fitly stande with the happy case of all those that dye in the fauour of God and assurance of their saluation though they abide sharpe but sweete paine of fatherly discipline for their better qualifying to the ioyes prepared for them and all other the elect So that nowe the mouing of these doubtes hath so litle aduantaged our aduersaries that it hath somewhat geuen occasion of further declaration of our matter then otherwise perchaunce we shoulde haue had 6 The last obiection that you list to trouble your head with all is that voyce which was heard from heauen Apoc. 14. of the blessed state of them that dye in the Lord in the meaning of which you wrest and wrigle like a snake that is smitten on the head but you can not auoyd the strife First you vnderstand it onely of Martyres that dye in the Lord and call Augustine to witnesse thereof As I will not deny but Martyrs are specially comforted by that voyce so I wil affirme that it is to the common comfort and rewarde of all the faythfull in Christ who as they liue in Christ so they dye in christ And witnesse hereof I will not take of flesh and blood but of the holy Ghost Rom 14. None of vs liueth vnto him selfe neither doth any dye vnto him selfe for whether we liue we liue vnto the Lorde and whether we dye we dye vnto the Lorde And the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. nameth the faithfull that are a sleepe in Christ and 1. Thes. 4. them that are deade in christ Wherefore in despite of the deuill and the Pope this blessing apperteyneth to all them that dye in the Lord Iesus Christ as true members of his body and not to them onely that shedde their bloud for christ True it is that all they that would liue godly in Christ Iesus suffer persecution but not all to the death else who are those innumerable Saincts that no man can number of all nations and tongues which S. Iohn sawe Apoc. 7. who are likewise in happy and blessed rest without all maner lacke or hurt hunger thirst or heate but when you are weary of that interpretation you wring out an other that they in purgatory also be happy because they be sure of saluation at last and the rest from labours is either the rest from sinne or else no more but ioy of conscience witnesse of this exposition is the canon of the Masse The witnesse the matter and he that vseth it are all of like credit But if I might pose your conscience M. Allen can you call that a happy rest which is ioyned with such torment misery as you beare men in hand is in purgatory Haue you forgotten that you sayd yere while of Tabitha and Lazarus that it was a benefite for them to be deliuered out of purgatory into this life and is it now a blessing to be dispatched out of this life into purgatory And as for that which you allege out of the canon of your masse declareth that your masse was patched togither of many peeces of diuers colours For you pray for the rest of them whome you confesse to be at rest in Christ you wish easement for them whom you affirme to sleepe in peace As though in Christ were not perfect rest as though in peace there were torment and this exposition you your selfe are weary of also and turne agayne to your former and then backe againe to the latter An vnconstaâ—t man is vncerteyne in all his wayes yet all were litle worth if this place helped not to proue purgatory also For the payne of purgatory is a sweete payne a happy rest a fatherly discipline And yet as Augustine sayth it is but for small faultes or as you say for great faultes that by penance are made small And is God such a mercifull father to punish small faultes so extremely in his children whom he pardoneth of all their great and heynous sinnes O blasphemous helhoundes An aunsvvere to their negatiue argument vvith the Conclusion of the booke CAP. XVII 1 BVt yet one common engine they haue as well for the impugnation of the trueth in this point as for the sore shaking of the weake walles of the simples faith allmost in all their fight that they kepe against the Catholikes VVhich though it be not stronge yet it is a marueillous fit reasoning for so fonde a faith For if thou caste an earnest eye vpon their whole doctrine thou shalt finde that it principally and in a maner wholy consistithe in taking awaye or wasting an other faith that it founde before so that the preachers thereof must euer be destroyers pluckers downe and rooters vp of the trueth grounded before VVill you see then what a Protestants faith and doctrine is deny onely and make a negation of some one article of our belefe and that is a forme of his faith which is lightely negatiue There is no free will there is no workes needefull to saluation there is no Church knowen there is no chiefe gouernour therof there be not seuen sacraments they doe not conferre gratiam geue grace Baptisme is not necessary to saluation Christ is not present on the aultar there is no sacrifice there is no priesthood there is no aultar there is no profit in prayers to sainctes or for the deade there is no purgatory Christ went not downe to hell there is no limbus finally if you liste goe forwarde in your negatiue faith there is no hell there is no heauen there is no god Doe you not see here a trimme faith and a substantiall looke in Caluins Institutions and you shall finde the whole frame of this wasting faith There is nothing in that blasphemous booke nor in their Apologies but a gathered bodie of this no faith For so it must needes be that teacheth no trueth but plucketh vp that trueth which before was planted Is it not a prety doctrine that Caluine makes of the sacraments when he telleth not the force of any of them all but onely standeth like a fearce monstruous swhine rooting vp our fathers faith therein CAP. XVII 1 IT vexeth you at the very hart that we require the authority of the holy Scriptures to confirme your doctrine hauing a playne commaundement out of the word of God that if any man teach otherwise then the word of God alloweth he is to be accursed And therfore you runne to a childish kinde of Sophistry to say that our argument is negatiue A perlous point that almost all the Papistes thinke them selues more then Chrisippus or Aristoteles when they tell vs that our argument is ab auctoritate negatiuè Alacke poore logicke All knowledge that christian men haue of heauenly thinges is grounded vpon the authority of Gods word therefore as it is no good logicke to conclude negatiuely of one place or booke of Scripture this is not conteined in it therefore it is not true so of the whole doctrine of God wherein all truth necessary to saluation is
church affirmeth Luther to be an heretike seeing we know that Luther did not obstinately and malitiously erre in any article of faith concerning the substance of religion we doe not beleue her and specially because she is a partiall witnesse against him whome God vsed to discouer so much of her wickednesse to her great hindrance there is no credit to be geuen vnto her when she goeth about to deface him by sclaunderous names and false accusations Thus I haue shewed these thinges that you require both by good reason and also by scripture Therefore if I may beleue you you recant The fourth article conteyneth 3. demandes 1 I demand what Church hath mightely gonne through borne downe and fully vanquished all heresies in times past aswell against the blessed Trinitie as other Articles of our religion I Aunswere the true Catholike Church hath alwayes resisted all false opinions contrary to the worde of God as her duty was and fought against them with the sworde of the spirite which is the worde of God and by the aide of God obteyned the victorie and triumphed ouer them So did Paule ouercome the Iewes Act. 18. So did the fathers of the primitiue Church from time to time confute heresies by the scriptures and declare in their writinges that by them they are to be confuted for examples sake of a great number I will alleage a few Hylarius writing of the blessed Trinitie against heretikes Lib. 4. sayeth Cessent itaque propriae hominum opiniones neque se vltrà Diuinam constitutionem humanae iudicia extendant Sequamur ergo aduersus irreligiosas impias de Deo institutiones ipsas illas diuinoruÌ„m dictorum authoritates vnumquodque eorum ipso de quo quaeritur auctore tractabimus Wherefore let opinions propre to men geue place and let not mens iudgements stretche them selues further than God his constitution Therefore against these vnreligious and vngodly opinions of God let vs follow the very authority of God his sayings and handle euery one of them by the aide of him about whome the question is Thus Hylarius woulde haue heresies against the Trinitie to be confuted not by mens iudgement but by God his word Basilius magnus very often testifieth that he woulde haue all good thinges proued by the scripture and all euill thinges confuted by the same In his moralles Dist. 26. Euery worde or deede must be confirmed by the testimonie of holy Scripture for the perswasion of good men and the confusion of wicked men And in his treatise of Faith we know that we must now and alwayes auoide euery voice or opinion that is differing from the doctrine of our Lorde And in his short definitions to the first interrogation whether it be lawefull or profitable for a man to permit vnto him selfe to do or say any thinge which he thinketh to be good without the testimonie of the holy Scripture he aunswereth forasmuch as our Sauiour Christ sayeth that the holy Ghost shall not speake of him selfe what madnes is it that any man shoulde presume to beleue any thing without the authoritie of God his worde By these and many other places it is manifest that Basilius woulde haue heresies and false opinions confuted by the holy Scriptures Chrysostome vpon Luke cap. 16. sayeth that the ignorance of the scriptures hath bred heresies and brought in corrupt life yea it hath turned all things vpsidown by which it appeareth by what meanes he would haue heresies kept away namely by knowledge of the scriptures It were to long to reherse all the places of S. Augustine by which his minde appeareth that he would haue the Church sought onely in the scriptures and heretikes confuted onely by the scriptures to whose onely authoritie in many places he professeth that he him selfe will be bounde as Epist. 19. ad Hieronymum Epist. 48. Vincentio Epist. 111. Fortunatiano Epist. 112. to Paulina contra Faustum lib. 11. cap. 5. Contra Cresconium Grammaticum lib. 2. cap. 31. 32. de Baptismo contra Donatistas lib. 2. cap. 2. De meritis remissione peccatorum contra Pelagianos lib. 3. cap. 7. De naturae gratia cap. 61. De gratia Christi contra Pelagium cap. 43. De nuptijs concupiscentia lib. 2. c. 29. In these places S. Augustine preferreth the authority of the Canonicall scripture before all writinges of Catholike Doctors of Byshops of Councells before all customes and traditions But that he would haue the true Church sought onely in the scriptures it is manifest by these places first in his 48. Epistle to Vincentius Nos autem ideo certi sumus neminem se a communione omnium gentium iustè separare potuisse quia non quis quam nostrum in iustitia sua sed in scripturis Diuines quaerit Ecclesiam speaking of the Donatistes he sayeth We are suer that no man could iustly separate him selfe from the communion of all Nations because none of vs seeketh the Church in his owne righteousnesse but in the holy Scriptures So if the Papistes woulde not presume of their owne righteousnesse but seeke the Church of Christ in the scriptures they would not separate them selues from the communion of Christes Church now by God his grace inlarged farther than the Popish church Also in his booke De vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 2. he hath these wordes Inter nos autem Donatistas quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesa Quid ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris â—am quaesituri an in verbis capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christiâ— puto quod in illius potius verbis eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè nouit corpus suum The question is betwene vs and the Donatistes where the Church shoulde be what shall we doe then shall we seeke her in our owne wordes or in the wordes of her heade our Lorde Iesus Christ I thinke we ought rather to seeke her in his words which is the Truth and best knoweth his owne body So the question is at this daye betwen the Papistes and vs where the church is let vs seeke in God his worde there we shall easily finde her To the same intent he speaketh in the third fiueth and sixtenth Chapters of the same treatise Furthermore that he woulde haue heretikes confuted onely by the scriptures he sheweth likewise in many places of his workes for writing against Maximinus the Arian lib. 3. cap. 14. a place commonly and often cited he sayeth but nowe neither must I preiudicially bring forthe the Councell of Nice nor then the Councell of Arimine for neither am I bounden to the authoritie of the one nor you of the other but let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason contend by authoritie of the scriptures not proper to any but indâ—fferent witnesses to both partes If Augustine would not oppresse the Arrians by the authoritie of the Nicene Councell which was the first and the best generall Councell that euer was but only by the scriptures how much lesse woulde he
