This first word of the Text, But, is a strong engine set to the walls of Purgatory, to over-turn them, and over-burn them with the fire of hell. For they are imaginary pales, that divide hell and Purgatory: take away your conceit, and they are both one: all is hell. For surely hell was raked, when Purgatory was found; and it is nothing else but a larder to the Popes Kitchen. What fancy soever founded it, their wits are foundered, that labour to maintain it. For they cannot tell us, vel quid sit, vel ubi: what it is, nor where it is. They cavil with us for want of unity and consent in judgement.1 Yet Bellarmine recites eight several opinions amongst them, about the place: And concludes at last, that it must remain among those secrets, Quae suo ⟨p. 105⟩tempore aperientur nobis; which shall be unfolded to us in their times. Some think the torments of it to consist in fire, others in water: some that the afflicters are Angels, other that they are Devils. So they teach omni modo, that which is nullo modo: and because it is ubique, is therefore nullibi. Howsoever, it being the Popes peculiar; and in his power to command the Angels to fetch out whom he list; me thinks the Popes are strangely unmerciful, that in all this time none of them hath made a general Gaole-delivery. But our Purgatory is the blood of Jesus Christ, 2which cleanseth us from sin. And they that have no portion in this blood shall be rejected, are nigh unto cursing, and their end is to be burned.
This first word of the Text, But, is a strong engine set to the wals of Purgatory, to ouer-turne them, and ouer-burne them with the fire of hell. For they are imaginary pales, that diuide hell and Purgatorie: take away your conceit, and they are both one: all is hell. For surely hell was raked, when Purgatory was found; and it is nothing els but a larder to the Popes Kitchin. What fancie soeuer founded it, their wittes are foundred, that labour to maintaine it. For they cannot tell vs, vel quid sit, vel vbi: what it is, nor where it is. They cauill with vs for want of vnity and consent in iudgement.1 Yet Bellarmine recites eight seuerall opinions amongst them, about the place: And concludes at last, that it must remaine among those secrets, Quae suo ⟨p. 105⟩tempore aperientur nobis; which shall bee vnfolded to vs in their times. Some thinke the torments of it to consist in fire, others in water: some that the afflicters are Angels, other that they are Deuils. So they teach omni modo, that which is nullo modo: and because it is vbique, is therefore nullibi. Howsoeuer, it being the Popes peculiar; and in his power to command the Angels to fetch out whom hee list; mee thinks the Popes are strangely vnmercifull, that in all this time none of them hath made a generall Gaole-deliuerie. But our Purgatorie is the blood of Iesus Christ, 2which clenseth vs from sinne. And they that haue no portion in this blood shall be reiected, are nigh vnto cursing, and their end is to be burned.
- 1De Purgat. lib. 2. cap. 6.
- 21. Joh. 1.1. Ioh. 1.
