The Bee Hive of the Romish Church, Part 2 · Preface · Chapter 8
The viii. Chapter. VVherein Purgatorie is established, as well bp Scripture as by inheritance. And herein are likewise intreated the remedies and helpes whereby the sillie soules are released out of Purgatorie.
HEre is to be considered,Purgatorie, & how soules are redemed out of it. that Purgatorie is founded and hath his ground out of the holie Scripture. For if Masses are founded vponupon the Scripture, as wee hauehave alreadie certi…ied, then surely we may not make a bastard of the Masse of Requiem. And now, if it be so, that the Masse of Requiem is founded vponupon the Scripture, then no doubt there must needes be a Purgatorie. But nowe let vsus bring forth (for the proofe hereof) speciall textes of scripture. First note, howe there is written by Paule to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 3.11.12.13.That no man may lay anie other foundation but onelyonly vponupon Iesus Christ. This te…t is by all Cat…olike writers alledged, and specially in the .4. booke of Sentences. cap. 10. dist. 21.And so whosoeuer doth build on this foundation, gold, siluer, precious stones, timber, hay, or stubble, euerie mannes woorke shall appeare: for the day shall declare it, and it shall be shewed in fire, & the fire shall declare euerie mans woorke what it is, &c. This hath our dere mother the holy Church vnderstood, meant, and set forth of Purgatorie: And although out of this it should follow, That all manner of persons (without exception) as wel he Saints as she Saints which our holy father the Pope hath canonized: yea, and the verie Popes themselues shoulde daunse in Purgatorie, as well as Iacke and Tom, with the rest. But considering how that doth not agree in one with the beliefe of the holie Church of Rome, in respect of the superfluous good woorkes, which those Saintes hauehave done for themselues,Deruse the …ooke called Compendium theologicum. lib. 7. cap. 1. …a…nardi…u… de Bustis. in …osario in the 2. sermon. in the first parte. and for their good friendes, more than they were of duetie bound to do, therefore she properly & wisely concludeth therevpon, That those soules onelyonly which depart out of this world without any deadly sinne, and before they hauehave sufficiently satisfied by penance, for their veniall and quotidian sinnes, shall remaine a certeine space in Purgatorie, & be there broiled and sodden, til such time as they shall (with soule Masses, pardons, or indulgencies) be hailed out of the pan or chaldron, as with a flesh hooke. The which is worthie to bee noted, considering that which is thereout concluded: as first, that (as heretofore is declared) al sinnes are not deadly,In the .7. ca. of the .2▪ parte. neither deserue euerlasting damnation: and then againe, by this you may perceiue that which of late we did speake of: namely,Originall and daily sinnes. That the death and passion of Iesus Christ,In the councell of Trent in the .7. session canon .10. and 14. ses cap. 8. hath purged but onelyonly our originall sinne, and not our daily sinnes, for which wee must make full satisfaction our selues. And whereas the Heretikes say, that Paule doeth not (in the foresaide text) meane any thing at all of Purgatorie,Epiphanius in his booke named Ancir…mus, speaking of the doctrine of Trent, saith yt it is the onelyonly foundation, & bringes in this texte of Paule for his purpose. but meanes onelyonly to speake according as the text importeth, & as many ancient fathers hauehave expounded & vnderstoode the same of the fire of the holy ghost, which doth in time trie & cause to appere plaine all doctrines: namely those which take their foundation of Iesus Christ. And they say that good doctrine and godly learning shal in this proofe remaine stedfast: but babblers and false teachers shall consume like hay, or stubble, before the fire. With all this we hauehave nothing to do: for that is but an exposition after the letter, and not after the spirit or allegorie. It is sufficient for vsus, that our holie mother the Church of Rome, hath vnderstood Paul otherwise,Reade Eckius and other writers vponupon this. Math. 9.23. Luke. 8.52. and applied his text vntounto Purgatorie: like as she hath applied the wordes of the Euangelist, where hee saith, That it was a custome amongst the Iewes, to weepe ouer the dead. For therby she hath concluded, That the Iewes did beleue, that there is a Purgatorie, because (as she thinkes) it had bene a great follie of them, to weepe for the dead, vnlesse they did beleeue there was a Purgatorie: so that it is a thing verie credible, that those which wept so sore ouer Steeuen (as in the Acts of the Apostles is declared) did thinke none other,Act. 8.8. but that he was gone into Purgatorie, notwithstanding that he had seene Iesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God the father, and sealed the testimonie and witnesse of him with his bloud. Thirdely, Purgatorie is clearely proued …ut of the plaine textes of