colde coniectures Nowe Iesus Christ who is the infallible veritie woulde not that we should builde the articles of our fayth vppon coniectures but vpon the expresse veritie For sith that he and his Apostles doe witnesse that they haue manâ—fested all that which was necessary to our saluation hath commended to vs so much the loue towards our bretheren it is not lyke to be true but is repugnant to the witnesse of Iesus Christ that they haue spoken vnto vs so obscurely haue giuen vnto vs onely some coniectures of this matter and of the loue that we owe vnto the dead the which the Priestes doe wrest it more then that which is due vnto those that be liuing Hillarius Bicause that Iesus Christ hath spoken so obscurely therefore they would make commentaries gloses for to declare it bicause that it bringeth vnto them more profit Thomas Thou hast opened a place Theophilus of which I would gladly be resolued that is to say of the preaching to the dead For to tell the truth I haue oftentimes dreamed mused after it bicause that I considered y according to the witnesse of the Scripture nâ—ne can haue saluation but thorowe the faith in Iesus Christ Now if we do compare those which haue knowne Iesus Christ and haue beleeued in him with those which haue not beleeued and which haue neuer hard him speake the number of those here shal be very little in respect of others Wherefore it followeth that there should be a meruaâ—lous number of the damned that the mercy of God shall not be so great as his rigor iudgement Now it is straunge to mans reason to iudge that God will dampne so many chieâ—â—y sith y he hath had as many which haue not known Iesus Christ for want that one hath not shewed him vnto them Wherefore me thinketh that the opinion of those héere is not much out of reason And I would gladly know what places they can haue of the holy Scripture for to proue it for I will accord and agrée almost sooner to that then to the opinion of Purgatory Theophilus Thou hast moued a question the whiche cannot be expressed and absolued in few wordes For we must first declare what knowledge of Iesus Christ is necessary vnto saluation and how it hath bene alwayes preached from the beginning of the world among all people nations And how it hath ben sufficiently manifested vnto the elect for their saluation to the reprobate for their condempnation Insomuch that they are all inexcusable they cannot alledge ignorance sufficient for to excuse them And it is not néedfull that they haue any more preaching after this lyfe But I had rather that we would omit and leaue off that matter vntill an other time that we maye speake more amply of it and better to satisfie the question which is made dayly touching the saluation or dampnation of our predecessors which haue liued in errour and ignoraunce Yet neuerthelesse bicause that the places which we haue accustomed to alledge for y preaching to the dead may also serue to the matter at this present time I am contented y we do entreat of them for to declare that they are not firme inough for to proue the same nor the Limbe nor Purgatory in like manner to which the others would make theÌ„ serue But for that that it may be that Eusebus doth put them foorth amongst his defenses it were better that we do delay that matter vntil such time as he bringeth it in by course in following his matter by order or if be do it not thou maist put me in remembrance Thomas Yet neuerthelesse before that Eusebius pursueth the other places that he hath determined to put foorth or open I wil propound vnto him an argument concerning the point of which we haue entreated off that is to say of the remission forgiuenes of sinnes in the other world Whervpon I demaund of thée Eusebius when Iesus Christ did giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto his Church as wel in y person of S. Peter as vnto al y church generally that he declare the power of them of the ecclesiastical ministry hath he not sayd namely That which thou shalt binde in earth shall be bound in heauen that which thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen He sayth not That which thou shalt binde or vnbinde in heauen or in Purgatory or in hell or in the other world or in the other life and in an other earth but speaketh of this héere in the which the keys haue ben giuen in the which the Euangelical ministry hath his vigor and strength I wil not reiterate that that you said of the forgiuenes of fault paine For al that is against you But me thinketh that the Pope and those that haue receiued the power of him doe verye euill vnderstand their office willing to extend and stretch the power of their keyes pardons and indulgences vnto the other world and vnto the dead which haue their estate a part and seperated from ours and are no more vnder the iudgement of the church which is in earth which hath not to regard but on the liuing Eusebius Alexander of Ales Gabriel Biel haue