there any true goodwill which is not allowed by God Should not his liking and allowance bee the rule and guide of vs and all our doings If then we can finde where hee biddeth vs shewe our goodwill in this sorte vse it and feare not if we cannot neuer thinke that is goodwill which wanteth the Lordes stampe vpon it vnlesse you will affirme that GOD condemneth good dueties to our Brethren which God forbid Then consider againe that albeit it neither hurt nor profite them yet in truth it hurteth vs that doe it both because it is an action without warrant and therefore not of faith and so sinne and because also it confirmeth and proppeth vp that lewd opinion of Purgatorie so derogatorie to the truth of God the comfort of his children Therefore if we will shewe goodwill to our friendes departed let vs speake of them as men and women in the hands of God and in such comfort as that they neede not any prayers of vs departed in a true faith and therfore now possessors of the promise euen of such ioyes as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard neither any hart bene able to conceiue of For thus to hope of them is like friendes to hope of them and thus to speake hurteth not our selues Our phrases may be as easely God hath had mercie on him I trust as GOD haue mercie on him he is with GOD I hope he is at rest from his labours he hath finished his course or any such like If wee will a little at first labour to forget a bad custome when it seeketh to come vpon our tongues so readily Then for the place in the Machabees our answer first toucheth the books and then the matter The bookes we except against as not Canonicall that is of authoritie to build our faith and obedience vpon and the reasons of our so doing are such as neuer haue neither can bée truely answered by any aduersarie I pray you let it not greeue you both to heare thē and very diligently to marke them First the holy Ghost neuer vseth to epitomise contract and prophane mens workes and writings but is able of himselfe to write and lay downe whatsoeuer may be profitable for his Church and so hath euer done But y e second booke of Machabees whence this place for Prayer for the dead is taken is an abridgement wholly out of the fiue bookes of Iason the Cirenian as the author himselfe confesseth and therefore not a writing or booke of the holy Ghost Secondly the Author of this booke craueth pardon for his wants and saith it is aswell as he was able to doe but thus neuer the holy Ghost at any mans hands For how should God craue pardon of man and say it is as well as he was able to doe Therefore this most mightely and euidently vnlesse we shut our eyes and stoppe our eares against the truth telleth vs this booke is not as the rest of the Scriptures whereon we safely stay our selues Thirdly in the writings of the holy Ghost there are no contrarieties euer but in these bookes there are and therefore no Scripture by inspiration from the holy Ghost Wil you thinke of some of them In the first booke it is said of Iudas that hee was slaine of Bacchides his armie and that Ionathas and Simon his brethren buried him in his fathers Sepulcher in the Citie of Modin and all the Israelites wept for him c. In the second booke he is aliue againe and writeth letters 36. yeeres after he was dead Can both these be true If not then marke the credite of this booke Not vnlike to this is that which is written of Antiochus his death In the first booke it is sayd he laide him downe vppon his bed sicke and there dyed with such circumstances of the matter as there you may reade and see your selfe In the second booke and first Chapter it is sayd that he entring the temple of Nanea the Priestes opened a priuie doore of the Vaute and cast downe stones like Thunder vpon him and his companie and brused them in peeces cut off their heades and threw them out to the rest of their companie that were without In the 9. Chapter of the same booke it is sayd he dyed a miserable death among the mountaines These be greater contrarieties thā I trust any man that feareth GOD will thinke may be in bookes whereof the holy Ghost is author And therefore you see wee doe not without great cause refuse to learne our faith out of these Bookes If mens iudgements bee regarded of vs we heare and see what the Fathers thought Hierom Epiphan Athanasius and Cyprian reiect these bookes in this sorte as not to be rules of faith Yea the Bishop of Rome himselfe Gregorie 200. yeeres after Austen reiecteth them as not Canonicall and if other men be of small regard with them yet would GOD the Papistes would respect their owne Bishop But Austen they say affirmeth them Canonicall O why should not loue of truth banish all cauilles Austen doth so and in the very same place that they alleage sayth the contrary How then is Austen contrary to himselfe No their owne eyes