Paule, who saith, That in the name of Iesus al knees do bow, Phil. 2.20.those that are in heauen, those vponupon the earth, and those vnderunder the earth. Surely we wil not hauehave this vnderstoode of diuels: Ergo then it must needs folow, that it is spokē of the souls which lay burning in Purgatorie. For thus saith S. Iohn in the Apocalypse touching the same matter:Apo. 5.13. And all creatures which are in heauē, & in the earth, & vnderunder the earth, & in the sea, & all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, honor, & power, be to him that sitteth vponupon the seat, & vntounto the lambe for euermore. Where vndoubtedly he doth vnderstand & meane Purgatorie, according to the exposition of our deare mother, the holie Church of Rome. And by this you may perceiue, that Pythagoras was not farre different or disagreing in beliefe from the holy Church of Romes beliefe, when as he saide, That mens souls departing from their bodies, did enter into beastes. Considering nowe that Iohn here, and Dauid in other places, do witnes, that the creatures vnderunder the water: yea, the fishes themselues do laude and praise God, and that the same is vnderstood by our holie mother the Church of Rome, of the soules that be in Purgatorie, she hath not without great appearaunce of trueth concluded,Reade Eckius in his Encheiridion. That there is likewise a Purgatorie, in the bottome of the Sea: by which reasons it appeareth, that the soules of drowned men, place themselues in the bowels of fishes. And it is possible that this was the occasion which moued Pythagoras to forbid his scholers the eating of fish: considering specially withall, That S. Patriks purgatorie in Ireland, lies fast by the sea side,S. Patrikes Purgatorie. neare vntounto a mountaine called Hecla, where our mother the holie Church of Rome doeth beleeue, that the sillie soules are as ill punished in yse, as in fire. So that by good reason, there might hauehave bene added vntounto the same sentence of Paule, That the trying and shewing openly of the workes of such as build vponupon the foundation of Iesus Christ, is not onelyonly by fire,Psal. 66.12. Reade Eck…us and other Catholike writers and specialy the booke of Sen. but likewise by water and by yse. For so the holie Church vnderstands that place, where it is written. We hauehave passed thorough fire and water. And Virgil the wise Poet, which had so good vnderstanding of the sacrifice of the Masse, as is declared before, hath likewise placed Purgatorie by a Sea,In the .6. booke of A…neidos. or by a great water called Lacus Auernus, which lies not verie farre from Rome, in the Kingdome of Naples, where hee describes to bee the entrie and forefront of Hell, and then setteth forth Purgatorie, with all the paines and torments, which the soules doe suffer, so perfectly and well, that a man would thinke that our deare mother the holie Church of Rome, hath kindeled her Purgatorie with his fire, tongs, and bellowes. Insomuch that our Catholike Doctors did not amisse when they proued their Purgatorie,Dantes in his. booke called purgatorie and Margarita Philca. by the authoritie and testimonie of Virgil. Now, if it were so, that there were no Scripture to proue Purgatorie by,Virgils purgatorie. yet would the inheritance and possession of it, teache vsus sufficiently, that there is a Purgatorie. And therefore we neede not to trouble our selues much, with bringing out the booke of the Machabies for a witnesse, and thereby cause the Heretikes to mocke and ieast at vsus. For they say, that that booke is so farre off from being allowed for an authentike booke of holie Scripture,Machab. 15.29.40. that the writer and Authour of the same, did desire to bee pardoned and borne withall, if hee had not written so sufficiently as he ought. And men may further consider, what account is to bee made of his writings, seeing hee did so greatly praise one Razis, who ripped out his owne vowelles and liue him selfe,2. Machab. 14 43.46. because he woulde not fall into the handes of his enimies: which vnvndoubtedly was a detestable deede, and directly against Gods commaundement. They declare likewise,Reade what Eusebius of Meliton writeth in the 4. booke of his histories. capit. 26, And read Augustine in his 2. booke against Gandenuum. ca. 23. and Hierom in his prologue vponupon the Machabies. that neither by Christ, & his Apostles, nor by the whole cō gregation, in three or foure hundred yeares space, that was neuer esteemed nor taken but for Apocrypha, to witte, for the writing and setting sorth of a man, and not for the vndoubted worde of God. And yet they say beeside this, that if they shoulde accept that Booke, yet is there nothing written therein touching Purgatorie, but onelyonly a praying for the deade, in respect of the resurrection, and not in anie respect of satisfaction by Purgatorie. And therefore wee will not breake our heades greatly about this matter, but will establishe our Purgatorie strongly, by inheritaunce and possession.
