ) Lett. p. 39. but where is this written in Scripture what is it but a perpetuall traditiō of Gods Church S. Augustine sayth (t) de Baptism cont Donatist l. 2. c. 7. that it cannot be clearly proued out of Scripture that Heritikes returning to the Church should not be rebaptized yet the Church hath forbidden the same Shall we tearme this prohibition sleeuelesse That these and these bookes be Canonicall and the other Apocriphall where it is taught in Scripture Now he doth not see that Scriptures are the chiefest points of our Faith contayning the fountaine and as it were principles of faith Doe but read your learned Authour Hierome Zanchius who will giue a newer tune then that your Minister piped vnto you That Authour famous in your Cōgregations teacheth (u) Tom. 4. l. 1. de lege Dei that diuers vnwritten traditions concerning doctrine and manners are in the Church which are not only profitable (x) Non solum vtiles Ecclesiae sed ferè necessariae saith he but in a manner necessary which haue their beginning from the holy Ghost which we must reuerence and obey else we contemne the Authority of the Church which is a thing saith he very displeasing vnto God how then doe you preach that the Church neuer openeth her mouth till Mother Scripture haue deliuered her mind 18. I confesse that this your Authour goeth a step backward saying that these vnwriten traditions are not of equall authoritie with the written word (z) Paris authoritatis non sunt cum verbo in sacris literis reuelato but therin he doth cleerely contradict himselfe For the Canon of the Scripture being as he confesseth an vnwritten tradition how can any thing contayned in Scripture be more certaine then some vnwritten traditions are Can any man be more certaine of a truth proued out of Scripture then he is that his proofes are indeed Scripture One may see this doth imply in termes Wherefore great cause had your Doctour Field (a) Of the Church p. 238. to grant that Papists haue good reason to equall their Traditions to the written word if they can proue any such vnwritten verities and his proofe is pregnant because not the writing giueth things their authoritie but the worth and credit of him that deliuereth them though by word and liuely voyce alone 19. Now put these two sayings of your two Doctours togeather and make an argument for traditions let Doctour Field giue the Maior vnwritten verities can they be proued are equall to the written word let Zanchius add the Minor but diuers vnwritten verities and traditions profitable and in a manner necessary for the Church both
about faith manners may be proued What doth follow but that some vnwritten verities and traditions are found which haue equall authoritie with diuine Scripture Is not this argument in good forme Are not the premisses thereof certaine which euen our enemies doe grant May traditions be termed sleeuelesse for which your owne Taylors or Doctours make such glorious winges that therby they fly vp to the throne of diuine Truth 20. But I will not bestow on your suggesting Minister a sleeueles garment but rather grant him a Coate with foure sleeues for his Metaphore by which he maketh the Church Scriptures daughter many Churches as S. Irenaeus writeth (b) l. 3. c. 4. in his time had neuer read any word of Scripture yet did they flourish by keeping the Tradition of Christian doctrine in their hartes Was the Scripture the Mother of these Churches I see not which way you will draw their pedigree from the Scripture except in your next writings you make Scripture Grandmother who hath bin yet scarse 3. yeares a Mother The Church of the old Testament was some thousand yeares (c) 2000 yeares from Adam vnto Moyses before Scripture the Church of the New did flourish many yeares before any Ghospell was written who euer saw or heard a daughter borne before the mother A Sonne before the mother I haue heard of yet he as Man according to which Nature he was her Sonne was not before her So that the Church Child of Scripture a daughter before the Mother is the Pallas of your braine which some Vulcans sharp hatchet hath holpen you to be deliuered of And thus much of your no lesse ridiculous then impious iestes against the authority of the Church 21. After your light skirmish with Scoffes followeth a graue battery of the Churches custome to pray for soules in Purgatory with the Canō of Scriptures (d) Lett. a pag. 80. vsque ad 93. by which you will proue her doctrine in this