Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 3 · Chapter 5
Cap. 5. Of the ſuppliynges which they adde to ſatisfactions, as pardons & purgatorie.
OVt of this doctrine of Satiſfaction, doe flow indulgences or pardons, whereby they faine and imagine that they diſpence the merits of Chriſt, and martyrdome to them which want their own proper power to make ſatiſfaction.
2 It is ſhewed by many teſtimonies of Scriptures, what pardons are by their owne doctrine, that is, they are nothing els in very déede, than an vnméet prophaning of Chriſtes blood: for howe coulde the blood of Chriſt be more filthily prophaned, than when it is denied to ſuffice the remiſſion of ſinnes, to reconciliation and ſatiſfaction, vnleſſe the want thereof, as being withered and waſted, ſhoulde bée otherwiſe ſupplied and profited.Acts. 10.43 1. Iohn. 1.7 Heb. 10.14 Reue. 7.14 This is Satans mockekery to leade away the Chriſtian people from the grace of God, from the life that is Chriſt, and to turne them from the true way of ſaluation.
3 Both Leo Biſhop of Rome, and Auguſtine hauehave wrote againſt ſuch ſacriledge. The confirmation is nought worth which they alledge: that is to ſay, that the Martyrs hauehave by their death doone more to God, and deſerued more then was néedful for themſelues, and that they had remaining ſo great plentie of deſeruings as did ouerflowe vntounto an other, neither ought ſo great goodneſſe to be ſuperfluous,Leo. Epiſt. 81 Le. 16.15 Leo ſaith, Although ye death of many ſaints hath béen precious in the ſight of the Lorde, yet the killing of no innocent hath béen the perpetuatiō of the world. The righteous receaued, but gaue no crownes; and out of the valiantneſſe of the faithfull, are grauen examples of patience, not gifts of righteouſnes, for their deth were eueryevery one ſinguler to themſelues, and none of them did by his due, pay the det of another, foraſmuch as ther is one Lord Chriſt, in whom are all crucified, all dead, buried, and raiſed vp againe.
As onelyonly the ſonne of god was made the ſonne of man,Aug. lib. 4. ad Bonifa. Cap. 4. to make vsus with him the ſonnes of God, ſo hee alone for vsus hath taken vponupon him puniſhment with out euill deſeruings, that we with him might without good deſeruings obteine grace not due vntounto vsus.
4 They very maliciouſly wreſt the place of Paul,Col. 1.24 as is ſhewed out of Auguſtine & certaine other places, where the apoſtle ſaith, that he ſupplieth in his body thoſe things that wāted of the ſufferings of Chriſt, he referreth not ye default or ſuppliyng, to ye work of redēption, ſatiſfaction, and expiation: but to thoſe afflictions wherwithal the members of Chriſt: that is to ſay, all the faithfull muſt bee exerciſed ſo long as they ſhalbe in the fleſhe, hee ſaith therefore, that this remaineth of the ſufferings of Chriſt, that he dayly ſuffereth in his members, the ſame that he once ſuffered in himſelfe. Chriſt vouchſafeth to doe vsus this honour, to reckon and account our afflictions his owne, where Paul addeth theſe wordes, For the Church, 2 Tim. 2.10 1. Cor. 1.6he meaneth not for the redemption, for the reconciliation, or ſatiſfaction of the Church, but for the edifiyng and profite of the Churche, which immediatly after hee expoundeth in the verſe following. Auguſt. ſaith, that the ſufferings of Chriſt, are in Chriſt only as the head, and both in Chriſt, and the Church as in the whole body: whereby Paul being one member, ſaith, I ſupply in my body that which wanteth in the ſufferings of Chriſt. Therefore if thou whatſoeuer thou bée that heareſt this, art one of the members of Chriſt, what ſoeuer thou ſuffereſt of them that are not the members of Chriſt, the ſame wanted in the ſuffering of Chriſt, not that any thing wāted in the ſufferings of Chriſt as concerning all fulneſſe of righteouſneſſe, ſaluation, and life,Rom. 5.14 Acts. 15.11 or that hee meant to adde any thing therevnto.
5 The Pope ought not to encloſe in Leade & Parchment,2. Cor. 1 the grace of Ieſus Chriſt, which the Lorde woulde hauehave diſtributed by the worde of the Goſpell. And what hath béen the beginning of indulgences.
