hope either to merit or not to merit and a place to do good or euill as in this mortal life and to be damned or saued Eusebius There is great difference For in this life man may merit or not merit of him selfe But after he is dead he can do no more for him selfe but others may do it for him And the merites of those that bee alyue doe serue him to saluation Theophilus And so by that meanes Iesus Christe shal be a Sauiour neither of the lyuing nor of the dead the merite of his death and passion shall saue neither the one nor the other but the lyuing shall saue themselues during their life and after their death others that shal be thē alyue shal saue them especially the Priestes and Moonks By that meanes we haue many sauiours and men should neuer be certaine nor sure of their saluation neither before their death nor afterwards whiche is a thing altogether contrarie to the doctrine of the scriptures Eusebius And if I would maintaine that those which are in hell can be somewhat deliuered from the pains theroff eyther by the prayers and good déedes of the liuing or bicause of the good deedes that they themselues haue done during their life that should be a strange thing vnto thée What wouldest thou aunswere to that Haue wee not the witnes of a great many histories and good doctours worthy to be beleeued which certefie vs how that Sainct Gregory deliuered Traianus the Emperour from the paines of hell who notwithstanding did put to death many of the Christians and namely Sainct Ignacius the discyple of S. Iohn the Euangelist It is in like manner written in the life of the fathers that Sainct Machaire deliuered a priest being a Panim who affirmed vnto him that he was damned And in the life of sainct Brandon we read that hee did sée Iudas which walked by the meadowes of whom he asked the cause wherefore he was not in hell who aunswered him bicause of the good deedes that he did in his life time he had therefore some solace and comfort Theophilus If Thou canst no better confirme my sentence nor better proue that your doctrine is altogether vncerteine variable inconstant and gamesayinge it selfe For hast thou not alreadie confessed vnto me that the priestes do not praye for the dampned bicause that there is no deliuerance from hell and from the fire of hell Consider I pray thée how that agreeth with those goodly fables with that which thou meanest now to speake off Eusebius If you had read diligently the bookes of the good auncient doctors and especially of Saint Thomas you might easely make all these places agrée For they do alledge foure opinions reasons for to satisfie suche doubts The first is that Traianus was raysed thorow the prayers of Sainct Gregory and that he dath done penance in this life thorowe the which he meryted grace and pardon of his sinnes Wherefore he is dead in the grace of God and hath bene saued and this is the best allowed opinion of the doctors The second is that the soule of Traianus was not simplye deliuered from the paine and fault thereof but that his paine was suspended and delayed vntill the daye of iudgement and afterwardes shal be saued The thyrd opinion is that Gregory deliuered him not from the place of hell but from the paine The fourth which is also best allowed among all the other that the soule of Traianus was deliuered from the paines of hell and hath obtayned mercie thorow the prayers of Sainct Gregory the which thing was done not after the common law but after the disposition and dispensation of the wisdome and prouidence of God who did foresee that Sainct Gregory should pray for him Wherefore it hath not dampned it by or through diffinitiue sentence but by a sentence suspenciue The which thing hath bene a perticuler priuiledge For Sainct Hierome saith that the priuiledges are but for a fewe people and not for all For the priuiledges of a fewe are not lawes common to all And the things which go out of square from the common lawe ought not to bee drawen into a consequence Hillarius I thinke that that is the priuiledge whiche is written in the Aeneados of Virgill the which Cyble recited speaking to Aeneas after this manner Then prophet Cyble said O borne of bloud of heauenly kind Thou Troyan Duke the way that leads to hell is light to finde Both nights and dayes the doore of Limbo blacke doth open gape But backward vp to climbe and free to Skies est soones to scape Their woorkes their labour is few men whom equall loue did loue Our vertue pearcing all did to the starres aduaunce aboue Beholde the priuiledge of that good doctor whiche peraduenture Iupiter in whom Traianus did beléeue granted vnto him Theophilus I do greatly meruayle both of Thomas of Aquin and of other questionarie doctors whiche haue taken suche great paines for to couler and set foorth a fable It must be that they haue had very much leasure and that they were not muche occupied about other better affaires They would sooner haue giuen a more true and certeine solution if they had by and by answered that they receiued not such fables as some of their owne secte haue done namely our maister Iohn Maioris the Scotte the whiche I haue heretofore heard reade in the Colledge of Mountaigu Hee reiecteth without making anye doubt both the history of Sainct Machaire and also that of S. Brandon As touching that same of Traians although that he alledge the common solutions of other doctors yet neuerthelesse he first doth aunswer that he knoweth not from whence that history had his first beginning the which hath no certaine author not withstanding that some doe attribute it vnto Iohn Damascenus But how shoulde hee haue written it sith that according to their owne witnesses and chronicles he raigned long time before that saint Gregory lyued and was dead before that Sainct Gregory was borne For their chronicles do witnes that Damascenus florished in the years of our Lord 440. And that he was very familier with the Emperour Theodosius The which yet neuerthelesse I beléeue not For by that account he had lyued in the time of Sainct Ambrose neuerthelesse there is great differēce betweene his bookes and these of Sainct Ambrose For these of Sainct Ambrose are a great deale purer keepe a great deale better the puritie of that aunciēt church But peraduenture they meane the young Theodoseus which rayned after Honorius Although that it be so by their owne Chronicles he was before the time of Gregory about 152. yeares For they do write that Gregory reigned in the yeare 592. Hillarius It must néeds be then that either the Chronicles are false or the witnes of those the do make Damascenus the author of that fable Except peraduenture they will say that thorow the spirite of prophecie he hath
Doctors of the Churche are of our side or on yours And therefore I pray thée Eusebius that thou doe pursue thine enterprise and that thou shew forth so good places that they cannot be easely plucked from thy hands as they haue done those which thou hast alreadye taken of Sainct Ambrose Eusebius If I would display and shew foorth all that that I might alleadge aswel of the new and late Doctors as of the aunâ—ient I should aswell set them a worke as Hillarius did vaunt himselfe of late to haue set mée on worke but I haue not determined to alleadge others but of the most auncientest and of those whiche are of more greater authorite in the church by the which I will plainly proue that that which we doe now in the fauour of the dead descended from the primatiue Churche and from the traditions of the Apostles For if I would bring foorth the Doctors of late dayes they would by and by reicete and despise their authoritie and woulde make none accompte of it But when I shall haue proued that the auncient Doctors of the Churche are on our side I shall by and by allow and confirme the authoritie and witnesse of the late Doctors and will more easelier stoppe their mouthes except they bée so past shame that they care leproue and condemne all the holy men and Pillers of the Church which haue shored and held it vppe in the time of the Apostles and to affirme that there are not so manye good men and so wise and learned as they are Theophilus Thou shalt not finde vs so vnreasonable Put foorth thy case afterward Iudge whether wée haue reade and vnderstanded those of whom you doe glorye so much in Thomas I haue heard thée speake friend Fusebius of Sainct Augustine namely among others and I am of an opinion that he is the chiefest by whom thou mayst better fight then by any other if thou canst finde in him a strong staffe for to defende thee and to make warre against them For I haue vnderstanded that there is none amonge al the auncient Doctors which wil serue theÌ„ better for to proue their sect then hée Wherefore I am sure that if thou canst do so much that thou canst proue that he is contrary vnto them they shall receiue a great ouerthrow and thou shalt make a great breach in their Castle For if hée so whome they haue their recourse be their enemie they shal haue others which will rise against them Eusebius But so well assured theroff as thou are certeine that it is now daye And to the end thou shouldest not thinke that there are but vaine wordes in my case I will shew vnto them the experience What do those wordes signifie which are written in his Encheridion which are also recited in y decrets and in the master of the sentences saying we must not denye that the soules of the dead are comforted thorewe the pietie and deuotion of their friends that be aliue when the sacrifice of a mediatour is offered for them or that almes is done in the Church But those thinges doe profite those who haue merited them during this lyfe to the ende that they maye afterwarde profite them For there is a certeine manner of liuing whiche is not so good but that it requireth those things after death nor so euil but that after the same they may profit him But there is in lyke manner some kinde of lyfe so good that it requireth not the same And againe some so euill that it cannot haue ayde by those thinges after that this life shal be ended And therefore hee getteth here all the merite by whiche anye maye bee reléeued or gréeued after this life Yet neuerthelesse there is none whiche hopeth to be able to merite towardes GOD when he shall bée dead whereoff hée hath not here made anye accempt This then whiche the Churche hath frequented for to prayse the dead is not contrary vnto that sentence of the Apostle which sayth wée shall all bée brought before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the workes of his body according to that hée hath done whether it hee good or badde For euerye one acquireth and getteth that merite when hée lyued in this bodye that those thinges maye profite him For they profite not all men And wherefore doe they not profite all men but bycause of the difference of the lyfe the whiche euerye one hathe lead in his bodye Then when the Sacryfices bée it of the Aulter or of almes déedes what soeuer they bée they are offered for all the dead whiche haue bene baptised those are giuing of thankes for those whiche haue bene verye good and propitiations for those whiche haue not bene very euill for to make God fauorable vnto them But for the moste wicked and euill although that there bée not aydes and helpes for the dead yet neuerthelesse those are certeine consolations for the lyuing But they doe profite those that they doe profite eyther to the ende that they maye haue full remission and forgiuenesse or without all â—eubt to the ende that the dampnation maye bée more tollerable and easier to beare Thomas Hath Sainct Augustine written that â—usebius Doest thou thinke mée so much a foole that would declare it otherwise I warrant you they would not let mee passe so if they might saye the contrary But I am certeine they dare not do it And though they woulde they cannot For the booke is of faith and credit Thomas Those wordes are very cléere not onely for to proue the prayers for the dead but also the sacrifice of the â—ulter Eusebius One cannot finde a thing more cléerer For it openeth so plainely all the matter perticulerly and goeth before the obiections replyings which those that do speake against it might make For it deuideth the diuers manners to liue and diuers merites of men And giueth to vnderstand that it must bée hée which woulde that such good déedes should bée profitable vnto him after hys death should be here conducted in such sorte that they may profit him that is to say that it must bée that he dye confessed and repentant And hée speaketh not onely this in this place but in manye other like amongest whiche hée addeth yet this that notwithstanding that that which we do for the dead profit not all those for whom wée doe them Yet neuerthelesse bicause we do not know to whom it profiteth we must do theÌ„ to all y we leaue none out For it is a greate deale better that those to whome it can neither profit nor hurte should haue more then they neede then to want any thing vnto those which haue neede And in the same booke he saith moreouer wee doe reade in the second booke of the Machabees that sacrifice was offred for the dead but when one readeth them not in the auncient scriptures the authoritie of the vniuersall Church is not little the which hath
