should pray yet she should not be heard euen of men remayning in this life your second reason as I conceiue it is that so long as men are in â—his world they may repent then sinne is not to death Therfore S. Iohn meaneth that they that dyed without bond of deadly sinne are to be prayed for your antecedent as before is false for the Apostle to the Hebrewes the sixt chapter sheweth that there be some which sinne so horribly in this life that it is vnpossible for them to be renewed by repentaunce So that your exposition being both voyd of authoritie and contrary to the manifest word of God of none that is wise or godly can be receiued Beside this the whole context of S. Iohns wordes doe plainly declare that he speaketh of prayers for the brethern that are liuing and not for them that are dead But I am to blame to spende so many wordes in a matter so manifest If the holy Ghost had euer allowed prayer for the dead he would once at the lest haue vttered the same plainly in holy canonicall Scriptures But Tertullian as wise a man as M. Allen affirmeth as we heard before that prayer for the deade hath no foundation in the Scriptures 2 To this place also S. Augustine disputing in his booke de ciuitate dei that praiers profiteth not all men departed alludeth or rather leaneth vnto it as a sure grouÌ„d against the Origenistes that woulde haue Gods mercy by mans prayers obteined for the wicked soules deceased after this sort Si qui autem vsque ad mortem habebunt cor impoenitens nec ex inimicis conuertuntur in filios numquid iam pro eis id est pro talium defunctorum spiritibus orat ecclesia cur ita nisi quia iam in parte diaboli computantur qui dum essent in corpore non sunt translati in Christum If there be any that till death continue in stubborne impenitency of hearte and of enemies to Gods Church will not be made children doeth the Church make intercession for such that is to say for the soules of them being departed in that state and why prayeth she not for them but because they be nowe reckoned for the deuills lot being deade that woulde not moue to Christes part when they were in their bodies And this is the cause that for such as in desperatioÌ„ destroy them selues by any kind of wilfull or violent death or in the stubborne maintenance of heresie offer them selues to be extirpate as well out of the society of mans life as out of the coÌ„munioÌ„ of the Christian company our holy mother the Church who by her practise is the best construer of Gods worde neuer vseth any meanes for their quiet rest VVheron there is a holy decree of Councell in this sense qui sibi ipsis quolibet modo culpabili inferunt mortem nulla pro illis fiat commemoratio neque cum psalmis sepeliantur All those that by any vnlawfull way procure their owne death let no commemoration be had of them nor be brought home with psalmes The which hath ben both diligently obserued euer amongest Christians and for terrour of the wicked often by holy Canons renewed VVherof there is no other cause but this that such persons being at the ende cut of the common bodie can receiue no vtility of that where vnto they are not nor now can not be ioyned And as in that case where Gods Church hath plaine presumption of any persons euerlasting perishing either by continuance in infidelitie out of her happy family or by heresie and separation of him selfe till the last ende leaping out of her holy lappe where he once was before or being and continuing with some open euidence thereof an vnprofitable membre and a deade branche as I saye in any plaine proofe of these thinges the Church neuer practiseth for his rest because she neither hath hope of getting any grace nor meanes to conuey any benefite vnto such as be not in the limmes of life so if our saide carefull mother doe bestow of her customable kindnesse all her godly meanes vpon those whome she knoweth not otherwise but in finall piety and penitence to haue passed this life and yet in deede before God to whome onely all secrets of mans hearte be perfectly open dyed as abiectes and outcastes in sinne and impenitencie she can not for all that any whit helpe their estate so miserable nor appeace Gods wrath towarde them being now out of the time of deseruing out of the Churchies lappe effectually and finally separated from the chosen people and out of the compaesse of grace and mercie Much lesse any priuate mans prayer can be any thing at all beneficiall to his freinde or other that dyed not in Gods fauour whose payne can neither be finished nor by any of these ordinary meanes one moment released or lessened Yet euery good faithfull person must imitate the diligence of Gods Church herein that ceaseth not both to offâ—â— and pray for all sortes with in her limites that be hense in any likelyhood of repentaunce departed who hadde rather they shoulde abounde to the needelesse then at any time lacke for the reliefe of such that might wante them 2 All this discourse is needelesse to proue that prayers profit not the infidels or the impenitent against them that beleue that the soules of the faithfull the repentant are where Christ is as he prayeth Ioan. 17. Father I will that those whome thou hast gyuen me where I am they also maye be with me that they may see my glory And euen so he sayeth to the theefe no perfect iuste man but a sinner repentant This daye thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23. And S. Paule desireth to be dissolued and to be with Christ Philip. 1. This is the fayth of the Church of Christ and these be the groundes of our fayth voide of all doubtfulnesse obscurity sophistry and variable sentence of deceiuable men builded vpoÌ„ the certaine foundation of the eternall word of God The authoritie of Augustine proueth that the Church prayed not in his time for the spirits of infidells But the Councell Bracharense as afterwarde I shall more plainely shewe doth insinuate that no prayers were made at all for the soules of the departed in their Church at their burialls but onely a remembrance of them in prayers with thankesgeuing and singing of Psalmes For purgatory shoulde seeme had not yet trauelled into spaine But touching this assertion of M. Allen that those which dye out of the fauour of God as infidells and such like are not to be prayed for whose payne can neither be finished nor one moment released or lessened by any of these meanes what saye you then to Gregory the first byshop of Rome which with his vehement prayer as your owne Damascene and many others doe witnesse deliuered the soule of Traianus the heathen Emperour from Hell whereof there riseth a great controuersie among your doltish
