Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 1 · Chapter 13
Of the nature and condicion of Purgatory fire: the difference of their state that be in it, from the damned in Hell: vvith the conclusion of this booke. CAP. XIII.
1 IF any curious heade list of me demaunde, where or in what parte of the worlde this place of punishment is, or what nature that fire is of, that worketh by such vehement force vppon a spirituall substance: I will not by longe declaration thereof, feede his curiosity: because he may hauehave both the example and the like doubt of Hell it selfe, and many other workes of God moe. The learned may see that question at large debated in the bookes of the City of God, and in the literall exposition vponupon the Genesis.Lib. 20. And yet after all searche that man can make, this must be the conclusion, with the author of those bookes: Quomodo intelligenda sit illa flamma inferni, ille sinus Abrahae, Libro. …. cap. 5.illa lingua diuitis, illa sitis tormenti, illa stilla refrigerij, vix fortasse a mansuetè quaerentibus, à contentiose autem certantibus nunquam inuenitur: melius est dubitare de occultis, quam litigare de incertis. I am sure (sayth S. Augustine) the Riche man was in wonderfull feruent paine, and the Lazare in the rest of a pleasaunt abiding, but how or of what nature that Hell flame and fire is to be taken, or Abraham his bosom, or the glottens tongue, or the intollerable thurst in that torment, or the drop to quenche his heat. All these doubtes can scarsely be dissolued and satisfied, to the contentation of him that with humility maketh serche thereof. But to contentious and curious ianglers, they shall neuer be knowen. Therefore better it is to be in doubt of these secrets, then to stand in contentious reasoning of thinges vncertaine. So must we thinke also of Purgatory: that the paine thereof, of what condicion so euer it be, or where so euer the ordinaūce of God hath placed it, is wonderfull horrible. And by force of operation, representeth the nature of our fire: and both by scriptures and doctors, is most termed by the name of fire, as Hell torment is. It worketh so vponupon the soule of man, as the other did vponupon the riche mans soule, and all other that be already in Hell, before the receyuing of their bodies into the same misery, at the generall day of Iudgement. And the sensible griefe may be as great of certaine, as in the other place of euerlasting damnation, as Cyrillus in vita Hieronymi doth declare.Cyrill.
CAP. XIII.
1 THis is a very needelesse discourse, vnlesse it were to make vp a browen doosen of chapters, to enquire of the nature or condition of purgatory fire &c. and then to be able to determine nothing of it. If we shall geue credit to those visions, reuelations, and apparitions, which M. Allen defended so pithily in the last Chapter before, there is no man knoweth his owne house, better thē we may know eueryevery corner of purgatory, the place, the length, the bredth, the depth, the fire, the water, the burning, the scalding, the broyling, the frying, the whipping, the hanging, &c. At the least wise, if M. Allen would hauehave taken so much foolish paynes, as to hauehave translated out of that worshipfull author which he citeth, that which he hath written of the qualitie and condition of the paynes of purgatory, he migh… hauehave enlarged this chapter by two or three leaues. That beastly asse and shamelesse counterfector, that calleth him selfe Cyrillus (in the deuills name) Bishop of Ierusalem, writing to such an Augustine as he was a Cyrill, of the miracles of S. Ieronym, maketh a large discourse of the paynes of hell and purgatory, as he learned of Eusebius and of 3. deade men whom Ieronym caused to be restored to life after he had shewed them the paynes of purgatory and hell, and this to confute the errour of them that denyed purgatory, I would maruell surely whether impudency in him that inuented that fable, and set it out vnderunder the name of Cyrillus were greater then in M. Allen that allegeth his name & authoritie as antique & authentical, sauing that, that counterfecter played the foole in the night, but Allen bringeth him forth in the brode daye light.
