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AMong all the residue of the articles of Christian religion, thys one con¦cerning satisfaction, as it hathe béene wonderfullye depraued and prophaned aboue the reste, so hath it caused great controuersies to arise now adayes in the Church through the blindnesse and igno∣raunce
of men, and therefore the matter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 selfe requireth a longer treatise, than ••e proportion of this volume will well ••eare. Notwithstanding, forasmuch as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is a matter of no small importaunce, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beséech your grace (moste renowmed Prince) to heare wyth patience before ••ou giue credite to the false and vntrue ••ccusations of oure aduersaries.
There be auncient reports, that in the ••ime of the primitiue church, which was most ful of holinesse & puritie: ther were moste seuere decrées and constitutions made, and a very sharpe and bitter kinde of penaunce, appointed for suche as com∣mitted any heynous or gréeuous crime, whereby offences did growe to the con∣gregation, besides the open confession of their faultes, and a certaine satisfaction to bée made for the same, whiche was a long time in perfourming to their greate shame & reproch. The which kind of dis∣cipline being a long time exercised & cōfir∣med wt great diligēce against notorious offēders, came to ruine at ye lēgth throu∣ghe couetous bishops, ye brought in place
thereof these solemne sortes of satisfacti¦on with gold and siluer. Howbeit the tur∣ning of it into a money matter, was n•••• receiued into the Churche,* 1.1 but vnder a pretence of deuotion and charitie: for the reuenues were bestowed vppon the buil∣ding of Churches, the redéeming of Cap∣tiues, the foundation of schooles, for trai∣ning vp of ye youth in Christianitie, an•• certaine other good and charitable vses, as séemed to them. In like manner, after their example doe the Spanishe inquisi∣tors gather togyther summes of money vnder the counterfaite cloke of religion, which they leuie of those whom they call the reconciled penitents, to release them the Sambenite, a kinde of garment with twoo red crosses, whych they had before (as parcell of their penaunce) enioyned them to weare.
And this custome hathe preuayled e∣uer since the Bishoppes firste spoyled the Churche of this aucthoritie, and chalen∣ging it vnto themselues, beganne to kepe a consistorie, whether they summoned al open and notorious offendors to appeare
before them, enforcing them to sue for ••ardon, or to speake more according to ••e very truth of the matter, to purchase ••eir charters of pardon by money: the ••hich thing if either they omitted, or re∣••••sed to doe, they were forthwith exclu∣••ed from the companie and fellowshippe ••f the congregation, and pronounced ex∣••ommunicate persons.
But Gods people and his flocke, de∣••esting this so slaunderous and shameful ••aines, began by little and little to con∣••emne this pelting pedlarie of penaunce, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so muche that no man woulde confesse ••ny thing of himselfe, but by constraint, ••ea and that not til such time as he were well nighe conuicted manifestlye of the ••acte. Wherevppon the Bishoppes and Clergie perceyuing that a greate péece of their gaines beganne daily to decaye, made a solemne Canō, that once by yere, euery one shoulde confesse himselfe to the bishop. This decrée is ascribed to Inno∣centius the first, for the more credite and estimation whereof, they bare the people in hande in their sermons (but falsely)
that it was taken oute of the holye scrip¦ture, and so at the lēgth by the preaching of gréedye Priestes this goodly auricular confession by little and little gathered hart,* 1.2 and was commonly receiued of al, vnder the dāger of incurring deadly sin, and vppon paine of excommunication (as they call it) to all such as should contēn•• the same.
