The Relics of Rome, Part 59
Of Purgatorye.
Who was the fyrst inuentour, deuiser,The inuetour of the popes purgatory is not knowē. and fynder out of the Popes false fained, fyrie purgatorye: I can not finde by any historyes or monumentes, that I hauehave red vntounto this daye. But after it was found and deuised by some subtill heade thorowe the subtil suggestion of most subtill Sathan,The studie of Sathan. whiche seketh all meanes possible to obscure the price of Christes death, and to sowe erroures and heresyes in the heartes of paynted Hipocrites, yea of all people, so muche as lyeth in his power vntounto ye destruction and condemnation of their soules: there wanted not specially of the companye of Sophisters, and Monks, espiing that there woulde ryse no small auauntage to their purses of this goodly newe and late inuention: whiche set a good face on the matter, countenauncing it out with the authorityes of the holy Scripture addyng therunto their false, pestilent, and lying gloses, wherwith they bleared the eyes of the simple, and caste suche mystes before theyr syghte, that these certayne hundred yeares they coulde neuer see the true purgatorye of the soule, whiche is the precious bloud of our Sauiour Christ, but beleued verelye, that there was a place of purgyng after thys lyfe (as though the bloude of Christe were not a sufficient purgatory for their soules) from the which they must be deliuered eyther by sufferyng intollerable paynes themselues in that firye fornace,The true purgatorye is ye bloud of Christ. till they hauehave made sufficient satisfaction for their sinnes, or els by the Suffrages and sacrifices of the Masse or by almosse dedes done for them of theyr executours and frendes, &c.
The popes purgatorye diuersely maintainedThys dreame of purgatorye and praying for the dead hath bene maintayned from tyme to tyme not onelye by the writinges of diuerse men, but also by the decrees and Councelles of diuerse & sundrye Popes and of theyr adherentes, as a myghty and straunge defence of the Catholyke Churche and her deuoute Chaplens, withoute the whiche a greate parte of the Popes Churches buildings is like out of hand to fall vntounto miserable ruine, and vtter decaye.
Where thys place of Purgatorye is: none of oure purgatorye rakers or proctoures thereof is able to declare.Where purgatorye is. Diuerse of them hauehave diuerse opinions in thys behalfe: as it is an harde thing for lyers and taleforgers to agree, in all points among themselues, so alone is the truthe perfecte and constant, and without verities or discorde. Some of them affyrme and saye, that it is in a certayne place euen nexte vntounto hell vnderunder ye earth. Some holde yt it is not nie vntounto hell, (for then myghte it seme yt suche as are in Purgatorye, shoulde neuer ascende and come vntounto heauen,) for asmuche (as we rede in ye Gospel of Luke)Luke. xv. that there is so great a space betwene them that are aboue and them that are beneath, yt they whiche are aboue, can not come downe to them ye are beneath: neither can they that are beneath, come vp to them yt ar aboue.) But aboue in the ayre, yea and that in torrida zona, bycause that after they bee sufficiently purged,The varietye of papists in placing of purgatorye they may be nighe and goe strayghtwayes vntounto heauen. Some other saye, yt they be neither beneath neere vntounto Hell, nor yet aboue nighe vntounto Heauen, but accordyng to the dispensation and appoyntment of god, diuerse soules are diuersly placed, some here, some there, some in thys place, some in that place: some beneath some aboue, some in the middest, according to their desertes, but all suffering paynes eyther more or lesse, till sufficient satisfactiō be made for theyr sinnes either by themselues in paynes sufferyng, or els by other in Massesingyng, in almosse geuing, in watching, in praying, in pilgrimage going, in the popes pardons bying, &c. The tales and lies, which the papistes hauehave inuented concerning the places of soules after their departure, is to much wonderfull and maruelous. In Longobardica historia: in Legenda aurea, in vitis patrum, in the Festiual, &c. shalt thou finde examples plentifully: whiche bookes in tymes paste were better knowen and more preached to the simple people, than the true and pure worde of God.