2 But this is the greate misery, and the difference:The diuersity of the d…mneds case, and of such as be temporally punished in purgatory. that such as be in the iudgement of Hell paines, hauehave no hope of mercy, no passage from their infinite woe, no ende of torment, no release of paine, no expectation of saluation, no comforte by Christ: but endlesse desperation, hatered of vertue, wearinesse of their creation: sorowe of their owne being and persons: and, which is most vntollerable, perpetual blasphemy, & grisely cursing of Gods holy name. The other being vnderunder their mercifull fathers chastisement in purgatory, suffer great paine, but in quiet peace of conscience, in assured expectation and warraunt of their saluation, in louelove of Gods iustice and iudgement, euen towardes them selues, in the vnity of the spirite of God, bearing testimony of them, that they be the children of the houshoulde, in perpetuall experience of mercy and grace, in daily hope of release, in perfect louelove with out all sinne or daunger of sinning, in gladde conceiuing the benefit of their redemption for the remission of their offenses past, and in worship and confession of Gods holy name, then and after for euer more.
And this is the company of the inferiour partes, which boweth their knee, and reuerenceth the name of Iesus, (as the Apostle saith) when the other which be in the deepe hell (the Prophet bearing witnesse) can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name,Philip. 2. which they both detest & blaspheme, to their vnspeakable paine. There hath euer bene, sence the death of the first vertuous man till this houre, and so shall be till the day of latter iudgement, a company of elect and chosen people, that do honour 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, continually as before, the place of Purgatory, to endure for the punishment of certaine, till the latter day, when all the elect shall reigne without griefe or peine, with Christ for euer more.Vide Greg. 4. dialo. 20. & Isiodo. de ordi. creat.
And although, the place of this torment, and the nature therof, be not certainely determined, nor knowen to any, but such as God of his wisedome list reuele it vntounto, yet it is with great probability and likelihood, thought of such learned men as deserue singular credit, that it is in the lower roumes, as sinus Abrahae, may appeare by scripture to hauehave bene, and separated from hell as it was: because all places of punishmēt after this life, be called 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 done vponupon sinners, by much sorow and torment of their soules, by the authority of Gods worde and Church, we are of necessity induced. The care and consideration whereof, if it take deepe impression in our mindes, I am sure it shall worke exceding greate chaunge in our whole life and maners.
2 Here we are taught what the difference is betwene the paynes of hell and purgatory. This difference is not in quality nor quantity, but in respect of continuance, and of the persons. The one is eternall, the other temporall, they that are in one, are desperate and impatient, the other in hope and patience without sinne or daunger of sinning. Surely if those tales were true, that are told of them that are in purgatory, there appeared in some but smal patience. One that was promised by an Angell that he should tarry but 3. dayes in purgatory, after he had bene there but one day, told the Angell to his face, that he was no Angell but a deceiuer, affirming that he had bene there many yeares. A monke that dyed without absolution in the absence of the Abbot, after his death was absolued, and enioyned for penance to tarry in purgatory vntill his body were buried, whereat he cryed so horribly, that his voyce was heard all ouer the abbey, saying, O vnmercifull man, hast thou commaunded me to tarry so long in purgatory? A Bishop suspē ded a priest for saying eueryevery day masse of requiem, but as the same Prelate went ouer a churchyard, the dead arose eueryevery man with such tooles as they occupied in their life, threatning him, that he should dye for it, he did not restore them their soule priest. Againe one that promised his brother to say masse for him immediatly after his death, made hast to performe his promise, as soone as the breath was out of his hody: but when masse was done his brother appeared to him saying, O vnfaithfull brother, thou hast well deserued the curse of God for me, thou hast let me lye in torments these 20 yeares, and neither thou nor any of my brethren would vouchsafe to say one masse for me. If these and such like narrations, of which the popish homilies and other writings are crammed full, were true reuelations, there were small patience, mekenes, or louelove, in some of the purgatory penitentionaries. Yet M. Allen sayth: these are the inferior partes, which boweth their knee and reuerenceth the name of Iesus, as the Apostle sayth Philip. 