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That the soules of the faithfull (in theyr departure) are happy, wee often read: but noe newes of Purgatory.
Blessed are the dead who dye in the Lord: from hence sorth saith the spirit, that they may rest from theyr labours, and theyr workes follow them.
They are not sayd here to rest presently after theyr departure, but that they may rest: and yet they may be termed blessed, as our Sauiour calls the pore in spirit blessed in this world,* 1.1 and in theyr misery: because the Kingdome of heauen belongs to them, as it does to those in Purgatory.
They are not sayd to rest from all labour; but from their labours; that is such labours, per∣secutions, afflictions, sorrowes, temptations, mortifications, troubles, anxietyes as they suffered in this world; from all which they rest after death. By theyr labours also may be fitly here vnderstood theyr good workes, and patience in suffering the miseries of this life with hope of eternall reward, so that they are sayd to rest from their labours, because the recompence and crown of their former la∣bours are alloted to them as certainly to follow, as the next words declare, opera enini eorum sequunturillos, for their morkes, (that is, their
labours) follow them: and yet in some of them it may happen, that they, may not presently re∣ceiue the reward of them which hinders not the resting of their labours, because they are not to haue any reward for what they suffer after this life.
For wee know that if the eartly house of this ta∣bernacle were dissolued, wee haue a building of God,* 1.2 a house not made with hands eternal in heauen.
How follows it hence, that so soone as they depart they must goe into this house pre∣pared for them? seeing that many may haue houses that are hindred to liue in them, espe∣cially in these distracted tymes: and our Sa∣uiour saith, Blessed are the pore in spirit:* 1.3 for theirs is the kingdome of heauen; euen whilst they are liuing in this world. And the Apostle:* 1.4 Now therefore yee are no more strangers and furainers, but fellow citizens vvith the saints, and of the houshold of
God.* 1.5 And yet more clearly S. Iohn, these things I writte vnto you that yee may know, that yee haue life euerlasting, yee who beleeue in the name of the sone of God. That is in full hope and expectation, not in actual possession, which yet i•• sayd more clerely to belong to those in Purgato∣ry, who haue, an infallible certainty, of life eternall.
* 1.6But the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God, and no torment shall touch them.
The Latin hath it, non tanget illos tormentum mortis: the torment of deach, shall not touch them. which is most true of all the iust departed; be∣cause they shall liue eternally: but Protestants regard not the vulgar Latin translation. The greeke hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which, according to Scapula, particularly signifyes a torment, to which malefactours, or suspected to be so, are put to make them confesse the truth, or to try whether they be guilty or no, as are the racke, or such like. Now no such torment as this; shall tuch the soules of the iust departed, because God hath sufficiently tryed them,
and approued of them in this life, as apeares v. 5. and hauing beene a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded, for God proued them, and found them vvorthy of him selfe.
Which is a playne place for merits: but when it is against Protestants it is only apocryphal.
If any shall demand, whether the word Pur∣gatory be expressed in Scripture, I answer that it is as much expressed, as the word tri∣nity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, diuine Petson, which not with∣standing, are beleeued by Protestants.
If it be replied, that at least the substance or meaning of those words, are expressed in Scripture; I answer the same of Purgatory. which I demonstrate in this maner. Purgato∣ry is nothing else according to the Council of Trent now cited, but a place where temporall punishments are suffered by iust persones after death, vvich they deserued in this life. Now if any iustified soul be and often is liable after death to suffer such punishments, then certainly there must be some certaine place where they must be suffered. But iustified soules may be and often are liable to suffer such punishments after death, ergo there must be such a place where in they are to suffer them. That iustified soules may be and often are liable to such punish∣ments I proue thus. Iustified persones yet liu∣ing after the remission of theyr sinnes, and
consequently of eternall torment, are liable to some temporall punishment, therefore souls departed of iust persones, may, and often are liable to the like. I proue the antecedent, out of the, 2. Sam. 12. v. 13.14. And Dauid said vnto nathan I haue sinned against the Lord, and Nathan said vnto Dauid, the Lord also hath put away thy sinnes thou shalt not dy: Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also which is borne vnto the, shall surely dy. whete for that very sinne which was put away, and forgiuen, Da∣uid was punished by the death of his child, because thou hast giuen by this deede,* 1.7 &c. the child shall dy.
The same is proued by the example of Adam whoe after his sinne was forgiuen him, was notwithstanding liable to the punishment of death (which is the wages of sinne) as are also all iust persones, for the same reason.
The antecedent therefore being clere, I proue the consequence, by this argument. Seeing God is noe respecter of persones,* 1.8 and that he rewards euery one according to theyr workes, whosouer deserues the like punishmēt that Dauid deserued, shall surely be punished, as Dauid wa••slet vs therefore put this case, that at the same time with Dauid, there had been an other Person, guilty of sinnes as greate as
were those of Dauid, who should haue also repented, with the same degree of sorrow, and consequently obteyned pardone of his sinne as Dauid did, this sinner must haue been liable to the same temporall punishment that Dauid was, now suppose that this other sinner•• should haue died, the very instant after his sinne was forgiuen him, according to the doctrine of the Romane Church he should haue been punished temporally in the other world, with a punishment correspondent to that of Dauid, and soe God should not haue been a respecter of persones, but haue re∣warded euery one according to theyr wor∣kes, but according to Protestants, he should haue had no punishment at all after this life, and consequently, he should not haue been rewarded according to his workes, not suffer∣ing the condigne punishment, which he truly deserued, and God should haue proceeded vnequally, in inflicting his punishments, and haue had respect to his persone more then to that of Dauid. neyther is Purgatory any way injurious to the iustice of God, because though he forgiue the guilt of the sinne, and the eternall punishment, for which man is not able to satistisfie, yet he reteynes a parte of the punishment, which being finite and tempo∣rall, may eyther by workes of penance and patience be remitted in this world, or payed
in the world to come, or released by the prayers, and penances of other faithfull Chri∣stians. And this may satisfye for the point of Purgatory.
Mat. 5.3.
2. Cor. 5. v. 1.
Mat. 5.3.
Ephes. 2. u. 19.
1. ep. Io. c. ••. 13.
Wisd. 3. v. 1.
Rom. 6. v. 23.
Reu. 21, ••1. 1. Pet. 1.17.