point to be a Satanicall figment disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God euacuating the Crosse of Christ The places by you alleadged are many but either so triuiall and knowen togeather with the Catholikes answeres or else so ridiculously applied wrung wrested to your purpose that their very sound is able to breake a learned mans head and make him scratch where it doth not itch for want of an answere To giue some few examples What say you (e) pag. 86 shall not Hel gates preuaile against vs and shall Purgatoryes muddy wall hedg vs in Hath the soule of Christ gon downe into the nethermost Hell yet made no passage through the suburbes of Hell Hath he bound the strong Man that he should not harme vs and will he now torment vs himselfe or set we know not whō to do it Thus you Who will not wonder that Purgatoryes wals fall not to the ground with the storme of these your windy interogations shall I make the Logicall Analysis of your Rhetoricall Arguments They be three Ethymens I think The first the gates of hell shall not prauaile against the Church ergo there is no Purgatory The second the soule of Christ went down to the nethermost Hell ergo no Purgatory can be found The third Christ bound the strong Man and took his fortresse ergo Purgatory must vanish away 22. I think Aristotle would be grauelled in these argumēts to find the Mediū to ioyne your extremes togeather For what force hath Christs binding the strong Man that he may not harme his children to proue that God may not chastize them for their sins either by himselfe or another in this world or in the next as he pleaseth when they haue don amisse and committed lesser offences that deserue his lighter displeasure When you say that Hell gates shall not preuaile against vs it is hard to ghesse who those your vsses are Perhaps you meane the Elect Predestinate among whom you number your selfe Let it be so Can you deny but many of your Predestinate and Elect are for robbing and stealing and other such crimes locked vp in London Goales what shall not Hell-gate preuayle against them and shall the wall of a prison mue them vp hath the soule of Christ gon downe into the nethermost Hell and made no passage through New-gates Limbo where sometimes your elect are kept Hath he bound the strong man that he should not harme and shall now a hangman put thē to death You perceaue I hope the vanity of your inferences 23. Let vs heare you preach againe and build a ladder for your elect to passe without Purgatory into Heauen They that dy in the faith say you (f) p. 100 haue peace towardes God they that haue peace towards God are iustified by Christ they that are iustified by Christ are free from the Law and being free from the Law quis accusabit who shall lay any thing to their charge Thus you dispute Where I could lay both folly and falshood to your charge but seing your Protestāt faith freeth you from the Law both of Reason consciēce quis accusabit who dareth accuse you though you write neither wise nor true word I could cast your Elect into Hell from the first step of your ladder For they that dy in the faith haue not peace towards God except their faith be ioyned with good workes S. Iohn (g) Apoc. 14. giuing the reason why the Saintes rest after life saith Opera enim illorum sequuntur illos which you English for their works follow them euen at the heeles But your Protestant faith is so light footed or light headed rather to belieue you shal be saued your charity so heauy heeled to do the good works by which men must be saued that an eternity of torments may passe before your workes ouertake your faith 24. I might also fling them downe from the highest step of all where you say they are free from the Law if you vnderstand it in Luthers sense (h) Tom. 1. Ep. Lat. ep 3◠ad Philippū that though they commit whoredomes or murthers a thousand tymes aday they need not care the bloud of Christ freeth them from the lawe doth not this doctrine togeather with the Authour deserue to be flung into the lowest Hell But if you vnderstand freedome from the law in the Catholick sense that the spirit of Christ maketh that yoke easie and the burden light that in the spirit of loue we may keep the law with great ease as S. Iohn saith (i) 1. Ioan. 5. his commandemcnts are not hard I dare say your Protestants faith hath litle of that spirit that dilateth the heart to runne the way of Gods precepts (k) Psalm 118. that it will neuer be able to get vp this ladder And let thē be indeed iust let them be Saints that keepe the law you obiect that against them that doth cleerely proue a Purgatorie for them in the next life Yea say you but they haue some drosse to