very wel satisfied y obiectioÌ„ For they do answere y the dead ought to be accoÌ„pted to be yet vpoÌ„ the earth as touching y absolutioÌ„ or ligatioÌ„ binding or vnbinding vntil y they are passed entred into the kingdome of heauen For whilest y the soules are in purgatory they are vpon the earth sith that they are not yet in heaueÌ„ that they are yet of the Church militant not of y triumphaÌ„t Furthermore euen as those which are in the earth are yet in the way and not at the end full marke so are those which are deteined in Purgatory They are in passing for to goe to the countrey as touching the purgation by the which they are purged passe to the country as by y way Although y they are at the ende marke as touching the confirmation For they can no more sinne nor merit Furthermore all the while that they are ayded receiue comfort of the temporall earthly goods by prayers one may well holde accompt them for to be yet of this world sith that they doe communicate with vs of the goods which are there Hillarius He will accompt then of the dead as of the Monkes which are dead to the world in some pointes but not in other some They are dead to the world as to that that they doe serue and profit no person no more then the dead But they are not dead as to eating and drinking and to other carnall workes For in y there is not a people which doe better liue in the world nor which are more of the world Euen so shall it be of the dead They shal be dead to vs for to giue vs
brought of those children wheÌ„ they will not giue them to drincke as they would nor giue them that they demaund The Diuell of miracle that you shall haue thrée dayes Those are yet liuing who hearde it who can witnesse the truth Wherefore I doe conclude that the olde woman doth the miracles and not our Lady Thomas And hath that poore man Gaspard quenched their thirst Hillarius I kmow not what he did I thinke that when she sawe him so beggerly that she had some pittie But héerein stoode the question that when the childe that was raised must bée buryed then had he somewhat to doe For he must pay foure or fiue grotes for the buryall and I beléeue that he had not foure farthinges for to paye his charge and expence Neuerthelesse he could neuer agrée with the Priestes but was constrained to carry his childe to Orbe or otherwise he must bury him in the rawe earth For hée coulde neuer haue one foote of sodden earth Thomas What doe you call sodden earth and rawe earth Hillarius Are you of that country know not the language Doe you not know y our priests do call coÌ„monly raw earth that which is out of the churchyard which hath not ben blessed consecrated y is to wéet charmed by them as the same of their Church If it be rawe I conclude by contraries that the other is sodden Thomas And when he was at Orbe did he finde the Priestes more pitifull then at Lausannia Hillarius God knoweth howe that poore man was sifted and tried They did thinke to eate him aliue with his childe compelled him to carrie him to Lausannia or at the least would not suffer him to bury him in the Churchyarde neuerthelesse hee buried him But I knowe not whether it were in the rawe ground or sodden Thomas Beholde a greate rigour and crueltie shewed vnto a little infant Hillarius I doe thinke that if that tyme had continued any long space we should haue béene constrayned not to dye for want of burying It is a marueylous case that that poore little Infant had so much a doe to finde one little corner or angle in the earth for to be buried in and that the earth was not greate ynough for him We may very well say that of our Priests which Phocion saide of the Athemans a little before his death When they had condemned him to dye bicause he was too honest a man for them nor they were not worthy to haue him among them he must drincke of the hemlocke For the Athenians had that custome to make those that were founde faultie to drinke that poyson and to put them to death after that sort After that all the other that were in the prison with him had dronken and that there was none but he alone left bicause that all the other had consumed the poyson that did drinke first the hangman saide that hée will not giue it him vnlesse one woulde giue him twelue drachines of siluer For bicause that an ownce of the poyson was sold for so much Phocion then pleading with the hangman that his death might not be prolonged and that the same should not let or hinder him to die called vnto him a certeine friende of his and said vnto him Sith that it is not lawfull to dye at Athens frely but that it will cost money and that I must bye death I pray thée deliuer money to this hangman and giue him the price hée demaundeth least that for want of money I should tarry any longer before I dye We may say as much of the Christians and that y Christianitie is so much contributary that one cannot onely haue the death and the buriall freely but that we must pay a