Eighty Sermons, miscellaneous · Sermon 77
SERM. LXXVII. Preached at S. PAULS, May 21. 1626.
1 COR. 15.29.
Elſe, what ſhall they doe which are baptized for the dead? if the dead riſe not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead?
I Entred into the handling of theſe words, upon Eaſter day; for, though the words have received divers Expoſitions, good and pervers, yet all agreed, that the words were an argument for the Reſurrection, and that invited me to apply them to that Day. At that Day I entred into them, with Origens proteſtation, Odit Dominus, qui feſtum ejus unum putat diem, God hates that man, that thinks any holy-day of his laſts but one day, that never thinks of the Reſurrection, but upon Eaſter day: And therefore I engaged my ſelfe willingly, according to the invitation, and almoſt the neceſſity of the words, which could not conveniently, (ſcarce poſſibly) be determined in one day, to returne againe and againe to the handling thereof. For, they are words of a great extent, a great compaſſe: The whole Circle of a Chriſtian is deſigned and accompliſhed in them; for, here is firſt the firſt point in that Circle, our Birth, our ſpirituall birth, that is, Baptiſme, Why are theſe men thus baptized? ſayes the Text; And then here is the point, directly and diametrally oppoſed to that firſt point, our Birth, that is, Death, Why are theſe men thus baptized for the dead? ſayes the Text; And then the Circle is carried up to the firſt point againe, to our Birth, in another Birth, in the Reſurrection, Why are theſe men thus baptized for the dead, if there be no Reſurrection? So that if we conſider the Militant and the Triumphant Church, to be (as they are) all one Houſe, and under one roofe, here is firſt Limen Eccleſiae, (as S. Auguſtine calls Baptiſme) The Threſhold of the Church, we are put over the Threſhold, into the Body of the Church, by Baptiſme, and here we are remembred of Baptiſme, Why are theſe men thus baptized? And then here is Chorus Eccleſiae, The Quire, the Chancell of the Church, in which all the ſervice of God is officiated and executed; for we are made not onelyonly hearers, and ſpectators, but actors in the ſervice of God, when we come to beare a part in the Hymnes and Anthems of the Saints, by our Death, and here we are remembred of Death, Why are theſe men thus baptized for the Dead? And then, here is Sanctum Sanctorum, The innermoſt part of the Church, The Holy of Holyes, that is, the manifeſtation of all the myſterious ſalvation, belonging to ſoule and body, in the Reſurrection, Why are theſe men thus baptized for the dead, if there be no Reſurrection?
Our firſt dayes worke in handling theſe words, was to accept, and then to apply that, in which all agreed, that theſe words were an argument for the Reſurrection; And we did both thoſe offices; we did accept it, and ſo ſhew you, how the aſſurance of the Reſurrection accrues to us, and what is the office of Reaſon, and what is the office of Faith, in that affayre; And then we did apply it, and ſo ſhew you divers reſemblances, and conformities between naturall Death, and ſpirituall Death, and between the Reſurrection of the body to glory at laſt, and the Reſurrection of the ſoule by grace, in the way; and wherein they induced, and aſſiſted, and illuſtrated one another; And thoſe two miles made up that Sabbath dayes journey. When we ſhall returne to the handling of them, the next day, (which will be the laſt) we ſhall conſider how theſe words have been miſapplyed by our Adverſaries of the Romane Church, and then the ſeverall Expoſitions which they have received from ſound and Orthodoxall men, that thence we may draw a concluſion, and determination for our ſelves; And in thoſe two miles, wee ſhall alſo make up that Sabbath Dayes journey, when God ſhall be pleaſed to bring us to it. This dayes Exerciſe ſhall be, to conſider that very point, for the eſtabliſhment whereof, they have ſo detorted, and miſ-applyed theſe words, which is their Purgatory, That this Baptiſme for the Dead muſt neceſſarily prove Purgatory, and their Purgatory.
So then this Dayes Exerciſe will bee meerely Polemicall, the handling of a Controverſie; which though it be not alwayes pertinent, yet neither is it alwayes unſeaſonable. There was a time but lately, when he who was in his deſire and intenſion, the Peace-maker of all the Chriſtian world, as he had a deſire to have ſlumbred all Field-drums, ſo had he alſo to have ſlumbred all Pulpit-drums, ſo far, as to paſſe over all impertinent handling of Controverſies, meerly and profeſſedly as Controverſies, though never by way of poſitive maintenance of Orthodoxall and fundamentall Truths; That ſo there might be no ſlackning in the defence of the truth of our Religion, and yet there might bee a diſcreet and temperate forbearing of perſonall, and eſpecially of Nationall exaſperations. And as this way had piety, and peace in the worke it ſelfe, ſo was it then occaſionally exalted, by a great neceſſity; He, who was then our hope, and is now the breath of our noſtrils, and the Anointed of the Lord, being then taken in their pits, and, in that great reſpect, ſuch exaſperations the fitter to be forborne, eſpecially ſince that courſe might well bee held, without any prevarication, or cooling the zeale of the poſitive maintenance of the religion of our Church. But things ſtanding now in another ſtate, and all peace, both Eccleſiaſticall and Civill, with theſe men, being by themſelves removed, and taken away, and hee whom we feared, returned in all kinde of ſafety, ſafe in body, and ſafe in ſoule too, whom though their Church could not, their Court hath chatechiſed in their religion, that is, brought him to a cleere underſtanding of their Ambition, (for Ambition is their Religion, and S. Peters Ship muſt ſaile in their Fleets, and with their winds, or it muſt ſink, and the Catholique and Militant Church muſt march in their Armies, though thoſe Armies march againſt Rome it ſelfe, as heretofore they have done, to the ſacking of that Towne, to the holding of the Pope himſelfe in ſo ſordid a priſon, for ſixe moneths, as that ſome of his neareſt ſervants about him died of the plague, to the treading under foot Prieſts, and Biſhops, and Cardinals, to the diſhonouring of Matrons, and the raviſhing of profeſſed Virgins, and committing ſuch inſolencies, Catholiques upon Catholiques, as they would call us Heretiques for beleeving them, but that they are their owne Catholique Authors that have written them) Things being now, I ſay, in this ſtate, with theſe men, ſince wee heare that Drums beat in every field abroad, it becomes us alſo to returne to the braſing and beating of our Drums in the Pulpit too, that ſo, as Adam did not onelyonly dreſſe Paradiſe, but keepe Paradiſe; and as the children of God, did not onelyonly build, but build with one hand, and fight with another; ſo wee alſo may employ ſome of our Meditations upon ſupplanting, and ſubverting of error, as well as upon the planting, and watering of the Truth. To which purpoſe I ſhall prepare this day, for the vindicating and redeeming of theſe words from the Adverſary, (which will bee the worke of the next day) by handling to day that point, for which they have miſapplied them, which is Purgatory, and the mother, and the off-ſpring of that; for what can that generation of vipers ſuck from this Text, which is not, If there be no ſuch Purgatory, but, If there be no ſuch Reſurrection, why then are theſe men baptized for the dead? Heaven and earth ſhall paſſe away, ſaith Chriſt, but my word ſhall not paſſe away. Matt 24.35.But rather then Purgatory ſhall paſſe away, his word muſt admit ſuch an Interpretation, as ſhall paſſe away, and evacuate the intention and purpoſe of the Holy Ghoſt therein. How much of the earth is paſſed away from them, wee know, who acknowledge the mercy, and might, and miracle of Gods working, in withdrawing ſo many Kingdomes, ſo many Nations of the earth, in ſo ſhort time, from the obedience, and ſuperſtition of Rome, as that if Controverſies had been to have been tried by number, they would have found as many againſt them, as with them; ſo much of the earth is paſſed from them. How much of heaven is paſſed from them, that is, how much leſſe intereſt and claime to heaven they can have now, when God hath afforded them ſo much light, and they have reſiſted it, then when they were in ſo great a part, under invincible ignorance, God onelyonly, who is the onelyonly Judge in ſuch cauſes, knowes; and he, of his goodneſſe, enlarge their title to that place, by their converſion towards it. But how much ſoever of earth or heaven paſſe away, they will not loſe an acre, an inch of Purgatory; For, as men are moſt delighted with things of their owne making, their owne planting, their owne purchaſing, their owne building, ſo are theſe men therefore inamoured of Purgatory: Men that can make Articles of faith of their owne Traditions, (And as men to elude the law againſt new Buildings, firſt build ſheds, or ſtables, and after erect houſes there, as upon old foundations, ſo theſe men firſt put forth Traditions of their owne, and then erect thoſe Traditions into Articles of faith, as ancient foundations of Religion) Men that make God himſelfe of a piece of bread, may eaſily make Purgatory of a Dreame, and of Apparitions, and imaginary viſions of ſick or melancholike men.
