only for soules in purgatory They haue a reason for this their assertion but I passe it ouer because that M. Fowler him selfe doth seeme to encline to the iudgement of those his maisters For in the petitions of his Psalter he maketh mention only of such soules as are in purgatory But if there be no purgatory at all then are there no soules in purgatory to be prayed for A vaine petition then it is in this Psalter and a needelesse diligence when M. Fowler sheweth him selfe so diligent in praying for the soules in purgatory Yea and it is more then vaine to abuse the glorious name of Iesu and of his bitter passion to this his vanity of purgatory Nowe lette vs consider whether there be such a purgatorie in which soules doe suffer as they saye the paines of scorching broyling or burninge till they be purged from their sinnes and relieued by the charitable deedes of the liuinge yea or no. Let vs see who they were that did first speake of purgatory and how it passed from them to some of the olde christian wryters which doe make mention thereof but very doubtfully and diuerslie in their wrytinges So shall it appeare vppon what fainte groundes purgatorie is founded First it is graunted that purgatory can not be proued by any place of the holy Scripture It is I say graunted by one Archepapist of this our age and also by an olde writer of good antiquitie But the holy Scripture is the rule whereby our prayers are to be framed and it is the worde of trueth which doth truely teach vs of the true being of thinges So that vnles God in his word did teach vs that there were a purgatory we are not to beleue that there is any And againe vpon that which God doth promise vs in the holy Scripture we must grownd our faith in the prayers which we do make to god For if we wil dewly regarde Gods good will with trust that he will heare our prayers and graunt our requests we must haue both a promise of hearing and a rule warrantinge the rightnes of our requestes in the most holy worde of God without which we can not truely haue any faith or assurance of the hearing of our prayers without this knowledge we can make no true prayer It is no true prayer therefore which those men seeme to make which haue no vnderstanding of Gods wil nor trust in his promises Turkes Iewes and Papistes doe prate in their ignorance and vnbeleefe but that prating is not right praying Now then let vs admitte it as a trueth which is as you haue hearde confessed that there is no holie Scripture no word of God to warrant vs this purgatory then haue we by the worde of God no assurance to assertaine vs that there be any soules in purgatory nor commaundement of God giuen to vs to praye for soules in purgatorie nor promise to beleue that our prayers made for them can do them good If we haue no assurance nor certeinety hereof we can not pray for soules in purgatory Wil you know then from whence this opinion of purgatorie doth come The first and most auncient promoter thereof was so farre as I learne not God but Plato the Philosopher a man which did not truely know god His opinion of purgatorie as Eusebius doth reporte it is the most auncient recorde that I haue red Virgill the Pagan Poette hath spoken also of such a thinge as purgatory is fained to be but from Plato it should seeme to be conueyed to other who accordinge to their fantasie layed the first platforme of a purgatory euen that whereon the Papistes haue builded this their purgatorie Which building by the papistes is not yet so handsomely cowched together but that their owne fathers assembled in the last councell of Trent thought good by waye of correction to giue this admonition to them of their seete that they do not hereafter in their sermons before the common people handle the hard and dark questions touching purgatory and that they shoulde not meddle with such vncerteyne thinges touching purgatory as are thought to be false They do also forbid them to handle those thinges touching purgatory which doe sauor of curiositie or concerne supersticion or sauor of filthy lucre And those fathers as popishe as they were doe yet commaunde them whome they may cōmaund that they let these thinges alone as offences By this forbidding nowe it appeareth that before this time the purgatory Proctors vsed to publishe suche thinges of purgatory and for it as this councell now forbiddeth else why doth it now forbid them And so by the wordes of Papistes them selues we may perceaue that they haue had among them such Proctors for their purgatory as haue handeled it so corruptly that they them selues are ashamed thereof and do forbid the like and yet do these popish fathers in that councell vnderproppe this purgatory by their authoritie still But if they did meane in good earnest to take from their purgatory all such thinges as are vncerteine and false or curious or superstitious and such as serued for filthy gaine or lucre let them I say pare al these thinges from their purgatorie in good earnest and surely they shall leaue to their Pope then such a simple purgatory as is not able to be a sufficient pinfold to impounde a poore pigge But as is sayd they and their fathers will needes maintaine their purgatory for they haue taken in hande the defence thereof and