to eternize my memory I should not match my selfe with cōtēptible aduersarys by whose ouerthrow profit that eternall may accrew vnto them small praise redound to my selfe by the conquest of scoulding and feminine writers (e) Nullum aut memorabile nomen Foeminea in paena est 29. That the Ladies liberall purse-promises hired me to write is so base a surmise and doth so smell of the trencher that if I may without your displeasure I will rather thinke it the suggestion of some hungrie minister or mercinarie Lecturer then the conceipt of a Knight If I finde no greater stoppe in my race to heauen then the gathering vpp of goulden-apples I shall not need much to feare the loosing of the goale I am sure if you know me well you would be loth the mony you lately made of your woods should haue no more watchfull custody then my thoughts would affoard euen vnto greater summes which education hath made ouer proud to stoope to such base cares Manie that haue more conuersed with me then you haue done will thinke some of your Ministers more skilfull in taking other mens purses then I am in keeping my owne I am content with the inexhaust treasure of his Prouidence who feedeth the Birds of the ayre and clotheth the Lillies of the fielde which doth assure me I shall not want when perhaps your (f) pag. 65. competent patrimonie may be wasted 30. The Lady you glance at as giuing me first encouragement (g) p. 22. to write I neuer saw her nor receiued message from her nor was a pennie richer by her whilst she liued or poorer by her death who died in the Catholike faith as I expected as I haue heard a Knight though Protestāt yet of better credit then your selfe that was present with her not many houres before her death auouch though your Snarling Cerberus seemeth to barke at her ghost as if without Purgatorie it had gone to your Protestāt heauen But the short is your conscience is so tender as you blot out your owne coniectures both against the quick and dead without any care of truth or feare of sinne THE SECOND CHAPTER THAT THE BOOKES OF THE MACHABEES WHERIN Is taught our Catholike doctrine concerning Purgatory is Canonicall Scripture against the Falshood both of the Letter and Counter-snarle NOvv hauing stopped the mouth of your rayling Cerberus I may the more boldly suruey your Hell or Letter against Purgatory to feare me from the discouery of the folly and falshood wherof your Counter-snarle was written You bragge (a) pag. 27. that amongst all you wrote in an hundreth and fourteene pages I haue only a spite at one leafe which lyes in the heart of the letter Lyes in the hart Against what should truth the friēd of truth beare greater hatred specialy those lyes being grosse and inexcusable corruptions of the most learned of the auncient Fathers cōcerning a point of highest importance to wit the Canonicall Authority of the booke of Machabees where Purgatory and other pointes of Catholyke doctrine which you peremptorily deny are clearely proued If lying killeth the soule as the Holy-Ghost saith (b) Sap. 1. Os quod mentitur occidit animam your leaues that haue lyes in their heart what are they but a dead letter 2. Wherefore I will begin the examination of your letter with that leafe you tearme the hart therof Which I proued in my Treatise most false and rotten not conteyning so much as one true lyne whereof I wrote in this sort (c) Ouerthrow p. 133. And here by occasion of S. Augustine and the booke of Machabees I must giue M. Crashaw warning that in proofe of his assertion he bring not such testimonies as are the three Syr Edward Hoby alledgeth out of S. Augustine to proue that he reiected the Machabees ignorantly and impudently corrupted not by Syr Edward himselfe I cannot thinke so dishonorably of men of his calling but by his Trencher-school-maister or some mercinarie lecturer perchance euen by M. Crashaw himselfe who is great in the bookes of this credulous Knight whome they make flye hoodwinkd to catch flyes which if I pull off that he may see how they abuse him I hope he will take it in good part 3. These were my words then which shew a double falshood of your Snarler first it is false that I absolutly accused M. Crashaw as the Authour of those corruptiōs which yet you auouch (d) pag. 56. insteed of perhaps by M. Crashaw making me say yea by M. Crashaw himself for though I did as I might specially suspect him whose desire to deceaue was well knowne vnto me yet I neither did nor durst so peremptorily affirme knowing that manie others besides him may vse that coolening art Secondly you say that I tearmed you notorious falsificatour (e) pag. 32. which was farre from my thoughts and further from my pen. wherwith I did fence your head from that blow The truth is your vnsauourie Letter is so sweet to your tast◠distempered with selfe-conceipt that out of feare some ministers should lurch you you greedily put euerie sillable therof into your owne mouth though it be dressed in the sower sawce of manifest falshood rather will you be thought a false corrupter of soe graue a Father then not the true father of that false brat Had it bene any discredit to haue confessed those quotations were by some minister suggested vnto you Your valiant Writer and Deane D. Morton was he not driuen by his aduersarie to acknowledg that he had taken some corrupted testimonies of our Authours Vide his paramble to a further Encounter vpon the credit of Io. Stocke or R. C Why should that taking authoritys in grosse be thought a blemish in a Knight which was esteemed tolerable yea laudable in a Doctour Or why should you snarle at me for deuising in your defence such an honorable excuse that had you stood vnto it you might both haue layd your falshoods vpon another as that Doctour did and yet haue bene ranked as he is amongst your Protestāts famous authours the marke your ambitious penne aymed at 4. Let it be whose it please a Ministers or a Minstrells Child in the defence therof you vtter so manie new fooleries and falshoods that I make no doubt but the Reader of this my letter if those corruptions were yours will confesse that you haue greater strength of malice to beget falshood then store of witt to mantaine it You say (f) p. 27. that like a Spider-catcher I trauaise my ground with a goodly florish as if I meant with the weake Goddesses to bind Iupiter but if I bring not some Briareus to assist me it will not be long before I be out of breath This is so mystily spoken as I vnderstand it not I dare not say it is an high mysterie or a soaring Birde least you flout me with well flowen Buzzard (g) p. 21. If by Iupiter you meane your selfe and by
such a drunken Church as ours seemes to be by eloyning the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue from common people least it should hurt thē I might wonder that you should call a Church so Ancient Famous and Catholike as the Roman is Drunken for a practice so full of wisdome and circumspection as this is did I not know that the custome of men that are tipled is when they stagger themselues to thinke that Churches and the very heauens reele about them I will not say you wrote in darke seeing you affirme that like Demosthenes you endighted by the lampe (k) pa. 62. Rather will I thinke that your single lampe doubled in your eye which happeneth to them that loue wine when they haue their Cup in their hand Vertigine caelum Ambulat geminis exurgit mensa lucernis 36. In this case perchance you were when you wrote (l) let pag. 42. that Purgatorie is backed neither by any expresse testimonie of holy Writ nor any exemplarie proofe besides Hobgoblins Rawheades Bloudybones Night-ghostes which the world many yeares since hath forgotten to belieue And againe with as litle sobrietie you say (m) let p. 79. vnto vs had it not bene for your Grand Patriarkes S. Homer S. Plato S. Virgil you would neuer haue knowne how to haue set your Compasse for the discouerie of your new-fond land Can your Church be thought sober that permitteth you to pen such staggering and staring exaggerations as these For to say nothing of S. Cyril S. Chrysostome S. Damascene S. Gregorie S. Bernard other Fathers cited for Purgatorie in that learned Treatise which you would seeme to answere whose plaine testimonies for this doctrine may seeme to haue bene Nightghosts in your way which so scarred you as you durst not come nigh them with an answere I hope your pen is not so farre past Modestie as you dare tearme the Doctors marble-pillers of Gods Church Rawheads Hobgoblins or Heathens How happie were Queene Elizabeths Ghost might she enioy the euerlasting companie of those Blessed and neuer see your Heathenish Saints Theseus Aristides Plato Hercules and others Zuinglius