2. For those that be in the deepe hell, can not prayse nor confesse his blessed name as the Prophet sayth: Although that which Dauid sayth, be true of the damned spirites, yet he speaketh generally of all them that are deade, which can not prayse God in his Church as they doe that are aliue. But S. Paule to the Philip. speaketh not of any willing obedience, or ioyfull confession of them that be in hell, but of that which is due to the maiestye of Christ, and enforced euen from his enemies. For if none should bow to Christ but they that honour him willingly, and praise his holy name cherefully, this text should not be verified of so many 1000. Turkes, Iewes and Infidels, that now blaspheme his holy name, but in the day of iudgement, vntounto which time the perfect accomplishment of this prophecy is referred, they with all the deuills in hell, shal be brought on their knees and acknowledge that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God and their eternal confusion. And euen now already S. Iames teacheth that the deuils doe tremble. But if onelyonly the soules in purgatory were ment by them that are vnderunder the earth, at the last day when Christ shall hauehave his chiefe glory, and purgatory as the Papistes confesse, shall be abolished, then there should be none in the infernall partes, that should bow vntounto Iesus and acknowledge his glorious maiestie according to the prophecy of Esay which S. Paule expoundeth of the last iudgement. Rom. 14. And therefore although M. Allens affirmation of godly men to hauehave bene in the lower partes from the beginning of the world vntounto the end of the same, were true, as it is most false, yet it would not aunswere the verity of the prophecy, when at that time there shoulde be none, in which time the prophecy should chiefly be fulfilled, but of what forehead, or mouth doth this procede? that he affirmeth that Abrahams bosome may appeare by Scripture to hauehave bene in the lower roomes, though separate from hell His reason seemeth to be, because all places of punishment after this life be in Scripture called Inferna, that is, hell or the lowest places. The Scripture teacheth that Abrahams bosome was a place of comfort, separate from hel, not with a small border, like the popish limbus, but with an infinite distance foreign from whence the rich glutton looking vp saw Lazarus a farre of in blessed estate, when he him selfe was in torments. But hereof I hauehave spoken sufficiently before.
3 Therefore I shall desire all Catholike readers, as they beleue this graue sentence of God to come, and feare the rodde of our fathers correction, that they preuent the same, by lowly submitting them selues vntounto the chastisement of our kinde mother the Church. VVho with teares in this her contempt, yet besecheth the children of hir owne how shoulde, that they woulde rather willingly submit them selues to her meeke wande in this life, thē against their willes to the heuy scourge of their angry and iustly moued father, in the worlde to come. The penaunce which her ministers do charge vsus with all, is of it selfe not greate, yet accepted with humility and competent dolour of hearte in this time of grace, it may for the most parte, if it any thing be aunswerable to the faultes, or holpen by our owne zele, either wholy discharge vsus, or much ease & abbridge the paine to come. Let vsus not sticke to adde vntounto the prescribed paine by the priest our pastour, some such fructes of repentaunce, as may more and more wash vsus from our sinnes: let vsus make frendes of wicked Mammon: Let vsus redeme our sinnes,Luke. 11. Dan. 4. by almes and mercy towardes the poore: Let vsus iudge our selues with earnest fasting, aboundaunce of vnfained teares, often watching and continuall praying, & then doubtlesse we shall not be iudged of our Lorde. Let vsus detest this abominable flattering security, which this sinnefull schole so earnestly exhorteth vsus vntounto: It is the deuill no doubt, that woulde hauehave man passe his time in pleasure, that he may be reserued to his euerlasting paine. A small remedy by mans freedome, in Gods grace here willingly accepted, may cleere acquitte vsus of great griefe to come. LoueLove alone, and earnest zele of Gods house, in this multitude of forsakers, I dare say shall couer a numbre of sinnes: and that which by nature is but duety, in this time of temptation I take it to be greate merit. Let vsus be circumspect therefore, and worke whiles the day is here, for in the night of the next worlde, sinners can not helpe them selues, nor worke one moment towards their owne deliuery or release.