diuers of the auncient fathers that the fall of the tree into the Southe parte maye signifie vnto vs the departure of man in the happy state of grace and the Northe side likewise the cursed and damnable state of the wicked and thaâ— he which passeth hense in either of these estates and condicions as euery lyuing man doth can not procure by other neither deserue by him selfe the chaunge of his happy lot or his vnluckie happe otherwise then in his life time he deserued That is to saye if he passe this worlde an electe person in the loue and grace of God he is out of doubt of all damnation or rather out of possibilitie to be reiected and so the case of the forsaken is vtterly remedilesse And further by that figuratiue speache you had not best on your owne head to be ouer bold least some Saducete of your sect gather the perpetuall reste of the bodye without all hope of resurrection I can not tell how it falleth but yet so it doth that your doctrine and arguments minister ouer much occasion of errour and that to the deceiued in the depest matters of our faith But I will rubbe you no more on that sore I warned you before to take heede to the resurrection 3 If we had no stronger testimonies then these and you no better aunswers then you make to these yet should not we haue so much cause to be abashed at our allegatioÌ„s as you to be ashamed of your confutations Your first aunswere is that the soules of men at that time continued not where they at the first fell but went first into the inferior partes which you call Lymbus patrum but neither Ezechias nor the Gospell knew any such place For Ezechias speaketh of the graue the Gospell of that place of comfort where the soules of the faithfull are in happy estate euen where Christ is But O learned Logitian that aunswereth one controuersie with an other as much controuersâ—d Nay stay a while the article of Christes descending into hell maketh all out of doubt If that be so why doe we not say that Christ descended into Abrahams bosome or into Lymbus patruÌ„ or seeing Christ sayd he would be in Paradise why say we not that he descended into paradise and seeing he commended his spirite into the hands of his father why say we not he descended into his fathers handes But because these be no absurdities that follow of M. Allen that papisticall assertion you shall heare Caluins absurd doctrine refuted by the sayd famous Clerke M. Allen with famous reasons He will aske for his aunsweres be questions what is it to be thought of those that were raysed from death to life seeing they receiued their first fall This were a pretty question for a Sophister in Oxeford to demaund in their parleis But the poore man tormenteth him selfe in vayne they which deny prayers to be profitable by that place of the wise man vnderstand the fall of the tree to the South or to the North to be the iudgement of God concerning euery man either of reward or of punishment which can not be altered after a mans death This restreyneth not God from working miracles and sending some to life againe but sheweth what the ordinary state of men is after their departure This place is of them that dye remaine in death vnto the day of the generall resurrection as for the other although they were dead yet they were appoynted to liue againe they fell in deede but to haue a particular rising but when they fell to abyde the generall rising they were in the same case with the rest But examples will make the matter cleare The soule of Lazarus was 4. dayes from his body M. Allen thinketh he was not in heauen for Christ loued him too well to bring him out of heauen and not that onely but to reduce him to the vncerteyne state of this life As though it were iniury to Lazarus to forbeare the ioyes of heauen for the short tyme of this life to become such a glorious example of the maiestie of Christes power and as though Christ which brought him to lyfe temporal was not able in the incerteinty of this life to preserue him to eternall life O prophane heathenish Sophister of Gods high mysteries But seeing you thinke M. Allen he was not in heauen where thinke you in your conscience he was in hell or in purgatory or in Abrahams bosome for you haue store of diuerse places if he were in hell you hold there had bene no redemption And it is not like that he whom Christ loued so well was 4. dayes in torment If you say he was in Abrahams bosome yet he was in comfort and certeinty of saluation then by your owne reason it is not like that Christ which loued him so well would abase his happy condition to bring him to the state of this life which is miserable and as you say vncerteyne yea he had bene better in purgatory for you holde he shoulde haue bene in certainety of saluation but so he was not when he returned to the vncerteine state of this life the like may be saide of Tabitha But these be foolish and vnlearned questions M. Allen which the Apostle willeth vs to auoyde as gendring strife rather then edificatioÌ„ And yet when you haue questioned about them all you can you shall neuer proue the common case of the departed in Christ by these fewe peculiar cases For when so euer and how so euer it pleased God that their soules remained it was determined of God that they shoulde be restored to their bodies And although there soules were in heauen and in happines as I doe not doubt but they were yet was it no iniurie nor hurt vnto them to serue the glory of god For I doubt not but as all the Godly in this life confesse it to be a parte of angelicke felicitie to be obediente to the will of God so those that were so raised from death so long as their secoÌ„d life continued caried in their hartes a heauenly fruition of the glory of God shining in their restitution and of their thankefull obedience submitting them selues to the will of god But when these matters passeth the reache of M. Allens sophystrie as of which he can prate much and define nothing he falleth to an other shifte that the fall into the southe signifieth the certainty of saluation that the elect be in after this life and the fall into the North the certainty of damnation that the wicked are in For though the elect be in purgatory yet they be in the fauour of God and certaine of saluation But this glosse corrupteth the texte for then they should alwayes lye in purgatory which is a warme south if it be as they saye for the certeinty or vncerteinty of their saluation is as great before they were borne as after they be deade It can not be therefore that the wise man speaketh thereof And because you cracke
