Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 1 · Chapter 2
The double and doubtfull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion, are remoued: and it is proued against one sort, that these foresayde scourges vvere in deede punishments for sinnes remitted. And agaynst thother sect, that this transitory payne hath often endured in the next life. CAP. II.
1 ANd the weight of this foresayd grounde, hath euer pressed the aduersaries of truth so sore, that beholding as it were a farre of, what inconuenience this might import, they euer busily endeuored to stay the beginning of their likely ouerthrow. But yet (as it was and will be for euer noted in false teachers) they seeke diuerse escapes, so disagreable, that one hindereth an other, and neither of them helpes their owne cause. One sorte not so impudent, but a great deale more foolish then their fellowes, agree by force of the places named and euidence of the examples, that there is punishment to be suffered, and some temporall paine remane at to be discharged in this world, after remission of sinne, but for the next after this life (so fearde they be of purgatory) they will hauehave none at all.Melanch. Thother secte maisters fearing what might follow on that graunt, in no case will confesse, that there is any payne due for sinne, in this world or the next, after the fault be once remitted. For Caluine capitaine of this latter bād,Caluinus. saw well, that if any debt or recompense remaine to be discharged by the offender after his reconcilement, it must needes …ise by proportion, weight, continuance, number, and quantity of the faultes committed before. VVhereby it must of necessity be induced, that because eueryevery man can not hauehave time, either for the hugenesse of his sinnes past, or his late repentaunce, or his carelesse negligence, to repay all in his life, that there is all, or some part aunswerable in the next world to come. And therefore boldly and impudently, as in case of this necessity, he aduentureth to deny with shame, that any of all these painfull miseries be as punishments for the sinnes of the sufferers: but certaine fatherly checkes, exercises of patience and vertue, rather then afflictions enioyned for sinnes. VVhichWhich vaine shift hath no bearing by reason, or text of Scripture: but onelyonly is vpholden by the exercised audacity of the author.
CAP. II.
1 IF M. Allens titles of his chapters were as sufficient reasons, as they be bolde affirmations, there were no man able to stand against him. But I can well compare them to the arguments of those vayne fables that were wont to be printed in english of Beuis of Hampton, Guy of VVarwick, & such like, where the arguments shew how such a Knight ouercame such a Gyant, how such a sorcerer wrought such a miracle, which are tould as confidently as though they were true, and yet there is no man of meane witte so ignoraunt, but he knoweth them to be fayned fantasies. Euen so with M. Allen, to affirme is to proue, to deny is to confute, briefly in his titles, and at large in his chapters. But if he would as he pretendeth, hauehave remoued all those reasons, that we bring against his false conclusion, or any of them all, he must hauehave proued, that Christ hath not satisfied the iustice of God perfectly by his death and suffering, that God doth not freely forgeue vsus our sinnes, that he is stil an angry Iudge against them that put their trust in him. He must hauehave proued against Ezechiel, that what tyme so euer a man doth truely repent, the Lord doth not put all his sinnes out of his remembraunce, against Dauid, that he hath not remoued our sinnes from vsus as farre as the East is from the West. Against S. Iohn, that if any man sinne after Baptisme, Iesus Christ is not our aduocate with the father, and propitiation for our sinnes. If he could say any thing against these reasons & authorities, with an hundred more of the same sort, he were worthy to be heard. But because that is to hard a matter for him to take in hand, without all shame or shew of truth most impudently, he fayneth a contrariety betwene Melanthon and Caluine, but not once noting by one letter where the same is to be found in any of their workes, lest their manifest wordes out of the same places being brought against him, should reproue his shamelesse lying. Melancthon he saith, acknowledgeth some temporal payne after remission of sinnes, to be discharged in this life, but not in the life to come. Caluin wil hauehave none at all. O brasen face and yron forhead: doth Caluine deny thafflictions of this life? or Melancthon affirme that they are suffered for satisfaction of our sinnes. Doth Melancthon deny the passion of Christ to be a perfect aunswering of the iustice of God? or Caluine affirme, thereby to be taken away the mercyfull correction of God? Would God that all that professe the religion of Christ agreed in all pointes as truely, as they doe in this. But admitte that M. Melancthon or any man beside, should graunt, that the sufferinges of the godly in this life, are some parte of satisfying vntounto the iustice of God, what were purgatory promoted thereby? Forsoth then of necessitie it must be induced, that some parte of these sufferinges are aunswerable in the next worlde to come, what necessitie call you this? euen such as he suffereth, which being bounde hande and foote with a strawe, can not steare to helpe him selfe. But lette vsus see this adamantine chayne of Maister Allens necessity. If any punishment remayne, it must needes ryse by proportion, weyght, continuaunce, number and quantity, which if it be not all discharged in this lyfe, then it is to be aunswered in the lyfe to come. By proportion Maister Allen? What proportion? Arithmeticall or Geometricall? If it be by arithmeticall proportion, then so many thousandes of sinnes, whereof eueryevery one deserueth one death, must be punished by so many thousand deathes. If by geometricall proportion, then so many offences committed against that infinite maiesty, can not be aunswered, but by infinite and eternal punishment, and which way so euer you take