tom 2 pecc origin fol. 118. et in exposit fidei Christian fol. 159. whom your great Patriarke Zwinglius admitteth into your Protestant heauen 37. To omit I say this proofe by Fathers which noe learned deuine will denie to be exemplar what say you to the Machabees and the whole Church of God in those daies that did practice prayers for soules in Purgatorie Is not he a Rawhead that condēneth soe manie Saintes both before and after the cōming of Christ into Hell That dareth call that the doctrine of Diuells which is taught in bookes indighted by the holy Ghost if we beleeue S. Augustine With whom I could ioyne other Fathers noe lesse auncient then he canonizing the same bookes would the shortnesse of this Letter permit me But his testimonie may suffice alone which bringeth with it the authoritie of the Church in his dayes For how would he intertaine the Machabees wherof some Fathers doubted but vpon the warrant of the Church without whose word he doth professe that he would not beleeue any of the Ghospells (n) l. contr Epist Fundam c. 5. And seeing ancient Councells do curse and say Anathema (o) Si quis dixerit alias Scripturas praeter eas quas Ecclesia Catholica recipit in authoritate habendas anathema fit Cōcil Toletan 7. in confess fidei to any that shall belieue any booke to be Scripture besides those that ar admitted by the Catholick Church seeing also that to intertaine bookes as Canonicall which indeed are not is more daūgerous preiudiciall to the Church then to reiect those that are truly sacred this supposed who that hath any reuerēd cōceipt of this learned Father will doubt but he had for the Canon he citeth the warrant of the Catholike Church Is it not credible that some Fathers who deny these bookes were ignorant of the Churches warrant rather then S. Augustine so rash and presumptuous as to Canonize them without it For how can he be excused from great temeritie if herin he erred Yea doth he not deserue to be thought a deluder of the Church if she did not indeed intertaine those bookes which he doth constantly avouch she did From which imputation the blessed Saint was so free as euen Caluin (p) l. 3 instit c. 3 §. 10. l. 4. c. 14. §. 26. doth allow him the stile of the best and most faithfull witnesse of Antiquitie 38. You grieue and deplore your hard hap (q) Counters p. 28. that I should endight you for the least wrong done to that Marble-piller that glorious Saint that euer-admired Augustine to whose heauenly Meditations sweet sayings and learned discourses I owe say you more then halfe of my selfe Did you owe indeed to this Father one inch of your life you would not scornefully reiect his authoritie as you doe else-where saying As if our saith were to be pinned on Augustines sleeue (r) Lett. pag. 71. you would not make that the doctrine of Diuells which he did depose was written by a pen ledd by the hand of infallible Truth you would not tearme Purgatorie which you cannot deny but he taught a Satanicall Figment (ſ) Lett. 75. euacuating the Crosse of Christ 39. As for Wrong offered to this Saint none perchance euer did him greater then you haue done in your Letter writing in this manner of him (t) Lett. pag. 70. We find say you that the entyre loue of his mother Monica and other his deare friends made him somewhat too forward in this point And why may not this be one of these things of which he speaketh ad Ianuariū (u) Epist 119. c. 19. There are many things which I dare not reprooue as I would Thus you wrote where you first contradict what now you write in your Snarle calling him glorious euer-admired marble Pillar whom your former words make a wauering Reed beaten with light blastes either of feare or of affection into damnable and diabolicall errours Secondly you make him guilty of that fault which your Cato tearmeth shamefull (x) Turpe est auctori cum culpa redarguat ipsum of sharply reprehēding in others the sinne of superstitious deuotion to the dead wherein he was you say to forward himself Thirdly you offer this Saint intollerable wrong in saying that he did dislike indeed the custome of praying for the dead but durst not reproue it out of feare to (z) Propter nonnullarum vel sanctarum turbulentarū personarū scandala deuitanda offend and giue scandall For how could this his forbearance not be damnable if the custome of praying for the soules in Purgatory be iniurious to Christes blood as you say it is 40. And suppose that feare of men might diminish the sinfulnes of his omission in not reprouing so wicked a custome yet no excuse can couer his impiety in defending and