It may then be of uſe to inſiſt upon the ſurvey of this building of theirs,Diviſio. in theſe three conſiderations. Firſt, to looke upon the foundation, upon what they raiſe it, and that is Prayer for the Dead, and that is the Grand-mother Error; And then upon the Building it ſelfe, Purgatory it ſelfe, and that is the Mother; And laſtly upon the out-houſes, or the furniture of this Building, and that is Indulgences, which are the children, the iſſue of this mother, and not ſuch children as draw their parents dry, but ſupport and maintaine their parents; for, but for theſe Indulgences, their prayer for the Dead, and their Purgatory would ſtarve; And ſtarve they muſt all, if they can draw their maintenance from no other place but this, Why are theſe men baptized for the dead?
Firſt then for the firſt of theſe three parts, The foundation, the Grand-mother,1 Part. Oratio pro mortuis. Prayer for the Dead; The moſt tender Mother, the moſt officious Nurſe, cannot have a more particular care, how a new-borne child ſhall be waſhed, or ſwathed, or fed, when they conſider every drop of water, every clout, every pin that belongs to it, then God had of his Infant Church, when he delivered it over to her foſter-fathers, her nurſing-fathers, her god-fathers, Moſes and Aaron, and bound them by his inſtructions, in every particular, as he preſcribed them. How many directions he gave, what they ſhould eate, what they ſhould weare, how often they ſhould waſh, what they ſhould doe, in every religious, in every civill action, and yet never, never any mention, any intimation, never any approach, any inclination, never any light, no nor any ſhadow, never any colour, any colourableneſſe of any command of prayer for the Dead. In all the Law, no precept for it; And this might imply a weakneſſe in Gods government, in ſo particular a law no precept of ſo important a duty: In all the Hiſtory no example; And this might imply ill luck at leaſt, in ſo large a ſtory no Precedent of an Office ſo neceſſary: In all the Goſpell no promiſe annexed to it; And this doth not imply, but manifeſt a concluſion againſt it, an excluſion of it. There being then no precept, no precedent, no promiſe for it, how came it into uſe and practiſe amongſt the Jewes?
After the Jewes had been a long time converſant amongſt the Gentiles,Iudaei. and that as freſh water approaching the Sea, contracts a ſaltiſh, a brackiſh taſt, ſo the Jewes received impreſſions of the cuſtomes of the Gentiles, who were ever naturally enclined to this miſ-devotion, and left-handed piety, of praying for the Dead, In the faintneſſe, and languiſhing of their Religion, when they were much declined from the exact obſervation thereof, then, in the time of the Maccabees entred that one example, which hath raiſed ſuch a duſt, and blinded ſo many eyes. We have mention of many funeralls before that, and after that of many too, even in the time when Chriſt was upon the earth, and yet never mention of prayer for the dead, but in this one place of this booke; I doe not ſay, in this one ſtory, (for in this ſtory reported by Ioſephus, there is no mention of it) but in this one booke. That is true that I have read, that after Chriſts time, the Rabbins laid hold upon it, and brought it into cuſtome; And that is true which I have ſeene, that the Jewes at this day continue it in practiſe; For when one dies, for ſome certaine time after, appointed by them, his ſonne or ſome other neere in blood or alliance, comes to the Altar, and there ſaith and doth ſome thing in the behalfe of his dead father, or grandfather reſpectively. But all this they have drawne into practiſe, from this one place, from this booke, from which booke the ſame Rabbins draw a juſtification of a mans killing himſelfe, becauſe in this booke they find an example of that in Razis: 2 Macc. 14.37.The Rabbins tooke no better a ground for their prayer for the dead, then for ſelfe-homicide, onelyonly matter of fact, out of a Hiſtoricall booke, which themſelves did not beleeve to be Canonicall. But how took this hold of Chriſtians?
That which wrought upon the Jewes,Chriſtiani. prevailed upon the new Chriſtians too; for the greateſt part of them, by much, being Gentiles, (for few amongſt the Jewes, in compariſon, were converted to the Chriſtian religion) they which came from Gentiliſme, retained ſtill many impreſſions of ſuch things as they had been formerly accuſtomed unto. And as the Fathers of the Church then, out of an indulgence to theſe new Convertits, did ſuffer and tolerate the practiſe of many things, which theſe Gentiles brought with them; (as indeed a great part of the ceremonies of the Chriſtian Church are of that nature, and of ſuch an admiſſion, Things, which rather then avert their new Convertits from comming to them, by an utter aboliſhing of all parts of their former religion, and worſhip of their gods, thoſe bleſſed Fathers thought fitter to retaine, and turne to ſome good uſe, then altogether to take them away) As in other things, ſo alſo in this prayer for the dead, to which they, as Gentiles, had been formerly accuſtomed, the Fathers did not oppoſe it with any peremptory earneſtneſſe, with any vehement diligence, partly becauſe the thing it ſelfe argued and teſtified a good, and tender, and pious affection; (and though God doe not ground his Decrees upon any diſpoſition in mans nature, yet in the execution of his Decrees, God as hee works in his Church, loves to work upon a good natur'd man) and partly alſo, becauſe this practiſe, being but a practiſe onelyonly, and no Dogmaticall conſtitution, might be (as it was in the firſt practiſe thereof) without ſhaking any foundation, or wounding any Article of the Chriſtian Religion; And laſtly, (that wee may ſpeake truth, with that holy boldneſſe which belongs to the truth) becauſe it was a long time before the Fathers came to a cleere underſtanding of the ſtate of the ſoule, departed out of this life: for though they never doubted of the certaine performance of Gods promiſes, That all that die in him, do reſt in him, yet where, and how this reſt was communicated to them, admitted more clouds then they could at all times diſpell and ſcatter, ſome ariſing from Philoſophers, ſome from Heretiques, ſome from ignorance, ſome from heat of Diſputation.