6 As concerning their Purgatorie, this it is, The ſatiſfaction yt the ſoules of men departed doe pay after their death, for their ſins, we muſt not agrée to thē which would hauehave paſſed ye ouer in ſilence for auoiding of contentiō, ſéeing it doeth euacuate and make voide the croſſe of Chriſt. But it is certaine that the opinion of making ſatiſfaction being ouerthrowne, Purgatorie is vtterly ouerthrowne by the rootes. The Lorde geueth not leaue to mans preſumptuouſneſſe to breake into the ſecrete places of his iudgementes: and hath ſeuerely forbidden men to enquire for the trueth at dead men.Deut. 18.12
Matth. 12.32 Mark. 3.28 Luke. 12.107 He anſwereth to certaine places of ſcripture, whereby they goe about to eſtabliſhe their Purgatorie. Where the Lorde ſpeaketh of the falt of ſinne, now what is that to their Purgatorie, foraſmuch as by their opinion the pain is there ſuffered, of thoſe ſinnes which they confeſſe are forgeuen in this preſent life. But the Lorde meaning to cut of all hope of pardon from ſo haynous wickedneſſe, thought it enough to ſay, that it ſhoulde neuer bée forgeuen, but the more to amplifie it, hée vſeth a diuiſion wherein he comprehendeth, both the iudgement that eueryevery mans conſcience féeleth in this preſent life, and the laſt iudgement, that ſhall be openly pronounced at the reſurrectiō, as though hée ſhoulde hauehave ſaide, Beware yée of malicious rebellion, as of a moſt preſent damnation. For hee that of ſet purpoſe ſhall endeuour to quenche the light of the holy Ghoſt, ſhall not obtain pardō, neither in this life which is geuē to ſinners for their conuerſion; nor in the laſt day, when the Lambes ſhall be ſeuered by the Angell of GOD from the Goates, and the kingdome of heauen ſhal bée cleanſed from all offences.Matth. 5.25 As concerning ye place of Matthew the fift it is euident that Chriſt ment there to ſhewe into howe many daungers and miſchiefes they caſt them ſelues, that had rather obſtinately purſue the extremitie of the Lawe, than deale according to equitie and right to the ende to exhorte his Diſciples the more earneſtly to agréement with equitie.
8 Where Paul ſaith, that the things of heauen and earth, and Hell ſhall bowe to Chriſt, thereby is not ment the true godly worſhipping, but that there is a dominion geuen to Chriſte whereby all creatures are to bée ſubdued, yea the very Deuill ſhall bée brought to acknowledge him their iudge with feare and trembling, like as Paul expoundeth elſewhere. As for the Machabées it is not in the number of the holy bookes,Rom. 14.10.11. Rom. 5.15 2. Macha. 12.43 and hée that thinketh beſt, confeſſeth that his writing néedeth pardon, and ſayth plainly, that they are not the Oracles of the holy Ghoſt, The writer of the Hiſtorie did not referre that which Iudas did, to be a price of redemption, but that they might be partakers of the eternall life, with the other faithfull that had died for their countrey and religion, this was not without ſuperſtition and prepoſterous zeale: But it is more folly to drawe a ſacrifice of the lawe ſo farre as vntounto vsus perteineth foraſmuch as we know that thinges doe ceaſſe by the comming of Chriſt, that then were in vſe.
9 They hauehave an inuincible bulwark in Paul as they thinke,1. Cor. 3.12.15. but eaſie to be battered: For Paul vſeth a Metaphor when hee calleth the doctrines inuented by mens braines, wood, hey, and ſtubble, which ſo ſoone as they are caſt into the fire, conſume and waſt, and cannot continue, like as thoſe doctrines cannot continue when they come to be examined. Therefore to follow the true cauſe of his Metaphor, and match the partes together with iuſt relation, hee calleth the trial of the holy Ghoſt fire, for euen as the nearer that golde and ſiluer are put into the fire, ſo muche the ſurer proofe hauehave they of their goodneſſe and fineſſe: ſo the Lords trueth, the more exactly it is wayed with ſpirituall examination, ſo much the greater cōfirmation of credite it receiueth.
10 In that that they ſay, that it is an auncient vſage of the Church: it cānot altogether be denied: yet the old fathers did it both without the worde of God, and to auoid reproch, and of a peruerſe zeale, and an vnaduiſed lightneſſe (leaſt they ſhoulde differ from publike cuſtome and common ignorance) and that which is ſufficient to confute the thing it ſelfe, they did it not without great doubting: neither yet hauehave they doone ſo, that by theſe their errours, they coulde defende either their doinges or ſayinges: Finally many teſtimonies of the olde Fathers may bée alledged, which will manifeſtly ſubuert al thoſe praiers for the dead, which are in vſe among vsus. The reſt hee letteth paſſe in ſilence of ſet purpoſe.
From the 6. to the 10. Chapter.
Thoſe things which hee diſputeth of in theſe next fiue Chapters, about the life of mā, ſéeme to be heaped vp in this order, that they may be referred to two principall pointes: firſt that this one thing be confeſſed of al men, that there is no Chriſtian man, which is not affected with a certaine ſinguler louelove of righteouſneſſe. Chap. 6. Moreouer, as touching the rule wherein eueryevery one ought to frame his life, albeit the ſame ſéeme to be conteined in the next Cap. only, yet all the reſt that followeth, belong vntounto the ſame. For thoſe 2. which he teacheth to be performed of a Chriſtian man, ſéeing ſo hard matters are ſo ſodenly taken hold of, that in perfourming them, he confeſſeth there requireth great patience, Chap. 7. For this cauſe hee deſcribeth the vtilitie of the croſſe, by a thing profeſſed, Cap. 8. And he calleth back to the meditatiō of a life to come, Cap, 9: And that which is not litle profitable to this matter, he opēly ſheweth how we ſhould vſe in this life the helpes therof, leaſt by any meanes we offend therein, Chap. 10.