it, by weight, number, time or measure, it is euident, that while you seeke for purgatory, you hauehave founde out hell. For otherwise saith the spirite of God, in the person of the faithfull, He hath not dealt with vsus according to our sinnes, neither rewarded vsus after our iniquities, Psal. 103. But as heauen is aboue the earth, so great is his mercy, as a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare him. This is an other maner of proportion M. Allen, then you Papists can skill of, which thinke such a necessity to be of this conclusion, that if any sinnes be punished in this life, they must be punished after this life also. For if nothing but iustice be sought against sinnes, then followeth nothing but eternal damnation, if mercy may moderat the matter, what necessity is in this consequence? some sinnes are sometime punished in this life, ergo in the life to come. Thus I hauehave reasoned, supposing that any man had graunted, that the iustice of God must be satisfied with our sufferings in this life: for I my selfe had rather see the Pope at the deuill, then I would affirme the sufferings of Christ to be vnsufficient to aunswere perfectly the iustice of God. But behold christian reader the blasphemy of these popish serpents, first they will seeme in wordes throughly to acknowledge the benefite of Christes passion, lest that eueryevery man yt heareth them speak, should spit at them. When they hauehave thus obtained audience, then they will gather in them selues, & begin in some part to diminish the perfection therof, & so proceede vntill they hauehave in deede, though not in wordes cleane excluded Christ and all his merits, whereof thou hast a plaine example in this hipocrite, who in the beginning of his first chapter, confesseth liberally the effect of Christes death▪ afterward restraineth the force thereof, to sinnes committed before baptisme, then bringeth in punishment, for aunswering the iustice of God in this life, afterward extendeth the same vntounto the life to come, & last of all, estemeth the punishment by proportion, weight, continuance, number & quantity of the faults committed: which of necessity thrusteth backe againe the sinnes into eternall torments. And what then becommeth of the propitiation for our sinnes purchased vntounto vsus by the bloud of the sonne of God?
2 S. Paule in playne words writeth:Ad Rom. 6. Vide Augu. super illud psal. 50. in peccatis cō c…pit me mater m…a. Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum, & stipendium peccati mors est. The body is dead because of sinne, and death is the reward of sinne. And so of Dauid: because thou hast slayne Vrias, Non recedet gladius de domo tua, saith the Scripture: The sword shall not depart thy house. And againe, because thou hast made the enemies blaspheme my name, thy child shall dye. And of the people of Israell: Visitabo & hoc peccatum eorum. I will visite this sinne of theirs also. Yet in this light of Scripture, whereas the punishment is named, so it is expresly mentioned that sinne is the proper cause thereof, the aduersary seeketh a blinde mist, to dase the simplicity of the reader, and to maintaine errour. It helpeth our cause exceding much,In Psal. 50. that the very shew of an argument, driues them to such vnseemely shiftes. S. Augustines wordes shall for me sufficiently refute this errour, Veritatem dilexisti, impunita peccata eorum etiam quibus ignoscis, non reliquisti. (He speaketh to God in the Prophets person). Thou loues righteousnes, & hast not left vnpunished, no not the sinnes of them whom thou louest.August. lib. 2. de peccato mer. cap. 33. Notwithstanding, this is very true: that all these afflictions though they come of sinne, a…d for the rewarde of mans offences, yet God of mercy turneth them to the exercise of vertue, and benefite of such as shalbe saued. But it is one thing to dispute of what cause they come, and an other to reason of the wisedom of God in the vse of the same. VVho, as the said Augustine witnesseth, is so mighty in his prouident gouernaunce, that he is able to turne, euen the very sinnes them selues, to the benefite of such as by grace and mercy shalbe raised vp to saluation. And much more is he ready to frame the punishment which he him selfe of iustice worketh for correction of sinners, to the saluation of the elect.
2 This peace should proue that the fatherly rodde of Gods mercy, is a sword of his iustice to punish those sinnes that are remitted. But what maner of proues bringeth he. S. Paule (he sayth) in plaine wordes writeth, the body is deade because of sinne, and death is the reward of sinne. In deede S. Paule writeth so, but is the mercy of God turned therfore into iustice, or his rodde into a sworde? or he from a mercifull father into an angry iudge? to omit howe vnfitly he ioyneth these 2. places togither, whose sense is so farre differing, for in the former saying: Rom. 8. he speaketh of the relicks of sinne, that are not altogither abolished in them that are regenerate: in the latter Rom. 6. he sheweth that they which serue sinne, deserue eternall damnation: what is this to the proofe of his conclusion? but his purpose was onelyonly to make some shewe of variety of places: for by and by he returneth to the places alleged, and aunswered before, of Dauid, and of the people of Israell, whereunto he adioyneth the saying of Augustine, that God leaueth not the sinnes of them vnpunished, whome he hath pardoned. One aunswere serueth al, if there were ten times as much of this sort. That God punisheth not to satisfie his iustice, but to shew his mercy toward his children, to bring them to repentaunce, to humble them, to make them beware of the like sinnes, to admonish others by their example, but in no wise that they should make a mendes by due punishment, for that which by transgression was committed, which aunswere howsoeuer he would seeme to eleuate by wordes, yet he bringeth no matter against it, but euen the places by him selfe alleged in the chapter before, which either all or almost all, doe plainly confirme it, as is before noted, and none of them all confute it.