So then,Tertul. at firſt it was a weed that grew wild in the open field, amongſt the Gentiles; Then becauſe it bore a pretty flower, the teſtimony of a good nature, it was tranſplanted into ſome Gardens, and ſo became a private opinion, or at leaſt a practiſe amongſt ſome Chriſtians; And then it ſpred it ſelfe ſo far, as that Tertullian, and he firſt of any takes knowledge of it, as of a cuſtome of the Church; And truly this of Tertullian is very early, within little more then two hundred years after Chriſt. But as Tertullian ſhews us an early birth of it, ſo he tells us enough, to ſhew us, that it ſhould not have been long liv'd, when he acknowledges that it had no ground in Scripture, but was onelyonly a cuſtome popularly, and vulgarly taken up. But Tertullian ſpeaks of more then Prayer; he ſpeaks of oblations and ſacrifices for the dead; It is true, he does ſo; but it is of oblations and ſacrifices far from the propitiatory ſacrifice of the Maſſe, for Tertullian makes a woman the Prieſt in his ſacrifice: Offert uxor, ſayes he, annuis diebus dormitionis mariti, The wife offers every yeare upon the day of her husbands death; that is, every yeare upon that day, ſhe gives a dole and almes to the poore, as the cuſtome was to doe in memory of dead friends.
This being then but ſuch a cuſtome, and but ſo induc'd, why did none oppoſe it?Aerius. Epiphanius. Why it was not ſufficiently oppoſed, I have intimated ſome reaſons before: The affection of thoſe that did it, who were (though miſtaken in the way) piouſly affected in the action, And then the harmleſneſſe in the thing it ſelf at firſt, And then partly a loathneſſe in the Fathers to deter the Gentiles from becomming Chriſtians, And partly a cloud and darkneſſe of the ſtate of the ſoule after death. Yet ſome did oppoſe it; But ſome not early enough, and ſome not earneſtly enough; And ſome not with much ſucceſſe, becauſe they were not otherwiſe Integrae famae, They were not thought ſound in all things, and therefore they were beleeved in nothing; which was Aerius his caſe, who did oppoſe it; but becauſe Aerius did not come home to all truths, he was not hearkned unto, in oppoſing any error. Otherwiſe at that time, Epiphanius had a faire occaſion offered, to have oppoſed this growing cuſtome, and to have rectified the Church in a good meaſure therein, about an hundred years after Tertullian: For then Aerius oppoſed it directly; but becauſe he proceeded upon falſe grounds, That ſince it was come to that, That the moſt vicious man, the moſt enormous ſinner, might be ſaved after his death, by the prayers and devotions of another man, there remained no more for a Chriſtian to doe, but to provide ſuch men in his life, to doe thoſe offices for him after his death, and ſo he might deliver himſelfe from all the diſciplines, and mortifications, and from the anguiſhes, and remorſes, and vexations of conſcience which the Chriſtian Religion induces and requires, Epiphanius diſcerning the advantage that Aerius had given, by imputing things not throughly true, he places his glory, and his triumph, onelyonly in overthrowing Aerius his ill grounded arguments, and takes the queſtion it ſelfe, and the danger of the Church, no farther to heart then ſo. And therefore when Aerius asks, Can prayers for the dead be of any uſe? Epiphanius ſayes, Yes, they may be of uſe, to awaken and exerciſe the piety and charity of the living; and never ſpeaks to that which was principally intended, whether they could be of any uſe to the dead. So when Aerius asks, Is it not abſurd to ſay, That all ſins may be remitted after death? Epiphanius ſayes, No man in the Church ever ſaid, That all ſins may be remitted after death, and never cleares the maine, whether any ſin might. And yet with all advantages, and modifications, Epiphanius lodges it at laſt, but upon cuſtome, Nec enim praeceptum Patris, ſed inſtitutum matris habemus, ſayes he, For this which we doe, we have no commandment from God our Father, but onelyonly an Inſtitution, implyed in this Cuſtome, from the Church our Mother.
But then it grew to a farther height; from a wild flower in the field,Chryſoſt. and a garden flower in private grounds, to be more generally planted, and to be not onelyonly ſuffered by many Fathers, but cheriſhed and watered by ſome, and not above forty years after Epiphanius, to be ſo far advanced by S. Chryſoſtome, as that he aſſignes, though no Scripture for it, yet that which is neareſt to Scripture, That it was an Apoſtolicall Conſtitution. And truly, if it did clearly appeare to have been ſo, A thing practiſed, and preſcribed to the Church, by the Apoſtles, the holy Ghoſt were as well to be beleeved in the Apoſtles mouthes, as in their pens; An Apoſtolicall Tradition, that is truly ſo, is good evidence. But becauſe thoſe things doe hardly lie in proofe, (for that which hath been given for a good Rule of Apoſtolicall Traditions, is very defective, that is, That whatſoever hath been generally in uſe in the Church, of which no Author is known, is to be accepted for an Apoſtolicall Tradition, for ſo that Ablutio pedum, The waſhing of one anothers feet after Chriſts example, was in ſo generall uſe, that it had almoſt gained the dignity of being a Sacrament; And ſo was alſo the giving of the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud to children newly baptized, and yet theſe, though in ſo generall uſe, and without any certaine Author, are not Apoſtolicall Traditions) Therefore we muſt apply S. Auguſtines words to S. Chryſoſtome, Lege ex Lege, ex Prophetis, ex Pſalmis, ex Euangelio, ex Apoſtolicis literis, & credemus, Read us any thing out of the Law, or Prophets, or Pſalmes, or Goſpel, or Epiſtles, and we will beleeve it. And we muſt have leave to return S. Auguſtines words upon S. Auguſtine himſelfe, who hath much aſſiſted this cuſtome of praying for the dead, Lege ex Lege, &c. Read it out of the Scriptures, and we will beleeve it; for S. Auguſtine does not pretend any other place of Scripture, then this of the Maccabees, and (not diſputing now what credit that Book had with S. Auguſtine) certainly it fell not within this enumeration of his, The Maccabees are neither Law, nor Prophets, nor Pſalms, nor Goſpel, nor Epiſtle.
Beloved, it is a wanton thing for any Church, in ſpirituall matters, to play with ſmall errors; to tolerate, or wink at ſmall abuſes, as though it ſhould be alwayes in her power to extinguiſh them when ſhe would. It is Chriſts counſell to his Spouſe, that is, the Church, Capite vulpes parvulas, Take us the little foxes, for they deſtroy the Vine; though they ſeeme but little, and able to doe little harme, yet they grow bigger and bigger every day; and therefore ſtop errors before they become hereſies, and erroneous men before they become formall heretiques. Capite, ſayes Chriſt, Take them, ſuffer them not to goe on; but then, it is Capite nobis, Take us thoſe foxes, Take them for us, The bargaine is betweene Chriſt and his Church. For it is not Capite vobis, Take them to your ſelves, and make your ſelves Judges of ſuch doctrinall matters, as appertaine not to your cognizance; Nor it is not Cape tibi, Take him to thy ſelfe, ſpy out a Recuſant, or a man otherwiſe not conformable, and take him for thy labour, beg him, and ſpoile him, and, for his Religion, leave him as you found him; Neither is it Cape ſibi, Take him for his eaſe, that is, compound with him eaſily, and continue him in his eſtate and errors, but Cape nobis, Take him for us, ſo detect him, as he may thereby be reduced to Chriſt and his Church.