rewarde There was also among the Panims a certeine custome that the dead must pay And therfore when any man dyed they did put into his mouthe an halfe penny for to paye for his passage and custome vnto Charon the Ferryman of Hell for to serry the soules ouer the riuers that were there to passe ouer Thomas That was very good cheape But I do thinke that there passed many together at once For the soules are not very heaâ—y Hillarius According to the bodies from which they came out Thomas And if they had not wherewith to pay should they be constrayned to retourne to lyue againe and to continue and abide heere for want of money Hillarius They had that opinion that they should continue in great torment if they coulde not passe For they could not be purged of their sinnes nor enter into the fields Eliseas with the blessed but that they must firste passe the riuer As men haue made vs to beleeue of the soules who haue not ended their penaunce They doe also beleeue that if their bodyes be not honestly buryed according to their estate and degrée they cannot passe in an hundreth yeares but must be wandring héere and there vntill such time as their bodyes be buryed or vntill the terme of an hundreth yeares which was assigned vnto them for their payne and punishment be expired the which things the Poet hath comprised altogether in one selfe place by his verses of which I wil recite vnto you one parte of those that agree best to our matter He speaketh in that place of the things that Aâ—neas hath séene béeing descended into Hell with Sibilla the which afterwardes hée expoundeth and sheweth playnely whâ—t they signifie He first describeth that which they haue séene there practised saying HEere now the way doth lead to Lymbo lake and filthy stoud Whose chaÌ„nell choked is with troublous grouÌ„ds of miry mud And belching boyles a sand vvhich to the bakes it throws froÌ„ deeps A dredfull ferriman that streme vvith visage lothsom keepes In tartred vvretched weede and Charon he by name doth hight His hoary bush and bearde both ouergrovvue foule vndight With skowling steming eyes from his shoulders down his loyns His filthy mantell hangs whom sluttish knot vncomly ioyns Himselfe vvith pyked poale his boat doth guyde bears a charge Transporting still the soules in rusty dusty canckred barge Well aged novv but sappy strength he keepes of greener yeares To this place al the rout doth dravv theÌ„selues with louring cheeres By nombers great both men and vvomen dead nor long delayde With Princes preased boyes and girles that wedlocke neuer sayde And slouring youth that in their parents time were laid in ground And all that lyfe had borne about that banke they clustered round As thicke as leaues of trees among the vvoods in vvynter vvinde When first to ground they fal or lyke as foules of vvater kinde Assembling flock themselues when yere of frost hath first begunne And ouer Sâ—â—s they seeke in vvarmer lands to take the Sunne They stood and crauing cride that first transport they might before And stretching held their hands desiring much the further shore The churlish ferruman novv these novv those by course
of them which Dauid hath written of his enemies saying their throat is an open sepulchre And that which Esay speaketh off saying hell gapeth and openeth hir mouth meruailous wide For of all that they can once lay hand on nothing euer retourneth againe no more then from the mouth of hell and graue But which is worse the graue consumeth deuoureth but the dead bodies but these do deuour both the quick the dead And we may very wel say y these are the Harpyes of whom Virgile maketh mention off But bicause they are faire and goodly sepulchres as the Scribes Pharises who do neuer cease to crye Corban Corban giue giue offer offer and as the daughter of the Horseléech Bringe bringe to the candles of the good Sainct Bicause they are so beautifull pollished without y poore world cannot know theÌ„ although they do sée them deuoure eate vp widowes houses before their eies vnder colour of long praiers For they haue those goodly habites of religion goodly Ornaments Ceremonies goodly names titles and that goodly appearaunce of holinesse which do couer beautifie those sepulchres tombes in such sort that men cannot perceiue the filthinesse infection that is there hidden and kepte close within but passe ouer it without any aduisement as men doe by the Sepulchres Theophilus They are more open and dyscouered then néede required For GOD hathe nowe raysed vppe a people whome they woulde not haue who haue in suche sorte remoued all that filthe and infectyon that it stincketh throughoute the whole worlde And we must not be abashed if they call them the Sepulchers of Iesus Christ and though they doe meruaylously stincke sith that Iesus Christ is altogether deade in them and to them and that they haue nothing at all For if Christ lyue not in vs what other thing can wée bee but dead carryons