Besides that, I leaue the Priestes purses vnspoken of, which is a souereigne, soking, and a drawing Purgatorie, as euerie man may both say and feele. And yet besides this,The Iegenda aurea and the Vi…ae patrum are full of such s…ffe. we finde by certeine & vndoubted testimonies of our auncesters, that many soules hauehave appeared, & hauehave plainly said, that they were extremely punished in Purgatorie, and therefore hauehave heartily desired that men would helpe them out of it, with Masses, almes, pardon letters, and bulles: as it is written of Pope Benedict 8. himselfe:Fassiculus to… porum and other histories▪ and as the Legend and other Catholike bookes testifie, which are full of such worthie matters and notable examples: so that there is no occasion to put any maner of doubt concerning Purgatorie.
And further, we do finde diuerse euident and very true histories of Odilions Purgatorie, in the kingdome of Sicilia, Odilions Pur…gatorie.in the mount Aetna, which flames continually, where the sillie soules are burnt, and broyled like dried herring, or like Westphaling hammes, or gammons of Bakon, whiche hauehave houng seuen yeares long in the smoke. And this was the occasion that moued Pope Iohn 8. through the great pittie that hee had vponupon the sillie soules: and by the good and ripe aduise and counsell of the foresaide Odilion, which was a holie Father, and Monke of an Abbie called Clunie, to commande and ordeine,An Soule… day. that alwayes the next day after Al-hallowes day, a solemne day of deuotion should be kept for all christen soules: which order is very precisely followed & obserued by our dere mother the holy Church of Rome, and many yeares of pardon giuen & graunted to all those which vponupon that day doe deuoutly visite the Chantrie priests & Masses of Scala Coeli, vsing their purses liberally for that purpose, and to hauehave a trentall of Masses, a sackfull of seuen Psalmes, and three or foure pokes packt with Pater nosters, and Ane Maries, all well measured & filled, whereof to make a present to the sillie soules in Purgatorie, for that is euen fitte meat for their mouthes: and they are as wel refreshed with those dainties, as though they were wrapped about the head with a wet clout in a cold morning. And yet beside all this, the holie Churche of Rome hath sought all maner of meanes & wayes to refresh, coole, & ease the pain of the silly poore soules, which lie in the great heat of Purgatorie gaping for aire, as a Carpe doeth for water:All these. 15. helpes and remedies you shal finde euen as they are here written in the booke called Sermones discipuli de tempore & de sanctis, cum Promptuario ex▪ …mplorum. all which meanes she hath digged out of the holy Scriptures.
For, to beginne, she hath appointed burning Candles, which must bee set vppe to light the poore soules in the darke places of Purgatorie: because it is written, Christ is the true light, and whosoeuer doeth followe him, walketh not in darkenesse. And therefore hath our holie mother practised, that at euerie corner of the hearse, a candle shalbe set burning for that the dead should be forgiuen and pardoned of foure sundrie manner of sinnes: which hee hath committed, to witte, in thinking, in speaking, in doing, and in suffering.
Secondarilie, she doeth succour the poore sillie soules with censing: for thereby they are released of the horrible stinke which is in Purgatorie.