3 But now the other sorte which be more curteise,The confutation of the second opinion. and confesse that in this world the iust may suffer of reason for his sinnes already remitted, but not in the next life, as their doctrine is very vntrue, so it geueth great licēse and liberty to euill liuer…, and is the very mother of presumption. For if man were suere to be discharged at his departure hense of all paine for his sinnes, then certes were it madnesse, to trauell in this life further for his offensies, then he must of necessitie. Yea more, it maketh the case of greuous sinners till the houre of their death (so that they then at last repent) much better, then of small offenders conuerted longe before. For these must be punished in their life, the other can not be punished (as these suppose) after their death. VVhat a vaine absurdity is this, that the prophet offending once or twise in all his time, shoulde suffer so heuie iudgement: and the party which abideth in wickednesse till the ende of his life, when sinne rather leaueth him, then he sinne, must because of his late conuersion, without paine be caried at ease to heauen? This is not doubtlesse semely to Gods iustice and ordinaunce, whose wayes be truth and vprightnesse.Homil. 11. in Leuit. Est apud iudicem iustum poenae moderatio, non solum pro qualitate, sed etiam pro quantitate. To a iust iudge there must be consideration had of punishment, both for the quality & quantity (so saith Origine.) And the holy Scripture thus. Quantum glorificauit se, & in delitijs fuit: tantum date illi tormentum & luctum. Looke how high she exalted her selfe, and how delicatly she liued: and geue her so much woe and torment againe. It is spoken as of Babylon in the reuelations of Saint Iohn.Cap. 16.
And because this toucheth our matter, and the very point thereof: I will stand with the aduersarie the longer. Here then I aske him, why God taketh punishment in this worlde, for sinne already remitted? His aunswere must needes be, for the reuenge and hatered of sinne, and satisfying of iustice. Nowe then doth God practise iudgement and iustice no where but in this worlde? Or if it be not here aunswered, because of lacke of space, or late reconciliation of the offender, shall our lorde of necessitie be forced to remitte the debte, and release his sentence of iustice for lacke of meanes to punish in an other worlde? No no, Gods hāde is not abbridged by the termes of this life. Late repentaunce can be a benefit to no man: God forbid it shoulde. Especially seing punishment and iudgement for sinne (as many learned do suppose, and as reason with scripture beareth) properly apperteineth not to this worlde, but by a speciall grace, and singular benefite, which God of pity graunteth to such as he loueth, that they may here preuent his anger: which else in the next life should be found more greeuous, where properly is the reward of sinne, and iudgement kept ordinarily for the same. As it is playne mercy & grace, when man may take punishment of him selfe (as S. Paule sayeth) and be his owne correctour,1. Cor. 11. to auoyde the iudgement of God. And thereof the next life is termed commonly dies Domini: where there is no place for our working, but sufferance alone: where the accompt of mans life must be straitly required, and the sinnes euen of the iust, not otherwise amended, sharpely visited. Therefore if Melanthon graunt that the righteous and reconciled persons,Euseb. Emis. homil. de di uersis viti. may iustly beare the scourge of God, for satisfying for their sinnes before pardoned, in this world, where, though punishment be exercised for wickednesse properly, yet at the least not so ordinarily as in the next, wher God hath layd vp the great store of rewarde, as wel for the good as the badde: he must needes by force of reason acknowledge, that the world to come is no lesse (if it be not more) appoynted of our Lord for iust iudgeing of our faultes forgiuen, then the time of this present life, whereas many an euill liuer escapeth all punishment so diuerse of great vertue suffer full greeuous torments. Excellently well sayd S. Augustine: Multa mala hic videntur ignosci, Ench. ca. 6.& nullis supplicijs vindicari: sed eorum poenae reseruantur in posterum &c: much euill may seeme here to be pardoned, and without all punishment released: but the payne for such thinges is reserued til the world to come.
