Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
CHAP. V. Of the ſupplies which they adde to ſatisfactions, namely indulgences and purgatorie.
1 FVrthermore from this doctrine of ſatisfaction flowe indulgences.What indulgences are. For they dreame that that is by them ſupplied, which is wanting in our owne abilitie to make ſatisfaction: ſo that they define thē to be the diſpenſation or diſtribution of the merites of Chriſt, and the martyrs, which the Pope doeth deuide by his bulls.
2 Hence commeth the treaſure of the Church,The treaſure of the popiſh Church. which containeth the merits of Chriſt, & of his Apoſtles, and of his holy martyrs. The principall cuſtodie of this barne is committed to the Biſhop of Rome,The pope of the keeper of the barne The great authoritie of the Pope Epiſt. 81. Pſal. 116.…5. Note. in whoſe power the diſtribution of ſo great goods is, ſo that he may beſtow them of him ſelfe, & appoint to others the iuriſdiction to beſtowe them.
3 Leo Biſhop of Rome writeth excellently to the Paleſtines againſt the ſacriledges*. Although ſaith he, the death of manie Saints was precious in the ſight of the Lord, yet the death of no innocent hath bin the propitiation of the world. Iuſt mē hauehave receaued & not giuen crownes: & the examples of patience iſſued from the fortitude of the faithfull, & not the rewards of righteouſneſſe.
Obiect. Paule ſaith*,Coll. 1.24. What it is to fulfill the ſufferinges of Chriſt. I fulfill in my body thoſe things which are wanting of the ſuffrings of Chriſt.
An. That is referred vntounto the ſuffrings of Chriſt in his myſticall bodie, which is the Church.
Obiect. Peter & Paule ſhould neuertheleſſe hauehave obtained the crowne of victorie if they had died in their beds.What profite the Church hath by the examples of Martires. But in that they did ſtriue to bloud, to leaue that barren & vnfrutefull, doth not agree with the righteouſneſſe of God.
An. The Church receaueth profit great inough in common, that it is enflamed by their triumphes, vntounto zeale to fight.
Coll. 1.24.4 Obiect. Paule affirmeth that he ſuffereth for the Church*.
An. Not for the redemption of the Church, but for the edifying and increaſe thereof. As he ſaith in another place that he ſuffereth all things for the electes ſake, that they may attaine to the ſaluation which is in Chriſt Ieſus*.1 Tim. 2.10. 1 Cor. 1.16. In Pſal. 16. Note Let vsus heare what Auguſtine ſaith,* The ſuffrings of Chriſt in Chriſt alone as in the head: in Chriſt and the Church as in the whole bodie.
5 Furthermore who taught the Pope to include the grace of Chriſt in leade and parchment, which the Lord would hauehave diſtributed by the word of the Goſpell*.2. Cor. 5.18. 1 Cor. 1.17
6 But this Purgatorie, which is the ſatisfaction, which is made after death, for ſinne, by the ſoules of the dead,Fruites of purgatorie. is inuented by curious raſhneſſe without the word of God. Foraſmuch as it maketh the croſſe of Chriſt to be of none effect: it layeth an vntollerable ſlaunder vppon the merciemercy of God: it weakeneth and ouerthroweth our faith.
7 Obiect. When the Lord auoucheth that the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt ſhall not be forgiuen either in this world or in the world to come*,Mat. 12.32. Mar. 3.28 he giueth thereby an inkling that certaine ſinnes ſhall be forgiuen in the world to come.
An. When the Lord did cut of all the hope of pardon from ſuch an hainous wickednes, he thought it not inough to ſay, that it ſhould neuer be forgiuen, but that he might the more amplifie it, he vſed a partition, wherein he did both comprehende the iudgement which euerie mans conſcience feeleth in this life, and that laſt iudgement alſo which ſhall be geuen openly in the reſurrection.
Obiect. It is ſayd*,Mat. 5.25. Whence thou canſt not come vntill thou ſhalt pay the vttermoſt farthing.
An. If the iudge in this place do ſignifie God & the plaintife the deuill, the ſergeant the Angell, the priſon purgatorie, I will gladly yeeld vntounto them. But if Chriſt doth ſhewe in that place, into howe manie dangers they throw thēſelues, which do obſtinately purſue the extremitie of the Law, to the end he may more earneſtly exhort thoſe that be his vntounto concord, I pray you where ſhall we find Purgatorie?
8 Obiect. Paul affirmeth that the knees of things in heauen, in earth, and vnderunder the earth,Ph. 2.10. do bow to Chriſt. Therefore there be ſoules lying in paine in Purgatorie.
An. In that place the Apoſtle meaneth by the bowing of the knee,Bowing of the knee not the true worſhip of godlineſſe, but that Chriſt hath Lordſhid graunted him, vnderunder which all creatures muſt be brought. Euen the verie deuils ſhall with terrour knowe him to be their iudge. Thus doth Paule him ſelfe interpret it in another place*.Rom. 4.10.