although y be be taken with the deed he wil excuse himself And as y shameles whore is not a shamed to deny y which we see with our eyes hanole with our hands As we haue an example in Came. Although that he killed his brother and y his handes were yet all blouddy and wette with the bloud that he â—ad shed it seemeth to heare him speake that God did vnto him greate miury and wronge in asking him where he is And therefore God would vanquishe the malyce and peruersitie of mans hearte and condemne it by the workes that are manifest for to declare vnto him and to make him confesse by the fruite that he is the roote aâ—d the tree to the ende that he may not glorify himself to be the Figge the O life tree when one doth emdently shewe vnto him the thornes thistles that it hath born And euen so euery creature is constrayned to acknowledge and confâ—sse that the iudgement of God is iust and that it consisteth in all truth and equitie Now the workes y men do for vs after that wee bee dead are not ours Wherefore wee cannot saye that they follow vs For it is another matter to bee in the way and iourney and to haue already ended his iourney and to be arriued at the port whylest that we are in the course of this present life he taketh vs as a sree which yet groweth the which one may dresse and proyne for to make him beare fruite But when he is once cut downe ther is no more hope he lieth wher lie falleth he must trauayle no more afterwards In like maner may we iudge of man Whilest y he is in the way that he is in his course sight one may aide him by admonitioÌ„s entreatings other morkes of charitie which we owe y one to y other whilst y we are herein the work of god for vs to helpe the one the other to obteine win the victory But after that he hath called vs from the worke in the which he hath set vs wée must attend and looke no more but for the rewarde and Crowne of righteousenes the which the righteous Iudge shall giue vnto vs as Sainct Paul hoped for himselfe as we haue fought for him the good fight and haue fulfilled our course and haue kept the faith vnto the ende On the contrary we must looke for feare confusion and eternall death as the slougthfull seruant vnfaithfull and vngrations we haue hid away and stollen the Talent away from our Maister without bringing vnto him any profit Therefore Sainct Iohn saith Bring foorth fruites worthy of repentance that is to say thorow which you shewe foorth that truely you repent you of your sinnes and that you haue amended your euill life For the are is put vnto the roote of the tree so that euery tree whiche bringeth not foorth good fuite is hewen downe and cast in to the fire Uppon that maâ—ter Sainct Augustine did writte vnto Macedonius after this manner There is no other place for to correct and amende manners then in this life For after this life euery one shall haue that that hee hath gotteÌ„ here And in another place he saith In this world the mercy of god helpeth those y repâ—t But in y world to come repeÌ„tance profiteth not but we must riÌ„der accompt of our works Liberty of repeÌ„tance is only giuen vnto vs in this life after y we be dead there is no more licrÌ„ce of correctioÌ„ Now is y time of mercy after wards shal be the time of iudgment And in expouÌ„ding those words of Iesus Christ Hee which beleeueth not is already iudged saith after this maÌ„ner The iugâ—eiâ—eÌ„t appereth not yet but y iudgemeÌ„t is already done For y Lord knoweth who are his He knoweth those which abyde looking farryng for the crown those which abyde looking for the fire Moreouer Sainct Iohn Chusostome speaketh more plainely confirming that which I haue said in such words Prepare and make reaby thy works for the end and prepare thy self to the way and if thou haste taken any thing by violence from anye man restore it againe and make restitution and say with Zachens if I haue taken from any man by forged cauilatioÌ„ I restore him foure fould If thou art angry with any man agree with him before that thou do come vnto iudgement dispatche here al things that without let thou mayst sée that Iudictall seate All the while that wee are here in this world we haue goodly hopes but assone as we shal be gone from thence it lyeth no more in oure power to doe penaunce nor to deface and put out our sinnes For after the end of our life there is no more occasion of merites no more then there is vnto those the play at prises games to obtaine crownes and rewardes after that the combat play and prises are finished and ended For he which in this present life hath not washed away his sinnes afterwards he shal finde no consolation For in hell as it is written who shall confesse thee That is to say who shall prayse thee in the graue And by good reason For this is the time of the Theators of Combals Playes and Prises But the shal be the time of the Crownes rewards and salaryes Also let vs not thinke when we shall be come thyther that we shall haue mercy which do nothing at all wherefore we ought to haue pardon No though Abraham Noe Iob and Daniell did pray for vs Whilest then wee haue time let vs prepare for our selues great trust and assurance towards god And Sainct Hierome saith no lesse confessing that in the other world And Sainct Ambrose is of the same opinion saying Dauid required that his sinnes might bee pardoned him before that he departed out of this life For he that shall not here in this life receaue forgiuenesse of his sinnes shal not haue it in the other he shall not haue it bicause he shall not haue the power to come and attaine to the eternal life For the forgiuenes of sinnes is the eternall life Therfore saith hee pardon mee O Lorde that I may bee comforted before that I goo and shall be no more And therefore I greatly meruatle of that papisticall doctrine which is so repugnant both to the holy scriptures and to the witnesse of the auncient Doctors of the Churche Sainct Cyprian hath written in the Sermon that he made of the immortalitie that the faithfull that do dye haue taken white robes and garments By which he meaneth that they are come to the beatitude and felicitie and feacheth that we muste wéepe no more for the dead Sith that they are alreadie in the estate of felicitie But me thinkes that the Priestes do not take them to bee assured of the eternall life whom they lodge in their Purgatory but that from Purgatory they may yet
fall into hell Or if they vnderstand it not so wherefore do they sing in the offertory of the Masse for the dead Domine Iesu Christi c. That is to say O Lord Iesu Christ king of glory deliuer the soules of all the faithfull that dye from the paines of hell and from the déepe lake Deliuer theÌ„ from the Lions mouth least the in hell he deuour theÌ„ lest the they fal not in the obscure dark places but the S. Michel the standard bearer do represent theÌ„ into the holy light which of late thou diddest promise vnto Abraham and to his seed Thomas Mee thinkes that this is repugnant vnto that which Eusebius hath spoken before and to that which the Priests do sing saying that in hell there is no raunsome nor delyuerance And yet nenerthelesse they pray here in that oâ—fertory vnto Iesus Christ that he wil deliuer them from the paines of hell It must then needes follow that eyther their prayer is vaiue and that they demaunde a thing of God which they do very well knew to be impossible and contrary vnto his will or that there is aswel deliuerance in hell as in Purgatory and that they speake against themselues or els that hell Purgatory be al one thing Eusebius Thy disiunetiue is not good For not withstanding the commonly men take hell for the hell fire and the place of the dampned yet neuerthelesse it may bee vnderstanded more amply for that low places and cositries the estate condicion of the dead after this manner his signification shall comprehende contrine also the Purgatory as it doth in this place here Hillarius We muste then expounde it of the paines of hell that is to say of the paines of Purgatory Eusebius It cannot be vnderstanded otherwise Thomas And what shall we vnderstand by the deepe lake Eusebius The very same Thomas There is then also a lake in Purgatory Hillarius You do well Thomas to be affrayd Did you neuer here before how the priests did pay the seriage for to haue the dead passe ouer It is then necessarye the they haue their fery man Charon for to let passe repasse the soules aswel as the Panims Poets had Now if there be a Charon a fery man he caÌ„not carry ouer soules without the there is seas lakes or ryuers for to caryhis boats scyfes ships barkes gallies Thomas But I am greatly abashed wherfore wée do call those that dye in the french tongue trespasses Thinke that it was bicause that they were already passed from this life in the other But as farre as I can perceiue it is rather bicause that they haue passed ouer those infernall lakes and reuers Hillarius I doe beléeue that the Christians and true faithfull people haue called their dead trespasses signifiyng by that same that the death of the faithfull is no death but only a passage for to enter into life those which are dead in the faith of Iesus Christ according to his promises are passed from death to life And therfore they are rightly called trespasses bicause the they are already passed ouer are come vnto the port of health in which they rest in ioy and consolation w Iesus Christ their Lorde hauing escaped all the dauÌ„gers the great gculfes of the sea of this world of sinne death hell But sithence the the pope hath begun to reign in stéed of Iesus Christ the he hath take the office of Pluto the god of hel of Eacus Minos Rhadamantus and Neoptolemus the infernal iudges as a newe king hée would chauÌ„ge the laws estates habitations maÌ„ners of huing of his subiects the be dead aswel as of those y be aliue endeuoreth himselfe w all his power strength to abolish put out the laws ordinances institutions holy CanoÌ„s inuiolated decrées which Iesus Christ hath giuen aswel to the liuing as to the dead by his prophets apostles passed confirmed ratefied sealed by the arrest of the celestiall beauenly court by the great counsell wisedome of god of the holy trinitie of the father the sonne the holy ghost of all the angels archangels Saincts Sainctes patriarkes apostles Euangelists Martirs Confessors Mirgins to the end y the faithful without any other should haue place in heauen in earth in hell Theophilus He woulde do vnto Iesus Christ as the Romaine Emperors the Popes haue done many times the one against the other making frustrate boyd the which their predecessors haue made ordeined For in asmuch as they haue made Iesus Christ the first pope S. Peter the seconde I thinke the it seemeth good vnto theÌ„ the aswell they maye abrogate make boide their ordinances as they haue done those of other Popes their predecessors changing most ofceÌ„ times the that the first haue ordeyned making frustrate their counsels decrées especially sithence the time of pope Stephen who made boide al the which Formosus his predecessor had don But they do in that great wrong vnto Iesus Christ that sitheÌ„ce he is risen againe there are so many popes risen vp in his place For they wil not suffer that one should choose another whilst they are aliue or if that be done they call him antipope the is chosen in spite of their bearde and hold for scisinaticks aswel him as those that haue chosen him which are Ioyned w him They call him antipope who setteth himself against him wheÌ„ they estéeme to be the true pope eue as we set antichrist against Christ Sith theÌ„ the Iesus Christ is rise froÌ„ death he is immortal shall dye no more but shal abiee dwel eternally with his churche of which he is the only head according to y promise y hee hath made to his disciples saying beld I am with you vntill the ende of the world For asmuch also as that great heaâ—â—nly father of whom proceedeth all fatherly loue y is called y olde aged of whom Daniel speaketh off he hath giuen vnto him al iudgment power seigniory both in heauen in earth hath made him to be called by his prophet the father of the world to come Prince of peace willing y in y name of Iesus should euery knee how both of things in heauen things in earth and thinges vnder the earth I am greatly abashed froÌ„ whence this ouer boldnes rashnes should proceed to create those other popes then he sith y he is alwayes aliue y he is the Lord of y quick and of the dead and his kingdome hath nene ende Hillarius They cannot denie but that they are al Antipopes That is to say contrary and enemies to the true Hope so consequently heritickes and schismatickes For sith y Iesus Christ is the true Christ true Pope that is to say the father of y Christian Church it followeth that they are Antichrists
sicke and that he had some hope of lyfe he watched fasted and prayed making request vnto God for the childe and dyd lye flat on the earth and during the space of seuen dayes all those of his house no not his auncients and counsellers could not make him to lye on a bed nor to aryse vp from the earth nor to eate nor drinke with them vntyll such tyme he vnderstoode that the childe was dead the which thing none of his seruaunts durst tell him off thinking that he would haue bene mernaylously sadde and pensise after that hée should bée aduertised of his deathe sith that all the time of his sickenesse whilest that there was yet some hope of lyfe he alwayes wepte and lamented But it happened cleane contrarye For as soone as hée knewe for a certeynetie that the childe was dead he arose from the earth and washed and anoynted himselfe and chaunged his apparell and went into the house of the Lord and prayed and after came to his own house and bad that they should set meate before him and he did eate And made greater cheere then before whereoff his seruaunts were much abashed and asked him what is this that thou hast done vnto whom he aunswered while the childe was a lyue I fasted and wepte For I thus thought who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me that the childe may lyue But now séeing it is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him agayne any more I shall goe to him but hée shall not come agayne to me Dauid teacheth vs a good lesson and learneth vs to praye the one for the other while wée bée in this lyfe and to make prayers vnto God and to lament and mourne for our bretheren and neighbours whilest they are alyue whether they be in health or sicke prosperitie or aduersitie and not after they be dead For whilst that they be sicke we ought to pray for them that it would please God to pardon their sinnes and ours to giue vnto them health and to suffer them a while to be with vs and comfort vs to serue moreouer vnto his church if he know that the same is most expedient for the glory of his name and our profite For whilest that man is sicke we know not certeynly what God meaneth to boe with him We know very well that his wil cannot be but good that he wil dispose all things to the best But we cannot know perticulerly wythout a singuler reuelation whether that it be better that the sick person doe lyue or dye both for him and for vs Wherefore we ought to pray and weepe for him whilest that we can ayde and helpe him and that he is yet alyue with vs in the which we haue place to repent to obteyn pardon for our sinnes and we ought chiesly to bewayle the poore sinners whom we see to goe to perdition as Samuel bewept Saul séeing him forsaken of God And Sainct Paule the Corinthians whom he law to be deteyned and kept in sinnes if it would please God to haue mercy vpon them But sith that God hath once declared vnto vs his will we must holde our selues vnto the same and to take no more care for those whome God hath called vnto himselfe from among vs but we ought onely to aduise and sludie how we should dispose and order our selues for to follow them after the example of Dauid Wherevnto agreeth very wel the doctrine of Daynct Iames who admonusheth the faithfull if any of them bee diseased to call vnto them the true Priests of the Gospell and Elders of the congregation for to comfort them with the worde of God and for to praye for them that they may haue the forgiuenes of their sinnes and to comfort and procure all that they can for the health of their bodyes and soules and for their health and thorow prayers and oyntments and other lyke things which God hath giuen vnto the primitiue Church the which hath receyued the gyfte to doe miracles and in the which the Apostles did miraculously heale the diseased Anoynting them with oyle not after the manner as the Papisticall Priestes doe which doe anoynt the diseased not thorow the hope that they haue to heale them For if they did thinke that they should heale them they would not anoynt them Hillarius They would not doe so For they should loose much nor they should haue so many fatte hydes Theophilus For that same cause they call that vnction extreme and the last sacrament And they giue it not for the health of the body nor for to heale the diseased as the Apostles did nor to that intent as Saint Iames hath written but did giue it for the health of the soule as thoughe their holy oyle could penetrate in the same and that the haly Ghost and forgiuenesse of sinnes wertied vnto the oyle I know not whereto the vnction can serue for the poore diseased such as the do vse sith that thei haue no promises of god that the gift of miracles is not giuen vnto thē as vnto the Apostles to that primitiue church they do none other thing but read the Psalter babble it in a strange language vnto the sicke person of which he receiueth no instruction nor any consolation at all Hillarius If thou know not wherto that vnction serueth I will tell thée First that is a witnesse for to proue that in that same they are the Apes of the Apostles for to counterfet their workes and myracles as they counterfetted those of Iesus Christ in the Baptisine of young children Afterward it serueth vnto the diseased for to make them hope to be healed as the comming of the hangman vnto the théeues when they doe sée him For they know right wel that he is the messenger of death So when the poore patients séeing the Priestes comming with their Creame bores Dyle and Drogues they may well thinke that men accompt them for deade and their time is come For such Phisitians haue not accustomed to come nor to bring their Triacle but at the very houre that the sicke person is abandoned and forsaken of other Phisitians They may iudge that their hangman is come who careth nor for the soule but requireth onely the body and the spoylyng thereoff Theophilus There is nothing truer Wherefore they cannot alledge Saint Iames for their defence nor also the auncient doctors whom they would take for bucklers for al their matters They make a great accompt of Denis who hath written the celestiall and ecclesiasticall Hierarchies saying that that is Saynct Denis of Athens who was conuerted by the preaching of Saynt Paul which is not lyke to be true For the stile of those bookes sinelleth not lyke vnto that of the Apostles nor of their tyme Furthermore Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall history maketh mention so dilygently of the bookes of Denis Bishoppe of Corinth and neuer maketh any mention of those of Denis