And as they do not agree amonge themselues where pyckpursse Purgatory is:The tormentes of Purgatory so likewise doe they dissēt both in the tormentours & in the tormentes of the soules. Some teach, ye the soules in purgatory are punished of the good aūgels at gods appointmēt: some say, that they be wicked Spirites of hell yt punishe them. Some agayne hold, that the soules in purgatory are tormented with fire onelyonly, accordyng to this sentence of Saint Paule:1. Cor. iii. Vniuscuius que opus quale sit, ignis probabit: some contrariwise affirme, yt they are punished both with fyre and water,Psal. 66. according to this saying of the Psalmographe. Transiuimus per ignem & aquam, & reduxisti nos in refrigerium. But howsoeuer the sely simple soules be punished, the Papists with one voyce affirme, that they are most paynefully afflicted and tormented, yea and that with such paynes and tormentes, as be incomparable: the paynes & tormentes of hell only excepted. Of those most intollerable paynes of purgatory, thus rede we in the Popes decrees. He must firste be purged with the fyre of purgatory,Dist. 7. cap. Nullus that hath differred the frute of conuersion vntounto an other world. And this fyre, althoughe it be not euerlastyng, is notwithstanding a wonderfull greuous fyre.☞ For it excedeth and passeth all payne, whiche any man at any tyme hath suffered in this life. In the fleshe there was neuer so greate payne founde, althoughe the Martyrs did suffer maruelous tormēts &c.Serm. 41. de animabus. And in the booke entytled, Sermones discipuli, we rede on this manner. The soules whiche are in purgatory, are in moste greuous paynes. For if all the burnyng coales in the worlde were gathered together and poured vppon an heape,What most greuous paynes there are in Purgatory and a man shoulde stande in the myddes of them, yet shoulde he not suffer so greate heate and burnyng, as the soules doe in Purgatory. No temporall payne maye be compared with the paynes of Purgatorye. The paynes is so greate, that a lyttle shorte tyme seemeth to be verye longe and greate tyme.Example. Therefore we rede, that a certayne Religious man burned in Purgatorye onelye, while one Masse was a saying: and he appeared to hys felowe, and sayde, that he had burned in Purgatorye a greate number of yeare.
And some soules are punished there a longe space:Howe is this proued some, thyrtie yeares, some an hundred: some, a thousand, more or lesse: some, vntounto the ende of the world. Agayn in the treatise called in Latin, Stella Clericorum, we finde this written: The fyre, and other paynes that are in Purgatorye, are more greuous and more bytter, than all the paynes of the Martyrs, and all kyndes of tormentes, that coulde be imagyned and inuented of the Tyrauntes in thys worlde. And the soules of them that are thus punished, do farre excell the multitude of all them that lyue in this worlde.The infinite multitude of soules in Purgatorye. And therefore sayth Austen: He knoweth not, what he asketh, whiche desyreth Purgatorye. O God howe swete a thing shall it be to make satisfaction in thys world?☜ I say, yt it is more greuous to be in Purgatory one twyncklyng of an eye, than all ye paine, whiche blessed Laurence had vponupon the Gredyron. Therfore one teare issuing out of a pure hearte doth purge more, thā ten yeares in Purgatory: & yet betwene two euils the lessest is to be chosen. And therfore the soules that are in Purgatorye,Iob. xix. cry with Iob on this mā ner, and say: Miseremini mei, Miseremini mei, saltem vos amici mei: Quia manus domini tetigit me. That is to say: HaueHave pitie on me, hauehave pitie on me, at the least ye that are my frendes: for the hande of the Lord hath touched me.
After that the Papistes had thus fained Purgatory and the moste horrible & dredeful paynes therof: they thought it also good to deuise some thing to relieue these paynes and to ease the bitter tormentes whiche the sely soules suffer in that most greuous fyre of purgatorye: by this their deuise nothyng doubting but that no small aduauntage shoulde ryse vntounto them,Remedies deuised by the papists agaynst the tormē …s of Purgatory whiche in dede hath had hitherto fortunate successe. Diuerse inuented diuerse remedies against these fyry tormēts: Which thyng hath bene brought to passe by ye cōstitutions & ordinaūces of men partly, as we may see in ye Coūcels Florentine and Constantiense: and partly by the bookes and writings of the Sophisticall Papistes: Some of their deuyses here to recite, I thinke it not vnfitting nor out of the way.
