How men's prayers and good deeds do help one another. 1. And we are loosed from sin through Christ, without our works or deservings. 2. Sin is come into the world through Adam, and is punished with death. 2. The death through Christ is turned into a medicine, and clean finisheth sin. 3. One man's sin, which is Adam, hath condemned many men. 3. One man's grace, which is Christ, hath vanquished sin and holpen many. 4. If one man's sin be able to condemn us without our works, 4. Then much more is God's grace of power to save us without our works. 5. Sin, through Adam, was planted in us. 5. Grace, through Christ, is planted in us. 6. Sin hath had dominion over all men through Adam. 6. Grace prevaileth over us, through Christ. 7. Death, through sin, is planted in us. 7. Life, through grace, is planted in us. 10. Through Adam, Adam's sin was counted our own. 10. Through Christ, Christ's righteousness is reputed unto us for our own. Of this may you perceive that we think that Christ's death profiteth us, for we take his death and resurrection for our whole redemption and salvation.-Now as concerning men's good deeds and prayers, I say that they profit our neighbours; yea, and good works were ordained for that intent, that I should profit my neighbour through them; and prayer ought to be made to God for every state. But if I should grant that such works and prayers should help them that are departed, then should I speak clean without my book, for the word of God knoweth no such thing. Let them, therefore, that pray for the dead examine themselves well with what faith they do it, for faith leaneth only on the word of God, so that where his word is not, there can be no good faith; and if their prayer proceed not of faith, surely it cannot please God. (Heb. xi.) "Now suppose" (saith M. More,) " that purgatory M. More. could in no wise be proved by Scripture, and that some would yet say plainly that there were one, and some would say plainly nay; let us now see whether sort of these twain might take most harm if their part were the wrong. First, he that believed there were purgatory, and that his prayer and good works wrought for his friends' souls, might relieve them therein, and because of that used much prayer and alms for them; he could not lose the reward of his good will, although his opinions were untrue, and that there were no purgatory at all. But, on the other side, he that believeth there is none, and therefore prayeth for none; if his opinion be false, and that there be purgatory indeed, he loseth much good, and getteth him also much harm. For he both feareth much less to sin, and to lie long in purgatory, saving that his heresy shall keep him thence, and send him down deep into hell." I answer, that he should take most harm that believed Frith. there were a purgatory, if his opinion were wrong and could not be proved by the Scripture, (as M. More supposed,) for he should sin and transgress against the law of God, which saith, (Deut. xii.) That I command thee that only do unto the Lord, neither add any thing nor diminish. And before, in the fourth chapter of the same book, Ye shall not add unto the word that I speak unto you, neither shall ye take any thing from it. And again, in the fifth chapter, Ye shall not decline neither to the left hand, (doing that which is good in your own It is better not to be lieve that which the Scripture alloweth not, than to make a we should not. sight,) neither yet unto the right hand, (doing that which I manifestly forbid you,) as though he should say, Do that only which I command thee. And where M. More saith, that "he cannot lose the reward of his good will, although his opinion be untrue;" I answer Yes; for it is but chosen holiness, which Paul condemneth, (Colos. ii.) which surely shall rather be imputed unto him for sin than for any good work. And because (as I said before,) it cannot be done through faith, I say that it is utterly reproved of God. And on the other side, he that believeth it not, since it cannot be proved by Scripture, can catch no harm at all, although his opinion were false, but rather much good faith where and praise, both of God and all good men; because he feareth to swerve from the word of God, and had lever not to believe that thing which is true, (be it in case that purgatory were,) and not set forth in Scripture, for so shall he be sure not to sin, than to believe for an article of the faith that thing which is false indeed, for so should he surely sin and transgress against God and his holy word. And so is there great peril to believe a thing for an article of the faith which is not opened nor spoken of in Scripture: but if I believe it not, (although it were true,) yet is there no right nor law that can condemn me. Now may you see, that to believe for an article of the faith that there is a purgatory, since it cannot be proved by Scripture, may condemn a man and make him lie for ever in the pains of hell; whereas the other should but a little longer lie in the pains of purgatory, (if there were one,) and so shall he be sure to catch most harm that believeth there is a purgatory. "Saving" (saith Master More,)" that his heresy shall keep him from thence, and send him down deep into hell." M. More. Frith. What is heresy. Before he supposed that it could not be proved by Scripture. And now (standing the same supposition,) he calleth it an heresy, and an heresy is a stiff-holden opi nion repugnant unto Scripture. If purgatory cannot be proved by Scripture, (as he maketh his supposition,) then cannot the contrary opinion be repugnant to Scripture, and thus of his own supposition he doth evil to call it an heresy. And where he saith, that his opinion shall send him down deep into hell, verily he steppeth too far in God's judgment to conclude and determine so cruelly, and especially in the same argument where he supposeth that it cannot be proved, for if it cannot be proved by Scripture, whereby will ye condemn him so deep that holdeth the contrary? Forsooth, you are a fierce judge. God give you eyes to see! M. More is a sore judge "FINALLY, if ye pity any man in pain, never knew M. More. ye pain comparable to ours, whose fire passeth as far in The fire of heat all the fires that ever burned upon earth, as the purgatory hottest of all those passeth a feigned fire painted on a wall." is a marvel Behold here the force of the fire of purgatory. lous hotfire. Verily, among all his other poetry it is reason that we Frith. grant him this; yea, and that our fire is but water in comparison to it, for, I ensure you, it hath alone melted more gold and silver, for our spiritualty's profit, out of poor men's purses, than all the goldsmiths' fires within England, neither yet therewith can the raging heat be assuaged, but it melteth castles, hard stones, lands and tenements innumerable. For all your sects of religion, Monks, Friars, Canons, and Nuns, with other priests regular and secular, by this fire, multiplication and alchymy, have obtained their whole riches and pleasures, even the sweat of England. And so must we grant him that this fire is very hot. Now may you well perceive what a slender foundation their hot purgatory hath; for by this confutation may you easily see that it hath no ground nor authority of Scripture. Notwithstanding, it is the foundation of all religions and cloisters, yea and of all the goods that now are in these spiritualties. Are not they witty work M. More fully answered to all that he can say for purgatory. men which can build so much on so slender a foundation? howbeit they have made it so top-heavy, that it is surely like to have a fall. Thus hath Master More a full answer, both to his Scriptures, which were too far wrested out of their places, and also to his own apparent reasons. Howbeit if his mastership be not fully pacified, let him more groundly open his mind, and bring for his purpose all that he thinketh to make for it, and I shall by God's grace shortly make him an answer and quiet his mind. Thus endeth the Second Book. THE THIRD BOOK, WHICH ANSWERETH UNTO MY LORD OF ROCHES- M. More was the Bishop of NOW will I address me to the third part, which shall be an answer unto my Lord of Rochester. And all his reasons and arguments, both of the Scriptures and Doctors, which are not before dissolved in the second part, will I clean confute (by God's grace) in this third book. Howbeit, the chiefest of his Scriptures hath M. More perused, and hath in a manner nothing but that was Rochester's before written by my Lord of Rochester, saving that he disciple. maketh the silly souls to pule, to help his matter withal. Rochester My Lord of Rochester is the first patron and defender of this fantasy. And even as M. More took his work purgatory. out of my Lord of Rochester's, even so plucked Rastell his book out of M. More's. the first patron of My Lord of Rochester, to confirm his sentence, reckoneth up the doctors by heap; M. John, M. |