full resolution they will fall vppon this sence Although that Iesus Christ be dead as touching his flesh body and humanitie yet neuerthelesse he is quickened by the spirite that is to say by his eternall vertue and diuine power by the which hee is not onely risen from death but also hath giuen vnto vs his quickening flesh and hath tourned death into lyfe quickening by the same all those which were dead thorow sinne And to the ende that none should dispise Iesus Christ bicause that he is dead and was crucified as a vyle and an abiect person he declared that he is so dead that there is no lyfe but in his death and that none can lyue but by him and that he is not onely to day but euerlasting and that by the same spirite and diuine and eternall vertue he is already an other time come vnto the worlde and hath iudged and condempned the rebells the proude and peruerse spirits oppressed with wicked spirites which were not vnder their kéeping but did sléepe not thinking on the iudgement of god vntil such time as the floud ouerwhelmed and drowned them as he doth yet at this present by that same spyrite by the which hée Iudgeth an condempneth the world and saueth and quickeneth his elect euen as he did in the time of Noe. Hillarius It seemeth that that exposition is also a little vyolated far fetched neuerthelesse it commeth not euill to purpose but séemeth to agrée well inough to the letter of the text of S. Peter Theophilus Bicause that the place is obscure hard I dare not to define pronounce of it rashly But I would gladly put forth these expositions to that ende you may iudge of theÌ„ for to awake the spirits for to finde out some better thing Neuertheles I thinke that this héere is the simplest that is to say that S. Peter willing to shew foorth the efficacie vertu of Iesus Christ of his death and passion witnesseth that it was so great that the lyuing haue not onely felt perceiued it but the dead also vnto whom it is come But in what manner or after what sort How is it communicated vnto vs and all his giftes and graces but by his spirite and diuine vertue Euen as then by his spirite he hath giuen vnto vs his quickening flesh which is vnto vs spirite and lyfe and hath communicated vnto vs his vertue so hath he manifested himselfe by the same spirite vnto the deade both during their lyse and after their death For it is sayde of Abraham that he did sée the day of the Lord and reioyced If he hath then already during this mortal lyfe felt the efficacie and vertue of Iesus Christ long time before that he didde offer his eternall sacrifice wée cannot doubt but that he and all the others which were in his bosome haue felte it more fully when he did manifest himselfe more fully By this we may well vnderstand whereto this place can serue to proue Purgatory For if the vertue of the death and passion of Iesus Christ be of such efficacie that it goeth vnto the dead what néede haue we then of Masses and Suffrages of the Priests for to comfort the dead and to apply vnto them the merits of Iesus Christ sith that none can do it but he himself by the vertue of his spirite which quickeneth the quicke and the dead Now hée calleth that manifestacion predication not that he hath preached verbally or by mouth towards the dead such as is among the lyuing but bicause that euen as by the preaching and Euangelycall ministring Iesus Christ is manifested vnto vs and doe feele the vertue and efficacie of his death and passion Also the spirits of the dead haue theirs but in their maner and such as apperteineth vnto them euen as we doe vnderstande that God gaue himselfe to his Angells to be knowen and to make them tast of his bountie and goodnesse but by an other meane then vnto vs bicause that their condition was contrary We must not then dreame out a Lymbe and a materiall prison and a locale descending of the spirite of Iesus Christ into hell and a preaching such as wée haue But wée must vnderstande all those things spiritually For as it is not néedfull that Iesus Christ should descend locally from heauen for to make vs feele his vertue so it is not necessary to descend into hell For the vertue of his spirite is such that it filleth heauen and earth and is spread abrode euery where Hillarius As I thinke our dreaming Theologians had very much leasure wheÌ„ they setled themselues to dispute whether the soule of Iesus Christ did suffer in the hell Amongest the which some of them are founde to bée of opinion that he did Theophilus If they had wel vnderstanded that which Iesus Christ sayd vnto the théefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and how Iesus Christ descended into hell when his soule was sorrowfull and in anguish euen vnto the death and that he hath dronken vp the cup of the wrath and furor of God and hath borne his iudgement and our malediction and curse and the dampnation due vnto our sinnes insomuch that he was stroken beaten of God hath suffered death after which he descended into the sepulchre or graue they should not haue néeded againe to make the soule of Iesus Christ to descend from Paradise in which it was for to goe into hell For it is sufficiently giuen vnto the spirites of his elect to vnderstand which haue receiued consolation and vnto those of the reprobate declaringe vnto them from what goodnesse they were depriued without descending or assending Eusebius To what purpose then doth he speake of the prison and what other thing can hée vnderstand but the Lymbe of which it is also spoken in Zachery saying I haue let thy prisoners out of the pit where is no water Theophilus By the Words of Zachery the Lord giueth vs to vnderstand none other thing but that by the bleud of the alliance that he hath made with Syon he will deliuer his people that are captiue kept in the bottom of all miseries By the prisoners he vnderstandeh his people that bée in captiâ—itie by y euils he vnderstandeth a captinitie a goulse and bottome of all miserye from which it is not possible for them to come out by any meanes if God doe not delyuer them himselfe Therefore he calleth it Welles for to declare the depth yea yet without water in which one cannot swimme to the ende they may the better knowe their miserie and the grace and mercy of God towardes them When S. Peter did speake of the prison of the spirits he did it for to amplyfie the better the grace of the Gospell comparing those which wer vnder the seruitude bondage of the law vnder those shadows figures vnto those which shall be in a prison in
occasion of offence they doe finde it in Iesus Christ Wherefore wée must not much care or take thought for it For they doe take the offence wythout any man gyuing it them and are an offence vnto themselues and cannot heare the truth wythout béeing offended Wherefore wée must holde vnto that which Iesus Christ sayde vnto them Let them alone for they are the blinde leaders of the blinde They must vnderstande that an euill knotte and harde péece of woode to cleaue hath néede of an harde wedge and a stronge mall to cleaue it If they are so shamelesse that they haue no shame at all and haue their heart so obstinate and hardened that they haue no remorse of censcience in mockinge of GOD and blaspheminge hym so horriblye as they doe daylye and doe teste so at men to their greate losse and hurte shall wée bée more ashamed to tell them their iniquitie to rebuke their abuses and abhominations which they dooe If they woulde not that one shoulde speake of them let them leaue off and cease to doe them For I beléeue that there is not a man of a good hearte which taketh any great pleasure to remoue that filthinesse except they bée constrained to doe it through their importunitie impudencie and shamelesse face For what good Christian heart can suffer that dayly men shoulde hyde those abhominations and that one shoulde couer suche villanyes makinge vs to beléeue that their filthmesse and stincke is as sweete as balme their poyson to bée the bread of lyfe lyinge to bée the truth Hell to bée Paradise cursinge to bée blessinge darkenesse to bée light and death lyfe As for me I cannot colour flatter nor hyde the thinges and I cannot but name them by their names For such is the language and style of the spyrite of God which will not speake after mens fantasies and for to please them as the Oratouâ—s which can giue vnto vices the names of vertues and such colour as it pleaseth them but to speake truth as the thinge is calling Idolatrie that which the Hipocrites and Idolaters doe call diuine seruice and their Idolles Diuells the which they call Gods. Wherefore althoughe such Hipocrites haue their forheades of stone and Iron so harde and immutable that one cannot make them blushe but doe kéepe their countenaunces as théeues and murtherers and shamelesse as harlots yet let them vnderstand on the other side that GOD hath giuen to his seruaunts as he said vnto Ezechiel aforehead of Brasse and of a Diamond which is yet more harder and which doth lesse shame to speake the truth and to giue praises vnto God then they to mainteine lyings to blame it And therfore the Lord commaunded Ezechiel saying goe speake vnto them and say vnto them that which I haue commaunded thée I know neuerthelesse that they will do nothing but I will y thou do tell them I know not what excuse such men can haue For they haue bene already taught al manner of wayes If they do complaine that one hath learned taught them to sharply and with to great seueritie and rigor I would learne and teach theÌ„ a little more ioyfully and more iestingly then bitterly If they doe yet finde my manner of dooing too sharpe there are as many others which haue written as modestly as is possible yet they finde no goodnesse in it and leaue not off to perseuer alwayes worse and worse in their errours and heresies Wherefore I knowe not what song one may sing vnto them but to rebuke them of that which Iesus Christ rebuked the Iewishe people and that which the little children whiche played in the stréetes rebuked their companions off when wée dyd singe vnto you sorrowfull thinges you haue not wepte when wée dyd singe vnto you ioyfull thinges you haue not daunsed Iohn Baptist came in great seueritie â—austeritie haue found him very sharp they say he hath the Diuell within him Iesus Christ came with all humilitie and gentlenesse and they said that he was a drunkard and a glutton and a friend vnto publicans and sinners If one do speake vnto them sharply as their iniquitie requireth they say that one is furious and mad If one do speake vnto them pleasantly they will call him foole or scoffer To couclude they will alwaies finde some thing to say as wée sée it by experience in our time Many men at the beginning haue taken vppon them to touch a little some abuses yet of the most grosest most apparant These Hipocrites could not beare them but they haue persecuted them by sea and land They cannot onely suffer that one should touch a little with his finger their Idolatry superstitioÌ„ that one should open his mouth for to speak one word for to reforme their estate but which is more haue declared themselues to be enemies vnto all learned wise men which haue trauailed to abolish all barberousnesse and sophistrie for to set vp againe all good letters and other disciplines haue accompted and condemned them for heritickes and haue put them in great daunger of their liues Sith then that they cannot suffer those héere that they should goe so pleasantly not onely of little dialogues familiar talke for little children which doo vnto them yet more greater honour then they deserue and do flatter them more then is néed God hath raised vp others who haue in such sort remoued their filthines the which others haue not done but a little tickled vp that they haue in such sort made the filthinesse and stinke so to auoide that all the world doth perceiue and foole it in such sort that one can no longer abide and suffer it When these sharpe surgeons are come which haue thrust their instrument so deepe within the Apostume that they haue perced them euen vnto the heart and bones they haue begun to reiect y first which did but a little touch the wounds and sores without and through their gentlenesse make them to fester and waxe worse and worse makinge of it but a certeine pallatiue cure or healing When they haue experimented and tried the second they haue cried out Alarome against them and haue bene constrained to prayse the first whome they condempned in comparison of those héere Afterwards came consequently others who haue a little better vncouered their disceite and which haue better manifested the villany and the fornications of the great whoore of Babilon insomuch that those whome men accompted to bée so earnest and such heretickes haue begun by them to bée estéemed gentle and good men in comparison of the latter And so they haue had of all sortes and yet they will vnderstand nothing Wherefore mée thincks they can no more pretende ignoraunce nor infirmitie or any iust excuse but that it is tyme to aunswere to a foole according to his foolishnesse to the ende hée thincke not alwaies to bée wise Wée must then let them to vnderstand that men doe accompte
