Papists.
He Papists in former times haue publikely both taught and written, that those spirites which men somtime sée and heare, be either good or bad angels, or els the soules of those which either liue in euerlasting blisse, or in Purgatory, or in the place of damned persons. And that diuers of them are those soules that craue aide and deliuerance of men. But that this doctrine of theirs, and the whole state therof may be the more euidently perceiued, we will more largely repeate the same out of Iacobus de Cusa. their owne bookes. Iacobus de Cusa, a Carthusian Friar, and Doctor of diuinitie, wrote a booke of yͤ Apparition of soules, after they were seperated fro the bodies: which worke of his, hath in it many superstitious toyes, and was Printed in a Towne belonging to the dominion of Berna, named Burgdrofe, in the yeare of our Lord, 1475.
Foure places for soules.
Popish writers commenting on the 4. booke of the Maister of Sentences, do appoint foure places to receiue soules, after they are departed from the bodies. Thrée of the which places they say are perpetuall, and one which lasteth but for a time already limitted.
Heauen.
Hell.
Limbus puerorum which is a place wher the Papistes imagine the soules of yong childrē to be, which departed without Baptisme.
Purgatorie.
The first place or receptacle is Cælum Empireum, the firie heauen, so termed of his passing great brightnesse and glory, which they say is the seate ordeined for yͤ blissed sort: this place by an other name in scripture is called Paradise. The second place is Hell vnder the earth, being the Mansion of Diuels and Infidels, departing hence in deadly sinne, without repentance. The third place they tearme Limbus puerorum, which is prouided as well for the children of the faithfull, as of the vnfaithfull: who (they say) shall continually abyde there without any sense of payne, being only depriued from the fruition of Gods presence. And therefore they say, that after their death, they ought not to be buried in holy buriall. The fourth place is Purgatorie, which is prepared for them that departe hence without deadly sinne, or if they committed any such sinnes, did some penance for them, but yet made not full satisfaction for them, or else went hence only stained with venial sin.
Of this place, to wit, Purgatorie, Popish writers teach maruellous things. Some of them say, that Purgatorie is also vnder the earth as Hell is. Some say that Hell and Purgatorie are both one place, albeit the paines be diuers according to the deserts of soules. Furthermore they say, that vnder the earth there are more places of punishment in which the soules of the deade may be purged. For they say, that this or that soule hath bin seene in this or that mountaine, cloud, or valley, where it hath committed the offence: and that these are particuler Purgatories, assigned vnto them for some speciall cause, before the day of Iudgement, after which time all manner of Purgatories, as well general as particuler shall cease. Some of them say, that the paine of Purgatorie is all one with the punishment of hel, and that they differ only in this, that the one hath an end, the other no ende: and that it is far more easie to endure all the paynes of this worlde, whiche all men since Adams time haue susteined, euen vnto the day of the last Iudgement, than to beare one dayes space the least of these two punishmentes.