Obiect. I heard euerie creature which is in heauen, and which is vponupon the earth, and which is vnderunder the earth, and which is in the ſea, and thoſe things which are in them, I heard them all ſay, Bleſſing, and honor, and glorie,Apoc. 5.13. and power* be for euer and euer to him that ſitteth vponupon the throne, and to the lambe.
An. It is affirmed that the chiefe partes of the world, from the higheſt part of the heauen, vntounto the verie middle point of the earth, euen the creatures which are voide of ſenſe, do after their maner declare the glorie of their creator.
2 Mach 12.19.43.Obiect. What meaneth the book of Machabees*?
An That booke is not reckened among the canonicall bookes. And therefore the author him ſelf craueth pardon*.
2 Mach. 15.36.9 Obiect. He him ſelf ſhall be ſaued ſaith Paul, but as by fire*.1 Cor. 3.12. What fire is that if not the fire of purgatorie?
An. He ſpeaketh of fire by a ſimilitude: that doth the word, as, declare. Therfore by fire we vnderſtād that the inuentions of man,Fyre put for the tryal of the holy Ghoſt. being not eſtabliſhed by the word of God, cannot abide the examination of the holie Ghoſt, but they ſhall by and by fall to the ground and come to nought.
Prayer for the dead.10 Obiect. It was a moſt ancient obſeruation, & commonly receaued a thouſand and three hundred yeares ago, to pray for the dead.
An. But by what word of God? by what reuelation? by what example?
Queſt. Why durſt they then do it?
An. They did therein ſuffer ſomewhat which is proper to man: and therfore it is not to be imitated.
CHAP. VI. Of the life of a Chriſtian man: and firſt of all by what argumentes the Scripture doeth exhort vsus therovnto.
The end of regeneration.1 VVE ſayd that it is the ende of regeneration that in the life of the faithfull there appeare an agreement & conſent betweene the righteouſneſſe of God and their obedience; and that by this meanes they confirme their adoption, wherby they are receaued to be ſonnes. And although his Law containe in it that newneſſe, wherby the image of God is reſtored in vsus, yet becauſe our ſlowneſſe hath neede as well of manie ſpurres, as alſo helps, it ſhall be good for vsus to gather out of diuerſe places of Scripture a way how to order and frame the life, leſt they erre in their ſtudie, who are delighted in repentance.
2 Furthermore this inſtitution of the Scripture ſtandeth chieflie vponupon two parts. The firſt is,The partes of a Chriſtian life. that the louelove of righteouſneſſe, wherto we are otherwiſe not enclined by nature, be dripped into our minds. The other is that there be a rule appointed vsus, that may not ſuffer vsus to erre in the ſtudie of righteouſeneſſe.Of the louelove of righteouſnes. The Scripture hath many reaſons to cōmand righteouſneſſe: the firſt is, that we be holy,Leuit. 19.1. 1 Pet. 1.1.10. Pſal. 34.34. & 15.2.24. both becauſe God is holy, and ſecondly becauſe we are ioyned with him, and are reckened among his people*.
3 The other is that we be made like to Chriſt: through whome we are returned into fauour with God. Therefore we hauehave a patterne of him ſet before vsus, whoſe forme let vsus expreſſe in our life. Hervnto are added the benefits of God, whereto if we be not anſwerable, it ſhall be a point of extreme vnthankfulneſſe. God hath ſhewed him ſelfe a father toward vsus,The end of Gods benefits. & let vsus on the other ſide ſhew our ſelues children to him. Chriſt hath purified vsus from filthineſſe by his bloud, let vsus not pollute our ſelues afreſh he hath ingrafted vsus into his bodie, let vsus not ſprinkle any ſpot or blot vpō vsus: our head is aſcēded into heauen, let vsus deſire with the whole affection of our heart to come thither, laying away the affection of the earth. We are the temples of the holie Ghoſt, let vsus not be profaned with filthineſſe of ſinne*.Mal. 1.16. Eph. 5.1.26. 1. Ioh. 3.3. Heb. 10.10. Who they be which are not to be called Chriſtians. Theſe are the beſt foundations to order and frame the life well.
4 Therfore they which hauehave nothing of Chriſt beſides the bare title, are not to be called Chriſtians. Becauſe none hauehave anie fellowſhip with Chriſt ſaue thoſe which hauehave gathered out of the word of the Goſpell the true knowledge of him. But the Apoſtle denieth that anie of thoſe hath rightly learned Chriſt*,Eph. 4.12. which is not taught, that he muſt put on Chriſt hauing caſt of the old man which is corrupt according to the deſires of error.
5 Neither is it required that the manners of a Chriſtian man ſhould breath out nothing but the abſolute Goſpell: which notwithſtanding is to be wiſhed, and toward which we muſt endeuour our ſelues. Otherwiſe all men ſhould be excluded from Chriſtianitie, ſeeing there is none Angelicall perfection: yea we are all found as yet a great way of: & manie hauehave as yet gone ſmally forward.The ende of mans life What thē? that marke is ſet before our eyes whereat alone let our ſtudie aime, that we may go forward more and more, vntill we come to the verie perfection: that hauing at length put of the infirmitie of the fleſh, we may be receaued into the perfect fellowſhip of God.