stincking and infectious who doe not onely rotte and consume themselues but doe rotte and consume with them all other things Eusebius All of you doe cry out agaynst the Priestes Haue you now all sayd It was not inough for Hillarie to speake euill and backebite but that you must ayde and helpe him Theophilus and meddle also as well as hée Theophilus You neuer sawe a man that delyteth lesse to speake euill and backebite and to heare euill speakinge and tales But truth constrayneth mee and you oughte to vnderstande that to speake truth for the health of ones neighbour is not to speake euill backebite and slaunder any man Would to God I coulde speake as much good of them as of the Apostles For I doe loue better to praise their vertue charitie and mercy then to dispise their vices crueltie auarice and rapacitie But what will you that I speake If I doe sée a poore man who is wandring alone in a forrest or woode full of théeues am not I bounde to giue him warning of the daunger he is lyke to fall in If I say nothing vnto him am not I guyltie of his death sith that I knew the daunger And if I encourage him to enter and tell him that there is no daunger am not I then more culpable and worthy to be taken for a murtherer of my poore brother But if I doe admonish him of the daungers and of the théeues Doe I wrong vnto the theenes in callyng them by their name Shoulde I doe better and according to Gods commaundemet to call them good people for to saue their honour and that I should put my brother into their handes to haue them to cutte his throate What goodnesse can I finde in those who from the greatest to y least are al excommunicated iudged Simoniacks and Heretickes vnworthy of all Ecclesiasticall honour and office not onely by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures but also by their owne councells decrées and Canons For how many Councells Decrées and Canons be there that doe forbid to demaunde and take giftes rewardes presents hire or siluer nor any thing whatsoeuer it bée for creame baptisme orders laying on of hands for y earth nor Sepulture neyther for Sacraments nor whatsoeuer office is in the Church vnder payne of excommunication and to be holden and reputed Simoniackes Heretickes and Sacriledgers and depriued and deposed from theire offices and honours and not onely they that receiue the money but also those who doe giue it for such things Thomas There shall be then by that compte no Christian who shall not be excommunicated For among the priests there is not one but hath receiued money for such thinges nor among the people but hath disbursed somewhat Theophilus Therefore you may consider what communion may be in y Popish Church For Saint Peter did not only curse in the authoritie of God Symon the Sorcerer of whome Simony and Simoniackes haue taken their name but also the money that he offred for to buy the gifte of God withall Now if Symon for offering y money hath receiued such malediction what ought it to be vppon them that doe cleane contrary to Saynt Peter who doe not onely receiue but also doe compell the poore people to giue it them I doe not héereby meane that the true Euangelycall Priests and true Pastors of the Church are not worthy of their nourishment and rewarde But I speake agaynst those Merchaunts which are in the Church of God whom Saynt Peter hath forespoken who haue both GOD and the Diuill to sell Paradise â—nd Hell holy things and prophane things and which doe exercise merchandises of all things and are polluted and dâ—filâ—d with all Simonie and Sacriledges that they themselues haue bene constrayned to condemone them And he that will not beléeue me lette him read Platine in the lyues of the Popes and the decrees of the Councell of Elybertine holden in Spayne in the time of Constantine and that of Tholet holden in the yeare 713 and that of Calcedone And the 4. of Carthage And the Councell of Tiburien and Varensian who doe condempne namely those that take money for the buryalls saying after this manner Wherefore dost thou sell the earth Remember that thou art earth and into the earth shalt retourne agayne For the earthe is not mans but as the Psalmist Dauid witnesseth the earth is the Lords and all that therein is If thou doe sell the earth thou shalt be holden guyltie of larcenie as he that attributeth vnto himselfe the thing of an other mans Thou hast receyued it of God fréely giue it fréely And bicause it is altogether forbidden to all Christians to sell the earth vnto the dead and to deny vnto them the graue and burial which is due vnto them Item we must commaunde according to the authoritie of the Canons that one should not demaunde or receiue any thing for mens burialls nor for their graues And hée that would sée the opinion of Gregorie lette him reade the Epistle wherein he rebuked Ianuarius Bishop