and them selues nurtered to holde vp their handes and knocke their breastes must yet needes meruail how these outward formes came to so holy an vse further whether the Christian people were not sclaundered for worshipping and doing sacrifice to Ceres and Bacchus when the wicked infidells sawe their behauiour towardes the holy Hoste whether it was not vsed in working of miracles in driuing away deuills in daungerous times of tempests of trauelling of sickenesse and in other necessities VVell these be plaine practises no heretike can denie but they haue bene so vsed of the whole Church of God with many such other like in that holy action which can not in any case stande with bare breade or any other way of presence but onely the proper true and bodily presence of Christes owne person A doctors wordes may be misconstrued may be picked out of place may be writhen and wastred by false teachers but a mans example can not lightly be misconstrued And therefore heretikes whose purpose is alwayes by sutteltie to deceiue the simple will neuer make discours by the practise of the Church or exercise and example of the auncient learned men through out the Church of Christ hauing enough for their meaning to racke a place or two out of the fathers whole workes that may seeme to the ignoraunt to set forth their errour So if thou woulde knowe whether that place that our aduersaries impudently doe alleage out of Gregory the great against the soueraignty of the see of Rome was in deede written for their seditious purpose beholde the practise of the same father and thou shal s finde him selfe exercise iurisdiction at the very same time when he wrote it in all prouincies Christianed through out the worlde both by excommunication of byshoppes that gouerned not well by often citation of persons in extreme prouincies by many appeales made vnto him by continuall legacies to other nations sent either to conuert them to the faith or to gouerne in their doubtfull affaires and by all other exercise of spirituall iurisdiction Is it not now a very false suggestion to the poore people that this blessed man in so plaine vtteraunce of his meaning by workes and not by wordes shoulde yet be brought as a witnesse to condemne him selfe though the wordes being well vnderstande make for no suche meaning in deede as by others it hath bene sufficiently declared The like impudencie it is to alleage S. Bernarde against the Masse or the presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament Good man I dare say for him he sayde Masse euery daye if he were well at ease For other busines did not commonly let them in those dayes from that worke of all other most necessarie So the reciting out of S. Ambrose for the improuing of inuocation of holy Sainctes is no more but an abuse of the simples ignorance knowing well that he and all other of that time did practise prayers both often to all holy martyrs and sometimes peculiarly to such whome for patronage they did especially chuese of deuotion amongest the rest I speake not this that any might hereby iudge the doctors wordes to stande against their owne deedes but that euery man maye perceiue that where the workes and practise of all men be so plaine their words in some one place founde darke can not by any meanes be preiudiciall to that trueth which in all other placies they plainely set forth by wordes and by the euident testimonie of their owne practise to the worlde proteste the same Therefore I woulde exhorte all men in Christes name for their owne saluations sake to take heede how they giue credit to these libelles conteining certaine wrasted places out of the doctours workes against any trueth which by the further discourse of vsage and practise they are not hable before the learned to iustifie And therefore that all mistrust of vntrue dealing maye be farre from vs I will as I saide let them haue the feeling and handling of our cause throughly They shall behold in examples of most noble personagies both for their name vertu and learning the peculiar practises in praying and Masse saying for the deade both in the auncient Greeke and Latine Churchies CAP. IX 1 NOwe shall we haue the practise and examples of the olde fathers concerning sacrifice and prayer for the dead And here M. Allen before he commeth to the matter maketh much a do to shew how much more certayne the practise is then the wordes of any doctor because the wordes may be mistrusted or wrested the practise can not be altered As though he could shew vs any practise but that which is vttered in their wordes in which if there be any obscuritie or improprietie there shall be as great cōtrouersie of their workes as of their doctrine as they vsed the name of sacrifice in their teaching so they vse it in declaring what they did practise according to their teaching And therefore it is not worth a straw that M. Allen thinketh we may knowe their meaning rather by their practise then by their wordes except he could either in picture or in vision describe vnto vs euery thing that they did But let vs consider the examples of those thinges which he bringeth in to proue that practise is more certeyne then wordes First he can not deny but the wordes of Augustine and Theodoretus stand with vs that the sacramēt of Christes supper is a figure of his body and bloode and not the same naturally But the practise must expound the words not to stand with vs For they did so carefully keepe it adore it shew it to be worshipped prayed to it yea they taught children to call it God and Lorde which they would not haue done if they had not beleued it to be the very body of christ For this is cited 1. Theodoret. Dial. 2. in the margent His wordes be not set downe because they be directly against transubstantiation and nothing fauouring the grosse imagined presence of Christes body in the sacrament for he calleth the sacrament signa mystica the mysticall signes and the diuine mysteries which represent the body of Christ that is a true body and not fantasticall or absorpt of the diuinitie as the Eutichians dreamed wherefore it is playne that the adoration he speaketh of is nothing else but the reuerent estimation of the sacrament to be that which by Christ it is ordeyned to be and not any knocking or kneeling as M. Allen would haue vs beleue Augustine also vppon the 98. Psalme is cited belike to proue the adoration who in deede alloweth the adoration of the body of Christ whereof that is a sacrament but neither can you proue out of that place that he would haue the sacrament honored nor that the sacrament is the very body of Christ but euen in the same place speaking of the sacrament he sayth in the person of Christ non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis bibituri illum sanguinem quem fusuri sunt
qui me crucifigent Sacramentum aliquod vobis commendaui spiritualiter intellectum viuificabit vos You shall not eate this body which you see not drinke this blood which they shal shed which shall crucifie me I haue commended to you a sacrament which being spiritually vnderstoode shall quicken you As for Dionysius because he is a coūterfect antiquitie I will not vouchasafe to aunswere him Basill in his booke de spiritu sancto cap. 27. hath these wordes The wordes of inuocation when the breade of thankes geuing and the cuppe of blessing is shewed which of the holy Apostles hath lefte vs in writinge Before we goe any further I will take this by the waye that what so euer it was that he spake of it is not tought by the scripture no more then many other ceremonies that he rehearseth in the same place Howbeit it is plaine enough that he meaneth not that the wordes of inuocation were sayed vnto the breade or the cuppe but vnto God who was called vpon to blesse those his creatures that they might be sanctified to the holy vse of Christ his institution The shewing of the breade and the cuppe ▪ was not to adore it as M. Allen dreameth for then he woulde haue called it the body and bloode of Christ but either to stirre vp the people to praye effectually or to admonish them that all thinges were readye that they might prepare them selues to communicate And whereas he alleageth out of Augustine De Trinit lib. 3. cap. 10. that children were taught to call it God and Christ he shamefully abuseth his reader for no such thinge can be gathered out of Augustins wordes which are these Illas etiam nubes c. Nowe as touching those cloudes or fire howe the Angells did make them or tooke them vppon them to signifie that which they did bring message of Although the Lorde or the holy Ghost was shewed in these formes what man a liue doth know euen as yong children know not what is set on the altar and when the celebration of piety is finished is spent out whereof or how it is made whereof it is taken into the vse of religion And if they shoulde neuer learne by experience of their owne or of others and neuer see that shewe of thinges but in the celebration of the sacraments where it is offered and giuen and saide vnto them with most graue authoritie whose body and bloude it is they woulde beleue nothing els but onely that the Lorde hath appeared to the eyes of mortall men in that liknesse and that out of such a side being striken that the same liquor did flowe These wordes are plaine that Augustine affirmeth that no man knoweth more of those shapes in which the Angells did appeare then young children would imagine of the presence of Christ in the sacrament if they were not otherwise instructed then in telling them when they receiue it that it is the body of christ wherby the cleane contrary to that which Allen affirmeth is plainely gathered that children were otherwise instructed first by experience bycause they sawe breade els where then in the celebration and also by doctrine when they were able to vnderstande that it was not the Lorde him selfe in the shape of breade but onely a sacrament and representation of him And by the waye note here one practise of a notable error in Augustines time that the sacrament of the Lordes supper was geuen to children which wist not what it ment contrary to the worde of God who requireth men to examine them selues before they receiue it wherefore if any other practise were in his time or allowed by him contrary to Gods worde we are no more bounde vnto it then vnto this which euen the Papistes them selues will confesse to be erroneous Finally what the Christiās did by that they were sclaundered with all is a sory proofe they were sclaundered to haue worshipped an Asses heade to kill men and eate them to vse all maner of beastlines in their metings The rest of the practise that M. Allen nameth with out shewe of proofe I passe ouer as vnworthy of aunswere The practise of Gregory although it were much more modest then of his successors yet can it not be excused but it was contrary to his doctrine whereby he reproued an other in that he was not altogether cleare him selfe Bernarde was but of late time wherefore although he might note some abuses of the Masse yet he might also saye it him selfe but how often I can not tell Touching Ambrose which was sodeinely made a byshop before he was a perfect Christian if some steppes of hethenishe inuocation or rethoricall apostrophees and prosopopees appeare to be in him and some other also about his time yet was not that generally receiued of all the Church in his time nor agreable to the doctrine of S. Paule who sheweth that we can inuocate none but him in whome we beleue which to all true Christians is God onely 2 And where may we better beginne then with this famous Chrysostome he bare the last wittenesse with vs for the reliefe of the departed by the prayers and holy oblation therefore the practise of that excellent benefite shall first be shewed vpon him selfe This blessed man therefore being banished by the meanes of the Empresse Eudoxia for the defense of the Ecclesiasticall discipline there in exile departing out of this world was after her death by the happy and gracious childe Theodosius ▪ the yonger translated from his obscure resting place to Constantinople which was his owne seate there with meete honour to be buried where with grace wonderful dignity he ruled the Church before The History reporteth that the people of that citie as thicke as men euer went on grounde passed the waters of Bosphorus and couered that coste wholy with light and lampe with tapers and torcheis to bring that blessed byshoppes body that was their owne deare pastor home againe The which passing treasure being with all reuerence laide vp in the saide citie then loe the gracious good Emperour earnestly beholding the graue of S. Chrysostome made most humble prayers to almighty God for his father and mothers soule the late Emperour and Empres beseching him of pardō forgiuenes for banishing that good Catholike byshop because they did it of ignorance so the words may well be taken that he asketh Chrysostome him selfe mercy also for his parents offense vniustly committed against him and withall full kindly prayeth for their deceased soules And so being buried in his owne Church he was then by Atticus a worthy man his second successour written in the roule of Catholike bishoppes to be praide for at the altar euery day by name Cum Ioannitae saith Cassiodorus out of Socrates seorsim apud seipsos sacra solemnia celebrarent iussit vt in orationibus memoria Ioannis haberetur sicut aliorum dormientium episcoporum fieri consueuit VVhen Chrysostoms partakers saide Masse by them selues aside Atticus