Neither onelyonly this counſel of Chriſt to his Church, but that commandment of God in Levit. Exod. 23.3. Lev. 19.15.is alſo applyable to this, Non miſereber is pauperis in judicio, Thou ſhalt not countenance a poore man in his cauſe, Thou ſhalt not pity a poore man in judgement. Though a new opinion may ſeeme a poore opinion, able to doe little harme, though it may ſeem a pious and profitable opinion, and of good uſe, yet in judicio, if it ſtand in judgement, and pretend to be an article of faith, and of that holy obligation, matter neceſſary to ſalvation, Non miſereberis, Thou ſhalt not ſpare, thou ſhalt not countenance this opinion upon any collaterall reſpect, but bring it to the onelyonly tryall of Doctrines, the Scriptures. In the beginning of the Reformation in Germany, there aroſe a ſect, whom they called Intermiſts, and Adiaphoriſts, who, upon a good pretence, were like to have done a great deale of miſchiefe: They ſaid, Since all the hope of a Reformation that we can promiſe our ſelves, muſt come from a generall Councell, and of ſuch a Councel we can have no hope but by the Pope, it were impertinent, and diſ-conducing to our owne ends, to vexe or exaſperate the Pope, in this Interim, till the Councel be ſetled, and ſo the Reformation put into a way; and in the Interim, for this ſhort time till the Councel, theſe Adiaphora, the indifferent things, (in which mild word they involved all the abuſes, and all the grievances that were complained of) may be well enough continued. But if they had continued ſo long, they had continued yet; If they had ſpared their little foxes then, they had deſtroyed their vines; If they had pitied the poore in judgement, the cauſe had been judged againſt them; If they had reprieved thoſe abuſes for a time, they had got a pardon for ever: And therefore bleſſed were they in taking thoſe children, and daſhing them againſt the ſtones, In taking thoſe new-born opinions, and bringing them to the true touch-ſtone of all Doctrines, An ab initio, whether they had been from the beginning, or could conſiſt with the Scriptures.
Neither doth this counſel of Chriſts, Take us theſe little foxes, nor this commandment of God, Thou ſhalt not pity the poor in judgment, determine it ſelf in the Church, or in the publique only, but extends it ſelf (rather contracts it ſelf) to every particular ſoul and conſcience. Capite vulpeculas, Take your litle foxes, watch your firſt inclinatiōs to ſins, for if you give them ſuck at firſt, if you feed them with the milke and hony of the mercy of God, it ſhall not be in your power to weane them when you would, but they will draw you from one to another extreme, from a former preſumption to a future deſperation in Gods mercy. So alſo Non miſereberis; Thou ſhalt not pity the poore in judgement; now that thou calleſt thy ſelfe to judgement, and thy conſcience to an examination, thou ſhalt not pity any ſin, becauſe it pretends to be a poore ſin, either poore ſo, that it cannot much endanger thee, not much encumber thee, or poore ſo, as that it threatens thee with poverty, with penury, with diſability to ſupport thy ſtate, or maintaine thy family, if thou entertaine it not. Many times I have ſeene a ſuitor that comes in forma pauperis, more trouble a Court, and more importune a Judge, then greater cauſes, or greater perſons: And ſo may ſuch ſins as come in forma pauperis, either way, That they plead poverty, That they can doe little harme, or threaten poverty if they be not entertained. Thoſe ſins are the moſt dangerous ſins, which pretend reaſon why they ſhould be entertained: for ſinnes which are done meerely out of infirmity, or out of the ſurpriſall of a tentation, are (in compariſon of others) done as ſins in our ſleep; but in ſins upon deliberation, upon counſell, upon pretence of reaſon, we doe ſee the wiſdome of God, but we ſet our wiſdome above his, we do ſee the law of God, but we inſert and interline non obſtantes of our own, into Gods Law.
If therefore thou wilt corruptly and vitiouſly, and ſinfully love another, out of pity, becauſe they love thee ſo; If thou wilt aſſiſt a poore man in a cauſe, out of pretence of pity, with thy countenance and the power of thy place, that that poore man may have ſomething, and thou the reſt that is recovered in his right; If thou wilt embrace any particular ſin out of pity, leſt thy Wife and Children ſhould be left unprovided; If thou have not taken theſe little foxes, that is, reſiſted theſe tentations at the beginning, yet Nunc in judicio, now that they appeare in judgement, in examination of thy conſcience, Non miſereberis, Thou ſhalt not pity them, but (as Moſes ſpeakes of falſe Prophets,Deut. 13. and by a faire accommodation of all bewitching ſins, with pleaſure or profit) If a Dreamer of Dreames have given thee a ſigne, and that ſigne be come to paſſe; If a ſin have told thee, it would make thee rich, and it have made thee rich; yet if this Dreamer draw thee to another God, If this profit draw thee to an Idolatrous, that is, to an habituall love of that ſin, (for Tot habemus recentes Deos, quot vitiae, ſayes S. Hierom, Hieron.Every man hath ſo many Idols in him, as he hath habituall ſins) yet, Though this dreamer (as God proceeds there) be thy brother, or thy ſon, or thy friend which is as thine owne ſoule, How neare, how deare, how neceſſary ſoever this ſin be unto thee, Non miſereberis, ſayes Moſes, Thine eye ſhall not pity that Dreamer, thou ſhalt not keepe him ſecret, but thine owne hand ſhall be upon him to kill him; And ſo of this pleaſurable, or profitable ſin, Non miſereberis, Thou ſhalt not hide it, but poure it out in Confeſſion; Non miſereberis, Thou ſhalt not pardon it, no nor reprieve it, but deſtroy it, for the practiſe preſently; Non miſereberis, Thou ſhalt not turne out the Mother, and retaine the Daughter, not leave the ſin, and retaine that which was ſinfully got, but deveſt all, roote, and body, and fruits, by confeſſion to God, by contrition in thy ſelfe, by reſtitution to men damnified; Elfe, that will fall upon thee and thy ſoule, which fell upon the Church, That becauſe they did not take their little foxes, they endangered the whole vine; Becauſe they did pity the poore in judgement, that is, (as S. Auguſtine ſayes) they were loath to wraſtle with the people, or force them from dangerous cuſtomes, they came from that ſupine negligence, in tolerating prayer for the Dead, to eſtabliſh a doctrinall point of Purgatory; and for both, prayer for the Dead, and Purgatory, they detort this text, Elſe, that is, if no Purgatory, why then are theſe men baptized for the Dead?
As in the Old Teſtament there is no precept, no precedent,2 Part no promiſe for prayer for the Dead, So in the Old Teſtament they confeſſe, there was no Purgatory; no ſuch place, as could purifie a ſoule to that cleanneſſe, as to deliver it up to Heaven; For thither, to Heaven, no ſoule, ſay they, had acceſſe, till after Chriſts aſcenſion. But as the firſt mention of prayer for the dead was in time of the Maccabees, ſo much about the ſame time was the firſt ſtone of Purgatory laid; and laid by the hands of Plato. For,Plato. Tertul. Hareticorum Patriarchae, Philoſophi, ſayes Tertullian, The Philoſophers were the Patriarchs of Heretiques, evermore they had recourſe to them. And then, Plato being the Author of Purgatory, we cannot deny, but that the Greeke Church did acknowledge Purgatory, that is, that Greeke Church, of which Plato is a Patriarch; for, for the Chriſtian Greeke Church, that never acknowledged Purgatory, ſo as the Roman, that is, A place of torment, from which our prayers here, might deliver ſoules there. But yet Platoes invention, or his manner of expreſſing it,Euſebius Anno 326. tooke ſuch roote and ſuch hold, as that Euſebius, when he comes to ſpeake of Purgatory, delivers it in the very words of Plato, and makes Platoes words his words, and Plato his Patriarch, for the Greeke Church. The Latin Church had Patriarchs too for this Doctrine; though not Philoſophers, yet Poets; for of that which Virgil ſayes of Purgatory,Virgil. Lactantius Anno 290. Lactantius ſayes, propemodum vera, Virgil was very neere the truth, Virgil was almoſt a Catholique, but then later men ſay, Haec prorſus vera, This is abſolutely true that Virgil ſayes, and Virgil is a perfect, a downe-right Catholique; for an upright Catholique, in the point of Purgatory, were hard to finde.
