A reply to Fulke, In defense of M. D. Allens scroll of articles, and booke of purgatorie. By Richard Bristo Doctor of Diuinitie ... perused and allowed by me Th. Stapleton.

The distinction of Veniall and Mortall sinne.

And first, D. Allen declareth out of y^e Doctors,* 1.1 what sinnes may be purged in Purgatory, to wit, not onely such as are Veniall of their owne nature, but also suche as are mortall of their owne nature, so that they were in Gods Church remitted afore. Fulke sayth, that This is manifestly ouerthrowen by the worde of God, euen from the foundations. For the foundation of this do∣ctrine, is the distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes. Not so syr: the doctrine is, that mortall sinnes by the Churches remission become as veniall: and you graunt it your self, saying, All sinnes (except certayne, of which your good exceptions I shall say more anone) by Gods mercy are pardonable or veniall. Thus you graunt the doctrine, and yet you graunt not the foresaid distincti∣on, therfore the distinction is not the foundation of that doctrine, but the doctrine may stand well without it.

But yet for other causes we must be content to sée what you alleage against the distinction: The worde of God playnely de∣termineth, that euery sinne is mortall & deserueth eternall death, seeme it neuer so small. So you say, and you alleage thrée places for it. The first: Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all thinges that are written in the Lawe to fulfill them, Deut. 27. I syr, but find you in the Scripture no other Curse, that is to say, payne for sinne, but eternall death? Is it not written, Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree? yet hāging on trée, or crucifying,* 1.2 is not eternall death. Agayne euery one in that saying, is meant (by the Apostles exposition) not of Christians, but of them onely whiche trust in the lawe for it selfe, who in déede can neuer

attayne to no remission neither of their mortall nor of their ve∣niall sinnes. But we that holde of Christ, and of his spirite, are in case alwayes to receiue remission whensoeuer we sinne ve∣nially:* 1.3 for so we can. But we can not sinne mortally, holding (I say) Christ and his spirite. And therefore if we do sinne mortally at any time, depriuing our selues thereby of Christes spirite, the remedie is to séeke for the same agayne by the Sacrament of pe∣naunce, and then are we in good case agayne as before.

Your other two places are these: The soule that sinneth shall dye, Ezech. 18. and, The rewarde of sinne, is death. Rom. 6. S. Iames giueth vs the meaning of these & suche like places, where he saith,

Peccatum verò cum consummatum fuerit, generat mor∣tem,* 1.4 Sinne, when it is consummate, gendreth death:

But not so soone as it is gendred, and yet it is sinne as soone as it is gendred. Therefore some sinne there is, which yet gendreth not death. Marke the order:

Deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit, parit peccatum: peccatum verò cum consummatū fuerit, generat mor∣tem: First commeth the temptation of our concupiscence, as it were of a lewde woman: Secondly, concupiscence when she hath conceiued (by obteining some light consent) beareth sinne, venial sinne.

Mary thirdly, Sinne, when it is consummate (by our full and perfect consent yéelded vnto it) gendreth or bringeth foorth death, if the matter be of weight accordingly. For els that the lightnes of the matter, as an idle worde, bringeth not death, he sufficiently signifieth, in saying, that in a weightie matter the lightnes or imperfection of consent doth it not.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pur. 126.127.128.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 21. Gal. 3.
• * 1.3

  1. Ioan. 1.3.
• * 1.4

  Iac. 1.