this presente doth vnto vs wée haue good occasion to render vnto him thanckes Dooe you thincke that that booke wherein is described the voyage of Sainct Patricke and such other lyke ful of fables most sottishe and brutish were méete to giue any good doctrine vnto children and that the newe testament had not bene a better for them to haue in their handes Truely wée are in a good way forasmuch as wée bée already come vnto Saincte Patricke Thomas You knowe that thys caue is in Ireland Hillatius Some place it in Ireland and others in Scotland It is all one to mee wheresoeuer it bée for I will make no voyage thether Thomas It is all one also to mée For those countries are not farre distant the one from the other It is inough for mée so that I may finde it For that cause I haue determined to goe thether out of hand But since I heard our Ghostly Father I will not goe before I haue first spoken wyth him and after I wyll rule my selfe according to the counsaile that he will giue mee Hillarius You doe either mocke or dreame Thomas That is no countrey whereof wée should mocke forasmuch as all those that haue bene there haue lost their laughing and all reioysing Hillarius It is then lyke vnto the denne of Throphonius which is in the country of Lebadia of which the auncient writers haue written almost all after the same sort as our dreamers haue done of Sainct Patrickes hole or caue and doubt not but y the one fable hath engendred y other Neuerthelesse I doe not yet thincke that you speake in earnest Thomas You thinke that I am such a mocker as you are Hillarius If you bée not a mocker you are then a dreamer Thomas I sléepe not whereby I should dreame Hillarius No more also did our ghostly Preacher sléepe to day I neuer in all my life heard such an olde dreamer dreame and take on in such sort I beléeue no other thing but that he hath studyed in the schoole of some olde doting witch full of lyings from which hee brought this diuinitie Eusebius Are you not ashamed so to mock speake against such a vertuous and learned man as he is Hillarius I know not what knowledge and learning he may haue But this I may surely say that I neuer heard any thing of him whereby I might knowe that there is either knowledge or wisdome in him If he had studyed in humaino letters I should haue thought that he had read that hée preached either in the Poetries or verses of Homere or Virgil or of some other Poets as wel Greeke as Latine or in Plutarke For I am sure y in those Theologies a man shal finde that matter altogether entreated off almost after that sort as he hath declared vnto vs and chiefly in Plutarke who declareth most meruailous thinges that Timarchus hath séene in the denne of Trophonius which differ but a little from those which we haue heard of our Ghostly father But I greatly feare that he neuer profited so much in Greeke neither in Latine that he could euer haue read those authours nor that he coulde haue dnderstoode them if hée shoulde haue read them But for to speake as I thincke I rather beléeue that he hath read it either in the Sepheardes Callender or in Dante 's What age is hée off Thomas Wherefore doe you demaund his age Hillarius Bicause that if hée had lyued in the time of Alcestis and Protesilaus either in the time of Hercules and Theseus or in the time of Vlisses and Aeneas whom the Poets doe witnesse affirme to haue bene in hell and that they haue visited all those countries and chambers as well the Limbus patrum as Purgatory and also those goodly and pleasaunt fieldes Eliseas wée might presume and thincke that he hath spoken vnto them and hath learned of them that Theology But hée must bée then at the least more then a thousande and nine hundreth yeares olde and that hée must bée twise so olde as Mathusala Thomas Haue wée not Lazarus whome Iesus Christ raised to lyfe who hath bene longe time after all those who could tell what there is For thou canst not saye that the same is a fable as the others are Hillarius Yet the Ghostly Father could not haue spoken vnto him except hée were at the least more then fiftene hundreth yeares olde I doe not denie his resurrection but I doe denie all those lyings which are added vnto the history of the Gospell Thomas Could he not very well haue heard it of those who through longe succession haue learned and vnderstanded it of those who haue hearde it of Lazarus Hillarius Héere are a great many of héeresaies I would gladly knowe who was the first vnto whom Lazarus declared it and whether Lazarus hath spoken more amply then Iesus Christ and all his Prophets and Apostles Doe wée not plainely sée howe wée doe ieste with God tourning his woorkes and miracles into fables and Poets inuentions Could the enemies of our Religion do more Doe not these olde dreamers who haue dreamed and inuented out such fables make of Lazarus an other Alcestis Theseus Vlisses or Aeneas who are come from hell for to declare what is done there To what other end doo all thâ—sâ— inuentions and fabulous narrations of olde fooles serue But for to call into doubt Gods truth and for to giue occasion vnto the mockers and contemners of God and of his woord to laugh and make a scoffe of the Christian Religion and the Doctrine of the Gospell As Pithagoras Lucrecia Lucian and many others haue scoffed at the fables and inuentions of the Poets touching their Hell and of the vaine credulitie and great foolishnesse of the ignorant people who gaue credit vnto them As we haue done to the dreames of those Caphards and â—oltes who would make so many partes of the infernall Regions as the Cosmographers haue made of the earth For as they haue deuyded it into Asia Africa and Europa Euen so haue those deuided the infernal habitations into the Limbus patrum Purgatory the hell of the dampned And haue made all those countryes inhabited and so full of people that there is not one little corner nor angle but that all is full chiefly in purgatory if we will beléeue our Priestes and Monkes For the soules goe thether dayly by thousandes Theophilus Our Lord Iesus Christ raised not Lazarus nor the others whom he hath called from death to lyfe for to holde kéepe men by such mockeryes and for to make the worde of GOD lyke vnto the woorke of Poetes For his simplicitie grauitie nor yet hys maiestye can beare and suffer it It sufficeth hym to teache vs that there is a Hell and wée ought to contente our selues therewith without enquiringe where it is nor what it is For those who through the iust iudgement of God shall bée there condemned shall knowe it by prouing
or touching them as the son of y Centurion But euen as thereby hée woulde declare that al procéeded from his vertue and power not of the creatures Also sometime hée vsed them for to let vs to vnderstande that when hée woulde they shoulde serue hée gaue them such vertue and propertie as it pleaseth him for to learne vs that wée ought not to despise the meanes that hée hath gyuen vnto vs how vile soeuer our reason iudgeth them to bée For whatsoeuer they may bée so that hee hath ordeined them and that wée haue hys promise wée muste not doubt but by them hée doth that which hée hath promysed Therefore hée hath taken thinges which had not of their owne nature the vertue to bringe to passe those effectes to whiche they haue bene applyed that all men might knowe that from hym onely procéeded the vertue and not of any ordinary or naturall cause But these miraculous woorkes are nothinge at all lyke vnto those which our Priestes doe and theire ceremonies haue not such promises If by that they could remedy she corrupt waters as Eliseus did we will acknowledge the gyft to woorke myracles to bée in them which was in Eliseus But to what ende serueth the salt in the water Hillarius To what ende serueth it to bée put into the mouthes of the little children when they baptize them Theophilus As much as their spittle profited the infants béeing put into their mouthes vppon the tongue and vppon the eares Hillarius Mée thinckes that I doe see Apes which would counterfet al y woorkes of Iesus Christ At the least wise all their dooings are as those of the Apes which doth but little and yet euill If they could by their spittle make the little children and those that are dumme speake or make the blinde sée and the deafe heare I would counsaile them to vse it often But if I had a little childe I would not haue that such swinish pockie Merchaunts as are among them should breath ouer his face nor put their spittle in his mouth They doe call their salt y salt of wisdome And in stéed to season vs to make vs wise through the salt of the woord of God They salt vs in the throat at the baptisme I thincke that they feared y the wine would not abide drincking that we should not be good bibbers Wherefore they would season vs in good time I beléeue that they greatly feared least we should become Turkes and least we should cast vp the wine if they salted not wel the throate as men doe vnto their shéepe If they coulde with their salt make the fooles to become wise I woulde thinck it good to salt al the foolish people as men do salt the fat larde throughout all the body not onely in the throat Thomas I would not giue y counsaile For then the salt would ware very déere if Saloman hath said true wryting that the number of the fooles are infinit Hlilarius Thy reason is good For y inconuenience which thou speakest off would follow and an other more greater To wéet that S. Maturyn who healed the fooles should loose his occupation Besios that I beléeue that the salt although there be great quantitie store of it wil not much profit y soules when the Priestes doe mingle them with the Water For the disease is very incurable But for to retourne to our Priests I doo beléeue that of that salt Water they would make such potage for the soules as my Mother did once make for hir selfe for me my little brother which were not much aboue twelue or xiij yeares of age without putting into it eitheir Oile or Butter bicause that she would haue vs to fast with hir with bread water For if ther had bene any fatnesse in the broth or potage it had not bene a perfect fast If it bée so our Priests on this side the sea which dwell farre from it should haue better coulour cause to salt season the water then those y dwell hard by it For if they would make potage for the soules they shall finde inough of such sodden Water in the sea they shall not néede to seeke after the example of Eliseus for to make him their Authour For he was neuer such a Cooke But they must giue the honour of that inuētion vnto Pope Alexander the first of that name For if they will purge the dead through water I woulde gyue them counsaile rather to wash them altogether with hotte Water as the Panims dyd theirs and call that washing the last bath or washing euen as our Priests doo call their last an cling or vnction the latter Sacrament In which they doe héerein differ from the Panims that they anoynted men a lyttle before they dye the Panims anointed them afterwardes Wherefore their vnction was a little more latter But least you should thincke that I speake wythout authoritie as many Diuines and Preachers doe when they doo preache their owne fables and dreames I will bring out first for mine Authours that auncient Poet Ennius saying When death vvith dreadfull dart bereft king Tarquin of his life His body vvasht and nointed vvas by handes of his ovvne vvife And Virgile speakinge of the burninge of Misenus sayth Some brought the Water vvarme in Caudrōs hot they set in flowre The body colde they vvash a precious ointment on they powre If the water could any thing profite the deade it were better to make for them a great bath to plunge all their body in a great tub of Water and to wash them well for a good space then to sprinckle them so little For me séemeth that that manner of dooing is more proper for to kindle the fire of Purgatory if the Water doth descend thether then for to quench it And the same I wyll proue by authoritie and by examdle I wyll first proue it by the authoritie of many good Phisitions which say that when a man is very drie for want of drincke it is better for him to drincke a good draught at once then to sippe often For that same doth not quenche the heate that is in the body but kindleth it the more And to the ende that it doe not séeme that they speake that wythout reason they doe also alleadge the example of the Smythes the which I will bring foorth for my seconde argument which is infallible inasmuch as it is alwayes confirmed by experience For wée sée that when they woulde haue their coales burne well and to giue great heat they sprinckle thē with water which they haue alwayes ready wyth a little sprinckle or besome as the Priestes haue them in their holy water stocke There is yet an other reason for which I doe finde the manner of the Panims better and more lowable bicause that at the leastwise that shall serue for the dead for to proue whether
they cannot agrée together and it is impossible that the one can endure continue with the other sith that the one purgeth without money through the onely grace of God and the other is an insatiable goulfe which melteth consumeth all the golde siluer of the world neither purgeth it the sinnes but maketh all those guiltie of hell fire that séeke in it their purgation Hillarius I doe compte him to be foolish mad that had rather consume and wast all his substaunce for to buy hell then to receiue Paradise fréely which shal cost him nothing Thomas In hearinge you speake I am greatly estonied to see how men haue chaunged their nature For they do all willingly runne to the best chepe there is none but bad rather receiue good merchaundise if it coste nothinge then to buy the bad very deere or poyson for to kill in steede of bread which ought to nourish which shall be presented and offered vnto him without money Theophilus And yet neuerthelesse wée doe sée the same put in practise euery day wherein we may well know how God hath taken away the sences and vnderstanding of men who doe take such great pleasure to destroy themselues and to lose both their bodies soules and goodes For they are mad to runne after the priests for to buy death and refuse life which is presented vnto thē fréely and thanckfully by Iesus Christ Hillarius I beléeue it well behold the cause wherefore al these collyars and kitchin men who doe liue vpon that fire haue endcuoured themselues as much as lyeth in them to quench out altogether the fire of the gospel of Iesus Christ which quencheth putteth out theirs bicause that it is more vehement and more violent and consumeth it into Asshes Thomas Is it then true that it is quenched euen as you say and that there remaineth nothing whole Theophilus There remaineth yet some chamber or cabine which are not yet all burned But sithence that once the fire of Iesus Christ hath begun there to kindle it will not cease vntill such time as it hath consumed it all into Asshes for that is a fire which none can quench Hillarius I do much meruaile that they doe not all runne for water to cast vpon it Whereto serueth their holy water wherefore doe they not no we make it to shew his vertues as well as against the lightninges tempestes when they coniure them Theophilus They do cleane contrary For euery one runneth to the fire to the fagots to the brimstone to the lights to the bellowes for to make it the more to burne And they are so hot after it that there is neyther King Prince Lord Bourgis Merchaunt or Labourer whom they do not prouoke to blow their fire to cast on fagots in such sort that it is become so great that men doo sée in many places that it is like to consume those that bée aliue Thomas Can they quench it by that meanes Theophilus You are not deceiued hath the fire of men vsed to quench the fire of God No but they doe kindle it dayly more and more Hillarius I know the cause wherefore they doe it They do greatly feare least those Lutherians and heretickes should not be dampned and that they should not go into hell sith that they denie the Purgatory and that they will not enter therefore they woulde make them to féele it in this world and to purge them from their sinnes to put them in Paradise against their wils They doe well declare thereby that they differ from the Persians who will not burne the dead bodyes as the Greekes Latines do bicause they hold the fire as a God and they thinck