it serueth so well for their purse and purpose that it deserueth their defence They saye that their Churche hathe learned it of the holie Scriptures But I saye naye and some of their owne men and their elders also doe saye naye as is touched before Neither doe they them selues shewe vnto vs any one place of the holie Scriptures in whiche we are taught the same purgatorie on which they doe conclude This nowe is the manner of the catholike church as papistes call their romishe Church in their councelles to conclude canons and articles of the faith without any Scripture They tell vs that they haue it also of the auncient tradition of the fathers hereof the reader shal be informed more hereafter Againe they say that this purgatorie is deliuered to them in holie councelles A man would thinke that these Tridentine Prelates did meane some of the first auncient holy coūcells as that first councell holden at Nice or that at Ephesus or some of the other olde holy councells But there is no mention made in any of them either of this purgatorie or of the soules in it or howe they are to be releued by the doinges of liuinge men Yea if searche be made in the Tomes of the councelles it will be founde true I thinke that the first general councell which did set this purgatory on foote by concluding thereon was that late councell begonne by Pope Eugenius at Ferrara continued and ended at Florence about the yeare of our Lord 1439. So
young a thing among auncient councells is this proper springalde their popish purgatory before then it was not concluded in any auncient holie councell so that yet the head of it neede not to be gray for age It is no maruell then that the papistes haue now againe in Trent concluded thereon For it serueth so well for their kitchins that they had rather loose heauen it selfe then this proper purgatory And now our papists may say that it is a thinge decreed in councells sithence a seconde councell nowe againe hathe concluded it but yet such councells as are neither auncient nor holie Thus pleaseth it the papists now to burnish and refresh the old forgeries of olde infidelles and to sette the same foorth as an article of their catholike faith The opinions of Pagans touchinge purgatory some auncient wryters sithence the ascension of Iesus Christ and the time of the Apostles haue repeated as Eusebius doth some haue giuen their addition to them as Origen and some other and yet that purgatory was not like vnto this of papistes For papists do allowe that the soules fried in the fier of their purgatory may be releued by the deedes and helpes of liuing men But this is not seene in the olde purgatory of Origen nor in that of the Pagans so plainely as papistes now talke of it When purgatory had once thus put in a foote into the church it went forwarde yet for a good space of time but weakely and waueringely The opinion thereof was cited by some followinge wryters after Origen For Ambrose whose maner is as some haue noted to take many thinges out of Origen doth make mention of this purgatorie So doth Hierome and also Augustine but very diuersly For sometime they doe as it were but dispute and reason of the matter as if it were a question to be doubted of Sometime it is affirmed Sometime that whiche one affirmeth an other denyeth And here is a peece of the false dealing of the papists to be marked For their manner is to cyte the olde fathers and their sentences in which they make this mention of purgatory as though they had with one consent wrytten so of purgatory as them selues doe at this daye holde They will not make knowne to the people in trueth neither from whence this Purgatorie did first come nor how it crept into the Church nor how some of the olde fathers doubled about it Some doubted of it some denied it all this I saye the Papistes nowe doe conceale for the knowledge therof would marre their market and not serue well for their kitchin Therfore they doe still drawe closely the sayings of the olde writers to prope vppe this purgatory as though there were no doubt in the matter but that all the olde fathers did faithfully beleeue that to be true which nowe they doe holde of purgatory And yet because their own consciences doe beare them witnes that they want sufficient warrant of the worde of God true antiquity to vphold their purgatory they haue bene driuen to make other shiftes for the same And therefore where truth and antiquitie doe not serue their purpose they haue busied them selues to susteine purgatory by other follyes as by their forgeries of satisfactions and by that same their preattie profitable deuise of praying for the dead To this they haue added straunge visions voyces and sightes of such as were by their conceites reuealed in purgatory and deliuered out of it say they yea they haue added some such straunge sightes as liuing men haue seene in traunses and they do not stick also to father some of their owne new false forgeries for purgatory vpon some writers of antiquitie which neuer taught any such thinge And thus for their purgatory for proofe whereof they haue no direct worde of God they drawe in fathers yea and Angels and spirites they saye but lyinge spirites I saye They bringe in also deade men yea and the sculls