of the Altar which custome he proueth was perpetuall euen from the blessed Apostles S. Cyril Arch-bishop of Ierusalem liuing in Constantine the Great his time writeth of that practice in this sort (b) Cathec mystag 5. When we offer vp sacrifice we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishops and finally for all men departed amongst vs for we belieue that this is a great help for the soules of them in whose behalfe we offer that holy and fearefull sacrifice which is layd vpon the Altar S. Chrysostome (c) hom 79. ad populum Antiochenum saith as much that it was not vnaduisedly decreed by the Apostles that in the fearefull Mysteries there should be a commemoration of the dead for they knew the dead receiued great benifite vtility therby But most clearely S. Augustine (d) Serm. 42. de verbis Apostol There is no doubt saith he but that by the prayers of holy Church and by the healthfull Sacrifice and by almes the soules of the deceased are released that God may deale more mercifully with them then their sinnes haue deserued for this being deliuered by our Fathers the vniuersall Church doth obserue 2. Behold prayer for the reliefe of the dead receaued from the Blessed Fathers Apostles practized by the vniuersall Church in that her most florishing age whose authoritie to impeach is the badge of heresie whose custome to condemne is insolēt madnes What say you to this Argument Syr Edward Sometimes you labour to proue that this was not an Apostolicall Tradition nor a perpetuall and vniuersall custome of the Church you bring (e) pag. 76. 77. argument vpon argument fiue or sixe one vpon the back of another which it were lost time to set downe For when your swelling pregnant Mountaines come to their Childbirth they are deliuered of a feely mouse the force of your argument consisting in this testimony of Polydore Virgil that Purgatorium aliquando incognitum fuit serò cognitū Ecclesiae vniuersae it was a great while before Purgatory was hard of and but of late knowne to the vniuersall Church I know I might pose you to finde nay sure I am you cannot finde those wordes in Polydore A signe that when you conceiue your noble and worthy lynes you haue Ministers note-bookes before you which is the cause they are so false foule rather resembling a Minister then a Knight some of that crew as it may seeme had summed the substance as he thought of Polydors discourses in that place you cite (f) De inuent l. 8. c. 1. which sume you trāscribe into your Letter as Polydors owne wordes though Polydore in truth speaketh not one word of his owne concerning Purgatory but meerly relateth of Roffensis whome you also bring such is your beggary making two distinct Authours of one 3. Roffensis then must beare the brunt of this battayle whome you quote (g) pag. 77. saying that the Greekes knew not Purgatory vnto this day Nay further he propoundeth this chalenge Reade he that list the ancient Greekes commentaries and he shall finde either little or no mention at all of Purgatory But in this your English Edition you omit that which you haue in your latin Original Quantum opinor as I now think or ghesse sayth that Byshop which is lesse then a new nothing to hang on your sleeue For though Roffenfis at that tyme (h) art 18. aduersus Luth. had such a thought not hauing then so fully perused the Grecian Fathers yet afterwards in that very booke when he commeth to speake of Purgatory (i) art 38. he doth affirme the contrarie in expresse tearmes Whereas Luther did obiect (k) Graeca Ecclesiae Purgatorium non credit manens Catholica that the Greeke Church did not belieue Purgatorie he maketh this answere I take it you meane the vulgar multitude of that Nation not the Fathers of the Grecian Church for that the Grecian Fathers fauour Purgatorie the workes they left behind them doe witnesse then he bringeth diuers authorities in proofe of his Assertion And againe Luther obiecting that Purgatorie could not be proued out of Scripture he doth reply that to pray for soules in Purgatorie is a most ancient custome of the Church adding (l) Cùm Purgatorium à to◠patribus tam Graecis quà m latinis affirmetur art 38. circa principium that seeing so many Fathers both Greeke and Latin auer Purgatorie it is not likly but that truth was made knowne vnto them by sufficient proofes out of Scripture Behold the swelling