see as well as we if they will that when he calleth them not Canonicall he taketh the worde strictly and properly and meaneth they are no groundes and rules for our faith when hee calleth them Canonical he taketh the word largely and meaneth they are such as may bee read in the Churches for examples of the great and marueilous passions and persecutions of the Martyrs Beleeue not me but heare himselfe First that they are not Canonicall In Machabaeorum libris c. Although there may some thing bee found in the bookes of the Machabees meete for this order of writing and worthie to bee ioyned with the number of miracles yet hereof wee will haue no care for that wee haue intended only to touch a short rehearsall of the miracles contayned in the bookes of holy Canon See how he saith they are not Canonicall and therefore hée will not accept of the miracles in them Againe Haec supputatio non in scripturis sanctis quae appellantur Canonicae sed in alijs inuenitur in quibus sunt Machabaeorum libri This reckoning is not founde in the holie Scriptures that are called Canonicall but in certaine other bookes among which are the bookes of the Machabees Many such testimonies might bee alleadged out of this Father but these suffice in this treatise Now that they are Canonicall heare himselfe againe Libros Machabaeorum ecclesia habet pro canonicis propter quorundam Martyrum passiones vehementes atque mirabiles The Church accompteth the bookes of the Machabees as canonicall not for the aucthoritie and weight of trueth but for the great and meruailous passions and persecutions of Martyrs therein contained And againe that scripture that beareth the name of the Machabees is receiued not vnprofitably of the Church so that
it be read and heard with sobrietie specially because of those Machabées that suffered so cruell torments for the law of God Wherfore by his owne words now on both sides repeated Augustines minde is playne namely that these bookes alleadged in proofe of faith they are not Canonicall but to be read vnto the people in the Church for example of life in this sence saith hee they are Canonicall and may be thus read so that they be read soberlie And what is this but that which other Fathers haue also saide as Ierome The Church readeth the storie of Iudith the booke of Tobie and the bookes of the Machabees but y e same Church receiueth not these bookes as the Canonicall Scriptures Cyprian Haec omnia legi quidem in ecclesijs voluerunt noÌ„ tamen proferri ad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam All these writings our Fathers haue allowed to be reade in the Church yet not to be aleadged for authoritie to confirme the doctrine of our faith Wherefore to goe no further in this you see our reasons why wee allow not any proof of doctrine out of those bookes and therefore not of prayer for the deade Other reasons moe are aleadged by the godlie learned and â—ight by mee now but that these suffice here Next our answere toucheth the matter it selfe and we say that prayer for the dead sought to be proued out of this place of the Machabees is contrarie to the rest of the Scriptures and therefore we dare not allowe it For no trueth and lawfull thing is contrarie to any Scripture but agreeable as receiuing warrant and lawfulnes thence Secondlie that though Iudas had so done which is not likelie he did howsoeuer this place hath béene corrupted to that ende because it is contrarie to the custome of the Iewes euen to this day to pray for the deade yet this particular example is not sufficient to establish a doctrine no more then Zipporalis was to prooue that women may administer the Sacraments or the example of Razis that one might kill himselfe whome this author so much commendeth And therefore concluding since neyther by this place nor by anye Scripture this preposterous loue to the dead to pray for them can finde sure warrant wee desire that it may hartelie bee thought of how ill it becommeth any that professe a desire to please God which commaunded obedience and not with traditions of men or deuices any whatsoeuer either of their owne heades or of any others And thus much of it Sufficient then beeing sayde of these circumstaunces of Praier will you now proceed to the forme it selfe prescribed of our Sauiour Content And first consider what a gracious goodnesse this was in the Lorde our God to laie downe a forme for vs. That we not able to see the bottom of our wants our selues neyther in what wee doe see to take such course as becommeth speakers to so great a GOD by his owne mouth wee might be directed both in the one and the other to our great comfort and assuraunce that keping our selues within the compasse of this forme our prayer shoulde bee to the Lordes good liking and therefore wee obtaine what we aske according to his will Without a forme we might haue wandred