penaunce whereby the woundes of mans frailty are profitably cured be found 5 Aske your owne conscience M. Allen whether you haue not miserably wrested the Scriptures your selfe And lette all reasonable men aunswere whether such textes of Scriptures as you haue wrested out of the true sense I haue not wrested out of your handes And that not by shamefull denial of the Doctors but euen by the testimony exposition of the doctors them selues with force of matter rather then flow of wordes with plaine meaning rather then with deceitfull dealing And whereas you boast your selfe to be a reporter of antiquity you haue shewed your selfe to be a fauorer of forgery and a corrupter of antiquity As for the gracious giftes and conceit of comfort that you bragge of in your counterfeit Church of hypocrites and sclaunderous Synagoges of Satan how so euer you paynt it out with glorious termes we geue most humble harty thaÌ„ks to the infinite goodnes of God which hath geuen his holy spirite into our hearts with perfect assurance of his fauour euerlasting and hath so furnished his seruaunts with such giftes as he hath thought sufficient for the setting forth of his praise in his Church vpon earth that we neede not desire any other giftes or comfort out of his family but onely the continuance and increase of the same which we haue already in his owne house vntill we shall be translated from this mortall and corruptible state to the eternall and incorruptible glory which is laid vp in heauen for all them that wait for the appearing of the glorious God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and dominion both now and euermore Amen THE ENDE OF THE FIRST BOOKE THE SECOND BOOKE INTREATING OF THE PRAIERS and other ordinary reliefe that the Church of Christ procureth for the soules departed THE PREFACE OF THIS BOOKE wherein the matter of the treatise and the ordre of the Authors preceading be briefely opened 1 WE haue now taried very longe in the consideration of Gods iustice mighty scourge not onely for the euerlasting outcastes but also for the exacte triall of the chosen childrens wayes The beholding whereof must needes ingender some sorow and sadnesse of minde and with all as it commonly happeth in our frailety a certaine bitter tediousnesse both in the writer and the reader though for my parte I will say with S. Paule that it greeueth me neuer a whit that I haue in my talke geuen you occasion of sadnesse being assured that this present greefe may worke perfect penaunce to vndoubted saluation But the wearinesse of that rough part which might both by the weight of the matter and also by my rude handeling quickely arise to the studious reader I shall in this booke wholy wipe away not by art or pleasant fall of words which in plaine dealing is not much requisite but by the singular comfort of our cause In the continuall course whereof we shall ioy more and more at the beholding of Gods passing mercy in remission of sinnes and mitigatioâ—â—f the paines which iustice enioyned For now we must talke how the fiery sword of Gods ire may be turned from his people VVhich as one of the fathers truely saide beareth a great shewe of vengeaunce and iudgement because it is named a firy sworde but yet knowen withall to be a tourning sworde that is gladius versatilis it shall geue great cause of comfort againe O sapientes sayth deuoute Dasmacene ad vos loquor scrutamini erudimini quia plurimus est timor Dei domini omnium sed multò amplior bonitas formidabiles quidem minae incomparabilis autem clementia horrenda quidem supplicia ineffabile autem miserationum suarum pelagus Thus he speaketh of Purgatory and mercy O you of the wise sorte to you do I speake searche and learne that the feare of God the Lorde of all thinges is maruaillous much but his goodnesse farre ouerreacheth it His threatning exceding feâ—refull but his clemency vncomparable the prepared punishmeÌ„ts doubtlesse horrible but the bottomlesse â—ea of his mercies is vnspeakable so saide he Therefore if our sinnes forgeuen were neuer so greuous or our vicious life so farre wasted in idle welth that space of fructefull penaunce and opportunity of well working by the nightes approching and our Lordes sodden calling be taken away in which longe differring of our amendement heuy and sore execution must needes for iustice sake be done yet let vs not mistrust but God measureth his iudgement with clemency and hath ordeined meanes to procure mercy and mitigate that sentence euen in the middest of that firy doungion that the vessels of grace and the redemed flocke may worthely sing both mercy iudgement to our gracious God who in his angre forgetteth not to haue compassion neither withdraweth his pity in the middest of his ire For this imprisonment endureth no longer then our debtes be paide this fire wasteth no further then it findeth matter to consume this disâ—riet wise flame as some of the fathers before termed it chastiseth no longer then it hath cause to correct Yea often before this fire by course of iustice can cease God quencheth it with his sonnes bloude recompenseth the residew by our maisters merittes and accepteth the carefull crie of our mother the Church for hâ—r children in paine The memorie of Christes death liuely and effectually setforth in the soueraigne misteries vppon the Altare in earth entereth vp to the presence of his seate and procureth pardon in heauen aboue the merites of all sainctes the prayer of the faithfull the workes of the charitable both earnestly aske and vndoubtedly finde mercye and grace at his hande For of such the Prophet Dauid asketh Nunquid in aeternum proijciet Deus aut continebit in ira sua misericordias suas VVill God caste them awaye for euer or will he shutte vp his mercy when he is angrie No he will not so sayth S. Ambrose Deus quos proijcit non in aeternum proijcit God casteth of many whom he doth not euerlastingly for sake Then let vs seeke the wayes of this so mercyfull a Lorde that we may take singular comforte therein our selues against the day of our accompt and indeuour mercyfully to helpe our deare brethern so afflicted lest if we vse not compassion towardes them we iustly receiue at Gods hande for the rewarde of our vnmercyfulnesse iudgement and iustice with out mercy THE SECOND BOOKE TO THE PREFACE 1 YOu haue taryed longer in consideratioÌ„ of Gods iustice then is agreable to the matter of his mercy which is the death of his only sonne our Lord and Sauiour Christ. And now you will mollyfie the hardnesse of that handling with the sory comforte of your vnchristian cause Wherin you haue more regarde to the heating of your owne harthe then to the cooling of the selye soules to kindle a good fire in your owne kitchen then to quench the