of deade men to speake to men liuinge on earthe for purgatory And not content with all this they doe still proceede and the better to setle this purgatory in their church as an article of their faithe they make them selues so bold euen with God him selfe that they do draw his most holy word with new racking and wrasting the same out of time to serue this their purpose wherein verely they shew them selues to be corrupt handlers of the worde of god Vpon these proppes did their purgatory stande stowtly till the light heate of the glorious Gospell of God did bewray it and consume it to ashes Then did this Dagon fall before the Arke of the God of Israell blessed be his name for it And nowe that they see their purgatory doth beginne to decaye they doe roare and crye for greefe and doe styll seeke to maintayne it by newe additions or reparations so loth they are to haue it so decay that it shoulde serue their turne no more Some tyme they tell vs of the kinde of those sinnes which are to be purged in purgatory some time they tell vs of the greatnes of the paines which soules suffer there some time of the releefe which soules doe feele there some time they tell vs of the place where purgatory is But these their tales be not all one nor they them selues in telling these tales doe agree in one For towching the place where this purgatory is Some of them haue found this purgatory as they saye in Irelande and this they call the Purgatory of Patricke vnto which also they say that once they had a keye I knowe not whether they haue loste it And in this purgatory one lustie Champion Noble Nicolas as they saye trauelled and did see the straunge paynes and sights which were in it One other purgatory their holy Sainct Odilo did finde for them in the iland of Sicily in the fiery hil Aetna And of this inuention by the good aduise of their pope Iohn did spring vp the solemne feast of al soules al the busy paines that they do take about the same which yet the church of Christ both could did well spare aboue the space of one thowsand yeares after Christes ascension although the popishe sinagogue can not now spare it for pinchinge their bellies not one yere These men not content with these purgatories and fearinge the ruine of it without it be continually repayred haue gotten of late the fauorable help toward this worke of a new Archbishop of theirs named Aolaus Magnus This man hath founde a third purgatory in the Iland of Thyle which we call Iselande for there sayth he are hills which haue snow on their toppes and burning fyer at their foote and he telleth vs that there is the place to purge soules Thus groweth the popishe purgatory in errour and ignoraunce and getteth grounde still more more among ignoraunt men This popish palace of purgatory should be very large truely if it did reach so farre as is Iseland from Sicily What fyer there is I
their new psalmes of their owne Such a psalter is this and suche psalmes here hath M. Fovvler made if not worse then they were as worthy to be forbidden as they and to be auoyded of al true Christians who are as I said to learne of the Lord him self how to offer this sacrifice of prayer to him and it is our duetie both to thanke him that it hath pleased him to become our teacher and also to suffer our selues to be taught of him yea and to harken to that which is sayd and by the spirit of God taught vs. Coloss 3. Let the vvord of Christ dvvell in you plenteously in all vvisedom teaching and admonishing your ovvne selues in psalmes and himnes and spirituall songes singing vvith grace in your hartes vnto the Lord c. Prayse god TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader FOwler addeth vnto his fiddle whiche he calleth a Psalter an admonition It may I trust be as lawefull for me nowe in the ende of this booke to adde a few words in way of a necessary admonition VVhen the Pope sheweth himselfe liberal in giuinge of Pardons to them which will pray so as he appointeth them when papists are busie to make vs Psalters and such prety instrumentes whereon to pray a man woulde thinke that both he they were become very deuoute But euen these very same men when this word prayer is most busie in their mouthes haue in their hartes hands fowle bloody practises to cut the throates of theÌ„ whom they doe allure to pray with them In which they do not so closely work but God of his goodnes doth discouer theÌ„ blessed be his name for it He doth bevvray vnto vs that blood thrist vvhich lieth in their hartes For they do in dede secretly labor practise the sheding of our blood the murthering of vs all whilest they doe allure vs to pray as they prescribe vs And therfore iust cause we haue novve to complaine on these enemies as Dauid doth vppon his Psal. 55. The wordes of his mouth were softer then butter yet warre was in his hart His words were more gentle then oyle yet they were swords VVe may likevvise complaine as he doth Psal. 120. My soule hath to longe dwelt with him that hateth peace I seeke peace when I speake thereof they are bent to warre In these practises of the seede of Cain that is of these romish catholikes for so they vvil be called vve do se that fulfilled vvhich vvas foretold vs by our Sauior Christ Ioh. 16. That whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God seruice Thus are the childreÌ„ of God forevvarned that they shall finde enemies so deuout cruell that they shall thinke them selues to do good and acceptable sacrifice to God in slaying killing of them This is an opinion vvhich is putte into their mindes by the deuill that old murtherer liar in this murthering the murtherers do this their seruice to the deuil him selfe The old persequutinge Pagans thus serued their Gods that is the deuill him selfe in bloody slayinges and murtheringes of Christians In deede it is the delight of the deuil to smell the sauor of such sacrifices And therfore euen among the Pagans and Idolaters the deuill that olde murtherer hadde sovved this delusion that they vvere induced to thinke it to be a most acceptable seruice to their Idolls to offer vnto them men vvomen children in slaine sacrifice like beasts Yea some of theÌ„ did doate herein so egregiously that they spared not their ovvne sonnes and daughters but made vnnaturall slaughters of their naturall children to the deuil him selfe in their Idols And this vvas amonge them a thinge so common and horrible that euen of this their cruell inhumanity did some olde doctors and vvryters of Christes church gather argumentes to proue those Idols false deuils and their vvorshippe Idolatry and to dravv those Idolaters from their barbarous infidelitie to the faith of Christ The same pagans also vvere taught by the deuill their schoolemaister to thinke sometime that it vvas meete for them to pacifie their gods and to procure them selues felicity by makinge of hauocke and cruell slaughters of the godly olde Christians The same murtherer the deuill vvhich vvrought these mischiefes then doth vse still his olde pranckes and doth sturre vp papistes novv to practise the like inhumaine cruell slaughters vpon the poore flock sheepe of Christ as he did by Pagans then They thinke it an acceptable seruice sacrifice to their god But it is only a pleasing seruice to the deuill of hel and the deuill it is vvhom papistes do serue herein They thinke by these meanes to extinguish the faith the religion true profession of Christ that their popish Idols may keepe the place of God and be counted and vvorshipped as God only and alone vppon earth vvherein they serue the deuill himselfe to the vttermost of their povver Many are the vnnaturall slaughters vvhich not onelie before vs but euen in our age papistes haue made in Fraunce at Merindoll Paris and through that vvhole realme in Flaunders also and Spayne England and else vvhere as the histories of our age doe beare testimony But if that God vvhom Papists vvorship be such a cruel belly god that he is best pleased vvhen men are slayne for his pleasure vve may safely say then that that vvhich the Papists doe vvorshippe vvith such seruice is the very deuill of hell For the Lord God the maker of heauen and earth God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the onely true liuing God accepteth no such seruice no such sacrifice and he vvill in his appoynted time call these butchers and men quellers to as fearefull an accompte for these their cruell doings as once he called Cain for the slaughter of his brother Abell Yea let them proceede they shall but fill vppe the measure of their sinnes that vpon them as Christ sayth may come all the righteous blood that vvas shed vpon the earth from the blood of Abell the righteous vnto the blood of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias c. But you vvill say these men be deuoute in their prayers They doe pray so did Cain so did Doeg make a semblance of praying and sacrificing but this vvas but the counterfetting of these cast-avvayes And the Papists do think that vvhilest they do thus nourish this vnsatiable malice and deuise of these bloody massacres in their heartes yet that they doe pray so vvell theÌ„selues that they may allure others to pray vvith them But in these their thoughtes they do erre and are deceaued For the Lord him selfe sayeth by the Prophet Isai 1. VVhen you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of blood The prayers therfore of these bloody papists are not hearde thankes be to God for it But let vs al vvhich do professe the religion of Iesus Christ in truth be admonished vvith care and diligence to practise right prayer acceptable to God by Iesus Christ our Sauior and not forget that vvhilest vve do pray papistes haue still their secrete practises to cut all our throates and therefore let vs be prepared for them Psal. 72. He shall redeeme their soules from deceite violence deere shal their blood be in his sight â—sal 25. â—nst Pij v. â—sai 2. Matth. 10. 2. Cor. 11. Marc. 12. Thâ— Psal. â— Matt Ber. in Serm. 1â— Ri. de s â—ict ex Io. â—ath Epiph. contra her lib. 1. to 3. Hierâ— Ioel. Act. â— Act. 13. Mathâ— Hieron in epist. ad Ephes lib. 2. cap. 3. Math. 21 Marke 1 Iacob 1. Ioan. 15. De verb. Ap. serm 14. Rom. 8. August in Epi. Ioan. tract 1. Petr. a soto August Hyâ—ognost Libr. 1. de praepar Euang Concil Trident Rom. 6. â—ath 20. Cip. serm de mort Vit. patr Rom. 16. Heb. 1. Epiph. li. 3. tom 2. Act. 7. Ioan. 15. 1. Tim. 2. Hieron in Ierem. 23. To. 2. concil cap. Grec Synod Cl. Alex. Matth. 23.