to our greate harme asking many times things hurtfull if not so yet things lawful not in forme lawful which also had ben euill And if Heathens saw the nakednesse of men for want of such direction lette vs Christians see Gods mercie and our owne great good by this directioÌ„ Plato we know espying the ignoraunce of men in making their prayers to God for that many times they sought what graunted woulde hurt them sayd this was a good fourme O Iupiter Rex optima nobis et vouentibus et non vouentibus tribuae Mala autem poscentibus quoque abesse iube That is O Iupiter king giue vnto vs the best things whether wee aske them or no. And all euill things command awaie from vs though we aske them Wherein we may see howe daungerously they groped in a great darknesse for want of a forme and were faine for safetie to praie thus generally whereas we nowe plainly are taught how to praie more particularly and yet still truly Wherfore see I say â—â—rst Gods great mercie our great good by hauing this forme layed down vnto vs. Then touching the forme it selfe which our Sauiour hath layed downe it consisteth of three principall partes First of a preface secondly of the petitions themselues and lastly of a conclusion The preface in these wordes Our Father which art in heauen The petitions in order after The conclusion thus for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer euer Amen The first part which is the Preface short in wordes but plentifull in matter is so layd downe by the wisdom of the Lord Iesus as that euery word carryeth his waight and bringeth to vs in vse thereof most singular profite The first is Father by which name we are taught to speake vnto our God when wee pray vnto him and see the vse There is no prayer as we well know and before hath bene declared that can pearce the eares of the almightie God vnlesse it be made both in affection and faith Affection hath his want great too great often in our corruption therefore in mercy of a gracious GOD helpes and meanes prouided for it This is one euermore to consider to whome I pray and to whome I speak namely not to a seuere and sower Iudge not to a cruell and mercilesse tyrant not to a stranger that knoweth me not or hath no aliance with me but to a Father yea in Iesus Christ nowe my Father a kinde a louing a good a tender Father who looketh vpon me with bowels of mercy and pittie sigheth for me before I come runneth out when I doe come meeteth me embraceth mee falleth about my necke with his armes wéepeth vpon me in melting motions of louing kindnesse heareth me speake weigheth my sute whether it may be my good can as sone in conclusion cease to be God as denie me any thing y t may be my benefite And O then y e affection y t we may pray with if we coÌ„sider this name of Father My soule may thirst my heart may long yea burne and burst as it were within me w t desire euer to come to my Father for he is euer a Father hath euer the nature of his name though I bee vile And therfore let vs take the vse intended by the Lord in this giuen title praie cheerefully with sweete comfort in the conceit of whome wee speake vnto euermore When affection then is thus kindled and stirred vp looke at faith in the next place which also must concurre with it or else in vaine we praie and obtaine nothing This knew our Sauiour well and therfore euen to this end also hath taught vs to saie and praie in the name
and learned with one consent haue euer sayde that it is greate That we feede our faith thereby rayse vp our affiance fasten our hope growe experte in the Scriptures so that we cannot so easilie be deceiued by false teachers that wee are made acquainted with the phrase and whereas by a preacher one booke cannot be gone ouer in diuerse yeres by this profitable and godly vse of reading the Scriptures euen all the bookes of God are gone ouer many times in one yeere to the great instructiō of people if they wil themselues Let no hardening therefore in the name of al blasphemous Papists call reading of the Scriptures to the people in the Church a spirituall dumbnesse and a thing vnprofitable but let vs with y e chosen of the Lord euer reuerence the good of it blesse God for our libertie For it had neuer ben written in letters to this daie it had neuer ben translated into sundrie tongues by the gift from heauen of the knowledge of tongues neither euer had it bene commanded by the Lord to be read to the people if it had not bin a sanctified meanes by him to the great good of his people and Church Wherefore to go no further since we see it plainly to bee of the Lord both commanded and blessed let vs see a little if it be not also so for the people themselues to reade it if they haue the abilitie Surelie it is For the wordes are playne Search the Scriptures And they cannot with truth bee restrayned from giuing a warrant of reading