3 He ascribeth more curtesie to the other sort whose opinion is of his owne framing, but yet they please him not altogither, because their doctrine geueth licence to euill liuers. For if a man were sure to be discharged at his death for all payne for his sinne, then it were madnes to trauaile further for his offences in this life, then he must needes. M. Allen speaketh here according to his owne affection, & the sence of all Papistes, which will take no paynes to please God, but onelyonly for their profite: they will not bestow one halfe peny for the louelove of God, nor suffer a fillippe for the glory of God, but for the satisfaction of their sinnes, and increase of their merittes. And therefore that which is the chiefe cause, that doth and ought to moue, and the principall ende for which all godly men are moued to seeke to please God by good workes, namely the louelove of God, and the glory of God, the Papistes thinke to preuaile with no man, because they are voyd of it them selues. But may not a man now iustly enforce, that the opinion of purgatory & satisfactions of sinnes after this life, is the very doctrine of licentiousnes, to maintayne wicked men in their presumptuousnes? For what hast will they make to amendement & newnes of life, when they hauehave hope of release after their death? The other absurdity riseth of deuilish enuy, that God shoulde be more liberall to them that repent, at the houre of death, then to them that were but small offenders, conuerted long before. And therefore (M. Allen) I wil aunswere you, as the housholder aunswered those murmurers, which grudged that they which wrought but an houre were made equall in reward with those, that had borne the burthen & heat of the day. Is thy eye euil, because God is good? is it not lawfull for him to doe what he will with his owne? Matth. 20. But this is that which alway deceiueth the papistes, because they measure the reward by iustice and not by mercy. I thinke M. Allen is angry with Christ, that he did not send the penitent theefe into purgatory, but euen that day promised to be with him in paradise. For Origen is alleged to proue, that a iust Iudge must hauehave consideration of punishment, both for quality and quantity. He neuer thinketh of Ch…ist all this while, who was striken for our sinnes and wounded for our iniquities, in whose punishment God had regard of such quality and quantity as his iustice required. Es. 53. For the chastisement of our peace was layd vponupon him. but we say with the prophet: Lord if thou looke straightly to our sinnes, who were able to abide it, but with thee there is mercy & therefore thou shalt be feared. Psa. 130. But for a stronger proofe, there is alleged a place out of Apoc. 18. looke howe high Babylon did exalt her self, & how delicatly she liued, geue her so much woe & torment againe. Now I promise you, I will say M. Allen is a cunning Logitian, if he can draw a good argument out of this place to proue that God punisheth his children to satisfy his iustice. The whorish church of Rome is iustly condemned to eternal torments, for her pride & voluptuousnes, there ore Gods children are punished to aunswere the iustice of God. The people of God are commaū ded to reward Babylon according to her wickednes, and to spare her no more then she s…ared them in her tyrannye. What pertaineth this to ye afflictions of Gods Saincts? But because this matter toucheth the point, he will tary longer with his aduersary, & demaund why God taketh punishmēt in this world for sinne already remitted. And then he will cōpel him to answere for satisfying of his iustice, which if it be not performed in this life, it must be in the life to come. This is a fine kinde of reasoning, M. Allen, that you will enforce your aduersary both to aunswere you, & also to aunswere what you list, & then you are good enough for him. Is this the logicke of Louayne? Nay you hauehave a finer reason then this, punishment & iudgement for sinne properly appertayneth not to this worlde, but to the next life. Then would I grossely inferre, therfore the temporal paines that the godly suffer in this world, be not properly punishments for sinne. But it is of mercy and grace that they suffer in this life, that I graunt, but not to satisfie for their sinnes. Of which matter you doe vntruely call Saynct Paule to witnes. 1. Cor. 11. as whē he is hearde to speake him selfe, it will appeare manifestly: If we would iudge our selues (sayth he) we should not be iudged, but when we are iudged, we are chastised of the Lorde, because we shoulde not be condemned with the worlde. Here is chastisement to amendement, or obstinacy to condemnation, but neuer a word sounding toward purgatory, here is a manifest difference, betwene the iudgement which God exerciseth towards his children, which is chastismēt to auoyd damnation, & that iudgement by the which the impenitent world is condemned. But in the next life (you say) there is no place for our working but sufferance alone, &c. what then shal other mens workes auaile, when our owne will not serue? and yet it is a matter not so fully agreed vponupon among you papistes, whether a man may merite in purgatory. But to take your owne affirmation and not to charge you with dissention of other men (because you dissent so much from your selfe) who so weigheth the grounde of your first booke, must needes confesse that it ouerturneth your second booke, & if the matter of your second booke be true, then is the ground of your first booke false. For the ground of purgatory you would make the iustice of God, which requireth punishment for sinnes committed in this life: but how can that stand? if God accept ye worke of other men to release them, that should suffer by his iustice: if these workes wil answere the matter, thē there is no such necessity of purgatory to satisfie his iustice. So that one of your bookes is a prety confutatiō of the other. As for the saying of Augustine helpeth you nothing at all, onelyonly he sheweth that God punisheth not all sinnes in this world, because many are reserued to eternall torments. But howe vncertaine his iudgement was concerning purgatory in that Enchiridion ad Laurentium, he him selfe most plainly declareth. Tale aliquid etiam post hanc vitam fieri incredibile non est: & vtrum ita sit quaeri potest. It is not incredible, that such a thing may be after this life, and whether it be so or no it may be doubted, and either it may be found, or else it may be hidde, that some faithfull should passe through a certaine purgatory fier, &c. cap. 69. By which wordes it appeareth that Sathan was but then laying his foundations of purgatory, & had not yet finished this worke by a great deale, and that this was not so graue a doctrine, nor so constant a fayth of the fathers, as M. Allen boasteth of in the former cap. Fol. 25.
4 But let vsus steppe a foote further, and yet so much nearer the matter: and note well whether we may finde any case, where the payment for sinnes remitted, passeth the bondes of this life, and so required in the next, that by playne dealing and orderly proceeding,Marke vvell that God punisheth in the next life, the sinnes of the iust. we may the better instruct the simple, confound the aduersary and make truth stand vponupon it selfe.