waues of your Syllogismes which occupy a whole page of your booke now are ended in froath in a silly surmise of Roffensis which vpon mature and exact perusall of the ancient Fathers he doth himselfe peremptorily gaine-say 4. But put case Polydore Virgil or Roffensis had said what you desire could his words way downe in any iudicious ballance S. Augustines cōtrary assertion Especially about the custome of the Church in that age wherein this glorious Saint liued S. Augustine against Polydors or rather your Ministers Serò that Purgatorie is but of late he hath à Patrihus traditum that it is deliuered from our Fathers which Fathers S. Chrysostome declareth to haue bene the Apostles against the emphasis of non vniuersae not the vniuersall he hath the contradictory vniuersa obseruat Ecclesia the whole vniuersall Church doth practice prayer for the relief of some dead Now you haue the whole army of the Christian Church in all ages set in battayle array against you the blessed Apostles with Pykes as I may say of diuine Authoritie standing in the forefront You say (m) Counters p. 24. the Apostles long since lent you a brydle to curbe the motions of swelling pride Si quis se existmet scire aliquid nondum cognouit quemadmodum oporteat eum scire This bit of sobriety if you had it euer in your mouth it may seeme that wine hath washed it downe so tamquam equus sine intellectu you runne against this glorious army You giue a double assault one with Iestes Scoffs deriding Catholikes for the reuerence they beare vnto the Churches authoritie Secondly you bring places of Scriptures which to your fancy seeme to condeme Purgatory and the custome to pray for the reliefe of the deseased First you begin u to iest at the saying of that Treatise that it is insolent madnes to contradict in this sort the custome of the Church pulchrè dictum say you this is your Ladies A. B. C. the Church is as much beholding to you as was Pythagoras to his Schollers insteed of ipse dixit you will haue ipsa dixit Thus you write And truly from such a Poet as your selfe what could we expect but such irreligious iestes who perchance take your pen to write about Theologicall questions when you are in the same case your Father Enuius euer was when he set himselfe to make Heroicall verses 5. For what man that hath any bit either of
not receaue the Sacrament of Baptisme be not pardoned but punished for euer If any sinne after Baptisme his pleasure is that no pardon or remissiō be giuen except he yield humbly and penitently to confesse his sinnes if any refuse to obey so reasonable a law what wrong is done to Christ if such pride be sent to Hell The wicked are condemned not against his will but by his order not out of defect of his meritts but out of their stubburnnes malice It is also Christs holy will that in sinnes committed after Baptisme the whole guilt of payne be not euer forgiuen but sometimes he reserueth a conuenient taske of temporall paine according to the measure his diuine wisdom thinketh best For which we must endeauour to satisfy by fasting praying or other voluntary afflictions or else with a patient acceptance of such crosses as shall be sent by the hand of God 34. This Doctrine strikes you to the heart You bring two principles you were taught in logick against it First the cause say you taken away the effect ceaseth punishment is the effect of synne ergo when synne is remitted punishments must needs cease This your logicke if we yield vnto it will beate out our eyes and force vs to deny euen what we dayly see and feele to wit that punishments and penalties may remaine though the sinne be forgiuen What are death hunger thirst and other miseries of this life but effects of originall sinne Is not that sinne forgiuen vnto Christians in baptisme yet those that are baptized and borne anew in Christ endure the former penalties and punishments of that sinne though the same be pardoned God pardoned Dauids Synne (m) 2. Reg. 12. Dominus transtulit à te peccatum tuum God hath taken thy sinne from thee but did all temporall punishment cease togeather with the sinne No. The sinne was remitted with a But thou shalt indure these an◠these dreadfull afflictions because thou hast made the name of God to be blasphemed 35. I will not stand to confirme this truth out of Scriptures nor out of Fathers only because you stand vpon Athanasius whome you call your Arbitrator (n) Lett. pag. 43. and say that he will not affoarde vs