Theſe then are the firſt Patriarchs of the Greek and Latin Church, Philoſophers, and Poets; And when it came farther, to Chriſtians, it gained not much at firſt; for the firſt mention of Purgatory amongſt Chriſtians hath this double ill lucke, that firſt it is in a Booke which no ſide beleeves, the Booke called Paſtor, whoſe Author is ſaid to bee Hermes, Hermes.and he fancied to be S. Pauls Diſciple; And then that which is ſaid of Purgatory in that Booke, is put into an old womans mouth, and ſo made an old wives tale; ſhe tels that ſhe had a viſion, of ſtones fallen from a towre, and then mended after they were fallen, and laid in the building againe: And this Towre muſt be the Church, and theſe fallen ſtones muſt be ſoules in Purgatory, and then they muſt be made fit to be placed in the uppermoſt part of the building, in the Triumphant Church.
But to conſider this plant in better grounds, then Philoſophers, or Poets, or old wives tales,Clem. Alexan. or ſuppoſititious books, amongſt men of more waight and gravity; Clement of Alexandria, within little more then two hundred yeares after Chriſt, ſpake doubtfully, uncertainly, ſuſpiciouſly, diſputably of Purgatory; And within twenty yeares after him,Origen. Origen, who was evermore tranſported beyond the letter, upon myſteries, ſomewhat directly. But yet when all is done, Origens Purgatory is a purgatory, that would do them no good; for it would bring them in no money; and they could be as well content that there were none, as that it were nothing worth; except they may have the letting and ſetting of Purgatory at their price, they care not though it were pulled downe. And Origens Purgatory is ſuch a purgatory as the beſt men muſt come into it, even Martyrs themſelves, that are re-baptized in their owne blood, (and will this purgatory ſerve their turnes?) And it is ſuch a purgatory, as the worſt of all, even the Devill himſelfe may, and ſhall get out of it; And will this purgatory ſerve their turnes? Neither is this an error peculiar to Origen, That all ſoules muſt paſſe through Purgatory, but common with others of the Fathers too; Sive Paulus, ſive Petrus, ſayes Origen, whether it be S. Paul, or S. Peter, Ambroſe.thither he muſt come, And ſive Petrus, ſive Iohannes, ſayes S. Ambroſe, whether it be the Diſciple that loved Chriſt, S. Peter, or the Diſciple whom Chriſt loved, S. Iohn, thither he muſt come; And S. Hilary extends it farther, he drawes in the bleſſed Virgin Mary her ſelfe into purgatory. And that we may ſee cleerely, that that Purgatory which the Fathers intended, is not the Purgatory now erected in the Roman Church, S. Ambroſe conſigns to his Purgatory, even the Patriarchs and Prophets of the Old Teſtaments; Igne filii Levi, igne Ezekiel, igne Daniel, The holieſt generation, the Sons of Levi, and the greateſt of the Prophets muſt paſſe through this fire: And will ſuch a purgatory ſerve their turnes, as was kindled in the Old Teſtament?
Well;Interrogant nos. They are very loath to be put to their ſpeciall plea, very loath to anſwer, what Purgatory of the Fathers they will ſtand to; They would not be put to anſwer; They chuſe rather to interrogate us; and they ask us, Since the Fathers are ſo pregnant, ſo frequent in the name of Purgatory, one Purgatory or other, will you beleeve none? None, upon the ſtrength of that argument, that the Fathers mention Purgatory, except they will aſſigne us a Purgatory, in which thoſe Fathers agree, and agree it to be matter of faith, to beleeve it; for from how many things, which paſſe through the Fathers, by way of opinion, and of diſcourſe, are they in the Romane Church departed, onelyonly upon that, That the Fathers ſaid it, but ſaid it not Dogmatically, but by way of diſcourſe, or opinion. But then they aske us againe, Since it is cleare that they did uſe prayer for the dead, what could they meane by thoſe prayers, but a Purgatory, a place of torment, where thoſe ſoules needed helpe, and from whence thoſe prayers might helpe them? What could they meane els? Certainly, we cannot tell them, what they meant; If they ſhould aske them, who made thoſe prayers, they could hardly tell them. If a man ſhould have ſurprized S. Ambroſe at his prayers, and ſtood behinde him, and heard him ſay, Non dubitamus, Ambroſe.etiam Angelorum teſtimoniis credimus, Lord, I cannot doubt it, for thou by thine Angels haſt revealed it unto me, Fide ablutum, aeterna voluptate perfrui, That my dead Maſter the Emperour, was baptized in his faith, and is now in poſſeſſion of all the joyes of heaven, and yet have heard S. Ambroſe ſay, ſometimes to God, ſometimes to his dead Maſter, Si quid preces, if my prayers may prevaile with thee O God, and then, Oblationibus vos frequentabo, I will waite upon you daily with my Oblations, I will accompany you daily with my Sacrifices; And for what? Vt des, Domine, requiem, That thou, O Lord, wouldeſt afford reſt, and peace, and ſalvation to that ſoule, And if this man after all this, ſhould have asked S. Ambroſe, What he meant to pray for him, of whoſe preſent beeing in heaven he was already aſſured? ſurely S. Ambroſe could have given no ſuch anſwer, as would have implied a confeſſion, or an argument for Purgatory; But S. Ambroſe is likely to have ſaid to him, as he does ſay there, Eſt in piis affectibus quaedam ſtendi voluptas, In tender hearts, and in good natures, there is a kinde of ſatisfaction, and more then that, a holy voluptuouſneſſe in weeping, in lamenting, in deploring the loſſe of a friend; In commemoratione amiſsi acquieſcimus, Let me alone, give me leave to thinke of my loſt Maſter ſome way, by ſpeaking with him, by ſpeaking of him, by ſpeaking for him, any way, I finde ſome eaſe, ſome ſatisfaction in commemorating and celebrating of him; But all this would not have amounted to an argument for Purgatory. So alſo if a man ſhould have found S. Auguſtine in his Meditations after his Mothers death,Auguſt. and heard him ſay, Pro peccatis Matris meae deprecor te, Lord, I am a ſuiter now for my Mothers ſinnes; Exaudi Domine, propter medicinam vulnerum tuorum, Heare me, O Lord, who acknowledge no other Balſamum, then that which drops out of thy wounds, Dimitte Domine, Domine obſecro, Pardon her, O Lord, O Lord pardon her all her ſinnes; And then ſhould have heard S. Auguſtine, with the ſame breath, and the ſame ſigh, ſay, Credo quòd jam feceris, quae rogo, Lord, I am faithfully aſſured, that all this is already done, which I pray for; and then ſhould have asked S. Auguſtine, What he meant to pray for that which was already done? S. Auguſtine could but have ſaid to him, as he does to God there, Voluntaria oris mei accipe Domine, Accept O Lord, this voluntary, though not neceſſary Devotion. But if a man would have preſſed either of them for a full reaſon of thoſe prayers, it would have been hard for him to have received it. They prayed for the Dead, and they meant no ill, in doing ſo; but what particular good they meant, they could hardly give any farther account, but that it was, if not an inordinate, yet an inconſiderate piety, and a Devotion, that did rather tranſport them, then direct them.