TVVO TREATISES WRITTEN AGAINST THE PAPISTES THE ONE BEING AN answere of the Christian Protestant to the proud challenge of a Popish Catholicke THE OTHER A CONFVTATION OF THE POPISH CHVRCHES doctrine touching Purgatory prayers for the dead by William Fulke Doctor in diuinitie Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollie◠dwelling in the Blacke friers 1577. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER WILLIAM FVLKE WISHETH GRACE AND PEACE from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. THE great bragges that vvere made by diuers Papistes of this treatise of Purgatory that it vvas vnansvverable vvere so vntollerable that certeine of my godly friendes vvere moued thereby to sende the booke to me desiring me to shape an aunsvvere vnto it But vvhen I had readde it ouer and founde therein in deed much nevv rayling yet nothing else but the olde fonde kinde of reasoning I vvas altogether vnvvilling to deale vvith it both because there hath bene so much already vvritten of that argument and for that I thought that our contrymen vvere novv as vvel by reading of that vvhich hath ben vvritten before as also by continuall preaching against that absurde doctrine sufficiently dissvvaded from that blaspemous heresie of Purgatory But vvhē this excuse or any other that I could bring vvoulde not satisfie there ernest desier vvho importunatly still vrged me to take the matter in hand that I had once againe perused the treatise I began to thinke othervvise of the vvhole case then I did before I considered that many there vvere vvhich perhaps had not seene and many also that vvoulde not reade such bookes as haue bene vvritten in times past of this question that some also vvere so simple that they could not discerne this nevv disguised defence of the Catholike churches doctrine from the olde drousie dreame of popish Purgatory VVherefore if any one of these or any other that shall voutsalfe to reade this ansvvere might therby either be confirmed in trueth or reclaymed from error I began to thinke it vvere sufficient cause for me to take the paines and the paines so taken to be vvel bestovved Againe vvhen I remembred the spightfull rayling and the most disdainefull arrogance of Allen him selfe together vvith the presumptuous boasting and vaine confidence that some of his friends haue in his vvriting I cōfesse it kindled that smal zeale of godlines that is in me both to meinteine the common hope of Christians against the insolent assaultes of so malicious and proud an aduersary and also to discouer the infirmitie feeblenesse of that fortres vvhich these vvillfully blinde Papistes do vaunt to be inuincible In vvhich doinge I haue vsed great breuitie not onely by a naturall inclination vvherby I loue to be short in any thing that I vvright but also because my friendes vrged me to dispatch it vvith so great expedition And yet in this shortnesse I trust I haue not omitted any thing that hath any shadovv of reason or shevv of matter in it but that I haue sufficiently discharged it as the diligent and attentiue reader I hope vvill confesse no lesse Hovv be it neither my hast in finishing nor my friendes diligence in soliciting vvas so great but the slacknesse and vntovvardnesse of some Printers vvas much more For vvhere as it vvas ended authorized almost tvvo yeares a goe yet it hath stayed hetherto vntill a godly and learned brother vvho vvas once purposed to haue aunsvvered the same him selfe and colde full vvell and substantially haue acquited him selfe there in if other busines had not hindred him moued of godly zeale hath novv at the last vndertaken the printing thereof and brought it to this passe as you see I hearde of late also of a third man vvhich had learnedly begon the aunsvvering of this booke hovv so euer he vvas letted from accomplishing the same But hovv so euer Satan hath hether to hindred the setting abroade of this aunsvvere yet God hath novv at the length brought it forth I doubte not but to his glorie and the confusion of Satan in his membres the Papistes I haue thought good also to ioygne vnto this vvorke an other short treatise that hath lyen by me these eight or nine yeares vvritten at the request of a godly and learned friende of mine in aunsvvere to a proude challenge of the Papist against the Protestāt vvhich though at the first many yeares after I determined not to publish supposing the same challenge to haue ben priuate or in fevv mens handes yet novv of late that I haue seen it in diuerse godly Gentlemens handes to vvhome it hath bene deliuered by Papistes be like to peruert them and of vvhome also I haue bene desired to ansvvere it am further credibly informed that the same is in printe esteemed of many ignorant Papistes to be so vnaunsvverable that although it be protested by Gētlemen of great vvorshippe and credit that they haue seene the aunsvvere thereof in vvriting yet they vvill not beleue that any man dare set his penne to the paper once to attempt the matter I haue thought beste to putte it in printe as it vvas vvritten at the first Nothing doubting by Gods helpe but I shal be able to stande to that defence if the challenger vvill proceede to meinteine his challenge any longer That I haue copled it vvith the aunsvvere vnto M. Allens booke is because I doe greatly suspect that he vvas the authour thereof for the similitude of the stiles and of the stomakes in both at the least I trust I doe him no vvronge to suppose him to be so stout a champion And thus I committe the Christian reader to the direction of Gods spirite vvho voutsalfe to lead thee into all truth for Christes sake Amen The faultes of this impression are thus to be amended The first figure signifieth the page the second the line In the aunswere of a true Christian c. Pag. 3. line 35. Lithuania reade Lithūanda 5.3 vvriting r. vvritinges 10.10 the scripture reade the booke of scripture 13.17 then reade thou and line 19. you reade thou 15. line the laste Tiberius reade Liberius 19.4 you reade the. and line 10. Ca. line 58. reade Carolines 8. and line 19. Mercamas r. Marranias 20.9 fauour reade honor 23.26 the prince reade the printers 24.1 put out and. 25.9 not for his r. for his 29.10 vnitie of minde r. vnitie of faith minde 30.3 in the places aboue rehearsed in diuerse places of his epistles a◠lib. 3. epist. 14. and 15.16 c. 41.30 Rhenes r. Rhemes 49.5 the the r. that the. the 12. r. the Catho c. 52.13 in Brytish reade in the Brytish 63.14 about the articles r. about the chiefest articles 64.20 put out that hilde and the 24. here rea sore 67.21 vvhich can not rea vvhich you can not 68.4 in a name reade in a manner 69.4 prorsus opinemur r. prorsus non opinemur and 34. vniuersally r. vniuersalitie and 36. vvhich you do r. vvhich you do not 70.17 proponēda
example of King Dauid is counted a great and speciall bulwarke of this cause which notwithstanding is answered euen as the rest Dauid the child of God was beaten with the mercifull rodde of Gods fatherly correction and set as an example to Gods children of all ages to shew how God abhorreth murder and adultery And although the payne were bitter for the tyme as all chastisment is yet no doubt but he receaued great profite thereby Heb. 12. And as for the plague for numbring the people it fell vpon them for their own sinnes as the text is playne The saying of Gregory that God leaueth no sinne vnpunished which is pardoned if it be vnderstood that all the sinnes of the faithfull are punished in Christ which became sinne for vs it is most true But if he meane that God punisheth all sinnes that he pardoneth in the partyes them selues it is contrary to the manifest worde of God and infinite examples of the Scripture The Publicane the prodigall childe the debters all clearely remitted doe playnly proue that God freely forgiueth iustifieth rewardeth the penitent sinners without exacting any punishment of them for aunswering of the debt satisfying for the sinnes abusing his fatherly clemency Luke 7. 15. 18. Finally for auouching myne aunswer I would wish no better authority of the auncient fathers then euen that which M. Allen him selfe allegeth out of Augustine contra Faustum lib. 23. cap. 67. that the punishment of Dauid was flagelli paterni disciplina the chastisement of Gods fatherly scourge as he doth most playnly declare the same in his booke de peccatorum meritis ac remissione lib. 2. cap. 33. and for a flatt conclusion contradictory to M. Allens assertion I will vse the very wordes of Chrysostome in the 8. Hom. vppon the Epistle to the Rom. Vbi venia ibi nulla erit poena Where there is forgeuenes there is no punishment The double and doubtfull shiftes of our aduersaries pressed by this conclusion are remoued and it is proued against one sort that these foresayde scourges vvere in deede punishments for sinnes remitted And agaynst thother sect that this transitory payne hath often endured in the next life CAP. II. 1 ANd the weight of this foresayd grounde hath euer pressed the aduersaries of truth so sore that beholding as it were a farre of what inconuenience this might import they euer busily endeuored to stay the beginning of their likely ouerthrow But yet as it was and will be for euer noted in false teachers they seeke diuerse escapes so disagreable that one hindereth an other and neither of them helpes their owne cause One sorte not so impudent but a great deale more foolish then their fellowes agree by force of the places named and euidence of the examples that there is punishment to be suffered and some temporall paine remane at to be discharged in this world after remission of sinne but for the next after this life so fearde they be of purgatory they will haue none at all Thother secte maisters fearing what might follow on that graunt in no case will confesse that there is any payne due for sinne in this world or the next after the fault be once remitted For Caluine capitaine of this latter baÌ„d saw well that if any debt or recompense remaine to be discharged by the offender after his reconcilement it must needes â—ise by proportion weight continuance number and quantity of the faultes committed before VVhereby it must of necessity be induced that because euery man can not haue time either for the hugenesse of his sinnes past or his late repentaunce or his carelesse negligence to repay all in his life that there is all or some part aunswerable in the next world to come And therefore boldly and impudently as in case of this necessity he aduentureth to deny with shame that any of all these painfull miseries be as punishments for the sinnes of the sufferers but certaine fatherly checkes exercises of patience and vertue rather then afflictions enioyned for sinnes VVhich vaine shift hath no bearing by reason or text of Scripture but onely is vpholden by the exercised audacity of the author CAP. II. 1 IF M. Allens titles of his chapters were as sufficient reasons as they be bolde affirmations there were no man able to stand against him But I can well compare them to the arguments of those vayne fables that were wont to be printed in english of Beuis of Hampton Guy of VVarwick such like where the arguments shew how such a Knight ouercame such a Gyant how such a sorcerer wrought such a miracle which are tould as confidently as though they were true and yet there is no man of meane witte so ignoraunt but he knoweth them to be fayned fantasies Euen so with M. Allen to affirme is to proue to deny is to confute briefly in his titles and at large in his chapters But if he would as he pretendeth haue remoued all those reasons that we bring against his false conclusion or any of them all he must haue proued that Christ hath not satisfied the iustice of God perfectly by his death and suffering that God doth not freely forgeue vs our sinnes that he is stil an angry Iudge against them that put their trust in him He must haue proued against Ezechiel that what tyme so euer a man doth truely repent the Lord doth not put all his sinnes out of his remembraunce against Dauid that he hath not remoued our sinnes from vs as farre as the East is from the West Against S. Iohn that if any man sinne after Baptisme Iesus Christ is not our aduocate with the father and propitiation for our sinnes If he could say any thing against these reasons authorities with an hundred more of the same sort he were worthy to be heard But because that is to hard a matter for him to take in hand without all shame or shew of truth most impudently he fayneth a contrariety betwene Melanthon and Caluine but not once noting by one letter where the same is to be found in any of their workes lest their manifest wordes out of the same places being brought against him should reproue his shamelesse lying Melancthon he saith acknowledgeth some temporal payne after remission of sinnes to be discharged in this life but not in the life to come Caluin wil haue none at all O brasen face and yron forhead doth Caluine deny thafflictions of this life or Melancthon affirme that they are suffered for satisfaction of our sinnes Doth Melancthon deny the passion of Christ to be a perfect aunswering of the iustice of God or Caluine affirme thereby to be taken away the mercyfull correction of God Would God that all that professe the religion of Christ agreed in all pointes as truely as they doe in this But admitte that M. Melancthon or any man beside should graunt that the sufferinges of the godly in this life are some parte of satisfying vnto the iustice of