Thirdlie, shee doeth relieue them with holy water, which must be deuoutly sprinkled vppon their graues, with a sprinkle, that thereby they may be cooled and refreshed of the great and extreame heate of the fire: for it is written: Asperges me Domine Hysopo: Thou shalt sprinkle mee (O Lord) with Hysope: which is to bee vnderstood, that the Parson or Curate, shal all to water my graue with a holy water sprinkle. For you may well consider, th6at Dauid was dead and buried, when he spake these wordes, and his soule was in Purgatorie: otherwise, our deare mother would not sing this dailie in the name of the soules departed.
Therefore must this holie water needes as much profit them, as a couple of Egge shelles: which is apparant by the holie Scripture. For it is written in the Gospel of S. Luke, That the riche man, when hee laie burning in Hell, did require onelie a drop of water, to coole his tongue. Then consider nowe, if a droppe of water can succour and helpe the soules that lie in Hell, how much more shal the sweet holie water coole the soules that lie in Purgatorie, when it is so swashed and dashed ouer all the graue with a swinging holie water sprinkle?
Fourthlie, they are greatlie relieued by the offering of bread and wine: for through the might of such an acceptable offering, the soules are fedde and refreshed of God.
Fiftlie, with Vigils, of three, sixe, and nine lessons, with De profundis, with Requiescant in pace: and with such other like pleasaunt songes, as Iob and Dauid soung, when they lay in Purgatorie. For our deare mother the holie Church of Rome hath applied all such matters vntounto Purgatorie.
Sixtlie, they are relieued by fatte offerings: for that the soules are maruellous glad, when the Priestes get manie offerings. And in deede, it is a most sweet morsell for their mouthes.
Seuenthlie, with praying to he Saintes and she Saintes, and with singing of Letanies, D…riges, & Ryrieleesons: for there are manie and great indulgencies graunted vntounto them.
Eightlie, with fasting & kneeling. For there is a plaine texte in the decrees, which saith, That the fasting of the liuing, is the hope of the dead.
Ninthely, when men do pay for them such debtes as they left vnpaied.
Tenthly, when men do for them workes of merciemercy, and especiallie when they are done by Priestes, Monkes, or Friers.
The xi. when their executours accomplishe and fulfill their last willes, and testamentes, especiallie if they hauehave vequeathed any thing, either monie or lands, to anie Abbie or Cloister.
The xii. when anie man shall doe for them such penance as they hauehave left vndone when it was enioyned them by their ghostlie fathers.
The xiii. when anie man perfourmeth for them such vowes of pilgrimages, and other like deuotions, as they made in their life time, and yet hauehave not kept them.
The xiiii. when men do pardon & forgiue them such offences, as they hauehave committed against anie person or persons, hee or shee, in their life time.
The last reliefe, and the best of all, is, when men cause Masses to be soung or said for them: for that is farre aboue all remedies, because it is a goodlie drawing plaister, which hath not power onelie to drawe soules out of Purgatorie, but also to picke monie out of mens purses. And that same Requiem aeternam beeing three times soung in the Masse, is such a pleasant medicine, that (in a moment) it doeth cleane take away all the paine and griefe which the soules suffer, and bringeth them fast asleepe like dormice, in so much that they feele no more smart, neither at the stomache, nor in the backe: yea, and though that their bladder were puft vppe like a Cowes vdder, so that they had not the power to pisse a plumb stone, yet with that medcine they should in the twinkling of an eye, be as sounde as a rotten apple.
And yet nowe, besides all these good & wholesome meanes before specified, the good & holie Nonnes of Leydē in Holland, Nonnes of Leyden in Holland.and all other Couentes of that profession, found out an other helpe of great importance: for euerie day, betweene Michaelmasse and All Saints, after that the Vigils of ix. lessons be song, then goeth the Mother or Prioresse of the Cloister into a darke chamber, with a great rodde in her hande, and then come the Nonnes in thither one after another starke naked, euerie one alone, & turne vp their bare buttockes: yea, some of them as naked as my naile, & so lie downe before the Prioresse, and there receiue holie discipline for the soules in Purgatorie: for, for euerie ten girkes that one of them doeth so receiue, there is a soule deliuered out of Purgatorie, and flies vp into heauen without anie staie. Is not this nowe a goodlie matter? I beleeue verilie, that all the rest of the Nonnes of other professions will doe the like, though it were but euen for good manner sake, and that the Father or Patrone of the Cloister doth vse to execute the office manie times, when the Prioresse is sicke, or otherwise earnestlie occupied.