Consider then with me that our first father pardoned of his sinne, as I proued before, was punished for the same, & with him all the iust of those dayes, not onelyonly in the time of this present mortall life, but many hundreth yeares after their departure. For whose deliuery, the Catholike church holdeth and our Crede teacheth also, that our Maister Christ descended downe into hell. And that no man here be deceaued, he must vnderstand, that it was no smal punishment to be banished so many worldes togither from the land of the lyuing, and to lacke the ioyfull fruition of heauens blisse:August. Enchi. cap. 112. which of it selfe, but that it was not eternall, had bene more then all temporall paynes that may be suffered. And this to be one of those miseries which our first fathers disobedience wrought, and so to be payne for sinne, I thinke eueryevery wise man will confesse. Yea it was the greatest dominion of sinne that could be for the ouerthrow of which, Christ him selfe vouchsafed to enter into the land of darkenes. It is called of the Prophet, lacus sine aqua: a lake without water: And of the Apostle,Zach. 9. 1. Pet. 3. Carcer, a prison. VVhere the fathers be also named, vincti tui, thyne that were bounde. VVhereby we must vnderstand that Christ had a flocke imprisoned and bound, for the debt of sinne in an other worlde. But that we may make inuincible proofe, that this their captiuity was a iust inioyned plage and penalty for sinne, we must report what we finde in auncient Irenaeus of this matter. And he affirmeth that Adam was iudged and condemned for his wilfull fall, till Christes comming, in these wordes.Lib. 3. ca. 33. Necesse fuit Dominum ad perditam ouem venientem & tandem despositionis recapitulationem facientem, & suum plasma requirentem, illum ipsum hominem saluare, qui factus fuerat secundum imaginem & similitudinem eius, id est Adam: implentem tempora eius condemnationis, quae facta fuerat propter inobedientiam. And straight after. Solutus est condemnationis vinculis, qui captiuus ductus fuerat homo, thus I english it: It was necessary that our Lorde comming to the lost sheepe, & making a recapitulation of his appoynted ordinaunce, and vew of his owne handeworke, should also saue the same man which was formed after his owne image and likenesse: I meane Adam, then fulfilling the time of that condemnation which was for his disobedience appoynted, and so the man ledde into captiuity was released of the bondes of his condemnation.
Eusebius Emissenus yet more expresly helpeth our cause,Homil. 1. de festo Pasch. as followeth. Confestim igitur aeterna nox inferorum, Christo descendente, resplenduit: siluit stridor ille lugentium, & Cathenarum disrupta ceciderunt vincula damnatorum Out of hand at Christes comming into hell, that eternall darkenesse shined bright: the gnashing of the mourners ceased, and the brosten bandes of condemned persons, fell from them. Here loe many one, by the iudgement of this holy writer, were loused from much misery by Christes descending downe. VVhere, to our purpose we must especially be aduertised, that all the iust in those inferiour parts were not in like felicity with our father Abraham, or other of such perfect holinesse: (although he also suffered the common lacke, in long looking for translation to ioy) for some there were of meaner vertue, & yet in the fauour of God, which suffered personall paine for purging & recompense of their sinnes committed in this life:Some vvere released of payne, at Christes descen. of whome this Author semeth to meane.
And as S. Augustine supposeth, the scripture must needes import such a like thing: vndoubtedly teaching that Christ was not onelyonly in the place of rest, where Abraham and other in his harbour were, but also in places of tormēt, which could not touch his holy person:Act. 2. Quem Deus suscitauit solutis dolo…ibus inferni: VVhome God raised vp againe after he had loosed hell paines. Thus saith this holy Author. Quia euidentia testimonia & infernum commemorant & dolores, nulla causa occurrit, Epist. 99.cur illò credatur venisse Saluator, nisi vt ab eius doloribus saluos faceret: sed vtrum omnes quos in eis inuenit, an quosdam quos illo beneficio dignos iudicauit, adhuc requiro: fuisse tamen eum apud inferos, & in eorum doloribus constitutis hoc beneficium praestitisse non dubito: Bycause (saith he) euident testimonies make mention both of Hell and paines, I see not why we shoulde beleue that our Sauiour came thether, but to discharge some of the paines thereof: mary whether he loosed all, or summe whome he thought worthy of that benefite, that woulde I learne. For I am out of doubt he was in hell, and bestowed that gracious benefite vponupon some that were in paines. Thus farre spake Augustine. Let no man here take occasiō to thinke that this father ment of any release of the damned in the inferious hell: for that errour he euer detested, & writeth earnestly against Origine for the same.De fide & operibus cap 16. Cap. 33. Then it must needs be, that he spake of some which were in paine and torment, and yet worthy to receiue mercy. (so he termeth their estate both here, and in the xij. Booke of the literall exposition on the Genesis, where he hath the same wordes with more large proofe of the conclusion) which neither agreeth with the state of Abrahams rest, nor yet with the forsaken soules. And the name of hell is now commonly taken for any one of the inferiour partes, where God practiseth iudgemēt for sinne euerlastingly or temporally: though (as Augustine saith) it cā not be found in plaine scripture, that Abrahams happy resting place should be termed Hell, or Infernū.