haue no voyce Wherfore they haue the belles for are compence which haue the voyes for to speake in stende of them although that they haue lso mouthes But the Images haue the countenaucos and do furnish the mouth the belles the voyce for to fulfill that which is written except ye speake wordes that haue signification howe shall it bee vnderstanded what is spoken For you shall but speake in the ayre and as a tinckling simball and there is yet another secret whiche euery one vnderstandeth not All those that did heare the Apostles in Hierusalem vpon the day of Pentecost were cssonyed bicause that not withstanding they were Galieans yet neuerthelesse all of what language soeuer they were of did vnderstand them speak as if it had ben their owne natiue tongue comon to al the he arers Now â—â—asmuch as the â—els are the Popes â— Priests Apostls all of them bicause that they haue not that gifte of God would counterfayte that miracle by their belles For they doe speake all languages and such as it pleaseth the hearers And what sounde soeuer they haue they speake that which the hearer hath in his fantasie as euery one may knowe by experience and I my selfe can witnesse the same For when I was a young childe and that I did heare the bells towle as I went to schoole I did thincke that they sayde sometimes that which some had put in my heade Lost labour thou shalt be beate and I was alwayes afrayd that they had sayd true Euen so it happened vnto a widow who desired much to marry but she was ashamed to tell it therfore he sent hir to the belles whome she asked counsayle knowing well hir affection and that she would doe but that which was in hir fantasie whatsoeuer counsayle one gaue vnto hir When it was appoynted that she should heare the counsayle that the bells gaue vnto hir she thought that they sayd vnto hir Marry thée afterwards when she was marryed and that hir husbande which was verye iealous had well beaten hir for goyng or gaddinge abroade many times and had well drused hir bones séeing that that feast should alwayes last she rebuked him that did giue hir that counsayle and sayd vnto him My friende you haue not well vnderstanded the bells Goe presently and giue good eare and you shall sée if they saye not the contrary the which so happened For bicause that hir fantasie was past she did thincke that the belles sayd Marry not Wherefore I conclude that I haue sufficiently proued mine intention and that the Priestes haue very well prouided for vs Preachers and such as appertayne vnto vs of whom we ought to content our selues For fooles woulde alwayes that one should counsell them after their owne fantasie And bicause that we are fooles we desire such Preachers which speake after our owne fantasie But we cannot better finde them but at the belles Theophilus It was commaunded in the lawe that when the highe Bishop entred into the Sanctuary that he was clothed with a gowne of Iacinte which had Bels Pomgranards hanging at the hems By which things I cannot vnderstand but the by the Pomgranardes which are of a swéete sauour the Lorde would figure Iesus Christ who hath bene to him a sacrifice of a swéet sauour And admonisheth all the true pastors of his Church to be by their holy life conuersation a swéet sauour of the Gospel vnto the poore and simple people as S. Paul sayth that he hath bene By the Belles that the high Priest ought to be heard when he entreth into the sanctuary nor I doubt not but that also hée hath figured the preaching of the Gospell by the which Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue awakened all the worlde and after theire example all the good shepheards of the Church and flock of Christ ought to doe as Origine doth expounde it sayinge That the high priest should also haue round Bels about his bestment the he entring into the Sanctuary should be heard and that he should not enter with silence And those Bels which ought alwayes to sounde are put in the hemme of the bestment and that is to that ends that thou shouldest neuer holde thy peace vntill the ende of the worlde but that alwayes thou bée hearde thereby that thou doe dispute and speake as hée which sayth Remember the ende or the latter thinges and thou shalt not sinne Beholde the exposition of Origine the which I would gladlye they woulde followe and that they woulde consider that sith that the time of ceremonies is past we haue no more néede of their Belles for to figure vnto vs that which hath bene figured of the high Priest But the in stéede of the figure shadow they would giue vnto vs the veritie of the thinges figured after the example of Iesus Christ and of his Apostles or if they will yet kéepe and holde vs in shadowes and figures it is better for theÌ„ to follow those of Moses then to inuent make for vs new as they do For they cannot finde better nor more proper If they doe ring or towle they re Belles for to call the people together to the Churche for to preach vnto them the woord of God or when any man is dead for to admonish euery one of mans