hurt, but stablish and strengthen them, for the Scripture discloseth nothing but falsehood, and condemneth nothing but that is damnable.

of John

And now to descend unto our matter and dis- The cause putation, which is of purgatory, I shall show you Frith's what occasion I had to take it in hand. I wrote against writing a letter unto a certain friend in England, desiring purgatory. him instantly to send me certain books which I thought necessary for my use, and were not to be gotten in these parts, as the Chronicles, Sir Thomas More's book against the Supplication of Beggars, and certain other. These books I received upon St. Thomas's day before Christmas, the year of our Saviour 1530, with a letter written in this form.

"Sir, I have sent you such books as you wrote for, and one more of Rastell's making, wherein he goeth about to prove purgatory, by natural philosophy, which thing (quoth he) I think be more easy to do, than to prove it by any good Scripture," &c. This stuff received, I was marvellously desirous and tickled to see what reasons he brought for his probations. And in the beginning and prologue of the book, he set seven reasons, which he said that fond fellows alleged for them to prove that there could be no purgatory. And indeed they are very fond that would deny purgatory, if there were no better arguments to confute it than he assigneth. But by God's grace I will propound seven times seven, which shall have such pith, that their painful purgatory shall not be able to abide the worst of them, for these seven that Rastell assigneth, are not worth one bean.

When I had read and well pondered these reasons, I thought that he should sharply have confuted them, as he might full well have done, especially since they were but of his own imagination. Nevertheless, when I came unto his solutions, I found not one but it had certain points repugnant unto the Scripture, (unto which our reason must be obedient ever be obedient,) yea and also they were exscriptures. tremely injurious unto Christ and his precious

Man's rea

son must

to the

lius.

The re

buke of an

blood.

Then left I him, and read Sir Thomas More's book, to see what Scripture might be brought for that purpose; and after that made I diligent inquiry to come by my Lord of Rochester's book; which also writeth on the same matter, and when I had well examined their reasons, and had seen the order and process of the Scriptures which they alleged, I found that clearly verified, which Aulus Gel- Aulus Gellius saith, That it were a great deal better for a man to be sharply rebuked, yea, and openly to have his faults published of his enemy, than to be coldly and slenderly praised of his friend. For a man's enemy ensearcheth narrowly, and gathereth together all that he can imagine, and so accuseth a man more of a fumous heat than of any verity; and therefore the audience (if they be wise) consider his words thereafter, and so give very small credence, or else none unto them. But if a man's friend before audience do praise him slenderly and coldly, it is an argu- ment that the person is very faulty, for a friend beholdeth all qualities and circumstances, his birth, bringing up, and what feats he hath done all his

open enemy better than the slender praise of a friend.

life long, yea, and applieth many things unto his friend's praise, which serve but smally for it, for he will leave nothing behind that may be imagined to employ his friend's fame and honour. Now if in all these points he cannot colour out a glorious apparent laud, but is compelled, for lack of matter, to praise his friend slenderly, then (if the audience be wise) they may soon conjecture that he is not praise worthy, and also may well doubt whether that small praise which he gave him be true or not. Even so, when I had read these books of Sir Thomas More and my Lord of Rochester, and saw the small probations and slender reasons that those two witty and learned men had brought to confirm purgatory; considering also that they are the chiefest friends, proctors, and patrons thereof, and that they had applied many reasons and Scriptures for their purpose, (for lack of matter,) that rather made against them; yea, and not that only, but also that they dissented between themselves in their probations; for M. More saith, that "there is no water in purgatory;" and my Lord of Rochester saith, that "there is water;" Master More saith, that "the mi- Rochester nisters of the punishment are devils," and my Lord of Rochester saith," that the ministers of the punishment are angels;" Master More saith, "that both the grace and charity of them that lie in the pains of purgatory are increased ;" my Lord of Rochester saith, "that the souls in purgatory obtain there neither more faith, nor grace, nor charity, than they brought in with them:"-these things considered, it made mine heart yearn and fully to con

M.More

and my

Lord of

cannot

agree.

The purgatories that God

hath ordained.

John xv.

The purgatory of

sent, that this their painful purgatory was but a vain imagination, and that it hath of long time but deceived the people, and milked them from their money.

Notwithstanding, God hath left us two purgatories; one to purge the heart and cleanse it from the filth which we have partly received of Adam, (for we are by nature the children of wrath, Ephes. ii.) and partly added thereto by consenting unto our natural infirmity. This purgatory is the word of God, as Christ saith, (John xv.) Now are ye clean for the word which I have spoken unto you. This purgation obtaineth no man but through the heart. faith, for the unfaithful are not purged by the word of God, as the Scribes and Pharisees were nothing the better for hearing his word, but rather the worse, for it was a testimony against them unto their condemnation. And because we rethe heart is ceive this purgation only through believing the word, therefore is the virtue of this purging applied also unto faith; for Peter saith, (Acts xv.) That the Gentiles' hearts were purged through faith, that is to say, through believing the word. And what word is that? verily the preaching that Christ's death hath fully satisfied for our sins, and pacified for ever the Father's wrath towards us, &c. This faith purifieth the heart, and giveth us a will and gladness to do whatsoever our most merciful Father commandeth us.

The pur

gatory of

faith.

The purgatory of the members.

Nevertheless, because our infirmity is so great, and our members so weak and frail that we cannot eschew sin as our heart would, and as our will desireth; therefore hath God left us another

Heb. xii.

The pur

gatory of

the mem

bers to the

cross of

purgatory, which is Christ's cross: I mean not his material cross that he himself died on, but a spiritual cross, which is adversity, tribulation, worldly depression, &c. And this is called the rod or scourge of God, wherewith he scourgeth every son that he receiveth, that we may remember his law, and mortify the old Adam and fleshly lust, which else would wax so rebellious that it would subdue us, reign in us, and hold us thralled under Christ. sin. Whensoever we have committed a crime, then is God present with this rod, as he saith, (Psalm Ps. lxxxix. lxxxix.) If they defile my ceremonies and not observe my commandments, then with a rod shall I punish their sins, and with beatings shall I reward their iniquities, but yet my mercy shall I not take from him, neither will I deceive him of my promise.

This cross must we receive with a glad heart, and thank our loving Father for it, for it is but a medicine to heal our infirmity, and to subdue our rebellious members. But when our members are fully mortified, that is, when death hath subdued our corruptible body, and our flesh committed to rest in the earth, then cease the purgatories that God hath ordained, and then are we fully purged in his sight.

God nailthe cross to infirmities.

eth us to

heal our

So evil was

the life of

the Papists,

imagined

If our clergy could have found in their hearts to have taken these purgatories upon them, they had never needed to imagine any other; but since that they their life began to wax so dissolute, specially since a purgatory they should be the salt of the earth and lanterns selves. of light, it was necessary for them to imagine purgatory after this life, for else they might be

for them