dead to be practised at those burialls when in so many burialls as are rehearsed in the Scriptures with all ceremonies vsed about them neuer is there one word nay not one sillable to proue prayer for their soules And yet as a man with a marble face you are not ashamed to affirme that rites offices diriges obites trentalls c. were practised by them for the reliefe of the soules in purgatory It may be that much of your paultry by fond imitation was taken of such doings to counterfet the examples of the Patriarkes but once againe I say there is no mention in al the Scripture of prayer for â—he dead at any burial Wherfore the authoritie of Ambrose helpeth you litle who although he commendeth Honorius for solemnising the funeralls of Theodosius by the space of 40. dayes after the example of Ioseph yet he sayth not that prayer for the deade was taken by the example of Ioseph But see M. Allen if you can see any thing whether blind affection carieth you that you can not vnderstand the playne latine of Ambrose or else will not translate it a right Ambrose speaketh not of his fortieth dayes minde but of the solemnitie of his funerall kept 40. dayes togither as in the embalming of Iacobs body was by Ioseph But to say the truth how simple a reason this was to take example of for the time of solemnitie of funeralls it is playne by that place which Ambrose allegeth where it is sayd that 40. dayes were bestowed by the Phisitions or Apothecaries in embalming the body of Iacob to keepe it long from putrefaction And how slenderly he reproueth them that kept 7. dayes funeralls where if his reason were good by example of Iosephs Poticaries to keepe 40. dayes theirs were better by example of Ioseph him selfe to keepe 7. dayes These be the groundes of such superstitions as crept into the Church first by emulation of the Paganes and after seeking for colourable confirmation in the examples of the Patriarkes For auoyding of all which inconueniences that haue risen and may rise by ceremonies practised at burialls the Church of Geneua very wisely godly vseth no more ceremonies in burying their deade then are conuenient for the reuerent laying vp of the corps which is ordayned to ryse agayne with glory Whose still buriall is better then your yelling and howling and their mumming if you will needes so terme it more commendable then you masking 2 But in the second booke of the Kinges â–ª the example of the holy King Dauid is a playne proofe that they fasted also for the deceased Apprehendens Dauid vestimenta sua scidit omnesque viri qui cum eo erant planxerunt ieiunauerunt vsque ad vesperam super Saul Ionathan filium eius super populum super domum Israel eo quod corruissent gladio And Dauid taking holde of his garmentes tore them and so did the men with him and they howled wept and fasted vpon Saul and Ionathas his sonne with the residue of Gods people that there were slaine Now what other thing did Dauid here and his people but that which Iudas Machabeus did afterwarde for the like death of his souldiars I trowe there was no fasting to be found ouer any maner a person lyue or dead for thy selue or other in the whole course of scripture but it was to obteine mercy at Gods hande towardes the partie for whome thou didest it So did this same holy Prophet weepe fast lye on the grounde and change apparell for his childe which he begat of Vrias wife when he lay at the point of death stricken by Gods hande for the punishment of his fathers faulte The which he did as he protesteth him selfe to turne the angry sentence of God if it might be and recouer the childe againe But as soone as the childe was gone he brake of his longe fast geuing his frendes to weete that he tormented not him selfe so of onely naturall compassion towardes the childe or inordinate lous as they thought but to obteine his purpose by such bitter teares and fasting at Gods handes for the childs recouery Fasting then ouer any man and such solemne mourning is nothing els but an effectuall asking of mercy for whome so euer it be done As more plainely it is yet declared in the buriall of Saul and Ionathas before said celebrated by the Galadites and Saules souldiars VVhere as the scripture sayth after they had buried their bodies and bones they fasted vij dayes Et ieiunauerunt septem diebus For no other cause but thereby effectually to aske pardon of their offensies There can I am sure be no reasonable occasion of their fasting alleaged of no man but that which the honorable Bede testifieth for vs in these wordes Recte ad literam pro mortuis vt ad requiem peruenire valeant septem diebus ieiunatur quia post sex huius mundi aetates in quibus in carne laboramus septima est in illo saeculo aetas requictionis animarum carne exutarum in qua beatae tempus illud glorificum quando resurgere mereantur expectant Duely and according to the letter they fasted sayth he for the departed seuen dayes together to obteine rest for them because after the six ages of the worlde in which we trauell in flesh the seuenth age is looked for in that worlde when the soules be loosed from their bodies when the blessed and happy sort shall continually be in expectation of the glorious time by receiuing their bodies in the resurrection againe 2 As we haue had prayer for the dead so now we shal haue fasting for the deade In deede the wordes sounde more like such a matter then any thing that can be sayed of prayer for the deade But the sence is euident they fasted not for them to redeme their soules but they fasted to declare their sorrow because they were slaine with the sworde as it followeth in plaine wordes And yet to make the matter more plaine in the same Chapter followeth a large forme of lameÌ„tation made by Dauid for them where if euer he had vsed prayer for the deade he woulde haue vsed it if not for his father in lawe Saule yet at leste for his dearly beloued and sworne brother Ionathas But no such thing came in his minde as M. Allen foolishly fantysieth of him But M. Allen sayth this matter is more plainly proued by the Galaadites that fasted seuen dayes after the buriall of Saule and Ionathas and he is suer there can no reasonable cause be alleaged of their fasting but onely to aske pardon for their sinnes I take this to be a more resonable cause that they fasted and humbled them selues before God because they did see the wrath of God against the whole people in the calamitie of the king his sonne whose contumelious haÌ„dling by the vncircumcised stretched to the dishonor of god And this was coÌ„mon among the Israelites in any great calamitie