a man may not be vnworthy of so singular a grace and vnestimable benefit Therefore this prerogatiue perteining not to very many excepted for the residue that by the ordinary Sacrament be raised vp from their fall euery one must endeuour to do penaunce more or lesse according to the quantity and circumstancies of the crime committed so S. Augustine saide before so doth S. Ambrose meane now geuing this woman warning that her faulte was so horrible that the penaunce done in this life coulde not properly and exactly make recompense therefore and yet after punishment tolerated at Gods apointement in the next life he doubteth not to assure her of pardon at the length and release of all paine Thus was sinne handeled in those dayes And why it was so painefully riped vp to the very bottome you see Compare our dayes and dealing to theirs and thou shalt wonder to see the diuersitie betwixt their maners and ours and to see the phisicions worke so diuersly where the diseases be all one 4 Now followeth the authority of S. Augustine both right and counterfet the counterfet Augustine that writ the worke de poenitentia c. I vouchsafe not to aunswere because I weigh not the authoritie but detest the impudency of him that had patched vp such a peece a worke to father vpon S. Augustine as no man of lesse learning then Augustine was would abide to goe vnder his owne name The other place in his Enchiridion sufficiently expoundeth it selfe that it speaketh of remission of sinnes in the Church which according to the discipline of that tyme required satisfaction according to the quantity and quality of the offence The wordes of S. Ambrose import none other thing but that an heynous offence must be earnestly bewayled if repentaunce be not counterfeted And where as M. Allen is in a pecke of troubles betwene that which he supposeth to be the opinion of Ambrose and that which he allegeth out of Augustine to proue that the paynes of purgatory shall not continue after the resurrection it is not all worth the paynes he taketh about it For that the sayd fallen virgine shoulde not thinke she had bene penitent enough if she obtayned absolution in the iudgement of men he assureth her as Cyprian in his sermon de lapsis doth the fallen men of his tyme that forgeuenes of sinnes is proper vnto God onely and followeth not of necessity the sentence of men but the sentence of men ought to follow the iudgement of god And those wordes in die iudicij about the meaning whereof M. Allen vexeth him selfe are to be vnderstoode by the opposite ab humano die for thereby it is manifest that the iudgement of God is set against the iudgement of men And that is the phrase of the scripture which S. Ambrose followeth as when S. Paule sayth of the Corinthian that his soule may be salfe in the day of the Lord Iesus Christ he meaneth not that he should be punished in purgatory though he repent vnto the generall day of iudgement but as S. Peter Act. 3. affirmeth that our sinnes are forgeuen against the comming of Christ to iudgement signifying that then the full fruite of forgeuenes of sinnes shall appeare when we shall thereby be discharged in the iudgement of god But what S. Ambrose thinketh of that kinde of satisfaction whereof M. Allen speaketh is playne by those wordes which he vttereth of Peter in his exposition of S. Luke lib. 10. cap. 2. Lachrymas eius lego satisfactionem non lego I read of his teares I read not of his satisfaction But vnto the other kinde of satisfaction whereby the church is satisfied our Sauiour Christ driueth Peter when he causeth him to blot out the memory of his treble deniall with a treble confession of his loue As Augustine also acknowledgeth but if purgatory be so necessary to satisfie Gods iustice by temporall paynes of sinners according to the tyme c. and purgatory shall cease at the day of iudgement as you affirme out of Augustine howe shall the same be satisfied in such as dye immediatly before the daye of iudgement so that they haue not had tyme enough there to be sufficiently purged the like may be demaunded of all them which in a moment shal be chaunged from mortality to immortalitye at the very comming of Iesus Christ to iudgement These questions M. Allen wil trouble your head to aunswere and retayne your former principles more then that whereof you make your doubt and your determination as vncertayne as your doubt whyle you are so cumbred on the one side to vpholde purgatory vppon colour of satisfying Gods iustice on the other side to maintayne the Popes pardon without satisfying of Gods iustice so that how so euer you satisfie your selfe in your owne fantasie I promise you no reasonable man can be satisfied by your doubtfull disputations and vnstedfast conclusions 5 I might here well to my purpose repeate the singular praises that S. Hierome gaue vnto noble Paula who as he writeth of her with fountaines of teares exceding lauish almes pitifull fasting washed away such veniall and small offenses as other men woulde scarsely do much more greuous crimes And to seeke for what ende this holy matrone vexed her selfe and tormented her body it were in a maner needelesse ▪ for being not gilty of any greuous sinnes she coulde haue no great feare of hell paines then it must needes be that she tooke punishment of her selfe to preuent Gods temporal scourge in the life to come She well cōsidered for it was the doctrine of that holy time that euery sinne be it neuer so small or common doth indebt the offender vnto God and therefore the iustest person that liueth excepting Christ and for his honour his mother as S. Augustine sayth must confesse debte and crie for pardon by our maisters prayer Dimitte nobis debita nostra forgiue vs our debtes the which because they be debt must either be pardoned by prayer or paide by paine And therefore being not here remitted or not satisfied by worthy punishmēt in this life they must of iustice be purged after our departure according to the numbre of them and the negligence of the offender And this faith of Purgatory and respect of Gods iudgements to come feared the holyest persons that euer were in Gods church This droue many a blessed man to perpetuall penaunce this brought Hierom him selfe into the wildernesse of Syria there to lament the lapse of his fraile youth euer in expectation of this call Exi foras Hieronime Come out Hierom this filled the desertes with many a noble Hermite this raised vp the cloisters and all the holy houses of mourning and prayers in the whole worlde and hath in all ages appeared both in the wordes and workes of all Christen people as we shall better anone declare 5. Here because you haue no likely matter out of S. Ieronyme to serue your turne yet to make a shewe of his name
white as snowe beholding the purity that is requisite for a citizen of the celestiall Hierusalem And I note this the rather of the soule because I see that the body also before it can shake of the stroke and plague of sinne must be driuen by the common course to dust and elementes that being at the ende raised vp againe in the same substance may yet wholy in condicion and quality be so straungely altered that in honour and immortalitie it may euerlastingly ioyne with the soule againe To the newnesse whereof the very elements that before aunswered it in qualities of corruption shal be perfectly by fire reformed and serue in beauty and incorruption eternall If sinne then be so reuenged and throughly tryed out of mans body and all corruption out of these elements for the glory of that new and eternall kingdome shall we doubte of Gods iustice in the perfect reuenge of sinne in the soule or purifying that nature which as it was most corrupted was the very feate of sinne so namely apperteineth to the company of Angels and glory euerlasting It were not otherwise agreable to Gods iustice surely nor conuenient for the glorious estate to come it were neither right nor reason He will then where man neglecteth the day of mercy sharply viset with torment him selfe and both purge and purifie the drosse of our impure natures defiled and stained by sinne with iudgement and rightuousnesse Abluet Dominus sordes filiarum Syon sanguinem Hierusalem lauabit de medio eius in spiritu iudicij spiritu ardoris Our Lorde shall washe out the filthe of the daughters of Syon and will cleanse bloude from the middest of Hierusalem in the spirite of iudgement and the spirite of burning But because we will not stande vpon coniectures in so necessary a point you shall see by what Scriptures the graue and learned fathers haue to my hand confirmed this beleued trueth And first I will recite those places which do set forth both the quality and condition of that punishment which God taketh vpon man for sinne in the other worlde and also did giue iust occasion to our forefathers of the name of Purgatory 2 Consider what wholsome doctrine this student in Diuinitie gathereth out of the Scriptures of god Dauid not content with remission of his sinnes seeketh to be better clensed to haue them wholy blotted out and to be made as white as snowe â–ª but by what meanes M. Allen or at whose handes Dare you say that he prayeth God to clense him better by his owne suffering then he was by Gods mercifull pardon What was figured by the bunch of Isope dypped in the lambes bloud with which he desireth to be sprinckled assuring him selfe that therby he shall be washed whiter then snowe Was it purgatory or the aspertion of the bloud of Christ O horrible blasphemer wilt thou neuer acknowledge the omnisufficiency of the benefite of mans redemption by the sonne of God shal thy vayne gangling and iumbling of thy deuises with Gods decrees obscure the glory of our Lord and Sauiour Christ his passion who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes by his bloud and made vs Kings and Priestes in the sight of God who hath geuen him selfe for his beloued Church that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto him self a glorious church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame What similitude hath this with Allens pratling of purenesse and patching in of purgatory As for the place alleged out of Esay the 4. Because he dare not abide by it him selfe but confesse that it is but a coniecture of his own to draw it to purgatory which in deede is playnly spoken of the reformation of the Church in this life I neede spend no more tyme in aunswering it 3 There be two textes of Scriptures to this purpose so like that many of the doctors for better conference in so weighty a case haue ioyned them together to make their proofe full and so will I do by their example The first is in the thirde chapter of the prophet Malachie in these wordes Ecce venit dicit Dominus exercituum quis poterit cogitare diem aduentus eius Et quis stabit ad videnduÌ„ eum Ipse enim quasi ignis conâ—â—ans quasi herba fullonum sedebit conâ—tans emuÌ„dans argeÌ„tum purgabit filios Leui colabit eos quasi aurum argentum erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in iustitia Et placebit Domino sacrificium Iuda Hierusalem c. Beholde he commeth sayth the Lorde of Hostes. And who may abide the day of his coÌ„ming VVho can stand endure his sight â–ª For he is like melting and casting fier and as the washers herbe And he shall sit casting and trying out siluer and shall purge the children of Leui clense them as golde or siluer And theÌ„ shal they offer sacrifice in righteousnesse the offerings of Iuda Hierusalem shall be acceptable vnto our Lorde And thus farre spake the prophet The second is this taken out of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Secundum gratiam Dei quae data est mihi vt sapiens architectus fundameÌ„tum posui alius auteÌ„ superaedificat Vnusquisque auteÌ„ videat quomodo superaedificet FundameÌ„tuÌ„ enim aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod est posituÌ„ quod est Christus Iesus Si quis auteÌ„ superaedificat super fundameÌ„tum hoc aurum argeÌ„tum lapides preciosos ligna foenuÌ„ stipulam vniuscuiusque opus manifestuÌ„ erit dies enim Domini declarabit quia in igne reuelabitur vniuscuiusque opus quale sit ignis probabit Si cuius opus maÌ„serit quod superaedificauit mercedeÌ„ accipiet si cuius opus arserit detrimentuÌ„ patietur ipse auteÌ„ saluus erit sic tameÌ„ quasi per igneÌ„ Thus in English According to the grace of God geuen vnto me as a discriete builder I haue laid the groundewarke but an other buildeth theron Let euery man be circumspect how he buildeth on it For no fundatión can be laide but Christ Iesus which is already laide If any man builde vpon this groundewarke golde siluer preciouse stones wodde hay or stooble euery mans worke shall be laide open For the day of our Lorde will declare it because it shall appeare in fire And that fire shall trie euery mans worke what it is if any mans worke erected vpon that foundation do abide he shall receiue rewarde but if his worke burne he shall susteine losse or it shall susteine â—osse meaning by the worke it selfe as the texte well serueth also but him selfe shall be saued notwithstanding and that yet as through fire These be S. Pauls wordes Now as men studious of the trueth carefull of our faith and saluation and fully free from contention and partaking let
