The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 7 · Robber 3
THE THIRD ROBBER IS the Popish Seminarie, malitiously stealing from the child of God that perfect satisfaction made by blessed Iesus, his sole and full Sauiour, vntounto God his Father for all his sinnes, and for all punishment due to him for his sinnes; and cunningly obtruding vntounto him his owne satisfaction for the temporarie punishment of his sinnes, either here before death, or after death in Purgatorie.
O What a terrifying monster hath that cunning foxe the Pope made of his more then subtilly inuented,The Papist hath made a fearefull monster of his effectlesse fire of Purgatorie. and yet more thē shamefully vented, of the effectlesse fire of Purgatorie? Beleeue me, ô my foule, those huge giants the sons of Anak, bred neuer such dashing astonishment vntounto the faithlesse and murmuring spies, and people of Israel, as these flames of the fire of Purgatorie (kindled by the Pope in the cold chimney of his fond imagination, and without it to this day neuer seene, neuer felt burning by any liuing, by any dead) hath and doth procure to those blind people, who turning their backes vponupon the word of God, (carried by Moses and Aaron) hauehave lent their eares to his inuentions. And yet the subtile Pope, to make this his conceit the more plausible, to that blind people led by him their blind guide, can hold & maintaine most peartly, (albeit more then lyingly) that howbeit blessed Iesus hath by his death satisfied God his Fathers wrath,The Popish forged ground of his forged Purgatory. for the guilt of the sinnes of his chosen, and for the eternall punishment due to them for those their sinnes; yet he hath no wayes satisfied for that temporarie punishment their sins drawes after them, and so opening without shame his shamelesse mouth, he dare auow that all these who here do not sufficiently satisfie by Penance (as he speaketh) for their veniall and daily sinnes, must remaine after death in Purgatorie, and be there broyled, and sodden in the flames thereof till they be haled out againe. This fire the Pope hath taken vponupon him to make vp of coales and other matter, neuer created by that great Creator who made all things, but of a matter knowne (I should hauehave said vnknowne to himselfe.) And this strong fire he hath kindled neither in the heauens, nor in the aire, nor in the seas, nor in the earth, nor in the hells; so that I must thinke, as the Pope doth not know of what matter he hath made vp that his fire of Purgatorie,The alledged extrem paines indured in the forged fire. so he cannot know in what place it burneth. And yet (if the Papist may be beleeued) ô what extreame intollerable paines do poore soules sustaine there? Is not this written by their Doctors for a truth, ô my soule! There was a soule which had bene thirtie yeares in Purgatorie, at length there came an Angell asking his soule whether it would tarrie yet one short Winter day in Purgatorie,In the 160. sermon of the soules of the booke c…lled sermone… discipuli de tempore & sanctis. or if it would returne to the world againe, and do there a maruellous hard Penance; to wit, for a long hundred yeares space go barefooted, still treading vponupon sharpe iron nailes, eating nothing but browne bread, drinking bitter gall mingled with vineger, wearing a cloath made of camels haire nearest his skin, and hauing a stone vnderunder his head in place of a pillow. This soule hearing this, chused rather to returne to the earth to indure all this, then to stay so much as one short Winter day long in Purgatorie. But no wonder can it be that the soule made her choyse thus, if that fire be such a fire as the Papists make it to be: for is it not written in their decrees, that there is no earthly paine or martyrdome to be compared to the paines of Purgatorie? yea, is that great schooleman Thomas ashamed to affirme?Cap. qui in aliud dist. 25. that the fire of hell and the fire of Purgatorie is all one, and that they differ nothing at all, but that the one is temporall, and the other is eternall. And yet is it not a wonder, ô my soule, that the Papists can write so resolutely touching this their forged fire, and the extremitie of the paines sustained in it, considering that our blessed God (to whom all things are knowne) to this day told vsus neuer by Scripture that there was such a fire, or such paines sustained in it; yea, considering that these very Papists by whom these things be written, (as I thinke) will confesse were neuer at Purgatorie, either to see the flames of fire burning,What moued the Papists to write so freely about their forged fire of Purgatorie. or to heare the cries of the soules tormented there, or to be pained themselues