The author of the booke entitled, Stella Clericorum, The churches. Church militant.sayeth, that there are iii. Churches. The first is in this world and that is called, Ecclesia Militans, that is, ye Militant or warrefayring church, The secōd is in heauen: and it is called, Ecclesia Triumphans: that is to say. The Triumphant Churche.Church trinu…phant. Church expectant. The third is in Purgatory: and it is called, Ecclesia Expectans: that is, The Churche Expectant, and that loketh for and abydeth deliueraunce. This latter Church is in great paines, from the which they may be deliuered, saith he, foure manner of wayes. Vnde Versus.
Missa, preces, dona, ieiunia, quatuor ista Absoluūt animas, quas purgās detinet ignis
That is to saye, Masse, Prayers, Giftes, Fastings: These foure thinges set at libertie ye soules that are in Purgatorye. And a little after he sayeth. The deuice to praye for them that are dead, is holy and wholesome. It is holy by the compassion of the deare frendes. It is wholesome,Prayer for soules in Purgatory thorowe geuyng of almosse, and the prayer of the faithfull, and specially of the Priestes, to whom the soules are committed.☞ For almosse is the meate of soules and prayer is the drinke.Prayer, almosse, Fasting, pilgrimage, pardons, and Masses, deliuer soules out of Purgatorye. Fastings also of the faithfull is a great refection & bāket for the soules and pilgrimage goynge of frendes is the dispatche and deliuerāce of paynes. As for pardons, they also profite the soules in purgatorye euen so farre, as they deserued, while they liued in thys world. But before al remedies, wherewith ye soule being in Purgatory may be holpen: the masse farre excelleth. Therfore saith Gregory:The profit of euerye Masse. Oh how great and liuely gifte of God is this? For the diuine mysteries are neuer celebrated (He meaneth that the masse is neuer songe or sayd) but that two vertuous workes do concurre, and are brought to passe: that is to saye, the conuersion of one sinner and the deliueraūce of one soule at the lest out of Purgatorye.
The like doctrine doth the author of the festiuall teache on thys manner.The doctrine of the festiuall cō cerning soules in Porgatory. Of prayer for soules. Ye shall vnderstande, that there bene foure thinges, that greatly holpen soules that bene in Purgatorye and that bene these. Fidelium amicorum oratio eleemosynarum largitio: salutaris hostia, & ieiuniorum obseruatio. That is: prayers of frendes deuoutly sayd, & almosse deede doying, and masses singing, and abstinence in fasting. That prayers helpe much a soule that is in Purgatory: the authour proueth for lacke of the testimonies of holye scripture, with thys narracion or tale that followeth. We find written sayth he,A narratiō in Legenda aureae, how there was a man, yt had his house fast by a churchyarde side & yt his doore opened to the Churche. And he vsed by custome as oft as he wēt or came, to say eueryevery time, De profūdis, for al christē soules. Thē it happened so on a time, that he was pursued with ennemyes as he went homewards. But when he came into the churchyarde, he kneled downe and thought to saye,A straunge sight. De profundis. But his ennemies came after. Anone the dead bodyes rose eueryevery chone with instruments as they wrought with by theyr liues and anone they droue away his enemies.Well proued & substauncially But when they saw that, they cried God mercy and this man, & euer after prayde and did almosse dedes for them that were in payne. Thus I may well proue, sayth he, that deuoute prayers helpen many a soule that bene in Purgatory.
Also almesse deedes helpen many a soule.of Almosse deedes for soules. Sicut aqua extinguit ignem: ita eleemosyna extinguit peccatum.
Right as water quencheth fire: so almesse deede quencheth the fire yt brenneth them that bene in Purgatorye: if they bene in good lyfe and in perfecte charity that done it, &c.
Nowe to proue, that almesse deedes done for soules in Purgatorye,A narratiō profite thē greatly, he bringeth in this narratiō or tale. We rede, (saith he) yt in olde tyme, good people woulde on all hollowen day, bake bread & deale it for all christē soules. And yet there ben some, but all to fewe. We rede In Legenda aurea of a knight that should go to a battayle, and had a cosen that he loued passing well, and sayde to him thus. If he were slayne in the battayle, he shoulde sel his horse, & deale the value to poore people in almesse, to pray for al christē soules. So it hapned, yt he was slayne, and his cosin loued wel ye horse, & tooke him to his own vse. Then soone after, this Knight appeared to hys cosin, and said thus to him. These eyght daies for my horse thou hast made me to burn in purgatorye, and therfore God wil take vengeaunce on thee. Forsoth quod he, this day thy soule shal be in hel with ye fende. Ego purgatus vado in regnum dei. And I am purged, and go to the kingdome of heauen. And anon an horrible noyse was heard in the ayre of fendes, which caught this man and bare hym awaye.