worlde or the next but Christes passion alone the benefit whereof is not by the sufferers will extended to any that sinneth vnto death being able to satisfy for the same As often then as thou hearest any Catholike man affirme purgatory to punish or purge greuous and deadely offenses be assured his meaning of the temporall paine due vnto wicked men and their sinnes after their bonde and debt of euerlasting death with the very faulte it selfe be in Gods Church remitted For as S. Augustine sayth a mortall sinne forgeuen is becomne a veniall trespasse and so deserueth no more paine then a veniall sinne which by transitory punishment may be fully and perfitely released thus he sayth Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia non tamen statim sanata There be sinnes sayth he which being deadly of their owne nature be yet by poenaunce made venial though not alwayes straight healed Then by this rule what so euer is spoken of veniall sinnes or the purgation thereof it is ment both by the small offensies which of their owne nature are veniall and also of the greater so that they be forgeuen in Gods Church before whereby they are become veniall as the other and deserue proportionaly as the other and may be taken away as the same man affirmeth either in this worlde or the next by the same remedies as the other though not alwayes so speedely CAP. IX 1 NO maruell but you must crowe like a cocke of the game you haue obtayned such a noble victory out of Origens errour and specially you haue discouerâ—d such a solemne secrete to the yong petits of popery that onely veniall sinnes are clensed by purgatory that they are much beholding to you But lest your kitchen shoulde be colde if none but veniall sinnes should passe through the heate of purgatory you haue found out a sutle shifte howe to bring mortall sinnes also through the same pykes of purgatory for discharge of which you know men will bestow more cost then for release of those that with onely sprinckling of holy water as you wott well may be washed away Therefore mortall sinnes must be remitted in this life and then they may be purged in the fire of purgatory as being now become in the case of veniall sinnes O deepe mysteries reueiled out of the bottomlesse pitt which haue no grounde at all in the word of God but are manifestly ouerthrowne thereby euen from the foundations For the foundation of this doctrine is the distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes whereas the word of God plainly determineth that euery sinne is mortall and deserueth eternall death seeme it neuer so small Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all thinges that are written in the law to fulfill them Deu. 27. The soule that sinneth shall dye Eze. 18. The reward of sinne is death Rom. 6. And as for that distinction which S. Iohn maketh of a sinne to death a sinne not to death hath nothing common with that of the papistes for all sinne that by the mercy of God is pardonable he calleth a sinne not vnto death for which God is entreated that giueth life to them that haue so sinned And that sinne he counteth vnto death which is irremissible as obstinate wilful apostacy Heb. 6. blasphemy against the holy ghost Math. 12. c. for which it is not lawfull io pray Thus by iudgement of Gods word are all sinnes mortall which Papistes call veniall and all that they count mortall by Gods spirite are counted veniall For by the iustice of God all sinnes are mortall but by his mercy they are all pardonable except that sinne vnto death whereof S. Iohn speaketh 1. Ioan. 5. But to returne to M. Allens shift and to examine whether it will satisfie the iudgement of those olde writers which affirme that onely small and light offences are clensed by the fire of purgatory M. Allen sayth mortall sinnes become veniall by remission The Scripture teacheth that sinnes forgeuen are not imputed at all But M. Allens doctrine is that remission of sinnes doth not take sinnes away but onely chaungeth their nature from mortall to veniall yea he is not ashamed to vouch Augustine to warranty as though he should say that a mortall sinne forgiuen is become a veniall trespasse c. If all men were blinde this fellow would play trimly with their noses when he will be so bold with all men that can see Augustines wordes as he citeth them in Latine are these Quaedam enim sunt peccata quae mortalia sunt in poenitentia fiunt venialia that is there are some sinnes which are deadly of their owne nature but by repentaunce they are made veniall I haue translated them as he doth sauing that he calleth poenitentia penaunce which I to auoyd the ambiguitie of the english word as it is taken by the Papistes haue turned repentaunce Nowe is it all one to say that such sinnes as of their owne nature deserue death may yet be pardoned to him that repenteth which is the manifest meaning of Augustines wordes and that which M. Allen fathereth vpon him as though he said a mortall sinne forgeuen is become a veniall trespasse Againe this doctors wordes are playne of light and small offences and not of heynous and great offences that by pardon are made litle offences 2 VVell then to close vp briefely all this haue we founde by these scriptures alleaged that being diuerse degrees of men Purgatory apperteineth but to one sort First not to such as lacke the faith of Christ for they hauing no foundation are allready iudged neither to such as haue not builded vpon the foundatioÌ„ but rather defaced it with workes of death and deuilish doctrine For all these must like widdred branches be cast into the fire not to be purged but vtterly wasted There be yet other that kepe their foundation faste and worke there vpon both golde and siluer but yet abased and somewhat defiled by the mixture of other infirmities not sufficiently redressed in this life these must of necessity by Gods ordinaunce suffer the Purgation by fire that their workes purified and amended by the sentence of his iuste iudgement may at length by mercy and grace bring them to their desired ende Now the perfect estate which hauing this groundewarcke and building therevpon nothing for the most part but the tried fine workes of heauenly doctrine and perfect charity can not feare the fire as in whome it shall finde no matter of waste For if any drosse of seculare desires or worldly weakenesse was in their frailty contracted their fructefull penaunce in their life washed that away by the force of Christes bloude before the daye of our Lorde greate and fearefull came vpon them In which case God will not punish twise for one faulte nor entre into iudgement with such as haue iudged them selues to his hande These therefore thus guarded by Gods grace in whome onely
proofe out of the holy Scripture that he may be fully established in his faith and the aduersary heretike wholy confounded in his misbelefe If he list not rather as I heartely pray to God that he may geue ouer that vnnaturall plea holden to long against the Catholike Church our mother Geue eare then vnto the wordes of our Sauiour written in the Gospell of S. Matthew Esto consentiens aduersario tuo cito dum es in via cum eo ne forte tradat te aduersarius iudici iudex tradat te ministro in carcerem mittaris Amen dico tibi non exies inde donec reddas nouissimuÌ„ quadrantem Be at agreement with thine aduersary speedely whiles thou arte with him in the waye Lest that aduersary deliuer thee vp to the iudge the iudge commit thee to an officer by whome thou may be cast into prison surely I say vnto thee thou shalt not get out till thou haue discharged the vttermost farthing Now being desirous of the trueth and true meaning of this letter for the vnderstanding maketh all because there may arise by the darkenesse of that figuratiue speach some diuersity of sense let vs indifferently wey euery worde and with diligence examine the circumstances of the texte whereby any light may appeare And first being admonished to agree with our aduersary we may right well know that he meaneth not by the commoÌ„ enemie of our kinde that rometh about seeking whome he may deuour for his cruell assaultes must onely by resistaunce be withstand Neither the worde which the Euangelistes there vsed can properly signifie any malicious enemy that by hatered of our person is become our deadly foe as those which be skillfull in the language is wherein they wrote do confesse But rather as well the worde as the iust consideration of the place driueth vs to acknowledge that this our aduersary here signifieth our brother which hath iuste quarell against vs in iudgement for that we woulde not geue eare vnto him sharply admonishing vs of our faultes being therefore an aduersary to our viceis and fleshly coÌ„uersation In which sort to vs that are flesh and bloude and redy to euill from our youth all be aduersaries that preach Christ the amendement of licentious maners repentaunce of our lothsome life past or els vse against vs the rodde of correction and bodyly punishment that our soules may be saued in the day of the appearing of our Lorde To this kinde of aduersary Christ councelleth and commaundeth vs for our great good to agree and consent whiles we be here in the way of this our pilgramage and transitory life lest all these meanes which he wroght to reduce vs to the perfection of a Christian godly life be as it were a witnesse of our contempt him selfe our accuser before the iudge that shall so iustely reward euery man according to his deedes that is Christ him selfe to whome the father hath geuen all iudgement VVhose ministers being Angels either good or badde for the execution of iustice vpon sinners shall at his appointment cast vs into the prison and dongion there to be holden from life and liberty till we haue paide the last farthing the toleration of which bondes shall recompense the debtes which by wel doing and much mourning in the way of this world we refused to pay as S. Augustine piththely speaketh in these wordes Si non reddit faciendo iustitiam reddet patiendo miseriam he that paieth not his debt by dooing that which is iust right he shall pay it by suffering misery VVhich we trust the pitifull paines of that prison through the only desertes and merites of Christ our Lorde and God shall so discharge that after the payment either pardoned or fully made we may haue ioyfull accesse to his blessed presence For the forme of speache vsed in like ordre of wordes by both the Euangelistes doth vs plainely to vnderstande that we may through Christ make full payment thereof Ells he woulde not by likelihood haue saide that we shoulde not scape forth till we had discharged â–ª the vtmost farthing but rather that seuere iudge would haue geueÌ„ charge that the offender should be bouÌ„de hand and foutte and cast into the darke doungion of euerlasting daâ—nation prepared for the deuill and his angels which is the second and euerlasting death Namelâ— the worde of Imprisonment so well agreeing therevnto that it may not well admit any other meaning but a place of temporall torment For a prison is a place of correction chastisement of such as be on liue in which as longe as life lasteth a man may be in hope of liberty though his bondage for a time be neuer so vntollerable but when sentence of death is once pronounced in this worlde or damnation in the next then we may right well knowe Gods mercy to be shutte vp and the party desperate of all recouery Neither the name of Imprisonment in Scripture is lightly taken for the place of euerlasting punishment nor can by confereÌ„ce of the sundry partes of this letter haue here conueniently any such sense CAP. X. 1 HEre according to M. Allens orderly proceding is alleged for purgatory a place out of S. Matthew where Christ saith to him that neglecteth to reconcile him selfe to his aduersary before he came to the iudge that he shall be cast into prison from whence he shall not come vntill he haue payed the vttermost farthing The meaning of Christ is playne that he shall neuer come out no more then that wicked seruaunt which was cast in pryson vntill he shoulde pay the whole debt which was ten thousand talents Matth. 18. But before we goe any further let vs se how the doctrine of this chapter agreeth with that we had in the chapter next before Theâ—e we were told that purgatory serueth but for veniall sinnes or else for such mortall sinnes as by forgeuenes in this life obtayned are made veniall trespasses But here not onely vices and fleshly conuersation but also contempt of all that preach Christ and repentaunce of our lothsome life past c. are sayd to be the debt that must be discharged in purgatory to the vttermost farthing then the which no vice is more mortall nor farther from forgeuenes For he that not only leadeth a lothsome life but also contemneth all those meanes that Christ hath wrought to reduce him to the perfecton of a Christian godly life I vse his owne wordes how can he haue remission of his sinnes in this life and yet M. Allen dare promise him that the toleration of bandes in the prison of purgatory shall recompence his debt and bring him from thence into the blessed presence of Christ. M. Allen hath the most passing faculty of any that euer I heard to build one thing in one leafe and to ouerthrow it him selfe againe in the next Neuerthelesse I can not abide that he should promise a pardon of that payment