to all men Blessed is the man that meditateth in the law of God day night Is meditation lawfull all reading damnable Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his waie euen by ruling himself after thy worde Are young men then boūd to rule themselues after Gods booke and yet no man suffered to looke within the leaues A thousand such places there are which I neede not to note Timothie was brought vp in the reading and knowledge of Scriptures from his childhood and the Lord hath commended it The Beraeans tooke theyr Bibles turned to the proues of Paulē when he preached and they are highly commended The Eunuch had his booke in the Chariot and the Lord looked on him The worde of GOD must dwell plentiously amongst vs c. as is there written and therefore wee may reade it We must take the swoorde of the spirite which is the worde of God as well as eyther helmet or breast plate or anie other part of our spirituall armour and therefore we may reade it Wherefore well sayde Saint Austen Nec solùm sufficiat quod in ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy Scripture read vnto you in the Church onely but in your houses also at home eyther reade them your selues or cause others to reade them Well decreed that first Councell of Nice that no house should be without eyther a Bible or at least a new Testament Well crieth Origen Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas Woulde God we did all as it is written Search the Scriptures Wel cried that good Father Cōparate vobis Biblia animarū pharmaca seculares Get you Bibles yelaie men for they are the medicines of your soules c. But see the iniquitie of Rome It shall bée lawfull to reade anie mans booke Si faciat pro nobis that is if he be a Papist yea and the mo wee haue in our closets and chambers of such bookes the holier Catholiques wee but the Lordes booke that is able to make vs wise vnto saluation and is sweeter than the honie we may not touch it we may not haue it or reade it For if we doe we shall be heretiques So mans worke shall make vs Saintes and Gods worke diuells Popish writings Catholikes and heauenly writing heretiks if they be read O dreadfull blasphemie and doctrine of death Greate is the patience of the Lorde that putteth vp this and beareth it daylie when with great iustice heauen and earth might agree together to flashe out fire to consume such teachers the other to rend in peeces and swallow vp the ashes when they art burnt of such blasphemers Is not this to shutte vp the kingdome of God before men and neyther to enter in themselues nor to suffer others that woulde enter And Woe to such sayth the Lorde there Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium et angentium Et multo verior hic lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittat caecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or giue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the lawe wel verified Cursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of the waie What is this but with the amazed ones in the Prophet to saïe Tace et ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lord. These men be the right successours of Antiochus and Maximinus who for lyke pollicie burnt the bookes of God least the people shoulde reade them Whereas the godly and first christened Emperor Constantine caused the Bible to be written out and to bee sent abroade into all Kingdomes Countries and Cities of his dominion And king Adelstane heere in England caused it to bee translated into the English tongue that all might reade it Of Iulian the wicked Emperour who charged the Christians with it as an high fault that their women were so skilfull in the Scriptures Forgetting what Saint Hierome writeth that all the maidens about Lady Paula were set dayly to learne the Scriptures Let vs remember how many saued soules are nowe with the Lorde in rest that beeing able to reade neuer a word vpon the booke themselues yet by hearing others reade vnto thē haue receiued blessing from the Lord thereof euen to acknowledge to resist the enimy to a strength with their blouds to seale the truth of that they heard by hearing learned beside all other Churches the Monuments of this our Church will affoord vs many What manner of men and women would these haue beene if they could haue read themselues Let vs remember what Saint Austen confesseth of himselfe that beeing inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle et lege Take vp and reade meaning the booke of God which hee presently did and so by reading was conuerted And concerning reading of the Scriptures eyther vnto the people in the Church by the Ministers or anie other appoynted to that seruice or by the people themselues priuatly at home in theyr houses in a tongue that they vnderstand Let vs conclude vpon playne recited proues that it is a means