But I neede not seeke further in the depe mistery of Christes affaires in the inferiour partes. For as I am not ashamed to be ignoraūt vpō whom he bestowed the grace of deliuery, so with Augustine, or rather with Gods Church, I dare beleue, that he loosed somme, vponupon whome he exercised iudgement before. And further may boldely auouche, that as there were certaine at his comming downe, not vnworthy after long paines tolerated to be released in his presens, so there be yet some, which by mercy and meanes of Gods Church be released daily. Not of that sorte which died out of Gods fauour: Quibus clausa est ianua misericordiae, & omnis spes interclusa salutis: Bernard se de s. Nicolao.VponUpon whome the doore of mercy, and the hope of helthe be closed and shut vp for euer, but of the iust departed in faith and pietie, and yet not fully purged of all corruption of iniquitie.
4 This man hath hitherto raked in purgatory, nowe he will steppe a foote further into hell, and all to finde a case where sinnes remitted are punished after this life, and then he will returne againe into purgatory. For this purpose we must consider with him, that Adam and all the iust of those dayes, were punished for their sinnes forgiuen, not onelyonly in this life, but many hundreth yeares after their departure. For whose deliuery the Catholike Church (he sayth) holdeth & our creed teacheth, that Christ descended into hell. First marke how he agreeth with him selfe, & after how he cauilleth with the holy Scripture of God. Here he sayth that Abraham and all the iust were punished in hell, afterward in the next leafe, he saith that all the iust in those inferiour partes were not in like felicity with our father Abraham, or other of such perfect holinesse, and in the next leafe after that, he affirmeth out of Augustine, that Abrahams happy resting place can not be found in Scripture, to be termed hell. But that the fathers of the olde lawe before Christ, were not in hell, although they were not, nor yet are in perfect blessednesse, God prouiding a better thing for vsus, that they without vsus shoulde not be made perfect. Heb. 11. It is to be proued with manifest argumentes and authorityes out of holy Scriptures. For seeing they all beleeued in Christ, they had euerlasting lyfe, and entred not into condemnation, but passed from death to lyfe. Ioan 5. And to what ende was Christ called the lambe, that was slayne from the beginning of the worlde, but that the benefite of his passion, extendeth vntounto the godly of all ages alike? Esay speaking of thè righteous that are departed out of this life, sayth that there is peace, and that they shall rest in their beddes, Esay 57. like as he affirmeth that Tophoth, which is Gehinnom or hell, is prepared of olde for the wicked, Es. 30. So that felicity and rest was the portion of the godly fathers of the olde time after their death: and hell was prepared but for the wicked and vngodly. The same doth our Sauiour Christ teach in the history of Lazarus and the rich man. Luke 16. where the soule of Lazarus was caried by Angels not downe to hell, but vp into Abrahams bosome, from which hell is manifestly deuided, when it is sayd that the rich man being in hell in torments, lifted vp his eyes and saw Lazarus a farre of: which wordes doe plainly confute, that drousy dreame of the Papistes concerning limbus patrum, which they say is but an edge and border of hell. But Christ maketh hell one place, and Abrahams bosome an other, and not that onelyonly, but the one farre from the other, yea a great distaunce betwene the one and the other, therfore no edge nor border of hell, but a place of comfort, an high place: for the rich man loketh vp, and seeth a farre of Lazarus in the bosome of Abraham, who was a true childe of Abraham by fayth, for fayth maketh children vntounto Abraham. Rom. 4. And euen as faith was imputed to Abraham, so is it to all that be his children by fayth as well as it was to Abraham, if righteousnes belongeth to Abrahams children, the reward of righteousnes also pertayneth vntounto them, therefore Abrahams bosome was open to receiue all the children of Abraham, euen as the bosome of God was ready to receiue Abraham, because he was his sonne through fayth. And now to confute your vaine reasons which eyther be manifest wrestinges of the holy Scripture, or else are builded vponupon the authority of mortall men. First you allege that the place into which Christ descended, was called a lake without water, in which the godly fathers were. Zachary 9. but this is so euident an abusing of the word of God, that he which doth only reade that verse of Zachary in the originall tongue, must needes confesse, that those wordes hauehave an other sense, for God there contineweth his speaking to Ierusalem, or the daughter of Syon: saying, he hath deliuered her prisoners by the bloud of her couenant, from the lake without water, that is from miserable and desperate captiuity, where appeared no comfort. For the pronoune thou, is of the feminine gender, wherefore it is most cleare that this is not spoken of Christ but of the Church of Christ. As for the common translation, which turneth the feminine gender into the masculine, & the first person into the second with manifest deprauation of the sense, is not to be admitted in this case. Nowe that prison which you bring out of 1. Pet. 3. is the prison of the damned soules, into which S. Peter doth not say that Christ descended, but that he came in the daies of Noe by his spirite, and preached to those that were then disobedient, and therefore are their spirites now in perpetuall prison and torment. And this is the true and naturall sense of S. Peters wordes, which by meanes of that predicate errour, rather then of any great obscurity in them, hath bene diuersly wrested by expositors. The wordes of Irenaeus may be well vnderstoode of Christes comming downe from heauen to saue mankind, which deserued iust condemnation for sinne, rather then of his descending into hel, and the name of Adam