that it séemeth that it was much vnséemely for his maiestie to defile himselfe with dead bodies and to nourish him with flesh But these héere do giue him none other meat but do sacrifice to him men as the Idolatres dyd God Moloch Pluto Saturnus and dyd nourishe them wyth mans fleshe But one maye replye vnto mée and saye that they dyd vnto him that honour to nourishe hym wyth lyue flesh Theophilus I am not so much amazed to sée them doo that as I am to sée how they make the princes lords their hangmen putting into their hands those whom they would haue to be executed Hillarius They shewe themselues to bée the successors of those who sayde vnto Pylate speaking of Iesus Christe we haue a lawe and by our lawe he ought to dye But it is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death And therefore they praye ayde of the seculer power the whiche men dare not refuse I doe thincke that many Princes Lordes doe feare least it happen vnto them as it happened vnto Nicanor the preuost of Alexander against the Bactrianians The Hircanians and Bactrianians did vsually giue vnto the dogges those that were very olde and did thincke it to be the best burying For that cause the common people nourished vp common dogs for that purpose and the riche men tame and demesticall dogges for to serue them for that purpose And therefore they called them in their language the dogges of Sepulchres or graue dogges Then when Nicanor was come vnto the Bactrianians hée endeuoured himselfe to reforme and correct that vile custome and execrable crime But he could neuer take order to reforme it but to the contrary as witnesseth sainct Hierome they did rise againste him in such sort that he had almost lost his kingdome Now if we will consider the thinges and way them well what are in these daies our Priests and Moonkes who do liue vpon carrion as the dogs of the Sepulchres doo For that cause I thincke that Rosset the Poet of Sauoy called the dogges the Chanons of mount Faucon as I haue heard him oftentimes say in his lessons Sith thē they haue vsed to eat mans flesh it is no meruaile though men do feare them that they féede them deintely as they doe in Hircania For there is not almost any great house but hath his domestical dogs besides those that are kept fed commonly in euery towne village Theophilus I doe much doubt that the same that they are afraide off will happen vnto them sith the they wil set no good order according to the power that God hath giuen vnto them I do greatly feare that in the ende those dogs wil dououre thē altogether For they haue already wel begun Hillarius Me thincks that they take the Pope for Moloch Pluto or Saturne whō men cannot appaise without sacrificing vnto them men The Pope woulde bée called our holy father but that is such a father as Saturne was who did eat his owne children if the Poets haue not lyed but yet Rea his wife hid them from him and kept them the he should not eate them But the court of Rome the papisticall Church who would be called our holy mother Church doth
afterwards shee was conuerted to your law and the most part of all hir parents and kinsfolke Wherefore the Priestes should haue lost all that Hillarius And therefore it is not without cause that they make such hast of offerings but without the same they make no hast Theophilus It should séeme to those that heare thē read vpon their bookes the they haue great pittie compassion of those captiue soules sith that they had rather delay the honor that they would do vnto the saints their office then the same of the dead the solace comforte that they would giue vnto them But the practise of their doctrine and experience declareth vnto vs the contrary For hée that will not giue them readye money in theire handes without all question those poore soules should neuer haue any helpe of them or at the least it shal be but lyttle and they shall tarry their leasure And so by that meanes the poore shal be alwayes miserable and cannot enter into Paradise for want of money if there be such auarice in Paradise as is among them Hillarius Some men saye they haue hearde their lamentations and that you doe wronge vnto them and that they are not so pittilesse as you make them For in singing for the dead they lament so piteously that men would say that they did wéepe and mourne as if they had buryed their father and mother But it is easie to bée séene that they are not so sorrowfull as they séeme they are But that those are the teares of the Crocodile who weepeth when he would eate and deuoure men Wherefore the more I beholde them so much the truer do I finde the aunswere of him of whome one asked what kinde of people doe lyue now a dayes most ioyfully and fréely vppon the earth and who haue the greatest franchises and priuiledges Thomas What aunswered he Hillarius That they were the Priests and the Phistcians For the Priestes are alwayes ioyfull and merry as you heare them sing at the burialls when all the other do wéepe and lament The Phisicians also haue great lyberties and franchises For it is lawfull for them to kill men not onely without receiuing punishment for it but which is more they haue and receiue money for their labour Thomas The hangmen are asmuch priuiledged Hillarius You say true I am abashed that Plinie hath not ioyned them together when he did speake of the priuiledge of the Phisicians But it seemeth vnto me that they ought yet to haue wages of the Priests For they doe not neglect and fore slow their businesse but doe bring goodly hydes into their tanne fatte Theophilus Yea the barbarous and ignorant Emperiques and Arabians which ought to agrée with them and the Theologians Sophistes But they cannot gette much with the cunning Phisicians and which are of a good conscience Hillarias And therefore me thinkes that those cannot well agrée with the Priestes For the Priestes desire none other thing but death And the good Phisicians doe not trauayle but to driue death away to giue health and to kéepe and mayntayne the lyfe of men Thomas There is nothing truer then that thou sayst For I my selfe haue hearde them how they doe reioyce of their poore parishieners and say the one to the other in goyng to the tauerne Let vs go drincke vpon the first skinne that will come Theophilus What meane they by that Hillarius I do vnderstand their prouerbe But I am not much abashed although you do not vnderstād it for it is not in the Chiliades of Erasmus They compare the poore people to the beastes of whom they are the boutchers and flears as they themselues confesse by their prouerbe And neuerthelesse Eusebius is angry when we do name them by the names that they themselues haue giuen them For what other thing doth their prouerbe signifie but as the boutchers and flears haue the profite and gaine of the skinne and hyde of the beastes whom they flea Euen so also haue they the profite of the dead bodyes of which they flea I haue heard them my selfe howe they reioyce when they heare that there is any rich man sicke and in daunger of death and howe they saye let vs make good chéere For we shall haue by and by héere a good skinne for shoes and for the tanne fatte There is neither Tanner nor Cordwaytter so wealthy as those are For all the other knowe not to make their profit but of the skinnes hides of beasts But these héere do occupy the skinnes of men And although that they be vnprofitable for any woorke neuerthelesse they doe make of them more gaine then of any other insomuche that al the gaine that the Tanners do with their marroquino and vntanned hides and the Cordwamers with their shoes is nothing in comparison of that whiche these doe get with their trade Thomas I assure thée that I doe know a man at Couppet which is besides Geneun who hath made this reproche vnto the Priests of the same place and said vnto them Ye haue dronken vpon my skin but you shal pay y shot if ye wil for mo For I will not disburse any penny or farthing Hillarius Wherfore said he that Thomas Bicause that he was sicke of long time during his sicknesse the Priests hoping that he would haue dyed in short time went to the Tauerne to drinck vpon his skinne But he deceiued them did not to them the pleasure they looked for For he died not but is yet aliue to this day Hillarius The dead hath then deceiued mocked them as wel as the olde men who do spend all their goods vnder hope that they shall dye in short time afterwards as men say were constrained to go beg at the gates doores desiring to giue some almose vnto those poore people whom death hath begiled These Priests haue as great occasion to complaine of him as the Curate had who as men saye complained of his Parishoners sayinge what would you haue me do my Parishioners you will neither offer nor yet dye Whereof do ye thincke that I can lyue haue you determined the I should dye with hunger doe you not thincke Eusebius the one may say the same of them that Seneca hath written of Aruncius and Aterius and of other like who do make it an occupaciō science to purchase after heritages to watch after testaments saying that they haue the same desire which the Marrons had those who make it an occupacion to bury the dead bodies to furnish prepare that which is necessary for the burials funerals For the greater that the number of the dead bodies are so much is the game the greater both of the one and the other And therefore saith he Those the do make it an occupatiō to bury the dead know not of whom they ought to desire death But these hunters watchers after testaments
men after their death to make Drations in their prayse aswell for the consolation and comforte of their parents as for to incitate and moue others vnto vertue by theire examples For that cause they doe rehearse their prowesses their vertues and valyauntnesse And to make an honest mention at sometime for to encourage others to bée vertuous Thucidides witnesseth that the custome to praise the dead did begin among the Greekes by Pericles who was the first that openly made an oration in the prayse of those which were dead in the warre of Peloponense Also among the Romaines Valerius Publicola was the first which after that manner praysed his companion Brutus as witnesseth Titus Liuius Afterwards that custome hath continued among the Gentiles Idolaters If our Priests would serue vs in that stead the thing would be more tollerable although the we haue the word of God sufficient inough for to merte moue vs vnto vertue honestie But they serue vs to none other ende but to ease and the greatest thoeues and vsurers are those vnto whom they doe the greatest honours and giue the greatest prayses and doe bury them with greatest magnificence But if any poore man doe bye that hath not readye money scant and with muche a doe shall hee haue one Priest sor to beare him companye nor one scant to ringe the lyttle bell Theophilus There is no doubt but the the auncient Christians bicause the some were come of the Iewes some of y panims haue yet hept many of the manners and customes that they vsed in their countryes the which yet neuerthelesse they haue chaunged into a better vse For the Iewes and Panims had many things which of theÌ„selues might be tollerable and to serue to some kinde of honestie and cluilitie if the supersticion and the foolish opinions had bene taken away In the auncient Churche when that any faythfull man was dead béeing constant in the fayth of Iesus Christ and that he made a goodly confession in his death they vsed to make a commemoration to the congregation for to incite and stirre vp others to such faithe and constantnesse and chiefely when he hath bene killed by the Tyrants and that he hath bene the true martir of Iesus Christ in the mids of his torments hath constantlye confessed the truthe and hath witnessed it by his death and sealed it by his bloude For that cause the Notaryes and Protonotaryes were constituted and appoynted who were charged to write truely and after the truth the Ecclesiasticull historyes the lyues and dooings of the holy Martirs true seruaunts of God for the edification of the Church and congregation for at certein times they made commemoration vnto the Congregation of the fayth and constantnesse of the Martirs for to comforte and for tesie the poore faythfull in the middes of the persecutions that they suffered for Iesus Christ to the ende that after the example of the Martirs they shoulde prepare themselues rather to dye valyantly for the witnesse of the truth then to renounce and forsake it And the Dration and Sermon that Saint Ambrose made for the Emperour Theodosius after that he was dead tended to none other ende And when the good auncient byshops praysed after that sorte the good seruants of God that had faithfully trauailed in his worke vyneyard they did go about no other thing by that meanes but to edifie the congregation with good examples euen as the holy prophets and Apostles haue described vnto vs the holy scriptures the liues and actes of holy men which haue bene called of God for to instruct and teach vs by their example This manner of doing was not altogether to be despised and it might be practised to ediflcation if sathan the enemie vnto all goodnesse had not altogether conuerted and turned it into superstition Idolatry and blasphemie as wee see and proue it dayely For from those beginninges the Prothonotaries are descended whome wée haue yet at this present time who keepe onelye the name without exercising the office For to what ende doe they serue vs Hillatius To hunt after and so laye wayte for benefyces What woulde you they shoulde doe woulde you haue them to wrytte and register the lyues of our Popes Cardinals Byshoppes Priests and Moonkes They will leaue the charge of that vnto the Lutheriaus whiche are their protonotaries for to describe and paint out the legend of such saints and Martyrs of Venus rather then of Iesus Christe For theyr lyfe and conuersation is so holy that they had rather that men woulde neuer speake of it and that the remembraunce thereoff shoulde bée altogether defaced and forgotten Yet I thincke that they rendered no greate thanckes vnto Platine who hathe wrytten so muche althoughe that he tourned the sayest side outwardes as nigh as hée coulde Theophilus Thys is yet the leaste faulte of the Prothonotaries But from that same fountayne is risen and sprong vp the errour of inuocation of Saints of feasts wanderings blessings relycks pilgrimages and all other Idolatry and supersticions which men do commit dayly about the Saints For wheras in the auncient Church men did but onely make mention of the lyfe faith and constantnesse of the Martirs and Saynts when the people assembled themselues in the Ecclesiasticall assemblyes without inuocating or praying to the Saynts but onely vnto God Afterwards in processe of time the supersticious and Idolatrous Christians haue made of the Saynts Gods and haue dedicated to them Feasts Temples Aultars and Chappell 's And haue begonne to sing Himnes and supersticious songs in their honour prayse after the same manner as the Panims and Idolaters did to their Binges and Emperours when they Caâ—onized them And are not content to preach their lyues and Legende as the auncients did but haue added vnto it fables and lyes and haue made to them Masses in such sort that for one supper of Iesus Christ we haue more then thrée hundreth nullyons of Masses all contrary and differinge the one from the other By that meanes the Prophecie the preaching of the worde of God the Supper of Iesus Christ Prayers and Ecclesiasticall assemblyes and the true commemoration of the Saints are altogether abolyshed in such sorte that there is nothing but that it is altogether peruerted and tourned into more greater superstition and Idolatry then euer it was among the Panims As much happened about the other faythful that dye which are not counted for Canomsed Saynts For as on the one side they are giuen to inuocat pray to the Saynts whom they beléeue to bée in Heauen Euen so on the other side they giue themselues to praye for the deade whom they thinke to haue yet neede of their prayers and good deedes for to helpe them and to prepare the waye to Heauen â—â— steede of the simple commemoration y they did in y auncient Chruch without vsing praiers for the health of their soules but
