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XXII. Of Purgatory.

THE Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory,

For the Scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life the one proper to the elect and blessed of God, the other to the reprobate and damned souls; as may be well gathered by the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, (Luke xvi. 22, 23.)-These words, as they confound the opinion of helping the dead by prayer, so they do clean confute and take away the vain error of Purgatory, which is grounded upon this saying of the Gospel, (Matt. v. 26.) "Thou shalt not depart thence, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." Now doth St. Augustine say, that those men which are cast into prison after this life, on that condition, may in no wise be holpen, though he would help them never so much. And why? Because the sentence of God is unchangeable, and cannot be revoked again.— Therefore let us not deceive ourselves, thinking that either we may help other, or other may help us by their good and charitable prayers in time to come. For, as the Preacher saith, (Eccles. xi. 3.) "When the tree falleth, whether it be toward the south, or toward the north, in what place soever the tree falleth, there it lieth :" meaning thereby, that every mortal man dieth either in the state of salvation or damnation; according as the words of the Evangelist John do also plainly import, saying, (John iii. 36.) "He that believeth on the Son of God hath eternal life but he that believeth not on the Son shall never see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him."-As the Scripture teacheth us, let us think that the soul of man, passing out of the body, goeth straightways either to heaven, or else to hell; whereof the one needeth no prayer, and the other is without redemption. The only Purgatory, wherein we must trust to be

a Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! John i. 29. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word. Eph. v. 25, 26. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John i. 7. Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John xv. 3. Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. vi. 11. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge

your conscience from dead works. Heb. ix. 14. When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down, &c. Heb. i. 3. Worshippers once purged, should have had no more conscience of sins. Heb. x. 2. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Heb. x. 14. To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. John xxiii. 43. I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them. Rev. xiv. 13.

Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well

saved, is the death and blood of Christ; which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast faith, it purgeth and cleanseth us from all our sins, even as well as if he were now hanging upon the cross.-This then is that Purgatory, wherein all Christian men must put their whole trust and confidence; nothing doubting, but if they truly repent them of their sins, and die in perfect faith, that then they shall forthwith pass from death to life. Hom. xix. 3.

Christ's disciples did receive this authority, (of the keys,) not that they should hear the private confessions of the people -but to the end they should go, they should teach, they should publish abroad, the Gospel, and be unto the believing a sweet savour of life unto life; and unto the unbelieving and unfaithful a savour of death unto death: and that the minds of godly persons being brought low by the remorse of their former life and errors, after they once began to look up unto the light of the Gospel, and believe in Christ, might be opened with the word of God, even as a door is opened with a key contrariwise that the wicked and wilful, and such as would not believe, nor return into the right way, should be left still as fast locked and shut up, and, as St. Paul saith, wax worse and worse. This take we to be the meaning of the keys, and that after this sort men's consciences be either opened or shut. Jewell. See also Art. XXXIII.

As in the first commandment he commandeth that himself alone be honoured and worshipped, so in the second he restrain

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. Dan. ix. 9. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect' It is God that justifieth. Rom. viii. 33. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. Ps. cxxx. 4. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Mic. vii. 18, 19. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Is. xliii. 25. He that believeth on him is not condemned. John iii. 18. The Scripture saith, Who

soever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Rom. x. 11. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. xi. 28. He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. Matt. xx. 22, 23. (See the interpretation of this on Art. XXXIII.) The Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Luke v. 21.

• Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth be neath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. Ex. xx. 4.

of Images as of Reliques, and also invocation

eth us from all superstition, and from all wrongful and bodily inventions, forasmuch as the worshipping of him ought to be spiritual and pure; and chiefly he frayeth us from the most gross fault of idolatry. Nowell, p. 12.

Q. Why is it not lawful to express God with a bodily and visible form? A. Because there can be no likeness or agreement between God, which is a Spirit eternal, unmeasurable, infinite, incomprehensible, severed from all mortal composition, and a frail, bodily, spiritless, and vain shape. Therefore they do most injuriously abate the majesty of the most good and most great God, when they go about in such sort to make resemblance of him. Nowell, p. 12.

Q. Have they not then said well, which affirm that images are unlearned men's books? A. I know not what manner of books they be; but surely, concerning God, they can teach us nothing but errors. Nowell, p. 13.

Q. What manner of worshipping is that which is here (in the second commandment) condemned? A. When we, intending to pray, do turn ourselves to portraitures or images; when we do fall down and kneel before them with uncovering our heads, or with other signs shewing any honour unto them, as if God were represented unto us by them; briefly, we are in this law forbidden, that we neither seek nor worship God in images, or, which is all one, that we worship not the images themselves in honour of God, nor in any wise by idolatry or superstition abuse them with injury to his majesty. Otherwise the lawful use of making portraitures and of paintings is not forbidden. Nowell, p. 12.