3 Once againe he desireth Catholikes not to doubt of this doctrine, but to preuent the paine appointed by their angry father, with patient receiuing the chastisment of their kinde mother, whose meke wande in this life, they were better to susteine, then the heauy scourge of their iustely moued father after this life. In this proper antithesis, the kindnesse of the mother, is preferred before the anger of the father: yea the mercy of the mother, is commended aboue the iustice of the father. It appereth by this, that the Papistes vnderstand not what they say, when they call God father, who taketh vntounto him that name, to declare his mercy towarde vsus and not his iustice, his louelove and not his wrath, to rewarde vsus, and not to punish vsus, who though he chastise his children for a moment, yet doth he, not exact paines according to the measure of his iustice. As for that Prosopopaeia of the mother, opposing her to the father, in worde is more rethoricall, then Christian in deede, and because it is vnfitte for the matter, it is more of garrulity then of eloquence. The rest of the exhortations are such as we hauehave hearde before, to accept penaunce humbly, to adde to the penaunce zeleously, to merite while time serueth diligently, &c.
4 And for the other sorte which hauehave bene deceiued by the Maremaides song, I shall humbly in our Sauiours blessed bloude beseeke them, 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, both here and in the next life, if the Church hath practised discipline, by his authority, vponupon all obedient persons, if all vertuous hauehave charged them selues with paine, if all learned fathers hauehave both preached and done penaunce, for the auoiding of paines hereafter prepared, if the worde of God expressely make for this, if all learned men with out exception beleued it and feared it, if it agree with good reason, if it setforth Gods iustice, if it duely aunswere to the hatered of sinne, if it raise the feare of God in mans hearte, if it be the bane of prowde presumption, if it be the mother of meekenesse, of obedience, of deuotion, and of all good Christian condicions, let it for Gods louelove, I pray thee once againe, take place in thy harte, and driue out that rest and quietnesse of sinne, which these delicate doctors, for thy present pleasure, vnderunder the colour of some honest name, hauehave deceitfully induced thee vntounto.
4 The conclusion hath an exhortation to those whome he termeth deceiued with the Maremaides songe, to consider the weight of his arguments, whereof he maketh a short recapitulation. First if God hauehave punished his dearest children, not onelyonly in this life, but also after this life, then let purgatory hauehave place againe: we are content, but vntill it may be proued out of the worde of God, that he hath punished his children after this life, we are not bounde by this argument. Secondly if the discipline of the Church, the exercise of the godly, the doctrine of all learned fathers that hauehave preached or done penaunce, hath bene for the auoiding of purgatory, then receiue purgatory againe. But if the ende of godly discipline, be either to heale the curable by repentaunce in this life, or to separat the vncurable from infecting the sounde, if the fructes of repentaūce and good workes of the godly are to be referred, to the testifying of their repentaunce, and their faith, and to the glorifying of God, if the doctrine of all the godly, that hauehave preached and done penaunce according to the worde of God, hauehave bene to the same endes, we may not yet geue place to admit purgatory. Thirdly if the word of God make expressely for purgatory, we would not for our liues deny it, nor doubt of it, but if the word of God doe neither expressely nor by any probable collection allow, but manifestly condemne it, as blasphemous against the passion of Christ: then must we still not onelyonly exclude it from our beliefe, but also abhorre it from our heart. Forthly if all learned men without exception, beleued and feared purgatory, we will also beleue it and feare it, but vntill that may be proued, or that any godly learned euer knew of it for 200. yeares after Christ, we must craue pardon of M. Allen at the least wise to suspend our iudgement. Fifthly if it agree with good reason, which agreeth with the word of God, it were reason we should receiue it, but we accōpt no reason good that is not consonant to the truth, and therefore if it can not be wonne by Scripture, we wil not yeld for any reason. Six…ly if it set forth the iustice of God to aunswere the hatred of sinne as God hath appoynted, we refuse it not, but if it be blasphemous both against the righteousnes of God and satisfaction for our sinnes aunswered in the sufferings of Christ, and against his vnspeakeable mercies, in prouiding such a wonderful meane of so perfect redemption, we defie it and the maintainers of it. Seuenthly, if it rayse the feare of God in mans heart, such as God alloweth, we must needes accept it, but if it rayse none but a slauish and that a vayne feare of torment, and diminisheth the louelove of Gods goodnes and mercy, & excludeth the peace of conscience, there is no remedy but we must still reiect it. If it be the bane of proud presumption, we hauehave cause to thinke well of it: but if it be the prouocation of deuilish presumption, to ascribe more to our merits then to the mercy of God, we acknowledge that it procedeth from the prince of pride and presumption against God. If it were the mother of meekenes, obedience, deuotion and of all Christian conditions, we were to blame if we would not entertaine it. But if it be the father of fables and false worship of God, the instrument of infidelitie, and sleepe of securitie, which are sworne enemies of all Christian religion, we leaue it to Papistes, deluded with the errours of Antichrist, and nothing conuenient for the disciples and members of Christ, whose payne is their purgatory, whose suffering is their satisfaction, whose merittes are their rewarde, which are vessels of Gods mercy ordeyned to the praise of his glory.