y thou hast not forgotten it That followeth afterwards which thou hast said of y menseruaunts maidseruaunts which haue gone before vs with the signe of faith do rest in the sléep of peace Theophilus Thou séest already Eusebius for whoÌ„ they pray to wit for those of whoÌ„ S. Iohn speaketh off in the Apocalips which are dead in our Lord rest froÌ„ their labours For to dye in our Lord to go with y signe of faith to rest from their labours to rest in the sléepe of peace is all one And Clithoue himselfe is constrained to expounde those woordes by the same of Saint Iohn Wherefore thou maist know that they doe praye but for those which are already in Paradise For there are none other whiche doo rest in the sléepe of peace but those It followeth then that they doe also pray for y virgin Mary and for all the Saintes of Paradise Now let vs heare what thing they require for them Wée beséech thée that it would please thoe to graunt vnto them and vnto all those that rest in Christ place of comfort lyghte and peace If they rest in Iesus Christ are they not already in place of comfort lyght and peace Otherwyse I know not what it is to rest in Iesus Christe seeinge that it is written That although that the righteous be ouertaken wyth death yet shall he be in reste If they be in a fire as the wycked rich man of whom thou hast spoken that they doe burne as they make vs beléeue what difference is there betwéene them and the dampned Thou knowest very well that Lazarus who was in Abrahams bosome and who rested in the sléepe of peace bicause that he was departed from this world with the signe of faith that he had in the promises made vnto Abraham of the séede of blessednesse was in a place far differing from the other in which he rested in ioy pleasures and delights For if after that the faythfull be called fâ—oÌ„ this world he wero kept in the fire in what rest should he be froÌ„ his laboures Should he not be in worse estate then he was before Hillarius After that I haue laboured al the day haue much sweated it I must go into a furnase when I should go to bed for to rest my selfe in y same al night I woulde neuer go to bed Theophilus But where should be the promise of Iesus Christ who hath said so oftentimes Hée y beléeueth in me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condempnation but hath passed from death vnto life And that which S. Paul saide now then there is no condempnation to thé that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after y flesh but after the spirit Eusebius That is not repugnant For those which are in purgatory are alredy assured that they shall not be dampned But they shal haue eternal life after y they haue satisfieâ— for their sins Theophilus Sith that there is such punishment it must néedes bée that it hath iudgement and condemnation For God punisheth not without iudgeing And I knowe not how wée can make y opinion agree with so many goodly promises which God hath made vnto vs by his Prophetes and by all the holy Scriptures nor yet with that whiche the Priests themselues doe singe in the prose of the deade which beginneth Dies irae dies illa soluet seculum c. They doe say in a little verse O king of reuerent maiesty which sauest all soules freely From euill Lord deliuer me thou fountaine of all clemencie They céerely and plainely confesse that wée are saued through grace and doe vse thys aduerbe Gratis which signifieth froely and franckly Wherein they doe very well agrée to that which Sainct Paul witnesseth saying You are iustified fréely by his grace That is not then by our woorkes and satisfactions For then were grace no more grace I doe much meruayle how that good woorde escaped them Hillarius I thincke that the same chaunsed bicause of the rime for to make all rime in Atis. For in the first verse there is Rex tremende maiestatis And for to make all to be in Atis they haue sayd Qui saluandos saluas gratis Salua me sons pietatis Theophilus Now do those satisfactions agrée with that that the Lorde promised sayinge if the vngodlye will tourne away from all his sinnes that hée hath done they shall not be thought vppon any more Also though our sins shal be as red as scarlet purple or y worme that coÌ„meth out of the earth he will make them as white as woll the snow and will caste all our sinnes behinde his backe and wyll putte them as farre as Dauid witnesseth as the East is from the West and wyll cast them in the bottome of the sea Eusebius Wherefore then reserued he yet paines vnto Dauid after that the faulte was pardoned him insomuch that he was driuen from his kingdome by his owne sonne Absalom Wherefore punished chastised he him after that the Prophet Nathan had declared vnto him the remission of his sinne Theophilus When God chastised Dauid when he chastiseth vs euery day bicause of our sinnes he doth it not so much for the sinne which hath bene committed as for to aouertise and admonish vs that we do not sinne heereafter And the paine that we beare is not for to satisfie god For ther is none other satisfaction then the death passion of Iesus Christ that he can allow to be sufficient For if we must satisfie for our selues we must beare cary all the importable burthen of the wrath and iudgement of god Now if we must beare them there is none of vs but should haue his shoulders broken and should be plunged drowned in the goulfe bottome of hell with the Diuels For if the Angels could not beare it which of vs shall be sufficient which are but wormes of the earth And wherfore did God our good father send vs Iesus Christ to helpe vs but to that end that he would beare it satisfie for vs that thorow his satisfaction we should be reconciled vnto God deliuered from his iudgement Seing then that God our father hath the satisâ—action of Iesus Christ his sonne which is more then sufficient for vs all he requireth for vs none other satisfaction And if hee require good woorkes of vs he requireth them not for satisfaction for they are too insufficient But for prayses and giuing of thanckes and wytnesses of our faith of the remembraunce that wee haue of the benefites that hoe hathe gyuen vnto vs in his sonne Iesus Christ and for to incite our bretheren for to prayse and magniste hym Therefore sayde Iesus Christe vnto hys Dysciples Let your lyght so shine before men that they maye sée your good woorkes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Hée sayde not to the
ende that by them you shoulde satisfie for your sinnes or that you shoulde merite the kingdome of heauen and bée iustyfied For the faythfull man hath obteyned alreadye all that by the fayth of Iesus Christe whiche is our wisedome ryghteousnesse sanctification thorowe whose merite Paradise is gyuen vnto vs For that cause the holye Apostle calleth the eternall lyfe the gift of god Wherefore wée maye vnderstande that we meryte it not thorowe our good déedes but it is gyuen vs froelye thorowe Gods lyberalytie Euen as the Fathers enheritaunce is gyuen vnto the sonne not for that he hath deserued it but bycause that hée pleased hym so for that hee loued him and that hée is hys chylde and wyll gyue hym his goodes fróely Otherwyse grace shoulde bée no more grace but debte On the contrary when Saynct Paul did speako of the eternall death hée calleth it the wages of sinne declaringe thereby that man hathe well deserued it and that hée can deserue none other thinge but that that wages is due vnto hym for a recompence of the seruice that hée hathe done vnto the Diuell the Prince of this worlde euen as the wages which is payde vnto a souldyer for bearynge of weapons vnder hys Capitayne Wee 〈◊〉 then sée that the woorkes done by the chyldren of God and the seruice that the Angelles dooâ— vnto hym doe tende all vnto one ende to witte to glorifie GOD and to sanctyfie his name Euen as then the Angelles serue not GOD for to merite Paradyse of whiche they are alreadye in possession neyther for satisfaction of theire sinnes of whithe they are not entangled But onelye for the loue that they haue in GOD and the desyre of hys glorye so Gods electe doe regarde none other thinge for they are alreadye washed and purged from theire sinnes by the bloudâ— of Iesus Christ and they re hearte puryfied by the faythe in hym and thorowe the woorde that they haue hearde of hym And are already possessors of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ in hope the which is no lesse sure and certeine then if the thinge were present and that the Angels are assured of that that they haue Therefore the holy Apostle sayth that wee are saued thorowe hope and that Iesus Christ doth make vs sitte in the heauenly places And therefore when God doth chastise and cortect vs in this worlde that is as the Apostle also writeth vnto the Corinthians for to correct and chastise vs that we should not be damned wyth the worlde and the Infidels bicause that we are yet in the waye and capable of chastisment and ainendement But there is an other reason after thys lyfe héere when wee are out of the waye and néede and that wee cannot any more empayre nor amend And therefore the Lorde doth chasten vs héere as the good Father who beateth not his sonne for to haue any recompence thereby for the faulte that hée hath committed For the paine of the childe bringeth no profite vnto the Father Also he doth not beat him through rigor nor throughe mallice that hée hath to take vengeaunce of him For hée loueth him as his childe and the fatherly affection maketh him soone forget the faultes and iniuries that he hath done vnto him As it is cleerely shewed vnto vs in the Father of the prodigall childe Eusebius What hath the father then to do to chastise him Theophilus If hée knewe that he woulde neuer doe any more fault he would soone pardon him without any punishment But fearing least thorow his great patience â— gentlenesse shoulde fall agayne hee is constrained to beate and chastise him although that he doe it not willingly but it to that ende to make hym more prudent and wyse and to better aduise himselfe in time to come and that he take diligent heede not to sall againe in y fault or in any other greater The which is no more to be feared in those whome GOD hath called from this worlde Wherefore they cannot anye more rectius punishment whiche shoulde be to câ—nâ—en them as is y same of the father towards his child for to amend him But if there hée a punishment it is rather to declare the iudgement the seuerity of God towards the wicked and reprobates and to manyfest his goodnes and mercy towardes his elect As the Iudge doth condemne the traytor murtherer and other malefactors that haue deserued death not for to haue any recompence nor those vnto whom they haue done wronge and iniury For what recompence can they haue by their deathes neyther do they it for to cause them to walke in time to come more vprightly sith that they take from them their life But for to satisfie righteousnes and to mayntaine it to that end that other may take example and that they may know how auayleable it is to haue followed vertue and eschewed vice Eusebius To what purpose then doth Sainct Iohn in his reuelation say Their works do follow them what workes do follow them but the good déedes that men doe for them after their death For those that they haue done whilest they lyued went before not after Wherefore it followeth that there are some other which do profit them Theophilus Sainct Iohn speaketh it bycause that their workes do beare witnes that they are the children of god He sayth not other mens workes but theyr owne workes For as man lyueth of his owne soule and not of the soule of an other mans euen so doth the righteous man of his faith And as the righteous man lyueth of his faith not of the faith of an other euen so shal euery one be iudged according to his workes and not after those that other men shall doe For it is written Euery one shall beare his owne burthen And therefore Iesus Christ sayth by thy worde thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt be condemned That is so saye thy wordes and thy workes shal beare witnes of thy heart and by them thou shalt bée iuslified that is to saye absolued declared and pronounced iust and righteous Oâ— by them thou shalt be condemâ—ned knowen and iudged worthy of death and condemnation Not that God néedeth any witnes of our workes for to know whether we are worthy of absolution or condeÌ„nation For he knoweth y hearts néedeth none other witnes but his owne But y scripture vseth such maÌ„ner of speaking for to apply it to our capacitie for to manifest declare vnto vs better the Iust IudgemeÌ„t of god which wil shew foorth y hâ—pecriâ—e of maÌ„ heart For maÌ„ how wicked soeuer his heart be he wold alwaies hide it if one put it to his own coÌ„â—câ—éce although y he do condemne it he wil not for y leaue off to aduasice brag he y le an honest man vntil such time as he he také with his wicked déed as y theefe with his steaâ—ing For he is so peruers wicked