gaue in commaundement that a memory should be had in the prayers of the Church for him as the custome was that all byshoppes after their death shoulde haue Here is now open practise of that which by wordes we proued before here is an euident testimonie of the vsage of the Greeke Church for the buriall of bishoppes and generall custome of keping their memoriall in the publike prayers and seruice of the Church It were not needefull to recite out of Eusebius the forme of Constantinus his funeralls kept in the same Church with solemnity of sacrifice singinge lightes and prayers Nor the buriall of the Emperour Constantius who as Nazianzenus writeth was brought forth with common prayses of all men with singing lightes and lampes all the night longe very honorably with which thinges saith he we Christian men thinke it a blessed thing to honour the memories of our freindes departed And if the aduersaries woulde here contentiously reason that these solemne rites of Christian burialls be nothing profitable or if the simple aske why they be profitable S. Chrysostome may instruct such as list learne and correct the other that list reprehende in these wordes Tell me saith he what all these festiuall lights in the buriall of the deceased meane what all this singing of Hymnes and Psalmes signifieth to what ende be so many priestes and musicians called together to which in fine he thus aunswereth do we not all these thinges to geue thankes to God and euerlasting glory that he hath deliuered the departed from the troubles of this mortall life do we not this to our comforte and honour of the departed And in the buriall of the Noble matrone Paula how the priestes did sing how the bishops of Hierusalem and of all Palestine and Syria for the most part caried torches how the religious both men and women did the rites of the dirigies how her almes folkes shewed their cotes to procure mercy euen as they did at Dorcas departure in the Actes of the Apostles how they cōtinued their singing and saying seuen dayes together at the Church in Bethleem where she was buried S. Hierom him selfe a true record thereof beareth witnesse in the like wordes as I haue recited and many moe which the feare of weereing the reader causeth me full sore against my will to omitte They so set forth not onely the substance of the thinge which standeth in prayer and sacrifice but also do proue against the enemies of good ordre that the smallest ceremonies that our Churchies of late haue vsed were not lately taken vp by our couetousnesse and superstition but with more aboundance and numbre and continuance and solemnytie practised in the flour of Christes Church in diuers principall partes of the worlde as at Hierusalem and Constantinople by the praysing and approuing of the grauest fathers of our faith 2 Why M. Allen what a mockery is this do you make bragge in the title of your chapter that you will shewe the practise of all holy men in words and prayers for the dead and nowe beginne your examples no higher then at Chrysostomes translation which was well neare 400. yeares after Christ The people with great plenty of lightes brought Chrysostomes body to Constantinople VVell this ceremony in carying torches at burialls being taken of the Gentiles they vsed to honour the memory of them that were deade as the ceremonies of the Heralds are vsed for the same ende What more The Emperour prayed for his fathers and mothers soules and as M. Allen thinketh but the story sayth not so he prayed to S. Chrysostome for them What else Atticus caused masse to be sayd for him that maketh vp all But where is any mention of masse or sacrifice of the masse M. Allen Are you such a cunning interpreter to expound celebrare sacra solemnia to say masse In deed such interpretations will help you well to finde that which else you might seeke long enough in the olde writers and goe without for all your labour It is all one with M. Allen to celebrate holy solemne seruice to say masse But you will say memory was made of him in the prayers so might there be and yet his soule not praied for ▪ but how agree you with your selfe M. Allen your opinion is that Theodosius praied to him as to a sainct in heauen howe then did Atticus cause him to be prayed for as one lying in purgatory I wisse you forget your selfe to much to vtter things so contrary so neare togither And as for the funeralls of Constantinus and Constantius what so euer you say haue no mention of Masse nor sacrifice of Masse In the buriall of Constantinus there is mention of prayer for his soule according to the error of the time and in the funeralls of Constantius there were lights but there is also shewed the vse of them as I haue touched already togither with the necessitie of some of them because they were lighted in the night The saying of Chrysostome with the example of the buriall of Paula shew nothing either of Masse sacrifice or prayer for the deade And whereas you bable of the rites of your popish dirige Ieronym saith al was singing of Psalmes and giuing thankes for her godly life happy departing Hebraeo Graeco Latino Syroque sermone Psalmi in ordine personabant Psalmes were song in Hebrewe Greeke Latine and Syrian language by course as there were diuers nations that came to honour the solemnitie of her funeralls Finally if your doctrine of purgatory were true yet Ieronym describeth her to be so perfect a woman as no prayers needed to be sayd for her her life was so full of good workes and her ende so full of faith And therfore M. Allen here is nothing for the sacrifice of the Masse whereof you made your promise to shew the practise in the chiefe partes of the worlde naming Ierusalem for one when Paula was buried at Betheleem and not at Ierusalem 3 And now S. Augustine being of Aphricke so farre from the other in distance of place yet ronneth ioyntly with them in religion He purposely writing of the solemne rites of Christian funeralls in that golden treatise De cura pro mortuis agenda thus after longe consideration of the whole cause determineth that the pompe of buriall with all such solemnyties as there vnto be in Gods Church ioyned is very seemely for that body which was the vessell of a Christian soule and an instrument or companion in well working whervnto it shall be also vnited in the resurrection for to receiue together the inheritance of the euerlasting kingdome But the lacke of these where they be not arrogantly contemned or can not be had is nothing hurtefull to the good nor the hauing any thing profitable to the wicked as the examples of Lazarus and the Riche man may well proue Therefore it is the sacrifice and prayers which properly do helpe or relieue the departed Curatio funeris sayth he