penaunce whereby the woundes of mans frailty are profitably cured be found 5 Aske your owne conscience M. Allen whether you haue not miserably wrested the Scriptures your selfe And lette all reasonable men aunswere whether such textes of Scriptures as you haue wrested out of the true sense I haue not wrested out of your handes And that not by shamefull denial of the Doctors but euen by the testimony exposition of the doctors them selues with force of matter rather then flow of wordes with plaine meaning rather then with deceitfull dealing And whereas you boast your selfe to be a reporter of antiquity you haue shewed your selfe to be a fauorer of forgery and a corrupter of antiquity As for the gracious giftes and conceit of comfort that you bragge of in your counterfeit Church of hypocrites and sclaunderous Synagoges of Satan how so euer you paynt it out with glorious termes we geue most humble harty thaÌ„ks to the infinite goodnes of God which hath geuen his holy spirite into our hearts with perfect assurance of his fauour euerlasting and hath so furnished his seruaunts with such giftes as he hath thought sufficient for the setting forth of his praise in his Church vpon earth that we neede not desire any other giftes or comfort out of his family but onely the continuance and increase of the same which we haue already in his owne house vntill we shall be translated from this mortall and corruptible state to the eternall and incorruptible glory which is laid vp in heauen for all them that wait for the appearing of the glorious God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and dominion both now and euermore Amen THE ENDE OF THE FIRST BOOKE THE SECOND BOOKE INTREATING OF THE PRAIERS and other ordinary reliefe that the Church of Christ procureth for the soules departed THE PREFACE OF THIS BOOKE wherein the matter of the treatise and the ordre of the Authors preceading be briefely opened 1 WE haue now taried very longe in the consideration of Gods iustice mighty scourge not onely for the euerlasting outcastes but also for the exacte triall of the chosen childrens wayes The beholding whereof must needes ingender some sorow and sadnesse of minde and with all as it commonly happeth in our frailety a certaine bitter tediousnesse both in the writer and the reader though for my parte I will say with S. Paule that it greeueth me neuer a whit that I haue in my talke geuen you occasion of sadnesse being assured that this present greefe may worke perfect penaunce to vndoubted saluation But the wearinesse of that rough part which might both by the weight of the matter and also by my rude handeling quickely arise to the studious reader I shall in this booke wholy wipe away not by art or pleasant fall of words which in plaine dealing is not much requisite but by the singular comfort of our cause In the continuall course whereof we shall ioy more and more at the beholding of Gods passing mercy in remission of sinnes and mitigatioâ—â—f the paines which iustice enioyned For now we must talke how the fiery sword of Gods ire may be turned from his people VVhich as one of the fathers truely saide beareth a great shewe of vengeaunce and iudgement because it is named a firy sworde but yet knowen withall to be a tourning sworde that is gladius versatilis it shall geue great cause of comfort againe O sapientes sayth deuoute Dasmacene ad vos loquor scrutamini erudimini quia plurimus est timor Dei domini omnium sed multò amplior bonitas formidabiles quidem minae incomparabilis autem clementia horrenda quidem supplicia ineffabile autem miserationum suarum pelagus Thus he speaketh of Purgatory and mercy O you of the wise sorte to you do I speake searche and learne that the feare of God the Lorde of all thinges is maruaillous much but his goodnesse farre ouerreacheth it His threatning exceding feâ—refull but his clemency vncomparable the prepared punishmeÌ„ts doubtlesse horrible but the bottomlesse â—ea of his mercies is vnspeakable so saide he Therefore if our sinnes forgeuen were neuer so greuous or our vicious life so farre wasted in idle welth that space of fructefull penaunce and opportunity of well working by the nightes approching and our Lordes sodden calling be taken away in which longe differring of our amendement heuy and sore execution must needes for iustice sake be done yet let vs not mistrust but God measureth his iudgement with clemency and hath ordeined meanes to procure mercy and mitigate that sentence euen in the middest of that firy doungion that the vessels of grace and the redemed flocke may worthely sing both mercy iudgement to our gracious God who in his angre forgetteth not to haue compassion neither withdraweth his pity in the middest of his ire For this imprisonment endureth no longer then our debtes be paide this fire wasteth no further then it findeth matter to consume this disâ—riet wise flame as some of the fathers before termed it chastiseth no longer then it hath cause to correct Yea often before this fire by course of iustice can cease God quencheth it with his sonnes bloude recompenseth the residew by our maisters merittes and accepteth the carefull crie of our mother the Church for hâ—r children in paine The memorie of Christes death liuely and effectually setforth in the soueraigne misteries vppon the Altare in earth entereth vp to the presence of his seate and procureth pardon in heauen aboue the merites of all sainctes the prayer of the faithfull the workes of the charitable both earnestly aske and vndoubtedly finde mercye and grace at his hande For of such the Prophet Dauid asketh Nunquid in aeternum proijciet Deus aut continebit in ira sua misericordias suas VVill God caste them awaye for euer or will he shutte vp his mercy when he is angrie No he will not so sayth S. Ambrose Deus quos proijcit non in aeternum proijcit God casteth of many whom he doth not euerlastingly for sake Then let vs seeke the wayes of this so mercyfull a Lorde that we may take singular comforte therein our selues against the day of our accompt and indeuour mercyfully to helpe our deare brethern so afflicted lest if we vse not compassion towardes them we iustly receiue at Gods hande for the rewarde of our vnmercyfulnesse iudgement and iustice with out mercy THE SECOND BOOKE TO THE PREFACE 1 YOu haue taryed longer in consideratioÌ„ of Gods iustice then is agreable to the matter of his mercy which is the death of his only sonne our Lord and Sauiour Christ. And now you will mollyfie the hardnesse of that handling with the sory comforte of your vnchristian cause Wherin you haue more regarde to the heating of your owne harthe then to the cooling of the selye soules to kindle a good fire in your owne kitchen then to quench the
woulde haue robbed the Church of the actes of the Apostles A sect called Alogiani do refuse the Gospell of S. Iohn with the Apocalypse Martine illiricus Caluine and their companions that no man being but an heretique shoulde euer out pricke them will shoulder with the proudest and lifte out of our Bibles the bookes of Machabees with S. Iames Epistle and more when more nede requireth The which Epistle as also the Epistles of Iohn and Iudas were once doubted of not as conteining any matter wherof the trueth was vncertaine but as bookes not knowen to be of like force as canonicall scripture in the impugning of heresies or confirming articles of belefe as all workes be till Gods Church haue published their authority and declared all thinges in them conteined to be of the same credit that the spirite of God is and of Gospell like trueth And by that authority of the Church what booke so euer be allowed though it was not so taken before yet now we must needes accept it sicut vere est verbum Dei as the very word of god And so be these canonicall Epistles and bookes of Machabees as before is declared Here nowe euery man may learne that it is a very daungerous matter to geue lesse credit to any of these bookes or wauer in any point of faith written in them for such fellowes iudgements that nowe amongest them haue lefte vs neither olde nor newe Testament Such stubborne boldenesse had these willfull men in mainteinaunce of mischeuous doctrine VVhose open impudencie was counted handsome conueiaunce of their scholers and adherents which were very many notwithstanding the Catholike Christian men in all ages both meruailed and lamented their blindnesse And yet doubtlesse it is not much to be wondered at to see that man flatly forsake the scripture of God who is not abashed to refuse and condemne that sense and vnderstanding of the Scripture which the whole Church with all her learned men haue euer allowed and counted most holy VVell by the strength of this piller we haue chalenged and saued hitherto for all the barking of bandogges the Scripture of God with the knowne meaning thereof And so I trust we shall doe still from the new aduersaries by the assured promise of thassistance of Gods holy spirite which shall leade vs not onely to the true canonicall Scriptures with the sense of the same but also guide vs in all truth necessary for our saluation Let euery man therefore here take heede how he doubteth of the knowne and certayne sense that the Church of Christ by decree of councell or consent of doctors applyeth to any Scripture least by mistrusting the sayd sense he goe forward vnaduisedly from open deniall of the common to found a priuate meaning of his owne in the stubborne defense whereof when he shall against the truth malipertly stand he goeth vnluckely forward at the end blasphemously reiecteth the blessed word sacred Scripture of God as we haue proued the auncient enemies of truth to haue done and as in these new sect maisters we may to our great dolour see Yet loe euen these are they that in all ages as Vincentius sayth flye in their talke and teaching ouer the law the prophets the Psalmes the Gospell That cry out of pottes pulpits nothing but Gods word the booke of the Lorde the testament of Iesus Christ Paule scripture as it may be supposed and as in th ende it is proued to driue out of doores Paule Scripture Testament and Christ too and not to bring into the peoples heades or heartes the feare and loue of God the holsom precepts of Paules heauenly preaching nor the true meaning of any Scripture VVho being vrged will rather credit a minstrells ballat then the Machabeis or best booke in the Bible But now you may see that whiles these men thought to saue their credits by miscrediting the Scripture they haue wrought so wisely that they haue lost their owne credits both in this poynt and in all other for euer And as they hoped by deniall of Scripture to cloke their errour they haue wonne to them selues the property of an heretike by open shew of their owne folly 3 And euen as vaine friuolous is this discourse that followeth to shew what bookes of scripture were in olde time refused by what heretikes But you thinke to match vs with them for denying the Machabees where vnto you adde the Epistle of S. Iames. If Martine and Illyricus haue some times doubted of that Epistle they are not the first that doubted of it Eusebius sayth plainely it is a counterfect Epistle lib. 2. cap. 23. And yet he was not accompted an heretike I saye not this to excuse them that doubt of it for I am perswaded they are more curious then wise in so doing but whereas you ioine Caluine with them it is because you can not leaue to lye with out shame while you are an instrument to defend diuelish errors with out shewe of trueth For Caluine receiueth it defendeth it expoundeth it and in all his writings allegeth it as canonical scripture Therefore if he were as ill as you compt him yet it were shame to lye on the deuill But we shall not nede to â—ake among the olde heresies to finde what bookes of holy Scripture you Papistes refuse when it is an easy matter to take your owne confessions and bolde assertions by which it is manifest that you doe not as those heretikes which you name reiect some one or two bookes but the whole authority of all the canonicall scriptures For when you affiâ—me that no booke of holy Scripture is canonicall but so farre forth as your Church will allow it who seeth not that you doe abrogate all maiestie and authoritie from the word of God submitting it to the iudgements of men Moreouer when you will not admit any sence of the scripture but such as your Church wil allow although the same be contrary to the plaine wordes thereof what authority doe you leaue to the worde of God which you make to be but a dead lettre vntil you geue it such a sence as it pleaseth you Finally where you make decrees of men either priuate or common customes traditions vnwritten verities in which is no certainety at all not onely equiualent but also oftentimes superior to the auctority of holy scriptures what certainety credit or estimation doe you leaue to the scriptures of God aboue other writinges nay all other writinges are in better case then the scriptures are with you For other writings may be compted the workes of their authors with out your censure the holy Scripture may not be compted the worde of God except you list so to allow it which may as well refuse that which is Gods worde in deede as you receiue and obtrude that which is not the worde of God at all Other writings haue such sence as the authors haue expressed them selues in their workes and maye be gathered by their wordes The