Then within a while after the Bi∣shoppes obtaining thus muche, and vsur∣ping thus tirannicallye vppon Christian consciences, they brought in a doctrin for their owne aduauntage, wherevnto they gaue a false name of satisfactiō, the firste branche therof had a faire shewe, and in apparaunce liked euery bodye, to witte, that they shoulde abstayne thencefoorthe from suche sinnes as eftsoones they hadde committed before. The second was, that restitution shoulde be made of goods e∣uill gotten, whereby a large gappe was opened for the couetous Clergie: for if either the parties died, or they absent, to whome these goodes wrongfullye gotten did of right appertaine, the matter was
lefte sothe ordering and will of the Bi∣••hop, euen as the Pope doth nowadays with his charters of pardons and indul∣••ences, or rather wyth the verye bulles ••hēselues of composition, or reconciliation, ••s be termeth them: for whatsoeuer hath ••ene filched, robbed, or gotten by extor∣••ion or vsurie, or by anye other vniuste meanes taken or wythholden from anye persons that bée either dead, or if they be aliue and vnknowen, so that the parties ••sing suche vniuste and extreme dealing, will paye sixe rialls of plate to the Pope, they shall not onely bée frée from all dan∣ger of lawe, but also from all faulte and blame. The thirde branch is so much the worse, as it is more perillous & daunge∣rous for the soule, wherein consisteth not alone the losse of a little siluer, but of our soule, when as mē are taught yt they may make satisfactiō for their sins, by fasting, watching, almes, pilgrimage, building of Chappells, & singing of masses, all which notwithstanding they must be at a price wt their cōfessor, for euery of these, wher∣vnto they do annexe ye works of superer••∣gation, as the chiefe groundsells & foūda∣tions
of the building, as for example: I•• any enter into religion & become a N•••• or a Frier, and vowe perpetuall chast••¦tie, pouertie, and obedience.
* 1.3But to knitte vppe the knotte of thi•• their doctrine of satisfaction, it consisteth speciallye vppon thrée pointes: The cru∣cifying of our bodies, almes, and praiers whether wée perfourme them in proper person, or redeme them with present pa•• for it is a mart and a portsale of al thi••••¦ges, yea of the very grace and fauour o•• God.
And hereof forsooth come these greate commodities, if it be worth credite that they say, firste almes doth easyly obtaine the fauour of God: fasting and mortifi∣cation of the flesh, the release of the paine and laste of al, prayer doeth quite extin∣guishe the reliques of the crime, whych Christe had lefte remaining in our con∣science, béeyng vnperfectly purged. But wheras some of the richer sort, and more tender and delicate than the rest, neither coulde nor woulde awaye with fasting, scourging, and other meanes of taming
the flesh, and besides, had verye little ley∣••••e to spare from their other affaires,* 1.4 to ••stowe in prayer, one part of these thrée ••rued in stéede of all the reste, that is to ••ye, almes or rather a superstitious kind 〈◊〉〈◊〉 liberalitie, by the whiche, they mighte ••alenge and applye vnto themselues, the ••erits and good workes of Monkes, the ••hich in their great store and abūdance, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nedelesse and superfluous for thēselues ••nd supererogatorie (as they terme them) ••ut for other men wonderous necessarie ••or they saluation.
But some wil men say, what shal be∣••de these of daintie and delicate persons,* 1.5 ••hat are soddainly swapte vp with death, ••re they can haue these merits of Monks ••applied vnto them, and enioye them in ••heir full perfection: for it séemeth theyr soules shoulde be in present peril of eter∣nall damnation, as who say, they may in good time take vp their Inne in Purga∣torie, whence they maye easyly escape, when it shall please the Popes holinesse to open the treasures of Christes bloude, and applye vnto them the merrites of
Saints, and the monkes to commun•••••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto them largely and liberally parte 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their good workes, and playe with th•• giffe gaffe lyke good fellowes. And th•• is welnéere the summe of the Popish doctrine concerning satisfaction, to pa•••• ouer a thousande dreames and blasph••¦mous lies, whyche these men haue de••∣sed againste the redemption of Christ•• perfected moste absolutely by the shedi•• of his moste precious bloude.
Good in∣tentes the cause of er∣rours.
Cap. omnis vtriusque sexus &c.
Compend. Theolog. lib. 6. cap. 29 Ruard. Ta∣part. art. 6. de satisfa∣ctione.
The appl••¦cation of Monkes merits.
The occa∣sion of e∣stablishing Purgatory.