infirmitie weaknesse to preach onto them the iudgment of god to teach euery one how he ought to prepare himselfe to dye and to confirme strengthen them in the hope of the resurrection declaring vnto them that the bloude of Iesus Christ is the true Purgatory of the soules and that there is none other their ringing and singing would haue a little more appearance and should be more conformable to the auncient Church But they do it altogether for none other ende but to induce and leade the people to superstition and for to strengthen them in their opinion of purgatory making theÌ„ to pray for the dead without any word of god But do they not yet alledge an other goodly reason sayinge that they doe ring their Bels in their processions funerals and at other times to that ende to make the diuels afraide and to compell them to flée For they say that those are the trumpets of the Church militant of which the Dyuell hath as great feare as a tyrant hath wheÌ„ he heareth that one giueth him the Larame and as the sounde of the Trumpets and Drummes of a puissaunt King or Prince which is his enemy and come for to discomfort him For that cause say they doe they carry the banner and the crosse and that they cause the Bells to bée ronge and towled for the tempests and also for to admonish the people to pray vnto God But it were a great deale better that they would make suche admonitions by the preaching of the Gospell and that they woulde arme the people with the buckler of faith weapon them with the swoord of the spirite which
by those words that the body of man and all that which is in the fleshe and the vices therein is giuen for meate to the Serpent whom they do call Azazell lord of the fleshe and the bloud and Prince of that world saying that he is also called in Leuiticus the Prince of the deserts Sith then that our body is created and made of the slime and dust of the earth and that the earth is giuen for meat vnto the serpent they conclude thereby that our bodies are subiect vnto him and in his power vntill such time as they be sanctified and that the earthly fleshe bee transformed and changed into a spirituall nature And therfore say they that that body hath neede both in his buriall whilest that he is in this earth to be purified sanctified through prayers sacrifices encensements exorcismes coniurations and other ceremonies fit for the same Theophilus Durand in that booke wherein he yeldeth the reason of all the popish ceremonies speaking of the office and burying of the dead allegeth the same reasons and almost nothing differeth from the Iewes and Cabalistes Wherein we may well know that the supersticious christians followe more the Iewish and Cabalisticall doctrine then the Christian and Apostolicall doctrine For Durand himselfe is compelled to confesse that the bodies of the dead are encensed and sprinkled with holy water not to that end that they are purged and deliuered from their sinnes which could not then by such things be defaced put out But to the ende that the wicked spirites and theyr presence should be dryuen away And therefore saith hée that in some places they do put of the the holy water into the tombe or graue with the fire and encense and that the holy water is put there to the eâ—de that the diuell shoulde not come neere for he doth feare it very much Hillarius It hath bene well declared and proued by Fryer Gyles that holy Cordelier vnto whom the diuel appeared so terrible that he could not speake for feare And as the diuell came vppon him and greeued him muche Fryer Giles could not arise but did creepe as well as hee coulde vnto a vessell wherein was holy water wherewith hee sprinkled himselfe and was incontinently deliuered from that feare that the diuell did vnto him Theophilus Behold a good proofe the holy water hath then more vertue and power then Iesus Christe and the faith in him or els that Fryer Gyles had no faith which is the buckler and shield wherewith the Apostle teacheth vs to resist the diuell I do muche meruaile where God hathe commauÌ„ded to driue away the diuell by water and when the true seruants of God haue vsed such weapons aginste the diuell Hillarius At the leastwise they must prouide for him a boate if they would driue him awaye by water Theophilus When the witnes of the scripture faileth it must néedes be that those maisters of ceremonies haue then recourse vnto fables But for to returne againe vnto the reasons of Durand he addeth moreouer that in what soeuer place the christians shal be buried out of the churchyarde they ought to set alwayes a crosse at his head For the diuell doth feare very much that signe dareth not to come nigh the place where he seeth the crosse Hillarius That is bicause that the earth which is out of the church yard is not coniured Wherby it hath not so much vertue And therfore in recoÌ„pence they do ad y crosse for to driue away the diuell Theophilus For y same cause do they