they gaue almes But next followeth a worthy authoritie of Clement the Apostles owne scholer and he forsooth in his Epistle to Iames the brother of our Lord commendeth obites prayer and almes for the dead But why doe ye not M. Allen rehearse his owne wordes as they are written in his Epistle belike you are ashamed of his lousie latine and thinke that all wise men would say you are madde if you beleue that Clemens which liued in the Apostles time could write no better stile thē the cobling counterfecter of those epistles For shame away with such a durty doctor as writeth to S. Iames to see there be no mise tordes murium stercora among the fragments of the Lordes portion c. Epist. 2. He was a beastly asse that writ such nasty stuffe and thought to make the world beleue that such a godly and learned father as Clemens was would write so foolishly so barbarously so filthily so malapertly of such bables as were not inuented 600 yeares after to so holy and excellent an Apostle as S. Iames was but the olde prouerbe must alwayes be true Draffe is good enough for swine But to put all out of doubt the example of Iobes sacrifice and almes which were auailable for his children and friendes sheweth that the almes of men aliue profite them that be deade In deede I reade in the booke of Iobes sacrifice and prayer but I reade not of almes giuen to merite for those that were liuing much lesse for those that were deade I doubt not but Iob gaue almes liberally when tyme occasion serued But I say those places are vnfitly of M. Allen alleged to shew the force of almes where no worde of almes is spoken Howebeit he sheweth his reason afterward why he allegeth this example of Iob because Chrysostome applyeth it to the same purpose I deny not but that Chrysostome doth as substantially alleage this example for prayers to profitte the deade as he doth the saying of God that he will protect the cittie for Dauid his seruaunts sake what shall we say Those good men in that declining state of the Church to superstition being destitute of the cleere testimonies of scripture to maintaine these plausible errors are driuen to such simple shiftes to vpholde them as it is great pitty to see It seemed to Chrysostome the best waye to staye the people from immoderate mourning but he might haue vsed a better way if he had comforted them as the Apostle teacheth 1. Thess. 4. 1. Cor. 5. Otherwise when he iudged vprightly and according to the scripture his wordes sounde cleane contrary to the opinion of purgatory and workes of other men to be meritorious for the deade as in the very next Homilie being the 42. 1. Cor. Quapropter oro obsecro vos adeoque ad genua supplex procumbo c. The wordes are long therefore I will rehearse them in English and let M. Allen finde fault with my translation if he can wherefore I praye and besech you yea and I fall downe as an humble suter to your knees while neuer so small a portion of your life remaineth be ruled by my sayinges be ye conuerted be ye amended into better lest like vnto that richman when we are gone hense we pouer forth teares which shall nothing profit there and lament in vaine for whether thou hast a father or a sonne or a freind or any other whome so euer that putteth his trust in the Lorde none of these shall deliuer thee being accused of thine owne workes For such iudgement is exercised there euery man is iudged of his owne deedes neither is any man otherwise saued there And these thinges I warne you of not as he that woulde make you sadde or bring you into desperation but that being fedde with vaine and vnprofitable hopes trusting in this man or that man we shoulde not neglect our owne vertue for if we be slothfull and doe slacke the matter neither any iust man nor Prophet nor Apostle shall helpe vs but if we be diligent hauing helpe enough of our owne workes we shall departe hense with great confidence and enioye those good thinges that are layed vp for them that loue the Lord which that we may all enioye let it be so through the grace and mercy of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Compare these wordes with the former and marke here not onely the sounde of his wordes but the weight of his reasons where as in all other places that he holdeth the contrary the wordes only fauoreth your cause his reasons are either feeble or none at all 4 But that I may serue not onely the turne of trueth but with plainnesse also instruct the vnlearned and with store satisfie the godly greedinesse of some that list see more for the comforte of their conscience I will report one notable place for the declaration of charities force euen towardes the deceased out of Gregory Nissen of the Greeke church and an other out of Athanasius the greate both directly touching the practise of good Tobie in compassion of the deade Thus sayth Gregory Dicitur bene quòd si qui hinc non praemissis bonis migrauerint postea à familiaribus neglecta oblatis reliquijs sarciantur imputari opus perinde ac ab eis factum fuerit est enim haec volūtas benignissimi Domini vt creaturae quae ad salutem petuntur sic petantur distribuantur vt exoretur non solum quando quis pro salute propria est anxius sed quando pro proximo aliquid operatur in english It is very well saide that if any depart this life his goods by alme◠being not sent to God before him and yet afterwarde the matter by his freindes in the offering vp the residue be amended that his freindes fact shall stande and be reputed as his owne worke For so hath God of his mercy ordeined that his creatures by vse whereof life and saluation may be obteined shoulde so be procured and in this ordre disposed that man shoulde not onely obteine his request in the carefull study of his owne saluation but also when he wellworketh for his frende or neighbour Here may we well perceiue that all the wayes of our Lorde be mercy and trueth And that he in a maner releeueth of his owne accorde our miseries both here and in the next life that there may be no damnation to such as be in Christ Iesus for whose sakes he turneth these base creatures of mans seruice in this life to the vse of his pardon and saluation in the life to come he accepteth the good will and trauell of other for the helpe of them which can not relieue them selues And which is the property of a most mercyfull father where he loueth he will raise the hearte of some good intercessor that by patronage and prayers of some lust Iob his fury may cease by his owne procurement But howe this mutuall worke of mercye is currant through the
aultar And therefore seeing Victor contrary to the forme giuen by the Priestes in councell was so bold to make Geminus Faustinus an elder his executor there is no cause that oblation should be made among you for his falling a sleepe or that any prayer in his name should be frequented in the Church c. By these wordes it appeareth first that Cyprian in these termes sacrifice Priest aultar alludeth to the sacrifices of thankesgiuing in the lawe because he vseth also that name of Leuites by which he calleth Gods ministers For as for the sacrifice propitiatory was offered in the law only by the high Priest once in the yeare So that he meaneth no other oblation or sacrifice for the dead but the sacrifice of thankesgiuing which was for their godly departure And therefore he calleth it not a sacrifice for their sinnes but for their falling a sleepe And by prayer he meaneth nor prayer for deliuery of the deade out of purgatory but as Origen sayth for the faithfull liuing to haue the like godly departure as he had that was fallen a sleepe And therfore he sayth not that such a one is not worthy to be praied for but he is not worthy to be named in the prayer which was made for them that remayned to ende their dayes happily as such a one or such a one whose names were recited in those memories had already fulfilled their course For otherwise what so euer M. Allen iangleth of the seueritie of the churches discipline if they had thought the soules of the departed to be in so great torments and that prayer and sacrifices had bene such a necessary helpe for them it had bene â—o much crueltie for one offence that not so great either to condemne a man to so horrible punishment or to deny him vtterly all maner of helpe and comfort The discipline of the Church when it is most seuere is to bring to repentaunce them that are in life not to rage against them that are deade which can not repent Nor to reiect any man vtterly but him that is certainly knowne to be vtterly forsaken of god But this Geminius Victor of whom Cyprian thus writeth was a good Christian in somuch that Cyprian him selfe calleth him his brother Geminius Victor frater noster de saeculo excedens Our brother Geminius Victor departing out of this world c. Wherfore if the punishment had extended to the torment of his soule or the hinderance of reliefe vnto his soule being in tormentes the Churche would not haue bene so rigorous against a faithful brother for mayntenance of their owne decree which was not expresly forbidden by the word of god Wherefore it may appeare that this punishment was only a note of ignominy to Victor him selfe for his transgression at his departure especially an example for the rest of the brethren as Cyprian sayth that they cal not away the ministers of God from his seruice to worldly affayres lest they be likewise noted of infamy when they are deade 5 And here nowe our aduersaries must be called vpon and asked howe they can away with this geare whether this light of trueth be not ouer vehement for their bleared eyes owle light or moneshine I trow or mirke midnight were more fit for their darke workes and doctrine our waye is ouer much trodden for theeues All this course of our cause so agreeth with it selfe so standeth with reason so vpholden by scripture so ordered in all pointes that Momus him selfe coulde practise no art nor picke no quarelles here For such we must praye for those we must not praye in this case the sacrifice of Gods Church relieueth the departed in that case it is comfortable onely to the liuinge some men neede helpe after their death others helpe we neede and not they ours for open infidelles and heretikes prayers are not vsed for all secret offendres because their case is not knowen to the Church of charity towardes her children she openly prayeth some she punisheth some she pardoneth for all she merueillous tenderly careth This doctrine of trueth is purposely ordered by our elders euery point is touched and tried to our handes VVhat time of the day was it in Gods Church saye trueth and shame the deuill when holy Cyprian wrote these thinges when the Councell of Aphricke decreed these thinges when Victor was punished by lacke of sacrifice and prayers at his departure doeth your time of ignoraunce which you haue limited for your walke reach vp so high in Gods house but I will spare you to anone your aunswere is not ready 5 And here now our aduersary must occupy his goose quill like the gooses trumpet to awake vs to aunswere him as though we were a sleepe or he so well appoynted to fight against vs we must be asked howe we can away with this geare Surely as the sunne is not obscured with the dust that a cocke casteth vp wheÌ„ he scrapeth on the dunghill no more is the sonne of righteousnes our onely ful redemption or the light of his holy word darkned by all the myste of mennes deuises which Allen or his complices can rayse out of the whole heape of superstition and errour to deface the glory of his truth The Lord is our light and saluation therefore we will not be a feard of purgatory The word of the Lorde is a light vnto our steppes and a lanterne vnto our feete therefore we will not walke in the darkenes of mens traditions Our workes and doctrine shall one daye be tryed before God and therfore we make no accompt how we be iudged by mans daye and lest of all by such a mans dome as hath his tongue more ready to rayle and sclaunder then his hearte instructed to discerne and iudge your way is your owne way and not the way of the Lorde and because you take an other way vnto saluation then the onely right way Iesus Christ therefore by his owne sentence you are all theeues and murderers But because you gather your forces together to shew the strength of your cause I will also generally shew your feeblenesse to the ouerthrow of your purpose The course of your cause you say so agreeth with it selfe What els To proue that there is purgatory you vrge the satisfying of Gods iustice so extremely that beside the suffering of Christ and forgeuenes of sinnes yet there must needes be a suffering of the party that offended But when you will shew by what meanes this suffering maye be either mitigated or cleane taken away you cleane take away the extremitie of Gods iustice which before you so earnestly maintained O worthy agreemeÌ„t of your cause with it selfe Beside the agreement with it selfe it so standeth with reason Suerly howe reasonable so euer it seemeth to you that the merites of men shoulde winne that which the merites of Christ coulde not winne that the suffering of men shoulde satisfie for that which the suffering of Christ coulde not satisfie with the