one sillable to saue our liues your ignorance shall receiue doome by his sentence euen in that very Treatise Thus he writeth There is great difference (*) De verbis Christi Si quis dixerit verbum c. saith he betwixt pennance and baptisme he that repenteth ceaseth to sinne but still retayneth the skarrs of his wound but he that is baptized putteth of the old man is then renevved from heauen and as it vvere borne againe by the spirit of grace Doe you see Syr how many syllables this Fathers lendeth vs to know the difference betweene baptisme and pennance for sins cōmitted after baptisme what are those skarrs which still remaine after pennance but not after baptisme You cānot say they are bad inclinations customes for those remaine after baptisme nor the miseries penalties of this mortall life for from the necessitie enduring such crosses baptisme doth not exempt I see not what else can be imagined to remaine after pennance and not after baptisme besides the guilt of temporall paine which we must willingly vndergoe to satisfy for the sins after baptisme which skarrs woūds if we heale not in this life by plaisters of pēnance they must be seared in the next by Purgatory fire 36. Now your logicall Axiome against this verity that the effect ceaseth the cause being taken away who doth not se that it faileth in a thousand examples The Sonne is an effect of the Father can not he liue though his Father be dead the fyre causeth heat yet we see that heat doth often remaine long time after the fyre is put out The truth is that Principle is only true quando Effectus pendet à Causa in esse conseruari when not only the first being of the effect dependeth on the cause but also the conseruation therof as the light of the Sun which the Sun doth not only bring forth but also cōserue vanisheth away togeather with the same Punishment is the effect of sinne nothing but sinne could produce that guilt in our soule yet when it is once in the soule the cōseruation dependeth on the will of God It cannot cease but when and in what manner he will haue it cease either remitting the whole guilt as in Baptism or els reseruing some part of the penalty as he doth often in the sinnes we commit after Baptisme Not that the merits of Christ be not sufficient alone without our pēnance and satisfaction to do away both the eternall and temporall punishment but for the other reasons his diuine wisdome knoweth 37. This wisdome you would proue to be folly by another Axiome of your Logick Frustra fit per plura say you (o) Lett. pag. 38. quod fieri potest per pauciora It is vaine to vse many meanes when fewer will suffice the Iordan of Christs bloud alone sufficeth to wash away the leprosie of Naaman what need he be bathed in Abanak of his owne pēnance or in the Pharphar of Purgatory flames Syr I must accuse eyther your memory or your Maister either he did not teach you that Principle right or els since you haue let fall some wordes therof out of your mind to wit aequè bene when the thing may be done by fewer meanes altogeather as well to multiply meanes is vaine and idle which two wordes wanting your Principle is false Christ might haue redeemed the world with one drop of his bloud was the rest therfore shed in vaine No because it did serue to make his excessiue loue more manifest vnto vs. So likewise though by the bloud of Christ sinnes may be forgiuen fully and perfectly in Pēnance after Baptisme as well as in Baptisme yet the wisdome of God hath thought it more for his owne honour and for our profit to enable vs to do some part of this pēnance our selues by the help of his grace 38. First that we might more deeply conceaue of the malice of sinne and Gods hatred against it Secondly that by feeling some temporall smart our gratitude towardes Christ might encrease who deliuered vs freely from the eternall Thirdly that we may more carefully for the time to come auoid sinne flying from the shadow therof as from an Adder (p) Quasi à facie colubri fuge peccatū Eccl. 21. Fourthly that by voluntary Pēnance we might more estrange our selues (q) Felix necessitas quae ad meliora compellit from the dangerous pleasures of this world and alluring sent of the sinfull flesh Fiftly that this happy necessity of doing of Pennance might force vs to retyrednes where God speaketh to the hart (r) Ducā in solitudinem loquar ad cor Osee 2. Sixtly that by this occasion we might try what without triall can hardly be belieued the comfortes that