And nowe (besides all this) Durandus writeth, That euerie Sunday and holie day, the soules do play. For seeing that God hath commaunded, that on the Sabbaoth day al people should rest from their labour: Soules do rest and play on Sundayes and Holidayes.it is great reason, that the sillie soules shoulde be relieued of their paines on those dayes. In consideration wherof, it appeareth a maruellous charitable deede of our deare mother the holie church of Rome, to hauehave instituted so many holie dayes (beside Sundayes) & commanded them to be solemnely kept, because the soules may vppon those dayes rest themselues, and go a playing: for that it is to be thought, that they obserue as well the preceptes of the holie Church, as Gods commandements: otherwise they were no better than Lutherans. And now we know verie wel, that there commeth no Lutheran into Purgatorie: for Purgatorie is only for the good Catholikes which hold fast on the church of Rome. So that it is verelie to be thought, that the poore soules are as well holpe vp wt so many idle holy daies, as with the Nonnes discipline on their bare arsses: yet it is to bee considered, that albeit this, they must be praied for on Sundaies & other Holie daies, as well as on the worke daies, when they lie scortching & scalding in Purgatorie: for that hath our mother the holie church speciallie commanded, being therevnto moued by the example of a good fat Abbat,In the .7. booke in tit. de officio mortuorum. nu. 2. who (as Durādus saith) because he had forbidden his Monkes, to pray for the soules in Purgatorie, vponupon Sundaies & Holy dayes, but onlie vponupon worke daies, he was vponupon a time (by the poore soules) catched, & verie sore beaten & wounded, & by that meanes forced to reuoke & breake his former order & cōmandment. And surelie, that was but reason: for although the sillie soules hauehave some playing daies, yet I assure you they paie full dearelie for it at other times.This is copied in a manner woorde for woorde out of the booke called Sermones discipuli de tempore, & de sanctis, cum promptuario exemplorum in the .160. Sermon of the soules. For the paines which they suffer there, are so extreme, that our Doctours write for a trueth, That there was a soule which had lien 30. yeres in Purgatorie, & at last, there came an Angel, who did bid the soule choose, whether it would tarie yet one short Winters day in Purgatorie, or that it would returne into the worlde againe, and there doe a maruellous hard penance, to witte, for one long hundred yeares space, shoulde goe barefoote, and treade still vppon sharpe yron nailes, eate nothing else but browne bread, and drinke bitter gall mingled with vinegre, and weare a cloth made of Camels haire next the skinne, & a stone vnderunder the head in place of a pillowe. This soule did choose much rather to doe all that same harde penance in earth, than to tarie one daie longer in Purgatorie. Consider nowe what a sharpe biting sauce mustard is: for as it is written in the Decrees: There is no earthlie paine, or martyrdome, to be compared to the paines of Purgatorie: yea, that holie man Thomas de Aquino saith,Capit. qui in aliud dist 25. That the paine of the fire of hell, and the fire of Purgatorie, is all one, and that they differ nothing at all, but that the one is but temporall, and the other is eternall. So that it was not without iust occasion, that Virgil set a partition of yron,Aeneid. libro. 6. and other metall betweene those two fires: although some men be of opinion, that the partition was but a pale made of wainscote, which (because it was of wood) was long agoe burnt away:Hell and Purgatory both but one kitchen. so that nowe Hell and Purgatorie enter in both at one hole, and are both but one fire. Which is the occasion that some take vponupon them to say, that The fire of Purgatorie is pist out: although there be other learned men, which bring in another occasion, whereby it is happened, that there is now no partition betweene Hell and Purgatorie, but that they are ioyned together. For it is written in a certen historie:This is writtē in the Apologie of Barnard. O…li. That there was a good holie Pope, which was verie desirous to know of his Secretarie, being a good wittie & learned man, whether (as he thought) he might giuegive a general pardon at once, The Pope and his Secretarie commen of indulgencies & pardons.for all such soules as were then in Purgatorie, and ioyntlie withall pardon alike all such as should hereafter