seemeth to be taken in these wordes, rather for a noune common then for a proper name. He hath wordes towards the latter ende of the fift booke that sound more like to this matter, where he sayth: Cum enim Dominus in medio vmbrae mortis abierit, vbi animae mortuorum erant, post deinde corporaliter resurrexit, & post resurrectionem assumptus est, manifestum est, quia & discipulorum eius, propte… quos & haec operatus est Dominus, animae abibunt in inuisibilem locum, definitum eis à Deo, & ibi vsque ad resurrectionem commorabuntur. Seing the Lord went in the middest of the shadow of death, where the soules of the dead were, and afterward arose corporally, and then was taken vp: it is manifest, that the soules of his disciples for whom the Lorde wrought these thinges, shall goe into an inuisible place, appoynted for them by God, and there shall tarry vntill the resurrection. Neuertheles out of these wordes can nothing be necessarily enforced, but that the soule of Christ, when he was deade, was in the place of the godly that were deade before him, which no man denyeth. If you vrge that he was in the middest of the shadow of death, I aunswere, that is a phrase of the Scripture, signifying that he was verely dead, and that death had him in possession, after which maner of speach S. Peter sayth, that God raysed him agayne, loosing the sorrowes of death, and you your selfe count it a blasphemy to say, that he suffered any torments in hell after his death, and Irenaeus him selfe affirmeth, that it was such a place as all his disciples shall rest in vntill the time of the generall resurrection, which plainly ouerthroweth your fantasy. Eusebius Emissenus helpeth you as litle as Irenaeus, for he speaketh rhetorically, of the glorious victory that Christ obtained against hel, & the power of darkenes, by his death and passion, and descending into hell, whose words if you would expounde grammatically, you will make a mad sense of them, & he shalbe smally beholding vntounto you. But it is plaine enough, except it be to him that wil seeke confirmation of errors, out of that which is truely spoken, that he meaneth that the effect and power of Christes death, mightely vanquished the power of hell & eternal damnation, not which it had actually ouer the godly, but which by the iustice of God, it should hauehave had, if his sacrifice had not purchased merciemercy. And therfore he saieth, Aeterna nox the euerlasting night, which adiectiue is referred also to the gnashing & cheines of the damned. For it was eternall not temporall damnation, from which they were deliuered by Christes death. And therfore that fond shift, which M. Allen imagineth, which he saith may seeme like to be the authors meaning, is not worth a straw, as being enforced and brought to the wordes by him, not expressed in them, by Eusebius. But when these wil not helpe, the supposal of S. Augustine is set downe, which because it is but the authority of a man, & him not constant with him selfe alwayes, it is not of sufficient weight, to beare downe the testimony alleged out of Gods word. The same man contra Felicianum ad Optatum cap. 15. writeth these words. Si igitur mortuo corpore, ad paeradisum anima mox vocatur, quenquam ne adhuc tam impium credimus, qui dicere audeat, quoniam anima saluatoris nostri, triduo illo corporeae mortis apud inferos custodiae mancipitur. If therefore the body being dead, the soule is immediatly called to paradise, beleue we yet that there is any man so vngodly, that he dare say, that our Sauiours soule, in that 3. daies of his bodily death, was committed to prison in hel, &c. In these words, he semeth vtterly to deny, that he came in that prison of hel. You wil say he denieth that he tarried there so long, but not that he came not there at all. But then marke this reason, if the soules of good mē immediatly are called to paradise, much more was Christes soule immediatly receiued into paradise, who committed the same into his fathers handes.
5 Let the enemies of Gods trueth come now, and denie if they cā for shame, that Gods iustice for sinnes remitted, reacheth not sometimes to the places of punishment in the next life: let them with purgatory rase vp the fathers resting place so plainely set forth by scripture, beleued of the whole Church, and alwayes taught by the holy fathers. Yea let them that will hauehave no place for sinners, finde with blasphemie, hell like torments for Gods owne Sonne, with the damned spirites. My hearte surely will scarse serue me to report it, and yet cursed Caluine was not afearde to write it: and with arrogant vauntes against the blessed fathers, to auouch the same. That miserable forsaken man sawe, that the onelyonly graunt of the olde fathers punishment by the lacke of euerlasting ioye, might of force driue him to acknowledge, that God sometimes exerciseth his iustice vponupon those which he loueth, in the next life: and so consequently that Purgatory paynes might be inferred therevppon, therefore he fell headelong to this horrible blasphemye,Caluines blasphemy vppon the article of Christes descention. that Christ went not to loose any from the paynes of the next life: but to be punished in hell with the deadely damned him selfe, for to amend the lacke of his passion vppon the Crosse. O our cursed tyme, O corrupt conditions: this beast writeth thus agaynst our blessed Sauiours death, and against the sufficiency of the abundant price of our redemption: and yet he liueth in mans memory, yea his bookes be greedely redd, redde? Nay by such as would be counted the chiefe of the cleargy, and beare Byshops names, they are commaunded to be redde:The heretikes priuily set forth by bookes that vvhichwhich they dare not openly preach. and the very booke wherein this & all other detestable doctrine is vttered, especially by their authority commended to the simple Curats study: that they might there learne closely in deuilish bookes, such wicked heresies as the preachers them selues dare not yet in the light of the world vtter nor maintaine.