conditio sepulturae pompa exequiarum magis sunt viuorum solatia quà m subsidia mortuorum Non tamen ideo contemnēda abijcienda sunt corpora defunctorum maxime que iustorum fidelium quibus tanquam organis vasis ad omnia bona opera sanctus vsus est spiritus Curious prouision for the buriall and the pompe of the solemne obittes be rather done for the solace of the lieue then for helpe of the deade neuerthelesse the bodies of the departed namely of faithfull folkes may not be contemned or cast forth the which the holy Ghost vsed as vessells and instruments of well working By all which thinges it may well be noted that some thinges haue bene vsually practised in funeralls for thankes geuing to almighty God as Hymnes and Psalmes other some for decent comelinesse and solace of the liuinge as the place of the buriall the lights the ringing and such like although euen these things proceeding of loue and deuotion be after a sorte meritorious to the doers and a helpe to them for whome they be procured and good motions and memories of mans duety For which causies those and the like haue bene vniformelie vsed through out the whole Catholike Church from the beginning But the principall thinges perteining to the iustes of the departed be prayers and sacrifice and other such like whereby they are assuredly much proffited by release of their paines So saith S. Augustine in these wordes Non existimemus ad mortuos pro quibus curam gerimus peruenire nisi quod pro eis siue altaris siue eleemosinarum sacrificijs solemniter celebramus Let vs neuer thinke that any other thinge properly apperteineth to the reliefe of the departed sauing the solemne sacrifice of the altar almes and prayer And therefore as the saide holy doctour confesseth the worthinesse of the place where man is buried of it selfe profiteth not at all but in respect of the holy prayers which be there rather made then els where and the patronage of holy martyrs and sainctes to whome he nothing doubteth but intercession may profitably be made for the deceased for which cause as it may appeare by Paulinus men were very desirous euer in the primitiue Church to be buried by some blessed martyrs body And so must we thinke also of buriall by the reuerent holy sacrament that it wonderfully helpeth man not for the placeis sake although the deuotion of the desirer is therin commēdable but because the liuing may there effectually commende the departed to God in the time of the holy sacrifice may be put in remembraunce to call vpon Christes blessed person there present for the soule of that man which with care and study laide his body in the hope of resurrection by the soueraigne holy body that is already risen againe And this was the cause that our forefathers from Christes time till our dayes haue had respecte and desire as occasion serued to be buried there where by ordre prayers and sacrifice were daily had and where the patronage of holy sainctes might best be procured It is a high point of wisdome surely good reader onely to see what godly wisdome our fathers vsed in shew of their zele faith and Christianity As it is an vntollerable arrogancy and a singular signe of infidelity to laugh at and blaspheme those thinges whereof not the prowdest heretike that liueth hath any intelligence at all Obcoecauit enim eos malitia eorum For their owne malice hath blinded them 3 But let vs now followe you into Africa First you allege Augustine in his booke de cura pro mortuis agenda wherin he is so full of doubtes that he knoweth not him selfe what to determine but that he will hold the common opinion receiued in his time But this pasteth M. Allen that you will content your selfe with Augustines authoritie that the pompe of buriall c. profiteth not the deade but that you will haue lightes ringing c. proceding of loue and deuotion to help them for whom they are procured If you may goe beyond Augustine why may not we come short of him But in the 18. chapter he nameth the sacrifice of the aultar to be profitable to the deade This soundeth somewhat like the matter but if it be well marked it maketh nothing for the propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse for euen in the same place he calleth it the sacrifice of almes which is but a sacrifice of thankes giuing And that by this sacrifice he meaneth not the body of Christ nor a propitiatory sacrifice is manifest in his booke de fide ad Petrum diaconum cap. 19. where he sayth that Christ offered him selfe for vs that sacrifice whereby God was reconciled and that the Church offered to Christ the sacrifice of breade and wine in faith and charitie which is a thankes geuing and memoriall of his death The body of Christ is not offered to him selfe but thankes giuing is offered to him for the offering of his body for vs His wordes are Firmissimè tene nullatenus dubites ipsum vnigenitum c. Hold most stedfastly and nothing doubt then that the only begotten sonne of God being made flesh offered him selfe for vs a sacrifice oblation for a sweete fauour vnto God to whom with the father and the holy Ghost by the Patriarches Prophets and Priestes in time of the olde Testament beastes were sacrificed and to whom now that is in the time of the new Testament togither with the father and the holy Ghost with whom his diuinitie is all one the holy Catholike Church throughout all the worlde ceaseth not to offer the sacrifice of breade and wine in faith and charitie For in these carnall sacrifices there was a figuring of the flesh of Christ which he him selfe being without sinne should offer for our sinnes But in this sacrifice there is thankes giuing commemoration of the flesh of Christ which he offered for vs and of his bloode which the same God shed for vs Nowe for the other poynt of inuocation of Sainctes M. Allen affirmeth that S. Augustine neuer doubteth but intercession may be made vnto them for the deade who so euer will take paynes to reade the treatise de cura pro mortuis agenda shall find nothing else but doubtes and questions of that matter as cap. 5. Cum ergo mater fidelis filij defuncti corpus desyderauit in Basilicam martyris poni si quidem credidit eius animam meritis martyris adiuuari hoc quod ita credidit supplicatio quaedam fuit haec profuit si quid profuit Therfore when the faithfull mother desired the body of her faithful sonne departed to be layd in the Church of the Martyr if she beleued that his soule might be helped by the metites of the martyr this that she so beleued was a certeyne supplication and this profited if any thing profited Here Augustine doubteth whether supplications to the Martyr profite any thing or no. Moreuer he can not