Theſe then prayed for the dead, and yet confeſſed thoſe whom they prayed for, to be then in heaven; S. Chryſoſtome prayes for others, and yet beleeves them to be in Hell;Chryſoſt. Poteſt infideles de Gehenna dimittere, ſayes he, ſed fortè non faciet, God can deliver an unbeleeving ſoule out of hell, perchance he will not, ſayes he, but I cannot tell, and therefore I will try. And yet S. Gregory abſolutely forbids all prayer for the dead,Gregory. where they dyed in notorious ſinne; As generally their whole Schoole doth at this day, either for ſuch ſinners, as dying in impenitency, are preſumed to be already in Hell, or ſuch as dyed ſo well, that they are already preſumed to be in poſſeſſion of as much as can be asked in their behalfe.
If then they will ſtill preſſe and purſue us with that queſtion, What could thoſe Fathers meane by their prayer for the Dead, but Purgatory? We muſt ſend them to thoſe Fathers, (and I pray God they may get to them) to aske what they meant. So much as any of thoſe Fathers have told us, we can tell them; and amongſt thoſe Fathers,Areopag. S. Dionyſe the Areopagite hath told us moſt; He hath told us the manner, and the Ceremonies uſed at the funeralls of Chriſtians; and amongſt them the offices, and liturgies, and ſervices ſaid and read at ſuch funeralls; and expreſſed them ſo, as that we may eaſily ſee, That firſt the Congregation made a declaration of their religious and faithfull aſſurance, that they that die in the Lord, reſt in him; And then a proteſtation in the behalfe of that dead brother, that he did die in that faith, and that expectation, and therefore was then in poſſeſſion of that reſt, which was promiſed to them who dyed ſo. And this teſtimony for themſelves in generall, and this application thereof to that dead man, ſayes he, the Church then expreſſed in the forme of prayer, and ſo ſeemed to aske and beg at Gods hands, that which indeed they did but acknowledge to have received before; they gave that the forme of a prayer, as of a future thing, which was indeed but a recognition of that which was preſent, and paſt, That they did then, and that that dead brother had before embraced that beliefe.
This anſwer to their queſtion, (What could they meane but Purgatory, by thoſe prayers?) they may have from thoſe of thoſe ancient times; And thus much more from daily practiſe, That every man who proſtrates himſelfe in his chamber, and powres out his ſoule in prayer to God; though he have ſaid, O Lord, enter not into judgement with thy ſervant; forgive me the ſinnes of my youth, O Lord; O Lord blot out all mine iniquities out of thy remembrance, though his faith aſſure him, that God hath granted all that he asked upon the firſt petition of his prayer, yea before he made it, (for God put that petition into his heart and mouth, and moved him to aske it, that thereby he might be moved to grant it) yet as long as the Spirit enables him, he continues his prayer, and he ſolicits, and he importunes God for that which his conſcience aſſures him, God hath already granted: He hath it, and yet he asks it; and that ſecond asking it implies and amounts but to a thankeſgiving for that mercy, in which he hath granted it. So thoſe Fathers prayed for that which they aſſured themſelves was done before, and therefore, though it had the forme of a prayer, it might be a commemoration of Gods former benefits; it might be a proteſtation of their preſent faith, or an atteſtation in the behalfe of their dead friend, whoſe firſt obſequies, or yearly anniverſary they did then celebrate.
Add to this the generall diſpoſition in the nature of every man, to wiſh well to the dead, And the darkneſſe in which men were then, in what kinde of ſtate the dead were, and we ſhall the leſſe wonder, that they declined to this cuſtome in thoſe times, eſpecially if we conſider,Chemnicius Exam. De purgator. fo. 92. b. that even in the Reformation of Religion, in theſe clearer times, Luther himſelfe, and after him, (if perchance Luther may be thought not to have been enough fined and drawn from his lees) The Apology for the Confeſſion of Auſpourg, which was written after all things were ſufficiently debated, and had ſiftings, and cribrations, and alterations enow, allowes of ſuch a forme of prayer for the dead, as that of the primitive Fathers may juſtly ſeeme to have been. All ends in this, that neither thoſe prayers of thoſe Fathers, nor theſe of theſe Lutherans, (though neither be in themſelves to be juſtified) did neceſſarily imply, or preſuppoſe any ſuch Purgatory, as the Romane Church hath gone about to evict or conclude out of them; Men might pray for the dead as thoſe Fathers did, and as the Lutherans doe, ſafely enough without aſſiſting the doctrine of Purgatory, if that were all that were to be ſaid againſt ſuch prayers.
Be then that thus ſettled, The Fathers did not intend any ſuch building upon that foundation, not a Purgatory, which ſhould be a place of torment, upon thoſe prayers for the dead; but then, what did they meane by that Purgatory, and that fire, which is ſo frequent amongſt them? In the confeſſion of our Adverſaries, the greateſt part of the Fathers that mention a Purgatory fire, intend it of the generall fire of conflagration at the laſt day: They thought the ſoules of the Dead to have beene kept in Abditis, and in Receptaculis till the day of Judgement, and that then that fire which was to take hold of all creatures to the purifying of them, ſhould alſo take hold of all ſoules, and burne out all that might be unacceptable to God in thoſe ſoules, and that this was their Purgatory. Others of the Fathers have called that ſevere judgement, and examination which every ſoule is to paſſe under, from the hand of God at that time, (becauſe it hath much of the nature of fire, and many of the properties and qualities of fire in it) a fire, a purging fire, and made that their Purgatory. If others of the Fathers have ſpoken of a purging fire after this life, ſo as it will not fall within theſe two acceptations, of the fire of conflagration, or of the fire of examination, we muſt ſay in their behalfe, as Sextus Senenſis does, That they are not the leſſe holy,Sext. Senenſ. nor the leſſe reverend, for having ſtraied into ſome of theſe miſtakings, becauſe it is a fire without light.
In thoſe ſub-obſcure times,Auguſt. S. Auguſtine might be excuſable, though he proceeded doubtfully and ſaid, Non incredibile, It is not incredible that ſome ſuch thing there may be, and Quaeri poteſt, It is not amiſſe to inquire, (where ſuch things are to be inquired after, that is, in the Scriptures) whether any ſuch thing be or no, and Vtrum latere, an inveniri, whether any ſuch thing will be found there, or no, I cannot tell: he may be excuſable in his proceeding farther in his doubt, Sive ibi tantum, whether all our Purgatory be reſerved for the next world, Sive hic & ibi, or whether God divide our Purgatory, ſome here, and ſome there, Sive hic ut non ibi, or whether God exalt and multiply our Purgatory here, that we may have none hereafter. Of theſe things, I ſay, howſoever S. Auguſtine might be excuſable for doubting in thoſe darke times, we ſhould be inexcuſable, if we ſhould not deny them in theſe times, in which God hath afforded us ſo much light and cleareneſſe; And reſt in that acknowledgement, that we have in this life Purgationem, & purgatorium, A purging, and a Purgatory; A purging in this, That Chriſt Jeſus, Whom God hath made the heire of all things, by whom alſo he made the world, Heb. 1.3.who was the brightneſſe of his glory, and the expreſſe image of his perſon; That he, by himſelfe hath purged our ſinnes: There is our purging; But then, becauſe after this generall purging, which is wrapped up in the generall nature, as Chriſt dyed for mankinde, for all men, and after that neerer application thereof, as it is wrapped up in the Covenant, as he dyed more effectually for all Chriſtians, ſtill our own clothes defile us, our own evill habits,Iob our owne fleſh pollutes us, therefore God ſends us a Purgatory too in this life, Croſſes, Afflictions, and Tribulations, and to burne out theſe infectious ſtaines and impreſſions in our fleſh, Ipſe ſedet tanquam ignis conflans, God ſits as a fire, and with fullers ſoape, to waſh us,Malac. 3.2. and to burne us cleane with afflictions from his own hand.