themselues yet they can neuer fill the sea These are the dikes of their castles Lordships wherin doth consist all their fortresse of which none can approch nigh vnto theÌ„ wythout béeing fore afraide in great daunger of killing drowning For those the wyll approch as enemyes for to assalt them shal finde those flouds altogether â—ull of sulfure fire more whotter burning then the internal floud PhlegetoÌ„ Those which do passe ouer theÌ„ for to yeelde themselues vnto theÌ„ shal finde theÌ„selues more miserable vnhappy For first of al they must passe the floud Lethe which signifieth obliuion bicause that it is necessarye that those which giue themselues vnto them for to drinike of the stincking water of their doctrin traditions forget God his word serue him in vayn Wherfore froÌ„ thece they must come vnto Acheron which causeth all those that passe ouer it to lose all their ioye and myrth For sith that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy Ghost what peace ioye can those haue who haue forgotten and forsaken God the fountaine of the water of life the sea of all goodnesse for to come drincke of those muddye and stincking welles that wyll holde no water Sith that then in that Acheron one shal lose all ioy mirth they must of necessitie come vnto the other flouddes to wyt Stix which signifteth sorrowfulnesse to Cocytus which signifieth mourning and vnto Phlegeton which signifieth heate and burning For sith that the holy Ghost is called the comforter ioye nor consolation cannot bée but there where hée is and where he hath shed abroade the waters and droppes of his grace And therefore who can haue his conscience which is depriued froÌ„ that comforter but sorrowfull ful of perpetual mourning What greater heat burning can ther be in hel then is in the consciences of those which haue abaÌ„doned Christ for to serue Antechrist for to follow his doctrine traditions For that is a very hell vnto the conscyence and it is not possible that those which are addicted and giuen vnto his seruice can euer be refeshed filled For that Aegypt is not watred nor sprinkled with the dewes flouds of heauen no more then the other Aegypt w the water from heauen in sommer hath nothing in it but these filthinesse puddels the which it doth estéeme more then the goodly faire cleere water it preferreth it selfe vnto the lande of Canaan the whiche yet neuerthelesse Moses estéemed more then that of Aegypt sayinge vnto the Israelites The lande whether thou goest to possesse it is not as the lande of Aegypt whence thou camest out where thou sowedst thy seede And wateredst it with thy féete as a garden of hearbes But the lande whether ye goe ouer to possesse it is a lande of hyls and valleys and drincketh water of the raine of heauen They had rather wyth great trauaile torment themselues after and aboute those marysses and lowe groundes then to attend and receyue the blessing from heauen And therefore they can neuer finde rest nor consolation in their consciences but abide alwayes in doubt perpleritie trouble and anguish Theophilus That is the very same that they desire For Antechriste hath his fishers altogether differinge and contrary vnto those of Iesus Christ who desire not but troubled waters bicause that then their fishing is a great deale better Iesus Christ said vnto his Apostles and Disciples I will make you fishers of men Bicause that hée woulde sende them for to drawe men by the nets and cordes of the preaching of the Gospel out and from the sea of this world and from the goulfes of sinne death and hell for to leade them vnto the port of health safetie and vnto Iesus Christ their Sauiour The other fisher men take fishes for to kill and eat them But these are sent for to retire pluck back men from death vnto life and from the perils and dauÌ„gers of the sea and goulfes of hell for to lead present and bring them all aliue vnto Iesus Christ On the contrarye Antechrist hath his Apostles and fishers not of men but of golde and of siluer or if they do catch men that is after the manner and sorte as the fishers catch the fishes for to kill eate sell them Hillarius If they be not fishers of men they are fishers of soules Wherfore I would couÌ„saile them sith that they know to take them in their nets as fishes that in sléede of their masses vigilles and suffrages they woulde buy fishe lepes nettes and hookes for to catche and fish for soules Theophilus They haue no néede of thy counsaile For they haue bene prouided of such instrumentes longe agone that if it be possible there shal not one soule escape but that it shal be intrapped and caught in their nettes which they haue layd forth on euery side What other thing are all their prayers for the dead their Idoles and ceremonies but bytings Hookes Nettes and engyns for to catche and take men as the Fisshers take the Fisshes or the Spiders the little Flyes with their copwebbes Hillarius Therfore it is very necessarie for them to haue a great many of Nilomitres seruants for to take good héede to their riuers sith the there are so many Fishers whiche haue so many nets engyns For it is to be feared greatly the if their Nile and their bloudy waters of Aegypt should ouerflowe arise and swell to much that it woulde quenche and put out the fire that they kéepe yet in their Purgatory aswell as the ouer great fire that they made there hath burned the walles and chambers that were there and least the same should hinder and let their sowings and reapings in haruest On the contrary if those fluddes decrease and dry vp it is greatly to be feared but that they will bringe dearth and famine for many causes and reasons For merchants nor merchandise cannot come no more vnto them Afterwardes it is to be feared least the Israelites whome they hold in captiuitie in Aegypt shall escape them if God dryeth vp the red Sea for to giue issue and passage vnto his people or least their Babilon should be taken as Cirus and Darius tooke the of the Chaldeans after that they had founde the meanes to turne the riuer Euphrates which entred into the same for to giue free passage vnto their souldiers hoste of men the which they placed within Babilon there where the course of the water was and did take it in the night whilest that the king Balthazer with his Princes curtisans and concubines did banquet make good chere and celebrated the feast of his gods Theophilus They may well repayre theyr dykes and forteaÌ„e themselues asmuch as they can But yet neuerthelesse they shall take them neuer the sooner For it is necessary that
the prophecie which Esay prophecyed against the Aegyptians be accomplyshed vppon them and vppon all their Fishers and vppon those which lyue about their riuers and which make the instruments of Idolatry supersticion Hillarius What is that Prophecie Theophilus Giue eare and you shall see whether it agréeth not well to our matter The water of the Sea sayth hée shall bée drawne out Nilus shall sinke away and be dronken vp The riuers also shall be drawen out and the wells shal decreace and dry away Réede and Rush shall fayle the grasse by the waters side or vppon the riuers banke yea and whatsoeuer is sowen by the waters shall be wythered destroyed and brought to nought The fisshers shall mourne all such as cast angels in the water shall complayn and they that spred their nettes in the water shal be faynt hearted Such as labour vpon Flare and Silke shal come to pouertie and they also that weaue fine workes And all those which doe make pondes and stewes for the lyuing soules shall be sorrowfull for their nettes Hillarius It is not possible to finde out a prophecie which better agreeth with them For this heere maketh mention of waters of Fisshers of Flare workers of makers of nettes of makers of pondes and stewes in which they doe keepe and holde fast the lyuing soules as the fisshers doe keepe their fishes in their stewes and fish pents It maketh also mention of their instruments of the workemen that make them the they feare nothing lesse least that the preaching of the Gospell should drye vp those riuers as Demetrius those of his sect greatly feared the thorow the preaching of Paul the honour of Diana the great goddesse of the Ephesians should be diminished their gayne with hir Therefore they are not to be blamed although they loke to it so diligently It in more then time that the vertue of God doth shew foorth it self for to deliuer his poore people from the handes of so many fishers which plunge drown so many poore soules through their lakes puddles Those are terimen marrincrs which do drowne all those which enter into their boates ships For they haue not Iesus Christe with them which causeth the windes tempests to be calme to cease which causeth alwaies a safe landing and port Theophilus And therefore it shoulde be more reasonable that we should cry after him as the Apostles did saying Lord saue vs that we should make our prayer vnto God that he would deliuer vs from that déepe take al those that be aliue then to sing for the dead For if Dauid the other seruauntes of God did complaine themselues to haue bene drowned in the lakes of tribulation and mysery that the waters haue enuironed couered them ouer the head wée haue no lesse occasson to complayne Esay desiring to signifie the misery tribulation which should come vnto Hierusalem and to all the lande of Iuda by the army of Sennacherib sayth that she shall be enuironed wyth waters vp to the throate And vseth such comparison for to let them to vnderstand that the same army shal destroy and couer all the land euen as Euphrates did couer and destroy that lande of Assyria when it ouerflowed making comparison by the souldiers host vnto the riuer bicause that both the one and the other doe passe through one lande But Hierusalem was neuer so afflicted nor oppressed by the vyolent waues of the armye of the Assyrians as the poore Church is troden downe and oppressed by that great Romish Sennacherib and his army whiche is innumerable throughout all the whole worlde as the sande of the sea But we haue spoken inough of the Lake It resteth now to absolue the doubte which I haue alreadye begun Forasmuch friende Eusebius as you say that that hell and déepe lake of which mencion is made of it in the affertory for the dead is taken for purgatory what doth y signifie which is spoken off afterwards Deliuer thē from the lyons mouth least that hell do not deuour them I beleeue the they vnderstand by the Lyon none other but the Dyuel who as S. Peter witnesseth is our enemy walketh about séeking whom he may deuour But sith the the soule is separated from the body how can it be deliuered frō the mouth of y roring denouring lyon if the soule be of a reprobate which dieth out of y saith of Christ who shal deliuer it from his throte when God hath giuen it him And if it be of a faithfull man Iesus Christe who is the strong and inuincible Lion of the tribe of Iuda who hath had the victory ouer that Lion which is aduersary and enemy vnto God hath he not already deliuered it hath not he killed and prohibited the mouth of that hungry Lion as a true Sampson and Dauid in such sorte that he hath no more teeth nor fanges for to deuoure the childen of God whom the Lord Iesus holdeth as the Lyon his pray to whome none dareth to come nigh as Esay hath written that the Lord kéepeth Hierusalem and his elect people Also I thinke it not much vnméete if we make such prayer for those that be a liue the which Iesus Christ hath taught vs to pray and say And lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill And hee him selfe hath made the prayer vnto God his Father for his discyples as witnesseth Sainct Iohn He saith not I pray thee that thou wouldest deliuer them from euill after this life nor saith I pray not that thou wouldest take them out of the world but that thou wouldest kéepe them from all euill Also S. Peter doeth not exhort vs to abstaine from meates to bée sober watche and pray and to arme vs with faith againste that roaring Lion for those that be dead but for our selues whilest that we be a liue to the ende we may auoyd his mouth for to come vnto that holy light which he hath promised vnto Abraham and vnto his seede For according to your doctrine sith that the soule is seperated from the body if man hath not had here remission of his sinnes before his death he cannot haue it after And if he haue it in this life he goeth either into Paradise or into Purgatory If he be in Paradise it is no more to bee feared that hell can swallow him vp If he bée in Purgatory although that according to your opinion he be in paynes yet neuerthelesse you confesse that he is past the danger of damnation and that he is sure of his saluation Wherefore I vnderstand not howe that prayer can agrée with the worde of God and the doctrine of the auncient doctors your owne For you speake against your selfe If that prayer doth profit the soules of the dead in the other life it must then bée that ther is yet great
now Eusebius There is no doubt of it Theophilus Sith that it is so tell mée what soules went thether For eyther it must bée altogether emptie and voide or else it must be that some went thether eyther those of the elect faithfull or those of the Infidels and reprobate Now I do not thinke that thou wilt say that the Purgatory was for the Infidels and reprobate Eusebius One may so iudge by that which is written of the wicked rich man. Theophilus Sith then that hell was for the reprobate it followeth then necessarily that the soules of the elect shoulde goe into Purgatorye If it hée so to what ende serueth the Limbe For you doe saye that all the Patriarches Prophetes and true faythfull whiche are departed out of this worlde before the death and passion of Iesus Christe were there kepte and deteyned and they coulde not goe into Paradise vntyll such time as Iesus Christe had satysfied for them Wherefore I doe conclude accordinge to your doctrine eyther that the Limbe and Purgatorye were all one place and lodginge or else that the one of them two was voyde and supersâ—uous or that there was but one or for to speake the truth neyther the one nor the other For if the Limbe were for to receiue the faythfull that dyed in the fayth of the promyse made vnto Abraham what néede was there anye more of Purgatorye bad they not Purgatorye suffycient inough in the Limbes Were they not sufficientlye tormented to bée excluded from Paradise and depryued from the ioyes thereoff and from the fruytion of the glorye of GOD as you doe affirme For what more greater torment can a faythfull man haue then to bee depryued from suche a good thinge That is not onely a Purgatorye but a very hell Eusebius I do know that in hearing thée speake that thou which wouldest teache others art yet in greater ignoraunce and that thou vnderstandest verye euyll this matter The Limbe then was for those which were in such estate as those are nowe which haue finished their penaunce and haue made entire and whole satisfaction for their sinnes in this world which doe go strayght waye into Paradyse sauinge that those there cannot yet enter bicause that the doore was shutte vntyll that Iesus Christ came to open it and to breake the gates of Hell. Theophilus Wherefore was the Purgatorye Had it in it yet a certeyne other sorte of soules and of an other condytion then those which went into the Limbes Eusebius Yea. For thou mayst well vnderstande that all the faythfull which haue procéeded and bene before the comminge of our Lorde Iesus Christe haue not all of them bene so holy and so perfect as the Patriarches and Prophetes Wherefore it were no reason that incontinently after they are deade they shoulde receyue as much felicytie as they wythout they doe first accomplishe and ende their penaunce in Purgatorye and satysfie for their sinnes the which they haue not done in thys world as the holy Patriarches and Prophets haue done or otherwyse GOD shoulde not bée iuste For what reason is it that hée whiche hath lyued in all viees and sinnes all the time of this lyfe vntyll the laste tyme of hys death in whiche gée hath had repentaunce of hys sinnes and hath asked mercye of God shoulde haue no more gréeuous punishment but should receiue as great reward as he which al his life time hath serued God faithfully and hath alwayes lyued in holynesse righteousnesse and innocencie Theophilus Take héede thou doe not blaspheme God and doe imurye vnto his grace and mercye For I doe greatly feare but that thou wilt bée like vnto the brother of the prodigall childe who was enuious against his brother and murmured against his father béeing angrye at the gentle receiuing and of the grace and fauour that hee dyd vnto his sonne whome he had recoured béeing reduced and brought into the right way or least that thou be one of the companions of theÌ„ which were hired to work in the vineyard which did murmure against the good man of the house bicause y he did giue as much wages vnto those whom he called at the eleuenth houre a little before night for to work in his vineyard as vnto those whoÌ„ hée appointed from the morning which haue borne the burthen and heate of the day Wherfore dost thou not accuse our Lord Iesus Christ who hath aunswered vnto that poore theefe who dyd hange vppon the Crosse â—â—yth him This daye shalt thou bée with mée in Paradise What good déedes had hée done before Art thou enuious of the grace which God doth vnto the poore sinners Eusebius God forbid But we must vnderstand that as God is mercifull so is hée righteous And if the théefe which was crucified with Iesus Christ had had that priuiledge it followeth not therefore that all haue the lyke or that they ought to haue it For as the lawe makers doe say the priuiledges of a fewe are not common lawes to all men Theophilus If that théefe hath receiued so greate goodnesse by one singular priuiledge I doe aunswere vnto thée further that none is saued but by priuiledge For all wée haue meryted eternall dampnation of our nature Inasmuch then as wée be saued that is thorow a singular priuiledge which is giuen of God vnto the elect by Iesus Christ which is not common vnto the reprobate Eusebius There is yet an other reason wherefore that théese went straight into Paradise wythout passinge by the fire and the paines of Purgatorye that is bicause that he had alreadye done his penaunce in this world and hath satisfied for his sinnes Theophilus What penaunce or satisfaction coulde hée haue made For the theftes and murthers for which hée was hanged on the Gybet Eusebius But it was the paine that hée endured and suffered and the death that he hath receiued for his demerites Theophilus As much did his companion suffer which was hanged on the left hande but yet neuerthelesse his torments haue serued him nothing at all and hée dyd not heare such promise of Iesus Christ as the other Eusebius Bicause that hée dyd not take his death and torment quyetly and patientlye and hath not beléeued in Iesus Christe and demaunded pardon of hys sinnes as his companion did Theophilus Thou alwayes commest vnto my compt and thou shalt hée compelled to confesse that there is nothinge which was the cause of his saluation but the faith which he had in Iesus Christ and the mercy of God which hée hath obteyned by the same without that that God had regard neither to his dignitie or worthinesse nor vnto his workes but vnto Iesus Christe his sonne for whose loue he hath pardoned him not for the forment and death which the théese hath suffred and the satisfaction that he could doe vnto him but for the forment death and passion which Iesus Christ hath suffred the satisfaction that he hath made for him the which