be condemned thither: so that after, there shoulde be no more neede of Purgatorie. Whervpon his Secretarie did demaund of him this question againe: Whether hee did not verilie thinke, that if it were so, that he had such power, if he did not thē verely beleeue, that all his Pope predecessours hauehave had the like authoritie in their time? Wherevnto the Pope answered, Yes surelie, considering that all his power and authoritie came from them. Then the Secretarie did demaunde of him againe: Whether that of so manie Popes, and holie Fathers, which had possessed that place before him, there were not one of them so mercifull and louing towardes the poore soules, that had taken vppon him to doe that charitable deed, if his power did so farre extend? VntoUnto this the Pope answered, As touching that, he knewe not. Wherevpon the Secretarie gaue him a full resolution, saying, I can tell then certeinlie: Once our Lord Iesus Christ, chief Bishop of all Bishops, & Pope aboue all Popes, had full power and authoritie to doe the same, for that he was almightie: and hee had also the will to doe it, for that he was most mercifull: and did likewise beare an infinite affection and louelove vntounto all mankind, in so much that he did effectuallie and fullie accomplish that matter. So that it is not needful for anie man to trouble him self anie more about that matter, seeing hee hath (by offering vp of his bodie) obteined a pardon of God the Father, and sealed the same for euermore, with his owne pretious bloud for the redemption of all faithfull soules, Christes indulgence and pardon for all christen soules.past, present, or to come. So that nowe there falles no more condemnation or iudgement vponupon them, neither shall they neede to feare Death, Hell, nor Purgatorie, but depart out of this life directlie into euerlasting life, as he him selfe doeth plainlie testifie by Iohn the Euangelist in his Gospell.Iohn. 3.18. Iohn. 5.24.
Nowe see,Purgatorie condemned. out of this will some men mainteine, That Purgatorie is cleane taken away, euer since this great and generall pardon came: in so much that diuelles are come to dwel there, & hauehave now brought Hell and Purgatorie all into one kitchen, where they broile their soules, and turmoile them at their pleasure. And for that likewise, that good Catholike Doctour Barnardus de Bustis doeth defende this case with the testimonie and witnesse of Gregorie: That the fire of Hell and Purgatorie are kindled together, saying, Nam (vt inquit Gregorius) sub eodem igne electus purgatur, & damnatus crematur: that is to say, For (as Gregorie saith) with one fire are the elect purged, In his booke called Rosarium, in the 3. part the 2. sermon.and the damned burned. And therefore it is, that our deare mother the holie Church, in the prayer called, Offertorium, which she singeth commonlie vponupon All Soules day, & in the Anniuersarie, doth put no difference betwixt Hell and Purgatorie: for these are the wordes which shee doeth vse:
Domine Iesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de manu inferni, Offertorium on all Soules day& de profundo lacu, libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, sed signifer S. Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam, &c. That is to say:
O Lord Iesu Christ, King of glorie, deliuer thou all faithfull soules out of the power of hel, and out of that deepe lake: deliuer them out of the mouth of the lion, that they sinke not downe into hell, but that thy standard bearer Saint Michael may bring them into that holie light, &c.
Wherein they nowe plainlie call Purgatorie, Hell. And in an other Collect, which they doe sing vponupon the same daye, they call it, Regiones tenebrarum, that is to say, The region, or place of darknesse, praying vntounto God, that S. Michael will or may doe so much, as to deliuer them from thence. In summe, they make but one hole, and one lake of those twaine. Howsoeuer it happeneth, whether the pale that was betweene them be burnt, or that Purgatorie is pist out, I wote not, it is to profounde a question for vsus, and therefore we will commit the disputation of that matter to the Doctours of Louen: They may (perhaps) tipple out a flaggon of wine or twaine, in the matter, before they agree vppon it. It is inough for vsus, that we hauehave proued Purgatorie sufficientlie, not onelie by plaine textes of holie Scripture, but also by inheritance and possession, and so established it, as there is nothing to bee saide against it.