The thyrd thyng, y• helpeth soules in purgatorye,Of Masses for soules▪ is the Masse, For when any soule appeareth to any mā to hauehave any helpe: he desireth masses, & prayeth to hauehave masses songen for him. Right as meate and drinke comforteth a mā when he is feble:☜ so the sacrament of ye altare cōforteth ye soules ye masses bene done for.A narratiō. It is written in Legenda aurea how a Byshop suspended a prieste bycause he coulde saye none other masse, but of Requiem, whiche he song eueryevery day deuoutly after hys cōning. Then on a day as the byshop went towards mattens it semed to hym, ye dead bodies rose & came about hym and sayd: Thou haste sayd no masse for vsus. And moreouer thou haste taken our priest awaye frō vsus. Loke yt thys be amended, or els God will in shorte tyme take vengeance on thee for our sake. Then was ye byshop greatly afeard, and anon he …ad the priest syng masse of Requiem, as he dyd tofore. And so he dyd as ofte as he myghte.
Also we fynde ye fyshers set their nets in haruest,An other narration prodicious & wōderful and they tooke vp a great pece of Ise, and yt was the coldeste Ise that euer they felte, and it woulde not melte for the Sunne. And so brought they ye Ise to ye Byshop. For he had a great brennyng heate in his foote, and it was the coldest yt euer he felte. Then spake there a voyce to hym oute of the Ise, and sayd: I am a soule ye suffereth my penaunce here in thys Ise. For I hauehave no frendes, yt will doe masses for me. I shall be deliuered of my penance and yu shalt be whole of thy sickenesse if thou wilt say masse for me. And he sayd, he woulde sing for him, and bad tell hym hys name. And euer while he was at masse,The great vertue of the masse. he layd the Ise vnderunder his foote and euer as he sayd masse, the Ise melted away. And so within a while yt Ise was molten, and ye soule was deliuered frō pain, and ye bishop was whole of hys sicknesse. Then the soule appeared to him wt much ioy, & sayd: With ye masses singing I am brought oute of payne into euerlasting blesse.
The like fables many & diuerse, are tolde of Gregorius Magnus, of Petrus Cluniacensis, of Iacobus de Voragine, &c.
But ye author of ye booke entituled,Ten remedies to deliuer soules out of purgatorye, Sermones discipuli, rehearseth ten māner of things, wherwith ye soules yt are in purgatorye, maye be deliuered oute of their paynes. The fyrst is, the setting vp of candles at massetime before ye sacrament, or before Images, in ye honor & prayse of God and of his Saintes.
The seconde is,Candles. Sensing of the altare. Sensyng of the Altare when Masse of Requiem is songen for the soules departed, with thys inwarde desyre, that God will deliuer ye soule from the stenche of purgatorie, where it is now punyshed.
Sprinckeling of holy water.The thyrd is, sprinckling of holy water vponupon the Sepulchres or graues, & vponupon ye bones of the dead. And here must they desyre, yt as the heate of thys present fyre is cooled by ye sprinckling of water: so likewyse the heate of ye fire of purgatory may be tempered & cooled for ye soule yt we praye for, thorowe the deaw of the heauenly grace & mercye.
The fourth is, Prayer for the dead. And here must we direct our praiers vntounto saints in heauen for the soules yt are in purgatorye,Prayer for the dead. yt they may make intercession for thē vntounto God: for they may do much with God. And for thys cause we send ye saints vntounto ye heauenly king as massengers, yt they may obtayne of that King, indulgence, pardon and fauour for those soules. Therfore must we in thys behalfe deuoutly pray to s. Mary, to S. Peter. &c.
The fyft is, oblations and offeryngs for ye soules departed,Oblations for ye soules departed. yt they may be deliuered from the dets, which they owe vntounto God▪
The sixt is, fastings, watchings, afflictions & knelings for ye soules departed,Fastinges▪ watchings. &c. Q. xiii. c. ii, Animae: as it is specifyed in the popes decrees: Ieiunia viuentium sunt auxilia defunctorum. The fasting of yt liuing ar ye helpes of the dead.