But other be not so farre fallen, therefore they must of reason confesse, that God by iust correction, hath before Christes comming visited in the next world many hundred yeares togither, the sinnes of those whome he dearly loued. Although not onelyonly in all that time, the soules of the holy Patriarches felt the lacke of the aboundant fruition of the Maiesty, but also for sinne they both then in rest,Excepting some that by peculiar prerogatiue hauehave already receiued their bodies. and now in vnspeakeable felicity, want till this day the encrease of ioy and blesse, that by the receauing of their bodyes yet lying in dust, they are vndoubtedly sure of. Therfore it is ouer much presumption to limit the maiesty of God in the gouernment of his owne creatures, to the borders of our short life, and almost it toucheth his very prouidence with iniury, to say that he letteth him scape without punishment for his sinnes, that repented not till the houre of death: as for whom he hath no scourge in the next life, as he had here, if death had not preuented his purpose. These childish cogitations can not stand with the righteousnes of his will, that for the first sinne committed, doth not onelyonly punish many euerlastingly of the forsaken sorte, but also for the same, punisheth both his best beloued in earth, and for a time abateth the felicity of the blessed Sainctes in heauen. But I will not stray after these men. My matter is so fruitefull that I may not roue. And though the sectes of these dayes hauehave so infected eueryevery braunch of our christian faith, that a man can not well ouerpasse them what so euer he taketh in hand, yet I will not medle with them no further, then shall concerne the quicke of our cause, and the necessary light of our matter.
5 Now this lusty gallaunt as though he had fully repayred and fortified the olde ruinous and battered towers of limbus patrum, with canuas paynted walls, he standeth vponupon his bulwarke of browne paper, and cryeth defiaunce to all his enemies, and especially he vttereth his spite agaynst Caluine, as a notorious enemy of his cause & quarel. Whom because he is to young to encounter withall, by any witt, learning, reason, or truth, he spitteth out against him, most impudent sclaunders, raylings and lyes, in which faculty, he hath striued so much to shew him selfe eloquent, that not satisfying him selfe with the voyce of a man, he hath borrowed the tongue of the Deuill him selfe, or at the least wise, for feare he should not lye throughly geuen ouer his shamelesse tongue to be wagged by the father of lyes. For what man with any shewe of humane reason would accuse Caluine to deny the sufficiency of the redemptiō of Christ, to affirme that Christ went downe into hell after his death to be punished there with the damned him selfe, for to amend the lacke of his passion vponupon the crosse? whose doctrine God him selfe, the Angells, and all the world doth knowe and testifie, to be directly contrary to these sclaunders. For who euer more constantly affirmed, or more substantially proued the sufficiency of our redemption, by Christes death? what asse so vnlearned, if he can but conster Caluins latine, in his catechisme, institutions, or any part of his workes, where he entreateth of that article of Christes descense in to hell, may not plainly see, that he vtterly denieth his descending into hell, after his life, affirming the same to be vnderstood of the wrath of God, which he sustayned for our sinnes before his death, at that time especially when he that was God, complained that he was forsaken of God, which mystery if M. Allen vnderstand not, it is no maruell, seeing he abridgeth so much the benefite of Christes redemption, as all papistes doe alwayes, and he specially in this his defence of purgatory, and yet he is not ashamed to say of Caluine: this beaste writeth against our blessed Sauiours death. If I did not moderate somwhat my corrupt affections, I could requite him the like reproches, but this much I must needes say. Is Caluine a beast for speaking the truth to the glory of Christes redemption, & Allen an honest man, for sclaundering him to the defacing of Gods honour? But because he would not be thought to hauehave spued oute all his poison against Caluine, he goulpeth vp an other bowlefull of rayling and sclaundering against our Bishoppes, who hauehave not onelyonly suffered, but also commended Caluins bookes to be reade, and studied of the simple curates, affirming that they doe priuily set forth by books, that which they dare not openly preach. If eueryevery man that can be a witnesse, that M. Allen lyeth in this matter, should pull one heare from his heade or bearde, they would leaue him neuer an heare of an honest man behinde them. But that he maie returne to his gentle aduersaries, with whome is lesse daungerous dealing, there be some (he sayth) that graunt the punishment of the fathers, after their death, of whose liberall concession, he doubteth not but to patch vp his Purgatory. In which practise he is not vnlike a fonde fellowe, of whome I hauehave hearde men iest in Cambridge, who when he was, non plus, as they terme it, in disputation, and all his argument spent, that he had prouided: Now (sayth he) will I dispute of your concesses and graunts. So M. Allen for eueryevery matter, when his owne reasons faile, hath the concessions of his aduersaries which if they will not franckly make, he wil forcibly compell them to say what he will hauehave them. Last of all he sayth, it is presumption, & such as toucheth the very prouidence of God, with iniury, to say, that he letteth any sinner scape vnpunished, which repented not vntill the houre of death, as for whome he hath no scourge in the next life as he had here, if death had not preuented his purpose. But these he calleth childish cogitations, but he might well hauehave termed them deuilish imaginations, which will controule the wisedome and merciemercy of God vnderunder his blinde reason and corrupt affections and not suffer God to shew mercy vponupon whome he will shew mercy. Rom. 9. without his blaspemous and enuious murmuring. His promise made so pleasauntely, not to digresse from his fautlesse matter, how perfectely he performeth, we shall see afterwarde.