also coniure y earth of y churchyard For as they do witnes affirme the diuels haue vsed to get theÌ„ vnto the dead bodies and to exercise their cruelty and vengeaunce against them and inforce themselues to do vnto them at the least wise after that they are dead that whiche they could not do whilest they were aliue Furthermore they say that at the day of iudgement our Lorde Iesus Christe will say vnto them that present themselues vnto him that whiche be aunswered vnto the disciples of the Herodians and Pharises when they asked of him the question of the tribute and that they had shewed vnto him the money and Image of Cesar Euen so will he say vnto those whose is this Image what money is this Then those which shal be marked with the crosse shal be knowen to bee good christian money And Iesus Christ will say that whiche is Cesars that is to say vnto the diuell giue it him that which is vnto God giue it to God. Hillarius I am abashed if the diuell dares carrye away those which haue made vppon them the signe of the materiall crosse especially the priestes and moonks whiche are all hyd and couered with them Are not these goodly reasons and most worthy of such diuines Eusebius Yea those are Godly reasons what will you say to the contrary do ye thinke that soe manye wise men which haue bene in the churche haue not well considered the causes wherefore they ought to do that And that it hath not ben ordeyned without good iust reason Theophilus Thou hast heard them and thou hast also the Iewes Cabalists and Panyms for to be the firste authors of them But those dreames are yet more tollerable and worhty of pardon then those here bycause that hauing the braine full of false opinions and inchauntments they feare least the enchauntors Magitians and especially the coniurers and the diuell with them should abuse their bodies thorow their enchauÌ„tments necromances witchcraft But what excuse or coloure can the christians haue who ought to be assured of their saluation in Iesus Christ as wel for the body as for the soule vsing such ceremonies which I may truly call charmes inchauntements magicall supersticions and purifications and not euangelical For although that the earth hath bene giuen for meate to the serpent and that our bodies are taken of the earth how will God permit and suffer that that olde serpent shall defile those bodyes whiche haue bene the Temple habit ation of his holy ghost And whiche haue bene consecrated vnto him thorow the bloud of his sonne Iesus Christ and sanctified thorow his spirite haue the water and the earth which are bewitched and charmed after the manner as the enchaunters charmers do their exorcisms coniurations and a corruptible and a materiall crosse more vertue then the consecration of our bodies and soules whiche Iesus Christ the great and soueraigne Byshoppe and eternall Priest hath done by his bloud and the liuely water of his holy spirit and the baptisme that we haue receyued in his name And if we as good christians haue borne the crosse with him that is to say the troubles and aduersities of this world in all patience and haue put all our hope and trust in the merite of his death passion reioysing our selues only in his crosse as the holy apostle saith
a wise man doth not afflict nor lament himselfe too much when he looseth his children or his friends but beareth their death with such a stomack and heart as he would doe his owne For that cause amongst others was Anaxagoras praysed who without any trouble to himselfe answered vnto him which brought hun tidings of the deathe of his sonnes Thou tellest me of no new thing nor a thing but that I ahue longe looked for it For I knew very well that he whom I engendred was mortall Thomas When I doe heare spoken of the constancie and modestie that the Panims haue shewed in the death both of them and of their friendes I am greately ashamed of vs christians who haue so great feare and doe make such noyse and torment our selues after the dead Hillairus Thereby we declare that we are very ignoraunt and effeminated And therefore the Lycians did apparayle them with womwnes apparell when they did mourne and lament to the ende that they should bée moued thorow that deformitie of apparell and thereby constrayned to cast downe all that foolish sorrow Declaring by the same that they accompted it folly to lament and wéepe For that cause Lycurgus did not permit to the Lacedemonians but eleuen dayes to mourne and lament in and after at the twelfe day they must cast it downe after that they had made a sacrifice vnto Ceres Uppon that matter ahth Plutarch written that all things not accustomed nor vsed were applyed vnto those that dyd lament and mourne And therefore the men went foorth openly hauing their heads couered the woemen vncouered and shorne or altogether polde agaynst the order of nature that being ashamed of such desormitie they should be constrayned she rather to moderate