The seuenth is,Paying the dets of the dead. paying of ye dets of the dead. This profiteth ye soules yt are in purgatorye beyond al measure. For while ye dettes are vnpayd, ye soules are greuously punyshed in purgatorye.
The eyght is,Offering vp of bread and wine. offering vp of bread & wine, yt it may please God likewise to feede ye hungry soule, and to geue drink to ye thirstye soule yt is in purgatorye. Likewyse ye exercisyng of the works of mercy for the soules departed, as in geuing meate to ye hungry, drinke to the thirstye, lodging to the harbourlesse, clothes to the naked, &c.
The nynth is, when a man accomplisheth & fulfilleth ye penaunce for the soules departed,Fulfilling of ye deades penaunce. whiche ye soules themselues were bounde to do in this world when they were yet liuing. For the more any man doth for them in thys world: the lesse hauehave they to suffer in the paynes of purgatorye.
The tenth is, the celebratiō of masses. And thys is the greatest and most principall remedye and helpe that can bee deuised for the deliueraunce of soules out of Purgatorye.The celebration of masses. For we reade,A narratiō. Monstri simili. yt a certayne soule was appoynted of God to ligh in Purgatorye xv. yeares: which notwithstandyng thorowe one Masse was deliuered oute of all those paynes.Missa, wherof it is deriued. For thys worde Missa whiche we in Englyshe call Masse, is deriued a Mittendo, yt is, of sendyng. For in the Masse grace is sente to a synner being in synne, and to ye soules a playne deliueraunce from all payne. Therefore sayth Austen,The vertues of the masse. yt there is no masse celebrated, but ye two vertuous workes do concurre and ar brought to passe. The one is, a conuersion of a synner from his sinne. The other is, a deliueraunce of a soule out of purgatorye, But some mā peraduenture wil here demaunde,☞ howe it commeth to passe, yt the soules which are in purgatorye, do knowe the suffrages, which are here done for the? I answere:A fond fansye of the papistes. the Aungels, which do here abide & tary with vsus, do many times visite ye soules in purgatory, & declare vntounto thē ye suffrages, which we do for thē, here & so comfort thē. O how ioyfull a thyng is this to them? Serm. 41. de anim.
Besydes these remedies aforesaid against the troublous torments of painful purgatorye, which the selye simple soules suffer for ye satisfaction of Gods iustice, as the papists teach: there is an other remedye, which I of late founde in ye latter end of an old written boke. And this is of so great vertue, yt whosoeuer deuoutly practiseth it shal wtout doubte (as it is there specifyed) deliuer one soule out of purgatory at the least yea and that within .ix. dayes. Probatum est.
Fyrst on the sonday,Spedy deliueraunce of soules out of purgatorye. cause a masse to be song or said in ye worship of ye Trinity. Set also .iii. candles burning before ye sacrament al ye masse tyme. Fede also three poore men, or geue three almesses to the nedye.
Secondly on ye monday, cause a masse to be song or sayde in ye worship of all Aungels. Light also .ix. candles in the honoure of the ▪ix. orders of Aungells. Fede .ix. pore mē, or geue .ix. almosses.
Thirdly, on y• twesday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honoure of S. Spirite: and lighten .vii. candles in the worship of the .vii. giftes which he geueth. Fede also .vii. poore men, or geue .vii. almosses.
Fourthly, on the Wednisday cause a masse to be song or said in the worship of S. Ihon Baptiste and of all the patriarches. Light foure candles, & feede foure poore mē, or geue foure almosses
Fiftlye, on the Thursdaye cause a Masse to be song or sayde of S. Peter and of the .xii. Apostles. Lighten .xii. candles, & fede .xii. poore men, or geue xii. almosses.
Sixtly, on the Fryday cause a masse to be song or sayd in the worship of S. Crosse. Lighten .v. candles. Feede .v. poore men, or geue, v. almosses.
Seuenthly and finally, on the Saterday cause a masse to be song or sayde in the honour of our lady and al virgines Lighten, v. candles. Fede .v. poore mē, or geue v. almosses. He yt thus doth: truste to it verelye: for he shall deliuer shortlye, any soule that he will oute of purgatorye. Ita est. Probatum est. Amen. Fiat. Fiat. Iesu mercy. Lady helpe.