whose workes the aduersaries woulde be glad of one likely sentence And whose life and doctrine are so glorious in Gods Church that their owne aduersaries raling at vs aliue yet dare not but with great feare once blemish their names departed Though sometimes it brastithe out in some one of them to their owne miscredit So beutifull is the light of trueth And on the other side howe miserable is their carefull case that followe and defende that doctrine the authors whereof they dare neither acknowledge nor name whome all good men with open mouth boldely doe reprehend and their owne scholars dare not defende Such a glorious maiesty this doctrine of theires beareth that pricketh vp with pryde those that be alyue and blotteth out of honest memorie her doctors that be deade 10 Nay M. Allen though those doctors build some hay or stuble vpon the onely foundation Christ their case is ten thousand times better then yours which build nothing but dirt and donge tempered with hay and stuble vpon no foundation at all except it be the sande and seeke by all meanes to digge vp the onely true foundation of our fayth Iesus Christ making him nothing better then a common person except his bare name and woe may be to such Catholikes as can finde nothing but hay and stuble where such store of precious matter is and the most precious corner stone the foundation of all excellency And happy be those which not regarding the streames of waters that runne through the vaynes of earth but seeking to the onely fountayne of heauenly truth conteyned in the holy scriptures haue certeyne comfort of saluation while they are aliue and sure possession of felicitie with Christ as soone as they are dead yea which dye not at all because they beleue in Christ which is life nor enter into iudgement but passe from death of this body which is temporall vnto life of body and soule which is eternall The first Author of that secte vvhich denieth prayers for the departed is noted his good condicions and cause of his error be opened vvhat kinde of men haue bene most bent in all ages to that secte And that this heresy is euer ioyned as a fit companion to other horrible sectes CAP. XIIII 1 BVt yet because they haue diffamed our practise in praying and offering for the deade by referring it to a later origine then the Apostolike authority and tradition seeing we haue fathered our vsage vpon such as the aduersaries dare not blame we will helpe them to seeke out the fathers of their faithles perswasion lest by the feare and bashfullnesse of their owne scholars they be vnkindly forgotten Mary to finde out these obscure loyterers it will be somewhat painefull because as theeues doe they kepe by wayes and lightly treade not in honest mens pathes For the finding out of recordes for the testimony of our trueth we kepte the day light the high waye of Gods Church All the knowen notable personages in the holy Citye of God offered them selues both to witnesse and proue with vs VVe droue this trueth from our dayes through the middest of that holy communitie which S. Augustine calleth the Citye of God and our aduersaries will not saye otherwise but they were the liuely membres of that happy and heauenly fellowship VVe brought the practise of it to the holy Apostles by plaine accompte we went with the trueth of our cause to the lawe of Moyses from thense by like light to the lawe of nature But nowe for the other sorte we must leaue the cytie of God and the fellowship of these noble personages of doctors Apostles Prophets and Patriarches and seeke on the lifte hande in the other citye which is of Augustine named the citye or common welth as a man might call it of the deuill in which body all practise of mischiefe and origin of error ishuing from that vnhappy heade to the corrupt and deadly limmes thereof is to be founde VVe shall heare of the aduersary perswasion then in the company of Anabaptistes of Arrians of Saduceis of Epicures where so euer the weedes of the common enemies corrupte seede groweth there shall we find amongest breares and brembles this choking weede with all For as the true preachers the Apostles of Christ Iesu did sowe in the beginning of the Christian church which was the springe of the worde of lyfe and trueth amongest other heauenly seedes of true doctrine that profitable practise for the reliefe of such as were hense departed in the sleepe of peace with the decent ordre which euer fithens the Catholicke Church hath obediently followed euen so Inimicus homo superseminauit zizania the common enemy came afterwarde and ouersewe darnell and cockle either for the vtter choking or else for the especiall let of that good seede which the Maister of this fielde by his houshold seruauntes had plentifully sowen before This common aduersarie as our maister him selfe expoundeth it is the Deuill who as he in all other thinges beneficiall to mankinde is a great staye so Christian mens commoditie in this point he notably hindereth by his wicked suggestions and deuilish deuise whereby he prouoketh many vnder the shewe of Gods word or bare name therof for that is the lambes cote which this wyely wolfe boroweth to maske in to be vnkind vnnaturall and with out all godly affection towards their departed frendes The which contrary corrupt seede of false doctrine we right well know came of the sayd aduersary because it was long after ouersowen learning further of Tertullian Id verum esse quodcunque primum id adulterinum quod posterius That to be true that was first taught and that to be false and forged which came latter CAP. XIIII 1 WHen the Apostolike writing can not be shewed it is but the poynt of an heretike to boast of Apostolike tradition So did the Valentinians although their heresie were newe when they were confuted by the Scriptures shrowed them selues vnder the name of traditions as we haue shewed before out of Irenaeus lib. 3. ca. 2. And therfore it is but vayne bragging that you promise to seeke out any other fathers of our perswasion then the Apostles of Christ by whose holy writings we neuer refuse to be iudged what if any heretike haue affirmed some thing that is true is truth worse in an heretikes mouth The deuills them selues confessed christ Their confession was true their testimony was refused So if any heretike haue confessed the truth we may receiue the truth and yet reiect his testimony For truth hath testimony of God his word and whether it be affirmed or denyed by the deuill it is all one The high way that you prate of is a bye way for the Scripture is the onely high way to the truth with the guidance of Gods spirite And yet that way which you haue taken hath so many hills and holes woods and thickets that you haue rather flyen ouer it in a dreame and imagination