therewith. But ô my soule, it may be that I smell a farre off (if I be not farre deceiued) that which hath moued the Papists so freely thus to speake, and to write about their Purgatorie. The fire of Purgatorie they neuer saw, the ho…e paining flames thereof they neuer felt in their owne persons. But yet they do daily see their owne outward and naturall fire, and feele the heate of it, to their great profit and pleasure: And they know that this their alledged forged fire of Purgatorie, with the alledged fearefull, and forged burning flames thereof, hath onelyonly set vp this their fire, and kept in this their fire; that kings are onelyonly in their hands who are onelyonly able to pull poore soules out of these flames; yea that strongest fleshcrooke is onelyonly in their custodie, which is able to hale them out of this boyling caldron (for be they not the maisters of all Masses, Pardons, and Indulgences, by the which alone these poore soules (if the Papists may be beleeued) are deliuered from these flames? hauehave they not, non sine commodo curiae, albeit cum damno conscientiae: first forged that fire cunningly, and to this day fostered it carefully, drawing sharpe slaying swords, and kindling seene deuouring flames of seene, felt fire, against all such who hearing do not beleeue and follow them. And, ô my soule, will Scripture subscribe with the Papist? will true Antiquitie founded on Scripture, and not blinded by that filthie idoll Couetousnesse foster him in this point?Scripture ouerthroweth Purgatorie & her pretended ground. No, no, ô my soule, I assure thee; for if that blessed Spirit of truth speaking by Scripture cleare any point of sauing doctrine sensibly, for the resolution and consolation of poore sinners, against those euils which sinne draweth vponupon man, he cleares most sensibly that which that cursed spirit of lyes speaking by the Pope, and his suffraganes obscures most grosly, yea controles and denies most impudently: and yet most heartily vntounto the confusion and condemnation of poore sinners. What hath the Spirit of God cleared, ô my soule, if this be not cleared by him? Blessed Iesus, that Sonne of God and Sonne of man, is that sole and onelyonly Sauiour of man, is the full and perfect Sauiour of man; who alone in his owne person once hath satisfiedfully, and perfited his fathers iustice, for all the sinnes of his elect freeing them from all the guilt of their sinnes, and from all their punishment due to them. Cannot sweet Iesus (who neuer made any foolish bragge, or vttered any apparent vntruth, fastened to the Crosse, and there suffering for thee,Christ alone in his owne person hath satisfied his Father for vsus fully. ô my soule) crie out with a loud voice. It is finished, it is finished? by this one word, directing his speech to God his Father who sent him to saue lost men, and telling his Maiestie that he by his death had payed the least farthing of mans debt of sinne, and so satisfie his iustice fully; directing his speech to man, for whose sake he was sent, and telling him that he was loosed from that band, and hand writing, God the Father had ouer his head because of sinne, he hauing cancelled it, and rent it in peeces vponupon the tree, and so that he was freed from that prison within the which he lay bound before and set at libertie, henceforth to serue God on earth, and to reigne with him in heauen: & yet the couetous papists alwayes crying (with Iudas) What will you giuegive me and I will betray him to you? can giuegive Christ the lie in his face, saying in the hearing of his father to men, It is not finished. That is, Christ hath not ransomed man fully, and freed him from prison wholely in respect he must go yet to that prison of Purgatorie and by another ransome (most vile indeed, yet not so vile as the vile receiuer of it is) be deliuered therefrom. Cannot Paul (subscribing to the sweetest and most comfortable words of his Maister) tell me that Iefus is giuen me of my God to be my Redeemer,1. Cor. 1. 30. albeit the Pope would send me to Purgatorie, to the end he may be my redeemer? Yea, that he gaue himselfe a ransome for all men, albeit the Pope would send me to Purgatorie,1. Tim. 2. 