It is very perilous to set any images or pictures in churches,

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear ye up a standing image, neither shall ye set, up any image of stone in your land to bow down unto it; for I am the Lord your God. Lev. xxvi. 1. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Deut. xxvii. 15. Hezekiah removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn

incense to it; and he called it Ne-
hushtan. 2 Kings xviii. 4.
I am
the Lord: that is my name: and
my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images.
Is. xlii. 8. The stock is a doctrine
of vanities. They are vanity and
the work of errors: in the time of
their visitation they shall perish.
Jer. x. 8, 15. The idols he shall
utterly abolish. Is. ii. 18. He feed-
eth on ashes; a deceived heart
hath turned him aside, that he can-
not deliver his soul, nor say, Is
there not a lie in my right hand.
Is. xliv. 20. Wherefore, my dearly
beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak
as to wise men, judge ye what I
say. 1 Cor. x. 22. Little children,

of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and

which are properly appointed for the only worshipping of God. Nowell, p. 13.

To desire an image of God, cometh of infidelity, thinking not God to be present, except they might see some sign or image of him.-No image can be made of Christ, but a lying image, (as the Scripture peculiarly calleth images lies,) for Christ is God and man. Seeing therefore that for the Godhead, which is the most excellent part, no images can be made, it is falsely called the image of Christ. Which reason also serveth for the images of saints, whose souls the most excellent part of them can by no images be represented and expressed. Wherefore they be no images of saints, whose souls reign in joy with God, but of the bodies of saints, which as yet lie putrified in the grave. Furthermore no true image can be made of Christ's body, for it is unknown now of what form and countenance he was. Hom. xiv. 3.

d Thus then it is plain, by the infallible word of truth and life, that in all our necessities we must flee unto God; direct our prayers unto him, call upon his holy Name, desire help at his hands, and at none other's: whereof if ye will yet have a further reason, mark that which followeth.-There are certain conditions most requisite to be found in every such a one that must be called upon, which if they be not found in him, unto whom we pray, then doth our prayer avail us nothing, but is altogether in vain. The first is this, that he, to whom we make our prayers, be able to help us. The second is, that he will help us. The third is, that he be such a one as may hear our prayers. The fourth is, that he understand better than we ourselves what we lack, and how far we have need of help. If these things be to be found in any other saving only God, then may we lawfully call upon some other besides God. But what man is so gross, but he well understandeth that these things are only proper to

keep yourselves from idols, (images, see Hom. xiv.) 1 John v. 21. God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John iv. 24.

d Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James i. 17. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence

in man.

It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in princes. Ps. cxviii. 8, 9. Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will

deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Ps. 1. 15. It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. Acts ii. 21. Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Matt. vi. 6. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. John xvi. 23. After this manner pray ye-when ye pray, say, Our Father, &c. Matt. vi. 9. Luke xi. 2. Come unto me,

grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.

For

him which is omnipotent, and knoweth all things, even the very secrets of the heart? that is to say, only and to God alone: whereof it followeth, that we must call neither upon angel, nor yet upon saint, but only and solely upon God, as St. Paul doth write: (Rom. x. 14.) "How shall men call upon him, in whom they have not believed?" So that invocation or prayer may not be made without faith in him on whom they call; but that we must first believe in him, before we can make our prayer unto him; whereupon we must only and solely pray unto God. to say that we should believe either in angel or saint, or in any other living creature, were most horrible blasphemy against God and his holy word: neither ought this fancy to enter into the heart of any Christian man, because we are expressly taught, in the word of the Lord, only to repose our faith in the blessed Trinity; in whose only name we are also baptized, according to the express commandment of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in the last of St. Matthew.-But that the truth hereof may the better appear even to them that be most simple and unlearned, let us consider what prayer is. St. Augustine calleth it a lifting up of the mind to God; that is to say, an humble and lowly pouring out of the heart to God. Isidorus saith, that it is an affection of the heart, and not a labour of the lips. So that, by these places, true prayer doth consist not so much in the outward sound and voice of words, as in the inward groaning and crying of the heart to God.-Now then, is there any angel, any virgin, any patriarch or prophet among the dead, that can understand or know the meaning of the heart? The Scripture saith, (Psal. vii. 9. Rev. ii. 23. Jer. xvii. 10. 2 Chron. vi. 30.) It is God that searcheth the heart and the reins, and that he only knoweth the hearts of the children of men. As for the saints, they have so little knowledge of the secrets of the heart, that many of the ancient Fathers greatly doubt whether they know any thing at all that is commonly done on earth. Hom. xix. 2.

He that cannot be saved by faith in Christ's blood, how shall

all ye that are weary and heavy
laden, and I will give you rest
and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. Matt.xi. 28. Unto the church
of God, which is at Corinth- with
all that in every place call upon
the name of Jesus Christ our Lord:
Grace be unto you, &c. 1 Cor. i. 2.
As Peter was coming in, Cornelius
met him, and fell down at his feet,
and worshipped him. And Peter
took him up, saying, Stand up, I
myself also am a man. Acts x. 25,

26. I fell at his feet to worship him, and he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God. Rev. xix. 10. Unto him that is able to do exceeding abun dantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Eph. iii. 20, 21.

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