A01273:39
A disputacio[n] of purgatory madeA disputacio[n] of purgatorye made
A disputacio[n] of purgatory made by Joh[a]n Frith which is divided in to three books. The first book is an answer unto Rastell, which goeth about to prove purgatory by natural philosophy. The second book answereth unto Sir Thomas More, which laboureth to prove purgatory by scripture. The third book maketh answer unto my lord of Rochester which most leaneth unto the doctorsA disputacio[n] of purgatorye made by Ioh[a]n Frith which is deuided in to thre bokes. The first boke is an answere vnto Rastell, which goeth aboute to proue purgatorye by naturall phylosophye. The seconde boke answereth vnto Sir Thomas More, which laboureth to proue purgatorye by scripture. The thirde boke maketh answere vnto my lorde of Rochestre which most leaneth vnto the doctoures
Antwerp : S. Cock, 1531?
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Not with standing I will not thus leave his book / although I might full well / but I will declare unto you what solutions he maketh to these seven weak reasons which he hath propounded him self. for he avoideth them so slenderly / that if a man had any doubt of purgatory before / it would make him swear on a book that there were none at all. Besides that it hath not one solution but there are in it certain points repugnant unto scripture / so that it is great shame that any christian man should print it / & much more shame that it should be printed with the kings privilege.
Not with stondinge I wyll not thus leaue hys boke / although I myght full well / but I wyll declare vnto you what solucyons he maketh to these seauen weake reasons whych he hath propounded hym silfe. for he auoydeth thē so slenderlye / that yf a man had any doubte of purgatorie before / it wolde make him swere on a boke that there were none at al. Besides that it hath not onesoluciō but there are in it certē poyntes repugnaunte vnto scripture / so that it is greate shame that any cristen man shulde prē te it / & moch more shame that it shulde be prented with the kinges priuilege.
The first and chefest reason that moveth this man (ye and all other) to affirm purgatory is this / which he putteth both in the first chapter o• his third dialogue and also in the last Man (sayeth he) is made to serve and honour1 god / now if man be negligent about the commandments of god and commit some venial sin for which he ought to be punished by the justice of god and dye suddenly with out repentance and have not made sufficient satisfaction unto god here in the […] / his ⟨image 10⟩soul ought neither immediately to come in to the glorious place of heaven because it is sum what defouled with sin / neither ought it to go to hell unto eternal dampnacy on: bu• by all good […] of justice / that soul must be pu gd in another place to make […] for those offences / that it may afterward be received in to the glorious place of heaven And so by y justice of god there must needs he a purgatory.