6. there to be tormented by my selfe, by suffering of torments, and by the liuing belonging to me, by laying downe a ransome of gold, for some masses to be sung for me. Isaiah would make me beleeue (and I dare not but beleeue him better then all the Popes of the world) that I am healed by Christs stripes,Esay 5. …. and yet the Papist will hauehave me yet to be whipped, for the healing of me, with the burning scourges of the flames of this Purgatorie. Yea, Isaiah in that same place tels me that the chastisement of my peace was vponupon Christ alone, and Paul would assure me that I being iustified by faith hauehave peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord, albeit the fierce Papist would send me backe to that bloudie barres of his cruell Purgatorie, there to vndergo a fearefull battell and vndergo a bloudy warrefare: draw neare me,A direct opposition betwixt that spirit which speaketh by Scripture and that spirit speaketh by the Pope. here, ô my soule, and consider I pray thee, but that contradiction which is to be found to be betwixt that spirit of truth speaking to thee by Scripture about this point, and that spirit of lies speaking to thee by the Pope: Scripture tels me that Christ hath fully satisfied his Father for me: The Pope tels me that he hath satisfied him onelyonly in a part. Scripture tels me that Christ satisfied once for me. The Pope tels me that he must be satisfied daily for me; Scripture tels me that he satisfied his Father for me by himselfe in his owne person, bearing our sinnes in his flesh vponupon the Crosse: the Pope tels me that I must satisfie my God by suffering in my owne person. Scripture tels me, that he hath satisfied and doth satisfie his Father in vsus. No wonder that the Pope doth this, for by this craft he liueth, and therefore I must giuegive him leaue, ô my soule, till God (being mercifull vntounto him) open his eyes to see that truth which shineth in holy Scripture, to lie about this his forged Purgatorie;Act. 20. as Demetrius the siluer Smith at Ephesus lied about his dead goddesse Diana. True Antiquitie condemneth Purgatorie.But will true Antiquitie, ô my soule, subscribe with the Papist about this his Purgatorie? No, no, if it could be hearkned vntounto: for cannot old Cyprian say.Cyprian. con. Deme. Quando istinc excessum fuerit, nullus iam locus poenitentiae, nullus satisfactionis effectus; hic vita, aut tenetur, aut amittitur. So soone as we go hence there remaineth no place of repentance any more, no effect of satisfaction; life is either lost or found here. Bernard could say, Tria sunt loca: Coelum, Terra, Infernus; & habent singula habitatores suos; coelum solos bonos, terra mixtos, Infernus solos malos. There be three places, the Heauens, the Earth, and the Hels; and euerie one of them hath their owne indwellers. The heauens keeping these who be good onelyonly: the earth possessing both good and bad: Bern. in sentent. fol. 117.the hels hauing the wicked onelyonly inclosed within them. And againe, Tres sunt animae status, in corpore, posito corpore, & recepto corpore; primus datus est ei ad agendam poenitentiam, reliqui duo ad habendam requiem vel poenam scilicet, prout gessit in corpore, siue bonum, siue malum. There be three conditions of the soule, one while it is in the bodie; another when it layes aside the bodie; the third when it takes vp the bodie againe. The first estate is granted to her, to the end she may repent, the other two, to the end she may receiue rest or punishment, as she hath behaued her selfe in her bodie, by doing good or euill. Aug. lib. 5. hypogr.Augustine long before Bernard could write thus. Primum locum fides catholica diuina authoritate regnum credit esse coelorum, secundum gehennam, tertiam ignoramus penitus, imo nec in scripturis sanctis inueniemus: the faith of true Catholike Christians leaning to the authoritie of God, beleeues the first place after this life to be the kingdome of heauen, the second to be the hels, but the third we no wayes know, neither shall find to be in holy Scripture. And no wonder that Augustine writ so, for he could not find that Purgatorie hath that vse which the subtile greedie Papist since his dayes hath fained it to hauehave; for writes not Augustine thus againe:Aug de ver. Ser. 37. Christus suscipiendo paenam, & non suscipiendo culpam, & culpam & paenam deleuit. Christ by taking on him the punishment due to vsus for sinne, and not the guilt of sinne, hath done away both the guilt and the punishment. Yea, this moued Bernard to bring in that saying, Oportuit liberari in hoc saeculo vt liberos haberet in futuro. It behoued the children of our God to be freed and deliuered from all euill in this life, to the end that God their Father might hauehave free sonnes and daughters to raigne with him in the world to come. Were that ancient Doctor at Paris liuing now,Frater Michael. Menoti. he would ioyne hands with vsus against the Papist in this point, for could he not write thus: Peccator est mercator positus in hoc mundo pro emendo regnum Paradisi, & tantum durant nundinae quantum vita praesens. A sinner is a merchant placed in this world to buy the kingdome of Paradise, and the market or faire in the which he must buy it, indures & lasts as long as this present life shall indure.