themselues and the better to banqutsh and ouercome their affections And whereas the Romaines prescribed a yeare full out vnto the woemen for to mourne was not for to compell them to lament and mourne so long time but to moderate and correct them to the ende they exceeded not measure And therefore the widowes did cary the signes of sorrowfulnesse being apparayled with blacke and wearing white kerchiefes vppon their heades as the Papists doe at this day The which thinges ouid hath comprised in a fewe bearses speaking of the yeare ordayned by Romulus after this manner When funeralls were once fulfilde the wise with ruthfull cheere His husbands death dyd wayle the want the space of one whole yeere And the Poet Statius sayth also The woemen weare in their attire the haue of blacke and white To represent the difference betwixt the day and night And it was not lawfull for them to marry before that those tenne moneths were expired except the had a dispensation of the Senate and Counsell as wée haue vsed to take of the people For Numa Pompilius of the same made a law the which did condempne the widow which maried before that the terme and lawfull tyme was accomplished to sacrifice a Cow with calfe Not that he estéemed that it was a sinne worthy of great punishment in marrying hir before that terme but had regarde to the honestye for two causes The first was bicause that it was not honest for the woeman but very much contrarye vnto the shamefastnesse and naturall modestye which oughte to be in hir to marye agayne so soone and before that the féete of hir first husband as the common Prouerbe is be throughly colde The other cause is for to conserue and kéepe the lynage and generations without minglyng them and destroying the séedes For it may so chaunce that the woman shal be with chilce by hir first husbande and she shall not know it so soone Neuerthelesse when there is any person of great callyng the Senate and Counsell would dispense with him as it appeareth at the maryages of Anthony and Octauia who by the authoritie of the same were allowed notwithstanding that Octauia did mourne for C. Marcellus Theophilus It is most certeine that it lyeth not in mans power to make a law which is repugnaunt and agaynst that which the Lorde hath sayde by his Apostle Hée that cannot abstaine let him mary to the ende that none do put any snare about the necke of any man put his soule in daunger Therefore sayth he it is better to mary then to burne For that cause let vs not make a law for to bynde any man and to take from him his libertie in such things but let vs leaue y vnto euery ones discression following the customs most allowable Yet neuertheles it is requisite whatsoeuer infirmitie of the flesh that one can alleadge that one haue alwayes reason of honestie and Christian modestie For that cause friende Eusebius haue wée propounded vnto thée so many examples and sentences both of the holy scriptures of auncient Doctors and also of the Panims to that ende that thou maist the more cléerely know what hath bene the custome of the auncient Israelites and of the Panims and of the first Christians also what hath bene their mourning what daies they haue dedicated for the same for the dead and for what cause and how the auncient Doctors haue written and to what intent and how much the Christian religion hath degenerated frō his auncient puritie insomuch that it is not worthy to cōpare them in such things I say not vnto the auncient Iewes but vnto the Panims themselues which haue had some iudgement honestie And yet neuerthelesse S. Hierome doth desire that the christiās should be yet more sober in such things then y auncient Israelites whose maner of doing he praysed not greatly which they haue vsed towards the dead But he excuseth them bicause that they had not yet receyued so amply the lyght and knowledge nor the accomplything of the promises of God so amply so excellently as we Wherefore he would that we should be a great deale more moderate and that we should declare more lyuely the hope that we haue of the resurrection But if we can doe no better nor be more perfect then they let vs not be at the least more imperfect and lette vs not doe worse after the manner of the Papists who are mroe to be rebuked in those things then any people that euer was vppon the earth Wherefore it were better friende Eusebius that we should reduce our selues to the imitacion of the Apostolicall Church then to continue alwayes in our folly and madnesse vnder the colour of a word or two that we finde eyther in Ambrose or in some other auncient doctor for want of well vnderstanding them And it shal be a great deale more conuenient and meeter for vs to follow the example of Dauid who mourned lamented for his childe all the while that he was sicke and whilest that he was yet alyue not after that hée was dead For which all those of his house were much abashed For whilest that the childe was yet