Let no man think himſelfe ſufficiently purified, that hath not paſſed this Purgatory; Iraſcaris mihi Domine, ſaith S. Bernard, Lord let me ſee that thou art angry with me;Bernar. I know I have given thee juſt cauſe of anger; and if thou ſmother that anger, and declare it not by corrections here, thou reſerveſt thine anger to undeterminable times, and to unſupportable proportions. Propitius fuiſti, ſayes David, Thou waſt a mercifull God to thy people; for, ſaith hee, Thou didſt puniſh all their Inventions; In this conſiſted his mercy, that he did puniſh; for if he had been more mercifull, he had been unmercifull; If he had begun with no Judgements, they had ended in Judgements without end; Affliction is a Chriſtians daily bread, and therefore in that petition, Da nobis hodie, Give us this day our daily bread, not onelyonly patience in affliction, but affliction it ſelfe, ſo farre as it conduces to our mortification is asked at Gods hand. It is an over-preſumptuous confidence, for which they glorifie one in the Romane Church, that he was put often to his Decede à me, Domine, O Lord, withdraw thy ſelf, and thy grace farther from me, for by mine own ſanctity, or diligence, I am able to wraſtle with, and to overcome all the tentations, and tribulations of this life, Decede à me, withdraw thy ſelfe, and thy grace, and put not thy ſelfe to this trouble, nor this coſt with me, but leave me to my ſelfe: This was too much confidence; but that was more, which wee find in another, That he begged of God, by prayer, that he might bee poſſeſſed with the Devill for ſome moneths, becauſe all the tentations of the fleſh, and all the croſſes of the world, were not enough for his victory, and his triumph. But it is an humble and a requiſite prayer, to ask ſuch a meaſure of affliction, as may ballaſt us, and carry us ſteddily, through all the ſtorms, and tempeſts of this life. As hee that hath had no rubbe in his fortune, in his temporall ſtate, is in moſt danger to fall, (to fall into murmuring) at the firſt ſtumble he makes, As hee that hath had no ſickneſſe till his age, hardly recovers then; So hee that hath not borne his yoake in his youth, that hath not beene accuſtomed to croſſes and afflictions, hath a wanton ſoule all the way, and a froward and impatient ſoule towards the end.
This is our true Purgatory; And in this Purgatory, we doe need the prayers of others; and upon this Purgatory, we may build Indulgences, which are thoſe teſtimonies of the remiſſion of ſinnes, which God hath enabled his Church to imprint and conferre upon us, in the abſolution thereof; which are nothing of kinne to thoſe Indulgences of the Roman Church, which are the children of this mother of Purgatory, and to the maintenance of which, they have alſo detorted our Text, Elſe, If there be no ſuch Indulgences, If the works of Supererogation done by other men, may not be applied to the ſoules that are in Purgatory, If there be no ſuch uſe of Indulgences, why are then theſe men baptized for the dead?
Againſt the popular opinion of the Spheare, or Element of Fire,Indulgences. ſome new Philoſophers have made this an argument, that it is improbable, and impertinent, to admit an Element that produceth no Creatures; A matter more ſubtill then all the reſt, and yet work upon nothing in it; A region more ſpacious then all the reſt, and yet have nothing in it, to worke upon. All the other three Elements, Earth, and Water, and Ayre abound with inhabitants proper to each of them, onelyonly the Fire produces nothing. Here is a fire that recompences that defect; The fire of the Roman Purgatory hath produced Indulgences, and Indulgences are multiplied to ſuch a number, as that no heards of Cattell upon earth can equall them, when they meet by millions at a Jubile, no ſhoales, no ſpawne of fiſh at Sea, can equall them, when they are tranſported in whole Tuns to the Weſt Indies, where of late yeares their beſt Market hath beene; No flocks, no flights of birds in the Ayre can equall them, when as they ſay of S. Francis, at every prayer that he made, a man might have ſeene the Ayre as full of ſoules flying out of Purgatory, as ſparkles from a Smiths Anvill, beating a hot Iron. The Apoſtle complains of them, that made Mercaturam animarum, Merchandiſe of mens ſoules; but theſe men make Ludibrium animarum, a Jeſt of mens ſoules: For, if that ſad and ſerious conſideration, that this doctrine concernes that part of man, which nothing but the incorruptible blood of the Sonne of God could redeeme, the ſoul, did not caſt a devout and a religious bridle upon it, it were impoſſible to ſpeake of theſe Indulgences, otherwiſe then merrily: They do make merchandiſe of ſoules, and yet they make a jeſt of them too.
Theſe then, theſe Indulgences, are the children, the generation of that Viper, the Salamanders of that fire,Pliny. Purgatory; And then, Inter omnia venenata, ſayes Pliny, Of all the venemous creatures in the world, the Salamander is Maximi ſceleris, the moſt miſchievous; for whereas others, ſingulos feriunt, (as the ſame Author ſayes) they ſting but one at once, the Salamander deſtroyes whole families, whole Cities together, for all that eat the fruit of any tree, that hee hath touched, periſh. We need not apply this; Our fathers did, and our neighbours doe feele the manifold miſchiefes that theſe mercenary Indulgences work in the world, and to what deſperate and bloody actions men are induced, and animated by them; what knives theſe Indulgences have whet in Courts, and what Armies they have payed in the open field; A cheape diſcharge, and eaſie Subſidy; we have ſeene Copper coyned, and we have read of leather coyned, but here they coyne paper, and in an Indulgence, which require but as much paper as a Ballad, they ſend a man more ſalvation, then the whole Bible can give them. Men that will not ſee light, or not watch by the light, will not ſee this; Men that delight to wallow ſtill in the mire, can digeſt this; Etiam Salamandra à ſuibus manditur, ſayes Pliny, As venemous as a Salamander is, a Sow will eat a Salamander; As the citizens of the loweſt fire, of hell it ſelfe, entred into the heard of ſwine, ſo theſe children of this other fire, of Purgatory, theſe Indulgences, enter into ſwiniſh men, that conſider not their owne foulneſſe, but think themſelves cleane when they have eaten a Salamander, that is, bought an Indulgence. But though they have had a ſpurious generation, and yet have laſted longer then ſpurious generations uſe to doe, (for they have ſpread into three generations, Prayer for the dead begot Purgatory, and Purgatory Indulgences) yet they have had a viperous generation too, for they have eaten out the wombe of their owne Mother, and theſe Salamanders, theſe Indulgences retaine ſtill the nature of Plinies Salamanders, Non gignunt, They beget no more, they proceed no farther; For in this enormous exceſſe of Indulgences, the Roman Church tooke her deaths wound; from this extreme abuſe of Indulgences, aroſe the occaſion of the Reformation, which God advanced and proſpered ſo miraculouſly in the hands of Luther, upon the indignation that the world took upon theſe Indulgences.
