The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

Adversaries vnto this truth.

Erroneous therefore, and not warrantable by Gods word con∣cerning Purgatorie is the doctrine both of the old Heretikes, the Montanists who thought there was a purging of soules af∣ter this life a, and of the newe, and renued Heretikes, the Pa∣pists. For

They thinke it to be vnsound doctrine, and not sufferable in any booke, for Christians to diliuer, that it is vnpossible for godly, and faithfull men or women to be punished after they be dead. Therefore deleatur say they: Blot out such doctrine b.

They teach by their Catechismes, that to doubt whether there is a Purgatorie, or no, is a breach of the first commande∣mentc.

Thus doe they pray for the soules of the faithfull (as they fancie) boyling in the torments of purgatorie.

Auete, omnes animae fideles, quarum corpora hîc, & vbique con∣quiescunt in puluere: Dominus Iesus Christus, qui vos, & nos redemit suo pretiosissimo sanguine, dignetur vos à poenis liberare, &c.

that is,

All haile, all faithfull soules, whose bodies doe here, and euery where rest in the dust: The Lord Iesus Christ, who hath redeemed both you, and vs with his most pretious blood, vouchsafe to deliuer you from paines, &c d.

They haue ratified the doctrine of purging soules after this life in the Councell of Trent e.

It is further to be noted, how the same Papists, sliding back from the truth of God, haue fallen into many noisome, and di∣uers opinions in the matter of Purgatorie, agreeing among themselues,

Neither about the place, where purgatorie should be, some placing the same in the bottome of the sea f: some neere vnto the mount Hecla in Ireland; some vpon the mount Etna in Sicil g, others in the Centre of the earth h, others, in Hell, whereof they make fower roomes, the first of the damned: the second of Infants dying vnbaptized; the third, Purgatorie; the fourth Limbus patrum, whereinto Christ descended i, and o∣thers in a mind tossed, and troubled betwixt hope and feare k.

Neither about the Tormentors there, who are thought of some to be holy Angells l, of others to be very deuills m.

Neither about the torments. For some dreame how they are tormented there with fire onely, as Sir Thomas More; some with water and fire, as Roffensis; and some neither with fire, nor water, but with troublesome affections of Hope, and Feare, as Lorichius n.

Neither about the causes of Purgatorie torments: because that some doe thinke that onely veniall sinnes o, others, that veniall, and mortall sinnes too p, for which in this life men haue donn no penance, are there purged.

Nor about the time, which they that be tormented, shal abide in Purgatorie. For some haue giuen out how the poore soules there be continually in torments, till the day of Iudge∣ment, as Dionis. Carthusianus q: others as Durandus r, doe thinke they haue rest sometimes, as vpon Sundaies, and holy daies, others are of minde, that in time they shallbe set free & at libertie, because their punishment is but temporarie s, and others that at any time they may be deliuered, if either their friends will buy out their paines; or the preists will pray or say any Masse for them; or the Pope will but say the word.

Nor finally about the state of soules in purgatorie. For

Our English Papists at Rhemes doe thinke the soules in purgatorie to be in a more happie, and blessed condition then any men that liue in this world t, and yet say the same Rhe∣mists

that purgatorie fire passeth all the paines of this life u.

Thomas Aquinas holdeth how the paines of hel fire, and of purgatorie are all one, and in nothing differ, but that the one is but temporall, and the other not so. And others, put in choise either to tarrie in Purgatorie one day, or to endure the miseries of this world an 100. yeares, haue chosen to suffer the troubles of this life an hundred yeares together, rather then to abide the paines of purgatorie but on short winters day x.

Therefore in this contrarietie of opinions some of them, the Papists themselues cannot denie, must be; wee say all of them are fond, and contrary to the word of God.

Besides they nourish most cursed, and damnable errors, as

That all the soules of the faithfull, separated from their bo∣dies, are not at rest.

That all sinnes in their owne nature, be not mortall, or dead∣ly, and that some deserue not euerlasting torments. They are purged in purgatory.

That one sinful man may saue, and satisfie the wrath of God for another, and that easily by praying, saying, or doing some thing for them.

That, if friends in this word will doe nothing for the poore soule in purgatorie paines: yet may the said soules come at length vnto happines, by abyding their deserued torments vn∣till the last howre, or day of iudgement, in Purgatorie.

Finally, that the Pope is God, in that he can at his pleasure, discharge guiltie soules both from the guilt of sinne; and from the punishments due for the same.

Notes

• a

  Tertul. de cor. militis: & De Anima, in fine.
• b

  Puniripios post mortem impossibile: de∣leatur, Jndex expurg. p. 26.
• c

  V••ux catech. chap. 3.
• d

  Horae B. Virg. Mariae secun∣dum vsum Sar.
• e

  Concil. Trid. decr. de Purg. Ses. 25. & ses. 6. can. 30.
• f

  Eckius in Enchirid.
• g

  Bernard de Buslis Rosar. par. 3. ser. 2.
• h

  Spec. peregr. quaest. dec. 1. c. 3. q. 5.
• i

  Position. Ing. de Purgat.
• k

  Lorich. instit. Cathol. de 12. Fidei art.
• l

  Albertus, & Roffensis.
• m

  S. Th. More.
• n

  Instit. cathol. vt supra.
• o

  Greg. dial. l. 4. cap. 39. Spec. peregr. quaest. dec. 1. c. 3. q. 4.
• p

  Eckius, posit. 6
• q

  De 4. Hom. noviss.
• r

  De officio mort. l. 7.
• s

  Spec. pereg. quaest. vt suprà quaest. 5.
• t

  Test. Rhem. an. Apoc. 14 13.
• u

  Ibid. an. marg. p. 431.
• x

  Cap. Quid, in aliud. dist. 25.