flambes of purgatory But as I haue noted before that you haue hetherto kept this order for the most parte to plante one thinge in one chapter and then to pull it vp by the rootes in the next so you haue not forgotten your selfe in the diuision of your bookes But that the latter shoulde be a sufficient confutation of the former or else the former a manifest excluding of the latter For if the iustice of God doth so necessarily require a punishment for sinnes remitted that the same coulde not be satisfied no not by that only sacrifice which the sonne of God offered once for all on the aulter of the crosse it is a colde comforte that a carefull conscience can receiue that the same shoulde be done by his merites or your Masses which was not done by the bloude of Christ Yet now you will talke how the fiery sword maye be turned away surely if the fiery and shaking sworde that was set to exclude man from Paradise was not taken away by the death of Christ when he opened Paradise yea the kingdome of heauen whereof Paradise was but a sacrament vnto all beleuers I meruaill how either the penitent these had passage into Paradise or what engins you Papistes haue to turne it awaye which he had not The wordes of Damascene if they were not applied as you saye they are to purgatory paines and remedies of the same were true of Gods iustice and his mercy but as his age is to young so his authoritie is to light to controll the trueth of the worde of God or the practise of the first purest Church which knew no purgatory nor prayers for the deade But if our sinnes forgeuen were neuer so greuous c. what mad man woulde euer write thus Euen such a one as might be allowed to speake thus if blacke were neuer so blacke before it were cleane taken away and perfect white placed in the steede yet when white is white it is white But M. Allen wil not allowe that the coullor of our sinnes is cleane taken away and a contrary coullor of righteousnesse set vppon vs but that sinnes forgeuen be but halfe forgeuen the gilte taken awaye the punishment due for the gilte still remayning And this one halfe of forgeuenesse is but graunted in wordes and denied in deede For if the gilte of our sinnes be cleane taken away from vs and layed vpon the person of Christ and the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated vnto vs what is there lefte in vs that God of his goodnesse can hate or of his iustice can punish So it is but for a fashion that the papistes graunt any parte of our sinnes forgeuen when they will haue vs make satisfaction for them our selues But where as M. Allen is out of measure prodigall in promising releiffe and release of purgatory paines to them whose sinnes were neuer so greuous their vicious life wasted in idle wealth the space of penaunce and opportunity of working neglected in time preuented by sodaine death c rehersing so many meanes of mitigation as sometime the bloude of Christ the residew of his merites the crye of the mother Church the memory of the Masse the merites of all Sainctes the prayers of the faithfull and workes of the charitable All this notwithstanding take heede you poore Papistes that you geue no credit to these flattering wordes For it is the opinion of all the olde writers that doe allowe any of these thinges to profit men after their death and concluded by the Maister of the Sentence and aduouched by Allen him selfe afterwarde chapt 7. that no man can receiue benefit after his departure by any worke or will of the liuing but he that in his life deserued the same neither shal any thing worke vpon him more or lesse but according to his owne deseruing in this life Trust not therefore in these sophisticall vanities which are contrary one to an other but imbrace the vniforme vndoubted doctrine of Gods word which teacheth repentaunce faith iustification and saluation not with curious questions to troble your braynes but with perfect conclusions to quyet your conscience not suffering you to sleepe in securitie vpon hope of helpe after your death but charging you to shew the force of mortification and fruictes of fayth while you are aliue Not puffing vp your phantasie with pride of your owne merites but teaching you to ascribe all prayse to Gods glorious grace and infinite mercy 2 The cruell aduersary of man kinde as before he wrought his worst against Purgatory so here he busely pricketh forwarde the schoole of Protestantes to improue to their owne vtter damnation and the notable hinderaunce of our louing bretherns saluation all such meanes as God by scripture or other testimony of his worde hath reueled to be profitable for the abating of paine or the release of the apointed punishment in that place of temporall torment to come Against which deceiuers I meane by Gods helpe in this ordre to trauell 2 The cruell aduersary of mankinde and enuyor of Gods glory inuented Purgatory to deface the merites of Christes death and to blemish the onely meanes of mans eternall life which when he coulde not with any seemely coullor establish by the authority of the holy Scriptures the onely testimony of his worde and will reueiled and confirmed by his holy Spirite he hath inuented fayned fables and deuilish illusions to deceiue the mindes of them whome he had enclined vnto superstition and not bene ashamed to match them in credit and estimation with the very worde of God it selfe As appereth by this scribe of Sathan which nameth the scriptures for a simple shew but by and by addeth other testimonies of Gods worde beside the scriptures inspired by God whereby he maketh equiualent those false reuelations raised vp from Hell with the inspiratiō of the holy Ghost which hath brought the truth from heauen But now commeth in the order of this deuillyshe horror 3 First I will proue that sinnes may be pardoned or the debt and bonde thereof released in the next worlde 3 You shall neuer proue by authoritie of Gods word that sinnes not repented in this life shal be pardoned after this life where there is no repentaunce profitable nor yet any debt payed but by them that paye it eternally in perpetuall torments 4 Then I shall shewe what meanes the holy Scripture approueth or the example thereof awarraunteth to be proffitable for the soules departed 4 When you can proue either by doctrine or example agreable to doctrine of the canonicall Scriptures that any thing profiteth the soules departed that be not in happy state we will beleue it 5 I will open what the principall pillars and in a maner the flowre of all the faithfull sorte in sundry agies and almost in all Christian contryes haue lefte in writinge for this pointe 5 You are not able to bring one authenticall writer that within one 100 yeares and more after Christ hath allowed prayer for