How they roſe, how they grew, how they fell, is a hiſtoricall knowledge, and not much neceſſary to be inſiſted upon here though indeed our danger be greater from theſe Indulgences, then either from prayer for the Dead, or from Purgatory; though all three be equally erronious in matter of doctrine, yet for matter of fact, and danger, Indulgences are the moſt pernicious, becauſe that opinion of an immediate paſſing to Heaven thereupon, animates men to any undertakings. But as the Chriſtians in aboliſhing the Idolatry of the Gentiles, in ſome places, ſome times, left ſome of their Idols ſtanding, leſt the Gentiles ſhould come to deny, that ever they had worſhipped ſuch monſters: So it hath pleaſed the Holy Ghoſt to hover over the Authors and Writers in the Roman Church, ſo as that they have left ſome impreſſions of the iniquity of theſe Indulgences in their bookes. From them we are able to declare, That Indulgencies in the Primitive Church were nothing but relaxations, moderations of thoſe ſevere penances, which the Canons, called Penitentiall, inflicted upon particular ſins, which Canons were for the moſt part the Rule of the whole Church, and which penances, enjoyned by thoſe Canons, every Biſhop in his owne Dioces, might according to his holy diſcretion moderate, according to the bodily infirmity, or the ſpirituall amendment of the penitent ſinner; That in time, the Biſhops of Rome drew into their hands all this power of remitting penances, reſerving to themſelves, and ſhedding upon other Biſhops, as much, and as little as they were pleaſed; That after they had extended this overflowing power over this world, they enlarged it farther to the next world too, to Purgatory. And this, not long ſince, Poſtquam aliquandiu ad Purgatorium trepidatum eſt, coepere indulgentiae, Roffenſ.ſayes a good Author of theirs, of our Nation, that Biſhop of Rocheſter, whoſe ſervice they recompenſed with a Cardinals Hat, (but ſomewhat late, for his head was off before his hat came) After the vapours of Purgatory had blinded mens eyes, after men had beene made afraid of thoſe fires, for a good while, ſayes that Biſhop, then they began to ſet on foote their Indulgencies; This beginning was not above three hundred yeares ſince, and within one hundred they came to that height, that though in their Schooles they make the paines of Purgatory to be ſo violent, that they ſay no ſoule is likely to remaine there above ten yeares, yet they give Indulgencies for infinite thouſands of yeares; They give one day Plenam, and the next pleniorem, and after pleniſsimam, They forgive all to day, and to morrow the reſt, and then they finde ſomething beyond that, which was beyond all: So that as Seneca ſayes, of the exceſſe in Libraries in his time, That they had Bibliothecas pro Supellectile, No man thought his houſe well furniſhed, if he had not a Library, though he underſtood never an Author, So no man thought his houſe well furniſhed, if he had not Indulgencies for every ſeaſon, if he bought not all that came to market, if he had not Indulgence upon Indulgencies, preſent and ſucceſſive Indulgences, poſſeſſory and reverſionary Indulgences, totall and ſupernumerary, current and concurrent Indulgences, to delude the juſtice of God withall.
Well; to our true Purgatory which we ſpake of before, Thoſe croſſes which God is pleaſed to lay upon us, belong true Indulgencies, The conſtant promiſes of our faithfull God, that he will give us the iſſue with the tentation, and that as the Apoſtle ſayes, No tentation ſhall befall us, Si non humana, but that which appertaines to man: 1 Cor. 10.13.Now for this Humana tentatio, tentation or affliction that appertaines to man, it is not onelyonly affliction that appertaines to man ſo, as that other men doe inflict it, when wicked men revile and calumniate and oppreſſe the godly; it is not onelyonly that,Chryſoſt. though ſo S. Chryſoſtome interprets it; Nor is this affliction appertaining to man, becauſe man himſelfe inflicts it upon himſelfe, our owne inherent corruption being become Spontaneus Daemon, a Devill in our owne boſome; it is not onelyonly that, though ſo S. Hierom interpret it;Hieron. nor is this affliction appertaining to man, ſo called Humana, as humanum is oppoſed Daemoniaco, That all torments falling upon the Devill, worke in him more and more obduration, but the corrections inflicted by God upon man, worke a reconciliation; it is not onelyonly this, though ſo S. Gregory interpret it; But this affliction appertaines ſo to a Chriſtian man,Gregory. as the ſoule it ſelfe, and as reaſon appertaines to a naturall man: He is not a man, that is without a reaſonable ſoule, he is not a Chriſtian that is without correction; It appertaines unto man ſo, as that it is convenient, more, that it is expedient, more then that, that it is neceſſary, and more then all that, that it is eſſentiall to a Chriſtian: As when the ſpirit returnes to him that gave it, there is a diſſolution of the man, So when God withdrawes his viſitation, there is a diſſolution of a Chriſtian; for ſo God expreſſes the ſpirituall Death, and the height of his anger, in the Prophet, I will make my wrath towards thee to reſt, Ezek. 15.42.and my jealouſie ſhall depart from thee; That is, I will looke no more after thee, I will ſtudy thy recovery and thine amendment no farther.
Have ye forgot the Conſolation? ſayes the Apoſtle; what is that Conſolation?Heb. 12.5. & 6. Is it that you ſhall have no affliction? No; This is the Conſolation, That whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and he ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth. It is generall to all ſons, for, If ye be without correction, whereof all are partakers, then are ye baſtards, and not ſons; Ver. 8.And then, to ſhew us how this Purgatory and theſe Indulgencies accompany on another, how Gods croſſes, and his deliverances doe ever concurre together, wee ſee the Holy Ghoſt hath ſo ordered and diſpoſed theſe two, Mercy and Correction, in this one verſe,Ver. 6. as that we cannot ſay which is firſt, the Correction or the Mercy, the Purgatory or the Indulgence: For firſt the Indulgence is before the Purgatory, The Mercy before the Correction, in one place, Whom he loveth, he chaſteneth, firſt God loves, and then he chaſtneth; and then after, The Purgatory is before the Indulgence, the Correction is before Mercy, He ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth; firſt he ſcourges him, and then he receives him; They are ſo diſpoſed, as that both are made firſt, and both laſt, wee cannot tell whether precede, or ſucceed, they are alwayes both together, they are alwaies all one; As long as his love laſts, he corrects us, and as long as he corrects us, he loves us.
And ſo we have a juſtifiable prayer for the Dead, that is, for our ſoules, dead in their ſins, Cor novum, O Lord create a new heart in me; And wee have a juſtifiable Purgatory, Purgabit aream, Luke 4.17. Eſay 26.15.If we be Gods floore, he hath his fanne in his hand, and he will make us cleane; And we have juſtifiable Indulgences, Indulſiſti genti Domine, indulſiſti genti, Thou haſt been indulgent to thy people, O Lord, thou haſt been indulgent to us; Wee cannot complaine,Ier. 4.10. as they begin, rather to murmur, then to complaine, Ah Lord God, ſurely thou haſt deceived thy people, ſaying, you ſhall have peace, and the ſword pierceth to the heart; For when this ſword of Gods corrections ſhall pierce to the heart, that very ſword ſhall be but as a Probe to ſearch the wound, nay that very wound ſhall be but as an iſſue to draine, and preſerve the whole body in health; for his mercies are ſo above all his works, as that the very works of his Juſtice are mercy.
And ſo, not the Prayer for the Dead, not the Purgatory, not the Indulgences of the Roman Church, but we, who have them truely, doe truely receive a benefit from this Text, which Text is a proofe of the Reſurrection. Becauſe wee feele a Reſurrection by grace now, becauſe we beleeve a Reſurrection to glory hereafter, therefore we can give an account of this Baptiſme for the dead in our Text: The particular ſenſe of which words, will be the Exerciſe of another day. This day wee end, both with our humble thanks, for all Indulgences which God hath given us in our Purgatories, for former deliverances in former croſſes, and with humble prayer alſo, that hee ever afford us ſuch a proportion of his medicinall corrections, as may ever teſtifie his preſence and providence upon us in the way, and bring us in the end, to the Kingdome of his Son Chriſt Jeſus. Amen.