Sainct Cyprian hath well vnderstanded of whom the witnes is alleged by the maister of the sentences For although all the deathes and forments that all men haue euer suffred Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles Martirs and confessors should be put together they should not be sufficient for to put out the least sinne in the world For God doth not take onlye for satisfaction the torment but regardeth the worthynes of the person of which he receaueth the raunsome the whiche was not found sufficient but in Iesus Christ Or otherwise if the torment which man doth suffer were approued and allowed of God for satisfaction and cause to auoyd the paines of Purgatory there shoulde bee no men more happier and blessed then the théeues murtherers brigandes and other malefactors which are executed by Iustice And there would bee none which would not but become a théese or murtherer or to coÌ„mit some fault wor thy of death for to be executed thorow Iustice to auoide the paines of Purgatory For if the doctrine of your diuines be true the fire of Purgatory surmounteth al the paine that a man can suffer in this life and it is so hot and burning that the visible and materiall fire of this world is but as a painted fire in comparison of that same Hillarius I cannot vnderstand in what place of the holy scripture they haue séene that I woulde rather beleeue that they haue learned it of Plutarch who hath witten that the dolors and paines of Purgatory are so great and so cruell that there is asmuche difference betwéene them and those that wee do suffer in our body and in the flesh as there is difference betwéene that which happeneth vnto vs in dreaming and that which happeneth vnto vs waking In somuch that all that whiche we doe suffer in this worlde is but as a dreame in the respecte of the same Wherfore if the fable that the Theologians haue rehersed of Sainct Gregory be true I shal not be abashed that hee had rather choose when the Aungell did giue vnto him the choyce of two things to be in paine and sickenes all his life then two daies in Purgatory bicause that hée prayed for Traianus and deliuered him from hell For although that he complained in his Epistles that hée is so much gréeuid with diseases and so great dolours that his life is vnto him nothing but paine yet neuertheles it is verye casle in comparison to be a quarter of an houre in Purgatory Thomas To what purpose hath the Angell giuen vnto him to choose one of those two paines By doing good ought euill to happen vnto him Hath hée fetched out Traianus from hell against Gods will If our Priestes had such a payment for to drawe soules out of Purgatorye I belaue that they would not be very much hotte after their masses Hillarius It were necessary that sithens they haue begunne the fable to ende it for to make it accorde and agrée with that of Theseus and Pyrothus who as the Poetes do witnes are punished in the hells bicause that they woulde take awaye Proserpina maugre the God Pluto Theophilus That is yet nothing in comparison to that that I haue said They do kindle that fire more For they do affirme that the same of Purgatory and that of hell is al one and that there is none other difference but that the same of hell is eternall touching his office but the same of Purgatory is not but as touching his substaunce bicause that the soules go out some time Wherefore they do conclude that not onely the paine of Purgatorye is the moste gréenous that euer was but whiche is more Thomas of Aquin hath written that that paine excéedeth and surmounteth the dolours torments which Iesus Christ hath suffred in his death and passion What blasphemy can be more greater For what hell can be more truell then that which Iesus Christe hath suffred for vs when hee take vpon him the cursse due for our sinnes for to deliuer vs Thomas Do they not alledge some place of the holye Scripture for to proue that Hillarius Where shal they finde it their probatien is an example which they do commonly put foorth and propounde taken out of the chronicles of the Iacobins of a Frier of that order who appeared vnto a very friende of his by whom beeing asked of the paines of Purgatorye aunswered that if all the world and all the visible things were on fire and did burne yet it could not be compared to the paine and beate of Purgatorye bost thou not thinke that the probation is worthy of such Theologians Eusebius Although that there were no Scripture that we had but our naturall sence the which God hath giuen vnto vs yet wee might well iudge that it is conuenient and necessarie that there be a Purgatorye in whiche the sinful men may he punished for those sinnes of which they haue not ended their penaunce For it is not written with out cause Nullum malum impunitum Nullum bonum irrenumeratum That is ther is none euil which shal not be vnpanished nor no goodnes which shal not be vnrewarded Theophilus Although that those wordes are not reryted in the scripture after that manner as thou doost receyte them yet neuertheles I am content to allow it to be true I doe not deny but that God is as iust as he is merciful For otherwise he could not be god But we ought to consider by what meanes he doth exercise his iustice mercie towards vs There is no doubt but the our sinnes do deserue great punishmeÌ„t And therfore hath he giueÌ„ vnto vs Iesus Christ his sonne hath deliuered him to death for vs that our misdéeds should be punished in him that he do satisfie for vs to his souereigne iustice for to obteine of him grace mercy in his name Thou seest theÌ„ that there is none euil which is not vnpunished for to satisfie the rightousnes iustice of god but ther is differeÌ„ce in the maÌ„ner of punishing Forâ—â— he that hath bâ—ne the euil beleeueth in Iesus Christ and hath full hope and trust that thorow his death passion he hath obtayned of God pardon and remission of his sinnes thorow that saith he is the true member of Iesus Christ and adopted for the sonne of god If hee bee a true member of Iesus Christ and a true childe of God hée his sinnes are punished in Iesus Christe who for that cense hath borne the iudgement and tursse of God for all the elect But if the sinner bee an Infidell and whiche hath no parte with Iesus Christ the wrath of God falleth vppon him and he cannot escape the Iudgement of God but that his sinne be punished in himselfe in hell fire And euen as our euill deedes are punished in Iesus Christ so are our good déedes rewarded in him and by him allowed of the celestiall Father which crowneth his good
perfectly consâ—mated in all blessednesse without vs which are their compaignioâ—s how shal our other bretheren do which are ioyned néerer vnto vs which do yet tâ—â—â—e for the redemption of their bodyes and the consummation of their ioy the which they cannot haue without vs and a great deale lesse then the Angels Thomas Weâ— may also conclude by the contrarie that the torâ—ents of the diuells and reprobate doe increase and that they shal be greater and more grieuous after the latter iudgement then they are at this present Theophilus Saint Péeter doth giue vs most euident witnesse writing of the wicked and reprobate after this manner howe will God spare them if he haue not spared the Angels that haue sinned but hath cast them down into hell deliuered them into chaynes of darkenesse to be kept vnto iudgement And by and by after he saith moreouer the Lorde knoweth howe to deliuer the godly out of temptation and howe to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement We cannot deny but that the diuels and reprobate are alreadie in torment and but that they are alreadie drowned in the bottome of hell sith that they are reiected of God that they are in his wrath â— indignation But yet neuerthelesse by the words of saint Peter we may easely vnderstand that they doe attend and â—ariâ— for yet a certeine more grieuous iudgement gods anger more fearefull then they haue féeled But for to make thée to vnderstand more plainely that which I thinke I will expounde it vnto thée by a similitude and comparison taken of the very words of S. Peter When a malefactor hath coÌ„mitted some certein great cryme worthy of death grieuous punishment there is no doubt but y he féeleth his condempnation in his conscience assone as he hath coÌ„mitted the euil déede He hath his conscience which is his accusor for a witnesse for a iudge and for a hangeman and it can be none otherwise His conscience â—yteth and accuseth him Afterwardes he commeth to be vanquished of hys misdéedes by his owne proper witnesse which avayleth more then a thousand witnesses And after it hath vanquished hym it condempneth him And euen as it constrayneth them to witnesse against themselues so it constrayneth them to condempne themselues insomuch that although all the Angels and all the men of the worlde woulde cleare them and pronounce them to be righteous and iust yet neuerthelesse they cannot absolue and cleare themselues nor auoide their owne iudgement Now after y senteÌ„ce giuen it must be that it be put in execution and that the malefactor be deliuered into the hands of the hangeman the which he néede not to séeke farre nor out of himselfe His conscience with the rest doth yet that office the which whippeth and tormenteth him so cruelly that he cannot haue rest day nor night If he sée any talke together he thinketh they talke of hym If he sée but a leafe of a trée to wagge he thinketh that they are seriants sent for to take and carie him to prison If he thinke to sléepe and take rest he dreameth that he is in the handes of the iudge which sendeth him to the hangeman and that they doe leade him to the gallowes And in waking and sléeping he ceaseth not to imagine and thinke of hangemen â—ortures and Gybettes Wherefore the Prophete hath not saide without a cause That the wicked are like the raging Sea that cannot rest whose water â—ometh with the myre and grauell Euen so the wicked haue no peace saith the Lorde Haue we not the example verie euident in Caine and in Iudas From whence procéeded that violence of mans conscience but from GOD Which maketh hys enimyes to féele hys iudgement and his furour in such sort that they themselues cannot beare it But are constrayned to condempne them selues and despaire whiche is a certeine witnesse that there is a iudgement and â— God vnto whome we must render accompte The which we ought all to vnderstande and knowe although wée should neuer heare speaking of God nor of his holy scriptures and although we shoulde haue none other witnes but the same heré the which God hath naturally printed into the heart of euery one the which ought well to suffice vs For as saint Iohn saith if but hearts condemne vs God is greater then our harts and knoweth all things That is as much as if he had saide if we ourselues doe condemne vs may not God well condemyne vs Sith that we haue such a feare and such a horrour doeth not our heart admonish vs sufficiently that we haue a superiour and gouernour which will not suffer such thinges Sith that there is not so great a Prince not so great a Tyrant which feeleth not that hell in his conscience Although there be not a man vppon the earth aboue him of whome he may be afraide Doest thou nowe see howe the hell of the wicked beginneth alreadie in him here in 〈◊〉 worlde The which our Lorde Iesus Christ woulde not haue vs to be ignorant off saying be that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life and shall not tast of death For he is alreadie passed from death to life but he that beléeueth not in the sonne of God he is alreadie iudged and condemâ—ned Doth he not shewe vs here with the finger howe the faithfull beginneth alreadie his paradise in this worlde and the infidell and vnfaithfull hys hell Hillarius There is nothing more certeine then that which thou speakest And although we had not the witnesses of the Scriptures wee haue the witnesse of nature printed into the hearts of all which hath constrained the Poets to inuent and finde out that fayning of the furies the which we may call she diuelles They do assigne their habitation in the helles and say that they do torment the wicked and reprobate people most horribly aswell in this worlde as in the other By the which they vnderstand none other thing but the torments and assaltes of the euill conscience and that worme which dyeth not but gnaweth and deuoureth incessauntly Theophilus I doubt not But let vs sée how y â— â—el encreaseth day by day If the malefactor be alredy so much tormented before that the Iudge hath layde his handes vpon him before that he be put in prison before that he hath ben on the racke vanquished iudged and condemâ—ned Let vs thinke what torment he ought to haue beeing in prison after that his processe is made and concluded looking tarying for his sentence cruel death euery houre In what anguish thinkest thou that he is in Doest thou thinke that the horror that he hath of the looking for of the torments which are prepared for him are vnto him a great deale lesse paine then the torments and the death that hée looketh for Eusebius Truely I beléeue that there is no great difference that he dyeth so many times as he liueth houres