propitiatory which he affirmeth the Popish priests to doe in their Masse But lest I might seeme to doe them wronge in denying vnto them that priesthoode which is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. Let vs here what the holy Ghost sayeth thereof Hebr. 7. And in as much as Christ was not made priest with out the othe where as they meaning the sonnes of Aaron were made priest with out an othe but he with the othe by him that sayed vnto him the Lord hath sworne will not repēt thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech by so much is Iesus made suertie of a better testament And among them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death but he because he abideth for euer had such a priesthoode as passeth not by succession VVherefore he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him seeing he liueth for euer to make intercession for them For such an high priest it became vs to haue which is holy harmlesse and vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher then the heauens which needed not daily as those high priest to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes then for the peoples for that did he once for all when he offered vp him selfe For the lawe maketh men high priestes which haue infirmitie but the worde of the othe that was since the law maketh the sonne who is consecrated for euer more Marke well the plaine wordes of this testimonie and iudge indifferently whether I charge them with greater blasphemy then ensueth this there assertion That there priesthoode is confirmed by othe Psal. 110. 4 And yet neuerthelesse good Catholike Christian let vs thus perswade our selues that we haue so longe lost the vnestimable treasure of this holy sacrifice for our greuous sinnes it is our sinnes I say woe is vs therefore which haue deserued this plage which haue set vs at variaunce with God and our mercyfull redemer which haue taken from vs as vnworthy of so great a treasure the daily sacrifice the helpe of those which are a liue the comforte of those which are departed the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worship of god And our misery is the greater because fewe feele the sore The lacke of this sacrifice for the departed onely with the godly prayers therin was counted when Gods trueth and Church flourished the greatest and extremest punishment that coulde be deuised and euer enioyned for some notable crime to the terrour of other as for horrible desperation for willfull heresie for contempte of the decrees of Gods holy ministers as by the late alleaged place out of S. Cyprian may be very profitably noted Allasse we haue nowe in a manner lost that wholy which then was denied onely to such for their greuous punishments as were heynous offenders Otherwise in earnest consideration of our case can not I thinke but that this blessed iuell is now denied vs of almighty God generally for our greuous offensies which then was denied by his ministers to some one offender for the due punishment of sinne and wickednesse O good reader what would that holy martyr haue saide if he had liued in our dayes when to haue that oblation either for the quicke or deade which once was esteemed so necessary that no Christian man neither coulde in his life nor after his death lacke it is nowe if it selfe odious to most men and which abhorreth me to speake punishable by the lawes of the spiritualty and condemned well neere of all men what weene you this blessed bishoppe woulde haue saide if he had seene the holy hoste and offeringe to haue bene taken awaye which he once affirmed to be so necessary that if it were taken awaye or wasted there were no religion nor worship of God at all woulde not he thinke you with feruent zele of Gods house haue cried out vpon the sinnes of the people the blindnesse of the preachers and pastours the vnworthinesse of these our dolefull dayes and bewailed his owne misery as we shoulde doe ours crying out with an olde blessed father O Deus bone in quae me seruasti tempora vt ista blasphemia sustineam O Lorde that I should be reserued for these times to abide such blaspemie Victor reporteth in his history of the persecution of the Vandalles that were Arians that the Gouernour of that cursed company of cruell heretikes would not suffer the Christian men whome he had slaine to be brought home with seruice and sacrifice but then the good people wounderfully bewailed their case seeing them practise cruelty vpon their soules also in that they would not suffer them to enioyne at their departure and buriall the rites of Gods Church Thus saith that Author Quis vero sustineat atque possit sine lachrymis recordari dum praeciperet nostrorum corpora defunctorum sine solemnitate hymnorum cum silentio ad sepulchra perduci O Lord who coulde haue founde in his heart to beholde then or coulde yet once thinke of it with out teares how he gaue in charge that the bodies of our brethern departed should be brought to the graue and buried with out all solemnity of hymnes in silence and sorowe It was euer giuen to wicked harde harted heretikes to prohibere gratiam mortuis to be vnmercyfull and to staie the fauour of good men from the departed Nouatus as S. Cypriā chargeth him noluit patrem fame defunctum sepelire woulde not bury his owne father deade of honger bane 4 This collorable and hypocriticall complaint containeth nothing for vs needefull for to aunswere for the place of Cyprian is aunswered already But this maye be demaunded of him seeing he calleth the sacrifice of the Masse the onely grounde of all religion and acceptable worshippe of God what religion or worshippe God had before the Masse came into the worlde But this is the howling of the merchantes for the decaye of Babylon because no man byeth their ware any more what so euer they pretend this is the cause of their mourning and this lamentation shal be continued euen vnto hell fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer 5 But to let such men passe with the present bewayling of our vnhappy dayes let vs with more comfort beholde the steppes of good men past how kindely and brother like they haue principally procured the holy sacrifice for their freindes and fellowes gone before For seeing the onely prayers of good men haue bene proued so profitable and the representation of some holy workes of almes hath often moued God to pity as we haue proued towardes the release of the departed his paine what maye we not hope to obteine for our brethern deceased when we shall ioyne in prayers with the holy Angells with the blessed sainctes with Gods holy ministers in the representation of Christes most blessed body and bloude before the face of his father when the whole Church of God
lye in euery tryfling matter you are worthy to be deceiued And that you may see I doe him no wrong see I pray you how shamefully he lyeth in this matter whereof he maketh such impudent assurance He sayth the same men which brought in the fayth brought in the same order of seruice and planted the same supplication wherein they haue vniformly continued c take away the same order and ouerthrow the fayth which they taught But who doth not know that Chrysostom Basill Ambrose Gregory which he nameth to be the first auctors of those orders of seruice formes of supplication which before he commended were not the first that brought in the fayth into Cappadocia Thracia or Italy But the Apostles them selues and that those Churches continued more then 300. yeares with other formes of publike prayers and celebration of the sacraments before these men were borne And where he sayth there was euer found in the celebration of the sacrament beside oblation of the host for the quicke and the deade both particularly and generally a solemne prayer for all departed in Christ You must take it as the rest of his assertions which be euer more generall then their probations But to reproue his vanitie the order of prayers and administration of the holy misteries described by Iustinus Martyr in his second Apologie and of Tertullian also in his Apologetico doe sufficiently declare what was the vsage of the Christians in those purer times And although there be not set forth vnto them what forme of wordes they vsed in their liturgie yet is it expressed for whom and what they prayed Oramus etiam sayth Tertullian pro Imperatoribus pro ministris eorum potestatibus saeculi pro rerum quiete pro mora finis We pray also for the Emperours for their ministers and the powers of this world for the quiet state of thinges for stay of the end Likewise he sheweth to whom they made their prayers and what was the chiefest sacrifice that they did offer Haec ab alio orare non possum quam à quo sciam me coÌ„secuturum quoniam ipse est qui solus praestat ego sum cui impetrare debetur famulus eius qui eum solum obseruo qui ei offero opimam maiorem hostiam quam ipse maÌ„dauit orationem de carne pudica de anima innocente de spiritu sancto profatam These thinges I can not require of any other but of him of whom I know I shall obteyne For it is he alone which graunteth and I am he which should obteyne being his seruaunt which worship him onely which offer vnto him that principall and great sacrifice which he him selfe commaunded namely prayer proceding out of a chast body out of a harmeles soule and from the holy spirite This he speaketh comparing the prayers and sacrifice of the Christians with the prayers and sacrifices of the Gentiles But that I may returne to M. Allen which referreth the institution of prayer and sacrifice for the deade to Christ at his last supper to the secrete suggestion of the holy Ghost to the faithfull deliuery of the Apostles and the constant continuance of all nations Of whom will he be a feard to lye when he fathereth such a blasphemy vpon the Apostles vpon the holy Ghost and vpon Christ him selfe But let vs consider your Sorites Christ you say no doubt did institute it where is the warraunt of this vndouted institution you aunswere secrete suggestion of the holy Ghost howe come we to the knowledge of this secrete suggestion By tradition of the Apostles who is witnesse that this is the tradition of the Apostles Tertullian Cyprian Augustine Ieronym and a great many more But if it be lawfull for me once to pose the Papistes as you do often the Protestants I would learne why the Lord would not haue this doubtlesse institution and as you take it the most necessary vse of the sacrament plainly or at least wise obscurely set foâ—th by Matthew Marke Luke or Paule which all haue set forth the story of the action of Christ the institution of the sacrament and the ende or vse of the same If it were not meete at all to be put in writing why was it disclosed by Tertullian Cyprian Augustine c. If it were meete to be put in writing why were not those chosen Scribes Matthew Marke Luke Paule worthy of all credit rather appoynted for it then Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and such as you name But against this counterfect institution secrete suggestion and fayned tradition S. Paule cryeâ—h with open mouth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. That which I deliuered vnto vnto you I receiued of the Lorde that the Lord Iesus the same night c. In which wordes he declareth without couler or couerture what was the true institution of Christ of what witnesse he receiued it with what fidelitie he deliuered it what the sacrament is and what is the right vse of it to condemne all maner of abuses what so euer may rise either to corrupt this onely true substance and onely right order of ministration or to peruert this onely right vse and proper ende thereof I knowe the Papistes will flie to those wordes of the Apostle the rest I will set in order when I come but that is so manifest to be spoken of matters of externall comlines and not of doctrine of the sacrament as prayers and sacrifices that no man which vnderstandeth what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie can doubt or make any questioÌ„ of it Now touching the credit and worthynesse of these whom he so highly extolleth as I woulde not goe about to diminish it if they were to be compared with vs so when they are opposed against the manifest worde of God and the credit of the holy Apostles the instruments of the holy Ghost there is no cause that we shoulde be caried awaye with them But the controuersie is not as M. Allen sayth of the authoritie of the scriptures in this matter but of the true meaning of them which it is more like that they being such men then we so farre inferior to them should knowe I aunswere they them selues for the most parte confesse that prayer and oblation for the deade is not taken at all out of the scriptures as Tertullian Augustine and other the rest that woulde seeke confirmation in the scriptures as Chrysostome and such like doe so manifestly wrest them to their purpose that the Papistes them selues are ashamed to vse those textes of scripture for their proofes And as for such places as the later Papistes woulde violently draw vnto their error they haue fewe or none of the olde approued writers which though they allow their error yet that so interpret them as the place 1. Cor. 3. and Matth. 5. And what a shamelesse creature is M. Allen to say the controuersie is about the true meaning of the scripture when he him selfe in the next leafe before affirmeth that prayer and