5 Aske once of thyne owne maisters: & if they be able to answere to any parte of this which I hauehave proued, but by vnseemely wrasting of the Scripture, shamefull deniall of the doctours, or deceitfull colouring of nothing, in vayne words, without ground, matter or meaning, thou maist better beleue them, and miscredit me. But if thou finde they shall neuer be able to satisfie a reasonable man in this case, then cast not thy self away willingly with them: but betime turne home to vsus againe. I my selfe seeke no further credit at thy handes, but as a reporter of the antiquity: But the Scripture requireth thy obedience, the Church which can not be deceiued clameth thy consent, all the olde fathers would hauehave thee ioyne with them in their constant beliefe. If thou did once feele what grace and giftes were, In populo graui & Ecclesia magna, in the graue people and great Church, (as the prophet termeth Gods house) or could conceiue the comfort that we poore wretchies receiue daily, by discipline and perfect remission of our sinnes, which can no where but in this house be profitably healed, thou wouldest forsake I am sure, al worldly welth & wantons abrode, to ioyne with our Church againe. And that the name of the Church deceiue thee not: this is the true Church (sayth Lactantius) In qua est religio, Lib. 4. Cap. 30. de sap.confessio, & poenitentia, quae peccata & vulncra, quibus est subiecta imbecillitas carnis, salubriter curat. In which, deuotion, confession, and penaunce, whereby the woundes of mans frailty are profitably cured, be found.
5 Aske your owne conscience M. Allen whether you hauehave not miserably wrested the Scriptures your selfe. And lette all reasonable men aunswere whether such textes of Scriptures as you hauehave wrested out of the true sense, I hauehave not wrested out of your handes. And that not by shamefull denial of the Doctors, but euen by the testimony & exposition of the doctors them selues, with force of matter, rather, then flow of wordes, with plaine meaning rather then with deceitfull dealing. And whereas you boast your selfe to be a reporter of antiquity, you hauehave shewed your selfe to be a fauorer of forgery and a corrupter of antiquity. As for the gracious giftes, and conceit of comfort that you bragge of in your counterfeit Church of hypocrites and sclaunderous Synagoges of Satan, how so euer you paynt it out, with glorious termes, we geue most humble & harty thāks to the infinite goodnes of God, which hath geuen his holy spirite into our hearts, with perfect assurance of his fauour euerlasting, and hath so furnished his seruaunts with such giftes as he hath thought sufficient for the setting forth of his praise in his Church vponupon earth, that we neede not desire any other giftes or comfort out of his family, but onelyonly the continuance and increase of the same, which we hauehave already in his owne house, vntill we shall be translated from this mortall and corruptible state, to the eternall and incorruptible glory, which is laid vp in heauen, for all them that wait for the appearing of the glorious God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, to whom be all honour and dominion both now and euermore. Amen.
THE ENDE OF THE FIRST BOOKE.
THE SECOND BOOKE INTREATING OF THE PRAIERS, and other ordinary reliefe, that the Church of Christ procureth for the soules departed.